The Colonel and Baxter parked up outside Frank Braun’s address in Tottenham. The large three-bedroom, 1930s-built, semi-detached house was on Mount Pleasant Road, a quiet residential road. The Colonel pointed out to Baxter that the upstairs bedroom curtains were closed, suggesting someone was in, then pressed the doorbell. After nearly a minute there was no reply, so he pressed it again and stepped back to see if the curtains moved.

‘They’re taking their time. Should I climb over the side fence and cover the back?’ Baxter asked.

The Colonel shook his head. ‘If this Braun bloke is involved in the robbery and made a false TDA claim he’ll front us out . . . Hang on, someone’s opening the curtain.’

A bleary-eyed, bare-chested man in his late thirties pulled back the curtain and opened the window.

‘If you’re selling something I’m not interested!’ he shouted.

‘You Frank Braun?’ the Colonel asked.

‘I might be – who are you?’

The Colonel held up his warrant card.

‘I’m DC Gorman and this is DC Baxter. We’d like to speak to you about the ’76 Mark 4 Cortina you reported stolen.’

‘You found it?’ Mr Braun asked, looking pleased.

‘Yes, but I’d rather we talk about it inside,’ the Colonel replied.

Braun put on a dressing gown, went downstairs and let the two detectives in.

‘You from Tottenham CID?’ Braun asked as they followed him into the living room.

‘No, the Flying Squad,’ the Colonel replied.

Braun sighed. ‘Don’t tell me the car was used in a robbery?’

‘What made you jump to that conclusion?’ the Colonel asked.

‘Nothing, it just seems obvious as you lot investigate armed robberies.’

The Colonel nodded. ‘Very perceptive – you assumed right, Mr Braun. Have you seen the news about the armed robbery on a security van in Leytonstone yesterday?’

‘No, I haven’t—’

The Colonel smirked. ‘And there was me thinking you might know all about it.’

Braun could tell they were taking the mickey.

‘Have you found my Cortina or not?’ he asked bluntly.

‘Four armed men used your car to rob a bank yesterday, then torched it to destroy any forensic evidence.’

‘Is the car a write-off?’ Braun asked.

‘It was totally burnt out, so you won’t be driving it again,’ the Colonel said.

Braun sighed. ‘There goes my no claims bonus.’

‘You don’t seem very upset that your motor’s a write-off,’ Baxter remarked.

He shrugged. ‘There’s not a lot I can do about it now, is there?’

‘How many keys do you have for the vehicle?’ the Colonel asked.

‘Just one . . . and no doubt you’d like to see it.’

He walked over to a side cabinet and, opening a drawer, he removed the key.

‘Lose the other one, did you?’ the Colonel asked.

Braun frowned as he handed the key to the Colonel.