Revenge streak di sara r.., p.1
Revenge Streak (DI Sara Ramsey Book 22), page 1
REVENGE STREAK
DI SARA RAMSEY
BOOK TWENTY-TWO
M A COMLEY
Copyright © 2023 by M A Comley
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
For Mum, you never let me down, thank you for giving me the tools and the backing to begin this incredible journey.
Miss you every minute of every day, you truly were a Mum in a million. My heart, my soul.
CONTENTS
Acknowledgments
Also by M A Comley
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Epilogue
Keep in touch with M A Comley
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Special thanks as always go to @studioenp for their superb cover design expertise.
My heartfelt thanks go to my wonderful editor Emmy, and my proofreaders Joseph and Barbara for spotting all the lingering nits.
Thank you also to my amazing ARC Group who help to keep me sane during this process.
To Mary, gone, but never forgotten. I hope you found the peace you were searching for my dear friend. I miss you each and every day.
ALSO BY M A COMLEY
Blind Justice (Novella)
Cruel Justice (Book #1)
Mortal Justice (Novella)
Impeding Justice (Book #2)
Final Justice (Book #3)
Foul Justice (Book #4)
Guaranteed Justice (Book #5)
Ultimate Justice (Book #6)
Virtual Justice (Book #7)
Hostile Justice (Book #8)
Tortured Justice (Book #9)
Rough Justice (Book #10)
Dubious Justice (Book #11)
Calculated Justice (Book #12)
Twisted Justice (Book #13)
Justice at Christmas (Short Story)
Prime Justice (Book #14)
Heroic Justice (Book #15)
Shameful Justice (Book #16)
Immoral Justice (Book #17)
Toxic Justice (Book #18)
Overdue Justice (Book #19)
Unfair Justice (a 10,000 word short story)
Irrational Justice (a 10,000 word short story)
Seeking Justice (a 15,000 word novella)
Caring For Justice (a 24,000 word novella)
Savage Justice ( a 17,000 word novella)
Justice at Christmas #2 (a 15,000 word novella)
Gone in Seconds (Justice Again series #1)
Ultimate Dilemma (Justice Again series #2)
Shot of Silence (Justice Again series #3)
Taste of Fury (Justice Again series #4)
Crying Shame (Justice Again series #5)
See No Evil (Justice Again #6)
To Die For (DI Sam Cobbs #1)
To Silence Them (DI Sam Cobbs #2)
To Make Them Pay (DI Sam Cobbs #3)
To Prove Fatal (DI Sam Cobbs #4)
To Condemn Them (DI Sam Cobbs #5)
To Punish Them (DI Sam Cobbs #6)
To Entice Them (DI Sam Cobbs #7)
To Control Them (DI Sam Cobbs #8)
To Endanger Lives (DI Sam Cobbs #9)
To Hold Responsible (DI Sam Cobbs #10)
To Catch a Killer (DI Sam Cobbs #11)
To Believe The Truth (DI Sam Cobbs #12)
Forever Watching You (DI Miranda Carr thriller)
Wrong Place (DI Sally Parker thriller #1)
No Hiding Place (DI Sally Parker thriller #2)
Cold Case (DI Sally Parker thriller#3)
Deadly Encounter (DI Sally Parker thriller #4)
Lost Innocence (DI Sally Parker thriller #5)
Goodbye My Precious Child (DI Sally Parker #6)
The Missing Wife (DI Sally Parker #7)
Truth or Dare (DI Sally Parker #8)
Where Did She Go? (DI Sally Parker #9)
Sinner (DI Sally Parker #10)
The Good Die Young (DI Sally Parker #11)
Coping Without You (DI Sally Parker #12)
Web of Deceit (DI Sally Parker Novella)
The Missing Children (DI Kayli Bright #1)
Killer On The Run (DI Kayli Bright #2)
Hidden Agenda (DI Kayli Bright #3)
Murderous Betrayal (Kayli Bright #4)
Dying Breath (Kayli Bright #5)
Taken (DI Kayli Bright #6)
