“That's the guy,” Ricky said. “Couldn't forget his face even if I tried.”

“That's good, son, now try and see if you recognize his accomplice from the next set,” the officer replied as he drew out a second booklet of faces.

It had been several months since the robbery and Ricky was down at the police station to relive it all again. He was happy the police were at least following up and doing their job, although Ricky would have preferred street justice over legal justice. He had been taught as a youth to seek out as soon as possible anyone who threatened, bullied, or harassed him, otherwise fear would grow and become all-consuming. He could feel that fear setting in. Part of Ricky was eager to see his assailants again to enact revenge and possibly get back the 600 quid taken from him, but another part of him was afraid they would re-victimize him if he ever bumped into them again.

After flipping through the multiple pages of faces, some offenders, some not, Ricky suddenly stopped at the page with a photo of the tattoo guy, the man who literally had gone for Ricky's jugular vein during their brief encounter on the streets.

“That's the guy there. His wee pal with the blade,” Ricky said, pointing to the page.

“That's fine. Thank you for coming in,” the officer said. “We will take it from here and will be in touch.” They stood up from the table.

“Can I ask their names before I go?” Ricky asked, optimistically. “I know that was them that I identified in the booklets.”

“I can't disclose that information. But I can tell you that we have several witnesses who are willing to testify, who like yourself have been robbed or assaulted by these two,” the officer stated.

A few weeks later, Ricky received a letter in the mail to attend court in the case against his two attackers, Stephen and Jimmy. At the trial, he came face-to-face with his assailants. Neither of them had made bail following their arrest so they were brought up from the holding cells below the courtroom. Stephen was the tall one and he cockily grinned as he stood there before the sheriff in handcuffs. Jimmy, on the other hand, was looking anxiously down at the ground.