Chapter 1

Anne Belinda Schroeder hesitated.

Standing alone in the front doorway to the ‘City Patrol Group’ Office in Flinders Lane, the thirty-year-old blonde paused for a moment. There was little traffic. And fewer pedestrians at this late hour, as it had been a wet afternoon in Melbourne.

Better known as ‘Lindy’ within the Victoria Police, she gazed down Flinders Lane towards Elizabeth Street.

She felt quite alone. It almost seemed that she was in the middle of nowhere.

Alone with her thoughts, Senior Constable ‘Lindy’ Schroeder took another moment.

Melbourne was silent. Moribund and deafening quiet - the earlier rain had now disappeared, but everything appeared wet. And, the dull glow of the fluorescent street lights added little to the cityscape.

However, despite the earlier rain, it was warm again. Thirty degrees Celsius or so.

Lindy tugged at her shirtsleeve - the crisp pale-blue fabric of her short-sleeved uniform shirt caressing at her skin as she continued to gaze towards the intersection of Flinders Lane and Elizabeth Street.

She’d neatly rolled the sleeves of her tight-fitting uniform shirt even shorter. That was a fashion trademark of the policewomen at the ‘City Patrol Group’ - the collar neatly pressed flat.

About her neck, Lindy wore an issue lanyard to which was attached a glistening ‘Victoria Police’ badge - the lanyard tucked neatly beneath the collar of her shirt. Pinned to the front of her uniform shirt, she wore her issue nametag proclaiming ‘Lindy Schroeder - Senior Constable’ with her ‘National Police Service Medal’ ribbon just above it.

As usual, she wore a uniform skirt - the dark-blue policewoman’s skirt unofficially shorted to a much more fashionable length. But instead of the usual dark-blue pantyhose, Lindy wore non-regulation stockings. Again, another trademark of of the policewomen at the ‘City Patrol Group’ too.

Her shirt was a size too small.

The crisp pale blue fabric accentuated her firm breasts.

Contrary to Victoria Police regulations, Lindy wore a sports bra. But, that was nothing new.

She stepped from the front doorway at last.

Senior Constable Lindy Schroeder had been the first policewoman to be appointed to the old Melbourne District ‘Traffic and Patrol’ Division - recently rebranded as the ‘City Patrol Group’ as part of the reorganization of ‘A’ Division into Region No. 1 of the Victoria Police, ‘City Traffic’ as it was long better known, had been Lindy’s focus. However, she was no longer the most ‘senior’ of all the policewomen now. Senior Sergeant Monica Draper had been appointed the ‘Officer in Charge’ and Sergeant Tess Gallagher had arrived on transfer. Not that Lindy really minded, for she was still the ‘heart ‘n’ soul’ of the all-female ‘City Patrol Group’...

.

There had been ‘trouble’ downtown.

Lindy knew that she’d have to do something and quickly.

Constable Kelly O’Rourke and ‘Probationary’ Constable Susie Raynor were working a ‘Foot Patrol’ up in Chinatown.

And, both Senior Constable Rosemary ‘Rosie’ Egan and Senior Constable Belinda Preston were assisting Senior Constable Rochelle De La Rue with several Shoplifters somewhere in the nearby Bourke Street Mall, whilst Sergeant Tess Gallagher and Senior Constable Maggie Doyle were attending a ‘disturbance’ in the ‘Steamworks’ Sauna on Latrobe Street. That left only Lindy and both Constable Deirdre ‘Dash’ McKinley and Constable Joanna Parrish...?

Joanna was working the front counter - regulations stipulated that she not work alone, so ‘Dash’ had remained behind to help out. Lindy would have to deal with the matter on her own. And she preferred it that way.

The air-conditioning within the ‘City Patrol Group’ Office had long been ineffectual.

And so, she savored the cool breeze that blew the length of Flinders Lane as she walked towards Elizabeth Street.

There were still very few pedestrians. But, she doubted the inner city would get any busier now.