The Hostage Takers (DI Kayli Bright Novella)
No Right to Kill (DI Sara Ramsey #1)
Killer Blow (DI Sara Ramsey #2)
The Dead Can’t Speak (DI Sara Ramsey #3)
Deluded (DI Sara Ramsey #4)
The Murder Pact (DI Sara Ramsey #5)
Twisted Revenge (DI Sara Ramsey #6)
The Lies She Told (DI Sara Ramsey #7)
For The Love Of… (DI Sara Ramsey #8)
Run for Your Life (DI Sara Ramsey #9)
Cold Mercy (DI Sara Ramsey #10)
Sign of Evil (DI Sara Ramsey #11)
Indefensible (DI Sara Ramsey #12)
Locked Away (DI Sara Ramsey #13)
I Can See You (DI Sara Ramsey #14)
The Kill List (DI Sara Ramsey #15)
Crossing The Line (DI Sara Ramsey #16)
Time to Kill (DI Sara Ramsey #17)
Deadly Passion (DI Sara Ramsey #18)
Son Of The Dead (DI Sara Ramsey #19)
Evil Intent (DI Sara Ramsey #20)
The Games People Play (DI Sara Ramsey #21)
Revenge Streak (DI Sara Ramsey #22)
Seeking Retribution (DI Sara Ramsey #23)
I Know The Truth (A Psychological thriller)
She’s Gone (A psychological thriller)
Shattered Lives (A psychological thriller)
Evil In Disguise – a novel based on True events
Deadly Act (Hero series novella)
Torn Apart (Hero series #1)
End Result (Hero series #2)
In Plain Sight (Hero Series #3)
Double Jeopardy (Hero Series #4)
Criminal Actions (Hero Series #5)
Regrets Mean Nothing (Hero series #6)
Prowlers (Di Hero Series #7)
Sole Intention (Intention series #1)
Grave Intention (Intention series #2)
Devious Intention (Intention #3)
Cozy mysteries
Murder at the Wedding
Murder at the Hotel
Murder by the Sea
Death on the Coast
Death By Association
Merry Widow (A Lorne Simpkins short story)
It’s A Dog’s Life (A Lorne Simpkins short story)
A Time To Heal (A Sweet Romance)
A Time For Change (A Sweet Romance)
High Spirits
The Temptation series (Romantic Suspense/New Adult Novellas)
Past Temptation
Lost Temptation
Clever Deception (co-written by Linda S Prather)
Tragic Deception (co-written by Linda S Prather)
Sinful Deception (co-written by Linda S Prather)
PROLOGUE
The night was crisp but thankfully dry. It was to be expected with Christmas just around the corner. Joshua had been at the pub for a couple of hours, mainly to get away from his nagging wife. His phone rang. He was tempted to ignore it, knowing that it was bound to be her. But after a brief consideration, he muttered a few expletives and removed it from his pocket.
Damn, woman, give me some peace for one night, will you?
“Hello, sweetheart.”
“Joshua Smith, don’t tell me you’re still throwing pints of beer down that scrawny neck of yours. Have you seen the time?”
He paused under a streetlight and looked at his watch. “Oh dear, yes, it is rather late. You told me there was no rush to get home this evening, so why are you calling me now, demanding to know where I am?”
“For your information, I’m not demanding anything. All I’m doing is pointing out the facts… as usual. Why do you insist on going back on your word?”
“I’m not. Your parting words to me before I left the house were, and I distinctly remember this, for me to have a good time and not to hurry back because you had a lot of work you needed to catch up on in the office this evening.”
“Okay, you’ve got me there. Fortunately, I’ve completed all my paperwork and the housework I needed to do. How long are you going to be?”
“I’m five minutes from the house, unless you want me to turn back to the pub? You could nip out and join me there.”
