Chapter 9: Chapter Eight

2016

They parked on the opposite side of the road from where the house of Michael Ray is located. Fletcher turned off the engine and they both sat, staring at the house.

A beautiful white walled house with a wooden swing on the front porch. It was surrounded by decking and swinging flower baskets by the front door. Addison could count seven windows and that was only from the front of the house.

“Are you sure this is the right places?” Fletched asked.

“Well, it’s the address Robert sent me.” Addison doubled checked the message on her phone and glanced up at the road side. She showed Fletcher the text message.

“This house is huge, for a criminal and a drug dealer, he’s done pretty good for himself.” Fletcher commented. Addison pocketed her phone and the both got out of the car. “I must be in the wrong job.” He joked.

They both strolled up the pebbled pathway, with just four steps, to the door. Not like Addison was counting.

Addison knocked, but there was no answer. She knocked again and this time they heard movement come from inside. Fletcher and Addison both glanced at each other. He leaned into the window, using his hands to shield the sun. He peaked inside the house but couldn’t see much. He glanced at Addison and nodded for her to go around the back.

He stepped down from the porch while Addison jogged around the back. Fletched looked down the alleyway, down the side of the house. He called for Addison as he watched a man climb over the fence. Addison appeared from the other side of the house, but Fletcher was gone. She headed to the alleyway and saw Fletcher chasing someone. She ran the opposite way, hoping to trap him from going anywhere. As she ran down the road, someone bumped into her, knocking her to the ground. The man got back up and started running again. Fletcher ran past, carrying on chasing the culprit.

“Stop,” Fletcher yelled.

“I’ll go this way, we can trap him.” Addison pointed. She headed the other way, hoping her plan would work a second time. She ran down a tight alley, hoping she could stop him when she came out the other end. She popped her head around the corner to see no-one in sight.

Her phone started ringing, which she fished out of her pocket.

“I’ve lost him.” Fletcher told her.

“I’ve not seen him come this way,”

“He will be around somewhere, keep looking.” Addison went to hang up, but a man appeared from nowhere, pushing her face into the brick wall. She dropped her phone to the floor; hearing Fletcher call her. Her hands instantly came up to her nose, feeling the blood drip into her palms. The man gripped a fistful of her hair and dragged her backwards. Her hands came up to her head, but he pushed her forward again. She put her hands out before her face could hit the wall. Addison turned around to see a man with dark circles around his brown eyes and his horrible yellow wonky teeth; as he sneered at her.

He reached for her neck, pushing her against the wall, squeezing her thin neck tightly. She gasped, struggling against him. She kneed him in his groin and released her neck, rolling over in pain. Addison took this opportunity to run, but he grabbed her by the waist, stopping her from going anywhere. He spun her to face him and punched her in the face. The force sent her backwards and stumbled to the ground. He stepped over her body and grabbed her by the collar of her shirt, lifting her from the floor. He punched her for a second time as she tried to fight him off her. She flicked her leg up, striking him in between his legs. He crumbled to the ground, holding his crotch area. Addison gripped the back of his neck and forcefully pushed his face into the brick wall. He yelped and Addison pulled the cuffs from the hook on the back of her trousers, snapping them onto his wrists.

“You, Michael, are under arrest.”

She chucked his face into the wall one last time and kicked him in the knees as he tried to get up.

“Addison,” Fletcher shouted. He saw her arresting the culprit, but when she looked up, he was stunned by the state of her face. Red had spread over her white shirt and blood was still pouring from her nose.

“Are you okay?”

“Do I look like I’m okay? He tried to beat the shit out of me.” She told him. She titled her head forward as Fletcher took the suspect from her.

“Never mind her, have you seen what she’s done to me?” Fletcher and Addison both ignored Michael.

“Do you want me to call you an ambulance?”

“No, I’m fine. I just need a tissue.” Addison glanced at Michael, who was giving her a horrible look. She kicked him hard in the shins and then looked at Fletcher, giving him a don’t-you-dare-tell-anyone look.

