Chapter 4

’The Tunnel’

... Policewomen at the notorious Melbourne Nightclub (4)

Sonya nodded. There was no point delaying the inevitable – they were there to do a job and that was that. Val was on her own. Though younger, Constable Val Robertson was ‘senior’ – the vivacious twenty-one year old had joined the Victoria Police a year earlier than Yvonne and Sonya, Still holding onto ‘Probationary’ Constable Sonya Campbell’s hand, ‘Probationary’ Constable Yvonne Thompson was now ushered away from the bar. She had thought that she’d seen everything, Senior Constable Diana ‘Dee Dee’ D’Agostino offering herself to Sergeant ‘Lucky Phil’ Saunders back in their ‘Muster Room’ at the Russell Street Police Station. ‘Acting’ Sergeant Crystal Anne Wallace ‘snorting’ cocaine.

And now, here was Constable Jane Millicent kissing the notorious Manageress of ‘The Tunnel’...?

Yvonne said nothing. She knew better than to argue with ‘Lucky Phil’ - not even ‘Acting’ Sergeant Crystal Anne Wallace had dared offer a protest about how the arrogant ‘Officer in Charge’ of the Russell Street ‘Special Duties’ treated her policewomen!

‘Probationary’ Constable Sonya Campbell breathed a sigh of relief.

‘Lucky Phil’ however, was more interested in his ‘Red Label’ – the waitress served the policeman his drink without saying a thing. She glared at Constable Jane Millicent. The young policewoman’s shirt was unbuttoned almost to her waist, as was that of the other policewoman, Constable ‘Val’ Robertson,

“What about Valerie...?” Yvonne whispered in Sonya’s ear. Sonya hesitated.

Back at the end of the bar, Elizabeth ‘Lizzie’ O’Donoghue was now focussed on Constable Valerie ‘Val’ Robertson – she’d been intrigued by the thirty year old ‘Probationary’ Constable Sonya Campbell for the blonde Divorcee was by far the most attractive of all four policewomen in her opinion. But, it was more a case ‘of out of sight, out of mind’ now, and the Manageress was now far more interested in the twenty-one year old. An unbuttoned uniform shirt. Baseball-style uniform cap and the glistening ID badge hanging from the lanyard that she wore about her neck. Lizzie stared at Val’s nametag...

“Valerie’s a ‘big girl’ now, Yvonne...” Sonya replied finally. She took a glance back at where Vale stood with ‘Lucky Phil’ and Jane – she could see that the Manageress was taking a real ‘interest’ in Constable ‘Val’ Robertson, but there was little she could do now.

“She can look after herself, Constable Thompson...” added Sonya with a sigh.

There was a waitress with Lizzie. And, even from where she now stood with Yvonne, Sonya could see a look of ‘hunger’ in the eyes of the waitress too – the rumours about ‘The Tunnel’ it now seemed to Sonya, were true...

“Maybe...?” was Yvonne’s response. Though a year older than Val, she was far less mature.

“What about ‘The Cunt’...?” Yvonne then asked – it was the first time, ‘Probationary’ Constable Sonya Campbell had heard another policewoman refer to Constable Jane Millicent as ‘The Cunt’...

“Haven’t you realised yet...?” Sonya replied – it was hard to hear what Yvonne was saying with the music. Nonetheless, the Divorcee knew what her younger colleague was asking. It was also hard to see in ‘The Tunnel’ as they headed passed the dancefloor on their way to the Female Toilets. There was a cloud of cigarette smoke, upon which the psychedelic lights played about, casting a weird array of shadows and colours about the dancefloor,

“As far as ‘Lucky Phil’ is concerned, Constable...” continued Sonya philosophically...

“We’re just a couple of police ‘cunts’ – you saw what he did back at Russell Street, didn’t you?”

“Y-Yes...” agreed the younger policewoman. The cigarette smoke swirled about them,

“I really don’t know why ‘Dee Dee’ is so obsessed with him...?” wondered Sonya aloud. Nor did she understand why ‘Acting’ Sergeant Crystal Anne Wallace had been unable to do anything earlier...?

“He treats Jane Millicent like his personal ‘whore’ – we’re just ‘cunts’ in uniform, nothing more...”

There was anger in Sonya’s tone. Frustration and Disappointment too.