Scorpio's Lot (44 page)

‘But Hamish suggested this
alternative route due to the floods in the region,’ responded a forceful Burke,
who had become utterly confused as to where all this was heading. ‘That morning
the Bureau of Meteorology issued a warning to the effect that all major roads
leading into Pedley were impassable.’

Ignoring the sergeant, Forbes
continued. ‘Hamish O’Connor had opportunity to phone for help during Tom and
Brigit’s escapade and, may I add, while Burke and Martino were incapacitated.
For whatever reason he chose not to contact the authorities. That strikes me as
somewhat odd given the grave circumstances.’

Burke defended Hamish’s actions. ‘Correction.
He couldn’t phone because the landline had been cut.’

‘So why not use his mobile phone?
According to Martino, it was clipped to O’Connor’s waist belt. Quite
convenient, wouldn’t you say?’ Forbes was trading punches as if he intended to
be the last man standing.

‘Again I disagree,’ said Burke. ‘Hamish
lost his mobile when he went outside to attend to the Dobermans. Besides, even
if he did make an attempt, a weak signal may have prevented the call from being
made. After all, the area is notorious for poor communication.’

‘I can’t deny that is possible.’

‘And why Helen O’Neill?’

‘I’m only working on a hunch or
premonition, but something is niggling inside that tells me there’s more to
Helen O’Neill than meets the eye. I mean, why would it take the woman three
full days to contact the police about the kidnapping of her stepdaughter? There’s
another matter that doesn’t sit comfortably. She had opportunity to bring
Brigit to the police long before her daughter’s eventual departure for
Peterswood. So why didn’t she make the effort? It doesn’t reflect the actions
and concerns of a mother, or in her case, stepmother.’

‘So why Tom Harrison?’ persisted
Sergeant Burke. ‘Surely any half-decent individual would have their niece’s
best interests at heart.’

Ignoring the swipe, Forbes
continued. ‘This individual really takes the cake. He has deliberately led the
police in every which direction and has forced me to assign valuable resources
on his country jaunts. He had ample opportunity to surrender Brigit to the
authorities, but consistently chose to ignore our instructions. As I pointed
out in our last interview, his actions implied he deliberately kept Brigit from
authorities, perhaps because it was his intention to reap some financial reward
from the syndicate. His undoing was upon the
Molly Bloom
where his
competitors had the numbers to relieve him of his duty.’

‘With all due respect, that’s
bloody ridiculous.’ Burke was livid with these unfounded accusations. ‘The man
stated he had tried to bring Brigit to the police on more than one occasion,
but the syndicate intervened to foil his every attempt. You only had to be in
Peterswood to see that his motives were totally honourable, with Brigit’s
interests held in the highest regard.

‘I support Sergeant Burke
totally,’ Martino said, to the shock of everyone for having the courage to
support his sergeant and contradict Forbes. ‘Speaking from my own experience at
Peterswood, Tom Harrison’s actions were nothing short of praiseworthy for his
bravery and judgement in keeping these assailants at bay.’

Burke was impressed with the
young man’s spontaneous backup. Bailey could immediately see that Alan Forbes’
insinuations had hit a raw nerve with the men. It was time to intervene to keep
a lid on things.

‘Alan, your accusations cannot be
supported with fact,’ Bailey said. ‘They are purely speculation and I daresay
intensified by Tom Harrison giving you the runaround. This is not a time for
personal vendettas or to act on some premonition. Above all, it’s a time to put
some constructive actions in place so this evil organisation is placed behind
bars where it belongs.’

Bailey rose from his chair and
walked across to the whiteboard. ‘With regards to this case, it is my
recommendation the following matters be given top priority. With your
permission I wish to replace these notes with some bullet points that I believe
are more appropriate.’

Forbes frowned and then gave an
agreeable nod. After all, Graeme Bailey marginally held rank.

Burke couldn’t help but think
that with Bailey’s presence this group may finally have some constructive
directives, as opposed to the vendettas and hunches that surrounded the logic
of Alan Forbes.

Bailey turned to face his
audience upon the completion of rewriting the whiteboard, with the instruction
to digest and retain these important aspects of the case:

Investigate and prepare in readiness
for the Keeper’s arrival.

Devise
plan for carnival with drug members and possible rival gang in mind.

Further
interrogate Ferret with emphasis upon the drug operation. Arrange a search
warrant for Broadbent’s.

Continue in search of Brigit O’Neill’s
whereabouts.

Arrange
discreet interview with Danny Murdock with emphasis upon Broadbent’s.

Continue
to explore the whereabouts of drug headquarters and storage facility.

‘Gentlemen, these are what I
consider to be your current priorities,’ Bailey began. ‘I cannot emphasise
strongly enough that most of these matters need to be addressed prior to the
carnival. So with only three days remaining time is of the essence to devise a
plan to deal with the arrival of the Keeper. Opportunity knocks rarely when we
speak of this individual because to the best of my knowledge this is the very
first time we’ve been forewarned about his intended whereabouts. It’s vital you
speak further with this Ferret fellow to establish if there is indeed a
description of the man and how and where he will arrive, in addition to his
would-be rendezvous point with the southern operation.

