Conscience of Justice

By LORNAMARIE

FRAUD. ABDUCTION. FORCED ADOPTION. KIDNAPPING. CONSPIRACY. BANDITRY. BETRAYAL. BURGLARY. DECEPTION. CORRUPTION. EPILEPSY. DISABILITY. PRESUMPTION OF INNOCENCE. POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD)

In an electrifying series of stunning twists and emotional surprises, Detective Inspector Tobias le Blanc is pushed to the limit as he leads his team on the hunt for a crime syndicate in a burglary case. Alvin Clyde is the Attorney, and while feeling the strain of a hard-hitting court case, he is abducted by banditry the night before the court trial - a price he had to pay for taking on a brief he thought was worth five million pounds sterling. His client’s life was at risk as the crime syndicate was after his life. When a devastating new lead emerges from a conversation between two inmates overhead by a prison warden, it becomes the saving grace of the investigation. This type of case can make or break a young lawyer, yet under these circumstances, it could also get a lawyer killed!

Find out how the investigation races to find the suspects.

A compelling novel that draws you deep into a compulsive read that owes its heart, soul, and passion to following courtroom thrillers with dramas.

‘’This author is a consummate storyteller. I thoroughly enjoyed the storyline. Courtroom drama was hilarious, that was something I was looking forward to and she did not disappoint me at all. She cleverly discussed touching issues such as ‘forced adoption’ after the second world war. Predicament faced by teenage and single mothers who had their babies taken away from them through forced adoption after the second world war. The author shared the pain and experience of such women. How mothers in similar circumstances as Susan suffered grief that must have been lifelong, and for many it was handed down a generation when their children grew old enough to understand and be disturbed by what had happened to them between the 1950s and the late 1970s.’’ - Sophia Greenfield

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Aug 14, 2022
• ISBN: 9781471639623

Book preview

Praise and Plaudits for Conscience of Justice

‘’A compulsive read. Thoroughly absorbing. Lornamarie pulls us very deeply into an imaginative story that she has created.’’ - Matilda Adenrele.

‘’Great atmosphere, erudite saga and plotting.’’ - Kenneth Brown

‘’Creepy, Brilliant, Bouyant, Compelling, Imaginative, Absorbing and Good Craft.’ - Samantha Adegbite

‘’ She did same thing in her first thriller book The Plea on Oath.  I find this book to be well researched and well written. Lornamarie delivered a great story, and this is a brilliant page turner. I could not put it down.’’ - Dare Ishola

"Lornamarie narrated an insightful and skill-embedded story. The cross examination inside the courtroom drama was hilarious.’’ - Gloria Silva

‘’This author is a consummate storyteller. I thoroughly enjoyed the storyline. Courtroom drama was hilarious, that was something I was looking forward to and she did not disappoint me at all.  She cleverly discussed touching issues such as ‘forced adoption’ after the second world war. Predicament faced by teenage and single mothers who had their babies taken away from them through forced adoption after the second world war. The author shared the pain and experience of such women. How mothers in similar circumstances as Susan suffered grief that must have been lifelong, and for many it was handed down a generation when their children grew old enough to understand and be disturbed by what had happened to them between the 1950s and the late 1970s. A story told with wit, charm and passionate narrative. A real page turner.’’  - Sophia Greenfield

"The story moves the plot along in the second half of the story. You won’t be disappointed: just read it to the end. This writer has a heart for people which can be heard from her lovely voice through the book.  She brought in the plight and challenges encountered by an epileptic witness who had a fit in the courtroom.  How dramatic is that? Very emotional masterpiece. The author thinks out of the box" - Adeleke Ogunrombi

"If you like legal novels then this is certainly worth a read. Well done on another stunning achievement for Lornamarie; and I personally hope to be reading many more of her novels to come.  It was interesting seeing the author bring into her storyline the issue of forced adoption after the second world war. The author shared the pain and experience of such women.  That was clever.  A beautifully written mystery thriller.’’ - Angela Garuba

"A classic thriller by Lorna Marie with her unique style debut touching the reader’s heart on the dangers of kidnapping and abduction in some countries and its adverse consequences on the victims of such crime.  This author’s heart is with her community, you can feel it in her voice. Conscience of Justice is compelling, emotional, fabulous and intelligently crafted.’’ - Simon Odukoya.