“What was that for? What have I even done? This is abuse.” Michael yelled.

“I’m arresting you for assaulting a police officer and for murder, understand?” Addison hissed in his face.

“Right, move it.” Fletcher put the suspect into the back of their car as he shouted abuse to the pair. He slammed the door and there was instant silence. Fletcher handed Addison a cloth, which she held to her nose.

“Is it broken?”

Addison shook her head. Even though she said she didn’t need an ambulance, Fletcher called her one anyway. “I’d feel better if you were checked out. And I think Ashworth will feel better too.” Fletcher told her.

“Robert won’t care.” Addison laughed.

“He will. Just get yourself checked, as I would like my partner to stay in one piece.” Fletcher nudged her with his shoulder, and she smiled.

“What are you going to tell Robert?”

“I will tell him that you were assaulted, and you’ve gone to the hospital. I bet he will worry.”

“Yeah, we will see about that.”

“You will, you will.”

Addison and Fletcher can hear the faint sounds of sirens coming.

“Right, I will come and pick you up from the hospital. Just give me a call when you’re done. That’s if Ashworth doesn’t come and get you first.” Fletcher laughed and Addison gave him a small punch in the arm. The ambulance arrived and Fletcher took Michael Ray back to the station.

Michael Ray was shouting in the backseat of Fletchers car. He turned up the music to drown out the noise Michael was making.

Fletcher ran his hand through his dark blonde hair. He stared at the traffic ahead of them, hoping it would move quicker. Michael was now kicking the back of Fletchers seat. He couldn’t take anymore, so he slammed his fists on the steering wheel.

“Will you shut the fuck up.”

Michael didn’t say anything. He stared at Fletcher, who was glaring at him in his rear-view mirror. Michael kept his mouth shut for the rest of the journey, which surprised Fletcher.

The silence was nice, but they have arrived back to the station. Fletcher got out of the car and rushed around to yank Michael from the backseat. He marched him inside the building, where Robert was already waiting for them.

“Where is DS Scott?”

“While we were in pursuit for our suspect Michael Ray, he assisted arrest and he beat the crap out of Addison.” Fletcher explained.

“Is she ok? Where is she?” Robert exploded.

“She’s fine. I called her an ambulance and she’s being checked over. Her nose wouldn’t stop bleeding.” Fletcher chuckled. Robert rolled his eyes and grabbed Michael by the cuffs, dragging him inside the building.

“Lay off will you, these cuffs are tight.” Michael yelped.

“Shut up, you’re a big boy.” Fletcher said from behind them. Robert pushed him against the booking counter and patted him down, emptying his pockets onto the side. The uniformed officer behind the counter started putting in Michael Ray’s details.

“I didn’t mean to hurt her.” Michael told Robert.

“Her? Do you mean DS Scott?” Fletcher leant on the counter.

“The police girl, she was chasing me and fell into the wall.” Michael told them. Fletcher laughed out loud and glanced at Robert.

“Are you kidding me? That’s your excuse?” Robert pushed him harder against the counter.

“This is assault. Are you seeing this?” Michael addressed the officer behind the counter. The officer didn’t even make eye contact and carried on typing away on the computer.

“What have you taken?” Robert glanced into Michaels eyes.

“I’ve taken nothing.”

“Well we will be taking blood tests and fingerprints, so it doesn’t really matter to us.” Fletcher said. Robert pushed Michael into an empty cell and closed the door on him, while he was shouting nonsense.

“I ain’t done nothing. That bitch is lying.”

“We will interview him once Addison comes back.” Robert told Fletcher.

“I’m going to get her from the hospital now, I promised her I’ll be back.” Fletcher said.

“It’s ok, I can go.”

Robert left Fletcher standing there not knowing what to do. He glanced around the hallway and back to the door that Robert just left through. He went over to the door and looked out of the window. Robert was getting into his black Mercedes. Fletcher glanced down at his phone, wondering if he should let Addison know that Robert is coming. He smirked and put his phone into his pocket. She will have a go at him, but it will be worth it.