Chapter 2

Marilyn went and stood on Coppergate and tried to visualise the scene. There was something wrong if the carnage was just a byproduct of a targeted hit. The Ram must have been waiting nearby, with a spotter in the Walk. If there was forward planning, the killers had to know, in advance, that the target would be there at that time, which meant a meeting had been set up.

She passed Jacob and started walking slowly. If the target was one of the men outside the jewellers, then the spotter would need to be somewhere out of the path of the truck. Opposite the ‘Hole in the Wand’, was the barrier to contain the queue for the Yorvik display. Someone standing there and looking as if they were waiting for someone wouldn’t look out of place. They would also be in place to verify the hit.

She stood and noted all the little signs spread around, yellow for injured and red for deaths. She went back towards Jacob and saw two red and a few yellow ones outside the bollards, showing the direction that the vehicle had taken coming in. As she went along the Walk, there were a couple of red ones, but only in the centre of the passageway, with one off to the right, followed by two, together, very close to the jewellers’ window, as if they had ducked to the side.

She looked more closely at that area and then called to Jacob to come and have a look.

“Jacob. I spoke to a witness, yesterday, and she was standing outside the magic shop. She told me that the Ram was coming down the middle of the Walk until it veered to take out two men. If you look at the red markers, that’s evident. These two, next to that window, were the target. If you look a few feet back from their impact point, there’s a smear of paint on the wall. I looked at several pictures of the vehicle, and it does have flared wheel arches. You may be able to get an ID from that paint.”

“Good pick-up, Marilyn. Did they tell you what happened next?”

“Only that they had to press against the window as it came back into the middle of the Walk to avoid the barrier for the Yorvik tour. Others told me that it just went around the corner and only killed those in its way.”

“That’s why the death count is as low as it was. There were four before this point, the three right here, and another four on the way out. A madman would have wiped out the queue and done a lap of the square if they were after notoriety.”

“So, when I get the list, I’ll know who the targets were. Thanks, Jacob. We have a look at the video this afternoon, so will be able to see things in slow motion. There aren’t many cameras here.”

“Just one on a pole at each entrance and one overlooking the square. Most of the shops have internal security set-ups. If he left on Castlegate, there is one on the bend leading into Tower.”

“That one at the entry point would be high enough to see if there was anything in the tray. The one at the exit will give us a clear frontal view, hopefully clear enough to see the driver, although most witnesses that I spoke to told me that the windows were very dark. Mind you most of them were in the square, so would have only seen it from the side. Any idea when the Walk will be open?”

“The City are pushing for it to be as soon as we can. Once we’ve located all the impact points with GPS, there’s nothing to stop the voyeur crowd coming along. New bollards will be needed, but I’m sure that there are spares out there, seeing that they’re standard in front of a lot of places. When we’ve taken up the markers, the steam cleaners will be through, probably tomorrow.”

Marilyn walked back to her car, noting that the other deaths were just around the bend by the church. Those people wouldn’t have seen the truck until it was coming at them. She drove back to the police station, taking the bag that she had brought with her as she went up to her old office. Going in, she saw Ginger at his old desk. She went into her old private hideaway and collected up all the personal things that had accumulated. Photos, certificates, a tissue box and emergency cosmetics and sanitary supplies. On the way out she stopped next to Ginger.

“I’ve cleared my desk, Ginger, that office is yours now, after this is over.”

“What about you, ma-am?”

“Lap of the Gods, Ginger, lap of the Gods.”

Down in the gym, she put her bags in the central office and sat at the desk, watching the activity. Mary knocked on the door.

“Got the preliminary casualty list, Marilyn.”

She handed it to Marilyn and stood while she looked at it.”

“By the smirk on your face, Mary, you’ve been around long enough to know some of these names. You must have spent some time at Acomb as well.”

“I was still a WPC when you were in Robbery. Anyone from Acomb will know those three. All the other deaths were tourists.”

“Do we have a computer up with access to the records?”

“We have.”

“Can you get the records of those three up, with a separate mug shot, and prepare to send them to our geeks this afternoon, mug shot first, in the order of five, seven and six. I’ve just walked the crime scene and it appears almost a hundred percent that it was a targeted hit.”

“That could be the opening shot of a gang war.”

“Or else retaliation of something earlier.”

She took the list and picked up her desk phone and pressed the button for the Chief Superintendents’ office.

“Brenda, it’s DCI Houseman. Can I speak to the Super, please.”

“Putting you through, Marilyn.”

“Yes.”

“It’s DCI Houseman, sir. We’re almost ready to go through the vision from yesterday. We’ll be ready by three. Could you please attend.”

“I can. It sounds as if you’re further ahead than I thought you’d be. Anything else?”

“Is DCI Wilkins still running Robbery at Acomb?”

“He is.”

“Can you invite him and the officer in charge of Tactical to be here as well. It will be, as they say, to their advantage.”

“Now you have me really interested. I hope that you have some answers for us.”

“I will, sir. It’s going to be an interesting meeting.”

She took her bag and went to the canteen, getting a light lunch and a mug of tea, then sat in a quiet corner with her meal and a notebook, thinking hard and writing between bites.

Back in the gym, she went to see Mary.

“Do we have the photos from the cameras we grabbed?”

“Yes, Marilyn. They’re all on a disc, as they were downloaded. Do you want it?”

“Yes, please. I’ll look through them in my office.”

Mary went to her desk, coming back and giving Marilyn a manila folder.

“List in the folder, by owner name, camera type and brief description of the subject.”

“You really are a gem, Mary. Thank you.”

In her office, she looked at the subject matter and looked at the pictures showing the Yorvik queue. She looked for a single person, looking towards Coppergate and with a phone. At first, there didn’t seem to be anyone suspicious. Certainly, nobody with a phone. There was a girl, looking towards the entrance, but without a phone. Then, in one picture, the girl looked as if she had just joined the queue and was putting buds in her ears. Marilyn saved the best picture under a separate file, marked ‘Suspect’.

All of the pictures stopped at nine twenty-two, after the truck had left, and the girl had arrived at the queue at round ten past. She looked at all the later pictures showing the queue, but the girl was nowhere to be seen, along with most of the others.

She then looked at all of the pictures of the truck, as it passed by the camera. Most were blurred, but one guy had tracked it as it was turning towards the exit. She could see a shadowy figure sitting next to the nearside window. That could mean that the truck was left-hand drive, or that the figure was a passenger. When the others trickled in, after half past two, she was ready. She looked out to see the full desks of WPCs, looking ready to work, and Mary saw her and gave her a wink. Marilyn went out and spoke to her.

“Can you scrounge up a few more chairs. We’ll have a few visitors.”

Mary nodded and strode off, beckoning to one of the WPCs. The other desks were filling up, and both Ian and Joe were there, putting up test pictures on the two screens. She went over to them.

“Guys, I will be asking for the video from the camera at the Coppergate entrance first. Then the vision from the Castlegate camera. I may need to ask for the first one to be replayed, with it stopped at my command. Be prepared for Mary to send you pictures to put on the portrait screen. This disc is a compilation of all the still pictures that we collected. I’ve added a file, marked ‘Suspect’, with two images. They will need to go on the landscape screen. After all that, the brown stuff will be flying, believe me.”

Mary had found some more comfortable chairs, putting them with a clear view of the screens. Just before three, Marilyn got the two inspectors in her office.

“Guys, this afternoon will probably put things on a different level. I walked the crime scene this morning and spoke to Jacob. There are things about this case that do not point to a single madman in a big truck. We’re having a few visitors, this afternoon, so be alert.”

When the three visitors arrived, she went and welcomed them. The two from Acomb were there when she was.

“I’d like to say that it’s good to see you, sirs, but we may be working together after today.”

She stood where everyone could see her, an inspector on each side.

“Officers. We are here to have a look at the vision from yesterday in Coppergate Walk. The Coppergate Carnage is what the media calls it. The first vision is from the camera over the Coppergate entrance. Please, no discussion until we’ve seen both the entry and exit vision. Roll it, lads.”

The screen lit up, with the time stamp of nine sixteen. The view was a small crowd on the Walk, and then the truck appeared from the bottom of the screen and going along the walk, taking a duck to the right and then coming back to the centre before going around the corner, less than twenty seconds later. She asked for the second camera, and they saw it appear from behind the church and head straight to the exit. The windscreen reflected the light so you couldn’t see the driver.

“Without wondering about it, what did we just witness?”

It was CI Johnson, from Tactical at Acomb, who ventured his assessment.

“I do believe that we just saw a calculated murder. Probably one of those next to the jewellers. The driver took them out on purpose.”

“Very good, sir. Now, there are other factors. I was there, this morning, and talking to Jacob, from Thirsk CSI. At least two of the three bollards at that entrance had been doctored. Cut almost through with the cut filled with epoxy and painted. At least two at the other end were similar. They would have been no barrier to a delivery van, let alone a Ram truck.”

She looked at Ian again.

“First view again, in slow motion.”

As the truck appeared she called for a stop.

“Can anyone identify what’s in the tray?”

“Looks like a carry-on bag, ma-am.”

“Lads, get a still of that picture and see if you can enhance it later. Now, carry on.”

She let the vision carry on as two tourists disappeared under the truck.

“That was number three and four. The first two were outside the Walk and hit as the truck entered the killing zone.”

As the truck veered to the right, she called stop. She could tell that the room were all on the edge of their seats.

“Mary, Number five to the IT, please.”

A few seconds later the mug shot came up on the screen, and both officers from Acomb said something unrepeatable in genteel society.

“For those who don’t know this gentleman, his name is Barry Malone, otherwise known as ‘Bugsy’. He has a rap sheet as long as your arm. The two, in front, also have form. Number seven, please, Mary.”

The image was replaced by another, even more evil than the first.

“This is Edward Cassidy, otherwise known as ‘Butch’. ‘Butch’ and ‘Bugsy’ worked for this man, victim number six, please Mary.”

The picture was replaced by a mug shot of a gnome-like head, with piercing eyes and a sneer.

“This gentleman was the other victim of the hit. He was Herbert O’Grady, otherwise known as ‘Hog’. He was the leader of a gang named after him, ‘Boars’ Hogs’, whose violence was well known to those who had worked in Acomb. His kingdom was in the west of York with tendrils into the east of Leeds. He dealt in drugs, women, robbery with violence. It was said that he fed those that displeased him to the pigs at the farm he owned. You name it, he had tried it. I worked on a couple of cases in Acomb and got no further than the low levels.”

There was chatter as they all took it in.

“We can be thankful that the driver was so focused. Only eight others died, four on the entry and four on exit. Twenty-one were injured. Now, Ian, Suspects picture two, please.”

The picture of the truck came on the screen.

“This was taken as it turned to leave via Castlegate. The photographer must be experienced with car racing, as it’s the clearest picture, by far. It is, so I was told on the day, a 2026 Dodge Ram, six-point two litre SRT TRX model. There is a figure showing in the side window. This means that it was either a left-hand drive or that there were two in the cab. Picture one, please.”

The picture was replaced by the girl.

“I’ve been through all the tourist pictures. This girl arrived at the Yorvik queue at ten past, putting in buds, and spending some time looking along the Walk. We don’t know the exact time that the targets left the jewellers, so I believe that she was the spotter. She had disappeared soon after. She was behind the barriers containing the queue, so in a perfect position, with the truck veering back to the centre after the hit. She is the only person in that queue not looking towards the Yorvik entrance.”

DCI Wilkins stood up.

“Look, team. This has been an eye-opener. Not only am I convinced that this was a cold, calculated hit, no doubt weeks in the planning, but I’m also convinced that this may be the first shot in a gang war. Johnson and I will be going straight back to Acomb and lifting our security to red. Please keep us in the loop as you move on. Houseman, you were better than many when you were with us, but now you’re in a league of your own.”

