Scorpio's Lot (11 page)

~ * ~

Marsh
had just returned to the station following some interviews up town with two
youths regarding the local drug trade. Forbes called a meeting immediately to
discuss their progress.

‘The alibis of both James
Slattery, Brigit’s ex-boyfriend, and Kurt Muller, a resident of Harrison’s
Caravan Park, have been verified up to their last public sighting,’ Marsh said.
‘We also checked the listings in the Harrisons’ guestbook and found no
irregularities.’

Forbes took centre stage. ‘Detective
Marsh reports that a local drug syndicate called Scorpio is flourishing and
dealing in a wider range of stimulants, depressants and various amphetamines
than first thought. Unfortunately the harder drugs such as heroin are
plentiful, which suggests the bulk of their supply is being made available via
a city outlet. We’re therefore most likely dealing with some powerful and
influential people who manage and operate a highly successful logistics
network. Let me give you some insight into this industry.’

Forbes paused to gather his
thoughts. ‘Organised crime that has been revealed in this country is both
widespread and serious, probably more so than those who exercise political
power will admit. Most politicians are either ignorant of the facts or neglect
their responsibility to take appropriate action. There’s an extremely wide
range of criminal activity operating on a national basis, and it has strong
global links as well. The hierarchy and level of coverage by these present
organisations are basically unknown to the authorities, due to insufficient
detailed reports or studies that have been carried out in the past.

‘The sooner governments recognise
and act upon this apparent liability, the more informed and accomplished our
investigations will become. We cannot judge these organisations merely by
accumulating the known crimes they’ve committed. When faced with an enemy, and
this case is no exception, its threat is not to be judged only by its present
operation but rather by its organisation with respect to numbers, dispositions,
opportunities and potential. Their leaders, as would be in the Reynolds case,
are highly intellectual and versatile, and they have the ability to change
their criminal activities and plans of operation according to the strength or
weakness of their opponent. Therefore the true seriousness of their threat
depends upon their ability, and the power and resources they can accrue.’

‘So where does one look for this
organised crime?’ asked Burke.

‘These people or their leaders
can come from a multitude of backgrounds and sometimes from the most unlikely
sources. Let me give you an example. There are instances where narcotics agents
pose as dealers in their undercover work and then deceive the authorities by
selling these drugs. It’s what you could call the perfect cover, but with
increasing profits rivaling annual salary comes the greed to seek a greater
wealth. On the other side of the ledger, the agent will receive a bonus or
commission when he helps bust and arrest those responsible for importing a
large shipment. There are agents who can’t resist using some of their own spoils
and their whole way of life begins to transform for the worst. They become rich
dealer addicts as well and over time some of them decide to phase out their law
enforcement activities in favour of full-time dealing. There are also agents
who take vengeance against their ex-colleagues and will turn them in through
spite for having made too much profit. The whole drug world was and still is a
dingy and obscure place.’

‘But where do these drugs come
from?’ asked Chris Martino.

‘Well, by using heroin as an
example, most of the world’s supply today, in fact seventy-five percent of it,
comes from Afghanistan or neighbouring areas which serve around ninety percent
of the western market. This excludes the US. Most of theirs comes from
Columbia. In terms of distribution there are five links in the chain,
commencing with the opium farmer and progressing through to the manufacturer,
importer, dealer and finally end user. Naturally our efforts concentrate on the
latter three.’

‘Are there different types of
heroin?’ Martino asked, intrigued by the detective’s briefing.

‘Certainly. Three forms of heroin
arrive in the country - white, brown and base. White is the purist grade and
derives from the western Asian region, primarily Afghanistan as mentioned
before. This form of heroin is the most commonly seized by customs at wharves
and airports throughout the country. Brown heroin, also known as brown rock,
contains impurities introduced during the process stage, where users heat it on
tinfoil and inhale the vapours. Heroin base is simply a very low-grade form of
the drug. When we bust this local organisation it’ll most likely be the white
form of heroin we uncover.’

Forbes’ mobile rang. He took a
moment to digest the contents of the text message, then looked around at his
captive audience and proceeded with the meeting.

‘To conclude, make no mistake,
the enemy in our midst is no different from what I’ve already pointed out.
Their structure and logistical operation is a highly professional and well-run
unit. We are dealing with a ruthless foe that is most likely supported by a
national syndicate which will protect their investment at any length.’ Forbes
stopped, looking around for something to quench his thirst.

Marsh reinforced Forbes’
briefing. ‘So, as you can see we’re not dealing with some two-bit organisation
in this case. Our objective is to break down this regional operation, which I’m
convinced will lead us to those responsible for murdering Jake Reynolds.’

