Chapter 16

Part 8

Watchousekeeper

The lull was over. That much was obvious.

Arriving for work early, Kelly Maree O’Rourke had walked into a maelstrom of ringing telephones and raised voices. Constable ‘Nobby’ Clarke had treated the young policewoman with his usual disdain, but Senior Constable ‘Nick’ Schultz had been glad to see her. There were three people at the front counter and both Sergeant ‘Killer’ Caldwell and Senior Constable ‘Wild Bill’ O’Donoghue had stunned by the chaos when they arrived for the Nightshift.

Much to everybody’s utter amazement, Senior Sergeant Barry McKnight had stayed back too.

Kelly sat back. It was some time after one o’clock in the morning and she was already exhausted.

Senior Constable ‘Nick’ Schultz had stayed back, as had both Senior Constable ‘Lucky Phil’ Murchison and Sergeant ‘Bluey’ Wilson. Whilst finishing some of the earlier matters, ‘Nick’ and ‘Lucky Phil’ had also completed some of the duties required of a Watchousekeeper on Nightshift to help out the young policewoman. Thankfully, the phones had stopped ringing. And, there had been nobody through the front door in some time. ‘Probationary’ Constable Kelly O’Rourke had a chance to catch her breath.

She had no idea of the time. The police radio crackled. A burglary in Royal Park.

Sergeant ‘Killer’ Caldwell and Senior Constable ‘Wild Bill’ O’Donoghue were attending a Disturbance.

Kelly had called it through to Communications D24 an hour earlier. Or had it been two hours...?

She found herself staring at the front counter. It seemed unbelievable.

Pushing her paperwork to one side, she pictured ‘The Countess’ in her mind.

Had she really given the half-caste Aboriginal hermaphrodite a ‘blow job’ there...?

It felt like it had happened months ago, not just the seventy-two hours – Kelly uttered a sigh.

Coffee...? The policewoman could do with some of Senior Sergeant Monica Draper’s ‘Red Label’ – she turned away from the front counter and stared at her reflection in the adjacent window.

It still seemed so surreal. She had not heard from the ‘Women Police’ – Constable Maggie Doyle and Constable Joanna Parrish were not rostered back on until the next day, and Sergeant Tess Gallagher and Senior Constable Robyn Taylor were attending a job in Essendon. Kelly was on her own again.

Five minutes later, Kelly had prepared herself a coffee. Seated back at the Watchousekeeper’s desk, the young blonde policewoman enjoying a few moments of peace and quiet. For the first time since her arrival for work, the Flemington Police Station was silent. Wellington Street was deserted again.

The aroma of freshly-percolated coffee had permeated throughout the Watchousekeeper’s Office.

And, there was a patina of dust over everything – the dust highlighting several cob webs in the corner by the window. The poster of the previous year’s ‘Miss Victoria Police’ was still in situ on the back of the security door beside the counter. Nearby, several ‘Police Life’ Posters and Victoria Police notices added to the décor. With the rain now but a memory, the streetlights outside in Wellington Street, now cast a far more harsh light than previous nights. Even the young blonde policewoman’s reflection now appeared far more stark than it had been some twenty-four hours earlier – the dirty opaque glass much lighter than it had been during the rain. Kelly sat back down. She closed her eyes and uttered a sigh.

The police radio crackled. Kelly heard a siren in Racecourse Road. An ambulance...?

The police radio crackled again. This time Kelly took notice,

“Flemington three-eleven...?”

Senior Constable ‘Wild Bill’ O’Donoghue was radioing in,

“We have two in custody, VKC...”

‘Probationary’ Constable Kelly O’Rourke swore. There had been an arrest. And, she knew what that meant - Sergeant ‘Killer’ Caldwell and Senior Constable ‘Wild Bill’ O’Donoghue were on their way back.

Opening her eyes, she reached for her coffee. Savouring the first mouthful, she peered over the rim of her cup at the front door – she then heard another transmission...

“Moonee Ponds three-eleven returning to Flemington too...”

That meant ‘Trainee’ Constable Susie Raynor and Constable Marshall Peterson...

Kelly was waiting at the Charge Counter. She had prepared the paperwork. She knew what to do...

‘Wild Bill’ bundled the first prostitute through the door – ‘Killer’ holding the door open apathetically. Not that Kelly knew ‘Juicy Lucy’ but thought that she might have seen her in Racecourse Road...? Senior Constable ‘Wild Bill’ O’Donoghue smiled at the young policewoman, as did ‘Juicy Lucy’ Cunningham...

“Should be right up your fuckin’ alley, Constable O’Rourke...?” hissed Sergeant ‘Killer’ Caldwell,

“This is ‘Juicy Lucy’ – she’s one of our local fuckin’ characters, you see?” the middle-aged policeman added – Kelly nodded without speaking. ‘Charlotte the Harlot’ followed. The two police officers from Moonee Ponds, ushering her into the Flemington Police Station as Sergeant ‘Killer’ Caldwell held the door for them. ‘Charlotte the Harlot’ looked familiar too. But, Kelly couldn’t recall where she knew her from...? They were both prostitutes. Kelly knew that. It was obvious by their dress and demeanour,