The two officers said their cheerio’s to the Chief Superintendent and left. The CS, turned to the room.

“I’ll leave you to it. You have a lot of work to do, but you’re already on track. Find that truck, find that driver, and find who he worked for, and we’ll all sleep well. Thank you for that presentation, DCI. Come and see me before you leave.”

“I do have a few things to ask you, sir.”

She beckoned to the two inspectors to join her in her office. She tore the top page off her notebook.

“I’ve thought about what we need to do after today. We need to know where that truck was parked before it came into the Walk, and we need to know where it went afterwards. Our two geeks can be set to looking at the cameras. If that bag was a travel bag, I will hazard a guess that the driver was imported, and that they would head for Leeds - Bradford after the truck had been dumped. By tomorrow, I’m certain that Acomb will be happy to share their information on ‘Boars’ Hogs’. We need to build a fact bank, and also start to follow all the rival gangs, here and in Leeds. Ginger knows a good contact at Leeds Central, so it will pay for him to contact them. Jim, if you get the others creating a data base of what we know about the three victims, we’ll be moving forward. I’m leaving it to you to get the team working. I’m likely to be sent off to talk to other stations that are likely to be affected, as well as having to tell the relatives of the other victims that every effort is being made to find the driver.”

They both nodded and Ginger picked up the note.

“Got it, Marilyn. That sort of thing isn’t something I’ve ever got used to.”

She put her car keys on the desk.

“The car is down in the DI spot, Ginger. You take it. I’m going to ask the boss for something a little better, if you know what I mean. I’ll be grabbing Hannah Brightman from the team, as my driver. She has been on the driving course and has qualified on firearms. Anyone in the room that’s not qualified, or has let it lapse, run them through the test with the Armourer. This case may take us to places where we need to defend ourselves. I’ll OK it with the boss to issue firearms if we need them. As lead investigators, we’ll be targets, and we’ve already seen that whoever planned this don’t take prisoners.”

She picked up her bag and left them to plan the next steps. It was a wrench to ask, not issue orders, but that was what went with her new place in the team. She walked over to Hannah.

“Hannah. What’s going to happen now doesn’t need you. I want you to be my driver. Are you living with anyone?”

“Not at the moment, ma-am. It all fell apart when I left the beat behind.”

“I have a house big enough for visitors. There are three self-contained units behind it. If you come to live with me, while we’re on this case, it would help in another way, as well. I’m going upstairs to see if the whole team can be issued firearms, and to see if there’s an unmarked that I can use, that’s beefed up with a weapons safe. I have the feeling that we’ll be in for a rough ride.”

“If you follow me home, ma-am, I’ll pack a bag and move tonight.”

“I’ll be back after I’ve seen the boss.”

She went upstairs to the big office, where she was sat in an easy chair.

“Marilyn, that was an exemplary presentation this afternoon. No messing about, but enough drama to make sure everyone was listening. Seeing that Acomb is going to red, what do you want?”

“I’d like our own security to be upgraded, sir. Armed officers at every entrance. You saw, on the vision, what lengths these guys will go to. I want the whole team to be given some time in the firing range, and to be issued weapons if needed. I would also like permission to take a car from the pool, one with extras, and room for a weapons package that the Tactical team would use. If I’m to be the face of the investigation, I’m likely to be a target.”

He picked up his phone and called the garage, ordering the car.

“That’s done. I’ll organise the weapons training, starting tomorrow. We’ll need to check the records to see where everyone is. Some may be able to get an emergency certification as an AFO. You, and your driver, will need to attend the range to get certified for use with an assault rifle, and be ticked off for handguns. With what you discovered, only twenty-four hours from the event, you’ve given us a good start. I’ll text you when we need you to front the media.”

Mission accomplished; she went back down to see Hannah.

“We’re getting an unmarked from the Armed Response division. On the way, the two of us have been ordered to drop by the range and book some time with assault rifles, so that we can be classed as AFOs. The car will be fully equipped if we get to that point.”

“Right, ma-am. I’ll get my bag.”

Marilyn went over to Ginger.

“The CS has authorised weapons training for everyone and will be issuing weapons for those who qualify as an AFO if the need arises. Hannah and I will be getting training in long guns, as he’s authorised a car from Tactical for me. We’re heading off to organise that now. Hannah will be staying with me at Old Village, until this is sorted out.”

“Got it, Marilyn. This is serious.”

“Only if we allow it to be, Ginger. The quicker that we solve this, the less chance it has to get dangerous.”

After booking time on the range, the two went to the garage, where Marilyn signed for an SUV, shown the gun safe in the boot, now empty. Hannah went to get her car and Marilyn drove towards the carpark entrance and sat, waiting until the other car went by with a beep of the horn.

She followed it to a block of flats, where Hannah drove into an underground carpark. Marilyn parked by the main door. Ten minutes later, Hannah came out with a case and put it on the rear seat before getting in. Marilyn drove them to Old Village and parked in her driveway.

“This is home. We usually use the back door, and I’ll give you a key to that, as well as one of the units. This has been in the family for ages. The units were converted for me and my two siblings once we’d outgrown the tiny rooms in the house. We’ll eat in, tonight, but sometimes eat over the road, in the pub. I’m not doing that until we’re both armed. My hubby does the audio work for the Uni.”

She took Hannah into the kitchen and gave her a set of keys.

“Big one is back door; Yale is the first unit. Take your case in and make yourself comfortable. I need to feed my little one.”

When Hannah came back, Marilyn was sitting at the kitchen table with Madelin at her breast.

“I know. This isn’t the sort of picture I would like the office to see. As a woman, there are some things that you don’t talk about.”

“I totally agree, ma-am.”

“We’re going to be in close contact for a while, Hannah. I’m Marilyn, and this is Madelin. She’ll be six months, next week. Who knows, she may be the reason I retire. We have a nanny in during the day to keep an eye on her. I express milk to store when I get a chance, but she does love it direct from the source.”

When Anton got home, Marilyn told him that Hannah was her new driver, and would be living with them for a while. He suspected that something was up when he had seen the black SUV but didn’t make a fuss. Hannah and Marilyn prepared dinner, with a glass of wine, and spoke about the world problems. Hannah was shown the whole house and went out to the unit to get some sleep.

When Marilyn and Anton went to bed, he waited until the light was out before he spoke, quietly.

“Hannah is more than just a driver, isn’t she?”

“That’s right, my love. She is also my bodyguard. The Coppergate case has some very nasty gang aspects. One of the dead was someone that I had heard about when I was working at Acomb. A very violent thug, now assassinated by an even more violent person, who didn’t worry about killing eight tourists on an early morning stroll. The new car has, shall we say, enhancements, and we’ll both be spending time on the range, tomorrow, upgrading our weapons certification.”

“I knew that you already have one for handguns, but I’ve never seen you with one.”

“Never needed it, before, love. This time, we’re going over the top with security. Armed guards at police stations, and I’ll be getting training with an assault rifle. I just hope that I’ll never need to use it.”

Marianne Gregory © 2026

Chapter 3

The next morning, Marilyn sat in the rear while Hannah drove them to work, finding a space in the area for DCI parking. They went in and spent all morning in the range, with the armourer, firstly getting upgraded with their handgun use.

Although Marilyn had trained with a handgun, this was the first time she had been given the full training as a likely AFO. After that, they were shown how to use the Heckler and Koch MP5 carbine, which was a lot scarier than she had expected.

They went into the canteen for lunch. Hannah was serious.

“This morning was a revelation. If we do get to need those weapons, it will be a case of life or death. I’ve never felt that the job may kill me before.”

“With most of the cases, injury is only to ones’ pride when we get verballed by irate people. This case has the chance to go pear-shaped, and we all have to be ready. Just as we get first-aid training, it’s only a few who save lives or deliver babies.”

That afternoon, they went to the Acomb station, where they spent the rest of their day with one of the intelligence officers, going through what was known, or guessed, about ‘Boars Hogs’ that wasn’t part of the official records. No inkling of a rival gang was on the records, with most of the other gangs in the area being too small, or too scared to consider poking the boar. O’Gradys’ gang were in the process of reorganising, with his main lieutenants taking on the mantle of being the boss. The intelligence officer suggested that it would be about a week before they start fighting among themselves.

That set Marilyn thinking. If all of the other gangs were too weak to have considered the hit, and with the Hogs jockeying to take control of the reins, there wasn’t a single person that stood out as being big, or brutal, enough to be behind the Coppergate Carnage. There hadn’t been any messages from the team, so they went back to Old Village to relax.

Next morning, they went into the gym, seeing that most of the desks had someone peering at a computer screen. Ginger saw them and beckoned them to his office. When they had sat down, he had a file open in front of him.

“The Bradford idea has given us some information, Marilyn. The lads tracked the truck from Tower Street, along Clifford and then over the bridge. It was picked up on The Mount and then on the A64 heading for Leeds. They couldn’t pick it up after the M1 intersection, so looked at those cameras. It was going north at a rate of knots. Oddly, there was a bit of lost time between two cameras. The off ramp between them is Wattle Syke.”

“Change of driver?”

“It must have been. From that road, you can come down to Bradford airport from the north. The extra driver, from then, may have been the driver that took it further north on the M1. We had a sighting at Hopperton and then nothing. Ian had the bright idea of calling the Knaresborough fire station, and they had been called out to a vehicle fire, about two miles from the intersection. He was referred to the Knaresborough police, and they gave us the rest of the story”

“This would have happened on the day of the crime?”

“It did. They didn’t know that we were looking for the truck at that time. They recovered the truck and it’s in their yard at the moment. The interior was burnt out, the firemen thought that it could have been an incendiary device. I’ve contacted Thirsk and they’re going to pick it up. There may be prints or something in the tray.”

“What about the airport?”

“Joe was looking at those cameras, with a better print of the bag, which wasn’t in the truck when found. He sighted the bag being carried into the main entrance at eleven forty. We now have a good look at the driver.”

He passed over a security camera picture of the person carrying the bag.

“That’s a woman!”

“It is. She flew out on a Ryanair flight to Wroclaw, Poland, at ten past one. Internal cameras have shown her totally relaxed and enjoying lunch in one of the fast-food joints. We’ve run the name she was using through immigration and Interpol, with no matches. Her build doesn’t match the one that showed in that truck picture from the scene, so the truck was set up for UK roads. That’s confirmed by Knaresborough.”

“Do we have a list of right-hand drive versions sold in 2026?”

“We don’t. All Ram trucks are imported, in both left and right-hand drive, with the right-hand ones built to order. When we get the engine and ID numbers, we should be able to talk to the original owner. We’re talking sales, at that time, of less than a hundred units, across the whole range, with most of the buyers after something with a big towing capacity. At that time, they were selling for better than a hundred and twenty thousand.”

“That’s crazy. Why use something so obviously rare to create the mayhem. With the doctored bollards, they could have used something more common, like a Land Cruiser or Land Rover. Thanks, Ginger. Can I have some of the best pictures of the driver, as well as any fingerprints from the truck when Jacob’s had a go with it, please.”

“Will do, Marilyn.”

“I’ll also need something for a presentation. The two videos of the attack and the records of the three hit victims. I’ll also need the names and hometowns of all the tourists. The top brass are probably getting it in the neck to hold a press conference.”

“Aye, someone has to stand up and tell them where we’re at. Which is just getting information. I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

“I’ve been speaking to Acomb. There doesn’t seem to be any big rivals on the horizon. The underlings are sorting out their places, and there hasn’t been a move from anyone outside the area. Hog didn’t kill anyone or muscle in on another patch recently. This seems to have happened in a vacuum. A very expensive operation when you import a killer and don’t worry about other victims. Hell, a shotgun cartridge is a few pence and does the job just as well.”

