Chapter 7

Sergeant Tess Gallagher hesitated.

The thirty-year-old Divorcee stood at the corner of Flinders Lane and Elizabeth Street.

She could not see Constable Adam Cooper or Constable Jack Lawson. Nor had she yet caught a glimpse of ‘Probationary’ Constable Kelly O’Rourke.

Pausing, she stood by the kerb and stared across at the three policewomen.

Senior Constable Rochelle De La Rue, ‘Probationary’ Constable Deirdre ‘Dash’ McKinley, and the still bemused ‘Probationary’ Constable Georgina Watson had appeared from Flinders Lane – that in itself had not surprised Tess, for she had no doubt that many of the Morning Shift would be soon returning to the ‘City Traffic’ Office.

But, she had been intrigued as to just what Rochelle was up to with the two young brunettes...?

There were several trams between Flinders Lane and Flinders Street in Elizabeth Street.

And from where she stood, she caught sight of Senior Constable Robyn Taylor with Constable Ben Stewart, Constable Wayne Patterson, and ‘Acting’ Sergeant Nick Schultz off towards Flinders Street Railway Station. It was still well before the evening Peak, but there had been something happening.

She took a moment or two, to take in the scene.

Rochelle was standing at the front door of ‘The Crazy Horse’ – she didn’t quite believe it, but the older policewoman had ushered Deirdre and Georgina through the door and into ‘The Crazy Horse’ Strip Club as she watched from the other side of the road. They hadn’t seen her. And, it appeared quite obvious, that all three of her policewomen had been taking advantage of the stationary trams to screen their movements, or so it seemed to Tess.

There were few pedestrians about.

But that again was no surprise to Tess.

It had been quiet all day. Melbourne felt subdued. Almost deserted.

Not twenty metres from where she stood, Tess could see Rochelle.

Senior Constable Rochelle De La Rue was something of an enigma.

She was now sharing Senior Sergeant Monica Draper’s bed – that was an open secret within the Melbourne District ‘Traffic and Patrol’ Division and it had given Rochelle a certain cache within ‘City Traffic’ too. A former Undercover Policewoman, the attractive twenty-five-year-old blonde was the very antithesis to all that the Victoria Police required – just why ‘The Black Widow’ had selected her as one of her concubines was a mystery to Tess...? Along with Senior Constable Rosemary ‘Rosie’ Egan, she was serving penance at the Melbourne District ‘Traffic and Patrol’ Division and they all knew it. Rochelle had been part of the ill-fated ‘Operation Mandingo’ and had been working Undercover to investigate the notorious Cheryl Anne Blake in respect to the burgeoning trade in ‘Ecstasy;’ and Cocaine now prevalent in Melbourne – Tess knew, as did, Monica and most of the other ‘City Traffic’ Policewomen that Rochelle had gone missing during ‘Operation Mandingo’ and then surfaced some months later, happily living with the ‘Drug Dealer’ with Detective Senior Constable Amelia ‘Amy’ Fox of the ‘Cyclops’ Drug Task Force.

Yet here she was, working as a uniformed policewoman...?

There had been nothing on the police radio...?

Tess knew of no official reason why Rochelle and the two younger policewomen should be at ‘The Crazy Horse’ Strip Club – certainly for no legitimate purpose, though she could guess why they were there.

And much like, Kelly, she was loathe to complicate things by using the police radio.

Staring at Rochelle, she was tempted to intercede – it would be embarrassing for the ‘disgraced’ blonde, but she knew that it would be far worse if ‘The Black Widow’ was to learn of what really went on at ‘The Crazy Horse’ Strip Club. Tess was loathe to follow Rochelle into ‘The Crazy Horse’ though.

She didn’t want to embarrass either Deirdre or Georgina.

And she felt a little guilty after what she’d enjoyed earlier at ‘The Paragon’ Café with the waitress, Rebecca, and ‘The Countess’ too.

Her radio stuttered – Tess wore a ‘Motorola’ portable radio on her belt and had the microphone clipped to the front od her uniform shirt. It was Constable Maggie Doyle and Constable Parrish. A routine car check. She pondered whether to summon them...?

Rochelle lingered in the front doorway of ‘The Crazy Horse’ – had she seen Tess...?

It didn’t seem so. Rochelle had not looked in Tess’ direction.

The radio crackled again. Senior Constable Rosemary ‘Rosie’ Egan had returned to the ‘City Traffic’ Office at the other end of the block in Flinders Lane – Constable Belinda Preston and ‘Probationary’ Constable Evan Jones had been with her.

And then, she heard another transmission. ‘The Black Widow’ was out and about. But where...?

It wasn’t Monica on the police radio. Tess had believed her to be at Police Headquarters.

But it was a call from Constable Joss Peroni to ‘Probationary’ Constable Alexander Kirby about their ‘Officer in Charge’ that suggested that ‘The Black Widow’ had returned from the City West Police Station earlier – Tess calculated it had been about the time that she’d finished with the ‘Pimp’ and the other two women at ‘The Paragon’ Café. What now concerned her, however, was what had been hinted in the radio transmission.

And that was, Senior Sergeant Monica Draper had slipped away from the ‘City Traffic’ Office only minutes before...?

Rochelle disappeared into ‘The Crazy Horse’ at last.

And, the trams began to shuffle away back down Elizabeth Street – Tess could see Robyn on the far side of the intersection. She was another of the older cadre of policewomen at ‘City Traffic’ like both Lindy and Rosemary. Experienced female officers. Three years earlier, Tess and Robyn had shared a bed. Since then, the thirty-three-year-old had shared Monica’s bed whilst they’d both been at the Russell Street ‘Women Police’ Division. Capable and quietly-spoken, Senior Constable Robyn Taylor was walking a fine line as a policewoman now, playing ‘The Black Widow’ off against Tess, such were the ‘Sexual Politics’ within the Melbourne District ‘Traffic and Patrol’ Division.

Muttering an obscenity under her breath, Tess stepped back into the doorway.

It was a vacant shop and the doorway offered concealment for Sergeant Tess Gallagher.

Toying with the collar of her uniform shirt as she often did, the thirty-year-old blonde Divorcee closed her eyes.

She held her breath as Robyn walked passed and disappeared into Flinders Lane.

A few moments later, Constable Jack Lawson, Constable Adam Cooper, and Constable Ben Stewart passed the policewoman on their way back to the ‘City Traffic’ Office.

Tess opened her eyes.

Inspector Russell Falcon-Price was the ‘Duty Officer’ – almost as if on cue, had passed by Tess as he headed back up Elizabeth Street on his way back to Divisional Headquarters at City West. She was a protégé of his, but the last thing Tess wanted now, was to have to explain to her sometime mentor, just what she was doing...

Kelly Maree O’Rourke stood alone in Rothsay Lane.

Concealed in the lengthening afternoon shadows, she continued to watch the unsuspecting Senior Sergeant Monica Draper in stunned fascination.

‘The Black Widow’ hadn’t seen her.

By rights, she should have seen the fresh-faced young blonde policewoman easily, for Rothsay Lane was a quiet alleyway. However, the older policewoman had been distracted – Kelly had edged her way carefully into Rothsay Lane and positioned herself in the back doorway of ‘The Shanghai’ Club.

At the far end of the lane, another of the prostitutes who frequented inner Melbourne was performing fellatio on the owner of Dimmatina’s Café.

Kelly ignored the sight of the kneeling prostitute with the Vietnamese-born proprietor, but Monica just stared at them both as she stood at the rear door to ‘The Crazy Horse’ Strip Club.

Kelly Maree O’Rourke knew that she was out of her depth,