Summary: Lin and Reinhard close in on the source of the doctored pictures. Jenn and Reinhard find lady who claim she was framed at work and thus incorrectly charged.
The prologue is adapted from Frank Knebel’s story The Frame Up Chapter 1.
The fight on the train is inspired by James Bond’s From Russia With Love.
Prologue:
Mr Justice Launer unfolded the sheet of paper had handed to him and read through it twice. His gaze shifted to the jury foreman and cleared his throat.
“Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, is this your verdict?”
The jury foreman rose.
“Yes, your honour.”
“The defendant will please rise,” said Launer.
The defence lawyer, Sean Paulson, a tall, bespectacled, fair-haired young man put his hand gently on the arm of Kerri Richardson, and they rose from their seats at the defence table. They presented a stark contrast in physical appearance together. Though not ugly, he was gangly and rather awkward looking, his long limbs seemingly ill at ease at being attached to his body. On the streets, he would have been noticed, if at all, as an egg-headed young man who needed to get more sun and exercise.
On the other hand, Kerri Richardson had perfectly proportioned face, with her dark eyes and hair, pert nose, full lips, and creamy complexion thus would have brought a smile to any men she passed. Even though the plain navy-blue suit she wore in the courtroom had been chosen to de-emphasize any sensuality, it could not hide the trim waist, prominent breasts and shapely legs of its occupant.
“The foreman will read the verdict,” intoned Mr Judge Launer.
“We, the jury, find the defendant, Kerri Richardson, guilty on all charges.”
Kerri Richardson sagged slightly against her barrister and squeezed her hands. As the judge thanked the jury for their time and efforts, there were smiles from some victors in the gallery.
“Your Honour, defence intends to appeal the verdict,” said the tall young barrister.
Mr Judge Launer nodded while writing something a yellow pad.
“So noted, Mr. Paulson. The jury has returned a verdict of guilty in this case. However, I’m troubled by some of the evidence presented here by both sides, so I’m going to delay full sentencing for one week. This will allow some time for further investigation by the police and additional evidence to be developed. The clerk will notify both parties as to a time for a sentencing hearing on…”
The judge flipped a few pages in his calendar book.
“…next Wednesday, the 23rd.”
“Your Honor, because of the defendant’s previous attempts to delay trial and follow her bail conditions, we request that she be held in custody,” The prosecutor argued.
The judge looked down at his notes. He looked thoughtful then nodded.
“Though it is regrettable, I feel that under the circumstances Mr. Hazen’s point is valid. Defendant is remanded in custody. Court is adjourned.”
The clerk called for the room to rise as the judge left the bench through the door to the judges’ chambers.
Kerri looked up at Paulson.
“What does it mean, Sean?”
“It means you’ll be held in jail for now,” he said softly.
Kerri looked horrified.
“But I didn’t do it, Sean! I didn’t!” she protested. “How can they lock me up for something I didn’t do?”
Constable Louisa Cole stepped forward. Except for having blue eyes, Louisa was very similar to Kerri in height, build, and abundant good looks. In her right hand, she held a pair of handcuffs. Kerri gasped when she saw them.
“I’m sorry, Miss Richardson,” Louisa said gently. “Regulations state I have to cuff them behind your back.”
Something had indeed snapped in Kerri Richardson. The hateful taunting in the courtroom and the sea of jealous female faces had convinced her that everyone was against her and even rejoiced in seeing her railroaded. A desperate plan formed up in her mind as the Constable guided her along the quiet corridor to the cells, Kerri slowed and let her head fall forward.
“Are you all right, Miss Richardson?” asked the Constable.
“S…something in my stomach,” Kerri replied dazedly. “It hurts.”
“Come on. The nurse’s office is just down the hall.”
Kerri nodded. She was breathing in short gasps, her eyes almost closed. They walked on a few more steps when she almost doubled over and groaned.
“Just a few more steps!” urged Louisa. “You can make it!”
Kerri groaned again and fell against the Constable. Louisa tried to lift and pull her into the office, calling for the nurse as she struggled on. A pretty, cheerful-faced, sandy-haired woman in her late twenties wearing a white nurse’s uniform appeared at the door. Lorna Leeson was a former dancer who had taken up nursing when a knee injury ended her career.
“What’s wrong?” she asked the Constable.
“I don’t know,” Louisa replied. “She got a pain in the stomach and started to collapse.”
Kerri groaned again and doubled over more. Her knees buckled.
“Let’s get her up on the examination table,” Lorna directed. “You’d better take the cuffs off so we can lift her.”