She went into her office and closed the door. Picking up her phone, she called Keith in Leeds.

“DCI Russell.”

“Keith, it’s Marilyn Houseman in York, how are you?”

“Better than you, Marilyn, from the scuttlebutt that I’m hearing. Have you figured out why someone went amok in Coppergate?”

“That’s why I’m calling you. Do you have a contact number for that Carruthers guy?”

“I have a number to leave a message to call back. You know how it is with these spooks, want to remain mysterious.”

“Can you get him to give me a call. I’d like his input.”

“Sounds more than a madman. What gives?”

“The driver was only after three victims, which were Hog, the gang leader, and his minders. It seems mindless and without any meaning, but the driver was imported and on a plane to Poland that afternoon, with the truck burnt out on the M1.”

“That will get you Carruthers on your doorstep. Sounds like part of something bigger, but, for the life of me, I can’t imagine what the rest of it is. I’ll give him a call.”

“Thanks, Keith.”

She then called DCI Wilkins at Acomb.

“Wilkins.”

“It’s Marilyn at York. I’m wondering what’s happening to Hogs’ properties. Did he have a next of kin?”

“There is a wife and three little piglets in a nice house. She swears that he was a regular businessman and can’t understand why anyone wanted him dead. The odd thing is that I believe that he kept her in the dark. We’ve had a couple of teams going through the farm and the rest of the property. We needed to get an expert in to remove the pigs.”

“Where is the farm?”

“The main buildings are on the corner of Mill Lane and Atterwith Lane, opposite the Funtime Complex. The sties were along a tree line, a long way from any roads. The rest of the acreage is just used to run cattle and sheep, which are owned by a local farmer. There isn’t a house, just a few sheds. We’ve found a couple of cars in one that relate to a few older crimes, so the site may well be taken over as assets from criminal activities and sold off. Do you want to have a look?”

“That would be good.”

“I’ll let the guys know that you’re coming around. You would know most of them from your time here. Just turn up.”

“Thank you, Chief Inspector.”

She went out to speak to Hannah.

“We’ll get a quick lunch and then we’re going out to Hogs’ farm to have a look around. I can’t think of anything else we haven’t been checking.”

“Right, ma-am. Just wave when you’re ready to go to the canteen.”

John Richards was listening in.

“I was brought up in a farming family, ma-am. Do you mind if I come along? There’s not that much for me here at the moment.”

“All right, John. The farm is out near the Funtime Complex.”

“I know it. We lived in Long Marston for a while.”

They were in the canteen when her phone buzzed.

“DCI Houseman.”

“Brenda from upstairs, Marilyn. The boss wants you to front up a media scrum this afternoon. He said for you to bring along a couple of nicer-looking ones to stand behind you and nod, sagely. Drill hall next door in an hour.”

“Right, Brenda. I have a couple of likely heads sitting with me right now.”

She smiled as she put her phone away.

“We have another task before we can go out to the country. You are going to see what responsibility brings, which may curb your ambitions. In an hour, we’re going to be standing in front of the media. We have an hour to collect up enough to keep them happy, but not enough to get them attacking us for not knowing anything. The bunfight is in the drill hall of the Royal Yorkshire Regiment, next door. There must be a lot coming.”

They went down to the gym and gathered up the information that Marilyn was prepared to give, which wasn’t a lot. Later on, they were in the drill hall, facing a large contingent of the media, from reporters from the local papers to cameras from national TV. The Chief Superintendent welcomed the members of the press, telling them that it was still early in the investigations, then introduced Marilyn, as the DCI in charge. She stood on the temporary stage and looked out at the flashes from phones and into the lights from the TV stations.

“Ladies and gentlemen. We are still only a few days into this investigation, but we have made a few, significant, discoveries. The media, the next day, called the event the ‘Coppergate Carnage’. At first, it looked as if some madman took a truck and emulated similar events in other countries. I, and my team, were deployed to gather evidence and take statements while the injured were being treated and the bodies lay where they had fallen. It wasn’t a good place to be, that morning.”

She paused and looked at the faces in front of her. Her audience now knew that this wasn’t just some talking head from the police publicity office, but one who had been there, on the day.

“During the course of my six hours at the scene, I spoke to a lot of people. One, in particular, told me something which has allowed us to make some great strides in the case. Unfortunately, the more strides we’ve made, the further away from the truth we get. Let me give you the facts, as we now know them.”

She could see notepads and recorders being readied.

“The events at Coppergate were not a random madman with a big truck. It was a woman, in a big truck, there to murder one man, in a way to send a message to others.”

There was a flurry of voices and a few shouted questions. She held her hand up for silence.

“Please. I’m here to tell you what we know, so far. It’s up to you to print conjecture and wild guesses. That day was carefully planned. The security bollards at both ends of the walk had been tampered with to allow the truck to access the walk. There was a spotter, in the crowd, who called the driver when the target was outside a shop, and in a suitable place to be killed. At the right time, the truck was driven into the walk, killing four innocent people before veering to one side to murder the target, then just driving over whoever got in the way as it left, killing another four people out for a walk at the shops.”

There were another babble of voices, only quietening as she put her hands up again.

“I’m telling all I can. I will not be answering questions. It will be up to my superiors to select any pictures from the video we have that are suitable for publication. Now, of the eleven killed, three were local businessmen and known to the police. They were the targets. The truck was a Dodge Ram, right-hand drive, and a model that was sold in limited numbers in 2026. It was probably one of only a dozen sold that year. After Coppergate, it was driven out of the city, towards Leeds, and then north on the M1. Somewhere along there, the driver was let out, probably picked up with another car, and the truck driven further north until it was parked by the motorway and torched, just north of Knaresborough. It is now at the CSI being examined. Our condolences go out to the families of the eight innocent victims from that fateful day.”

There were more questions shouted, including one asking about the driver.

“I’m just getting on to the driver. In the tray of the truck there was a carry-on bag that you use when you fly. My team have searched all the CCTV vision we can find. That bag was carried through the main doors of Leeds-Bradford a little over an hour after the event. The person carrying it left the country on a flight to Poland, that afternoon. The carnage was due to something carefully planned, carried out with all the skills of a dedicated assassin, and has left no reasons why it happened. We are monitoring all the criminal activities linked to the targets, with no results, so far. This operation cost a lot of money, carried out with the bravado of someone who doesn’t think we’ll find them, and, so far, you now know what we know. Our efforts are now aimed at finding the tiny bits of evidence that will put us on the right path. Thank you.”

There was a barrage of shouted questions and the Chief Superintendent stepped forward.

“I have to admit that DCI Houseman has given you more than I would. The police publicity office will supply you with selected photos from the scene to add to your story. As you were told, the killers made one mistake with the carry-on bag. The next day or so should see if they made any others that will give us a strong lead. Thank you all for coming. No more questions.”

The reporters grumbled but started to make their phone calls to editors. The police left as a group and walked back to the station, joined by Colonel Carruthers, who walked alongside Marilyn.

“I’ve never been to a media scrum where so much had been given out. Are you sure that it was a good idea?”

“That was the facts as we know it, Colonel. Anything less would have them telling the world that we know nothing. If you come back to our control room in the gym, I can give you a look at the hard evidence.”

“That would be good. You’ve already told the world that this could have been organised by an overseas organisation, so my contacts are interested.”

In the gym, he was shown the vision that they had of the event, as well as the CCTV vision from the airport.

“What else do you know about this woman?”

“Thirsk has had a look and estimated her height at just under six feet, with a weight of around a hundred and fifty pounds. She was travelling on a Hungarian passport in the name of Feketerigo, Anna Feketerigo.”

“Did you get anything from that?”

“No. There’s no Interpol information under that name. The surname translates to ‘blackbird’.”

“OK. I’ll take this to the services and see if they have anything to add. The Hungarian passport is probably genuine, and issued as a favour to citizens of other countries where the ruler is an autocrat or a dictator. It depends on when it was issued. She may have others with a similar name from other countries. Belarus, for instance, if this was a Russian operation.”

After he left, Marilyn gathered her two companions and Hannah drove them to the farm, with John able to give easy directions. They made themselves known to the team sifting through the debris and looked around for themselves. When they had looked inside all the buildings, they stood by the car and looked out over the fields. Marilyn sighed.

“This doesn’t look as if it has any link to the case, it’s another dead end.”

John was looking around.

“This is just a dumping ground. I’m sure that there’ll be plenty here that links to other crimes.”

They heard a car pull into the property and turned to watch a well-dressed man get out. He walked over to them and held out his hand.

“Mrs. O’Grady, I’m Derrick Taylor. I was negotiating with your husband to buy this property, before that madman killed him.”

“I’m sorry, sir. I’m not Mrs. O’Grady. I’m DCI Houseman and these are DC Brightman and Richards. We’re part of the team investigating the death of Mister O’Grady.”

“Surely it won’t be long before the property is cleared for sale. After all, he was just a businessman with a hobby farm.”

“If you give me your card, Mister Taylor, I’ll pass it on to his widow to get in touch with you. Here’s my card should you want to check on the progress.”

“Thank you, ma-am.”

He took the card, went back to his car and left. Marilyn stood still for a moment.

“Big mistake number two!”

Hannah giggled.

“Exactly. How does he know that Hog was killed at Coppergate when we haven’t given out the names yet.”

Marilyn gave the card to John.

“Tomorrow, you and Hannah follow this up. I want to know where his office is, what other dealings he has had, and, importantly, where he was born. That wasn’t an accent I can easily place. John, go and talk to your contacts in the area and ask if any have been approached by Mister Taylor recently. He didn’t say that he was working on behalf of a client, which could mean that he’s a developer. Look this DJT Realty up on the companies list and check with the council to see if there’s any planning proposals for this area.”

“Will do, ma-am. We’ll get on to it. If you drop me at the station, I’ll get my car and come back to talk to my relatives this evening.”

Hannah drove them back to Fulford Road and John got out. She then drove them back to Old Village, where Anton was already home. The three of them put the baby in her pram and they went to the pub for a meal. Marilyn got several looks when she was shown on the news giving the press statement, but they all knew that she was in the police, so didn’t bother her.

Next morning, she went to her office in the gym while John and Hannah went to ask questions. John had photocopied the business card, so she spent some of her morning checking out the details on her computer. There was no office, just a private house. Checking with company records showed that the name had been registered as a ‘sole trader’, just two years before. Using a search question to immigration, she found that Derrick Jackson Taylor had arrived through Heathrow, a month before the company registration, from Boston, on a US passport.

After lunch, John and Hannah came back and she spoke to them in her office. John was excited.

“I spoke to my relatives in the area last night. I was told that Taylor has been letter-boxing the area with fliers, asking anyone who wants to sell to get in touch. It started about a year and a half ago. Those that did follow it up were offered a fair price. I was told that a few of the older ones have taken the opportunity to get rid of their land and move away, selling him their houses as well. The neighbours have said that the houses are now home to groups of men with no real jobs other than keeping the acreage mown. All animals that used to be there have been sold off, including the ones that used to run on the O’Grady’ land.”

“That fits in with him only arriving two years ago. Is there any particular land that he’s after?”

“It appears to be bounded by Mill Lane, Atterwith Road, Tockwith Road and York Road, with Long Marston being the only residential properties looked at. On the other side of York Road, on Angram Road, nobody has been contacted.”

“How big is that area, just an estimate?”

“Around about a few hundred acres, or more.”

“That’s big enough for a small town!”

Hannah spoke up.

“I was talking to some of the women in Long Marston. They told me that it had been suggested that there would be work for maids, cleaners and gardeners in five or six years. It sounds as if Taylor is working towards building a housing development.”

