CHAPTER FIVE - Accusations.
"Matthew Moore Hardy?" Matt turned as someone entered the back yard of his house.
"How can I help you officer?"
"I've been sent to ask you to accompany me to the station. Some new issues have been raised since we last spoke to you."
"Can I just get the jacket and tell my brother where I'm going?" The policeman nodded and Matt did as he had asked before following the officer and climbing into the back of the police car.
"We've asked you to come in because we are now ready to charge you."
"I'd thought you'd already done that." Matt was confused.
"We have already charged you but some new information has come to light and we now have sufficient evidence to bring more charges against you." Matt leant back in his chair and shut his eyes. He tried to feel frustration and resentment but all he felt was a profound sense of the inevitable. "Matthew Moore Hardy. You have already been charged with being a member of an illegal and anti social gang and anti social behaviour. We now wish to add dangerous driving, driving an illegal vehicle, street racing, illegal betting, rioting, possession of an illegal firearm, assault and GBH. Do you understand these allegations?"
"Yes." Matt spoke quietly. He wasn't sure how to react to the charges. It was enough to put him away from a long time but it could have been worse.
"We now wish to ask you some questions. Are you willing to answer them?"
"I'll try."
"Who else was in the gang?"
"I can't answer that."
"Who else was involved in the incident on the 26th of April 1992?"
"I can't answer that."
"Where did you get the address?"
"It was hidden in the small adverts page of the local paper. They all were."
"Who put it in there?"
"I don't know."
"How did you know to look there?"
"We all started getting letters in the mail. Obscure stuff, photos of us out, there was even a video. I got sent photos of my family as well. They told us where to look. Told us they were powerful enough to wreck our lives kill us. They said that we were privileged enough to be chosen. If we completed our tasks then we would be financially compensated, if we failed we would be taken out of he game. If we refused they would send copies of the photos and videos to the police."
"So you agreed to do it?"
"It was small stuff to start off with. A race we were asked to win, against people we didn't know."
"What else were you asked to do?"
"It was all rain to start off with, we were asked to win races or lose races. If we won, we took our winnings and were paid. If we lost as asked we were paid. We thought it was just someone wanting to do well on the bets. It wasn't our local races so we weren't too worried. We didn't know anyone there."
"What came after the races?"
"We were still throwing races when the photos and videos started arriving again. We got worried then, wondering what was to come next. We were told to find this guy. Johnny Matthius. We knew him a little. He used to be around our scene, but got turned on. Raped someone's sister. We weren't too fussed about him, so we went after him. He put up a bit of a fight, but had no chance. We were told to tie him up and leave him in a barn somewhere in the middle of nowhere. We went back the next day but he was gone."
"What else were you asked to do?"
"It was mostly stuff like that, finding people, cars, picking up stuff."
"Do you know who it was that was paying you do to this stuff?"
"No." "I'm not asking for a name I just want to know if you know."
"I don't know. Never met them, received stuff in the mail, but it was always sent from different places within the state. Never spoke with them. Couldn't even say male or female."
"We know there was more." Matt sat silently. He was willing to help them with the things they already knew but he wasn't going to give them more ammunition. "What do you know about the fire?"
"That was covered at the time."
"I know and I'm sorry to bring such painful memories up again, but I have to ask you. Did you lie at the time? Is there a link between the fire and this anonymous boss?"
"I don't know. I honestly don't know. I thought for days about what I could have done to offend the boss, but there was nothing. I'd done what was asked of me with minimum fuss. I'd kept it quiet. The only link I could think of was maybe someone knew what I was doing; maybe whoever I was working against did it." Matt let his head sink onto his chest.
"One more question and I suggest you think carefully before you answer this as we have evidence to back up the accusation. Was your brother Jeffrey Nero Hardy, involved in the activities?"
"Not to my knowledge, he may have known about it, I was never too sure whether I managed to hide it from him."
"Mr Hardy, do you recognise the young man driving this car?"