Constable Cole nodded and stooped to unlock the handcuffs. As she and the nurse tried to lift Kerri, Louisa had the fleeting glimpse of the holster strap that ran over her taser hanging loose. Before she could respond, Kerri doubled over again, slipping out of her grasp. When she and Lorna lifted the prisoner again, Kerri rose up quickly. In her hand was Constable Cole’s service taser. She waved it from side to side, alternately pointing it at both.
“All right, nurse,” she said, breathing hard. “Close the door.”
Lorna Leeson, shocked, obeyed as Louisa Cole raised her hands.
“Now don’t do anything you’ll regret,” Louisa cautioned. “Nobody’s hurt so far and we can all just forget this if you’ll hand me the taser back.”
“I’m not giving you the taser,” said Kerri. “The only thing I regret is to be accused of faking legal documents I never saw and thinking that this trial would clear me. I’m not going to prison for somebody else’s crime.”
“But this won’t do you any good!” said Lorna, her hands also raised now. “You can’t possibly get out of this building like this.”
“You’re right. I can’t. But you can.”
Louisa swallowed hard, realising what the sentenced lady meant.
“Take off your uniforms,” Kerri ordered the two ladies.
Louisa Cole reached for the top button of her uniform shirt. Lorna glanced at the Constable and did the same. As the two women undressed, Kerri pulled Lorna’s desk chair into the centre of the room, then grabbed a first aid kit from the wall. She opened it and removed some rolls of cloth bandages. Finally, she picked up the handcuffs from the examination table. Her two prisoners were now reduced to their knickers and bras.
“That’s enough,” said Kerri. She tossed the cuffs to Lorna. “Cuff the Constable’s hands behind her back.”
The nurse cuffed her wrists and directed by Kerri, tightened them a couple more clicks.
“I’m sorry to have to do this to you, Constable,” Kerri apologized. “You’ve been good and I used that to trick you. And now I have to be sure that those cuffs are tight. Your wrists are dainty and I can’t have you getting away.”
She handed a roll of bandages to Lorna.
“Put those in her mouth, then cover her mouth with the medical tape.”
Lorna had no choice but to obey. When the entire wad would not go in, Kerri allowed her to reduce the size of the roll and cut off the excess. Then Lorna cut several pieces of adhesive tape from roll and sealed the Constable’s mouth. Handing her another roll of bandages, Kerri ordered her to loop the cloth around Louisa’s body and arms just below her breasts and just above her waist.
“Now help her up on the table.”
Lorna helped the bound woman onto the exam table and ordered by Kerri, bound her legs at the knees and ankles with more bandages. Louisa Cole sat helplessly on the table as Kerri turned her attention to the nurse.
“Sit in the chair,” she said pointing with her free hand.
“Don’t you think that…” Lorna began.
“Quiet!” snapped Kerri. “Put your hands around the back of the chair.”
The back of the chair was narrow enough that Lorna’s hands met without straining. Kerri crossed the nurse’s wrists and began looping them with tape.
“If you were going to try to tell me that this plan is crazy, you don’t need to,” said Kerri. “It’s the craziest thing I’ve ever done in my life. But I’m started now, and there’s no turning back. I’m just glad I don’t have to hurt either of you.”
She finished tying Lorna’s hands, laid the taser on the desk, and began binding her ankles with more tape. The young nurse watched her with anxiety, yet more with sympathy.
“What’re you going to do?” she asked.
Kerri kept quiet. Finished with Lorna’s ankles, Kerri unrolled more bandages and used them to tie Lorna to the chair. She did a thorough job, looping the woman’s body at her waist, bottom of her ribs, below and above her breasts, and finally over her lap, around her thighs and the chair seat. She wadded part of one of the bandages.
“Sorry,” she said to Lorna, “but I have to gag you too.”
Before she opened her mouth for the wad, Lorna said softly:
“Good luck. whatever your doing.”
Kerri stuffed the wadding in Lorna’s mouth, sealed the gag with tape, and then used more to cover her eyes. She then rolled Louisa Cole over on her tummy and used one more strip of bandage to connect the Constable’s bound ankles to her handcuffed wrists. She also blindfolded her with tape.
“This is to make sure you stay on the table,” she explained. “Please don’t hurt yourself trying anything heroic.”
Her prisoners secured, Kerri quickly stripped off her own clothes and put on the Constable’s uniform which somewhat fitted. There was a mirror on the closet door and in its Kerri noted that the resemblance between her and Louisa was striking. The only thing wrong was her shoulder length hair. She crossed to the helpless Constable and removed the rubber band that held her hair in a bun. Tying up her hair completed the transformation. A quick search of Lorna’s purse produced a pair of sunglasses, which would help to hide any differences. Kerri replaced the taser in the holster she now wore and went to the door. She turned back to the two bound women.
“Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll be found.”
Picking up her own clothes, she glanced into the hallway and it was empty. She slipped out and walked in the opposite direction of the courtroom. At the end of the hallway, she opened the door and went from the building into the sunlight.
***
Chelle told Lin the restrictions her mother placed on her. “Don’t worry, Richard saw someone we will talk to. Not a likely source but we’ll interview him.” That hardly comforted Chelle, neither did the constant questioning from students.
Lin and Reinhard met up with Richard to tap his photographic memory. After giving them a detailed description of the second person in the tabloid headquarters, he added, “If it’s fine Jenn and I can’t join you.” He explained that Jenn had informed him of a case she wanted to investigate. “Ok, no worries,” Lin replied.
The mystery surrounding Jenn’s case when he met up with his girlfriend after their History mock paper. “You know the law internship I participated in? It ended abruptly due to this.” She played a news video covering how Kerri Richardson’s or trussed up a court guard and nurse, took the officer’s taser and escaped. “Kerri was one of the friendliest solicitors at Barnes & Horton. She was going to teach me intellectual property law. Across the time I was there, she showed no indication in falsifying legal documents, embezzling funds or any of the charges in the news.”
Before Richard could ask, the next bell rang. After school, Lin and Reinhard planned to survey the Daily Mail to catch hold of this unknown person. “I know, you’re going to ask me what we can do that the police and authorities are conducting,” Jenn continued her discussion as she pulled up her coat and held her school skirt down less the wind blew it up.
“They’ll hold a fixed assumption that Kerri is guilty and running to escape fines and imprisonment. We’ll look at it from her perspective.”
“And your first move is?”
“Returning to the firm to hand out thank-you gifts,” Jenn answered.
Lin and Reinhard didn’t spot that specific person for two days and the latter felt they were chasing ghosts. On the third day, the fortunes changed as they spotted him exiting from a side door. Both teen detectives immediately closed in and peppered him with questions.
“Hey, hey stop accosting me. I’m just a normal civilian,” the dark-clothed lad protested. After Lin asked him again, he lowered his tone and said, “I’m just an intern there. The Chief Editor liked me so am in his personal office. Yeah, I know bout the photos; know the exact source.”
“Who is it? Where can we find this person?”
“There’s no name and the source is secretive. You can meet me at the second train station tomorrow at 9:30.” He passed them a business card.
“Good to see you again you again, Jennifer, ah thank you for the chocolates,” the solicitor smiled. Jenn gave out Ferrero Rocher to every lawyer she learnt from during her internship. Finally, she reached Kerri’s empty desk and quickly took pictures of it to compare with what she saw previously.
“Looks the same, the same, hey I recall she always kept a light-blue folder on the right corner standing up.” After eliminating various reasons, she told Richard they had to monitor the staff.
There was just his name, Richard Head and his email address. Both science wizards spent the rest of their Friday afternoon looking up any more information online on Mr Head but found no LinkedIn, no Facebook, no X.com and nothing else. “Are we seriously trusting this Richard? Which intern seriously doesn’t have any online profile?” Reinhard asked in a call.
“Some people like privacy. If we detect nothing, we’ll leave the next station.”
While her friends were investigating, Chelle was still at school re-sitting for her mock English paper. Her early paper scored lower than expected resulting in her English teacher’s shock. This time she focused and really answered questions properly. Afterwards, she headed to the loo and but just as she unlocked the stall door, the toilet lights went off and a masked figure pushed her back down into the stall. A thick cloth was quickly stuffed in her mouth and her wrists were roughly secured with a make cloth handcuff. Despite massive struggling, the assailant was able to pull down her tights partly and just as he reached for the waist band of her exposed knickers, Chelle gave a massive kick striking the assailant who ran off, only with a picture of her undies. Naturally, it was reported and with the school gates closed and school Wi-Fi temporarily down, it took the school disciplinary team nearly an hour to catch the perpetrator.
“This your idea of watching the staff?” Richard asked as Jenn walked up with as long wrapped up package slung over her shoulder.
“We’ve done worse as previously,” Jenn replied, assembling the telescope Chelle previously used. Its magnification was now increased to 5X and Lin had added a cheap night vision device to it. As Jenn focused the telescope, Richard poured out a cup of organic hot chocolate. They first watched the staff leave through the exits. Jenn turned the telescope upwards and over ten minutes all lights went off. Five minutes later, just as Richard wished to leave, he called Jenn. “There’s a light on and a figure, definitely male figure on the extreme left corner.”
