“I see,” replied Jack, “that is good news”.
Al smiled and asked, “I believe you are retired Jack?”
“Yes”-replied Jack.
A voice chimed in, it was Anne, “He supposed to be retired but has currently been called back to investigate some very unusual cases, haven’t you introduced Inspector Scott-Ling, Jack”.
Jack was annoyed at her intrusion but said nothing of his distaste for her comment but said, “Please meet Inspector Doris Scott-Ling, my assistant”.
“Pleased to meet you” replied Al. “I have no doubt Mr Richards here will update you later as to who I am, save to say old Jack was once there but missed me, come Jack let the girls get to know each other. Let us catch up”.
Jack had no alternative so left Grace to get acquainted with Doris, Anne meanwhile having done the damage saw Craig and so went after him post haste.
“Well now Grace have you been ill?” asked Doris.
Grace hesitated, and then replied, “As you are in the police I can trust you”.
“Why of course Grace. Not a word of what you tell me in confidence will ever be repeated by me.”
The two sat down as they did so Grace saw the large tattoos on the inside of Doris arms and had an idea as to the relevance of them.
Grace hesitated once again then said, “I was gang raped back in England. The incident left me ill, I can’t bear children, and I was bed bound then wheel chair bound for months.”
“I gradually recovered after various courses of treatment so I can now walk and even jog.”
“I normally stay around the house and our teashop on our island, I am afraid with the tourists that I may once again been attacked and that would be the end of me”.
“I see, very understandable,” replied Doris.
“I myself as you can see, am only small and being mixed race I have much abuse from the opposite sex but I have been fortunate enough to gain special skills”.
“Special skills?” replied Grace
“Yes, my brother is a Shaolin Priest.”
“My father is a wealthy businessman so sponsors the temple”.
“Special permission was given for me to attend, as it is normally an order only for men.”
“My brother is a master of self-defence and so I attended there and learned how to take care of myself.”
“You may have seen the marks on my arms that were given to me when I myself became a master.”
“I could if you wish have a word with my father and brother, Kato with a view to you attending, that is if your father Al, agrees?"
“My father?”, said Grace “he has a long military history. He is a VC and holds the American Congressional medal of honour plus many other awards”.
“He has a long history in the Special Forces in the UK and the States.”
“He is highly trained and goes on secret government missions but he feels he is unable to put me through such rigors of self-defence training as he has endured.”
“ I think he was once sought by Mr Richards when he was a policemen, it seems Mr Richards thought my father was a vigilante but things came to an end when there a major mission involving the son of the Sultan and Craig Richards. It is top secret so I don’t know the details”.
“I see”, replied Doris, “if you are interested in my offer speak with Al, your father and let me know. I will see if I can arrange the training for you but a word of warning it is vigorous, you will have to devote yourself to it”.
Grace smiled and Anne was waving, in company with Mia, it was obviously time for the ladies to have another get together.
Al and Jack meanwhile were walking in the garden when Al asked
“Well Mr Richards I heard you had retired I am surprised to hear you are back on duty?”
“Well” replied Jack “it’s not actually back on duty I am still retired and a civilian but I am involved in a little enquiry, Doris was given to me as an assistant, being a serving officer she has the necessary police powers”.
“Is it top secret”, asked Al.
“Well” answered Jack “it’s not top secret, it is a strange affair”
With that Jack now did something he had never done he discussed the circumstances of the cases of the dead police officers including their deaths being apparently from natural causes
Once he had finished there was a call from Anne, they looked and saw the ladies in a group indicating their appearance was required.
“Well” said Al, “the ladies certainly seem to be getting on well together”.
The following day Jack was taking a stroll at mid morning when he saw his old adversary Al once again but on this occasion, he was in company with another man.
“Good morning Mr Richards” said Al. “May I please introduce you to my boss, so to speak, General Western, head of British Special Forces, currently based at the War Office in London, he is here with his wife to attend the wedding just as we are”.
“Pleased to meet you I am sure,” replied Jack a little irritable at having his stroll and contemplating time disturbed.
He would soon have to return to the UK to continue his enquiry; the time of the annual conference was fast approaching.
“I was just telling the General”, said Al, “of your strange enquiry of the five dead cops, all young fit men who it seems have died from natural causes.”
“I am not wishing to interfere; for I know some of you detectives are not very good conversers and decline any offers of help let alone ever smile or crack a joke”
“However I really do think it may be worth your while taking a few minutes to hear a suggestion or two.”
Jack stopped and thought, he did realise he was known as a bit of misery, he couldn’t actually recall the last time if ever he had made a joke or worse laughed at one, he couldn’t really, for having no sense of humour nothing appeared funny, life was all a serious affair.
As he had let the cat out of the bag there now seemed no further harm could be done by, at least listening, after all he didn’t have to smile.
Anne arrived to call Jack for lunch but seeing him in close consultation with the two men she realised if he had taken time to stop and converse there was a good reason and so turned and left without calling him.
After about a quarter of an hour the three men parted shaking hands, Jack was in even more in a thinking cap mood digesting what he had been told, stranger than fiction he thought but worth looking into, after all he had nothing else.
Later that day Doris met with Al who finally agreed that Grace could attend the religious retreat in the hope that Kato, Doris brother could finally bring his loving daughter back to full physical and mental health.
With the training, he himself had undertaken he knew from that time onwards she would be confident and safe to go out into the world once again.
He had dealt with her rapists who would never trouble any woman again but there were always evil men just like them. If she were trained, to his standard and seemingly that of Doris all would be well.
The following day Jack called Doris and announced he was now ready to return to the UK. She informed him the plane and pilot were on standby.
This arranged all he had to do was to break the news to Anne that he was returning to the UK and would return immediately after completing his enquiries. He was surprised she took the news well.
So it was that the next day Doris and Jack were flying high above the real world.
Doris said, “I met with this Al, he seems a little like you Mr Richards a quiet man, what is the history between you?”
“Well just before I retired there was a string of revenge killings, wicked men I admit, committing atrocious crimes. The courts failed to deal with them, as they should have; you know the cries of do gooders and civil rights people. Some person or persons dealt with the villains they were either murdered or disappeared.