User:Whertie/McCarthy/friday 13

"Friday the 13th" (French: Vendredi 13) is the first short story written by Francis Lamontagne. It first appeared in the first volume of The Adventures of James McCarthy, published in ??? with illustrations by ???.

Detailed storyline
The story, set on June 13, 1998, follows police officers James McCarthy and Richard Barton as they attempt to absolve the supposed culprit of a murder. McCarthy and Barton travel to work at the police department, and when they come in, they see their colleague Neville Wilson being under arrest. Chief of police William Grey explains that Wilson was caught for having shot a man in Coleman Street, in front of near forty witnesses. McCarthy and Barton interrogate Wilson about the event. Wilson explains that he is innocent and that his story is quite strange.

Seven days before, he went to a funfair at Bishopsgate. By curiosity — he does not believe to clairvoyance —, he went in a medium tent to see what it is like. The medium told him to sit besides her and read his hand lines. Then she screamed and predicted a great misfortune which will happen in one week, on Friday the 13th. Not believing to these insanities, he went out of the tent. He was insulted and thought it was a swindle, so he told the story to his superstitious friend. He was panicked and warn him of being careful. Some days before, he had moved to the apartment 666, besides his own apartment in renovation, and his friend was very scared. Today, on Friday, he had no work, so he took a promenade in the City. He took his police gun with him, in case that he had to use it. He first walked under a ladder, who almost falled on him. Then he met a troop of cats who ran after him down Walbrook for the cookies he had in his pockets. At the end of the street, a car missed to crush him and when he turned into Coleman Street, he was going to hit a man walking in the opposite direction when a fire shot was heard and that the man fell down. He took out his gun instinctively and looked for the culprit, but witnesses saw the scene and thought he shot the man. He explains in vain that he is a police officer, but his badge and papers were at his home. Other police officers who did not know him took him to the police department, while the victim was transported to hospital.

McCarthy and Barton left him and went in the archive room to identify the victim. His name was Raphael Lovegood. They went to the hospital and interrogate him. He explained that he was unemployed, and that one of his ancient colleagues, Brian Ross, had advanced him some money to buy a new property. He had a debt and Ross wanted him to reimburse, but he could not because of his low pay. Ross threatened him of death if he would not pay before Tuesday the 10th. He did not believe it and Ross became angry. He told it is certainly him who shot him to revenge himself.

With these new informations, McCarthy and Barton came out and drove to Barton's home, in St. John's Wood. The weather became stormy with violent winds. When they arrived, McCarthy called the Inspector Wildcliffe and told him to come. When he arrived, he stated his view of the case. He thought Brian Ross was the shooter. It is simple : Ross advances money to Lovegood, but he does not pay him back. Ross warns him agan, but Lovegood does not pay back. Ross becomes angry, so he decides to clear him away. He shoots him, but it is Neville Wilson who is thought to be the criminal. Then, Ross takes dispositions to quit the country.

Barton alerted all the police departments in and around the Greater London and gave them the description of Ross. A police department of Surrey reported that Ross and another man travelled to South. Another report came from the West Sussex in which Ross and his accomplice were seen near Crawley. McCarthy, thinking they were going to flee by plane at the Gatwick Airport, decided to go there.

The three men arrived there when a ferry was leaving in five minutes. Wildcliffe alerts all the security guards and tell them to look for the criminals in the ferry. After a few minutes, fire shots and shouts were heard. Brian Ross and his accomplice went out with a gun in their hand, running to a near car. Barton, Wildcliffe and McCarthy started running after them. As the car starts, Wildcliffe shoots at the tires. The two criminals get out of the car and shoot at the police officers, but Barton is faster and hurts the accomplice to the chest, killing him. Ross, in extreme rage, escapes, but the three officers shoot at him and he falls, his legs severely damaged. He is taken to the nearest police department by a passenger who knows where there is one.

Ross gives his deposition and is taken to London police department. The three officers go back to London and everything finishes well.