Chapter 43

Joanna lingered in the doorway.

Along with both Senior Constable Robyn Taylor and Constable Maggie Doyle, the twenty-five year old brunette had returned to the small ‘Women Police’ Office – after finishing their respective appearances at Court, they’d been surprised to find that Sergeant Tess Gallagher and Senior Sergeant Monica ‘The Black Widow’ Draper missing,...

“Maybe, they’re out to lunch...?”

Joanna Louise Parrish shrugged.

Maggie sat on the edge of her desk with her back to the window – facing Joanna, the former ‘Miss Victoria Police’ smiled at her brunette girlfriend,

“Tess Gallagher’s a big girl, Joanna – she can look after herself?” she assured Constable Joanna Parrish...

“No news is good news huh...?” Robyn suggested. Joanna responded with another shrug,

“Why don’t you check with Deirdre eh?” was Maggie’s suggestion.

They’d not come through the main building, but they knew ‘Probationary’ Constable Deirdre ‘Dash’ McKinley was Watchousekeeper. By rights, Tess and Monica should’ve let her know where they were going...

“How about a coffee huh...?” Maggie added. Robyn had already thought of that.

Saying nothing more for the moment, the older policewoman walked across to the small kitchenette...

Joanna walked over to where Maggie was sitting – she shared the desk with her blonde girlfriend and sat beside the former ‘Miss Victoria Police’ as Robyn prepared a coffee for them all. She didn’t know why, but Joanna thought that there was something ‘suspicious’ about the absence of Tess and Monica.

“At least, there’s not list of instructions for us...?” observed Maggie.

It was Monica’s practice, to leave a list of things-to-do for her policewomen if she wasn’t going to be in the office upon their return. With the kettle filled, Robyn moved to the large Job Book...

“Anything of interest, Robyn?” enquired Joanna. The older policewoman shook her head slowly.

The large bound book was the centre of everything the ‘Women Police’ did. It listed most of their work and was to be consulted by all the policewomen on a regular basis. There was however, nothing new,

Meanwhile, back in the main Flemington Police Station, Cassandra Nicholson had confronted Suzanne Elizabeth Raynor in the Property Store – ‘Probationary’ Constable Deirdre ‘Dash’ McKinley had all but forgotten about the cleaner as she took yet another telephone call in the Watchousekeeper’s Office...

“Not quite regulation...?” Cassandra whispered. ‘Probationary’ Constable Susie Raynor shrugged,

“What would Senior Sergeant McKnight say?” wondered Cassandra – she pulled at Susie’s shirt...

Suzanne Elizabeth Raynor had been the surprise. Nobody had expected another policewoman to be posted to the Flemington ‘Uniform Branch’ so quickly after Kelly and Deirdre. Senior Sergeant Barry McKnight had been shocked – ‘Probationary’ Constable Susie Raynor was little more than a ‘trainee’ and by rights, should never have had the ‘seniority’ for the vacancy. Nonetheless, she had arrived on transfer; the third ‘cunt’ to be stationed at Flemington to work ‘General Duties’ in less than a month...

Susie hesitated. Cassandra pulled again at the blonde’s uniform shirt – Suzanne Elizabeth Raynor did nothing to stop the brunette as she tugged open her policewoman’s uniform shirt. There’d been rumours about Cassandra Nicholson. But, as she treated all three of the ‘Uniform Branch’ girls with indifference and obvious disdain, there was little Susie, Deirdre or Kelly, had been able to learn – all they knew, was that she’d once been married to ‘Acting’ Sergeant Anderson Nicholson, little more...?