“No, I’ll give it a miss. Don’t be long.”
His wife ended the call.
“I won’t.” He tucked his phone back into his jacket pocket, pulled up his collar to ward off the chill that was seeping into his bones now that he’d stopped walking, and prepared to set off again.
A man wearing a hooded jacket approached him from the other end of the alley.
“Evening, nice one for a stroll,” Joshua muttered as the man passed him by.
The stranger mumbled something in response and strolled past. Joshua shrugged and set off again. He hadn’t g
“You fucking scum. I told you I’d make you pay for what you did… one day.”
“You! But why? How has it come to this? Help me, I need to get to the hospital.”
Joshua reached out a hand for assistance, but the hooded man kicked his arm away with force and he ended up face-first on the ground. The pain in his back intensified, crippling him. He was stumped after having consumed one too many pints this evening to be thinking clearly.
The stranger stood over him and laughed. “I said you wouldn’t get the upper hand over me. You should have listened to the warnings. I gave you plenty of chances to back off. Bloody-minded, that’s your trouble, and now look where it has led you. You’ll never see your wife or son again, not now, not by the time I’ve finished with you.”
The knife entered Joshua’s body multiple times. He should have cried out for help, but the wind had been knocked out of him, all his faculties hampered by his lack of coherence.
Why did I drink so much? Was he there, at the pub? Watching me, waiting to pounce when the opportunity presented itself? My God, is this how my life is going to end? Five minutes from home, down a filthy alley?
The blade pierced his skin for what seemed to be the fiftieth time. He wasn’t a religious man, but he was tonight as he sought God’s forgiveness and His assistance to end his agony swiftly. He was aware there was no way back for him now, even if someone was to stumble across his body within the next ten minutes or so.
“You need to be taught a lesson. You’re a nobody, you should have left well alone, then you wouldn’t be in this mess, would you? A few more jabs and I’ll leave you to die.”
His assailant continued, jab after jab, until Joshua lay there, the light fading rapidly, his breath becoming more and more shallow. His final thoughts remained with his wife and their son. It had been a pleasure raising him, he was a chip off the old block for definite.
Farewell to both of you. I shall miss you. See you on the other side.
CHAPTER 1
It had been a hectic evening so far. Mark had come home later than usual, leaving Sara to fend for them in the kitchen, her least favourite chore.
“I said I would knock something up when I got home. You needn’t have gone to all this trouble, but I appreciate your efforts. It smells delicious.”
“Not up to your fabulous standards, but I’ve done my best. Get cleaned up and I’ll dish up the stir-fry before everything goes too far and looks limp.”
“You worry too much.”
“It’s your fault. You’re such an exceptional cook that anything I’m likely to serve up is crap in comparison.”
“Nonsense. Says who? You will never hear me slating your attempts in the kitchen. I’ll just have a quick wash and get changed, be down before you know it. Have we got rice or noodles with it?”
“I thought noodles would be better. Saying that, I think I’ve overcooked them.”
“Have faith in your abilities. You’re in control, that’s all you have to remember. If you think things are cooking too fast, lower the heat or better still, turn it off. You don’t have to have the pots constantly boiling all the time.”
“I know. I’ve learnt that the hard way. This is the second pot of noodles I’ve cooked today.”
He kissed her on the nose and inspected the pot. “See, they’re fine. I’ll be two ticks. You can start dishing up if you want.”
“I’m a coward, I think you should do it.”
He tutted and tore out of the kitchen. Sara boiled a kettle, ready to rinse the noodles. Mark’s phone rang on the counter, and she was in a complete quandary whether to answer it or not. She placed the pot and sieve on the draining board and reached for it, but the phone fell silent. Mark came back into the room.
“Sorry, I tried to answer it, but I was too late.”
He smiled. “You had your hands full. Want me to take over now? I wouldn’t want to step on your toes, not when you’re doing so well.”