"Matthew Moore Hardy?" Matt turned as someone entered the back yard of his house.
"How can I help you officer?"
"I've been sent to ask you to accompany me to the station. Some new issues have been raised since we last spoke to you."
"Can I just get the jacket and tell my brother where I'm going?" The policeman nodded and Matt did as he had asked before following the officer and climbing into the back of the police car.
"We've asked you to come in because we are now ready to charge you."
"I'd thought you'd already done that." Matt was confused.
"We have already charged you but some new information has come to light and we now have sufficient evidence to bring more charges against you." Matt leant back in his chair and shut his eyes. He tried to feel frustration and resentment but all he felt was a profound sense of the inevitable. "Matthew Moore Hardy. You have already been charged with being a member of an illegal and anti social gang and anti social behaviour. We now wish to add dangerous driving, driving an illegal vehicle, street racing, illegal betting, rioting, possession of an illegal firearm, assault and GBH. Do you understand these allegations?"
"Yes." Matt spoke quietly. He wasn't sure how to react to the charges. It was enough to put him away from a long time but it could have been worse.
"We now wish to ask you some questions. Are you willing to answer them?"
"I'll try."
"Who else was in the gang?"
"I can't answer that."
"Who else was involved in the incident on the 26th of April 1992?"
"I can't answer that."
"Where did you get the address?"
"It was hidden in the small adverts page of the local paper. They all were."
"Who put it in there?"
"I don't know."
"How did you know to look there?"
"We all started getting letters in the mail. Obscure stuff, photos of us out, there was even a video. I got sent photos of my family as well. They told us where to look. Told us they were powerful enough to wreck our lives kill us. They said that we were privileged enough to be chosen. If we completed our tasks then we would be financially compensated, if we failed we would be taken out of he game. If we refused they would send copies of the photos and videos to the police."
"So you agreed to do it?"
"It was small stuff to start off with. A race we were asked to win, against people we didn't know."
"What else were you asked to do?"
"It was all rain to start off with, we were asked to win races or lose races. If we won, we took our winnings and were paid. If we lost as asked we were paid. We thought it was just someone wanting to do well on the bets. It wasn't our local races so we weren't too worried. We didn't know anyone there."
"What came after the races?"
"We were still throwing races when the photos and videos started arriving again. We got worried then, wondering what was to come next. We were told to find this guy. Johnny Matthius. We knew him a little. He used to be around our scene, but got turned on. Raped someone's sister. We weren't too fussed about him, so we went after him. He put up a bit of a fight, but had no chance. We were told to tie him up and leave him in a barn somewhere in the middle of nowhere. We went back the next day but he was gone."
"What else were you asked to do?"
"It was mostly stuff like that, finding people, cars, picking up stuff."
"Do you know who it was that was paying you do to this stuff?"
"No." "I'm not asking for a name I just want to know if you know."
"I don't know. Never met them, received stuff in the mail, but it was always sent from different places within the state. Never spoke with them. Couldn't even say male or female."
"We know there was more." Matt sat silently. He was willing to help them with the things they already knew but he wasn't going to give them more ammunition. "What do you know about the fire?"
"That was covered at the time."
"I know and I'm sorry to bring such painful memories up again, but I have to ask you. Did you lie at the time? Is there a link between the fire and this anonymous boss?"
"I don't know. I honestly don't know. I thought for days about what I could have done to offend the boss, but there was nothing. I'd done what was asked of me with minimum fuss. I'd kept it quiet. The only link I could think of was maybe someone knew what I was doing; maybe whoever I was working against did it." Matt let his head sink onto his chest.
"One more question and I suggest you think carefully before you answer this as we have evidence to back up the accusation. Was your brother Jeffrey Nero Hardy, involved in the activities?"
"Not to my knowledge, he may have known about it, I was never too sure whether I managed to hide it from him."
"Mr Hardy, do you recognise the young man driving this car?"