“All right. You two, get into the council and check what plans have been submitted. That would have to mean a change of land use from rural to residential. If he’s serious, he would have already spoken to them. If O’Grady was a hold-out, there’s enough money in a development that big to fund the assassination, with a message to others to sell, or else. Taylor is American, which accounts for the accent. He is trying to speak English, but some words didn’t follow our usual pronunciation.”

“He did call you ma-am, not usual in normal speech in this country.”

They went off to speak to the council. Marilyn was talking to the two inspectors about developments when Colonel Carruthers came into the gym and walked up to them.

“I have news. Can we talk in your office?”

“Can my inspectors listen in. I have something to tell you, as well.”

They had to grab one of the spare seats and were quite cosy in the temporary office. Marilyn sat at her desk.

“Now, Colonel. You have something to tell us?”

“I have information on your driver. She is an ex-marine in America. She is a darling of what’s left of the MAGA organisation. That is now centred in the ultra-right, super-Christian groups. They have been setting up closed enclaves in the countryside, where they can live with like-minded neighbours and pray together. My contacts know her under her operating name, which is Raven, after the Superhero.”

“That fits in with what we’ve discovered since I last saw you. There’s an American, in a private house in Rufforth, who has set up as an estate agent. He’s been buying up land between Long Marston and O’Gradys’ land. He arrived in the country two years ago. The area is big enough for a decent village, if you allow for a hundred-yard border around it. From what we’ve learned, access will be from Long Marston.”

“That will be something big enough to fund the Carnage.”

“Jacob was talking about sending a message on that afternoon. I think it was to others who are still holding out. Here’s a copy of the mans’ business card. We’ll be looking at the development plans, if you can see what your contacts can tell us about Derrick Taylor.”

“Will do, Marilyn. This now has a definite political angle. I’ll need to ask for email and phone records between this guy and the current opposition. Their leader was in deep with Trump some years ago. If this is linked to them, the Carnage could be dynamite, politically.

Marianne Gregory © 2026

Chapter 4

The Colonel left them. Jim Dutton looked at Marilyn.

“How on earth do you know that man! He has obvious links to the secret services.”

“He came to meetings with that double murder and cold case a little while ago. There were aspects of it that had national importance, although that was never brought out in the papers. Keith Russell, in Leeds, has a contact number for him. He wasn’t involved, that time, just an interested observer.”

“He’s certainly needed now; with the way this is going.”

“Right. John and Hannah have been talking to people in Long Marston. Some have sold their land and homes to this developer. They were told that some of the houses now have groups of men living in them. Can you get a few of the team looking up the sales records and trying to see if any of the houses have a shed big enough to use as a workshop. Those bollards at Coppergate would have had to have been doctored somewhere secluded. Also, get Ian and Joe to look at all the traffic cameras between Long Marston and York in the days before the Carnage event. It would be good if we can get a picture of the truck coming in. I’m heading upstairs to report to the boss.”

She rang Brenda, who told her to come straight up. In the Chief Superintendents’ office, she laid out the leads that they were now following. He was amazed.

“You’re telling me that he thought that you were Hogs’ widow, even before we’ve listed the dead!”

“Yes, sir. There are a couple of things that now worry me. One is the political aspect with the far right now in opposition. The other is knowing that there are houses in Long Marston with groups of men living in them. We don’t yet know how much land has been purchased, but that’s a secluded area, and gunfire in the daytime wouldn’t be commented on. I would like Tactical to drop a battery-powered microphone and transmitter somewhere in that area and monitor the sounds remotely. They could set up with a van in one of the Rufforth Park Market sheds. If we do hear gunfire that isn’t the odd shotgun blast, we may have to go to AFO mode.”

“I agree. I’ll set up a meeting between you and Leeds for tomorrow morning, say, around ten?”

“That will be good, sir. We may have more information by then, now we have somewhere to look.”

“As long as where you’re looking is the place that gives results.”

Back in the gym, she spoke to Mary and the others while she waited for her two assistants to get back. Mary was on top of things, with a full set of reports and paperwork to give to Leeds. She handed Marilyn a sheaf of papers.

“This came through from Thirsk while you were upstairs. It’s the report on the truck.”

“Thanks, Mary. A copy for our two inspectors, and another for me to give Leeds, please.”

“Already in that folder and on their desks.”

“Did I say that you’re an angel?”

“You did, but it does bear repeating.”

Marilyn was looking at the forensic report when John and Hannah came back, a large roll of paper under her arm. They stopped by the screens and cadged some tape off of Ian, then proceeded to unroll two big sheets that they proceeded to tape to the wall bars next to the screens. Everyone gathered around. Marilyn went over and saw that one was a layout of a housing development, while the other was a large copy of a section of a survey map with some areas shaded. Hannah looked to Marilyn, who went and stood in front of the maps, firstly talking to the whole team.

“Now, the inspectors have probably given you jobs around looking at a particular estate agent who wandered onto Hogs’ property yesterday. He told us that he had been in negotiation with ‘a local businessman with a hobby farm’. His words. Tell us what you have here, John.”

John had a pointer and stood by the OS map.

“This is the area that Taylor has been buying land. The council have been monitoring the development because it will mean a huge increase in rates and taxes. The shaded areas are already in his hands, the unshaded have still to sell. You will note that the main parcels unsold are in the north-eastern corner, which includes the O’Grady block. The reason for this is simple. I grew up in Long Marston and the ones who sold are older, without family to carry on. Blocks of land of that size are like flogging a dead horse when you’re up against multi-national suppliers, which is one of the reasons that I’m here and not driving a tractor.”

Hannah took the pointer from him.

“This is the development as offered to the council for preliminary planning. First stage consists of three hundred residences, either detached or in low-rise blocks. There is a school, set up in the area that O’Grady owned, a church and a small shopping centre with a doctors’ clinic. A few things are of special note. The closest building to any of the perimeter roads is the school, as I expect that there would be some outside the development to be employed there. Everything else is at least a hundred yards from the road. The only way in is through a planned road from Long Marston, or by a footpath gate to the school. There is, here in the centre, a bowling alley and a social club, next to the church. The floor plan of the bowling alley is wide enough for ten lanes, or, if you prefer, five lanes and a shooting range.”

Marilyn carefully took pictures of both plans so that she could share them with Leeds in the morning. She took note of some of the names on the development plan. Overall, it was to be called the Divine Journey Tract. The church was the Divine Journey Testamentary Church. Some roads were named after apostles, while others were named after people she had heard of, mostly spoken about with scorn. The entrance road was to be DJT Boulevard, the perimeter road was the Vance Circle. The social club was to be called the DJT Kennedy Centre. For her, the whole thing looked like a blackhead on a pristine cheek. She gave John and Hannah a pat on the arms.

“Well done, you two. John, we have a ten ‘o’clock visit with DCI Russell and CI Harrison in Leeds. Be ready to be picked up. I’ve taken pictures of these, so leave them up for the others to look at. I think that we’ve done enough for one day. See you in the morning, John. Hannah, grab this file, it has what we need for the morning. There’s the report on the truck in there as well. I’ve had a look at it, and it makes interesting reading.”

Before she left, she rang Brenda to get the CS to pop into the gym and have a look at the development plan. That evening she sat in her home office, with Hannah, going through the CSI report.

In the morning, John was waiting as they arrived, and he got in the vehicle. Hannah drove them to Leeds. They were taken to the meeting room that John and Marilyn had been in before, with Pam Nottage there to take notes. The Colonel walked in before they started.

“Good morning, folks. I’ve been instructed to stick to this case like glue. Those in high towers are getting worried that this may blow up into an international incident.”

Keith got them all seated.

“Now, Marilyn, what’s the situation?”

“If I can Bluetooth my camera to your screen, there’s things to show you.”

A few minutes later, she was able to bring up the OS view.

“We are now concentrating on a developer, pretending to be an estate agent. He is buying up land in a well-defined area. The property to the upper right was Hogs’. When we were there, the other day, the developer turned up, thinking that I was Hogs’ widow. That’s before we’ve released the victim names. His name is Derrick Taylor and flew in from Boston two years ago. Now, this is the plan that has been submitted to the local council for preliminary planning.”

The other picture was shown, and she took them through the development highlights. Both the Colonel and CI Harrison wanted her to Bluetooth to their phones and share the pictures.

“Now. We have the report in from Thirsk on the truck. The interior was well destroyed from an incendiary device. However, there were a couple of things of note. The space under the front bumper was strengthened to allow the bollards to be knocked down. The VIN was not removed, which allowed Jacob to track it back to its original owner in 2026. He sold it in 2029 as being too expensive to run and has the paperwork to prove the sale. The truck, however, was never transferred to another owner. The purchaser was an offshore shell company. The back section of the truck was mostly undamaged. Jacob found one full set of prints on the edge of the body. He thinks that a woman put their hand there when pulling the flight bag out of the tray. The outer panels were wiped over before it was in Coppergate, however, Jacob has lifted a number of prints from the inside of the tailgate. He hasn’t found any matches on our systems, but they may come up if overseas is looked at. We have that report for you to take back to your contacts, Colonel.”

“Thank you, Marilyn. This is getting more interesting by the minute.”

“Right. Now, we know that there are some who have sold their land, and also sold Taylor their houses in Long Marston. We have been told that they are now homes to groups of men whose main job seems to be keeping the fields that they now own looking like normal. I’m certain that when we get to look at those places, there’s at least one with a shed big enough to take the truck and work on it, as well as reworking the bollards. They did belong to farming families, after all. What I would like, before we rush in, is to put a microphone into, or near, one of those shaded areas, probably some way from the houses. I’m wondering if those groups of men are doing weapons training during the day.”

CI Harrison looked up.

“We can do that. We have a couple of drones that we can install during the night, with enough power to send back information for a week. Where can we set up to monitor?”

“The Rufforth Park Market sheds aren’t far away.”

“Right. I’ll see about putting it in place tonight. It will be excellent training.”

“Colonel, there’s something that you and your contacts can contribute. The developer operates out of a private house. You have a copy of his business card. Can you organise surveillance of his house, interception of his phone calls and a tracker on his car. It would be interesting if the girl that acted as the spotter is seen around him. I think that your people could get that going a lot quicker than us, seeing that we would have to get a court order to mount that kind of operation. CI Harrison, I can tell you that my team have been on the range, catching up on their certificates. About half of them can be given temporary AFO status if needed. Hannah and I also have completed carbine training. If this gets deadly, we’ll be ready to back up your own AFOs, under your command.”

Keith Russell looked thoughtful.

“How do you plan to draw Taylor out. If he does nothing more, this is all circumstantial.”

“I was thinking that he may get back to me to see if I’ve passed his card on to the widow. She, of course, knew nothing of the farmland. He has my card, so will probably call me first. Can we set up a number that I can give him, of a fictitious Police Property Holdings office, which co-ordinates the sale of seized property, after a considerable wait due to red tape. It may make him frustrated enough to make another mistake; he’s already made three.”

The Colonel grinned.

“I’ll email you with a number, email, and even the best person to talk to. I know a local girl who can stonewall for England. The idea of a religious enclave isn’t new. The far right in America have been setting them up since ’25. I’m told that there are more bibles and guns per square metre than anywhere else in the US.”

They went through what else they knew, and the meeting broke up. Marilyn was driven back to York in time for lunch in the canteen. That afternoon, she had Mary in her office and got up to speed with the contents of the crime book. She had an email for her to attend a press event, in the drill hall, to announce the names of the dead and the worst of the injured, now that all families have been spoken to.

Towards the end of the afternoon, Marilyn and Hannah went to talk to Mrs. O’Grady. Sitting in her kitchen with steaming cups in front of them, Marilyn broached what she had come to say.

“Mrs. O’Grady, we are going to hold a press conference in the morning. We will be giving the press the list of names and pictures of the dead and badly injured from Coppergate. After that, you may get a call from a gentleman called Derrick Taylor. He will tell you that he’s a developer, or estate agent, and was in the process of buying the land that your husband owned.”

