Webb's Audience

Along an empty road at the quietest time of night, a car drove by containing Hesitance with a group of her men.

“Both McGregor and Grantham are gone, you know?” she said.  “‘King’ Charles has taken them all out.  We’re the only rivals he’s got left.  We’re clearly next, so we need to strike first if we want any chance of surviving.  It’s no secret he outnumbers us.  We need to do something.  I need-“

She was cut short by another car colliding into the side of hers and ramming it off the road.

They both came to a stop and four men got out of the hostile car, armed with automatic weapons.  Two of Hesitance’s men got out and started to shoot but were instantly mowed down by Charles’ soldiers.  They then constantly shot up Hesitance’s car until it was full of holes.

Hesitance’s men in the car died while she took cover on the floor, using their bodies for cover as glass rained down and the shooting continued.

Satisfied with their job, Charles’ men returned to their car and drove away.

***

DCI Joseph Webb drove up to the crime scene with Geoghan, his partner, in the passenger seat.

The car stopped at the police cordon and the pair got out to see police vehicles encircling what was once Hesitance’s car.

They approached the Superintendent and Webb asked her, “What happened here?”

“Four dead men,” Eliza said.  “All armed, in and around a car full of holes.  They’ve been identified as Hesitance’s lot.”

“Must’ve been the Mad-King then?” Webb said.

“Must’ve been.”

“So what are your plans?”

“Plans?” Eliza said.  “Just another gang shooting, nothing unusual in this city.”

“It’s obvious this is part of Charles’ shadow war against his rivals.  Why aren’t you doing anything?”

“There’s nothing we can do.”

“There’s always something,” Webb said.  “Let’s go Geoghan.”

As Webb and Geoghan turned back and headed for their car, Eliza called after them, “Don’t do anything foolish Webb.”

Webb immediately started up the car and drove away.

“Who are we going to see?” Geoghan asked him.

“Charles Gravesen.”

“Who is he?”

“The man who ordered those murders.  People call him King Charles now.  He’s been taking out his rivals and absorbing their operations.  Hesitance’s group is his only obstacle left before he gets a monopoly on the underworld.”

“You think he’s going to talk to you?”

“Oh yes.  If there’s one thing I know about Charles, that is he loves to talk.  He always did.”

“How do you know so much about him?”

“That’s coz we’re old friends.”

“You’re old friends with a crime lord?”

“Well he did used to be a cop.”

“Are you serious?”

“Of course.  We were even pretty close.”

“What the hell happened?”

“He was discovered to be the leader of the Immortali, a syndicate of corrupt policemen, which he was in charge of.  They made a lot of money until someone blew the whistle.  A lot of those officers went to jail.”

“Did he?”

“No.  He saved himself by giving them the names of every single person involved.  It practically rid the force of corruption and he got to go free.  The only contacts he had left were those of the criminal nature.  He went to work for Werner Geisler.  Gained some prestige, married his daughter, Priscilla and now he runs the family.  The Mad-King.”

***

Webb and Geoghan soon arrived at Gehenna and were pushing their way through the dark crowded club.  Red strobe lights flashed and a band played at the front to a densely packed crowd.

They eventually made their way to a door guarded by a large man, who tried to stop them from entering until Webb showed him his badge.

The room behind was much quieter and full of tables, at which many people were playing poker.  Webb and Geoghan made their way through the gambling den under the harsh gaze and began to ascend a set of stairs.

On the second floor, they entered the crowded backroom, where Priscilla sat on a bench while playing the piano with a little girl in a dress beside her.

“Would you like to learn how to play?” she asked her.  “I could teach you.”

On the other side of the room, Webb approached Zedd and said, “Charles Gravesen?”

Zedd stared at him with no emotion for a while before slowly lifting an arm to point to his office.

“What a silly man,” Priscilla whispered to the little girl.  “Coming here to see him.”

“Wait here,” Webb told Geoghan to his surprise.

“What?” Geoghan said.

“He’ll only talk to me,” Webb said.  “Wait here.”

Webb entered the door to Charles’ office while Geoghan tried his best to not look uncomfortable as Zedd stared at him.

Inside his dark luxurious office, Charles stood before a canvas while painting a picture as Webb entered, causing him to look up in surprise.

“Joseph?” Charles said.  “What are you doing here?”

“There was a brutal shooting deep in Hesitance’s territory,” Webb said.

“And you want to talk about it?  You know better than to come to my business.  I’ve got work to do.”

“Yeah, looks like it,” Webb said sarcastically while looking at the canvas.  “What are you painting?”

“A little tradition of mine.  I paint one picture a year.  Whatever I dream on the night I go to sleep on New Year’s Eve, I paint.”

“And what did you dream this time?”

“I was in Hell, standing before Satan himself.  I got a good look at him.  It was the most terrifying scene I had ever witnessed.  That is what I am painting.”

“Can I see?”

“I’m afraid there isn’t much to see yet; I’ve only just started.”

“Is that so?  Now about there murders…”

“If you are so intent on talking about this, I’ll set up a meeting.  I’ll call you later for the when and where.”

“Very well.  Goodbye Charles,” Webb said before leaving.

“Always a pleasure,” Charles said after he had left.

***

Webb walked through the lightless condemned building where Charles had told him to meet him, now all that was left was to find him.

He ascended a deserted staircase, his footsteps echoing on the concrete as he climbed.

As he searched the dark rooms of the next floor, he whispered, “Charles?” and began to hear laughing from round a corner.  Webb entered a room with a large window ahead, against which was a silhouette.

“Charles?” Webb said.  “Is that you?”

The figure turned around and stepped into the light.

“Of course it is,” Charles said.  “Who else would it be?”

