THE MORNING AFTER

By Roy Bettridge

Jimmy Melvin is a small time wannabe villain that's always up to no good with his pal, John Keene.
After a wild night they awake to find London deserted and the police dealing with anyone they find in a very deadly manner.
What is behind London's desertion and do both Melvin and Keene hold the key to it's salvation?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Feb 5, 2021
• ISBN: 9781716252211

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

London.

A new year had just been celebrated. The fun, the frolics and the drinking were still being enjoyed even though the hour was coming up to 6am. The city was a buzz as the feeling coming from the vibe of a fresh new year was still in the air. The anticipation that had followed on from Christmas was now given the biggest send off. The payback was to be the hangover that would last into New Year’s Day. Half of the city would be waking up to follow the same dull routine that they had constantly moaned about the year before whilst their body was still suffering the effects of mass dehydration.

The cars on the road slowly built up and turned the London metropolis into its usual hub of activity. Even in the early hours you could always find something or someone carrying the heartbeat to keep the cogs of the everyday machine alive.

One person in particular was on a mission. He had been on this particular case since December and there was going to be no stops in nailing the objective that he was setting out to achieve. He had woken up full of purpose, even if he was feeling a little worse for wear thanks to the office party with his colleagues. His stern thinking and his dedication towards his routine was giving him the boost that he needed to attempt the trip into work. Abiding by the law, he decided to leave his car at home and allow the freshness of the cold morning air to do its job.

He arrived at the police station as he did every day and was greeted by the desk sergeant as he entered.

Happy new year, sir the sergeant said with a beaming grin.

But he was in no mood to try and exercise his face muscles. He continued through the swing doors and headed straight to his office. The day had started once the door to the office was shut and he was sat firmly behind the desk.

Detective Chief Inspector Barry Clemens had worked hard at being a policeman all his life. He was one of the brigade of fresh recruits in the mid 1970’s. He was a young and positive man wanting to do his best in the job with several other hopefuls with him. But he was now a man that was starting to get a receding hairline and felt that his years striving to get the power that he now possessed had come at a price.

His office was a welcoming environment of trophies and commendations from his superiors and they were mixed with newspaper clippings of cases that he had worked upon. He did not seek praise and only allowed his name to be mentioned in the print. He never did photographs for the press as his job had showed him the nastier side of the tabloid machine. He was happy to get a case and complete it successfully. But there was one case that he had been handed that he couldn’t get a result on.

Clemens had recently been assigned to handle the recent outbreaks of young crime and thefts that were occurring on his patch. This was not a tall order as he had managed to deal with a case of this manner before. But it was an order that was coming from the deputy commissioner which caused him to get very hot under the collar. The last few bouts of crime in the area were beginning to attract local interest and the perpetrators were beginning to dance the dance of speaking to the press.

The latest taunting for the local boys in blue had been the use of spray paint to leave a signature mark on the wall. It was not a drawing that would garner the attention of an art critic but Clemens knew from the off that it was a sign that showed no fear to the authorities. He had spent several hours on the case already and had mounted small but essential special operations to keep his patch lit in the areas that needed highlighting. He had found the pattern being used by the criminals and followed it closely. They had been targeting areas first thing in the morning and they knew which areas to avoid the CCTV cameras placed around the city. It had taken Clemens two weeks to make sure that his team were on the ball with getting the people responsible for the crimes. There had been a rumour that the use of the spray paint was starting to aggravate the local groups in the area and the last thing needed for the police was a full scale riot.

There was then a knock at the door.

Yes? Clemens called out with no emotion.

The head of a red haired man with glasses popped his head around the door. He looked distinguished in his suit but it was clear from his red eyes that he was also another sufferer from the office party. But he was also one of Clemens superiors, Superintendant David Conway.

How shit are you feeling? the Superintendent directly asked.

Pick a number, sir Clemens replied with his gaze still fixed firmly on his desk.

Conway came into the office and slowly closed the door behind him. He then made his way to the seat in front of the desk, Have you thought about it?

Clemens sighed, I appreciate the offer, sir but right now i can’t be thinking about promotions

Barry this job is tailor made for you, Conway said insistently, Just look at the results you try and get. I wouldn’t have put this recommendation in for just anybody you know

Clemens looked directly at his superior, I will give you the same answer as i did yesterday; i appreciate the gesture, i appreciate the thought and i definitely appreciate the recommendation but you need to give me time to think about it

I’m not renowned for my patience Conway admitted with a wry smile as he then looked at the file that Clemens had open on his desk, What’s got you thinking so hard?

Clemens turned the file round so that the Superintendent could see, This is the recent findings in the tagging case. The symbol that appears in the pictures has finally been narrowed down to one person Clemens explained as he handed over the picture of a young man.

Conway chuckled, Good old Jimmy

Jimmy Melvin had been a troublemaker right from the beginning and had been placed into the police’s hands more than once since turning the age of fifteen. His status among the police officers was that he was a wannabe criminal that oozed a charm that was admired but gave him a massive ego whenever he was caught.

Are we saying that he is responsible for all of the incidents? Conway inquired.

I’m not sure Clemens replied, Jimmy is the type to go around doing this sort of thing along with the petty thefts but it’s not like him to escalate. Any normal crime like this can be pinpointed to either the Mackle brothers or one of the local gangs

Have you ruled them out? the Superintendent asked directly.

On this count yes, Clemens stated firmly.

Conway looked at him carefully, I’m sensing that there could be another motive at the heart of this for you, Barry, the Superintendent admitted with an edge in his voice.

Meaning what?

