The Daily Dormouse. (aka Bike) Part 1682 by Angharad Copyright © 2012 Angharad All Rights Reserved.

The next morning, after breakfast, I was just settling down to do something with the girls’ hair when the phone rang. Livvie went to answer it, as I had Mima in the chair and my hands in her hair.

“Mummy, it’s Andy Bond,” called Livvie.

“That’s Mr Bond to you, girl,” I gently scolded.

“That’s what he told me to tell you,” she protested.

“Okay, but in future ...”

“Yeah, yeah ...” she went back to the kitchen, and I saw Stella come down with Fiona.

“Hello, Andy, how are you?”

“Well, thanks–just thought you’d like to know they let Ditchley go.”

“What? He was caught red handed?”

“So you say, his lawyer, a certain Mr Kite, suggested he was wrongfully imprisoned and he’s going to sue you.”

My mind went to James. Ditchley was in with Kite, so was presumably stalking him. I had to let him know. “So is Kite Ditchley’s landlord?”

“I can’t answer that, except to say I can’t deny it.”

“Thanks, Andy.”

“Just be careful, Kite is a nasty vindictive piece of work.”

“Perhaps it’s about time someone stopped him, then?”

“I didn’t hear that, Cathy, just be careful.” He rang off and I immediately went to get my mobile and send James a text.

‘Abort. They’re on 2 u. Ditchleys out. C.’

I pressed send and moments later my Blackberry rang. I answered it.

“Hello, Lady Cameron.”

“Who is this?” It was James’ number that displayed but it wasn’t him calling.

“I could say a friend, but that wouldn’t be true. I’m going to destroy you, firstly through the courts and financially, then physically afterwards–and all your lovely children.”

“Kite, you’re a prize arsehole and full of shit.”

“I’ve got your little friend James here, or do you call him, Jimmy. It’ll be the late Jimmy soon, his reaquaintance with Mr Ditchley will be very soon, and I believe Mr Ditchley owes him something. Goodbye, see you in court.”

“Yes, you bastard, and you’ll be in the dock if not dead.” I was really angry.

Simon and Tom came in as I was seething at my phone. They’d been walking the dog. “Network’s not down again, is it?” asked Simon.

“No, that slimeball, Kite has got James and the guy he caught here, who’s been released by the police, and is going to hurt him.”

“You stay out of this,” Simon spoke with a firmness I hadn’t heard before.

“But he’s working for me.”

“He’s a big boy, he knew what the risks were.”

“But this is England, not the back streets of New York or Haiti,” I protested.

“It can be just as rough here, Babes, now stay here and look after the kids.”

“Why? What are you going to do?”

“Make some phone calls.”

I rolled my eyes in exasperation.

“Just wait and see, alright?”

“Alright,” I sighed in frustration, I just wanted to scratch Kite’s eyeballs out. “He’s going to sue us again for Ditchley’s injuries.”

“Let him try. I’ll have his legs broken first.” Simon stumped off to his office.

“Mummy, wossamatta?” Mima trotted out, her hair in pigtail plaits.

“Nothing, darling–oh, who did your hair?”

“Auntie Stewwa.”

“Thanks, Stella,” I called to the kitchen.

“Okay,” was shouted back.

There was nothing I could do except fume. I so wanted to hurt Kite, but my best chance was being held against his will and possibly being tortured to death. I called Andy Bond.

After my explaining the situation, he was sanguine in his response. “Do you know he’s actually holding Beck?”

“He’s using his phone, so it tends to indicate he has.”

“He could claim that Beck left it with him yesterday or even that he picked it up in the street.”

“The latter wouldn’t happen. It’s one of the latest all singing all dancing things from HTC, a G4 or whatever they call them?”

“Okay, but that isn’t enough for us to pull Kite in.”

“How about if I say he threatened me and my children?”

“It would be your word against his.”

“But he did?”

“I’m sorry, Cathy, we have to work within the law, I strongly urge you to do the same.”

“If James is hurt, Jeremy Kite is going to pay.”

“Be careful what you’re saying, Cathy, I’m still a copper.”

“I shall pursue him through the courts until I’ve got him, all his money and property and every last drop of his yellow blood.”

“Well good luck with that one. I have to say a few people have tried, none have been successful yet.”

“Watch this space, Andy.”

“I shall, but mainly to keep you on the straight and narrow. Stick to the law, Cathy, or you become as bad as him.”

This last sentence was like a slap in the face. “How can I be as bad as him, he’s a monster?”

“In English law, even monsters have rights.”

“Yeah, it’s the victims who don’t.”

“That isn’t true, except in the Daily Wail, Cathy.”

“Well I hope the shithead who released Ditchley is close to their pension, because they’re going to be collecting it soon.”

“I’ll pretend you didn’t say that, Cathy. We had to let him go, we had no grounds for objecting to bail.”

“He attacked me.”

“Not the way he tells it, he claims he was walking past your place when Beck recognised him and attacked him. He says you got hurt when he pushed Beck away and he fell on top of you.”

“I’ve never heard such rot,” I lied.

“Well, that’s what he said, and the magistrates let him have bail of two thousand pounds. Kite put it up for him.”

“Honour amongst shits,” I said sarcastically.

“Could be, please don’t do anything illegal. I really don’t want to have to arrest you, Cathy.”

Instead of saying goodbye, I clicked the Blackberry off in disgust. Even Andy Bond was too chicken shit to take on Kite. Well, fuck him and the rest of the idiot boys and girls in blue, I’m going to war, and it won’t stop until Kite is neutralised, legally or otherwise. In the words of Rhett Butler, “I don’t give a damn.”

Simon came back looking very serious. “I’ve got a separate investigator trying to find where that call came from. He’s talking with the networks.”

“But we don’t know if James is near his phone, do we?”

“No, but it’s a start.”

“D’you have a number for the Commandos?” I asked.

“No, why should I?”

“He’s got friends in the SBS, he’s used them unofficially before.”

“Yeah, but talking with him is difficult to talking to you? To start with, you don’t know who his contacts are?”

“What does Jason say?”

“He’s building a case, and hopes it will be so watertight that Kite can’t wriggle out.”

“I hope it’s so watertight, when we flood it, it drowns the bastard.” I enjoyed saying that until Simon’s groan made me look behind and Puddin’ walked past. Oh fiddlesticks.

“Drowns the bastard,” said a little voice and she giggled afterward. I’m gonna strangle her one day.