“What land?”

“It’s a number of fields out Rufforth way. It’s currently being combed by a police team for evidence in your husbands’ criminal past.”

“But he was just a businessman!”

“I’m sorry to say that he was the leader of a gang, involved in every nasty crime you can think of. They were into robbery, prostitution, gambling, hijacking liquor deliveries. There wasn’t much that your husband wouldn’t do.”

“I never knew. He hid all that from me. He would tell me that he was just making deals.”

“Look, you stay that way, if anyone asks. There may be press come and see you. If it gets too bad, give me a call and I’ll get a uniformed officer to tell them to leave. This developer has to deal through me to buy the land. He may have been the one to organise the murder of your husband and his two bodyguards. If he does buy the land, you will get the proceeds. If he doesn’t, you will get the deeds and sell it yourself. If he buys it, the return will be better than selling it as just a rural plot. School yourself to act dumb. Here’s my card. If he gets strident, just refer him to me. He already has my contact details.”

“All right, detective. I’ve been dumb for years, a little while longer won’t be a hardship. I’ve had a look at our finances. He has left me well off, with the house paid for.”

“When we’ve gone through the accounts that we know about, there may be more, but the gang will be carrying on and using the cash reserves that he had squirrelled away. I believe that the support officer has one of your pictures of him. Expect to see it in the papers after tomorrow. We do have mug shots of him and his friends but will hold those back. Make sure that you don’t tell your children about his criminality, let them remember their father as a good man for as long as they can.”

On the way to Old Village, Hannah waited until they were stopped at traffic lights.

“The press will be onto Hog and his past within a couple of days, won’t they?”

“They will, but it will be their own investigations, not ours. Who knows, someone from Leeds Robbery may give them the news, but we’re staying away from that sort of thing.”

The next morning, Marilyn stood up in front of the press and the cameras.

“Ladies and gentlemen. It is now a week since the events on Coppergate Walk. We have folders to hand out, with the names of all the dead and badly injured. Please, I beg you, treat the families with care and compassion. Some were from out of York. Now, on the matter of the ongoing case. We are pursuing some leads that were brought about through the business dealings of one of the dead, the one that we think was the main target. Everyone else were innocent victims. Please remember that! If we get reports of the families being hounded, we will prosecute, you can be certain of that. Thank you. The officers have the folders to my right.”

Back in the gym, she saw that she had an email from Carruthers, with a name and contact details of the fictitious property office. She made sure that Mary and the Inspectors knew to refer any questions about the property to her, or the name on the paper. After that, Hannah took her, and John, to Long Marston to talk to the other property owners who hadn’t yet sold.

That was an interesting experience. There were three others, all of whom were very cagey until Marilyn laid it on the line. Then, they all said that they had been pressured to sell, with vague threats of a sudden death. With all of them, Marilyn told them to hold out for the best price, and that it was possible that they would all have their properties returned in the future, but to keep that under their hats.

“The buyer is probably the organiser of the Carnage in York last week. One of the dead owned a plot of this land. He is well able to carry out his threats. Do not, under any circumstances, tell any of those new men that are living in the village. They are his gang. We will arrest them all, as soon as we can get enough evidence to make it stick. I have the feeling that it will be about another week.”

On the way back to York, John swivelled in the front seat.

“If those farmers let anything slip, it will warn Taylor.”

“That’s right, John. If Taylor finds out that we’re after him, he may try to eliminate me to stop the investigation. He may even do a runner, which will be an admission of guilt. We will have a tail on him, and he won’t get very far. I think that we need to load this car with some defensive artillery.”

The next morning, Carruthers came into the gym with a box.

“These are radios, set to the frequency of the surveillance team. The girl that you picked as the spotter is living with him. Keep these with you and you’ll get a running commentary of what he’s doing. Don’t say anything unless it’s really important. Harrison had immediate results from the drones. He is certain that those guys are using handguns and assault rifles. They didn’t spend a lot of time firing, just keeping their skills up. Harrisons’ team managed to record their side of a phone call, with them agreeing to be ready for drastic action when he asks for it. I spoke to your boss to approve weapons.”

“I was about to go upstairs to ask that. Thank you for all this, Colonel. Will your friends take part if it all goes to hell?”

“Friends? I have no friends, Marilyn. The ones in the field are ghosts. They don’t have the authority to operate in this country, so you can’t rely on them.”

After he left, Marilyn went upstairs to get written authority for the ones in the team to carry firearms. Down in the gym, she called for a gathering.

“OK, we have come to a point which I had thought may happen but hoped that it wouldn’t. I have some friends keeping an eye on Taylor, and the girl who we picked as the spotter is living with him. There are some men living in the houses in Long Marston that he has bought, and we now have proof that they have been working with guns in the far fields and are prepared to use them. The boss has authorised the issue of firearms. Those who have current certification will be issued with sidearms, which must be carried out of sight. When we have the gang in the cells, your temporary permit will be withdrawn. Make sure that you all wear your bullet-proof vests during the time you’re outside. This means to and from the office and stay away from windows. Make sure that your families are aware of the danger. Someone who can create the carnage in Coppergate is liable to do anything.”

There was a surge of talk and she waited for it to die down.

“Look, I think that if anyone is targeted, it will be me but take every precaution. The only ones from the team that he’s met are me, Hannah and John. They will be travelling with me in a car from Tactical, and both Hannah and I have carbine certification. You good people may well be safe but treat this as a real situation, just in case they get stupid.”

That afternoon, it was John driving the car, with Hannah beside him with a Heckler and Koch on her lap, Marilyn in the back with another one on the seat beside her. They went to Johns’ home, where he packed for a week, and they went to Old Village, where he was settled into one of the units. Anton saw the weapons that they kept with them and blanched. That night, Marilyn assured him that it was purely just in case things went bad.

The next morning, many of the team were carrying guns in holsters and trying to learn how to move around with the extra weight. Mid-morning, Marilyns’ phone rang.

“DCI Houseman.”

“It’s Derrick Taylor. I spoke to Mrs. O’Grady this morning and she referred me back to you. Can you tell me what the situation is with that property?”

“The situation is that I believe that the team that has been combing through the buildings has finished. The property will be overseen by the Police Property Unit until I, or a superior, give the permission for sale. I can give you contact details for them. They’ll have the papers in a couple of days.”

“When will the property go for sale?”

“When I’m convinced that it isn’t part of our ongoing investigations. O’Grady may have appeared to just be a businessman, but he was a vicious gang leader, with evidence already taken from those sheds. That side of it is handled by the normal crime teams, while my job is to catch his killer.”

“From what I read in the paper; the killer has left the country.”

“Correct. The thing is that there are cases, like this, where we can ask for extradition so that they face trial in the UK, along with all those who were involved. The number of deaths means that just about every associate will be in prison for the rest of their life. Long enough to wish that we still hanged murderers.”

“Yes, well. Give me those contacts and I’ll get back to you if I have any problems.”

“Very good Mister Taylor. I’ll email them to your website admin. Have a nice day.”

She emailed the details to him, then sent Keith an email to let him know of the development. She then sat in her chair and closed her eyes, only opening them when Mary tapped on her door.

“Sorry to disturb your nap, Marilyn.”

“No nap, Mary. I was just thinking about things. I’ve just been talking to Taylor, and I may not have painted a cross on my back, but I may have given him an idea that one should be there.”

Marianne Gregory © 2026

Chapter 5

For the moment, there wasn’t much that Marilyn could do. The two inspectors were making sure that when any tiny bit of information was discovered, it was placed in context and recorded. Everything needed to be kept in eleven murder books, one for each victim, as a trial may just pick one, with the others submitted to the judge before sentencing.

While the case was in limbo, the team were rotated with four taking a day off until they all had a break. Hannah, John and Marilyn had theirs on the same day and spent it catching up with laundry and housework at Old Village. The radios occasionally had a voice stating something about Taylor, and the drone microphones in the field picked up the odd snippet of conversation and short bursts of gunfire. Both Leeds and the York stations dropped back from red status as the threat of gang warfare diminished.

To all intents and purposes, the targets were just going about their normal business. Carruthers had sent Marilyn a report about what he now knew about the ‘Raven’. As well as the Hungarian passport, and her genuine American one, she also had others from Myanmar, Russia, Belarus and Venezuela, all with a surname loosely based on dark birds, which is how a sharp programmer had used AI to locate them. She had not taken very much care with her looks, as if she was certain that nothing would be questioned. They had all been issued in the six-month period between February and August of 2026. The American one showed that she had diplomatic status.

The ‘Police Property Office’ had reported that Taylor was getting frustrated. Hogs’ land was the last one in his sights, the others having held out for very good offers before selling up and moving away. As the houses were emptied and then taken over by more young men, so earthmoving equipment started to arrive. Two of the houses were demolished and a bulldozer started to excavate the entry road. Police, now inserted into houses still owned by original residents, were carefully recording everything going on, and building up a data base of the small army of men.

CI Harrison had kept the drones charged up and was moving them around during the night, recording a lot more conversations. Marilyn and the team cruised for two weeks, unable to move forward until the target decided that something had to happen. That occurred around six weeks after the Coppergate Carnage. The papers had started to wonder if the police would ever break the case open, some family members were screaming for justice, and the team had got used to wearing guns and bullet-proof vests.

The break came when Carruthers’ team monitored Taylor calling a number in Texas. He didn’t ask for an assassin, just that the last delivery had got stale, and there was a need for a fresh supply. A team watching the ‘Raven’ reported that she had booked a flight from Dallas Fort Worth, to Manchester, via Dublin, with Aer Lingus.

It gave the team enough time to set up an arrest at Manchester, with co-operation of the Greater Manchester Police. When the woman went through immigration, she was diverted to a secure site, exclaiming loudly that she had diplomatic protection and would complain to the authorities about this interference in her travel. In an inner office, Marilyn and her two Inspectors were waiting with an observer from GMP. When the woman was led in, she screamed at them that they would all be losing their jobs over this. Marilyn just smiled.

“Please sit down, flower. We are going to have a little talk about the last time you were in the country.”

“What business is it of yours?”

“I am Detective Chief Inspector Houseman, of the North-East Yorkshire police. I’m going to be charging you, madam, with eleven counts of murder. Namely that you drove a Dodge Ram along Coppergate Walk, in York, at around a quarter past nine in the morning, killing eleven and injuring many more. We will be taking you to York in a prisoner transport van and your luggage is being searched at the moment.”

“You can’t do that! I have a passport, issued personally by my Governor, granting me diplomatic immunity.”

“I’m not arresting you as the person shown on that passport. I’m sure that we’ll find others, in your luggage. I’m charging you under the name that you left this country the last time. Anna Feketerigo, I am formally arresting you for the murder of eleven victims in York. Do you have anything to say?”

“This is preposterous! What evidence do you have that I was even in the country?”

“We have vision of the truck with a carry-on case in the tray. We have vision of you carrying that case into Leeds - Bradford Airport, not long after the event, and we have your left handprint, a very good set, on the side panel of the truck when we recovered it from where it had been dumped. On top of that, we have a wealth of information linking you to Derrick Taylor and his little housing development for the rabid right.”

“Little Housing development! You have no idea of the people who want that development opened. It will be a beacon of righteousness in this godforsaken land. Derrick was sent here to get the development up and running, with a five-year window, so that there is somewhere that the faithful can be free to live as they wish, with the school teaching the only way. We have several operating in America, where our faithful are safe from interference.”

“Surely, that ensures that normal people are saved from seeing your lunatic fringe every day. I bet that some of the states would be happy to see you living on a reservation of your own making.”

“You dare to equate us with Indians. If I had my gun, I would shoot you for that.”

