Cold Hard Truth

By Laura E Simms

Jake Mayhew and Danny Webb are on trial for their lives. Did they kill Chloe Matherson, or are they being set up elaborately?

DI Ivor Gunn is doubting the evidence? Does he have the right people? Truth will out.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Laura E Simms
• Release date: Jul 30, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301096039

Laura E Simms

Laura Simms 1987-BooksEnd GameThe Legend of the Talking SwordTaken for a MugHorses For CoursesMillionaire's PlaypenGemini BloodThe Irony of de ja vuI have wanted to be an author since I was 6. So this is a dream realised for me.The last year has been very productive with lots more writing to come hopefully.But I will let you be the judge of what you read, so all that remains to be said isHappy reading

Book preview

Cold Hard Truth

Laura Simms

Cold Hard Truth

Laura Simms

Copyright 2013 Laura Elizabeth Simms

Smashwords Edition

The following is a work of fiction and is the product of the author’s imagination. None of the events or circumstances in this book, bears any relation to real events. Any real events are used as reference only.

Part One Trials and Tribulations

Prologue

Some people say the truth is preferable to lies, but personally I would rather be given a comforting lie, than face an undeniable truth.

Newsflash, truth hurts. Hit like a cold hard bullet between the eyes, preparation is impossible. Is it better to live in blissful ignorance, ignorance is like a cool relaxing breeze.

However everyone to themselves I would rather let you be the judge. Only with judgement can there be a form of justice and some kind of healing.

Healing and scar tissue, hand in hand. Scar tissue lingers and causes poisonous hate. Spreading poison in the veins, leading to eventual death.

Chapter 1

Was this fair? DI Ivor Gunn wondered, as he stood outside the courthouse, waiting for the trial of the century to start. Even now he was having doubts. Had they got the right defendants? His superior officers didn’t seem to care. But Ivor worried that Zachary Mayhew and Daniel Webb were being made scapegoats.

However the crime figures had tripled and the crime solution rate had tanked. His superior officers wanted to make it seem that they were arresting people, innocent or guilty. The public were losing faith in the system.

He still had nightmares about this particular case. He couldn’t get away from it. Now he understood how his predecessor Former DI Steven Potter had felt about the Hunter case. Every police officer going through Hendon Police College made a case study of that case.

Darren Hunter had been DS Potter’s childhood friend. His wife Laurel had gone missing at the hands of the notorious Timberlake family. Darren had been warned not to tell anyone, but Steven had worked things out. He had got involved and that had set off a deadly chain of events. He had stuffed things up spectacularly. Steven had been conflicted and that was never a good thing. Bad decisions were made that way.

Laurel had been found drugged up to the eyeballs. Some new drug, developed by the Timberlakes, running through her veins, bleeding profusely. Steven had managed to diffuse the situation, but Laurel had only just pulled through, quite literally by the skin of her teeth and thanks largely to the expert skills of Doctor Adrian Benson. Though surgery was not his day job, he did go to theatre occasionally and immerse himself up to his elbows in blood, guts and gore.

DS Steven Potter had been suspended, pending an inquiry into the handling of the case. Though eventually cleared of any wrong doing, he had been required to undergo an intense course of therapy if he wished to remain to work. He had completed the therapy with little verbal complaint, but inwardly he had been fuming, feeling it to be unfair and an injustice.

Over the next few months, the Hunters had both lived through a dangerous game of hide and seek, duck and dive. However the seeker had found the hunted. Luke Timberlake had been unable to beat them, but Tristan Timberlake, the gang leader’s nephew had delivered the fatal blow. He himself had now joined that status, presumably in hell. Hopefully he was toasty warm.

Ivor shuddered to think what that death had been like. Had they experienced psychic horror? What was it like to die? Was it painful? Questions such as this had raced round most of the forces minds.

The coup de grâce had driven Steven over the edge. He had never been the same since. His mind had virtually snapped. Several hospital visits later and he was slowly starting to recover. The best way to think of it, was hope it was quick and clean. No suffering. Everyone would one day face Judgement Day. Would they pass the test?

The only saving grace was that Darren’s nephew Cameron, a member of SO19 had got a personal revenge. He had fired the bullet that had taken out his aunt and uncle’s murderer. He had bought his family closure.

This could quite well be the defining case of Ivor’s own policing career. Did he want to spend the next 30 years in therapy? He didn’t think shrinks would help him. His head needed to heal, but it wouldn’t happen overnight. He had tried to tell himself that it wouldn’t take years and he’d let himself in for this, given his career choice. Policeman dealt with shit as part of the course.

Some good had come of this though. The Timberlake clan and family business had disbanded, they’d lost credit and it was either do or die. He needed to believe that justice and salvation was around the corner. The world was a safer place because of this turn of events. Or so they all hoped.

You OK sir? his partner DS Arthur Jobb walked up to him. Ivor