“Get away with you. I’m exhausted. Please do, I need to get myself a drink. Want a beer?”
“Wonderful. Whoever it was, I’ll ring them back later.”
Sara prepared the drinks and handed Mark his, but he politely rejected it.
“Pop it on the table, I’m otherwise engaged at the moment.”
She gave an embarrassed chuckle and quickly laid the table, something she’d neglected to do whilst freaking out at the stove.
Mark served up their meals and carried the plates to the table. He took a sip from his lager and said, “This is fabulous. I’m fed up with you putting yourself down in the kitchen, there’s nothing wrong with what you’ve created and, I repeat, you should have more faith in your abilities.”
Sara blushed. “You did all the hard work, making it look presentable.”
“You’re an idiot.” He took a mouthful and sighed. “As expected, it tastes fine, more than fine…” His eyes widened, and his tongue ran the length of his lips. He downed half a bottle of lager before he spoke again. “Umm… did you put chilli in this?”
“Yes, why? Is it too much?” Sara hadn’t had the courage to taste hers yet. She picked out a piece of chicken and nibbled at the corner, then swiftly dropped her fork and gulped down half a glass of wine. “Oh heck. Umm… in my defence, the stopper came off the bottle as I was shaking it.”
Mark laughed and stood. He left the table and returned with the sugar canister and some crème fraîche. He added a spoonful of each to his dinner, stirred it and tasted it again.
“You’re taking your life into your hands doing that, aren’t you?” she asked, disappointed with her effort.
“It’s fine now. Here, try it.” He stuck his fork in and fed her some chicken and bean sprouts from his plate.
Reluctantly, she opened her mouth and was shocked at the difference. “Now that’s passable.”
He pulled her plate towards him, stirred in a spoonful of sugar and crème fraîche and gave it back to her. “Where there’s a will. Eat it, it’s fine.”
They were halfway through their meal, enjoying it now that Mark had rescued it from being thrown in the bin. It was then that he decided to check his phone to see who the missed call was from.
“Who was it?” Sara sampled another mouthful of stir-fry.
“It was Dad. I’ll give him a call back later, after I’ve done the washing-up.”
“No, you won’t, I’ll do that. It must be urgent if he’s calling you during the week.”
Mark fell silent but continued to tuck into his dinner. He eventually pushed his plate to one side, the majority of his stir-fry eaten, and rang his father back. He put the phone on speaker. “Hey, Dad, how are you? Sorry for the delay, we were eating dinner.”
“Ah, I wasn’t sure if you’d be eating yet or not. We have some news for you. Maybe we should ring you back later, once you’ve completed your meal.”
“No, it’s fine. Sara’s here, we’re both listening. You sound concerned, what’s wrong?”
His father sighed a few times.
Mark instinctively reached for Sara’s hand. “Dad, you’re worrying me now. Tell us what’s going on.”
“Okay, well, there’s no easy way of telling you this… your mother hasn’t been too well lately, having headaches and dizzy spells. I made her go to the doctor’s last week. He sent her for an emergency CT scan when she stumbled and fell at the surgery.”
“You never said. Oh God, what’s wrong with her?”
“I’m all right, Mark, there’s no need for you to worry, it’s all in hand. I told your father not to ring you. You have your own life to lead. You don’t want to hear all our woes when you have a hectic schedule yourself.”
“Mum, that’s enough,” Mark quickly admonished her. “If there’s something wrong, I need to know. What’s going on?”
His grip tightened around Sara’s hand. She smiled at him, but his expression remained one of concern for his mother.
“Mum?” he asked again.
“There’s an abnormality in my brain, dear. I’ve got to go for further tests before they’re willing to offer any kind of prognosis.”
Mark closed his eyes and shook his head. Sara could tell the news wasn’t good. Despite him being a vet, she knew he was aware of what was being said. Sara’s heart lurched, and she could do little to prevent the tears from forming in her tired eyes.