‘’Another classic courtroom drama by Lornamarie. I loved the heart-racing and nail-biting and the pace, I could not fish out the culprit soon enough. Wow! she got me looking in the wrong direction…. A legal masterpiece illustrating the injustices in some legal system and how justice can rely abortively on the location or flaw of an investigation, trial, and sentencing. Why didn’t the investigators suspect the banditry going on?  Perhaps if they did, there wouldn’t have been need for a retrial. But sincerely it was hard to believe that someone in coma could arrange for someone to be kidnapped. Is that fantasy? I shall say no more of the plot and outcome for fear of spoiling any readers enjoyment. No one will regret time spent reading Conscience of Justice - A thought-provoking crime fiction.’’ -Jordan Draper

Rich storylines brimming, gripping, full of zest. A good and solid legal mystery and I find it informative as well on topics like forced adoption, mental health condition, post-traumatic stress disorder adoption, suicide and depressive disorder during criminal trial.  This author thinks out of the box and very knowledgeable about what people go through, she has a lovely voice, she knows her community and the challenges faced by people generally. - McKenzie Roberts

"I warmly commend Lornamarie on the outcome of her new thriller. Smart, imaginative and populated by complex and interesting characters.  I read Lornamarie’s first legal fiction thriller - The Plea on Oath and I also read - The Lawyer’s dilemma and I really loved it and now she’s cleverly constructed - Conscience of Justice. She has a unique style of expressing true life circumstances.  I can’t wait to see more of Lorna Marie’s exceptional talent evolving.  I have said it before, and I am saying it again.’’ -Tioluwalase Adisa

Acknowledgement and Dedication

I give glory, honour, adoration, and thanks to the almighty God, the all-knowing God, the repository of the seed of knowledge and in whom lies the mystery of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding.

As always, this book is dedicated to my husband Tayo and the boys, Ibitayo and Olugbenro.

A big thank you to my wider family, friends, readers, booksellers, libraries, and those who have spent time reviewing this book. Thank you all very much. I could not have done it without you all.

I am grateful to all the editors for their patience, support, and expert advice with dedication throughout this work and for making this fiction the best that it could be.

Lorna Adekaiyaoja is the Winner of the BNLF 2019 Award in recognition for Community Service.

Chapter 1

London New Year’s Eve

5:00 Hours, 31st December 2016

At around 5 o'clock in the morning, Oscar woke up with his chest stuttering. Fear splintered his heart.

‘’I don’t know why I’m feeling this way first thing in the morning.’’ Oscar said. His eyelids sagged, he then stood to his feet beside the bed. ‘’I feel the same. The squirrels were at it again overnight, when I went to the loo, I heard a noise of them scratching the loft floorboard. They are becoming a nuisance to us; we have to do something to have them removed from the loft.’’ Stacey replied.

‘’The creaking noise I heard was from the basement and not the loft.’’ Oscar explained.

‘’You mean the noise you heard was from the jewellery shop downstairs?’’ Stacey asked as worry snaked through her.

‘’Yes, from downstairs. Let us go downstairs to check that the shop is ok and intact, I’m sure there is nothing for us to worry about, after all there is a security alarm fitted in the shop – the alarm would have been raised if there was an intruder.’’ Oscar answered.

Oscar took his bunch of keys and was on his way out of the bedroom.

"Wait for me, let me put on my slippers and house coat, I’m coming with you...wait for me,’’ Stacey said as she followed Oscar.

As Oscar pulled out his mobile phone from his trousers, he found 2 missed calls from a security company.

‘’Oh my God! Stacey, the security company have been trying to get hold of me, something must have gone wrong, there must be an emergency.’’

‘’Call them back now, I mean now!’’ Stacey yelled.  Oscar took out his phone from his pocket and dialled Woodland’s security company. 

‘’Sorry, I’ve just checked my phone and seen your missed call.’’ Oscar exclaimed at the Chief Security officer – Bran Wood-Leg.

‘’We received an alert from our auto device that there was an intruder inside your jewellery shop.’’

‘’What? You mean we’ve been burgled?’’

‘’Are you on the premises where your shop is located now?’’

‘’Yes, my wife and I spent the night in our flat here in London.’’

‘’Ok, can you go straight into your shop and call us back to give us an account of what you’ve seen.’’  Bran instructed.

‘’Ok, I’ll do that immediately and will get back to you shortly.’’ Oscar replied as his breath shook.

‘’What did he say?’’ Stacey asked.

‘’We must go and check the shop at once. I think something is seriously wrong.’’ Oscar said shivering.

‘’What do you mean something is wrong?’’ Stacey asked.

‘’Exactly what I said, something is wrong, there is an emergency, the security said we may have been burgled.’’

‘’What?’’ Stacey exclaimed.

Oscar and Stacey rushed out of their bedroom and straight on to check the jewellery shop on the ground floor. The couple only stayed overnight in their small flat on the top floor of their jewellery shop premises because it was New Year’s Eve. Earlier on that evening, they had visited the banks of River Thames in the London capital, along with the crowd to celebrate the New Year’s Eve with bubbly poured champagne, they spent the evening through to midnight at the fireworks in London ushering in the New Year. Their usual residence is in Hertfordshire, but their shop is tucked inside Oxford Street.  The flat on top of their jewellery shop is reserved for occasions like this - when they decide to stay over in London.