‘With regards to delegated
duties,’ Forbes said, ‘Marsh and I will continue to concentrate on these drug
issues. Burke and Martino, you’ll be reassigned to this case when required, so
for the moment you may return to local station matters.’

‘You’ll need to give me some
forewarning when I’m to release any of my men,’ Whittaker said. ‘Spur of the
moment transfers may create problems.’

‘How many officers are under your
command?’ asked Forbes.

‘Four sergeants and sixteen
constables stationed in Pedley.’

‘Then asking for only two
officers at this stage should not cause any undue distress,’ said the pompous
Forbes and then softened the arrogant remark by adding, ‘Again, I must
emphasise that this will not be a continuous necessity. It’s more likely to
operate on an as-need basis.’

‘I understand,’ acknowledged
Whittaker unconvincingly.

‘Bear in mind that should this
case escalate to the point where a full-time team is warranted, backup should
be made available via city headquarters,’ Forbes added.

The remaining constabulary could
sense an air of friction escalating between their two most senior-ranked
officers.

~ * ~

n
the presence of Bradbury and Charlie, Sol was calling the regional head to ask
about the fate of Brigit O’Neill. A silence came over the room as he began to
explain the situation, being mindful not to omit any important detail.

Charlie appeared agitated and was
pacing the room, much to the annoyance of Sol who frowned at him to stop the
distraction. Sol knew Charlie possessed a cruel streak and would be hoping the
boss would issue orders to spill blood.

‘So there you have it,’ Sol said
into the phone. ‘We think the O’Neill girl should be handled differently.’

‘I totally agree,’ responded the
regional head. ‘A further elimination’s not the answer, and besides, it may be
totally unnecessary if Brigit O’Neill is found to be holding no incriminating
knowledge. I already have enough issues to deal with.’

‘Then what should we do?’ asked
Sol.

‘Okay, this is how we’ll handle
it. Charlie and one of his men are to go to the O’Neill residence tonight and
bring the girl to the underground, where you’ll await my further instruction.
Brigit must be blindfolded and under no circumstances is she to be harmed.’

‘And what if her mother creates a
problem?’

‘Deal with it sensibly but
nothing too vicious, just enough to immobilise her. And leave the woman in the
house. I don’t want two kidnappings to contend with.’

‘Okay, boss. I’ll have Charlie
and Mick there around ten,’ responded Sol.

‘Give me a call tonight after you’ve
dealt with it,’ instructed his superior.

~ * ~

Driving
to the O’Neill residence I couldn’t help but think that good deeds deserve to
be carried out in more favourable weather. It was nine pm and bloody cold.
Tonight Jack Frost would be spreading his cover again, resulting in chilblains
and frozen tap water come morning. I made a mental note to search for that
elusive hot water bottle when I returned home.

Helen opened the front door,
obviously startled to see me standing there looking so miserable in the cold. ‘Why,
Tom, what a pleasant surprise. Please come in and warm yourself by the fire.’

‘Thanks, Helen.’

I followed her through to the
lounge room, where I found Brigit seated in a club armchair pulled up to the
edge of the hearth.

‘Hello, Tom, long time no see,’
said Brigit, gesturing to the chair beside her. ‘Grab a seat and get some
warmth, you look like you need to thaw out.’

‘Hi, Brig. You’re looking far
better than I expected.’

‘Yeah, much better now. I amazed
the doctors with my quick recovery. Something to do with being young and in
reasonable health, they kept telling me.’

‘And how long will the arm be in
plaster?’

‘About six weeks.’

An uneasy silence came over the
room. The sound of crackling red gum seemed to intensify. It was Helen who
redirected everybody’s attention away from the hypnotic fire, for she sensed
that at nine o’clock on a cold winter’s night this was no ordinary visit.

‘So, to what do we owe the
pleasure?’

‘There’s a delicate and serious
matter to discuss,’ I said. ‘I’ve come here tonight as a relative and friend
who’s very concerned about everyone’s safety. Helen, it’s very difficult for me
to know where to start because you’re not aware of all the facts.’

Helen frowned. ‘What are you
implying?’

‘I believe this would be best
handled if I could just have a quick word with Brigit first.’

Helen appeared agitated and
grudgingly left the room.

‘Brigit, I believe your life is
in danger from the same people that instigated Jake’s murder.’

‘You can’t be serious!’

‘I’m deadly serious.’

‘But how can you be so sure?’

‘I have my source.’

‘And who might that be?’

‘That I can’t divulge. I was told
in strict confidence.’

‘This is bloody ridiculous!’ she
protested.