Car after garage after car after garage was getting screwed. Nothing sophisticated, it was just obvious that somebody was walking round the streets of Smallmarket after dark trying every car door handle and garage door and when they found one insecure, the looting began. Some local tradesmen had woken to find the tools of their trade vanished. It got sinister when a family on Victoria Road awoke to find Flopsy and Cottontail not in their hutch, but laid out, necks broken on the back seat of the family car.
At that point we had a great “Gadgetesque” local Inspector. He saw himself as the Sheriff of Smallmarket, was regarded by those above him as a loose cannon and was universally loved by those below him. For background, his leaving do was not attended by anybody with more that two pips but it was attended by everyone who had ever worked for him. Even the nights team stuck their heads in to say goodbye. Anyway, I digress. I was his Field Intelligence Officer and he came wandering in one morning and said Jack, I want you on nights until we catch the thieving bastard that’s killing the family pets.
That’s why I was lurking under bushes, in driveways and generally in the shadows of Albert Street at 2am. Of course, I was not the only cop to be out looking for the “Bright Eyes Killer.” As I lurked beneath a convenient hedge, lo a voice came quiet to my earpiece “Dog patrol to Comms, on Albert Street, have one in sight. He’s gone under a hedge. I’m sending my dog to have a look at him.” Then I heard the sound of approaching dog patrol. Of course, the locally resident dog handler had also noted what was happening, picked the same likely area that I had and on his down time was taking his land shark for a wander in the vicinity. Now I am as stalwart as the next man but I do not do man vs GSD (German Shepherd Dog). I’ve seen others try and it seldom ends well. I have probably never been so quick or so panicked shouting up on the radio. “Jack to comms and dog man Albert Street, stand down, stand down its me Jack, please please please don’t send the dog, look its me standing up, waving, hello hello hello.” Well you get the picture.
Hello Nightjack
Once my pants dried the dog man and I went our separate ways and sure enough at 3am I am re-located on Balmoral Close when the well known wasted frame of smack head around town Joe hoves into view. Its stop and search time, he knows me and he knows there is no point running. I am not fast but Joe has tried and failed before.
“Joe, why have you got three mobile phones and a bag full of assorted small change, ice scrapers, nodding dogs and A2Z’s?”
“Well Mr. Night, what it is, you’re not going to believe this but, errrm, errrm I’ve been doing a bit of dealing and that’s why I need the phones…….errrm…..errrm you’re going to lock me up aren’t you”
Very perceptive Joe.
He had bits and pieces from 20 or so car and garage jobs at home. He coughed the lot but he never did cough to Flopsy and Cottontail.
Everybody, without exception, fears the landsharks!
Nothing more satisfying than watching a poor miscreant being chewed on by a big hairy ball of fury.