A pub landlord on his day off??
Well, anyone on their day off, though. I appreciate what you are saying however.
That's an interesting observation Fox.
You might well be hard pushed to find another similar disappearance on a Monday lunchtime.
For me it speaks of Suzy doing something, going somewhere and then that descending in to perhaps an argument, a struggle, fight and then ultimately, sadly loss of life.
Thing is, with such an unplanned occurrence, where does one dispose of the resulting body?
I personally wouldn't attempt to transport and then bury elsewhere. Too difficult and real chance of being seen.
I would prob use the back garden area, possibly concrete over and maybe build upon.
Hoping then the focus of police attention etc, would be elsewhere.
Wellllllllllllllllllllll.....now I've given
this a good deal of thought.
Back gardens are certainly fit for purpose, although many of the houses in the area were subdivided into flats [USA - apartments] which makes it far less convenient. Look at all the problems Dennis Nilsen had in Muswell Hill... and you can't go burning tyres in Fulham without the neighbours rioting.
There are 4 areas around Fulham which might be of interest if one was in the position of disposing of a body, two north and two south of the river, all within 3 miles of Suzy's abandoned car, to wit...
1. North. Hurlingham Club. Super-posh 41 acres, searched by the police in 2.5 hours, so something might have been missed. [
London Standard Aug. 5th 1986] Now, while researching other London cases over the decades, it is clear that
everywhere there are pockets of ground that may not have been disturbed for a very long time, some since before the second world war, maybe back as far as Victorian times, disused building, scrubland @ the back of toilet blocks etc. [That would certainly cover up any odours]. Everywhere, even in the Royal Parks, so probably Hurlingham could have a couple.
2. North.
Four hundred allotments in Fulham Palace gardens. Less than a mile from the abandoned car. Can hardly think of a better place to hide a body. No questions about you digging large trenches..."It's for my green beans...and the smell...just some manure I managed to blag..." On the downside, I would think a thorough search would have been done, although I don't have any relevant documentation.
3. South. An abandoned viaduct in a railway cutting just south of Fawe Road in Putney. In case that doesn't sound too promising, Fawe Road is just a continuation of Disraeli Road, where Suzy lived. This viaduct is so difficult to reach in the ordinary way that there is very little graffiti. However, the bramble-filled wasteland above it looks to be accessible from the gardens of Fawe Road. Of all the areas I've looked at, this is the one with the potential to keep someone captive over an extended period.
4. South. The London Wetlands Centre - except it wasn't. In 1986 it was FOUR disused reservoirs. My mind boggles at the nasty possibilities for this site, and alas, it looks as if any traces of a crime will have been completely obliterated by the construction of the nature reserve. The best case scenario here would be a thorough search of the site before construction began, to rule it out. I have no idea whether this was the case.
So there y'all are. Fox's best geographic profile. Thought I'd get it out there before the new book is published.