Conway once again fixed him with a steely glare, You’ve been after Jimmy Melvin for god knows how long. Even before he started doing juvenile crime you wanted to place a pin in someone’s face on the notice board and you chose his

Are you saying that i am blurring the lines? Clemens challenged.

I am saying that you are a Detective Chief Inspector and one of the best that i have. I don’t want to be reprimanding you before i reach my final case. Whatever you intend to do in handling this case make sure that you don’t cross a line because i will make sure that you regret it, Conway replied with a menacing tone.

Clemens simply smirked, You only get this way when you know that i’m onto something, sir

I also get like this when you need to be taken down a peg or two, Conway added with a softer tone than before, Barry, don’t get into a war with these youngsters. We cannot go down to their level. They get dealt with in the proper way and we do our job to the letter. That is the code we all live by as law enforcement officers. Don’t become Dirty Harry for anybody

The Superintendent got up from his seat and made his way to the door. He opened it and looked back slightly at Clemens, Do things by the book, Barry. By the book

Conway the exited the room and closed the door behind him.

Clemens sighed heavily and got up from his seat. He looked out of his window and the view of the station as it stood in the street was quite a reminder of why he took on his role as a policeman. The city could be a tough place and he had walked the streets as well as policed them. His warning about not taking on the young wave of crime was all well and good but he had been given firsthand experience of what it was like to be involved in such a horrid arena. His choice to be a policeman was made when he was sixteen.

The day always managed to play out in his mind. He was walking along with some friends from college. They were all tearaways who had scraped by in school and had only gone into college at the behest of their parents. They would do anything to get the high they required and the young Barry Clemens was the member of the gang that could pilfer and steal anything that he could lay his hands on. But his outlook was then forever changed. One day whilst walking down the street, the gang saw that there was a woman on the opposite side of the street with a rather large handbag walking home. One of his gang decided to rob the woman in broad daylight. Initial shock did set in as the young Clemens found himself instantly torn by being horrified and wondering what to do. He silently hoped that the shock was shared by his other gang members and he was correct in thinking so. The young Barry fought off his friends attack and made sure the lady went on her way safely. He never returned to that group of friends again.

He tried to find a reason for the unprovoked attack but could not find one. The now former friend came from a very stable home and was loved by both parents. He had never done anything like that before and he had apparently lost a great deal of friends since the incident that the young Clemens witnessed. From that point he made a vow to protect the innocent. He marched himself straight into the local police station and demanded to know how he could enlist as an officer.

The rest was history.

Now his mind was back in the present, Clemens looked down at the street and surveyed the present generation that were walking along it. He saw that there were hardworking individuals being mixed in with teenagers making trouble for the hell of it and the twenty-something’s that were struggling to find their way in life. He would tell himself that anyone of them could turn in an instant but he would mix it with a pinch of compassion and understanding. He had kept his vow and would always try to be fair in his judgements in each case he was involved with.

But when it came to Jimmy Melvin it was different. There was something about this cocky nineteen year old that made Clemens angry. The slippery Melvin had never been caught properly and Clemens wanted to get him bang to rights.

A knock at the door broke his concentration.

Come in

A desk sergeant peered around the door, We may have something for you in one of the holding cells, sir

Who is it?

A youth by the name of John Keene

Clemens eyes lit up. That name rang several bells for him and he immediately began wearing a beaming smile, I’ll be right down

CHAPTER 2

He had really landed himself in it this time.

John Keene had always been destined for higher things but he was always the one that could follow the wrong crowd. There was always the chance that he could rebel against whatever anyone was telling him to do or wanting him to be. He never liked defying anyone’s expectations but he did wish that nobody had any of him or wanted anything from him. He hated it.

In school he had been the quiet kid. Keene was considered to be the one that was always the brains that remained silent but a good friend in the bargain. He was always bordering on being the class clown but he was never quite the most popular in the class. He preferred to have the titles rather than the responsibility that came with them as it seemed easier and a lot more hassle free.

He met Jimmy Melvin in Year 6. They were both nine years old and they were inseparable from the first second. Trouble was never far behind with these two young men and as they both left school and headed into the world of work and further education, the opportunities to be continuous troublemakers was always on the agenda.

There was one difference with Keene and that difference was he was never the one that would openly get his hands dirty. He was the one that remained in the background watching the play unfold and he was the one that would have to take control with Melvin if he got out of hand. The intervention of the police on numerous occasions was always disappointing but the main reason for their evasion from the law was because Keene made sure that they could never be caught.

But there were times when he could become careless in his own right and this was one of them. He had been found walking around one of the targeted areas being watched by DCI Clemens and his team. He had no idea that he was under surveillance as he was touching up the work left behind by his confederate and he had been spotted in the area on more than one occasion.

He was brought into the interview room from the holding cell. He was not nervous but he knew that he was in trouble. He waited patiently and his stomach was rumbling as he could hear the activity happening outside the room. There were numerous voices discussing endless aspects of their job and Keene wondered if the discussions were in reference to him. He panicked that he would be shipped off to another county without anybody being told but then instantly rationalised with the response that nobody had any evidence that he had done anything wrong.

The door then opened.

DCI Clemens walked into the room with a stern look on his face. He was accompanied by a female sergeant who sat in the corner of the room watching the proceedings.

Interview with Jonathan Keene. Interview conducted by DCI Clemens and attended by Sergeant Rae. The date is January 2nd and the time is 10.44... the policeman announced as he sat opposite his young detainee, Well, what are we going to do with you?

Keene sighed, I want my solicitor

Clemens chuckled, "Young man, please don’t think