“Talking about guns.”

Marilyn lifted her right hand with the Glock held steadily, pointing at the Raven.

“Please stand up and allow my Inspector to take your bag and handcuff you. Any false move and I will shoot.”

“This is crazy. British coppers don’t carry guns.”

“Something else you’ve got wrong. Stand up!”

She stood, and Ginger cuffed her behind her back, while Jim relieved her of her handbag. They then frisked the complaining woman, removing a number of weapons. The GMP officer went to the door to let a pair of uniformed in to take the woman to the transport. The Raven, now somewhat disheveled and with no pins holding her hair in place, was quiet as she was led out. The desk had a small collection of pointed items. Marilyn stopped one of the uniformed officers.

“When you get her to York, I want all her clothes cut from her and she gets a plain smock. She is an assassin, and not just a little old lady. We haven’t checked her for poison teeth. If she’s dead when you arrive, I won’t shed any tears.”

When they were alone, she re-holstered the gun. Ginger looked strange.

“That was a bit harsh, ma-am. It wouldn’t take long to get a doctor to see her.”

“She could have just blasted Hog with a shotgun, but she killed ten other people because she wanted to send a message. This was my message to her.”

Before they left the office, they collected up the items that they had collected, and Marilyn went through the womans’ bag. She found all of the expected passports, looking at the American one that showed entry into the UK some four days before the Carnage. The same carry-on from before had been put on the floor, so Ginger put it up on the desk and they looked through it. Two three-D printed pistols with ceramic ammunition wouldn’t have made any alarm go off, especially with the diplomatic cover.

There was a knock on the door and Carruthers came in.

“I see that you’ve netted the Raven. Did she get upset?”

“She threatened to have our jobs, so I don’t think she was pleased. This little pile of sharps was taken from various places after she had been cuffed. I’ll let you take this lot, for the moment, so that you can check for spook things that we haven’t found. If you can drop it at the gym tomorrow, I’ll put it into the evidence room. All I want to keep is her American and Hungarian passports, so that I can prove that she was in the country at the time.”

“Will do. What now?”

“Now, Taylor will be worried when his cleaner doesn’t arrive. He wouldn’t be picking her up here. I expect that she would have a car hired and a plan to meet him somewhere.”

“My ghosts will make sure that they stick to him like glue.”

“Without his visitor, he’s likely to do something stupid.”

Carruthers grinned.

“I’m sure that you’re looking forward to that.”

“Not really, but it will bring things to a close. We now have someone to charge with the Coppergate Carnage, which will get the press off our backs and create another shitstorm in the media when we tell them who it is. I suppose that we’ll have to go back to red status in the stations for a while.”

“Make sure that you’re listening to those radios. My ghostly pals will let you know about his movements. I can’t see them attacking the police, but I do see them attacking you. Perhaps it’s time for the Police Property Office to hand the selling decision back to you.”

Marilyn smiled.

“I like your spooky thinking. I will expect a phone call then.”

They went back to York, in two minds as to whether it had been a success or the harbinger of worse days to come. Next morning, Marilyn stood, once more, in the drill hall in front of the media.

“Ladies and gentlemen of our great media. I know that there have been many articles wondering why we hadn’t announced any arrests over that awful day in Coppergate Walk. The reasons had to be kept secret because, as I told you at the time, the driver of that truck had left the country. Yesterday, they returned to carry out other killings, and was arrested when they arrived at Manchester. We arrested Anna Feketerigo for the murders of the eleven dead, and the attempted murders of all those injured that day. She had arrived in England a few days prior, and left the same day as her murderous drive, going to Poland on a genuine Hungarian passport, which is why I have arrested her under that name.”

There was a lot of shouted questions and flashing from cameras. Marilyn held her hand up.

“There are other reasons why I used that identity. She also holds genuine passports from other countries. Myanmar, Belarus and others. All were issued in a six-month period after she was given her American passport, which she has told me was a gift from her State Governor in Texas, in 2026, with diplomatic status. When we went through her luggage, she was carrying two plastic pistols with ceramic ammunition.”

There was a clamour again as the implications sunk in. Marilyn held her hand up again.

“While we’re still unsure of why she was here, I do have to thank the officers of our wonderful security agencies for tracking her down and monitoring her movements, which allowed us to be present when she landed. No questions, please. The officer will hand out a sheet with her photo and pictures of her two passport information pages. If your own investigators come up with a likely reason for her coming back, we’ll be happy to hear it. Thank you.”

Carruthers walked beside her on the way back to the gym.

“I hand it to you, Marilyn, that was a beautiful piece of misdirection. You still have that bait hanging out there for Taylor to think about biting. You do realise that there’s now a good chance that he’ll do something drastic.”

“A month ago, I wondered if I’d shown him where a target should be painted. Today, I wielded the paintbrush myself. This is where we need to be totally focussed on watching our backs. I expect a call from him in the next few days.”

The next day, Marilyn sat with Ginger on one side, with the Raven across from her and a lawyer beside her.

“Anna, I’m glad to see that you’re settled in. It’s a place where you’re likely to spend the rest of your life.”

“You wish, copper. I’ll be out of here before long.”

“Who is likely to let you out, flower?”

“I’ m not your flower, copper. I have friends in high places. At most, I only have to hold out until the next election and my friends get into power.”

“I have a transcript of your friends’ speech, after he realised that you killed eleven of his countrymen. It seems that he doesn’t hold the same thoughts about collateral damage that you do in your country. You can take it and read if you want. Now, I am showing you some pictures, which is for the benefit of your lawyer, as he needs to know what sort of case we have against you.”

Ginger opened up his laptop and spun it to face the others, starting with the first view of the truck entering the Walk.

“This is vision of you driving over innocent people to get to your target. Note the carry-on bag in the tray. Please note how you veered off to murder your target. We have scraping of paint from where you grazed the wall.”

“That doesn’t prove a thing.”

“Correct. The picture that I now show you is a high- resolution picture taken from a camera on the M1. It shows that truck, and also shows you driving, with a man beside you. Next vision, please, Inspector.”

The next vision showed the Raven entering the airport terminal, followed by others with her having a meal before her flight.

“On top of these pictures, we have a handprint, matching you, on the side of the truck tray when you lifted the bag out. I expect that by this time, you were realising that you were being helped by rank beginners.”

“You can say that, again!”

“Now, we know that Derrick Taylor rang you, in Dallas, and told you that the shipment was stale and needed a new delivery.”

“Don’t you need authority to tap phones in this country?”

“Not when it’s deemed a case of national security, that’s when that sort of thing is taken over by people who have all the authority they need. Now, back to Derrick Taylor. Here is a picture of the girl living with him. That was taken in the Walk a couple of minutes before you appeared on the scene. She was there as the spotter to tell you when your target was in open air.”

“I have to say, copper. I’m impressed! You seem to have a good case. I hope that you live long enough to enjoy your success. Take me back to the cells, I’m finished talking. We’ll see what happens.”

“Let the record show that the prisoner has just threatened me with death. Interview ended.”

Two days later, she was in her office, shuffling paperwork, when her phone rang.

“DCI Houseman.”

“Derrick Taylor. I’ve been told that a decision on the sale of that farming property is back on your desk. Can we meet to finalise my purchase?”

“That’s possible. Where do you suggest?”

“Where we first met, say, about ten, tomorrow?”

“I’m sorry, I have meetings tomorrow, how about the next day?”

“If that’s how it is, I’ll see you there.”

Ten minutes later, her phone rang again.

“Carruthers here, we recorded that last conversation. How do you want to play it?”

“Can you come in, this afternoon, and bring CI Harrison with you. Warn him to deploy his team tonight, in the sheds, as I expect that the site will be watched around the clock tomorrow.”

“Thinking like a spook, are we? I’ll let him know the plan. Those sheds have enough holes in them to be able to set up mini cameras to monitor the site and record them looking around. They don’t have much to stop them coming in from their side. See you later.”

That afternoon, they had a meeting. Marilyn and her Inspectors, Carruthers, Harrison and the York Chief Super, plus John and Hannah. Marilyn had a big overhead picture of the meeting place.

“I expect that Taylor will have his men arrive earlier in the morning and set up in hiding. He will probably arrive before me and park in a position where he can leave quickly, so will be on the northern side of the parking space. That will entice us to pull up next to the shed. That will put my driver on his side but will also allow my second guardian to be able to exit the front seat with the car between them and Taylor. I expect that he’ll get his guys to hide behind the small sheds behind him, with some more behind us, hidden by the bigger sheds.”

Harrison looked at the picture and nodded.

“If we put our teams into the two sheds tonight, they can make it look as if they’re tightly locked. We’ll put cameras to view the meeting place, as well as to observe where they hide. What do you think will happen?”

“I think that he’ll make an offer, which I’ll reject. I’ll keep upping the price until he snaps. At that point, I think that he’ll either call his men to appear, or else he’ll threaten me with a gun.”

“That could be dangerous.”

“He’s an office person. Nowhere has it been reported that he has trained with his troops. He’ll go for a body shot. I’ll be wearing two vests and a parka over the top, so will probably end up with a bruise. After that shot, we have reason to retaliate in kind. I can’t write the script that far.”

Harrison laughed.

“There’s an old Hilux in that big shed. My boys have a fifty-calibre that we confiscated. They’ve been talking about building a ‘technical’. This may be their chance. The doors open directly onto the parking area, so don’t park in front of them.”

They made more detailed plans. The Chief Superintendent insisted on making sure that an air ambulance would be close, along with others in the Funtime carpark. CI Harrison was to be the overall commander, with everyone following him on earbuds.

That night, the meeting area was overflown by the police helicopter, with heat-seeking cameras, who reported that there was nobody close by. The Tactical team were dropped off in the road, and went in on foot, carrying all the food and other items they needed. When dawn arrived, there was no sign that anything had happened.

During the day, Harrison reported that the area was being looked at, and some items to the north of his hide was being moved to provide cover. Other than that, the day passed quietly.

Around eight, the next morning, the radio reported that Taylor had left his house. Marilyn was having breakfast. Anton looked at her.

“Is this what it sounds like?”

“Yes, my darling. We have set a trap for the man behind the Coppergate Carnage. I’m meeting with him, this morning. If everything goes to plan, he’ll be in a cell, or the prison hospital, before lunch. I doubt that I’ll even have to point my gun at him. After today, they’ll be going back into the Armoury.”

On the way to the office, she put a second vest over her usual one, and covered them with a parka that she’d bought at a cheap shop, about two sizes too big. The radio was chattering now. Reports from those following Taylor, and reports from the watchers in Long Marston. At nine, Taylor was talking to about twenty of the men on-site, as they headed north over the fields, guns in full view. The watchers were able to inventory the firepower, with just two carrying assault rifles.

At half-past nine, a hushed Harrison reported that the men were deploying at the meeting place, with the bulk going to behind the northern sheds as expected. At ten to ten, Taylor arrived at the parking area, pulling around as expected and getting out. Harrison reported that he had a gun in his hand, which he was now holding behind him.

Harrison then did a rollcall, with the men in the other shed calling ready, the back-ups across the road calling ready, and the watchers in Long Marston reporting that work was continuing on the access road. John was driving, and looked worried as he pulled into the property, parking by the first shed and away from it.

“Don’t worry, John, this is all scripted. Are we ready, right, go.”

She got out of the SUV, on the passenger side, along with Hannah, Hannah stood beside the front wing, MP5 hidden. Marilyn walked around the back of the car.

“Good morning, Mister Taylor. Are you prepared to do a deal. I have to warn you that we have valued this property as important to you, and the asking price is indicative of that. Do you want to make an offer?”

He made an offer.

“Is that per acre?”

“Of course not. That’s for the lot!”

