New Order

Disclaimer in chapter 1

Rating M. Some bad language here.

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"Nothing! Fucking waste of time!"

Matt's exclamation made Ronnie look up from his desk, his glasses perched on his head. DI Natalie Chandler had also heard the outburst and came from her office to see what had riled the younger man so.

"No progress?" She asked. Ronnie shook his head.

"None of the cases that UCOS have looked into recently could have caused this."

"What about the high profile cases you mentioned earlier?" She queried. Matt sighed.

"Nothing. DAC John Felsham has spent the last ten months in segregation, he's not the most popular person in prison evidently. His wife, family and friends cut all ties with him when the extent of his crimes came out, and he now spends his time sharing a courtyard for an hour a day with perverts and kiddy fiddlers. Richard Hanson has also been abandoned by his former associates who have basically divvied up his assets since he was put away."

"I had a word with one Derek Hadley, formerly known as Chopper Hadley." Ronnie continued. "He was put inside by the UCOS lot as well, but he's in a prison hospital ward dying of bowel cancer. He told me that the only score he has to settle is with, and I quote, 'that little bastard Gerrard, if he hadn't tried to screw me I'd be breathing my last on the Costa Del Sol, being waited on by some busty Spanish nurses, instead of in this hole'. Unquote."

"Nobody else?"

"Guv, if we have to talk to everybody UCOS has put away over the last eight years, we'll be here forever. Do you have any idea of their clear-up rate?"

"Enlighten me."

"Ninety eight percent. They are the most successful unit at the met to date."

"Have you looked into DAC Strickland?"

"Not really, it would seem likely that Pullman was the target. If it was him, why beat him nearly to death then take her? Doesn't make sense." Ronnie saw his boss frown, so he interrupted. "However, the Met are sending over all of his current paperwork, just to be sure."

They were interrupted by the ringing of the phone which Matt answered, followed by a tap at the door. A uniformed officer entered with a piece of paper.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I was asked to bring this to you." He held out the slip of paper. Ronnie looked at it, it was an address. He looked questioningly at the officer. "Mr Charles Souch-Peterham received a malicious letter this morning threatening his family. Someone has to go and see him."

"Surely that's a uniform job." Natalie argued. The uniform shrugged.

"Orders from above. Evidently he belongs to the same country club as the Commissioner. Got to send a senior detective."

"Of course, what is one missing officer and another bludgeoned nearly to death when Mr Peterham has had a nasty letter!" Ronnie snarled. The uniform held up his hands.

"Sorry. Don't shoot the messenger." He retreated from the office. Ronnie looked at Nat and was about to argue when Matt hung up the phone.

"We've got something." He exclaimed. "That was SOCO Pete. They went to town on the flat, and besides the two victims they found a set of fingerprints on the inside of the letterbox. Might be the previous tenant."

"You haven't had any luck tracing them through the estate agent?"

"The house was owned by a letting company before. They have been less than helpful." Ronnie explained. Matt took a paper from the fax.

"The fingerprints were in the system. A Kenneth Trent, done for drink driving two months ago. Here's his current address." He handed the paper to Ronnie who glanced at it as he stood, but he froze in place. Matt and Natalie looked at him in puzzlement.

"What?" Matt asked. Ronnie held up the paper that Matt had just handed to him, then he held the paper from the uniformed officer next to it.

"The addresses." He said. "They're the same."

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