The Weekly Dormouse. (aka Bike, est. 2007) Part 3374 by Angharad Copyright© 2023 Angharad

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This is a work of fiction any mention of real people, places or institutions is purely coincidental and does not imply that they are as suggested in the story.
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The following week saw Simon and Tom celebrating a record victory over Wales at Murrayfield,Edinburgh would be sore-headed tomorrow. I saw part of it and they were definitely the better side, although lots of Welshmen and women would possibly disagree.

On Monday, Kit had called and spent a couple of hours with Dawn and Francesca taking down stuff he hoped he could meld into some sort of defence, suggesting that George was at time uncontrolled and when he was, people seemed to die or disappear.

We had found links to him with a body disposed of in a quarry, unusually, George left DNA traces, so we could put him at the man's death and also we could identify the body as a construction foreman, who knew George. Of course, it nice not having George able to defend himself, but being dead does tend to imply that. Kit took so many notes that he arranged to call and see Dawn again after he had put the stuff in order, so he could use it to manipulate the court, which is barristers do, try to convince the jury that black is white and the better ones succeed. They often know as much about the law as the judge so they often keep him or her quiet, too. Kit was certainly capable of that kind of performance, swaying juries and thus outcomes. I was hoping he could work his magic for Fran.
At dinner that night, Dawn felt quite sad after remembering the things George did not least, trying to kill her. It isn't often that a young woman flees leaving her baby behind, which was what she did because George was coming to get her. She knwthat George would never hurt Francesca and she had hoped to sneak back and collect her but George stymied her efforts every time and when he nearly caught her she decided she had better forget Francesca for both their sakes.

It must be every mother's nightmare but both seemed to have survived the experience though I expect it was awful at times, for both of them. To see how nice Dawn actually was, relieved me and must have done something similar for Fran. The way they were chatting the back of the car you'd think they had never been apart.

They had several late nights during that week, I was often up in bed and asleep before they were. I was working part time for that week in case they needed me but they managed fine without me, making up for lost time. On the Saturday, that Wales lost to Scotland, Dawn had been to see Julie and Phoebe's salon and had her hair restyled and coloured. Franceca and I picked her up and we went shopping. I couldn't get over how much Dawn had changed with the new hairstyle, she looked years younger, and we went shopping.

In a boutique she saw a dress she wanted to try and ended up in the changing rooms while Fran and I waited outside in the shop. I saw some woman dash out of the rooms and speed out of the shop, I told Fran to look after her mother but by the time I got out into the road, a car was pulling away at speed and was too far away to read the number. I rushed back in and the woman, if it was one, threatened Dawn if she raised certain issues. The woman had taken some dresses into an adjacent changing cubicle and I did wonder should I buy them in the hope of getting some DNA from them, but Dawn said she was wearing gloves the whole time as well as dark glasses. Dawn was quite distressed by the experience and she left without buying anything, even though she looked really nice in the dress with her new hairstyle. I discovered which size she had tried and reserved it by phone with the shop. I asked Julie to grab it for me as it wasn't too far from the salon, I'd already paid for it, so all she had to do was pick it up as arranged. I collected it from her place on the Sunday leaving home quite early to do so before anyone else was up, except Tom who was out with his 'dug'.

As I disturbed Julie's Sunday lie-in, I wasn't exactly flavour of the month, when I described what I surmised had happened at the shop, Julie and Phoebe who'd got out of bed to have a cuppa with me, were horrified at how the grip of someone who was dead, could reach for you afterward. No one had tried it on with me or with Fran, they went after Dawn, from whom they felt more at risk. I was happy for them to underestimate me, because I'd likely come out fighting, though if you're not expecting it , it can leave you in shock, had it been me in the changing room, the woman might have left holding her nose while they went for treatment to straighten it, had she pulled a knife, I'd have broken her arm because I've been shown how to disarm them and then hurt them in two very quick moves.. The third move, nah you don't want to know that, but it leaves the attacker unconscious and you able to make a get away, which may be important.

We spoke to Andy Bond who brought a whole pile of mug shots, but we didn't identify her, if it was her, but they might have hired someone from out of town. I asked James to provide bodyguards for the rest of her stay but she didn't go far to scared, the experience had raised so many earlier issues which she thought she had dealt with but obviously hadn't.

Kit was furious when I told him about it and visited us again to reassure Dawn that she had a duty to Francesca and all the others George and his associates had hurt in the past. She understood the theory it was just the practical which caused problems.

