| Mystery and Crime Fiction posted January 10, 2021 | Chapters: |
...17 18 -19- 20... 
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The perp's release causes the vigilante to up her game.
A chapter in the book Where Are All The Children
Judge Jury and Executioner
by Mistydawn
The vigilante paces back and forth across the hardwood floor with a wadded up newspaper in her hands. Violent storms erupt all across town, but they fail in comparison to the one brewing inside her. Evil thoughts zip through her head as she tromps back and forth across the freshly polished wood. The more she thinks about the article, the madder she becomes. "I helped put him away, and it ends up like this? How could it happen?" She crumbles up the paper and tosses it in the trash. Fury surges through her. She draws back her foot and kicks the metal can. The object falls sideways. Garbage spews everywhere. Throwing her fists down by her side, she kicks the can again. The container flies across the room, crashing against the paneled wall. The damn judicial system can't get anything right," she growls through clenched teeth. She picks up the metal container and slams it into an upright position. "How can I accomplish my goal when they keep letting them go?"
She's picking up the litter when Zoe races into the room.
The young woman looks at the mess and then at her, "What's going on?"
She scoops up the newspaper, tosses it at Zoe, and says, "Read this."
The woman skims through the article. She glances up. With a perplexed expression on her face, she asks, "How is this possible?"
She growls through clenched teeth. "I don't know, but I'm going to make sure it doesn't happen again."
***
Rain pounds relentlessly against the windowpane. Large drops of water slide down the cold, double pained glass. Street lights shine through the window. Headlights zip past her below. Gray, cloudy skies hover overhead. Toni decided to come in early, hoping to catch up on her paperwork. I wouldn't have taken the promotion if I knew I'd be stuck doing this, she thinks, glancing at the stack beside her.
Shaking the moisture off his coat, Jamal walks towards his boss. With a spring in his step and a smile on his face, he says, "Morning, sergeant."
Toni looks up. "You must be feeling better today."
He grabs his stomach. "Much better, thanks." It's not a hundred percent, but at least it doesn't hurt to move. "I'm going to be more selective about where I eat from now on."
"I tried to warn you about the place." She said he'd probably catch a disease walking through the door. Jamal thought she was exaggerating until he became deathly ill.
"Guess I should've listened."
Toni rolls her eyes, laughs, and says, "That'd be a first."
He throws his coat across his chair, turns, and asks, "Did you see the morning paper?"
She eyes the files scattered around her and sighs, "I haven't had a chance. Why, is there something good in it?"
"Read it for yourself." Jamal tosses a soggy, folded up newspaper on her desk. The headline reads Sexual Predator Back for More. The man's mug shot takes up a large section of the page. "He was arrested late last night for doing a tender aged girl in the park," Jamal explains.
Toni skims through the article. A perplexed look crosses her face when she asks, "Why does the name sound familiar?"
"He was the vigilante's second victim." He points to the center of the page. "His trial ended in a split verdict. The judge had no choice but to let him go."
She recalls the tapes, the pictures, his recorded confession. "I don't know how the jury couldn't find him guilty with all the evidence we had."
"I don't understand it either."
Toni pictures the last guy in her mind. "Maybe we should follow the vigilante's example. That way, if they do get out, they'll be less likely to victimize." She knows it's more about power and control than the act itself but figures a little intervention couldn't hurt.
"I imagine James won't forget his lesson any time soon."
Toni laughs and says, "Probably not."
"Speaking of vigilantes, have you heard from her lately?"
"Not since our last guy." She often left messages on Toni's phone. Some were clues to her identity others were information on her next target. The last one said the girls she rescued are safe and will be returned to their families soon.
"That was over two weeks ago."
"I figure she's been busy with her reunions."
"I haven't heard anything about it either, have you?"
"No." She was hoping to interview one of the girls, figure out who the vigilante is.
He taps the paper. "Well, if this doesn't stir the vigilante up, nothing will."
Larry walks out to their desk. "Did you see the news?"
"We were just talking about it, captain."
He glances at the paper, shakes his head, and says, "You better get ready because I have a feeling shit is about to hit the fan."
***
The perp is tied to a worn, brown-vinyl, Easy boy recliner. It's one of the two pieces in his tiny front room. The vigilante, Zoe, and Mariana are beside him, watching him sleep.
"I think you did too good of a job knocking him out, Zoe."
"When I do something, I do it right." She chuckles.
"Maybe this will help." Mariana pulls smelling salts from her pocket and holds them under his nose. The victim comes too, seconds later.
The frightened man looks around. Seeing the strange woman, he jumps out of his chair. The restraints pull him back down. "Who are you, and how did you get in here?"
The vigilante steps towards him. "We're the pervert police, and we come to settle a score." She gazes towards the adjoining room and adds, "With a little help, of course."
A young woman steps out of the shadows. "Hi, daddy."