“If you double it and make it per acre, we may be in a position to do a deal.”

“Not at that price!”

He brought the gun into view.

“How about we meet in the middle, and you get to take home a nice little bonus.”

“You must be thinking of the police in Texas. We do not take bribes.”

“Do you have the deeds with you?”

“In the car.”

“Well, I’ll just have to forge your signature, and then you, and your two friends, will be buried in a big hole my men will be digging.”

He fired, and Marilyn was knocked on her back with the force. Hannah brought the MP5 up and fired a shot which caught Taylor in his upper body, spinning him around and then falling against his car. His men rose as one as the doors of the shed burst open and the Toyota was backed out with the machine gun firing a long burst over their heads. Other police came around the shed behind the other five.

There was a couple of bull horns calling for guns to be lowered and to get ‘face down and starfish’. With the bulk of them already traumatised by having half-inch shells passing over their heads, it didn’t take long before those orders were obeyed.

The reinforcements pulled into the area, with paramedics going to Marilyn and Taylor, while others went to the spreadeagled men with handcuffs. It was all quiet in five minutes.

Harrison went to Hannah, still standing there in shock.

“Good shooting, Brightman. You got him across his gun shoulder. I’ll take your weapon, now, as it will be needed for the report. Where’s Marilyns’?”

“Thank you sir. Back seat of the car. Is it always this quick and this loud?”

“That was the machine gun. My lads have been wanting to see if it worked, but the range officer wouldn’t allow it. I think we’ll be having a meeting in the pub in a couple of days. You three will be invited, as temporary AFOs who were willing to put their lives on the line. That isn’t something that happens a lot. Your boss, there, will be up for a Bravery Award. What she did takes a lot of guts. I think that our team will make her our mascot.”

Relieved of the guns, Hannah joined John where Marilyn was sitting against the car. The paramedics had taken the parka and the two vests off, with holes in the parka and the top vest. They were treating the impact point with soothing gel and had given her a pain-killing injection. Her holster had been removed and Hannah took charge of it. She was still groggy when she was loaded into an ambulance to be driven to hospital. Taylor would be in Leeds before her, travelling by helicopter and heading for an operating table to repair the bullet hole by his collar bone.

Harrison came over and retrieved all three unused weapons and holsters, to be put back into the Armoury. He also picked up Taylors’ gun and the four vests, looking closely at the two that Marilyn had been wearing.

John was still trembling as Hannah drove the two of them back to the office, where the whole team had been watching the vision on the big screen.

“That was the most frightened that I’ve ever been. How on earth did you stay so calm, Hannah?”

“Because I had something I had to do, John. I had to concentrate on that, and to fade everything else into the background. I nearly shot Taylor before he fired. Mind you, that big machine gun is warfare on steroids.”

At last, John laughed.

“I looked at that team and they all had grins, ear to ear. I think that they enjoyed themselves.”

“John. They were grinning because nobody died this morning. We all came away without being shot. We just faced down a gang of twenty armed men this morning. Prepare to be feted when we get back to the office.”

Marianne Gregory © 2026

Chapter 6

When John and Hannah walked into the gym there was a huge cheer. Mary came over to them and took control.

“Come with me to Marilyns’ office and sit quietly. I’ll get you cups of tea. It takes time to settle down after being in a firefight.”

They sat and looked out at the others going about their business. John sighed.

“Do you feel it or is it just me. We’re the two most juniors in the team, but we’re being treated as if we’re something special.”

“We are something special, for today at least. We’ve just been on a dangerous operation and have come home, even if our boss is in hospital being checked over. I wonder what Taylor was packing. The slug had gone right through the outer vest. If he had fired at us, we would be on our way to the morgue.”

“Now I’m really scared. Something like that may have penetrated the car door. And there I was thinking that I was perfectly safe!”

“You were safe, John. I was there with my big gun to protect you.”

Mary came in with two mugs of tea, put them on the desk and then went to sit in Marilyns’ chair.

“Drink up, dears, and tell me all about it, from each perspective. John first.”

She switched a recorder on and waited for John to tell her what he saw and felt during the operation, and after. When he had run out of steam, it was Hannahs’ turn. When she had finished, John asked why this was being done.

“It’s simple, John. Firstly, it gives the superiors something to listen to while they assess the events of this morning. Secondly, it allows you to think through your emotions of the time, which helps to put them behind you. Thirdly, it provides enough witness account to help the Chief Constable decide to give Marilyn a Bravery Medal. On top of that, you, Hannah, may be in line for one. Staying calm and focussed under fire helped to stop the gunfight that may have ensued by taking out their leader.”

“I think that it was the sight of that Toyota with a big machine gun putting bullets over their heads that stopped the gunfight. You should have seen the damage that it did to those small sheds that they had been hiding behind. My ears are still ringing.”

“Now you know why everyone wears ear protection on the range.”

“We would have given the game away if we’d turned up wearing earmuffs! As it was, we all had buds in to listen to the radio.”

John looked out into the gym.

“I would have thought that most of our team would be out. There’s Taylors’ house to search, the houses in Long Marston to look through, the other construction workers to interview.”

“With CI Harrison running the arrests, DCI Russell has taken over all of those duties. It is close to Leeds, and they have a bigger capacity to look after the prisoners. On top of that, Carruthers has more swing there and will be the one with a team going through Taylors’ records before we get to see them. This part of the case has national, and international, factors. We get to take the Raven to trial, along with the ones who have fingerprints that match the ones on the truck, and the girl who was the spotter. Leeds can handle the armed affray and death threats that were put on those farmers.”

“So, we still have a lot of work to do.”

Later that day, a message came through that Marilyn had been discharged from the hospital but had been taken home to recover from her ordeal. When Hannah and John arrived at Old Village, they had a group hug, taking care to not hug her too tightly.

In the kitchen, Marilyn sat with her baby close and listened to their story, from the moment she had thought that she had been killed. After their time with Mary, John and Hannah were able to give a concise narrative. When Anton came home, they all went over to the pub for a meal. The news report was that there had been a big police operation near Long Marston that day, with more to be revealed later.

“Was that you, my love? I see that none of you are wearing guns tonight.”

“It was us, my darling. We arrested the man behind the Carnage today, along with twenty armed followers. I’m told that it was a short, but exciting, time.”

“You were told! Where were you?”

“On the ground after being shot. The vests saved me. I’ll show you the bruise tonight.”

He reached over and took her hand.

“You were shot! Did they get the jump on you?”

“It was all in the plan, my love. He had to fire first before we could react. He’s in a prison hospital having a hole in him being worked on. Hannah put him down. It seems that I missed the real excitement. Tell him, John.”

“The team had set up a big gun that they had on the back of a Toyota. It was like those ones they use in the battles in far-away places. It came out of the shed firing over the heads of the crooks. They didn’t even hesitate when told to get on the ground. I think that a few were already there.”

Back at the house, they all had an early night to dream. John relived what he’d seen, Marilyn dreamed about the future with her daughter, and Hannah dreamed about being with a team, armed to the teeth, ready to fight for justice. What made her smile, when she got up in the night to pee, was that they had all been dressed like superheroes.

They were all quiet at breakfast and then got ready for the day. For three of them, it was odd not to be strapping on a weapon and adding a vest. They felt almost underdressed. Anton gave his wife an extra kiss or two before heading for the University. John drove to Fulford Road. There, they were given another cheer when they walked in, and everyone wanted to give Marilyn a tentative hug. Mary gave Marilyn a note. She looked at it and sighed.

“Everyone. We have been asked to go over to the drill hall for half-past ten. There is to be a big media event, so spruce up. Everyone is invited, so leave your work where you can pick it up again.”

When they walked into the drill hall, they were faced with a lot more reporters and cameras. The station CS took Marilyn aside.

“I have been given everything to announce, You, and your team, should just stand back and prepare to blush.”

The team were lined up at the back, with the CS out front and DCI Russell joined by CI Harrison. The Chief cleared his throat and went to the microphone.

“Ladies and gentlemen. Today, we are going to tell you why the Coppergate Carnage happened, who was behind it, and the ramifications that will follow. There will be no questions after, so make sure that you record everything. The people behind me have worked diligently to bring this case to fruition. Immediately behind me are DCI Russell, from the Leeds murder team, and CI Harrison from the Leeds Armed Response team. Behind them are the two teams that were brought together in York on the day of that Carnage. You have already heard DCI Houseman give you the basic details of the event, and then we gave you the victim lists. DCI Houseman also gave you the details of the driver, who had been arrested and is awaiting trial, here in York.”

He looked out at the battery of cameras.

“Today, I will tell you what happened yesterday, but before that, I will tell you how we got to that point. The gathering of evidence is a long and boring task. It takes dedication without losing your sense of what is important. Sometimes, luck raises its head. While DCI Houseman was looking at the farm property that was owned by Mister O’Grady, one of the victims, she was approached by a gentleman called Derrick Taylor. He told her that he had been negotiating with Mister O’Grady for that parcel of land. The point was, at that time, we hadn’t told you the names of the victims. Since that time, Derrick Taylor was put under surveillance. Because he is an American citizen, we brought in members of our security service to monitor his phones. It was because of a call he made to Dallas that we were forewarned that the Raven, the driver of the Ram truck, would be returning to this country, leading to her arrest.”

There was a distinct buzz from the audience.

“After more investigation, CI Harrison deployed drones with microphones into the areas that Taylor had already purchased, recording some conversations and the sound of gunfire training. Those who had not sold out, were advised to sell, in case Taylor made a drastic move. All sold their properties and homes, getting, it must be said, a very good price. This left only the property of Mister O’Grady. DCI Houseman set up a bogus department that purported to be holding the deeds until Taylor got frustrated. Up until this point, we had no real evidence that he was the guilty party, just a policemans’ intuition.”

There was more murmurs and Marilyn could see the reporters on the edge of their seats.

“Three days ago, Taylor rang DCI Houseman and they arranged to meet at the property. That gave time for CI Harrison and his full team to set up in the two large sheds on the property and install cameras to record the area around them. They recorded the area being checked by Taylors’ men the next day, and them creating hiding places at the edge of the area where the meeting was to take place. In the early hours, reinforcements from Leeds and ambulances were secreted at the Funtime parking area, less than two hundred yards away.”

He looked behind him and gave Marilyn a wink. She had to hand it to him; he was a damn fine storyteller.

“Before the allotted meeting time, twenty armed men arrived at the meeting place, with three-quarters going to where they had been creating hides. The others stayed behind the big sheds. Taylor arrived and parked, and then DCI Houseman arrived, driven by DC Richards with DC Brightman. Richards had sidearm training and was a temporary AFO, while the other two had undergone carbine training and were equipped with the standard AFO Heckler and Koch MP5. The DCI got out of the car and stood, facing Taylor. For a short time, they discussed the price of the property, with DCI Houseman asking for more than Taylor was prepared to pay. For what happened next, I defer to CI Harrison, the leader of the Armed Response Team and who has experienced previous firefights.”

Harrison stepped forward, with two bulletproof vests in his hand.

“Firstly, DCI Houseman was wearing a padded parka, to hide the vests she was wearing. I say vests, because she wore two, and it was a good job that she did. The plan was that Taylor had to give himself away, which he did by brandishing a pistol and shooting DCI Houseman in the stomach.”

There was an audible intake of breath in the audience. Harrison held up one of the vests and poked a finger through the hole in it.