“I don’t know.  Every time we meet, I’m more than a little paranoid that you’ll kill me.”

“You should know better than that.  I don’t have the courage to try and kill you.”

“Why do you always want to meet in weird places like this?”

“Because I like them.  Why?  You scared?  Since I was a child, I had always wanted to see a real ghost.  I would sneak into old abandoned buildings to search.  I guess these dark places are just nostalgic.”

“I don’t think this place is haunted.”

“Then why are you so afraid?  I wonder if I’ll become a ghost when I die…maybe all that’s required is sheer willpower.”

“So how have you been Charles?”

“I’m having trouble sleeping so I spend virtually all my time at the club.  I can’t remember the last time I slept properly.”

“I see.  So what do you know about these murders?”

“And here I was hoping you’d forgotten.  Crazy, huh?  Very well, what did you wish to discuss?”

“This type of scene is becoming all too familiar.  High up criminals begin assassinated in all major factions…except those loyal to you of course.”

“I hope you appreciate that I wouldn’t accommodate someone other than you this much.”

“I realise that.”

“I’m more than glad to meet with you whenever you wish, but never come to Gehenna again.  I can’t be seen fraternising with someone like you. It’s not good for my reputation.”

“You’re worried about being seen with me?  I’m starting to believe that there is little point in just asking you whether you killed those people.”

“That depends on whether I am a trustworthy person.  Do you believe I am?”

“In my opinion…no.  You were crooked; you ran a ring of corruption within the police.  Can you blame me?”

“I still like you.”

“You’ve done well for yourself Charles.  I suppose as best as someone could in your situation.”

“What can I say?  Life sure is easy…if you can stand it.  You haven’t done too badly yourself in life, Detective Chief Inspector Webb.”

“Not as impressive a title as ‘King’.”

“Just something my subordinates say out of flattery.  I hear my foes call me something else.  Tell me what they call me Joseph.”

“The Mad-king.”

“Yes, that’s it.  Since when is ambition a sign of insanity?”

“So how is your wife doing, Charles?”

“Priscilla?  She’s…happy.  I suppose she’s a slightly strange woman, but I like her.  She always wears sleeves and I still remember the first time she showed me what she was hiding…horrible scars all over her arms from the many times she’d cut herself as a teenager.  I guess each human has their own problems but she’s doing better now.”

“It’s good that your marriage is going well.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“Problems?”

“Just because we’re married doesn’t make it a marriage.”

“Actually yeah, it kinda does.”

“We’re good friends, but to actually consider us spouses is a bit of a stretch.  It’s merely a marriage of convenience.”

“What do you mean?”

“Her father had been on her case for years to get married.  I was a friend of hers and Geisler liked me so we got married.  Priscilla got her freedom and I gained control over the family, which Priscilla never really had any interest in managing.  It’s a good relationship, but I wouldn’t go so far as to call it a marriage.  We’ve never even shared a bed.”

“Really?”

“Oh yes, I’m not really her type…the wrong gender.”

“You mean she…?”

“…And I’m too old.”

“You’re not that much older than her.”

“I’m still too old for her; she likes them young…very young.”

“Do you mean…?”

“…Yep. Major paedophile.”

“I see.”

“Does make her easy to keep happy though, which I most certainly must do.  The old man’s health is failing, but he’s still in the land of the living.  As long as he remains, everyone will always be more loyal to him than me and his little girl holds more sway over him than I do so…as long as she’s content, I have free reign.”

“Thanks for the information regarding Priscilla…”

“Don’t bother trying to arrest her.  Evidence on her would be even harder to obtain than with me.”

“I’ll win eventually Charles.”

“Oh I have no doubt.”

“Grantham’s pub was torched.  I suppose you know even less about that than the four men shot to death?”

“I had heard about it.”

“I don’t know why I bother to even question you.”

“Maybe because you’ve got no other leads…or maybe you just enjoy seeing me?”

“I guess.  I’ll be leaving Charles.”

“Just call me if you ever want to talk again,” Charles said.  As Webb turned to leave, Charles called out to him and said, “Oh Joseph?  Just one more thing.”

“Yes?”

“Did you say the victims of the shooting were four dead men?”

“Yes, I suppose I did.  Why?”

“I just didn’t know that.”

“Oh…well, see ya Charles,” said Webb just before he left.

Charles turned back to the window and his friendly mask suddenly transformed into a real expression of genuine anger.

***

Charles stomped through the puddles in the alley behind Gehenna before entering his club’s back entrance.  Inside, all was how he had left it, the gamblers still gambling as Charles stopped, standing in front of a nearby pillar.

A smile returned to his face and in a moment of madness, Charles head-butted the support as hard as he could.  And then again…and again, under the eyes of his disturbed henchman, he kept ramming his own head against the pillar until blood from his forehead clouded his vision.

By this point, a small group of his men stopped him from damaging himself further.

“Boss?” one said.  “What’s wrong?”

“Hesitance,” was all he whispered.

His men helped Charles up to the second level and sat him down on a couch in the backroom.

“Just wait there,” a ganger said.  “We’ll go get someone to fix you up.”

After Charles wiped the blood from his own eyes, he looked up to see Priscilla standing before him, hugging a little girl standing in front of her.

“Hello dear,” Priscilla said.  “You’re bleeding.”

“Thank you Priscilla, I realise that.”

“Is something bothering you?”

“He said four men…not four men and one woman, just four men.  This is who were killed.  Hesitance lives.”

“You seem upset.”

“I certainly am.  I wanted a quick assassination so I could take over her territory with little fuss like McGregor and Grantham, but there’s no chance for that now.  It’s time for a war.”