"Elaina?" Tears fill his eyes. He glances between the ladies and his daughters. "I don't understand."
"It's time you pay for your sins," Elaina replies, walking towards him.
"My... My sins?"
"What you did to my friends and me." Six more women enter the room. "I know what you did at my slumber parties. Mama does too."
His face turns ghostly white. "Judith knows?"
His ex-wife pushes through the crowd. She's tapping a sharpened butcher knife against the palm of her hand as she crosses the room. Fire shoots from her eyes. She glares at him and says, "I warned you what would happen if the allegations against you were true."
She's picking up the litter when Zoe races into the room.
The young woman looks at the mess and then at her, "What's going on?"
She scoops up the newspaper, tosses it at Zoe, and says, "Read this."
The woman skims through the article. She glances up. With a perplexed expression on her face, she asks, "How is this possible?"
She growls through clenched teeth. "I don't know, but I'm going to make sure it doesn't happen again."
***
Rain pounds relentlessly against the windowpane. Large drops of water slide down the cold, double pained glass. Street lights shine through the window. Headlights zip past her below. Gray, cloudy skies hover overhead. Toni decided to come in early, hoping to catch up on her paperwork. I wouldn't have taken the promotion if I knew I'd be stuck doing this, she thinks, glancing at the stack beside her.
Shaking the moisture off his coat, Jamal walks towards his boss. With a spring in his step and a smile on his face, he says, "Morning, sergeant."
Toni looks up. "You must be feeling better today."
He grabs his stomach. "Much better, thanks." It's not a hundred percent, but at least it doesn't hurt to move. "I'm going to be more selective about where I eat from now on."
"I tried to warn you about the place." She said he'd probably catch a disease walking through the door. Jamal thought she was exaggerating until he became deathly ill.
"Guess I should've listened."
Toni rolls her eyes, laughs, and says, "That'd be a first."
He throws his coat across his chair, turns, and asks, "Did you see the morning paper?"
She eyes the files scattered around her and sighs, "I haven't had a chance. Why, is there something good in it?"
"Read it for yourself." Jamal tosses a soggy, folded up newspaper on her desk. The headline reads Sexual Predator Back for More. The man's mug shot takes up a large section of the page. "He was arrested late last night for doing a tender aged girl in the park," Jamal explains.
Toni skims through the article. A perplexed look crosses her face when she asks, "Why does the name sound familiar?"
"He was the vigilante's second victim." He points to the center of the page. "His trial ended in a split verdict. The judge had no choice but to let him go."
She recalls the tapes, the pictures, his recorded confession. "I don't know how the jury couldn't find him guilty with all the evidence we had."
"I don't understand it either."
Toni pictures the last guy in her mind. "Maybe we should follow the vigilante's example. That way, if they do get out, they'll be less likely to victimize." She knows it's more about power and control than the act itself but figures a little intervention couldn't hurt.
"I imagine James won't forget his lesson any time soon."
Toni laughs and says, "Probably not."
"Speaking of vigilantes, have you heard from her lately?"
"Not since our last guy." She often left messages on Toni's phone. Some were clues to her identity others were information on her next target. The last one said the girls she rescued are safe and will be returned to their families soon.
"That was over two weeks ago."
"I figure she's been busy with her reunions."
"I haven't heard anything about it either, have you?"
"No." She was hoping to interview one of the girls, figure out who the vigilante is.
He taps the paper. "Well, if this doesn't stir the vigilante up, nothing will."
Larry walks out to their desk. "Did you see the news?"
"We were just talking about it, captain."
He glances at the paper, shakes his head, and says, "You better get ready because I have a feeling shit is about to hit the fan."
***
The perp is tied to a worn, brown-vinyl, Easy boy recliner. It's one of the two pieces in his tiny front room. The vigilante, Zoe, and Mariana are beside him, watching him sleep.
"I think you did too good of a job knocking him out, Zoe."
"When I do something, I do it right." She chuckles.
"Maybe this will help." Mariana pulls smelling salts from her pocket and holds them under his nose. The victim comes too, seconds later.
The frightened man looks around. Seeing the strange woman, he jumps out of his chair. The restraints pull him back down. "Who are you, and how did you get in here?"
The vigilante steps towards him. "We're the pervert police, and we come to settle a score." She gazes towards the adjoining room and adds, "With a little help, of course."
A young woman steps out of the shadows. "Hi, daddy."
"Elaina?" Tears fill his eyes. He glances between the ladies and his daughters. "I don't understand."
"It's time you pay for your sins," Elaina replies, walking towards him.
"My... My sins?"
"What you did to my friends and me." Six more women enter the room. "I know what you did at my slumber parties. Mama does too."
His face turns ghostly white. "Judith knows?"
His ex-wife pushes through the crowd. She's tapping a sharpened butcher knife against the palm of her hand as she crosses the room. Fire shoots from her eyes. She glares at him and says, "I warned you what would happen if the allegations against you were true."
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