The Spook who flew over the cuckoos nest. (BOOK 2)

by Gary Tulley

  From that moment on, fortune shone on Simmons side in the form of a young sales assistant. The youth was adamant in his choice of selection; that two photo's in particular matched the two former customers, associated with the alleged ownership and presentation of the fax. In no time at all, Simmons swiftly verified them as belonging to Aubrey Thorpe Millington and his side-kick, Tommy Brandon. Rogon, it would seem, was now on a roll. His bizarre love affair with his fax machine had now soared to new heights. Banking facilities from around the world having contacted SWIFT, could now be found seeking urgent advice from SOCA, as a knock-on effect came into force from the 'heist'.

  Subsequently, Rogon became inundated with documents laden with SP. One account that could not be ignored was found to be lodged with the BANCO SAN PEDESTA in Spain It came as no surprise to him, to find that the sum of twenty-six million pounds, had been allocated for transfer from the MITZITOMO Corporation to Spain. Thereafter, placed in an investment account with a company listed under the name of GLOBAL Associates inc. The initial investment itself, could also be utilized for various other financial deposits. The idea being, that the monies lying in situ, could then be milked-off at stages, and from then on, placed into other selected lucrative deposit accounts.

  Other details which came to light, included the fact that one of GLOBAL Associates directors, was a man calling himself Reginald Stockfield. The latter's name also cropped up on various other major accounts, benefiting from MITZITOMO. Stockfield himself, SOCA went on, although unknown to them at this juncture, was obviously a key player in the fraud. As a result, SOCA consequently advocated a full-blown investigation into the man's background. Bogged down with solid information, but jubilant with the present situation, in knowing that Spooks had at last secured a springboard in which to work on, Rogon detailed Simmon's to collect Eastern from Hove and return to HQ, where he could bring him up to speed on the fresh reports now circulating regarding the 'heist'.

  Needless to say, their journey back to HQ proved to be an eventful one, as Simmon's summed up his personal take on the matter in hand. "It would take far too long to explain the current situation, Mike, but you can take it from me there isn't a pit deep enough to contain the shit that's flying out of this proverbial fan! As things stand, and bearing in mind the logistics involved, I still reckon that wer'e only looking at the tip of the iceberg. You can rest assured that, without question, Brezznov has achieved what he set out to do, and," he hesitated, "that's without knowing the full extent of what is going down. Even SOCA are having to draft in extra operatives to try and contain the monetary chaos."

  From his own standpoint, Eastern now found himself reeling from the effects alluding to a verbal hammering, although a fully justified and inevitable one. Once back at HQ, it was left to Rogon to take the brunt of his pent-up misgivings. "Frankly, the situation is becoming worse by the bloody minute. God! What an unholy mess we’ve got to contend with, and here's me thinking I don't want to be the guy who says "I told you so."

  "I think we all get your point, Mike, and I'm forced to agree that, on reflection, different steps could have been taken to eradicate the disaster that Brezznov has landed us with." A wistful smile captured Simmon's face, as a hidden thought emerged.

  "No prizes for guessing what that could have been, then?" he reflected, as an image of himself pulling a trigger of convenience flashed to mind. Meanwhile, Eastern could be found wrestling with the idea of putting together a revised game plan. In the space of a short time, a lot of water had gone under the bridge. Stemming the flow was going to take a lot of thought. "Like it or not, I suggest that we get back to good old- fashioned policing, rather than hang about waiting for something to happen."

  Just for the record, and I'm talking earlier on now, you did stipulate Stockfield didn't you? Demanded Eastern, and came across as being overbearing in his approach, almost enticing words into Rogon's mouth, as his attitude took Rogon completely by surprise.

  "Steady on, Mike, it's only one name listed amongst others. Besides which, from what little we know about the man, we would be hard-pressed to fill the back of a postage stamp." For reasons that he intended to make clear, Eastern felt the need to pursue his enquiry.

  "No offence, Rogon, its just that the name itself seems a trifle unusual. And for that reason alone it bothers me; in fact it's not as inclusive as you might imagine."

