The gunman turned to the injured bus driver, pointed the gun, and pulled the trigger for the third time.
A murder during
a robbery on a double-deck bus on the outskirts of an English rural town leaves
the local police baffled as to motive. Further related deaths makes the
apprehension of the killer a top priority for Detective Inspector Harty but the
lack of clues makes this a difficult case to solve.
Excerpt:
Any doubt that the
robbers would actually use their guns dissolved at that moment and the young
man promptly sat down again. The shot had brought screams from most of the
women, and looks of horror and disbelief from all the passengers on the lower
deck. Handbags and wallets were quickly opened to reveal their contents to the
second gunman who grabbed anything worthwhile and stuffed it into his pockets.
The bus driver tried to take advantage of the distraction and made a move for
the buttons to close the doors and so make it difficult for the bandits to
leave the bus. A second shot from the gunman beside him hit him in the hand
before he could reach the buttons causing him excruciating pain.
The gunman demanded
that the driver hand over his takings plus everything in his pockets. The
second man continued to relieve the passengers of everything they had.
After a few moments the
two robbers from the upper deck ran down the stairs and out of the exit door.
They rapidly made their way to a car parked a short distance in front of the
bus. One of them opened the nearside passenger and rear doors then jumped in to
the rear seat slamming the door behind him and opening slightly the offside
door. The other man opened the driver's door, leaned in and turned a key
already in the ignition and started the engine. He then joined the man in the
rear seat leaving the driver's door open. The robber on the lower deck of the
bus, who had been taking the passengers valuables, threw the last of the
handbags on to the floor of the bus, ran to the car, climbed into the driving
seat and started to rev the engine, ready to go.
The gunman who had
already shot twice turned to the injured bus driver, pointed the gun at the
startled man's head and pulled the trigger for the third time. The driver
slumped forward on to the steering wheel where he stayed motionless. The gunman
turned, ran down the steps and to the front passenger seat of the waiting car.
As the passenger door slammed shut the driver put the engine into gear and the
car quickly disappeared from sight down the side streets.
Born 1930 in
East Outer London, and happily married for over 60 years. Reginald is now in
his 80s, but not ready to be written off yet! He has a background in management
accounting, company budgets and computer management/programming, and took early
retirement in 1992.
He has always
enjoyed reading, and in his retirement he enjoys writing and welcomes this opportunity to share his
stories
far and wide in the hope they give the same enjoyment to everyone who reads
them.