“Taylor was using ammunition which basically a bullet within another bullet. In America, it is called a ‘cop-killer’. It is designed to pierce a Kevlar vest, like this one, with the first bullet being stopped, while the second projectile breaks through to kill the wearer. It was, when developed, only supplied to the US Secret Service on protection detail, DCI Houseman was spared by the second vest, which, as you can see, still has the flattened bullet embedded in it. Once that shot had been fired, DC Brightman raised her MP5 and shot Taylor in his right shoulder, not only causing him to fall, but also causing him to lose the gun. It was a very intelligent and capable shot, at a standard that I would expect of one of our trained sharpshooters. At that time, two things happened at once. The other men rose from their hiding places and my team opened up the shed doors and fired a volley of fire over their heads. Another group rushed around the building to be behind the other men. When we called for them to get on the ground, quite a few already were.”

He stepped back and the CS took over again.

“After DCI Houseman was treated by paramedics, she was taken to hospital for observation. Taylor was airlifted to the Leeds General Infirmary, where he was operated on and then transferred to the prison hospital in Leeds. I cannot overstate the bravery that three of my officers showed in knowingly walking into an ambush. There will be awards and commendations, but that will be for some time in the future.”

He looked at his notes.

“This is where I tell you the why of this case. Why someone was prepared to kill police and eleven innocents on Coppergate Walk. Taylor was buying up a specific parcel of land, encompassed by Atterwith Road, Tockwith Road, York Road and Mill Lane, which is to the immediate north of Long Marston. He had come to this country with that as his task. The plan was to build a new housing subdivision there. It was not your normal housing. It emulates typical estates built in America, by far right, ultra-religious owners of lots of guns. The school would be indoctrinating the pupils into that way of thinking, and the residents would all be white. That it was to be called the Divine Journey Tract, with the access road named DJT Boulevard, will give you clues to its origins. The council has the development plans, should you want to use them to illustrate your reports. I pass you over to DCI Russell.”

Keith stepped forward.

“It has been my duty to take over the case from the firefight onwards. There are a lot of details to be worked through. One thing that I can tell you is that when we raided Taylors' house, we found a young woman there, who told us that she was Taylors’ girlfriend. The investigation already had her picture, taken on Coppergate Walk, where she had been pinpointed as the one who called in the truck, once Mister O’Grady was out in the open.”

The muttering among the reporters was getting loud. Keith put his hand up for quiet.

“I have been looking at the books and at Taylors’ devices, along with representatives of our security services. They will be taking further action, but there is one last thing that I can tell you. Our esteemed Opposition knew about the project and actively supported it. I have seen entries in his diary mentioning MEGA. As you know, that is one of the mantras spoken by the Honourable Leader of the Opposition. This was the first of other housing complexes which would be the template for Making England Great Again. I expect that you should talk to your political reporters to monitor happenings in London. Thank you.”

There was a need for lots of photos of Marilyn, Hannah and John before they could get away. A few even asked if they could get a picture of her bruise! The three of them were given the rest of the day off, to relax. They swapped the special car for one suitable for a DCI, and went back to Old Village, where the two packed their possessions and cleared the units. Marilyn drove them to their homes, so that they could settle back into normal living, starting with a lot of cleaning, after so many weeks of being away. Marilyn drove to O’Gradys’ home, where his widow let her in and sat her at the kitchen table.

“Sit yourself down, Detective. I saw you on the box, this morning, with others telling me why my husband had to die.”

“Yes. That was almost scarier than getting shot.”

“Thank you for everything that you’ve done. I’ve learned a lot more about my husband and his business. I’ve spent hours in the library going through old newspapers. The fact that you were willing to put yourself into so much danger to get his killers speaks volumes. I don’t know how I can thank you.”

“Just look after your children and encourage them to do positive and good things with their life. Sometime, in the future, we’ll be able to do something about his farm. Where it was a place that we found evidence of his criminal past before, it’s now a crime scene where the three of us could have died. Taylor will be charged with attempting to murder a police officer, even before all the other charges, so the site will remain in our hands for some time to come. Hopefully, we’ll be able to release it in time to fund one of your childrens’ university.”

She was there for an hour, talking about a lot of things and being shown some of the pictures that the daughters had done. After that, she went and parked outside York Minster. She went in and sat off to one side, head down. It wasn’t that she was religious, and she didn’t pray, as such. She sat quietly for two hours, contemplating her past and her future, as well as offering up a few words of thanks for allowing her to be still alive. After that, she went home and sent the nanny away, so that she could cuddle her baby.

The next day, they were all back at their desks, putting together the eleven crime folders that would ensure that the Raven would have her wings clipped. The papers were full of the announcements from yesterday. There were many responses from those who had been behind the development, before they had discovered what lengths had been gone to in order to complete the assignment.

A few days later, the three detectives attended a get-together in a pub in Leeds, where they we given patches by the Armed Response team.

Marilyn continued to oversee the combined team, until there came a point where just the one team would be needed to finish the job. Jim Dutton took his team back to their own office to catch up with unfinished jobs. Ginger looked sad as he managed the movement of all the files and hard drives back to their old offices. Slowly, the gym was brought back to its normal use.

Marilyn collected up all her things and put them to one side as the temporary offices were dismantled. The WPCs had all gone back to normal duty and when her phone rang, she was sitting with a cup of tea, talking to Mary. Her bruise was now faded, and the experience was dropping from front of memory.

“DCI Houseman.”

“Marilyn, it’s Brenda. The CS wants you in his office in half an hour. Hannah and John are also invited.”

“Thanks, Brenda. I’ll see you then.”

Mary smiled.

“I heard some of that. I think that it’s awards time.”

“That would be good. It’s just that I don’t have the team to manage any more, and my old place has been taken over by Ginger. It feels odd to be in limbo.”

When she went into the office, it looked like a party was about to happen. There were glasses of champagne and wine, nibbles on the desk, and everyone was smiling. She was welcomed by the CS and introduced to the Chief Constable and the Mayor, with a mayoral office that had oversight with the North Yorkshire police. Hannah and John came in, and they were joined by an official photographer. The CS tapped a glass to get some quiet. The Chief Constable stepped forward.

“Today, we are going to commend the three officers who put their lives on the line to bring conclusion to a very complicated case. Firstly, John Richards. You will receive an award for entering a dangerous situation, knowingly facing armed men in the course of duty. I have a certificate for you now, and you will receive a medal at the annual awards ceremony.”

There were applause and pictures taken.

“Next, Hannah Brightman. You entered the same scene, knowingly facing armed men and shooting one who had shot your DCI. This award is for exceptional decision making in wounding the man who had just shot your DCI. In doing so, you were protecting your colleagues. I have this certificate and a medal will be waiting for you at the annual ceremony.”

There were applause and pictures.

“Now, we come to Marilyn Houseman. Not only the leader of the combined team to arrest the woman who caused the Coppergate Carnage, but who also put herself forward to draw out the main associates of that murderer. Marilyn, this award is for knowingly facing armed men, and also for extreme bravery in the course of your duties. Your name will be added to the list for the Public Choice Award, but, for now, here is your certificate and a medal will be given out at the annual ceremony.”

There were the applause and the photos.

After some talk and handshaking, the mayor left, then the photographer, John and Hannah. Which left Marilyn with the Chief Superintendent and the Chief Constable, who smiled.

“Let’s sit. All this standing around is all right for ceremony, but not good for serious talk.”

When they had sat, he reached into his briefcase and pulled out a thick folder.

“Marilyn, this is your police history. A very impressive history it is as well. You have shown great skills in detecting, but also with working with the public and with other county and city forces. You have friends in high places in Leeds and the West Yorkshire police. You have carried out every job that you’ve been given with dedication and a lot of success. I know that you will be wondering what we have in mind for you, so I’ll put you out of your misery.”

“Thank you, sir. I was rather wondering, now my old team has a new leader.”

“The way that you allowed others to do their jobs over the last few months has been noted. You have shown us that you’re a leader who doesn’t micro-manage. We have a position that is coming vacant in a few weeks. During that few weeks we will be happy to have you in an office in Alverton Court. During that time, you will be co-ordinating this case from there; between us, West Yorkshire, Scotland Yard and the security services. Can you manage that?”

“Yes, sir. I think I can.”

“Good. After that, you will continue to work from that office. You will remain as a DCI, but will be acting as an Assistant Chief Constable, of which there are many there. Your job will be the oversight of Major Crimes, which means that you will still be the boss of the teams here, as well as all the other stations. It will mean a bit of travelling to make yourself known, although, I expect that everyone knows who you are already. Do you have any questions?”

“Will I have staff?”

“You will have a secretary who will be a sergeant who will be fully accredited as an AFO, and a driver, also an AFO. You get to choose them.”

“Thank you, sir. It will take a while for this to be processed in my brain. There are two people who I would trust with my life, and that’s John and Hannah. I think that Hannah would be happier joining an Armed Response Team. I was impressed with CI Harrisons’ description of her actions.”

“I agree. Would you like to talk to her and help her move, if she wants to.”

“I will, sir. Thank you for everything, sir.”

Back down in the gym, there was only Mary making sure that everything was back to normal.

“How was it, Marilyn?”

“Interesting. All three of us have certificates and will be at the annual awards ceremony. My name has been put forward for the public vote.”

“All that money for a good dress. Has your husband bought you jewels recently?”

“Surely you jest! Have you finished here?”

“Yes. I was just about to go back to my old job in the evidence room.”

“Help me put this stuff in my car, please, and we’ll go up to the canteen. It should be a bit quieter at this time of day.”

Up in the canteen, with raisin toast and tea, Marilyn broached the subject.

“I found out what they want me to do. I am to co-ordinate the Raven and Taylor cases. It will be between us, Leeds, London and the spooks.”

“You’ll need an office.”

“They have one that I can use. It’s in the HQ at Alverton Court, North Allerton.”

“That’s odd. I believe that the lowest rank there is Assistant Chief Constable. I grew up in that town and my mother was a cleaner there.”

“You’re right. I’ll still be a DCI, but will be acting ACC. I need a good secretary; how would you like to go back home?”

“I’ll have to talk it over with my other half, but he has family there as well. Any other surprises?”

“My secretary will need to be a sergeant with AFO accreditation.”

“I had that when I was working at another station. There wasn’t enough of us, so we had to double up. Can I get back to you in a couple of days?”

“Yes, you can. I need to talk to a lot of people here, before I go north. After we get the other cases under way, they want me to head up Major Crimes, so will be the overseer of all the teams in North Yorkshire, when there are big things happening.”

Later, that day, she walked into her old office.

“Ginger, I would like to talk to John, in private.”

“All right, Marilyn. I’ll send him in. Anything else?”

“Only that I would like a word with Hannah afterwards.”

When John came in, she asked him if would like to be her driver, working out of the HQ in North Allerton. He agreed straight away and didn’t flinch when he was told that he would have to undergo full AFO training, including some time with the army. Hannah was asked if she would rather be transferred to an Armed Response Team. Her choice was to join CI Harrison. So, Marilyn made a call before she left the office and got Hannah an appointment to see him. Then she went home to prepare something good for dinner and tell Anton about her new job.

A month later, after trips to Leeds and London, the two cases were ready to pass on for trial. A month after that, the new ACC in charge of Major Crime hosted a small dinner party. Present were the three landowners who had been the last to sell, a developer who they were negotiating with, and Mrs. O’Grady. During the course of the meal, the widow was brought up to date with the land deals. The land that Taylor had bought had been forfeited, and the landowners who had remained in the village had bought it back at open land value. They were talking to the developer about a genuine housing estate and made the widow a generous offer for her husbands’ land, which would complete the package. She accepted the offer, a cheque was written, and Marilyn could hand the widow the deeds, which was handed to the new owners.

The developer was talking to the council, who were still keen to see something built. For Marilyn, it was a fitting end to her involvement, now she had bigger things to think about. She was particularly happy that eleven of the streets would be named after the victims of the Coppergate Carnage. She was embarrassed that they wanted three of the streets named after her, John and Hannah. Houseman Drive would lead to Houseman College, in the new village of Greater Marston.

Marianne Gregory © 2026