that, Mr Fraser. You went looking for violence. Maybe you began it yourself. The evidence is there for all to see. You took a dangerous and unlawful weapon with you. To whit, a steel knuckleduster of the most vicious sort.â
Alex didnât know that there were various types of knuckleduster, some apparently less vicious than others. It didnât seem the moment to voice that thought. âIt was just a last-minute precaution. When youâve had nights out in the Gorbals, you tend to take precautions. You have to look after yourself up there.â To his dismay, he heard the last statement emerge with a ring of pride, as if he was denigrating these southern softies.
Grey-suit said grimly, âYes, we know about your past history of violence. It will no doubt be taken into account when the judge is passing sentence.â
Alex said desperately, âI shouldnât have taken the knuckleduster. I realize that now.â
âIndeed you shouldnât, Mr Fraser. Thereâs a man with a broken jaw and another with fractured ribs who will bear witness to that.â The plain-clothes officer wasnât sure yet how serious the injuries were in this affray. But heâd use the details to intimidate this young thug. No one was on oath yet.
Alex couldnât see a way out of this. Perhaps he should have demanded a brief from the start, but heâd hoped it wouldnât come to that. âLook, we werenât the guilty parties. We didnât start it. All we did was enjoy a twenty-first birthday party in a private room. It was boisterous and noisy, but it didnât cause any trouble. That came when we came out of the pub, when we were ready to go home after a good night. We had a taxi organized, Matt and Tom and me.â
âBut by that time you were pissed and looking for a fight. And you found one for yourselves immediately, when you spotted a rival gang.â
âNo! We werenât meaning any harm to anyone, and then we found these buggers waiting for us as we came out of the pub.â
âAnd promptly set about them, rather than finding your taxi and departing.â
âWeâd no choice. They were waiting for us in the street. They had us cut off. And not a bloody pig in sight to keep order and prevent violence.â
For the first time, Alex saw the uniformed man smile in unison with grey-suit, and knew that heâd made a mistake. He said hopelessly, âI shouldnât have taken the knuckleduster. I realize that. But we were the innocent parties in this. They set upon us. We had to defend ourselves.â
Grey-suit smiled, registering his victory before moving forward. âWhat do you propose to tell us about your attempts to sell drugs, Mr Fraser?â
âSell drugs? Iâve never dealt in my life. Iâm not even a user, never mindââ
âYou were found with a considerable quantity of class A drugs on your person. Are you now trying to suggest they were planted upon you?â
For a wild moment, Alex was tempted to take up that suggestion, to claim that the filth must have slipped the stuff into his pocket as they flung him into the van or led him into the station. But he sensed that such lies would only infuriate them and make them throw everything they could at him in the way of charges. He said dully, âNo, they werenât planted.â
âSo whoâs your supplier?â Grey-suit couldnât disguise his eagerness.
âI donât have one.â He realized he couldnât leave it at that. âThose drugs were passed to me. I was supposed to hand them on to someone else. No money changed hands.â
Grey-suit looked at the uniformed man, then back into the pale, lightly freckled features beneath the fiery red hair. He sighed theatrically. âSurely you can do better than that, son. You wouldnât even believe that yourself, if someone tried to sell it to you.â
Alex had an uncomfortable suspicion
James Kakalios
Tara Fox Hall
K. Sterling
Jonathan Maberry
Mary Balogh
Elizabeth Moynihan
Jane Hunt
Rebecca Hamilton, Conner Kressley
Jacquie Rogers
Shiloh Walker