Jenn looked through the telescope for the next minute, switching off the night vision system. “That figure is Marcus Horton, one of the senior fellows. But staff don’t usually work so late in this office.” She looked through the telescope again but only the light was on. Ten minutes and drinks of hot chocolate, the building was dark. Almost immediately, a car sped off from the garage and the detectives knew who to look into.
Exactly at half past nine on Saturday, Lin and Reinhard met up with Richard Head. Before they wanted to know what train tickets they should purchase, they were surprised to be handed train tickets.
“We’ll be taking a sleeper train, no the destination isn’t far off, Mr Head saw Reinhard’s mouth open. “Just somewhere near Brum, this sleeper train does stop there.” Five minutes later, they found themselves in a cabin with two bunk beds and a third opposite with a drawable partition, definitely for Lin. He said it’s just near Birmingham so hopefully won’t have to use the beds, the detectives silently thought.
As that train moved away, Jenn and Richard were at a breakfast and brunch eatery. Officially, they were there revising for their GCSEs – they told their parents that. Unofficially, they, especially Jenn, were looking into Marcus Horton.
“Right, his work profile is super perfect; rose from Oxbridge law, no legal internships, excellent record as a solicitor, called to the barrister’s Inn of Court earlier than his counterparts. Successfully argued many banking law cases. I call it Richard’s law of impossibility,” Richard drank his coffee after that.
“Right. He started the firm first before William Barnes joined. Now I recall, there was a heated argument on the second day I was there and before they took it to a private room, it was about getting a third partner and the solicitors outside were discussing which amongst them will be chosen.”
“Fine, still doesn’t say how that is connected to Kerri’s charges and her running away. What’s your thoughts?”
“We go to Mr Horton’s residence and talk to him. He listed his road names on his LinkedIn’s profile, there shouldn’t .”
It was nearly ten when Reinhard announced he was hungry. “Let’s go to the dining car shall we?” Richard Head suggested.
“You two go; I’m fine,” Lin remarked. As the boys went her eyes turned to the single bag Head carried. The main zip was locked with small combination lock and opening the side pockets, there was nothing. She felt the whole bag yet couldn’t identify its contents. There’s something strange and I can’t figure it out.
Twenty minutes later, the boys return but Reinhard suddenly declared he felt sleepy and immediately dozed off on one of the bunks. Lin immediately rushed over and his pulse felt fine. She was about to check his eyes when she heard, “Get up girl.” Lin turned to see Head pointing a taser at her.
Jenn was correct, there weren’t many residences along the road where Mr Horton stated he lived. Coincidentally, the court nurse Lorna Leeson who was also bound and gagged by Kerri appeared out the first house. In a short chat with the teen detectives which heard of, she reiterated her belief Kerry was not up to anything evil and told them what Kerri wore originally. “Marc Horton lives at number fourteen.”
As they approached that particular house, the gate and door were wide open and before Richard could call, “take caution”, Jenn darted inside. Kerri was there, dressed back in her clothes sans tights loudly shouting and pointing the stolen X26 taser at Marcus Horton.
“Jennifer, you shouldn’t be here,” Kerri shouted. However, the high-flying school debater lunched into a calm debate on why Kerri should not threat the firm’ co-partner though he did falsify her files. This took just under ten minutes just as Kerri dropped the taser but found herself back in police handcuffs.
“What did you do to my boyfriend?!” Lin shouted at the taser-wielding guy.
“Oh, just making him sleep. Now, go lie down close to him, undo your top and unzip his jeans. You two would make a front-page picture for the Mail, perhaps even better than your shorter girl friend, he cackled.
“So, this is it, humiliating our detective group. If you know us, we also have gadgets. Why don’t you search me first?” Lin said. Head initially didn’t respond initially, but nodded and approached Lin, keeping the taser pointed at her. He reached into her trousers’ right pocket and found a small purse, disregarding it. He reached into the left pocket and the fake wallet clamped down on his fingers causing him to scream.
Lin immediately kicked the taser from his other hand but she received a hard kick in her lower torso. This spiralled into an enormous fight with Lin using her Taekwondo skills versus Head’s skills which she quickly realised were karate and general fighting. Within two minutes, Lin thought she had the upper hand, he – left hand free of the ‘mouse trap gadget – slammed her hard against the wall. Despite the pain in her back, Lin rose and pushed him against the opposite wall. It had turned now from a martial arts fight into a tight tackle. Suddenly, Head hand grabbed the kicked taser and growled, “Got you now, bitch.”
