Chapter 23

The Retribution

Chapter 23

When Robert, Carl and Lorraine drove into the main part of Ravens Fair they were about to head off back to the main department, before Robert interrupted. "A quick drink," he stated, pointing towards Ravens Fair Tavern in the distance.

Carl and Lorraine glanced at each other for a second, grinning.

Carl replied, "OK, I will." He then asked Lorraine to be polite, "Is that OK?"

"I guess so," she replied, unsure.

"I think about 30 rest stops on the way back to our offices will be in order, right Lorraine?" Robert asked. He said it moodily, but that was just part of the joke, as it was merely part of his humour.

Lorraine couldn't resist a laugh, yet felt slightly irritated. "Piss off," she fired back half jokingly.

.

The three of them were sitting at a table near the bar. Robert and Carl were drinking beer and Lorraine had something in a small, fancy glass.

"Have you or the department dug up Shaw's files?" Lorraine asked.

Robert looked pained. "Oh...well, no. Why?" He was clearly bricking it.

"You'd better get off your a*s and find them, and tell your colleagues and bossed back at the department to get their asses in gear."

"We better get moving. It's already 4 O'clock!" Carl shrieked, looking at the clock hung up in the distance.

Robert gulped down the rest of his drink and stood up, ready to leave and the other 2 followed him.

As they walked out of the door and onto the streets, Robert felt something grab his collar, before slamming him up against the outside wall.

"Hey, prick!"

"Ash," Robert responded, seeming surprised.

"Nat told me all about what happened!"

"Listen, Victor, I only got like that because she got cocky."

"I don't care," Victor - or Ash snarled. He slammed Robert into the wall, harder. "She told me all about your bedside manner."

"And I'm deeply sorry...but it looks to me like you and your family have got the whole of friggin' Ravens Fair eating out of your hands," Robert stated, as he tried pushing Victor's hands away.

Victor jabbed his finger at him and hissed, "God help you if you and your little circus clowns don't drop it with that child murdering b***h. She's dead!" And with that, he let go of Robert.

Robert looked at Carl and said, "Thanks for all your help just then."

"It's best to let him have his say," Carl replied - and Lorraine agreed.

Robert scowled slightly. "Yeah, like he had his say with Mary Shaw. Like he had his say when he got the locals no better than performing seals!"

Just then, an old female bar tender ran outside and shouted to them, "There's a phone call! Robert Cowan? It's your Gov or something. He says it's urgent."

Robert ran inside, followed by Carl and Lorraine. He went behind the bar to the phone. "Hello." There was a long pause.

Judging by the silence and the look on Robert's face, someone had made a shocking development, and it was worrying Carl and Lorraine. The news must have been huge.

Robert slammed the phone down and turned to the other 2 officers and said, "Hacking hanged himself." His face was drained and haunted.

"What?" Carl asked, to be sure he had heard right.

"They found him in his cell. He'd tied some material to his window and..." Robert couldn't finish. He was choked, though this news wasn't as bad as the other piece of news. "He's left a note."

"Yeah?" Lorraine smiled positively.

"It's a letter that gets Victor Ashen right off of the hook," Robert provided. He was fuming, as he knew that this Ash character must have gotten to Marvin somehow, but how were they ever going to prove it when everyone was eating out of the Ashen man's hand?

"Huh?" Carl went on.

Robert headed towards the car, whilst explaining, "I don't know how, but I just know by gut instinct that he's got everyone jumping through hoops."