Ahead of his Time, Adrian Cousins [short story to read .txt] 📗

a theory that she knew her team were not entirely on board with, but that didn’t matter as she was the DI and called the shots.

The four rapes which had been committed and reported over the last three months had provided DNA evidence. Gold dust, as far as Heather was concerned. She would have been happy to set up a mass testing site and have every male in the whole town tested. Although a ball-ache to organise, they could pin-point their man. Last week she’d had a stand-up slagging match with the Divisional Superintendent regarding such an idea. As he was her boss and refused, she was forced to back down. The crown-epauletted dinosaur had instructed Heather to use her bloody detective skills and catch the rapist the old-fashioned way by employing tried and tested police work. Although the Super was an ancient reptile, Heather was convinced his response would’ve been different if he’d been born a woman.

One of the reasons she’d been promoted to DI was her success rate in catching and sticking behind bars the low-life scum that roamed Fairfield, most of whom originated from the Broxworth Estate. Much of that success was down to her hunches which more often than not proved to be correct.

One such hunch was why she and one of her DC’s were sat in their unmarked car parked along Coldhams Lane. She knew all she needed was a reason to arrest, and then a DNA sample could be taken, and this new amazing science would do the rest.

Sod all had happened the whole time they’d sat there and, as midnight approached, Kevin appeared fidgety. She had pointed out to her dopey DC, who now sulked because she wouldn’t allow him to smoke, that a dodgy character had hovered at the entrance lane that cut through to the City School.

“What's he up to?”

“Probably just cutting through the school playing fields on his way home, Ma’am,” Reeves emphasised the ‘Ma’ presumably showing his frustration of being a DC and now having to perform a beat-bobby job on a Saturday night.

“No I don’t think so. I’ve got a hunch on this one,” DI French replied.

DC Reeves rolled his eyes but ensured the DI didn’t see him do it.

Both of them stayed in the car for a few more minutes when they witnessed what appeared to be a lover’s tiff, resulting in a young lady being left standing on the pavement. The car she’d alighted screeched up the road, to then only a few minutes later return to repeat the rubber burning exercise. After the car had screeched past them, the young lady in a short dress, clasping her shoes in her hand, disappeared down the lane to the City School.

“Driving without due care and attention, Ma’am?” Kevin asked, as he watched the prat in the Beemer wheel-spin his way up the road for the second time.

Heather didn’t even bother to reply as she grabbed the door handle. “Come on, I've got a bad feeling about this.”

53

A few minutes after midnight … 16th August 1987

Sweet Jesus

What a wanker! Apologise to him! No way, she thought. Scott had shown his true self tonight with all that business with Paula. Sarah was seething as she stood looking into the dark cut-through lane that led down to the City School. Sarah took a moment to decide whether to take the long way home or make a dash for it across the school playing fields. Sweet Jesus, she thought, if she stood there much longer, it would take all night to get home. “Come on, Sarah, get on with it,” she muttered, huffed, and stepped into the lane picking her way down on tiptoes. Although the lane was paved, all she needed now was dog poo between her toes, which would slap the icing on the cake of a really shite evening.

Releasing his breath when she was twenty feet ahead, Andy Colney pushed away the laurel hedge branches, taking care to place them back, thus ensuring he created no sound. The Sarah bird was hot, and he was ready. He would have his way tonight and go home satisfied. The adrenalin shot around his body; the anticipation was always better than the act.

He made his move. He licked his lips.

“Police. Stop where you are.”

Andy swivelled around. Ten feet behind him stood two figures, a dumpy woman and a younger male. He glanced back down the lane, but the fit bird had disappeared through the gate onto the school fields. When he turned around, the young male was on him; he had no time to move.

Handcuffed and pinned to the hedge by the young officer, the dumpy woman approached.

“Andrew Colney. Well, this is a nice surprise,” she said, as she looked up at him.

“What you doing? You can't fucking arrest me for walking down a lane.”

“Problem is Mr Colney, you’re not walking, are you? You’ve been hiding in the bushes for nearly ten minutes. So yes, I can arrest you. Andrew Colney, I’m arresting you on suspicion of the intention to cause harm to others. You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence.”

“Fuck off!”

DI French looked up at him and smiled, “Noted.”

54

Ahead of his time

As I arrived back home after collecting Beth from her sleepover, a woman approached the front door. I’d seen her get out of her car as she parked along the street as I pulled onto the drive. She looked familiar, but I just couldn’t place her.

Beth bounced inside the house, still bubbling with the excitement from her night at Melanie’s. I was relieved my perfectly formed tornado-shaped daughter hadn’t wrecked her friend’s house and appeared to have behaved herself. “She’s a perfect angel,” Melanie's mother had stated. I did have to chuckle when thinking of Beth from my old life, as that Beth