Alan Richards [Richards - Recompense

Alan Richards

Recompense

First published by Basset Publishing 2019

Copyright 2019 by Alan Richards

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

Designations used by companies to distinguish their products are often claimed as trademarks. All brand names and product names used in this book and on its cover are trade names, service marks, trademarks and registered trademarks of their respective owners. The publishers and the book are not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. None of the companies referenced within the book have endorsed the book.

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T he only sound in the car was Alexas nervous breathing. She was trying to control it but her nerves were getting the better of her even though she knew exactly why she was so nervous. What she was about to do was wrong in so many ways and went against everything she had dedicated her career to. She caught criminals for a living but what she was about to do would make her one. She had been planning this for months, the brutal murder of her best friend Tracey had forced her hand. Alexa and her team had tried to investigate her murder the right way, the way they always did. It hadnt worked, she had come up against a wall of silence when trying to gather evidence and find witnesses to Traceys murder. This was London, how could there be no witnesses. The wall of silence was because of fear - fear of Martin Fenner. He was pure evil. The head of a notorious drug and human trafficking ring who had eluded conviction by eliminating anyone who dared to cross him or act as witness against him. She had reached the end, her desire to see him pay for his crimes outweighed any reasoning that what she was about to do was against the law she would normally uphold. She had to take control. She had to do what she came to do. She opened the car door and stepped out into the empty car park. She collected her rucksack from the passenger seat and started the short walk to the Fenner house.

Gaining entry to the Fenner house had been simple. The house itself covered a large expanse of land on Forest Lane and had a state of the art alarm system but one of the advantages of locking up criminals for a living was that you also learnt a lot from them. She had bypassed the alarm, picked the lock to the front door and walked into the house with ease. She was now stood in the kitchen that was at the back of the house. It overlooked a large garden which was well looked after and ended with a fence that adjoined the Chigwell golf club. The kitchen itself was large, an American style fridge/freezer in the corner surrounded by bright white units and cupboards. The marble worktop was as black as night with a mottled effect that imitated the night stars. She took a bottle of vodka from the rucksack she had brought with her, placed it on the worktop and started to look for two glasses. She found some in the central kitchen island. She poured two fingers of vodka into the glasses and emptied the contents of a small sachet of white powder into them.

She had finished mixing in the powder as the door bell rang. She took a deep breath, walked to the door in the hallway and opened it.

Mrs Fenner? Caterina asked.

Yes, come in, Alexa replied.

Alexa had relied upon the fact that Caterina had never met Felicia Fenner. The Sig P320 she was hiding behind her back would have persuaded Caterina into the house if she had resisted but Caterina walked in without any argument.

I am a bit confused why you asked me to come to your home Mrs Fenner, Caterina asked. Is Mr Fenner not happy with my work.

No, Caterina, your work is excellent.

Alexa turned to the two glasses, picked one up and offered it to Caterina.

Drink?

Thank you, Caterina said as she took the glass from Alexa and drank the contents in one large swallow.

I am afraid though that Im not actually Mrs Fenner.

But...

Alexa brought her right hand from behind her back and pointed the Sig at Caterina.

Bedroom, Alexa stated as she pushed the Sig into the shoulder of Caterina.

Im not going anywhere.

You will do exactly as I say. Your drink, as well as being vodka, contains scopolamine. You will do what I ask you to do.

Alexa could see that Caterina was started to feel the effects of the drug, she would be losing her grip on reality. Alexa told her once more to go to the bedroom, this time she complied. Alexa guided her up the stairs and into the bedroom.

Remove all your clothes and lie on the bed.

Caterina did as she was told.

Why? slurred Caterina.

Your employer is a human trafficker, you must know that and from what I know you are his recruiter. Frequent trips abroad, selecting his next batch of innocent women.

I ...

He also killed a friend of mine, so this is recompense for that and all the other girls lives he has ruined.

Caterina was becoming even more unsteady as she undressed. Alexa helped her remove her underwear and onto the bed.

Im afraid you are a means to an end, think of it as your way out.

Caterina was on the bed, conscious but no longer in control of her limbs. Alexa made sure she was lay exactly as she needed her then returned to the kitchen, washed the glass and returned it to where she had taken it from.

Alexa looked at the clock, it was now eleven-thirty AM, she had thirty minutes before Felicia Fenner arrived home.

A lexa had spent weeks shadowing the Fenners, mapping their every move, learning their habits. Today was Friday, Martin played golf until twelve noon, had a drink in the nineteenth hole and was normally home by one PM. Felicia, Fenners wife went out the same morning and got home at twelve, and hour before her husband returned. She wouldnt want her husband to know she had been out. The rumours about Martin Fenners temper were a badly kept secret, the rumours said that he was a very possessive man who would use his fists when Felicia stepped out of line. It would be more than a beating though if he knew who she was with on her morning out. Alexa had followed her to the flat of a young lady, the ladies name was Jessica, but that didnt matter. What happened behind those doors played into Alexas plan perfectly. When the police came to investigate what was about to happen, they would discover exactly thew same about Felicia that Alexa had and come to the same conclusions.

Alexa went about her work, staging the room with empty vodka bottles. It needed to look like the ladies were having fun. She staged the room and made sure that Caterinas prints were on the bottle. It was eleven-fifty five when she finished. She heard a car pulling up onto the drive, the home owners wife was back from playing with her girlfriend. She looked out of the window of the bedroom and watched as Felicia got out of her car. Alexa quickly moved downstairs to meet her at the door. Felicia opened the door and let out a squeal as she saw Alexa standing in front of her.