Author – Jay
The policeman who had interviewed and arrested him is young and probably new to the job as his boots were highly polished, probably trying to impress his superiors. Carl thought he had a thing about feet as he seemed pleased to find him shoeless at their earlier interview, not giving him any shoes to walk home, watching him walk all the way home in his socked feet before arresting him and then not allowing him to get another pair of shoes and then also making the teenager take of his trainers.
After a few hours the cell door opened, it was the young copper who looked straight down at Carl’s socked feet. Carl smirked.
“Take off your socks” he demanded.
“Gonna sniff them” joked Carl as he peeled them off his feet and placed them in an evidence bag that the copper was holding.
Carl looked at the coppers shiny boots, the right boot had been scuffed at the toes.
“You gonna get your mum to re-polish your boots tonight” joked Carl.
The copper slammed the cell door shut leaving Carl in his bare feet.
The door reopened moments later and Carl was led out in his bare feet to an interview room. The young copper asked Carl if knew anything about the teenagers missing trainers, he sounded worried.
“Will you be punished by your Sergeant for losing his shoes” joked Carl who then told the copper all the reasons why he thought he had a thing about feet.
The copper blushed stumbling his words, Carl thought he had taken the wind out of the coppers sails. He expected to be out of there and released within 15 minutes.
The copper recomposed himself and told Carl that any suspect arriving without shoes didn’t want us to have them. So yes I was very pleased to see you shoeless as It aroused my suspicions. I had the CCTV checked whilst you were still being interviewed.
We let you go shoeless to delay your journey until I could find your shoes. I didn’t allow you to get shoes at your house because I didn’t want you to change out of those well worn socks and as for the teenager, I took his shoes to stop him running away as you where wearing my only set of handcuffs, regrettably I lost him and then strangely his shoes. So after this interview I shall be looking for a second pair of trainers tonight. Hopefully I’ll be just as successful at finding the second pair.
‘Successful’ thought Carl worryingly as the copper turned his ipad around and showed an image of Carls trainers.
“As for your assumption that I deliberately waited until you arrived home after enjoying your sock walk, I couldn’t arrest you until I got confirmation these trainers shoe prints matched those found at the break-in, that confirmation arrived over the radio as you entered your street” said the copper.
Now Carl was red faced, not only had he been shot down with his theories about the copper, he hadn’t reckoned on CCTV when hiding his shoes and as soon as his sock fibre matches any found in his seized trainers he’ll be linked to the break-in. The copper showed him more images of mobile phones and a wallet containing £3000, he asked if Carl recognised any of them.
“No comment” said Carl realising that they must have arrested his innocent mate Alan to obtain his phone and wallet, his car number plate must have also been captured by CCTV too as he got out of Alan’s car.
Carl knew he was screwed as he was escorted back to his cell in his bare feet. Passing other prisoners shoes outside their cells he recognised Alan’s black Nikes, he called out Alan’s name.
“Alright mate” shouted Alan through the cell door telling Carl he been nicked for supposedly drink driving.
Carl was back in his cell expecting to be charged then released very soon. He demanded a pair of socks as his feet where cold. He was too far away from Alan’s cell to be able to strike up a conversation. He layed on his mattress, annoyed with himself about the CCTV and the copper making him feel small about his feet theories.
Several more hours passed, he thought about Alan, locked up for the first time and how he was coping but wasn’t too concerned as Alan sounded quite excited. As he tried sleeping he heard laughter outside his cell door.
“Get them boots off, you should know the rules by now, no footwear in the cells. If we have to come in it’ll be more than your boots coming off” said a voice followed by an eruption of laughter. Carl couldn’t understand why coppers would be laughing at a prisoner getting locked up. He just reminded himself that they were all bastards.
He was eventually given a pair of thick blue socks and allowed to get some exercise in the yard. Putting on the socks Carl asked why he hadn’t been charged and released.
“Your arresting officer is indisposed at the moment, as soon as he is free he’ll get the charge sheet finished” said the sergeant.
As he left his cell he noticed a pair of shiny boots outside the locked cell door opposite, the right boot was scuffed at the toe.
To be continued.