institutions.
'I think
we have covered all bases and the back up plans are as faultless as
we can make them. The police think we have failed miserably so far.
Which is exactly what we want them to think.'
Steve
stubbed out his cigar. 'There's no place here for either cockiness
or complacency. Once the job's done and we can walk away free and
very rich, that's the time to slap ourselves on the back. We have
two weeks before the job. Everyone. Think the rest of the plan
through long and hard in the meantime. If any aspect has the
minutest element we can improve on, we do so. In the meantime,
relax and enjoy the day. Cheers.'
'Cheers.'
Chapter 23
The
detective's had done all they could, both in trying to solve the
crime and find the gang, and also take preventative measures to
identify possible targets, advising the people concerned about any
inadequacies in their security systems. Forensics at both crime
scenes had drawn blanks. All equipment from the surviving hotel had
been methodically taken apart and checked for prints. None were
found. All model and identification marks had been removed from all
electronic parts, down to the smallest resister. Most parts were
generic and commonly sourced.
The
explosives proved untraceable. Top electronic experts had been
impressed by the assembly, commenting on the professional work as
being from a first class craftsman. Other than that accolade,
nothing proved helpful in traceability.
They had
pinned their hopes on the bodies being recovered from the collapsed
building, but they now knew that wasn't about to happen. There were
a hundred ways that dead men could have told them who they were.
Fingerprints, dental records, even an appeal to the public with
pictures of their faces. Just good solid detective work. No bodies,
no leads. That done, the case was put to one side and new crimes
were dealt with.
* * *
'I
suppose a dog could have walked off with it,' said
Crowe.
Morris
stared at the headless body on the railway track. What was it with
him and heads? He remembered one poking up from hardened concrete,
his body completely submerged. Now here he was looking at a body,
the head missing.
'A dog
took the hands, too? That's one big hungry dog. Judging by the
amount of blood sprayed all over the place from the severed parts,
John Doe here was alive at the time the freight train went over
him.'
'So
somebody was waiting close by, then collected the head and hands
when the train had gone by.'
Morris
agreed with that observation. 'We have time of death almost to the
minute. The driver reported a bump on the line about here at nine
thirty seven this evening. He had no idea he had hit a
body.'
'The
train company can by-pass this stretch of line?'
Morris
nodded. 'Not easy, but doable with the twin tracks. They'll all
slow down here until we've finished. Andy? How's it
going?'
'Got
half a boot print,' said Carter. 'Clear. Just waiting for the cast
to set. Seeing as this poor headless guy is completely naked, run
with me on this, detectives, but my gut feeling is it doesn't come
from the dead guy.'
'Is it
me,' whispered Morris, 'But is Carter becoming more of toss-pot
than normal?'
'I
didn't think that was even possible,' said Crowe. 'Hey. Carter.
You're just on rubbish collection. Leave thinking to people used to
it.'
'Sure
thing. When do they get here?'
'Don't
encourage him,' said Morris. 'Andy. Are you stretching the overtime
or can we come down there now?'
'That
depends. What time is it?'
'Eleven
fifty four.'
'Perfect. That covers the tickets for the big
game.'
Crowe
said, 'You're going to the game?'
'Yeah?
So?'
'Eighty
thousand in the crowd; we can't be that unlucky to be sitting next
to you.'
'I'd be
the unlucky one. You two muppets can come over here
now.'
Morris
and Crowe made their way down the bank to the tracks. The lights
made the scene surreal. The air was full of the smell of ancient
oil and diesel fuel. The sleepers were black with oil from decades
of
'I think
we have covered all bases and the back up plans are as faultless as
we can make them. The police think we have failed miserably so far.
Which is exactly what we want them to think.'
Steve
stubbed out his cigar. 'There's no place here for either cockiness
or complacency. Once the job's done and we can walk away free and
very rich, that's the time to slap ourselves on the back. We have
two weeks before the job. Everyone. Think the rest of the plan
through long and hard in the meantime. If any aspect has the
minutest element we can improve on, we do so. In the meantime,
relax and enjoy the day. Cheers.'
'Cheers.'
Chapter 23
The
detective's had done all they could, both in trying to solve the
crime and find the gang, and also take preventative measures to
identify possible targets, advising the people concerned about any
inadequacies in their security systems. Forensics at both crime
scenes had drawn blanks. All equipment from the surviving hotel had
been methodically taken apart and checked for prints. None were
found. All model and identification marks had been removed from all
electronic parts, down to the smallest resister. Most parts were
generic and commonly sourced.
The
explosives proved untraceable. Top electronic experts had been
impressed by the assembly, commenting on the professional work as
being from a first class craftsman. Other than that accolade,
nothing proved helpful in traceability.
They had
pinned their hopes on the bodies being recovered from the collapsed
building, but they now knew that wasn't about to happen. There were
a hundred ways that dead men could have told them who they were.
Fingerprints, dental records, even an appeal to the public with
pictures of their faces. Just good solid detective work. No bodies,
no leads. That done, the case was put to one side and new crimes
were dealt with.
* * *
'I
suppose a dog could have walked off with it,' said
Crowe.
Morris
stared at the headless body on the railway track. What was it with
him and heads? He remembered one poking up from hardened concrete,
his body completely submerged. Now here he was looking at a body,
the head missing.
'A dog
took the hands, too? That's one big hungry dog. Judging by the
amount of blood sprayed all over the place from the severed parts,
John Doe here was alive at the time the freight train went over
him.'
'So
somebody was waiting close by, then collected the head and hands
when the train had gone by.'
Morris
agreed with that observation. 'We have time of death almost to the
minute. The driver reported a bump on the line about here at nine
thirty seven this evening. He had no idea he had hit a
body.'
'The
train company can by-pass this stretch of line?'
Morris
nodded. 'Not easy, but doable with the twin tracks. They'll all
slow down here until we've finished. Andy? How's it
going?'
'Got
half a boot print,' said Carter. 'Clear. Just waiting for the cast
to set. Seeing as this poor headless guy is completely naked, run
with me on this, detectives, but my gut feeling is it doesn't come
from the dead guy.'
'Is it
me,' whispered Morris, 'But is Carter becoming more of toss-pot
than normal?'
'I
didn't think that was even possible,' said Crowe. 'Hey. Carter.
You're just on rubbish collection. Leave thinking to people used to
it.'
'Sure
thing. When do they get here?'
'Don't
encourage him,' said Morris. 'Andy. Are you stretching the overtime
or can we come down there now?'
'That
depends. What time is it?'
'Eleven
fifty four.'
'Perfect. That covers the tickets for the big
game.'
Crowe
said, 'You're going to the game?'
'Yeah?
So?'
'Eighty
thousand in the crowd; we can't be that unlucky to be sitting next
to you.'
'I'd be
the unlucky one. You two muppets can come over here
now.'
Morris
and Crowe made their way down the bank to the tracks. The lights
made the scene surreal. The air was full of the smell of ancient
oil and diesel fuel. The sleepers were black with oil from decades
of
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