Houser sweated through his uniform as he stared at the masked figure in front of him. He was cuffed to the chair and breathed heavily through his nose after taking a beating to his torso and legs. The man had yet to speak despite Houser screaming for an explanation. They were in an abandoned house on the city’s outskirts, a place Houser knew well because he picked up his payments here.
Tonight he’d come and expected to find the bag of cash. Instead, Houser had discovered a burned pile of money and a crack to the back of his skull. His attacker had beaten him senseless when he’d awakened but always avoided his face and hands. Places where marks would be seen.
“I’m a cop jackass; you’re dead when I get free.” Houser spat blood on the floor. The man moved around a camera and set it facing Houser. He had no idea what was happening, but this didn’t seem good.
“Well aware you’re a dirty cop. Now asshole, you’re going to confess each time you’ve taken a backhander, and which cases influenced that. And you will die tonight, either quickly with a bullet in the brain or burned one limb at a time,” the man finally spoke. An idea niggled at the back of Houser’s mind, and he shoved it away. Houser didn’t wish to entertain that idle thought.
“Ain’t gonna be the one dying tonight,” Houser sneered, and the figure laughed. Houser’s head jerked. He recognised that laughter, but he didn’t know where from.
“Yeah, the cops are searching for me. Well, guess what, asshole, you found me. And now I demand justice for your victims,” the guy answered, moving into the moonlight. Houser swallowed hard as the thought became full-blown fear. Houser stared at the man on SPD’s radar for several murders brought about in the name of Justice.
“You’re him,” Houser said weakly and felt any hope of freeing himself fade.
“I’m Justice, and you’re a dirty cop. You know how I wield justice, two ways, easy or hard.” Justice folded his arms across his chest and waited.
“I’ll confess,” Houser whispered, resigned to a bullet through the head being the least painful. He’d read the reports about how Justice tortured his victims by burning them. The media hadn’t copped on there was a serial killer in Spearfish. After Frenzy and Taxman, in Rapid City, the department wanted it kept on the lowdown.
“Every single crime, and remember, I already know what they are,” Justice growled and set the camera rolling. Justice’s eyes rose a few times at a couple of cases he’d clearly not been aware of, but he didn’t say a word.
Houser had been on the take for five years, working with Tanner, and he admitted that he’d been the one to shoot Janet Revers on Hellfire’s forecourt. Houser could see the anger burning within Justice’s eyes the more he confessed. He was responsible for eight deaths of innocent witnesses, the murder of a private eye’s family and the sub-sequential suicide of the aforementioned. Houser had turned a blind eye to victims who’d been beaten and come forward and helped lose evidence on Tanner no less than six times. That was without the other crimes he’d committed. Houser knew he would die tonight, and the look on Justice’s face convinced him it wouldn’t be with a clean bullet. Once Houser stopped speaking, he took a deep breath and eyed Justice.
“You’re dirtier than I thought. Your confession will go to Chief Holmes and the media. Houser, your name will be reviled and spat upon for being the true asshole you are,” Justice drawled as his sharp eyes pierced into Houser.
“I’ll be dead; I won’t give a fuck,” Houser almost crowed. He slipped and let Justice see his smugness, that he believed Justice would make this quick. Houser had thrown aside caution because he hoped a quick bullet to the head was coming his way. Houser thought he could throw down and go out with the big man instead of the pissant he was. Houser was wrong. Fear in his eyes, Houser watched as Justice picked up the gas can and grinned.
???
Lio
“Shit’s out!” Phil Gold called to Lio Hawthorne as he banged into the office.
“Huh?” Lio asked, glancing up from a report. He rubbed his eyes tiredly as Chief Holmes entered after them.
“Staffroom now,” Wilson Holmes growled, beyond angry. Lio rose to his feet and followed them. “That footage still paused, Jaggers?”
“Yeah, chief,” Jaggers replied, nodding at Lio and Phil. The other two detectives slipped in behind them, and Lio noted the room was already crowded. Deveraux, the newest detective, nodded at them. Spearfish had run with three detectives for years, but somehow they’d had Deveraux shunted to them, and the man had become permanent. Lio and Phil weren’t sure how to take him.
“Press play,” the chief ordered, and Lio’s attention swapped to the tv on the wall. The local news came on, and Lio experienced a punch to the gut. A perky woman was standing outside the police station.
“It was four hours ago that this reporter received a disturbing email with camera footage showing Spearfish Police Officer Houser confessing his crimes. Houser admitted to being paid under the table to lose evidence and give addresses of witnesses. The man employing him is a suspected criminal identified by the name Tanner, whose whereabouts are unknown.” A shot of Houser appeared on the screen.
“Officer Houser had been tied to a chair but was unharmed as he confessed to his corruption. At the end of the video, a male now known as Justice showed a statement, stating that wherever the courts and justice fail, he’ll be waiting. On further investigation, I have discovered that there are no less than thirty Justice kills, including some very well-known names. Chief Holmes has declined to comment that he appears to have harboured a dirty cop and refuses any comment on the vigilante Justice. We promise to keep you apprised of further developments. Reporting for Local News, Tallie Bains reporting.” A three-minute video played out before Lio’s disbelieving eyes, where Houser admitted to giving Tanner a witness’s safe address and how much he got paid for it.
“Fuck me!” Lio exploded and threw his mug at the wall.
“For months, we kept this quiet so we could investigate, and we’re back at square one with the news up our asses.” Phil cursed.
“And every case Houser worked on will come under re-consideration,” Chief Holmes snarled.
“The feds are taking over. Got no choice now. The story is out. How long before they find out Justice has over two hundred kills to his name, and we’ve known for nine months? The PR is going to burn our asses,” Holmes said.
“Everyone out,” Deveraux ordered, and the chief raised an eyebrow. Holmes let the detective have his way as he sensed there was something Deveraux was about to confess.
“We ain’t gonna come out looking good on this,” Phil added, shaking his head. “All our hard work, and for what? To have it blow up in our faces? And we still ain’t no closer to Justice or how he picks his victims.”
“Yeah, and the fact the asshole’s been killing for at least fifteen years before SPD discovered him? Those videos are on the black web; someone will talk,” Deveraux said, stepping forward.
“And what of it, newbie?” Lio snapped, spinning around.