Jacqui smiled.

She’d heard the back door open and knew instinctively that it was Maggie. ‘Probationary’ Constable Jacqueline Patterson had been rostered to work the ‘dayshift’ with Constable Toni Lee Matthews.

They had paperwork to finish. And, Senior Sergeant ‘Wild Bill’ O’Donoghue had wanted the ‘Property Store’ to be tidied as well. Jacqui had been at The Esplanade Police Station for two hours, but there had been no sign of Toni until the back door opened.

The irony was not lost on Jacqueline Eloise Patterson...

“Well...?” greeted Jacqui.

She’d finished tidying the ‘Property Store’ and was about to make another cup of coffee.

Toni appeared in the rear doorway. Hesitating, she offered a guilty smile to her brunette colleague.

Better known as Toni, Constable Antonia Lucinda Matthews was the new ‘Poster Girl’ for the Victoria Police – the former ‘Miss Australia’ Contestant was a favourite ‘Wild Bill’ O’Donoghue, so there was something a little incongruous about the way the ‘Miss Victoria Police’ looked as she lingered in the doorway. The twenty-five year old blonde’s uniform shirt was knotted ‘halter style’ about her waist...

“I thought it might be you, Constable Matthews - not like you to be running this late, Toni?”

“No...” replied Toni. She looked tired. And, her short-sleeved policewoman’s uniform shirt a mess.

“What time do you call this, Toni?” teased the young brunette policewoman. The look of mock disgust on her pretty face quite unconvincing...

“Sorry...”

Toni paused. She’d been confident that Constable Jacqui Patterson would cover for her.

“Your uniform...?” queried Jacqui.

Toni also appreciated the irony of the situation.

The blonde ‘Miss Victoria Police’ shrugged,

“Not quite regulation huh...?”

Jacqueline Eloise Patterson was quite the opposite to the ‘Miss Victoria Police’ – the young brunette could be a competent and professional police officer when she wanted. But, she could also be rather ill-disciplined and far too loose with her sexual favours too. Constable Jacqui Patterson was bi-sexual. Unashamedly promiscuous. And, it was usually the young brunette who was late for work.

“Well...?” prompted Jacqui.

There was a moment of silence.

Located on The Esplanade in St. Kilda, the small St. Kilda West Police Station was an anachronism,

Though better known as The Esplanade ‘Cop Shop’ for obvious reasons, it was a legacy of the old Victoria Police – though remarkably enough, it had so far escaped all efforts to be closed by Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon. Situated not far from the celebrated ‘Les Girls’ Revue and the Fitzroy Street Precinct, the compact Art Deco brick-built building had once housed the old St. Kilda ‘Women Police’ Division. Equal Opportunities however, had done away with the all-female ‘Slut Squad’ and the later ‘Community Policing Squad’ as well. Ironically, there were still more policewomen than male police officers, so it was no real surprise The Esplanade Police Station was still referred to as the ‘Slut Squad’ within No. 1 Region.

“P-Please...?”

Silhouetted by the late morning sun, the ‘Miss Victoria Police’ hesitated a moment longer in the doorway,

“Don’t start now, Jacqui?”

Jacqui raised an eyebrow.

She had taken careful note of Toni’s knotted uniform shirt.

Constable Toni Matthews wasn’t wearing a bra. But, that was nothing new,

.And, the blonde policewoman had neatly rolled the sleeves of her shirt even shorter.

Much like Toni’s preference for Givenchy Amirage perfume and strawberry-scented lip gloss, that was another of the blonde’s fashion trademarks – both policewomen wore their short-sleeved uniform shirts with the collar pressed flat,

“So then, Constable Matthews?” Jacqui continued.

She could see a smear of lipstick over Toni’s shirt collar,

“Who was she...?” asked Jacqui. The blonde policewoman hesitated.

‘Probationary’ Constable Jacqueline Patterson was one of the few at The Esplanade Police Station, who knew the ‘Miss Victoria Police’ was bi,

“Wouldn’t you like to know, Jacqui?”

“I think I deserve something, Toni...?”

There was a suggestion of disappointment in the brunette policewoman’s voice,

“Don’t I now, Constable Matthews?” Jacqui added.

Nobody knew that Toni was late.

She’d kept the front door of The Esplanade Police Station locked.

And, she’d made sure that there were no embarrassing questions about Toni,

“I’m sorry, sweetie...” responded Toni apologetically.

Jacqui leaned back against the front counter, offering Toni a reassuring smile,

“So, who was she then?” the young brunette asked again.

Toni stepped inside. She closed the rear door behind her – Jacqui had kept her secret for months.

Nobody else suspected the ‘Miss Victoria Police’ was bi-sexual.

Not even their ‘Officer in Charge’...

“Coffee...?” Jacqui offered,

“Please...?” confirmed Toni.

She tugged at the collar of her dishevelled uniform shirt.

“Her name’s Dominique...” the blonde policewomen then added.

Jacqui hesitated. Opening her mouth to respond, she thought better of it,

“D-Dominique...” continued the ‘Miss Victoria Police’ with a sigh.

“Dominique eh...?” queried Jacqui.

The only ‘Dominique’ that Constable Jacqui Patterson knew in St. Kilda was a ‘convicted’ prostitute.

