Work in Progress

December 2^nd 2013 – 17:23pm

Branch Manager of [Redacted] building society, Mare Street, Hackney, reports the loss of £20,000. The London Metropolitan Police is contacted.

December 2^nd 2013 – 19:50pm

Detective and Forensic officers arrive, led by Detective Inspector Baptiste, SCD7 “Flying Squad.” A Preliminary search reveals no forced entry to the safe. Inspection of physical and digital records does not show evidence of suspicious transactions, only that there is £20,000 less than there should be in the branch. The branch is closed for the time being.

December 3^rd to December 5^th 2013

All members of staff are contacted, interviewed and fingerprinted by LM Police. None report anything other than a normal day. Financial background analysis does not show any unusual or unexplained amounts of money moved into staff member personal accounts. The branch remains closed for the time being.

December 5^th 2013

Background check with company providing secure transport does not reveal any financial discrepancy. Members of staff (driver and guard) who visited said branch to collect money were interviewed and fingerprinted by LM Police. Neither reported anything other than a normal day.

December 5^th 2013 – 17:23pm

Branch Manager of [Redacted] bank, Shepherd’s Bush Green, Hammersmith and Fulham reports the loss of £13,000. The LM Police is contacted.

December 6^th 2013 – 9:00am

Hackney building society branch reopens. Investigations begin into Shepherd’s Bush robbery begin. Two incidents are linked. Case comes under DI Dennis Baptiste.

December 6^th to December 7^th 2013

Investigation proceeds into Shepherd’s Bush robbery in similar manner with identical results.

December 6^th 2013 – 18:00pmIT technician in building society regional office reviews the previous weeks’ worth of security camera recordings at Mare Street branch. Technician contacts LM police.

December 8th – 8:45am

Footage is reviewed by DI Baptiste. LM Police contacts Department of Metaphysics. Serious and Metaphysical Crime Squad, team led by myself. Consulting capacity at this stage.

Footage of Hackney Robbery – viewed December 8^th - 19:19pm

Date: December 2^nd 2013. Time at beginning: 15:30pm

00:00sec to 00:02sec Camera 1

Four people enter building society branch. Each is male, of indeterminate age, average to tall height, athletic or well-built and wearing casual clothes and either a mask or a bandana. The men are hereafter referred to by their mask or bandana:

Skeleton (mask)

Plague doctor (mask)

Gas Mask (mask)

Red and Gold (bandana)

Note – Gas Mask arrives carrying a brief case while Red and Gold holds a bag over his shoulder.

00:02sec to 00:10sec Camera 1

Skeleton and Plague Doctor each produce small firearms, silver/grey pistols of unknown make or model. Gas Mask appears to shout orders, pointing in various directions. Skeleton and Plague Doctor proceed to subdue all members of public or staff present, forcing them to the floor. At 00:05 seconds the security screen comes down over the counter. At 00:07 seconds skeleton strikes a man in the face with the butt of his gun. Skeleton and Red and Gold continue to cover the public/staff present for the duration of the footage.

00:10sec to 00:23sec Cameras 1 and 2

Red and Gold kneels, opens his bag and takes out a set of objects which he then assembles into something resembling a mortar launcher. Staff members behind the screen take cover

00:23sec Camera 1

Red and Gold fires the mortar at the security screen. There is a small explosion.

00:24sec to 00:31sec Cameras 1 and 2

Dust and debris settle from the explosion. A harpoon has been driven into the security screen. The harpoon line is retracted, shattering the  screen. Further debris falls on some of public/staff lying on the floor.

00:32sec to 00:58sec Cameras 1 and 2

Gas Mask and Red Band Gold each produce handguns similar to or identical with the ones identified before. Red and Gold climbs over the counter, points his weapon at a staff member. Gas Mask leaps onto the counter with a single bound and kicks away some of the remains of the screen before also pointing his gun at a staff member. There were four staff members behind the screen. One is unconscious, injured or dead and does not rise. GM and R&G force the remaining staff members into a backroom, barricading the door before proceeding directly to the room containing the safe.

1min:23sec to 1min:59sec Camera 3

Gas Mask and Red and Gold enter the safe room. At 1:32 Gas Mask produces a hand-held device and he points it at the safe’s security system. At 1:57 it appears to be disabled. GM and R&G open the safe.

2min to 2min:33sec Camera 3

Gas Mask opens his briefcase. Gas Mask and Red and Gold fill the suitcase with bank notes.

2min:34sec to 2min:59sec Cameras 1, 2 and 3

Gas Mask closes the briefcase. Gas Mask and Red Bandana retreat through the building until they reach their fellow robbers. Before leaving, Plague Doctor fires two shots into the ceiling. It is not clear where the robbers go to or how they get there once they leave the building. They do not collect the harpoon

Observations and Conclusions

Observations

-  No member of staff could recall these events.

- There is no physical evidence of these events except for the footage.

- The robbers are likely real people, hence they concealed their identities.

- The robbers are likely not experience as they made two mistakes 1) not covering the members of staff locked in the backroom 2) not collecting the harpoon.

- The robbers do not consult a time piece of any kind

- Despite having and/or taking 33 seconds to fill the briefcase the robbers take exactly £20,000.

Conclusions

Identify the robbers, identify the weapons and devices, identify and recover the mortar/harpoon, recover the money.

Footage of Shepherd's Bush Robbery – viewed December 8^th - 23:23pm

The footage is precisely the same as the Hackney Robbery except in small details. Even the timing is the same. The only significant difference is in what the robbers wear to obscure their face.

Diamond Encrusted Skeleton

Venetian Ball Mask

Riot Cop

Blue and Gold Bandana

Observations and Conclusions

Does this mean the robbers have spent their money?

The action may be real but it is not realistic; in what sense has this happened?

Conclusion

Establish a basis in reality for all these events.

December 9^th - Midnight

The case is officially turned over to the Department of Metaphysics, Serious and Metaphysical Crime Squad. Investigation is led by myself, Containment Agent Yara Lightfoot, with DI Baptiste seconded from the LMP. D-notice applies with immediate effect.