Lin responded with a ferocious kick to his crotch which not gave him sharp pain but threw him with enormous force against the ladder of the bunk beds. Dashing over, she found knocked out cold. “No one calls me girl or bitch,” she spat at him. Then, feeling his pulse, she glad she didn’t kill him; she needed to gain information from him. She found a wallet thick with large pound notes but suddenly there was a knock on the cabin door.
“Is everything fine? I heard sort of a commotion coming from here,” the train manager asked.
“It’s alright, ” Lin answered quickly. “Just that boy slamming the walls. Say, I know it’s against the schedule and regulations, but could you stop the train at the next stop? My boyfriend needs to tend to family crisis.” The manager shook his head but Lin dangled £100 in her sore hand, “we can slow the train to the lowest speed, “he consulted his map. “twenty minutes time.”
After thanking him, Lin rushed over to her boyfriend. She called his name three times before his eyes fluttered open and he mumbled, “nice sandwiches”, “nice coca cola”
“Reinhard, are you feeling ok? We have to move in less than twenty minutes.” She received a ‘yes’, gave him a drink of bottled water then turned to the unconscious assailant. Holding the fallen taser, she slapped Head’s face until he feeling, regained consciousness.
“You injured my balls,” he croaked.
“Ok, Rich Head,” Lin nearly wanted to call him ‘Dick’ but that would sound crude. “Who really are you? Did you take and photoshop the pictures of Michelle are Mark?”
He fell silent and in response, Lin jammed the taser into his chest. “Ok, ok yes I took the pictures at long range, phtoshopped them and wrote the article very fast. Was hired by someone took take them.”
“Who!”
“I don’t know, I kept receiving messages from several phones numbers. One was threatening my folks if I didn’t do it. It’s the truth.”
Lin slapped him again, found his hankie, stuffed it in his mouth and wound his scarf around his hands. Five minutes later, these came off and all three managed to jump across to the train station. Lin handed the taser to the now-fully awake Reinhard as she bought tickets for a train head back the other direction. At that stop, she thankfully found a taxi whose driver silently was amused she had arm around one boy’s shoulder and a hand near another.
“Where to, lass?”
“Croonford, police station.”
Epilogue:
“My name is Louis Gabriels and I took of Michelle Summers and Mark Cavendish, photoshopped them and wrote that frontline Mail article. I would sincerely like to apologise for the emotional distress placed on them, their family and disinformation it caused….” The broadcast was closed and the news presenter turned to world news.
“Well, that is much closure,” Chelle remarked as she pulled out her earplugs. The student who tried to take pictures of her private parts was immediately expelled and charged for molestation by a youth court. They verbal harassment against Chelle and Mark had stopped although there were random cases of bullying.
“So much for faking his name as Richard Head. Should have suspected he was related to the chief editor,” Lin added. Louis Gabriels was charged with illegal possession of a firearm and depending on Chelle and her parents, he might be charged with invasion of personal privacy. “I hear based on out town’s disgust, there’s an investigation into the Croonford Mail’s journalist practices and the parliamentary CMS committee is calling them for an inquiry.” Lin meant the Culture, Media and Sport Committee.
“I hear you solved your case Jenn,” Chelle called. Jenn explained that Kerri Richardson was charged for attempted assaulting of a court police officer and nurse. There was a serious charge of steal an officer’s firearm and impersonating one. However, with Jenn’s and Kerri’s statements regarding Marcus Horton, there were warrant-based raids on his residence and work office, with the recovery of devices to alter bank accounts and evidence explicitly showing he doctored Kerri’s documents. With him arrested, Kerri’s legal team got her a large fine, week-long community service and original charges dismissed.
“Everything is resolved but we still…” Chelle’s statement was interrupted her phone buzzing. “Mum wants me back home,” she explained.
Chelle noticed a red Nissan parked near her residence. In her living room, tea and cakes were out and there was a man looking younger than her father seated. Before she could ask, she smelt a familiar odour and from a corner came her mother, another woman and to her shock, Mark.
“I meet up with Maria weekly for our women’s’ charity,” her mother explained. “I only got to know she had a son Mark, your boyfriend. Now, I get to meet him. It’s a small world.”
Chelle rose and greeted Maria and her husband Gavin. Then, noticing, her boyfriend, she raced over and they hugged with the parents applauding.
Michelle, Lin Ling, Jennifer, Mark, Reinhard and Richard will return in a story, title not yet determined.
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