  "Is that merely an assumption, Mike, or do you have a hidden agenda?"

  "In answer to your first question, on the contrary, the name seems to have struck a chord somehow. If my memory serves me correctly and I am going back five or six years ago. I happened to be working in conjunction with the Met at the time, on a highly charged drug case concerning the activities of a local 'Baron' (supplier). The guy himself traded in the home counties under the name, would you believe, as one Reginald Stockfield! Then, following a successful 'bust' (raid' at his business address, It soon became evident that certain documents which came to light, clearly indicated the name Stockfield was merely a pseudonym he used, when, in fact, his true passport revealed him as being a S/E business man listed under the name of William Gauntly."

  The ghost of a smile that reflected on Rogon's face, almost made him appear to be briefly humanized as he expressed his satisfaction. "Taking everything into account, Mike, you would have to say that your fortuitous expose rates with Karma at it's very best. The sooner we can get a trace on our Mr Stockfield, the better. There shouldn't be too much grief attached when bringing him in. Even if he's back in the UK he's obviously travelling under a false passport, but at least we now know what he looks like."

  "Yeah, as if that's only all we had to bloody worry about. The way this case is panning out, it makes you wonder what else Brezznov intends to throw back at us in the wake of this of this Stockfield development? There's 'faces' coming out of the woodwork now that we could never have envisaged. Although this is Brezznov we are dealing with here. And as we all know, he's had a PDH in grief. Period!" Briefly, a pall of silence hung over the proceedings as Rogon and Simmons mentally absorbed the extreme dilemma facing them, as forwarded by Eastern. Not for the first time, it was left to Eastern to claw back a form of positivism in the shape of basic policing. "Of course!" he sounded off, "Why the Hell didn't I think of that before?..’Ruby cottage', it's just occurred to me. Have the local 'plod' carried out a follow-up investigation on the place?" At first glance, Rogon, appeared to be reluctant to answer.

  "For what purpose, Mike? I can only assume you mean for detailed forensics? No, I haven't been informed, as yet, of any such undertaking or movement carried out on the property. So what is your line of thought?"

  "Right now the bloody obvious comes to mind. I suggest that Benny and myself make our way over there first thing in the morning, with an open mind. On the chance that we might unravel something. In the meantime, I'll get you to contact Division at Crawley and get SOCCO involved, plus some back-up to meet us there. I seriously intend to take the bleeden' place apart."

  "That'll be my pleasure, Mike. At least we are in a position to do something constructive," retaliated Simmons, "We seem to be going nowhere fast at present."

  "Precisely! And the sooner Brezznov gets to know that he's the bait, the better I'll like it. I'm hoping that our actions will cut down his confidence of freedom down a few degrees. Personally, from my experience of him, I honestly don't think that he's too clever at handling pressure. The minute he feels the heat is on, will be the moment he needs to start looking over his shoulder and........."

  "...............that's when he's liable to start making mistakes," echoed Rogon.

  Yeah, right. And lets forget that the biggest one, to date, is for him to think that he's got one over me!" From then on, what should have ended the night on a high note, unashamedly disintegrated as Rogon, with a complete lack of consideration, suggested that they wind-up with a Government-issue coffee before leaving. Apparently, he was still struggling to down his first cup, long before Eastern and Simmons bot
h arrived back at their respective digs.

  Foremost on Simmons mind the following morning, included the usage of the unadopted lane leading up to Brezznov's bolt hole which, from his point of view, resembled, 'the nearest thing to a bloody assault course'. On arrival, ten or so daunting minutes later, a much relieved Simmons, along with Eastern, parked up.

  "We're a little bit earlier than I thought, Benny." Remarked Eastern after consulting his watch. "Although that's not a bad thing. SOCCO won't be around for a while, so while we're waiting I suggest that we take a look around the back of the 'Gaff'."

  "Any particular reason why, Mike." Simmons enquired.

  "Well, whoever was here previously had obviously decided to pull out in a hurry. I've just had a glimpse through the window and the only thing standing upright is the bleeden' wallpaper!"