‘Mistress Dominique’ D’Constanzo had recently returned after being released from the Metropolitan Women’s Prison in Deer Park...

“Dominique...” confirmed Toni with a guilty smile.

It took a moment for Jacqui to realise what Toni was confessing.

Not that she was all that surprised. It was perhaps inevitable. Along with Toni, Jacqueline ‘Jacqui’ Patterson was attached to the ‘Regional Prostitution Team’ based at St. Kilda West Police Station – a select cadre of policewomen christened the ‘Street Patrol’ but more often than not, still called the ‘Slut Squad’ by their colleagues at the St. Kilda ‘Uniform Branch’ and Criminal Investigation Branch.

Conservative politicians had done little about Prostitution. And, the Victoria Police had been incapable of dealing with the rise in illegal Brothels and ‘Street Prostitutes’ within the notorious ‘Red Light’ District – the ‘Regional Prostitution Team’ notwithstanding, there had long been rumours of police officers and prostitutes like ‘Mistress Dominique’ D’Constanzo.

‘Probationary’ Constable ‘Jacqui’ Patterson turned and stared at Toni again.

The coffee could wait...

“You don’t mean...?” queried the young brunette policewoman.

Senior Sergeant ‘Wild Bill’ O’Donoghue had mentioned Dominique D’Constanzo to both policewomen only two days earlier. The local newspaper was investigating the prostitute’s return to St. Kilda...

“... ‘Mistress Dominique’ D’Constanzo, Toni?”

“Y-Yes...” replied the blonde. A dribble of perspiration slowly oozed down between her firm breasts.

“But, I thought ‘Mistress Dominique’ rather detested us police ‘cunts’ eh...?” Jacqui queried,

“Dominique D’Constanzo...” continued Toni. Her moist skin tingled in the reflected sunlight from outside – the almost translucent pale-blue fabric of her uniform shirt accentuating her firm breasts as she spoke.

Jacqui could not believe what she was hearing...?

Only a day earlier, she’d spoken with ‘Mistress Dominique’ at ‘The Carlisle’ Hotel with Constable Toni Matthews – ‘The Carlisle’ being another of those popular ‘watering holes’ for St. Kilda prostitutes and policewomen,

“Dominique Elizabeth D’Constanzo, Constable Patterson...”

“Toni...?” gasped the young brunette.

‘Mistress Dominique’ was a ‘convicted’ prostitute. A half-caste Aboriginal ‘Pimp’ who’d spent some eighteen months in the Metropolitan Women’s Prison for dealing cocaine.

Jacqui knew only too well, that Dominique had also been suspected of supplying ‘coke’ to a number of female police officers as well...

“But, she’s a prostitute...?”

‘Acting’ Sergeant Lindy Schroeder had arrested ‘Mistress Dominique’ a week earlier, but the charges had been dropped. Nonetheless, the ‘Miss Victoria Police’ was taking a chance and Jacqui knew it,

“Maybe. We’re going to need something a little stronger than coffee, Constable Matthews...?”

This was something Jacqui had not expected. A local ‘Stripper’ perhaps...? But, a prostitute.

Toni said nothing. Not long after Jacqui had arrived at the St. Kilda ‘Uniform Branch’ as a newly minted ‘trainee’ policewoman, Senior Constable Lindy Schroeder and ‘Probationary’ Constable Toni Matthews had got the young brunette drunk at ‘The Carlisle’ Hotel and then plied her with cocaine.

“Probationary’ Constable Antonia ‘Toni’ Matthews had spent the next few days in bed with fresh-faced young brunette ‘trainee’ policewoman - it had been for all intents and purposes, Jacqueline Eloise Patterson’s lesbian apprenticeship.

A surprisingly wanton ‘welcome’ to the ‘Red Light’ District for Jacqui.

But that had been almost a year earlier...?

Jacqui stood up. The front door to The Esplanade ‘Cop Shop’ was still locked.

It was an operation quirk, that the St. Kilda West Police Station could remain closed for business.

There was a short corridor from the front door to the back door. Along the wall, were several correspondence lockers – Jacqui stood at the front counter and Toni lingered just inside the rear doorway. They were on their own.

It had been a quiet day. But that was to be expected,

The previous week’s ‘Operation Charnwood’ had seen many of the local criminals arrested.

There was an office for Senior Sergeant ‘Wild Bill’ O’Donoghue by the front counter. No cells.

What had once been the Female Cell, was now an improvised lounge room for the policewomen,

The old Male Cell nothing more than a storeroom. Behind the front counter, the ‘Street Patrol’ had a large Muster Room – each of the policewomen with their own desk. The windows were opaque. And, a number of discarded female uniform shirts hung from a series of coat hooks near where Toni stood.

There was another room used by ‘Acting’ Sergeant Lindy Schroeder and Sergeant Belinda Preston.

And, an Interview Room and Change rooms were to be found at the rear of the building, overlooking St. Kilda Beach and ‘The Catani’ Gardens in the distance.

“I should’ve told you...?” conceded the ‘Miss Victoria Police’ finally...

“You ‘fucked’ her, Toni...?” enquired Jacqui, still unable to quite come to terms with what she’d been told,

“If you should know,” replied Toni, “We spent the night together, Constable Patterson?”