Part 7 - The Case Explodes

The Case Explodes

It had taken Sydney all night to learn how to make a home made latch bomb and place it in the first case that was supposed to house cash. It was a simple device that he’d tested in the
old deserted quarry and Bob was indeed your uncle. Ker-boom.

As he walked into the quickly filling up Dot’s Baps Café he knew he ought really to be terrified, but in fact he felt calm, excited even. His plan was simple. The honour of the first case to be opened had already been set aside to go to the biggest thug in town, Mickey ‘Two Fingers’ Walsh. He actually had all his digits but was famed for using just two of them in a unique form of torture that included live mice, olive oil and a lot of cleaning up afterwards. It was Mickey’s trademark.

So Sydney reasoned that he’d give out all the cases, 12 in all, and then wait for the room to quieten as all eyes turned to Mickey who would wink at the room, rub his hands together and then blow himself up to smithereens, taking with him many of the capitals leading thugs and making Sydney a living legend. Of course Sydney would have left for a toilet break just as Mickey got down to business and his oldest friend and driver, waiting with all the money the firm did actually have in a 13th suitcase, would whisk him away to a new life on a little unheard of island somewhere near Gambia.

The plan was set and as all the cast arrived for the big meet, DI Collins and her team and indeed several other drafted in teams, waited in hiding for the afternoon’s events to unfold.

‘What ye uptee the neet Jackie love?’ crackled the police radio.

‘Who said that!’ asked DI Collins.

‘I think what Clive was asking, maybe by way of a keeping us all calm, was what you are doing later tonight Jackie?’ offered the Chief Super helpfully.

‘Right. Thanks boss. I think if we can keep comms strictly to the events unfurling before us then that would be very helpful Clive.’

‘Reet lass. Deed canny on your part,’ replied Clive, who was lying under a bush in the car park hidden in a bush outfit.

Inside the meeting had begun. The locals including a couple of traffic cops in for their afternoon custard and rhubarb donuts, had wisely given the larger gathering a wide birth. Dot, who did know who most of the group were, had provided her best baps, best China teapots and then hot tailed it to the safety of her counter.

Arthur took the lead. Wearing one of his favoured thick chalk striped navy suits made for him by Stanley Chambers in Saville Row, and his extra large in-soles catapulting him up to five and a half feet, he stood and addressed the room.

‘Stand up Arthur,’ shouted Mickey to much hilarity. Arthur returned the insult with a smile and continued.

‘Welcome dear family. We’ve worked hard for this city of ours for many years now. We are the ones who truly keep the law and order. We are to be thanked and today please find the promised thank you gift.’ At this Arthur turned to Sydney who produced one fetching Rimowa classic cabin suitcase after another to the waiting mobsters.

As the crowd headed back to their seats all eyes turned to the table at the back and Mickey ‘Two-Fingers’ who had the honour of looking at his ten million pounds in used £20’s first.

Sydney had already exited stage left and as he walked at pace past the mens loos and opened the fire escape door, the explosion from the restaurant quite literally took the roof off. Sydney, now sprinting through debris flying through the air, ran towards the waiting getaway car sat handily just around the corner with its engine humming and pointing towards the A5 trunk road and redemption.

‘Go, go, go!!’ he shouted as he threw himself into the back of the slick black Lexus LS 500 F Sport and away they shot. As Sydney’s breathing slowed down, he lifted himself up and threw his phone out of the window. Closing the window he then settled back into his seat noticing, as he did so, that the driver under his usual dark blue Yankees baseball cap was not Gerald , his old school pal, but rather a lady.

‘Would you mind pulling over?’ Sydney asked in a somewhat worried voice.

‘Certainly sir,’ replied DI Jackie Collins, ‘my absolute pleasure.’

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