"We have a positive ID from The States; it's a Borelli," Chas shouted out as he ripped the fax paper out of the machine.
"Is backup ready?" Spikings asked.
"Yes, Sir," Harry answered, her heart racing.
"Then bring him in," he replied.
Harry jumped off the desk, ready to go, only to realize that the phone in her pocket was ringing.
Okay, not the best timing. She took it out of her pocket and checked the number; it was Dempsey. Damn it, she didn't have time for this now. Snapping the phone shut, she ignored the call, replaced the phone in her pocket and left the office with the team.
The phone however, continued ringing and ringing and ringing, playing on Harry's nerves, until, just before they were about to leave the SI-10 car park, she couldn't help but stall proceedings to answer it.
"Dempsey?"
"Yeah, I got some news for ya Harry. I'm at the farm, you know, the one across from The Club. I was thinkin' that the murder hadda have happened somewhere close, and then I remembered Doug sayin' that the farmer guy updated his security. I've just spoken to him and he said he checked his surveillance and, Harry, the shootin' was on there! He's already handed the footage over to the police. We gotta go to Spikings with this," he urged. "Get hold of that footage."
"Urm, okay," she replied, watching the team prepare to leave.
That wasn't very enthusiastic!
"What's wrong with ya?" he came back angrily, "This could be it, the proof I need. If I aint interruptin' anythin', I'd appreciate it if we went to Spikings together with this. But don't worry; I'll do it on my own if you're too busy," he said defensively.
She sighed. "No Dempsey, it's not that. Calm down. Look, I don't think it's wise for you to go into SI-10, not until you have the proof in your hands. It is a police unit after all; think about it. I'll go to Spikings, get hold of the surveillance footage and check for certain that it exonerates you," she stressed.
"Ah, c'mon Harry; this has gotta be it; the proof we've been lookin' for," he replied, frustrated with the thought of not being there when the footage was found.
"Dempsey, for once in your life, will you stop and think about this? I will go and see Spikings. I'll phone you the minute I've seen the footage, okay?"
The phone went quiet.
"Okay Dempsey?"
He groaned. "Alright already!" he snapped, hanging up on her.
She tutted and proceeded to dial Spikings on the way to the hotel. Hopefully, they will be able to locate the surveillance footage by the time they return with Borelli.
XxXxXxXxXxXx
Harry and Chas stood outside the hotel room, firearms in hand, with backup behind them. It had occurred to Harry that all this firepower was perhaps a little unnecessary, however, Spikings, like Dempsey, had been insistent that the Borelli's were extremely dangerous and he wasn't going to take any chances.
Harry reached towards the door and knocked. A woman's voice answered; it sounded like Jackson's.
"Who is it?"
"Chambermaid," Harry called out in a broad cockney accent.
"We don't wanna be disturbed," she shouted back.
"I bet they don't," Harry mouthed to Chas.
"Alright darlin', I'll leave the fresh towels out here for ya," Harry replied, walking a few loud paces down the corridor and tiptoeing back to the door.
They waited, listening for evidence of movement inside. Then the door chain rattled.
Harry tightened her grip on her gun.
The door handle turned.
Harry could feel her palms sweating.
The door moved an inch, having been freed from its closing position.
Harry could feel the tension in every part of her body. When should they make their move? What would they face?
The door began moving. Anytime now the woman would see them.
"Police!" they shouted.
Harry put her gun to Jackson's head, whilst Chas burst into the room, looking for Borelli.
Jackson began screaming and shouting hysterically as Harry handcuffed her. There appeared to be no one else in the room, however, but Chas had sensed a sudden movement in there just before he'd had a chance to enter properly. The only place he could be now was in the bathroom.
Chas moved cautiously in that direction, nudging the door open.
"Harry, phone for an ambulance; this man has been shot," Chas called out.
What? Talk about being over cautious. Harry was almost disappointed.
xXxXxXx
After having arranged for an ambulance, Harry updated Spikings on the situation.
"Bloody marvelous!" he came back. "Alright, get Chas to follow Borelli to the hospital and you can bring Jackson back here. We've located the surveillance footage; it's on its way."
XxXxXxXx
As she entered SI-10, Harry passed the delivery of the surveillance and picked up the package, rushing into the building, keen to see what it showed.
Spikings was pacing the outer office, waiting for the delivery. When Harry entered, she held up the package triumphantly, and Spikings took it off her, moving into his office to view it.
"This is going to put him away," Harry said, as they played the footage.
It began by showing a car in a field. The man they had arrested, Tony Borelli, was leaning into the car, talking to two men inside. Soon, it became clear that an altercation was occurring between the men and one of the men in the car pulled out a gun, threatening Tony. Tony went to grab the gun and a struggle ensued. The gun went off, injuring Tony, however, he was still able to fight back and the gun went off for a second time, this time injuring the man in the car. The man slumped; he'd been shot in the chest.
"I don't bloody well believe it!" Spikings exclaimed. "That was self-defense on Tony's part. This man in the car is the aggressor, not Tony."
Harry's eyes were still glued to the screen.
After the shooting, Tony ran away and the second man in the car jumped out. He paced for a while, glancing frequently at the man slumped over the wheel, as if trying to decide what to do. Then, he reached down to check the man's pulse. Only pausing for a few moments, he proceeded to pull out his own firearm. Harry and Spikings watched in surprise as he held the gun up and… BANG! The sound of the shot rang out through the office; the man had shot his companion in the head. Then he dragged him out of the car.
"Okay, so that's Roberto, but who is the man who shot him if it wasn't Tony?" Harry questioned.
Then they were both startled by the sound of a familiar voice coming from the doorway. They turned to see Dempsey standing there.
"The man who shot him was Tony," he said, his face almost completely devoid of colour. "That guy," he said, pointing to the man with the gun, "is Tony Borelli."
"What?" Harry frowned. "But that wasn't the man we arrested. We got a positive ID from The States of the man who ran away as being Borelli."
"He is a Borelli, he's Danny Borelli," he replied.
"Danny?" she said, shocked. "Your Danny? But I thought he was dead."
"So did I," he came back.
Harry glanced at Spikings. "I knew there was something off. We've arrested the wrong Borelli!"
Another chapter very soon, now I seem to be on a roll!