  "Huh, so why doesn't that surprise me? He's got more to hide than most people. Trashing the place would come as a mere formality to a devious bastard like him."

  "And that's exactly what I'm counting on, Benny. Destroying any incriminating evidence would be a priority to Brezznov. I figure he might have had the use of a fire as a cop-out. Let’s go take a look." As hunches go, Eastern's reasoning couldn't be faulted. Within minutes, the remains of what was once an open fire greeted them both. More interestingly enough, it soon became clear that the remnants had more to answer for than they could have envisaged. On close inspection, the half-charred remains of personal stationary along with files littered the surrounding undergrowth. "Presumably blown there by the wind," suggested Eastern, "And to our distinct advantage, I can see SOCCO having a field day sifting through this bleedin' lot, let alone the cottage itself."

  The two then lingered long enough to exchange their views with the DS fronting the raid, before heading back to Spooks HQ. "I couldn't see the point in us remaining there any longer." Eastern advised Simmons later, "We're better suited elsewhere. If anything substantial does turn up that will prove to be kosher, then I'm sure the team will do the business." At least their spontaneous trip hadn't been a waste of time, as Eastern later explained to Rogon. "The signs themselves were clearly visible. The way I read it, Brezznov is beginning to panic. You can almost sense the cracks appearing in his manic ego. Nobody with his sense would have left an intended fire, of that importance, burn, without seeing it through to the end. Right now, my guess is that he's kicking himself for not finishing what he started out to do."

  Nodding approvingly in a robotic manner, before replying, gave out the impression that Rogon's mind was undoubtedly lodged elsewhere, "yes." He concurred vaguely, "Sounds to me like that could be costly for him should anything happen to surface." He replied in a matter-of-fact fashion. It immediately occurred to Eastern that Rogon's manufactured reply had started and finished as a throwaway line. Causing him to believe that maybe Rogon was seeking a change in direction. His ready-made intuition wasn't about to let him down as the latter took on a fresh approach.

  "Now then listen up. I'm pleased to tell you, gentlemen, that due to a fortuitous report released by the Sussex police HQ, And in conjunction with Brighton Central, less than an hour ago, has of now created a whole new scenario revolving around the ongoing 'heist' enquiries. This latest fax I've received, contains high profile SP, including solid forensic back up, enabling Central to be in a position to obtain and give us a positive ID on the two suspects linked to Tommy Brandon." From A-Z in seconds didn't come easily and Eastern needed to think on his feet.

  "The two 'heavies' I witnessed in the pub you mean?" Eastern blurted out.

  "Or rather the two that you didn't see, Mike! But yes, you're right, of course," Rogon was quick to add, and continued. "This breakthrough couldn't have come at a better time. There's satisfaction in knowing that there's light at the end of the tunnel at last." By now, Eastern was verging on an in-built confidence-booster.

  "Shit! Now that's what you call progress. My day just got better and better. You have to say that is one hell of a coup? So what's the full facts behind it?"

  From what I can gather, Mike, it all kicked off less than twenty four hours ago. It seems that the police were called to intervene in a what appeared to be a fracas of some kind, involving two men at a night club in West Street, Brighton. Before the 'plod' arrived, what had started out as an altercation, now spiralled out of control and, in the process, leaving one man seriously wounded as the result of a shooting."

  "Strange. I don't recall having read about that in the Stop Press." countered Eastern.

  "No, you wouldn't have been in a position to, Mike. Following an intense interrogation of the two assailants, it rapidly became clear that what was emerging meant more to their case than they could have imagined. Consequently, their Press Officer issued an immediate ban on reporting limits and thereafter contacted us."

  "Hazard a guess Rogon. I'd be inclined to say that besides SOCCA, Ballistics appear to be the key players here if we're talking results?" Rogon was nothing short of emphatic as he meticulously detailed the report.