‘Additionally, there is the
likelihood the Keeper will enjoy the spoils of his trip, meaning it’s highly
probable he will be amongst the spectators during the carnival. His presence
will undoubtedly encourage further members of the organisation to surface
throughout the weekend, with also the possibility of a rival syndicate in
attendance. There is every chance the elusive Piedpiper will at some point be
mingling amongst the crowd as well. Don’t worry about the lack of ID with these
individuals because it won’t stop you observing any unusual behaviour. Do not
overlook the Keeper’s intention for visiting and that is the incriminating
evidence which supposedly is to be passed to the authorities at some point over
the coming weekend.

‘Danny Murdock may still prove
useful with respect to Broadbent and I daresay a second interview will need to
be carried out discreetly for the young lad’s sake. His testimony was indeed
our breakthrough, so it’s possible there maybe further information to be
extracted. I agree with Forbes that the Broadbent premises justify further
investigation and that a search warrant be quickly arranged. While you may
easily be led into investigating these priorities, don’t be distracted from the
very core of the case in hand, and that is their drug headquarters, storage
facility, murders committed and the kidnapping of Brigit O’Neill.

‘And finally,’ Bailey said, ‘do
not concern yourselves with interviewing the remaining persons until after the
carnival. These people have little or no value over the next week, so your
resources should be directed in preparation for the coming weekend. It’s time
for me to return to the city now and I don’t ask, but request, that my
department be kept informed at all times on any developments.’

~ * ~

onight Detective Marsh decided to mix business with pleasure. His
intended destination was the Esplanade Hotel and he was fully aware that
Piochsa was on duty. Perhaps with a little persuasion she would agree to
accompany him for coffee and a nightcap following the end of her shift.
Entering the main saloon he was confronted with the usual array of locals each
bellowing out their respective vocals as if competing for some loudmouth
award. Approaching the bar in need of a lager on tap, he tried to catch the
attention of Piochsa but his attempts went unheeded as a result of her
attending the thirsty patrons at the far end. Not to worry, he thought, as a barman
took his order. There would be plenty of time for discussion when ordering that
second drink.

Retreating with his
ice-cold ale, he decided to take up a vantage point at the rear of the saloon
and observe the behaviour of the security guards. His attention was drawn to
two massively built steroid-enhanced bouncers who were pacing the length of the
room. Their appearance was intimidating as these sullen-faced guardians
continued with their straight-line approach, parting drinking schools and all
before them in their quest to reach the far end of the saloon.

Forever the one to
play games and turn an otherwise dull event into a light-hearted moment, Marsh
decided to name these pair Tweedledee and Tweedledum for the benefit of his own
private entertainment. He was trying to picture these two in some outlandish
and colourful costume as portrayed in the children’s classic
Alice’s
Adventures in Wonderland.

Marsh’s
second glass now beckoned and maybe he would have the opportunity to chat with
Piochsa. His advances were rewarded with a welcoming smile. The sudden reappearance
of Piochsa’s long, honey-blond hair, her flawless complexion and distinct
light-blue eyes were a sight to behold, as was the rest of the package.
Piochsa’s presence did n
ot
disappoint, for she still held a degree of mystery and fascination that had him
intrigued.

‘My, you are the brave one for
venturing into our neck of the woods,’ she said with a cheeky, wide grin.

‘I would say pleased to see you,
Piochsa, not brave.’

She let out a hugely contagious
laugh. ‘Why, Mr Detective, I’m impressed with your pronunciation. So I’m no
longer a motorcar?’ said Piochsa, recalling Paul’s mispronunciation of her
name. ‘I’m actually referring to our publican Ben Johnson. The two of you didn’t
exactly hit it off with your first meeting.’

‘Oh that, nothing to lose sleep
over. Comes with the job,’ Marsh responded.

Piochsa poured his lager. ‘So
what brings you to the Esplanade with less than an hour before closing?’

‘Two reasons, actually The first
is to observe the behaviour of hotel security due to reports about drug deals.’

‘Those two goons. They’re all
brawn with no intellect and have the personality of a cadaver at an undertaker’s
convention.’

‘My, you are the regular wound-up
one. I must have hit a raw nerve,’ Paul replied with a hint of payback sarcasm.
‘Tell me, Piochsa, how many thugs does Johnson employ?’

‘Five in all but they work on a
rotating shift so you never know which two prima donnas will be on duty.’

‘I’ve actually called these two Tweedledee
and Tweedledum. Just a little game I play with myself to lighten the load at
times.’

Piochsa roared with laughter,
believing the detective’s choice of names was close to hitting the spot. ‘So,
Paul, what’s your second reason for being here?’