‘I know it was George Ripley,’ Jane said tersely.

Bax sighed. ‘No, you don’t. They all wore masks, so none of the guards can identify them. Everything you’ve said is valid, Jane, but it’s guesswork – not bloody evidence.’

‘Bax is right, Jane. If no one saw them leave or return to the golf course, then Stanley and the Colonel have unwittingly given them the perfect alibi.’

Chapter Thirty-Five

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

By midday the Rigg Approach office was filled with another fifteen detectives from the Tower Bridge Flying Squad, who had been called in to assist the arrest operation. Most of them were carrying revolvers in side holsters and everyone in the room was tense, waiting for Murphy to address them.

Jane had already spoken to Murphy about the Ripleys, and explained why she thought they were responsible for the Security Express robbery. He agreed there were parts of her analysis that pointed to them being responsible, but he felt her theory was based on conjecture and worried that she was making the suspects fit the crime. He told her that, although he had decided to arrest the Ripleys, Smith and O’Reilly, the only way they could prove the Ripleys themselves were responsible for both robberies was to find some actual physical evidence, at their homes or work premises, connecting them to the robberies.

Jane realised she was the only female in the room and overheard one of the Tower Bridge officers say he hoped he wasn’t with the ‘plonk’ when they made the arrests. It made her hope she would be the one to arrest George Ripley or Tony Nichols.

Murphy came out of his office with the Tower Bridge DCI and DI Kingston. The room went quiet.

‘Firstly, I’d like to thank the Tower Bridge officers for coming out to assist us with the arrests.’

‘Don’t worry, Guv, we’ll happily show your lads how it’s done,’ a Tower Bridge officer called out and his colleagues laughed.

‘Yeah – and pigs might fly,’ the Colonel retorted.

Murphy waited for the laughter to subside.

‘I know, as dedicated Flying Squad officers, you would have wanted this to be an operation where we carried out an armed ambush on the suspects while they were committing the crime. However, circumstances beyond our control have dictated that we arrest them today in a co-ordinated hit that will take place at two p.m. precisely. I have split you into teams and armed officers from my squad will lead each team and make the arrests, supported by officers from Tower Bridge. Me and DI Kingston will arrest George Ripley at his home address, DS Stanley, Graham Smith at his home address and DC Baxter, Tony Nichols at his home address.’

‘Yes, Guv,’ they replied almost in unison.