nodded the slightest of acknowledgements. Lara Katz was a strikingly attractive young woman. Long, raven-black hair - today tied up tight on the back of her head - a slim, athletic figure and piercing, green eyes. Assigned as Stark's partner about two weeks ago, he was finding it hard to avoid being attracted to her. He got the distinct impression she found keeping things on a strictly professional level with him far less taxing.
“What've we got then, Katz?”
“Dwayne Clements, sir. Aged nineteen, found lying in the street at about three o'clock this morning and brought in here for emergency treatment. Some sick bastard pulled out all his teeth, then sewed up his mouth.”
Stark cocked his head slightly and frowned.
“Jeezo. That's pretty severe. Any indication of motive?”
“Oh, the motive is totally clear, sir. The animal who did it appears to be on some sort of vigilante crusade. He left a note explaining his actions and why we should be thanking him.”
Katz reached down, lightly touched Clements on the wrist, picked up an evidence bag from the bedside table with a note in it, and handed it to Stark.
The note was typed on plain, white paper. No words cut from a newspaper, no sloping handwriting in green ink and, no doubt, once forensics completed their once over, would be entirely clean. The message was clear...but also odd. A tirade out of proportion.
To whom it may concern,
For too long we citizens have put up with the erosion of decency, manners, consideration and all the other things that make living together on this small island more bearable. People like Dwayne here think they can do as they please without consequence. Well, I am here to let Dwayne and his like know that there are consequences - I am their consequence.
As he seems so fond of gum, I thought I'd leave him with his - a reminder that respect and consideration for others is something we all need to get our teeth into. If he won't tell you what happened, ask him to spit it out. He usually has no problem with that.
You may may be feeling sorry for him. Don't! He is a warning, a totem. One day he will thank me for this and so will everyone else.
Yours,
A concerned citizen taking action
Taped to the bottom of the note was a stick of chewing gum
“Wait a minute. Is he saying he pulled out all this boy's teeth because he liked gum? What the fuck, and what's with the cryptic comments about respect and spitting something out?”
“I know, sounds like someone who's seriously disturbed to me, sir. Dwayne's still under sedation, so I've not been able to talk to him yet. Apparently, his teeth were yanked out pretty forcefully and with little finesse, but the doc said the sewing was very neat - possibly professional. He was unconscious when he was found, so he's none the wiser either,” Katz replied with a certain amount of weariness.
“Has he had any visitors?” Stark asked.
“Not while I've been here, but the next visiting time is at six, so maybe a relative will appear then. Do you want me to hang about and wait for them, sir?”
“Aye, that sounds like a plan. I'll head over to his house and see if anyone's in. I might be able to find out if he had any enemies. You never know, this might be some sort of twisted gang thing. I don't think so, but in this city, you never rule out anything these days.”
Katz nodded in agreement and Stark headed for the corridor.
“I'll call you if he wakes up, sir,” Katz shouted as he closed the door to the room.
John Constance must have been hanging around, waiting for him to reappear. He strode towards Stark with purpose.
“Told you it was a weird one!”
His face twitched and his head moved sideways then up; an involuntary tick Stark had become accustomed to. Somehow, this morning, the movements seemed more pronounced than usual.
“Aye, sure is, John. Have you heard anything about the lad or the circumstances?”
Stark kept walking as he asked the
“What've we got then, Katz?”
“Dwayne Clements, sir. Aged nineteen, found lying in the street at about three o'clock this morning and brought in here for emergency treatment. Some sick bastard pulled out all his teeth, then sewed up his mouth.”
Stark cocked his head slightly and frowned.
“Jeezo. That's pretty severe. Any indication of motive?”
“Oh, the motive is totally clear, sir. The animal who did it appears to be on some sort of vigilante crusade. He left a note explaining his actions and why we should be thanking him.”
Katz reached down, lightly touched Clements on the wrist, picked up an evidence bag from the bedside table with a note in it, and handed it to Stark.
The note was typed on plain, white paper. No words cut from a newspaper, no sloping handwriting in green ink and, no doubt, once forensics completed their once over, would be entirely clean. The message was clear...but also odd. A tirade out of proportion.
To whom it may concern,
For too long we citizens have put up with the erosion of decency, manners, consideration and all the other things that make living together on this small island more bearable. People like Dwayne here think they can do as they please without consequence. Well, I am here to let Dwayne and his like know that there are consequences - I am their consequence.
As he seems so fond of gum, I thought I'd leave him with his - a reminder that respect and consideration for others is something we all need to get our teeth into. If he won't tell you what happened, ask him to spit it out. He usually has no problem with that.
You may may be feeling sorry for him. Don't! He is a warning, a totem. One day he will thank me for this and so will everyone else.
Yours,
A concerned citizen taking action
Taped to the bottom of the note was a stick of chewing gum
“Wait a minute. Is he saying he pulled out all this boy's teeth because he liked gum? What the fuck, and what's with the cryptic comments about respect and spitting something out?”
“I know, sounds like someone who's seriously disturbed to me, sir. Dwayne's still under sedation, so I've not been able to talk to him yet. Apparently, his teeth were yanked out pretty forcefully and with little finesse, but the doc said the sewing was very neat - possibly professional. He was unconscious when he was found, so he's none the wiser either,” Katz replied with a certain amount of weariness.
“Has he had any visitors?” Stark asked.
“Not while I've been here, but the next visiting time is at six, so maybe a relative will appear then. Do you want me to hang about and wait for them, sir?”
“Aye, that sounds like a plan. I'll head over to his house and see if anyone's in. I might be able to find out if he had any enemies. You never know, this might be some sort of twisted gang thing. I don't think so, but in this city, you never rule out anything these days.”
Katz nodded in agreement and Stark headed for the corridor.
“I'll call you if he wakes up, sir,” Katz shouted as he closed the door to the room.
John Constance must have been hanging around, waiting for him to reappear. He strode towards Stark with purpose.
“Told you it was a weird one!”
His face twitched and his head moved sideways then up; an involuntary tick Stark had become accustomed to. Somehow, this morning, the movements seemed more pronounced than usual.
“Aye, sure is, John. Have you heard anything about the lad or the circumstances?”
Stark kept walking as he asked the
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