Chief Suspect: Mickey Mouse

Chief Suspect: Mickey Mouse!

(Chief Suspect: Mickey Mouse was published in Take a Break’s Fiction Feast magazine)

“One minute Mrs Green was standing at my till, the next it was Mickey Mouse!” Brenda burst into floods of tears again and slurped at the sugar-laden tea she was cradling.

Detective Inspector Jane Newman removed her beige raincoat having just swept into the room. “Sorry I’m late, I got caught up in the Travel Agents.” She placed a comforting hand on Brenda’s shoulder. “It’s okay. You did the right thing handing over the money. That’s what you’re trained to do. The money is replaceable, but you’re not, are you?”

Brenda began another huge wail at the thought of what could have happened earlier. Jane hadn’t seen one this bad before. Usually the cashiers were in delayed shock when she arrived to interview them. Most tried to put on a brave face, although they usually cracked at some point. But Brenda? Brenda was different. For the first time, Jane saw the real impact of a bank robber’s threats on the cashier they picked on.

“It’s her last day,” said Constable Cresswell, realising what Jane was thinking.

Jane looked around the staff room they’d commandeered. A huge bouquet of flowers filled the room with a calm, relaxing scent whilst celebratory cards offered Brenda best wishes for the future.

“Forty two years I’ve sat on that till and served my customers,” Brenda sniffed. “Never had a day’s trouble. Until now that is.”

Another wave of tears enveloped her and this time, Jane put both arms around Brenda. It was like trying to console a child, Brenda’s emotions pulled at Jane’s heartstrings. Jane felt guilty for not having stopped the robber sooner.

“Same style as the others?” she asked Cresswell.

“Yeah. Brenda didn’t notice anything until the robber was at her till wearing the Mickey Mouse mask. He didn’t say a word, just handed her a note demanding the money, whilst waving the gun at her at till.”

“Pointing the gun in my face!” Brenda snapped. “I could see down the barrel. That’s what really hurts,” she continued sobbing. “Why did he have to point the gun at me? Why ruin my last day with this awful experience?”

“Bank robbers don’t think of it like that, Brenda,” said Jane. “The ones we catch always claim that they’re robbing the institution not the individual.”

“He didn’t point the gun at the sign above the door did he? He pointed it at me!” Brenda wailed. “And it worked. Six grand he’s run off with.”

“Six grand! That was a good pay day! What can you do with six grand? Probably pay for a family holiday to Florida, that’s for sure. Look dear, you did nothing wrong. At least with it being your last day, you know it can’t happen again.”

“Not to me, but what about the other cashiers! The robber could strike again at any time. Why should they have to go through this?”

Jane tried comforting Brenda further. This was making her feel really uncomfortable. She hated the aftermath of a robbery and this was just one in a long series. Dealing with Brenda was emotional. Jane couldn’t cope with any more like her. This had to stop. She couldn’t carry on with this. She turned to Cresswell.

“Any useful leads? A description?”

Creswell shook his head. “Long beige raincoat. Mickey Mouse mask, average height. We’re checking the bank’s CCTV, but I don’t hold out much hope, it’s like all the others. Whoever is doing this has done their homework. Heavily disguised, yet once the deed is done they just disappear into the street. Nobody sees anything.”

Brenda slurped more tea as she tried to gather herself. “Today was going to be such a happy day. I was looking forward to serving today. Many of my customers came in, just to say thank you and to wish me a happy retirement. Look, half of these cards are from the customers. You will catch who did this won’t you?” she pleaded.

Jane examined the watery eyes of a woman who was only doing her job. For the first time today, she noticed Brenda’s bright blue eye make-up, reminding her how pre-occupied she’d been earlier. Her tears were causing it to smudge. Yet this was the least of Brenda’s worries. She’d had a terrible ordeal and would remember this day for all of the wrong reasons, for the rest of her life. How often did bank robbers think of that? “I’ll stop this robber, whoever they are,” she promised. “I won’t let them do this to any more cashiers.”

“Is there nothing else about the robber that you can remember?” Cresswell asked. “It doesn’t matter how small the detail may be, anything can be the breakthrough clue that we’re looking for.”

Brenda closed her eyes, replaying the day’s events in her mind, desperately searching for clues. “I don’t know, it all happened so fast.”

“What about beforehand?” Cresswell suggested. “Did you notice anything when you were serving the customer before. Mrs Green, wasn’t it?”

Brenda shook her head slowly, and then suddenly her eyes shot open!

“What? What is it?” Jane asked.

“It was a woman!” Brenda declared.

“A woman? How can you be so sure?” Jane cross-examined. “The robber wore a mask and black gloves. You didn’t see any part of their body. Nor did they speak, they merely handed you the note. How could you know it was a woman?”

“Bags,” said Brenda.

“Bags?” echoed Jane. “Everybody carries bags these days don’t they? Handbags, man bags, shopping carrier bags. How can you be so sure it’s a woman?” The pit of her stomach churned. This could be the breakthrough that would see this robber behind bars.

“They were designer bags. I saw them at her feet, whilst I was serving Mrs Green, and remember thinking, ‘boy someone’s been spending money’. Mrs Green has to watch every penny you see, and I remember thinking now about the difference between these two customers in the same queue,” Brenda continued as the memories came flooding back. “They were from women’s stores, the bags. Karen Millen, French Connection and H&M. Got to be woman, hasn’t it?”

“Thanks for that Brenda,” said Cresswell jotting it all down in his notebook. “That could prove very useful indeed,” he smiled.

“I think we’ll leave you now,” said Jane, putting her raincoat back on. “I’m sorry about today, but try not to let it spoil your retirement.”

“I’ll be happier when you’ve stopped the robber in their tracks.”

“With this information,” Cresswell tapped his notebook, “we may just have done that.”

Stepping out of the Bank into the street, Jane let out a huge sigh of relief. “Wow, I’ve never come across one that bad before.”

“Having a gun pointed in your face isn’t pleasant.”

“It was probably just a toy one, most bank robbers don’t mean any harm.”

“Yes, but the cashiers don’t know that do they? They think they’re moments from death.”

“Hmmm…” Jane continued thinking about Brenda.

“Are you all right?” Cresswell asked.

“Me? Yes. It’s just that Brenda’s reaction today has really affected me. It’s made me realise that those people behind the glass screens are humans. We just see them as …”

“Witnesses?” Cresswell finished.

Jane paused before nodding. “It’s what happens when you do the job day in, day out, isn’t it? Can I give you a lift back to the station?”

“Yes please,” said Cresswell. “Where are you parked?”

“Round the corner here in this alley.”

Both turned the corner into a dark, small, narrow alleyway providing delivery access to several stores.

“Bank robber could have escaped down here,” Cresswell commented.

“I’m sure you’re right,” said Jane. “But it’s no use to us though if they did. I checked when I got here. Not a CCTV camera in sight. Jump in, I’m just going to put my coat and handbag in the boot.”

Cresswell jumped into the front passenger seat and slammed the door. Jane unlocked the boot and the lid popped up. She checked the tickets to Florida were in her handbag before throwing it into the boot corner. Finally, Jane slipped her raincoat off her back. Carefully, she covered the Karen Miller, French Connection and H&M bags that Brenda had spotted earlier. Mickey Mouse was hiding in one of them, but he was going in the bin when she got home. He wouldn’t be causing any more trouble, Jane decided. Brenda had seen to that.

(c) Simon Whaley