Chapter 1

Laura sat back comfortably in her chair.

Enjoying the morning sunshine, the former ‘Miss Victoria Police’ gazed in silence, at the exclusive ‘Scandals’ Boutique on that far side of the celebrated thoroughfare of Puckle Street. Toying with the collar of her seductively-unbuttoned uniform shirt, Senior Constable Laura Delahuntey smiled to herself.

Running her fingertips along the distinctive dark-blue ‘trim’ of her shirt collar, the attractive blonde uttered a muffled sigh as she continued to gaze across Puckle Street at the ‘Scandals’ Boutique from where she sat alone at the front of Dimmatina’s Café.

Laura had been rostered to work ‘Foot Patrol’ on her own.

But, she’d earlier arranged with both ‘Acting’ Sergeant Belinda McIntyre and ‘Probationary’ Constable Annie Kensington to meet at Dimmatina’s Café for a coffee.

Laura now caught a glimpse of a pale-blue policewoman’s short-sleeved uniform shirt.

It wasn’t Belinda or Annie though.

However, Senior Constable Laura Delahuntey had not been too disappointed when ‘Trainee’ Constable ‘Candi’ McNamara joined her instead.

Candice Louise McNamara was a vivacious thirty-year-old blonde Divorcee who had joined the Victoria Police comparatively late in life. Outspoken and perhaps a little too self-assured for her own good, she had arrived at the Moonee Ponds ‘Uniform Branch’ only a month after Annie.

Nevertheless, she’d soon proved herself to be a capable and proficient policewoman more than once.

Self-confident and intelligent, Candi was a quick learner.

Tucked neatly beneath the collar of her own uniform shirt, the ‘trainee’ wore an issue lanyard about her neck to which was attached a glistening ‘Victoria Police’ badge. And like Laura, she wore the sleeves of her shirt neatly rolled even shorter – that was now a fashion trademark of all the policewomen working ‘General Duties’ at Moonee Ponds.

Laura smiled.

Turning in her seat, she watched as Candi joined her at the front of Dimmatina’s Café.

She said nothing – the ‘trainee’ policewoman acknowledged the former ‘Miss Victoria Police’ with a friendly nod.

She too, said nothing as she sat on the adjacent chair.

Policewomen were still something of a novelty on the streets of suburban Melbourne, and so both attracted a few curious stares. More than one passing woman though, licked slowly at their lips as they admired the two unsuspecting female police officers – that was nothing particularly new either.

Though better known as ‘Blondie’ within the Victoria Police, the twenty-eight-year-old wasn’t the only blonde at the local ‘Uniform Branch’ – Laura Elaine Delahuntey however, had been the eldest until Candice had arrived on secondment. Nevertheless, she was by far both the eldest and more notorious, for the attractive and bi-sexual ‘Blondie’ had long had a reputation for promiscuity. ‘Foot Patrol’ for the former ‘Miss Victoria Police’ was just a chance to enjoy herself in Puckle Street, Moonee Ponds, or sit it seemed.

Candi sat opposite Laura – Belinda and Annie were running late. That was nothing new.

Keeping her own counsel for the moment, Laura savored another mouthful of coffee as she turned back to stare across Puckle Street at the boutique.

A waitress lingered in the doorway, intent on watching the two policewomen.

It had been a quiet morning. There was little traffic in Puckle Street and few pedestrians.

But, that was really nothing too unusual for it was the Monday before ‘The Melbourne Cup’ and many had taken as additional day ‘off’ before the unique Public Holiday.

And, there was still no sign of the other two policewomen...?

“Mmmm...?”

“Annie...?” wondered Candi aloud - Laura shrugged without speaking.

Anne ‘Annie’ Kensington was the third member of the select clique of blonde policewomen at ‘The Ponds’ – the fresh-faced twenty-year-old was the only real ‘Local’ and lived in nearby Holmes Road.