A Target for the Good

By Tony Mansfield

Fed up with the seemingly lack of justice meted out by the judiciary, two fairly normal, happily married, law abiding citizens decide that they would take the law into their own hands.

However, it’s not as easy as it first seemed in the pub.

Nobody seems to care too much about the rough justice that’s handed out, not even the overworked police, whose job our heroes have managed to lighten.

Somebody cared though, big time, even the wives.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Jan 5, 2024
• ISBN: 9781398491243

Tony Mansfield

Tony Mansfield was born in Dagenham in 1938 to a working-class family. His father was employed during the war, laying runways for the USAF and the RAF. It was normal during the war for children to be evacuated and moved to safe areas, but because his father was moving to different parts of England, he took Tony with him. Tony then attended junior schools in Wiltshire, Lancashire, Durham, as well as Dagenham. After his school years, Tony followed his father into the building trade and eventually into the property business. His interests include all sports, particularly golf and cricket. Tony is divorced but still friends with Gabrielle, and they have two grownup children and three grandchildren.

Book preview

About the Author

Tony Mansfield was born in Dagenham in 1938 to a working-class family. His father was employed during the war, laying runways for the USAF and the RAF. It was normal during the war for children to be evacuated and moved to safe areas, but because his father was moving to different parts of England, he took Tony with him. Tony then attended junior schools in Wiltshire, Lancashire, Durham, as well as Dagenham. After his school years, Tony followed his father into the building trade and eventually into the property business. His interests include all sports, particularly golf and cricket. Tony is divorced but still friends with Gabrielle, and they have two grownup children and three grandchildren.

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my family and friends who have encouraged me, put me right, endured months of me not wanting to be disturbed and listening to me harping on and on about having writers’ block.

Copyright Information ©

Tony Mansfield 2024

The right of Tony Mansfield to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by the author in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

ISBN 9781398491236 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781398491243 (ePub e-book)

www.austinmacauley.co.uk

First Published 2024

Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd®

1 Canada Square

Canary Wharf

London

E14 5AA

Acknowledgement

I would really like to thank the family and many friends who have helped me to finish this, my very first book. So thanks to Gay, Julie and Steve, for urging me on, and to my 12-year-old granddaughter, Ella, for producing the book cover. Thanks too to Nik McLeish for his help in guiding me through, something that was new to both of us: ‘the publishing world.’

Chapter 1

Mark Naylor was watching the 6 o’clock news on TV while he waited for Sue to get ready. Julia Simpson shuffled the papers in front of her and looked up at the camera. Wayne Jones, the man being questioned in the case of the missing girl Anthea Gray, was charged today with her murder and will appear in court tomorrow morning. Mark tutted and thought that a man like him didn’t deserve to live.

Sue came down, looking a million dollars in her new black dress and heels and said, Come on, I’m ready. Turn that off, or we’ll be late. It wasn’t cold, even though it was the end of March, so she didn’t bother with a coat, just a wrap over her shoulders. They were eating out tonight, the 30th March, at the posh Italian restaurant on the outskirts of town because it was their 19th wedding anniversary.

It was the first time Mark had been home for their anniversary. He’d been in the army since he was 18 and had done his 25 years, so he decided to quit and go home. He was comfortable with his army pension, and Sue had a decent job as manager in the HR department of the local chemical company, meaning that they weren’t exactly wealthy, but they didn’t have any financial worries. Their semi-detached house wasn’t massive, but it was in a nice street, so they were both happy. As Mark was away a lot, they’d both agreed that there would be no kids.

Mark drove. He’d bought a decent little red Ford Fiesta when he left the army. When they arrived at the restaurant, they were shown to nice table. The place was only about 25% full and fairly quiet. After a glass of wine each, the waiter brought a menu and Mark chose the Melone e Prosciutto as his starter course. Sue decided to give the starter a miss, ordering a Caesar salad for her main course, with Mark settling for a steak.

They both looked up when the door opened and a well-dressed couple walked in to be greeted by name by the head waiter.

Good evening, Mr White. Good to see you both again, sir. Mark didn’t take too much notice when the couple were shown to a table, just in Mark’s eye line. They both continued eating, but he couldn’t help looking at the couple as he thought that the chap looked familiar.

After they’d finished their meal and were waiting for the coffee they’d ordered, Mark got up and walked over to the toilet. Washing his hands in front of the mirror, he noticed Mr White come in. He politely waited until White had finished peeing and was washing his hands before he approached him and said, "Sorry if you thought I was staring, but I couldn’t help noticing