At 5:20 hours Oscar and Stacey found their jewellery shop had been robbed. Numerous display cabinets had been smashed with some jewellery over the floor. Unidentified persons had burgled their jewellery shop in the city and decamped with jewellery and other items worth twenty-seven million US dollars.

Besides the jewellery, the thieves took away ten thousand pounds in cash and 62 bore revolvers worth twenty thousand pounds sterling. The safe was decoded and valuable rose gold, white gold, platinum and silver were stolen. Also stolen were gemstones – diamond, pearl and sapphire to mention just a few. Their shop was adjacent to the high street in the heart of Oxford Street. Nothing of the sort had ever happened to them since they started their jewellery business on the same premises 20 years ago.

‘’I cannot fathom the scale of this theft Stacey.’’ Oscar said as what he saw plunged him into despair.  The robbers had removed a stair from a staircase facing the rear door.

‘’Oh… see here is a drilled hole.’’ Stacey’s skin crawled as she pointed to an apparently drilled hole in the rear portion of the shop tunnelling into the shop.

"The thieves made a tunnel at the back of the shop and came in through the staircase.’’

‘’Aaah! This is the hole where the jewellery was decamped.’’ Oscar exclaimed with his throat clenched. 

‘’But who could have done this to us?’’ Stacey asked.

‘’This is not the time to ask questions, we must report this incident to the police at once. This is a calculated robbery on New Year’s Eve when the city is getting ready for fireworks to welcome a new year, the burglars waited for a time when people’s minds are diverted due to the season. 

It was devastating and unbelievable.  With all the years I have served in the Navy I have not seen anything like this. Stacey, we invested all our life savings into this business. Thieves are known to adopt many disguises, and this is one of those and we shall get to the bottom of this crime. It is disgusting.’’    Oscar said as tears ran down his cheeks.

‘’Yes, you are right in saying that. As a retired Captain you know these things. Let us phone The London Metropolitan Police now to report it.’’ Stacey said.

Oscar pulled out his mobile phone and he dialled 999. He reported how unidentified persons had burgled his jewellery shop in Oxford Street and decamped with jewellery and other items worth over twenty-million-pound sterling.

Oscar said in his police complaint that he had closed his shop on the road adjacent to the high street and in the heart of the city. The shutter was securely pulled down as the shop closed. However, when he opened it in the morning, he found gold jewellery stolen among other things.

The shop was last opened to the public on 30 December. On New Year’s Eve the retired captain and his wife drove from their home in Hertfordshire to enjoy the night in the city, they returned to stay the night in the top flat located in the same building as their jewellery shop.

The Police station’s senior Inspector Ernest Durandal was told how the burglars drilled a hole in the rear portion of the shop during this period and decamped with the jewellery. Numerous display cabinets were smashed with jewellery over the floor. The thieves removed a stair from a staircase facing the rear door. The jewellery shop was so smashed, the scale of damage was neither fathomable nor believable.

Inspector Ernest Durandal assured Oscar that they will act fast by visiting the crime scene to gather evidence and that if the alleged thieves were identified through crime scene evidence and links from CCTV in the local area or by a local taxi that picked them up, then arrest can be made.

The next day, police, forensic scientists and reporters came flooding into the shop address that Oscar had given them on the day before.

What happened? screamed one reporter from Whodunit Press.

The Police Inspector ignored their question.

Was anybody hurt? yelled another journalist.

Give us some space! yelled the chief of the police feeling irritated, a wave of nausea hit him.

A wall of police officers forced the crowd back out to the front of the shop. Everyone wanted to know who had robbed the retired captain’s shop.

This is the third time that shops located adjacent to the high street but near the railway station had been burgled during the same year. 

The Police registered offences of burglary under Sections 9 of the Theft Act 1968 (Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994) and launched a manhunt for the culprits.

Chapter 2

The Arrest

10:40 Hours, 10th January 2016

The burglars and accomplices waited for New Year’s Eve - when most people were out to celebrate before striking their raids, they were able to track the guards’ habits and learn how to bypass the city’s extensive security system. 

Sometimes even the tightest security isn’t enough to stop determined thieves. The Police have still not recovered any of the items stolen from Oscar’s jewellery shop.

After some investigation had been carried out, some arrests were made based on evidence from DNA taken and matched, a gang of youth were linked to the scene of the jewellery theft.  Fingerprints were taken and matched to the crime scene. The thieves were only caught when residents reported what they had seen on the night – there were security tapes from the vault. The security company hired by retired Captain Oscar and his wife helped the Police in the investigation of how some alleged armed men burgled and made away with watches and jewels worth more than £20m pounds sterling.

A year before Oscar’s shop was burgled, a similar burglary had occurred - it was about fifteen miles away and it was reported that a major jewel robbery had taken place when an armed man stole jewellery worth about ten million worth in pounds from a hotel exhibition in the city.

Unidentified persons allegedly burgled a jewellery shop in the city and decamped with jewellery and other items, the respective owners were victims of theft. None