Anyone wishing to read the first part of this story can find it here:-
Cops and robbers (Part 1)
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Aaah, this truly was the life he deserved, a beautiful sprawling house with its own private beach, speed boat tied up at the private jetty, an endless string of caribbean babes to help him pass the time, and a neverending supply of fine rum and sunshine...
Yes, this was definitely the life for him.
Ex Detective Inspector Bennett eased himself more comfortably into the sun-lounger, and took a long, slow drink from his iced cocktail, a gentle breeze touched his sun-bronzed face, he smiled to himself, he was smiling a lot lately, especially when he recalled the events from a few short months ago...
It seemed like a lifetime ago, another life, another world.
Everyone was so surprised when he suddenly decided to retire from the police force, he claimed exhaustion and stress, most people put it down to his failure to crack the jewellery robbery case, this was the first time in all his years on the force that he had failed, and the strain showed.
As well as being an excellent cop, Bennett was also an excellent actor too, his drawn, haggard appearance was self-induced, night after night he took a minimum amount of sleep, which had a cumulative effect on his appearance, a lined look, bags under the eyes, pale sunken cheeks, all of which reinforced the belief of those who knew him that he was suffering inside.
Many of his colleagues were secretly relieved when he retired, he had lost his edge, it was for the best really.
Inside, Bennett was laughing like a drain, his plan was coming nicely together, a few weeks after retiring, he retrieved the diamonds from beneath his floorboards, then, wearing a cunning disguise, paid a visit to Fat Freddy...
He walked out of Freddy's establishment with just shy of three quarters of a million pounds in his possession.
Second phase...
No-one was surprised to find Bennett's abandoned clothes on the beach, a note in his wallet saying goodbye to all that he held dear, last night's storm tide along the English Channel would have washed a body miles out to sea...
Bennett smiled again as he returned his thoughts to the present. Yes, this was definitely the life.
After several hours of sunbathing, hunger finally began to gnaw at him, tummy growling he eased himself off the sun-lounger and ambled up towards the house, as he approached the building he cast an appraising eye over it, he had the property on monthly lease from one of the local big boys, the beach and speed boat all part of the package.
The sprawling single-storey was a beauty, red-tiled roof, white walls gleaming in the sun, the large picture window, the open door..... OPEN DOOR??
Bennett froze, he had definitely closed the door when he came out, no-one left their doors open here, there were too many little furry things living in these parts that would chew everything inside.
He looked slowly around, there were faint marks in the sand, a barely visible swirling line led from the doorway and off towards the treeline, someone had used a branch to wipe out their footprints.
Bennett slowly crept to the door, if anyone was still inside they would shortly be very, very sorry they had come here.
He peeked around the doorframe... nothing!
He listened for a few moments... nothing!
He silently entered the house, his body ready to spring to violence...
The first thing to catch his eye when he got to the lounge was the seascape picture lying on the floor, from there his gaze travelled upwards to the wall safe, whose door was also hanging open...
Bennett walked to the safe and looked inside... Empty!
All of his money, all of it, gone!!
Panicking, he thrust a hand inside the safe, not quite believing what he was seeing, maybe his hands would find what his eyes could not...
Right at the back of the safe his fingers touched a scrap of paper, Bennett pulled it out and stared at it unbelievingly...
There was something very familiar about this bit of paper, obviously torn from a notebook.
On the paper, in his own handwriting, were the words THANK YOU. And next to this was a cartoon drawing of a grinning Bugs Bunny.
At the bottom of the page was a clumsily drawn picture of a fist with the middle finger sticking up,
And the words CATCH ME IF YOU CAN... signed... YOURS TRULY.
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Cops and robbers (Part 1)
©2011 Stephen. J. Green.
Uh-oh. Looks like he got a taste of his own medicine. He might not be as retired as he likes after all. Good story!
ReplyDeleteHuh. You wonder where it'll go awry for him in the beginning, and you wonder where he'll go at the end. That's a nice trick, Bugs.
ReplyDeleteI'm beginning to think it was Daffy in that interrogation room. Looking forward to #3!
ReplyDeleteAh, the bent copper gets his just desserts! Glad to see him learn that crime doesn't pay.
ReplyDeleteOh, it is on!
ReplyDelete@Eric – Yeah, it would seem our Bugs now has a slight cash flow problem.
ReplyDelete@John – I think people of Bugs' ilk tend to be a bit gobsmacked when they finally learn that they are as vulnerable as everyone else.
@Harry – Haha, yeth, and he'th dethpicable!! I think these two characters could go on forever stealing the loot off each other, Yours truly now has a head start, and the cash, whereas Bugs has no money, no job, and he's burned all his bridges too. Hmmm, I wonder if the local biggies have any jobs going?
I think I would really like to add to this at a later date, it could become a kind of occasional serial but just now I am really missing my short dark nasty flashes, so I'm gonna put my head back into gory gear for a few weeks.
@Icy – Yeah, once the idea was in my head, I just had to have a bit of payback. I'm a great lover of poetic justice in stories too.
@Jen – Hi again Jen, thanks for reading back, the game is definitely on, and as I replied to Harry, I would really like to play some more with these two characters at some point in the future.
Went back to read the first part as well, I really liked this, Steve. *waiting for the next part*
ReplyDeleteHi Estrella, thank you, I'm glad that you liked the story, but it may be a while before Part 3 turns up, I really want to get back to my "Not-so-nice" stories. :-D
ReplyDeletePoetic justice! The thief who is stolen from steals back! LOL
ReplyDeleteI always sympathize with the bad guys once they get away. I figure, he pulled it off, he earned it. Nice character.
ReplyDeleteHa ha he got what was coming to him! I enjoyed both Part 1 and Part 2 nicely done!
ReplyDeleteThe thought of that self-satisfied bent-cop bronzing himself on ill gotten gains chaffed a bit so glad to see what comes around did come a round. Like your other commentators I look forward to you completing the loop, so to speak.
ReplyDelete@Sonia – Poetic justice is always a nice flavour, ain't it? :-D
ReplyDelete@Matt – Thanks Matt, but once the payback idea was in my head, I just had to run with it.
@Helen – I agree, Bugs is out on a limb now, but he's a smart resourceful guy, he'll survive... somehow.
@Jason – Hi Jason, this loop could, in theory, go on forever. As I replied to Harry, I may decide to make it an occasional, or sporadic serial, I really like these two characters, and I already have ideas where they could go next.
One bad turn deserves another Can't say he didn' have it coming. I like the twist in this, Steve. I would make a great movie plot.
ReplyDeleteThanks Stephen, I only decided to write a part 2 after I posted the first one, and I think it quite likely these two will surface again.
ReplyDeleteI like where you are taking this. Part one being the robbers POV and part 2 being Bugs POV adds depth the the story. What comes around goes around eh. Looks like retirement will not come that easy.
ReplyDeleteHiya Lara, Thanks, yes, Bugs certainly needs to generate some income now, the local big boys won't be too happy if he can't pay the rent at the end of the month.
ReplyDeleteThievery tennis -- all to play for in the third set. Interesting his having turned out to be a bent cop.
ReplyDeleteI reckon it was Silvester who got the cashola.
St.
Oh, I like that description "Thievery tennis"
ReplyDeleteThufferin' thuffercatth, that poor Thilvethter getth blamed for all thortth of thtuff!