Chapter 2

Two days later, Joanna now found herself confronted by what had happened. Enjoying a coffee with Senior Constable Robyn Taylor and Sergeant Tess Gallagher, Constable Joanna Parrish hadn’t expected to be reminded of Savannah Hamilton-Smythe. She had thought the matter resolved.

“I have a little job for you, Joanna...?” Tess announced.

The thirty year old Divorcee gazed at Joanna over the rim of her coffee cup.

Teresa Annette Gallagher paused. She savoured another mouthful of coffee,

“Savannah...?” queried Robyn – Tess ignored her for the moment. Joanna raised an eyebrow,

“I need you to go back to the Savannah’s place, Joanna...” Tess continued after another moment’s hesitation. Joanna lowered her own cup,

“ ... where you were the other day of course, Constable Parrish?”

“Sarge?”

Tess sat back in her chair. She glanced at Robyn,

“Maggie’s attending Court again – Robyn’s running errands for the Boss...” Tess explained...

“The only thing I saw was eggplant, Sergeant Gallagher?” replied Joanna with a sigh. Tess shrugged.

“And, a rather nice breast too...?” Joanna then added, whispering to herself – Tess stood up,

“I didn’t see anything remotely suspicious, Tess?”

The older policewoman took her empty coffee cup away...

“There’s been another complaint about her growing cannabis...?” Robyn added apathetically.

“But...?” protested Joanna. The smile disappeared from Sergeant Tess Gallagher’s face.

“You know we have to investigate these allegations, Joanna?”

Joanna nodded. It would be pointless to protest.

“Joanna...?” continued Tess,

“Seems, the Boss has a particular interest in anything to do with Savannah Hamilton-Smythe?”

However, Tess chose not to further elaborate on just why that was to Joanna,

“You do know, “: queried Robyn, “She used to be a prostitute back in Melbourne, Joanna?”

“Y-Yes...” Joanna confirmed. She still had the dossier on Savannah in her issue handbag,

“Not that she’s done anything wrong since coming to Mount Thomas, you understand?” added Robyn,

“Do we know who made the complaint, Tess...?” Joanna asked. Tess shook her head. Sergeant Tess Gallagher was not about to admit that is was another ruse – Senior Sergeant Tom Croydon’s idea...

“There’s no real hurry, Jo – the Boss is attending a conference for the rest of the day?”

“I’ll try and get by Savannah’s later...” agreed Joanna as she stood up. She’d been tempted to ask Tess why she wasn’t going to investigate, but thought better of it,

“Make sure you do...” Tess replied. Robyn sat back in her chair. A little older than Tess, she was in many respects, the heart ‘n’ soul of the Mount Thomas ‘Uniform Branch’ – the thirty-two year popular with all of her colleagues,

“Seems, Savannah once worked for Kath Pettingill...?”

Joanna nodded. Kath Pettingill had been a notorious ‘Madam’ back in Melbourne,

“Yet here she is,” added Robyn philosophically, “Working at ‘The Paragon’ Café in Mount Thomas?”

“ ... who would’ve thought, Savannah’s now working for Rebecca Campbell as a waitress, Janna?”

Joanna hesitated. She’d only been to ‘The Paragon’ Café once. Robyn turned to Tess. It was still early. A little before eight o’clock in the morning. There was no separate meal room at the Mount Thomas Police Station and so, the policewomen had begun to use the little-used Female Cell as a lounge room – the Male Cells were separate. Conveniently, the small kitchenette was nearby...

“Savannah’s not the only prostitute in Mount Thomas...?” Tess warned.

Robyn glanced at Joanna. It was no secret that Joanna Louise Parrish had arrived at the ‘Mount Thomas ‘Uniform Branch’ was an unfortunate reputation. Described as “the type of person who only opens her mouth to change feet” in fact. But, that had not been what had worried Senior Sergeant Tom Croydon the most...? Her new ‘Officer in Charge’ knew all about what had happened back at Elsternwick, as did both Sergeant Tess Gallagher and Senior Constable Robyn Taylor too. They all suspected that it was the primary reason why Joanna had been ‘seconded’ to Mount Thomas.

A little too self-assured for her own good, the outspoken young brunette policewoman could be both stubborn and somewhat pig-headed. Nonetheless, it had been her ‘relationship’ with Sergeant ‘Wild Bill’ Thompson that had caused some concern. Constable Joanna Parrish had been caught giving her ‘Shift Supervisor’ a ‘blow job’ – ‘Wild Bill’ had ejaculated all over her and forced her to work the rest of her shift with her uniform shirt wet with his ‘cum’...

“Sergeant Gallagher?” Robyn prompted.

Tess leant back against the kitchen bench,

“Rebecca Campbell...” the blonde Divorcee explained, folding her arms,

“She used to work for Kath Pettingill at the ‘Gaslight’ too, didn’t you know?”

Robyn looked at Joanna again. The younger policewoman opened her mouth to speak,

“That’s probably who Tom Croydon wants rid of Savannah, I suspect?” suggested Tess finally,

“Rebecca ‘Becky’ Campbell’s a local...?”

The former prostitute was actually related to Deirdre ‘Dash’ McKinley,

“But, Miss Hamilton-Smythe isn’t, you see, ladies?”

It now began to make sense to Joanna, but she said nothing.

She had wanted to ask Tess about Savannah, after what the former prostitute had said two days before?