  "That's an under-statement, Mike. Not only have Forensics proved that the weapon used in the affray was identical to the one used to murder Stowlowski, but a logging scan on a retrieved mobile, revealed listed calls were made to a William Gauntly. And, would you believe, Brezznov himself? The calls themselves, incidentally, were made over a three-month period prior to the Rotherhithe murder."

  "Gauntly eh? He's like a bleeden' bad penny the assole. I'd like a two-minute session alone with him in a cell. I'd make him sing like a double-breasted canary." The sweet smell of success that Eastern afforded himself was nothing short of textbook, as once again he plagued Rogon for more details. "Tell me, the two 'gorillas' (Heavies) in custody. What do we know about them at this stage?"

  "That's the easy part, Mike. Both individuals were known 'faces' by the police from having substantial 'previous'. In reality, they were both small-time crooks working as a double act, mainly in Protection rackets as collectors. Anything to do with 'muscle'. You know the routine."

  "Yeah. You bet I do! And you can now add murder to their portfolio as well. Not only that, if I didn't know any better, you'd have to say that the Crown has got themselves a bloody watertight case even before a hearing." Content as he was to sit back and absorb their conversation, Simmons suddenly felt the urge to digress.

  "Hold up a minute the altercation in the club do we know how or why it kicked off?" Rogon lowered him down gently and continued.

  "With respect, it's difficult to say, Benny, but the fact that Regan, one of the accused responsible for the shooting, was found to be in possession of a large 'wedge' at the time of his arrest. This leads us to assume that money is the key factor in this case." Simmon' s brain was now perspiring on overtime.

  "Is there any reason not to think that the 'wedge' could have been a blood settlement for Stowlowski's murder?" Shaking his head vigorously, Rogon put Simmon's mind to rest.

  "Categorically none whatsoever." Never sounded better as Rogon continued to compound his own views. "Even though it's only early days yet, the feedback from the MIU at Rotherhithe, combined with certain disclosures from Brighton Central, Leads us, now. to believe that there is a distinct possibility that the origin of the money derived from Brezznov's quarter. In fact, Regan's Defence Counsel are currently proposing a 'super grass' deal for their man as being the best way forward in terms of confirmation."

  "Say what!?" exploded Eastern, It was quite plain that Rogon's analysis had left Eastern far from impressed, and eager to voice an opinion himself on a personal level. "Deal! A poxy deal. What bleeden' planet are Counsel on? From where I'm sitting, that assole Rogan, and his sidekick, are clearly 'bang to rights'. Full stop! Me! I wouldn't give them the satisfaction of negotiation, given the chance. Beside's, Rokgan's not even in a position to tell us the whereabouts of Brezznov per se, let alone Millington and Gauntly. No, as far as I'm concerned, we require a shift on emphasis, and by that I mean ploughing our resources into bringing the main conten
ders down. That, surely, is our prime target?"

  It was finally left to Rogon to rubber-stamp Eastern's philosophy. "As things stand, Mike, and having heard the flip side of the coin, I tend to agree with you. It's fair to say that the 'plod', from their perspective, have got the majority of the groundwork to their case, covered. So until we know any different, I vote we isolate ourselves from the situation and concentrate solely on Brezznov's movements. As a precautionary measure," he went on, "it might pay me to contact certain colleagues of mine based around Europe, on the off-chance that a sighting could become a probability."

  On that understanding, their meeting was then dissolved per se.

  CHAPTER 15...An open 'Canvas'.

  If any sympathy at the present time happened to be the only outlet available that Eastern could rely on, then his entrusted partner, Joan, would have been the last person to allow him to go on suffering in silence, while, ever cautious, that time, as an aspect, can be unrepentant.

  It had now been almost two weeks since his last meeting with Rogon, in which time any reference appertaining to Brezznov, and the likes of Gauntly seemingly appeared to have died a death. And, in the process, leaving Eastern constantly reminding himself of that cessation and, to quote Rogon, 'we need to isolate ourselves from the situation'. In this particular case, the well-established adage 'be mindful of what you wish for', would have served as a grim reminder that the latter is always on hand to come back and haunt you.