"The day of George's inquest which we were subpoenaed to attend, the QA Hospital had sent the coroner a medical report from the beating Danni had taken. The emergency Consultant on her admission wondered how she was still alive the punishment she had taken was so severe and she had lost quite a lot of blood. The report included photos which looked like something from a horror film. I think Francesca had little option but to stop her father however she could and shooting him was probably the easiest option.

Danni gave evidence as best she could and was upset in doing so, James and I gave evidence but it was limited as we heard the shot before breaking the backdoor down, I have never seen James so shocked and energised. The door with which were pussy-footing around with lock picks, he just stood back and kicked at it smashing it off its hinges and lock. We were in the lounge moments later where he saw Danni's lifeless body and George lying on the carpet with blood and brains everywhere. I called the police and took the gun away from Francesca who was distraught at what her father had done to her friend and what she had done to stop the violence when he took no notice of her.

I suppose James could have taken him but he was a big bloke and quite strong. I'm not sure I could have protected my daughter and stopped him without a weapon, but dining chair over his head may have slowed him down a little. I said what I thought, he set out to kill Danni and would have done so had Francesca not acted as she had.

Dawn told of his previous temper tantrum when she had hidden in the bathroom and he had punched holes in the door and she said once he started one of his tantrums he just ignored you unless you could stop him, to qualify what she said she mentioned some people who disappeared when George went into a rage and he refused to talk to her about it but seemed unrepentant if he had hurt them, they deserved it. Usually their bodies were found in burned out cars so examinations were only basic.

Francesca gave evidence saying that her father was like some wild animal who wouldn't stop hitting and kicking Danni and she feared for Danni's life and for her own. Amazingly the coroner directed the jury to carefully examine the plea of guilty of manslaughter in self-defence and defence of another, to wit, Danielle Cameron who was badly beaten for no reason other than trying to help Francesca escape his control.

The jury was out for two hours, while sat and sweated. They came back and they announced their verdict, killing in self-defence of herself and her friend and that they felt she should serve no sentence because she had little other course of action. The coroner agreed with them because George was found killed by his daughter in a case of clear self defence, she felt she had to pass the case onto the police who would confer with the Crown Prosecution Service about the case and its verdict but until the police arrested her she was free to continue staying at my house.

It was probably as good an outcome as we could have had, Francesca had not been found of unlawful killing or murder and in some circumstances, killing in self defence is not a crime, so I was hopeful that Kit might be able to keep her from being listed as a killer or worse a murderer.

As we were leaving the coroner's court, we walked ahead of Dawn and Francesca who were consoling each other after their trauma when I saw of the corner of my eye the same woman who had threatened Dawn before. I rushed to intercept calling to Danni and James what she was. Just before she got to Dawn and Francesca, I threw myself at her and brought her down to the ground, the shock of my tackle caused her to drop the knife she was carrying and James arrived with police to drag her off the floor and recover the knife without handling it to preserve her prints although she was wearing gloves. She managed one punch at me but I hit her back twice and I think I did break her nose. It was a woman and she was arrested and subsequently found to be from London, where she had record probably longer than Cher's greatest hits. She was charged with conspiring to assault with a deadly weapon. I pointed out her accomplice sitting in the car with the motor running and he was arrested to after fleeing the car and trying to outrun a much younger copper who nicked him.

So it could have had a much worse outcome, although we aren't out of the woods yet. Whether Dawn and Francesca were the intended targets of the assassin, not a very good one, we didn't know but they were in custody and because a weapon was intended to be used we knew the police would oppose bail and I'd agree with them.

Sadly, people with mobile phones should be disallowed from photographing everything and then submitting it to the flaming Echo which published a photo of me catching the assassin under the headline, Crime-fighting aristocrat foils murder attempt and of course there was me in full colour rugby tackling the offender and the knife blade clearly visible in her hand. I wish I'd seen it before grabbing her. I was named because the person who reported it saw me in court giving evidence. After the description of my efforts in saving the day, naturally, it carried the story of George's demise and the events leading up to it and effectively said good riddance to someone who was a gangster but who could reach from beyond the grave to carry on his evil intentions by trying to have either his wife murdered or his daughter or both, only my quick action had prevented tragedy.

Trish thought it was hilarious, the story and the photo, suggesting I was always throwing my weight about, this time I couldn't deny it and also she was glad it had mentioned my quick actions because if it had said quick-wittedness, she'd have to write and complain.

One thing with her around you can't ever get too conceited although she tends to forget when it concerns her, because she is doesn't do modesty or humility. Oh well, another criminal or two taken out of the mainstream for a bit so things could be worse. Despite my apparent triumph in defeating the powers of evil, Trish's words not mine, we were all in bed early, feeling knackered by our day in court and the extracurricular activity of someone I know.