Read Online The Perfect Crime by Roger Forsdyke - Free Book Online
Authors: Roger Forsdyke
Ads: Link
would catch in the back of your throat. A robust blend of shit, with a strong initial rush of urine, a soupçon of cabbage water, a cheeky overtone of stale festering sweat, the subtle aroma of unwashed feet, fermenting inside old, unwashed socks and a long lingering finish with a sly hint of disinfectant. A horrible, sickly, cloying assault on his olfactory sense, microscopically short of full blown putrefaction. Every police station cell block he ever worked in was similarly whiffy and Pentonville provided an unwelcome, stomach churning, come-to-daddy. He filled his lungs with fresh London air and headed on down Caledonian Road to the tube station.
Before his release he and other inmates about to get out, were given a lecture on (not) re-offending. He’d been given back the ten year-old clothes back he’d arrived in prison with and a generous state presented him with a fiver to be getting on with. No wonder most of them are back inside before you can say ‘ remanded in custody’ . They’d piss that up the wall on their first night out . They’d have nowhere to stay and what do you know ? They would resort to the only way they knew of making ends meet . Crime . Again .
Many years ago, he’d started to accumulate proceeds from his corrupt dealings and even without the last ten years of (increasing, involuntary) interest it amounted to a substantial stash. Mind you, this wasn’t quite the rainy day he’d envisaged when starting to put it by. They would never see him again, not unless he suffered the misfortune to come across them in Spain – but although that promised land beckoned, there were old scores to settle first.
He took the tube to Holborn, where he changed onto the Central line, travelling east. His informant told him that the Groats had moved from Leytonstone to a bigger house in Loughton. He wanted to be conveniently close, but not so near that he had to keep avoiding them. Neither did he want them catching sight of him while they were out shopping, or driving around. He’d grown a full beard whilst inside and lost a considerable amount of weight, so he doubted that they would recognise him, even if they did see him. They won’t be expecting me – not now , not here , anyway .
The second letting agency he visited in Wanstead came up trumps. A ground floor flat on Hickling Road, Ilford. They’d wanted references, but he put down twice the deposit they asked for, which sorted that. It was a nice anonymous sort of place, not far from Ilford Lane. Upstairs neighbours were a bit noisy, eccentric even for a young couple, but they were absorbed in each other and took little or no notice of him, which was ideal.
Next he went hunting amongst the cornucopia of second hand car dealerships along the High Road, out towards Seven Kings and Romford, eventually settling on an anonymous looking, deep sea green, three year old Volkswagen Beetle 1302S.
Perfect.
*
Dr H Milne – interview notes.
Tell me how your plan – ‘The Plan’ – developed.
I were doing all right with the housebreaking, then, one night, instead of a private house – which was what it looked like from the back – I found myself in a shop, only this shop were also a sub-post office. I stood there looking at the safe. This was it – the opportunity to have a go at the big time, but I couldn’t immediately think how to go about it. I would need to do a lot of planning – and some very different kit. I’d only targeted houses whose occupiers I thought could stand losing a bit of cash, but this was entirely different. This money did not belong to any one person. It were government money. They would never feel it if a bit went missing – and if they did, they could print some more. I’m not sure I even took anything from there, that night. I decided to go home and make some good campaign plans.
Can you remember when this was?
Nineteen seventy, happen. Back end, probably.
FOURTEEN
Groat could not believe his good fortune.
Before his release he and other inmates about to get out, were given a lecture on (not) re-offending. He’d been given back the ten year-old clothes back he’d arrived in prison with and a generous state presented him with a fiver to be getting on with. No wonder most of them are back inside before you can say ‘ remanded in custody’ . They’d piss that up the wall on their first night out . They’d have nowhere to stay and what do you know ? They would resort to the only way they knew of making ends meet . Crime . Again .
Many years ago, he’d started to accumulate proceeds from his corrupt dealings and even without the last ten years of (increasing, involuntary) interest it amounted to a substantial stash. Mind you, this wasn’t quite the rainy day he’d envisaged when starting to put it by. They would never see him again, not unless he suffered the misfortune to come across them in Spain – but although that promised land beckoned, there were old scores to settle first.
He took the tube to Holborn, where he changed onto the Central line, travelling east. His informant told him that the Groats had moved from Leytonstone to a bigger house in Loughton. He wanted to be conveniently close, but not so near that he had to keep avoiding them. Neither did he want them catching sight of him while they were out shopping, or driving around. He’d grown a full beard whilst inside and lost a considerable amount of weight, so he doubted that they would recognise him, even if they did see him. They won’t be expecting me – not now , not here , anyway .
The second letting agency he visited in Wanstead came up trumps. A ground floor flat on Hickling Road, Ilford. They’d wanted references, but he put down twice the deposit they asked for, which sorted that. It was a nice anonymous sort of place, not far from Ilford Lane. Upstairs neighbours were a bit noisy, eccentric even for a young couple, but they were absorbed in each other and took little or no notice of him, which was ideal.
Next he went hunting amongst the cornucopia of second hand car dealerships along the High Road, out towards Seven Kings and Romford, eventually settling on an anonymous looking, deep sea green, three year old Volkswagen Beetle 1302S.
Perfect.
*
Dr H Milne – interview notes.
Tell me how your plan – ‘The Plan’ – developed.
I were doing all right with the housebreaking, then, one night, instead of a private house – which was what it looked like from the back – I found myself in a shop, only this shop were also a sub-post office. I stood there looking at the safe. This was it – the opportunity to have a go at the big time, but I couldn’t immediately think how to go about it. I would need to do a lot of planning – and some very different kit. I’d only targeted houses whose occupiers I thought could stand losing a bit of cash, but this was entirely different. This money did not belong to any one person. It were government money. They would never feel it if a bit went missing – and if they did, they could print some more. I’m not sure I even took anything from there, that night. I decided to go home and make some good campaign plans.
Can you remember when this was?
Nineteen seventy, happen. Back end, probably.
FOURTEEN
Groat could not believe his good fortune.
Similar Books
