Scorpio's Lot (28 page)

Despite the storm’s aftermath,
with its continuous piles of roadside debris, the rugged beauty of the McDonald
Ranges still shone through and signaled that journey’s end was near. These
series of treeless rolling hills exposing their abundance of granite provided a
spectacular rugged backdrop as we commenced our descent. Nestled in the valley
below stood the tiny village of Seddon by the bay, whose coastal waters
reflected a sapphire hue so renowned in the region.

The two cars arrived in the heart
of town, where shops still furbished their original timbered verandahs and old
horse troughs stood unused from a bygone era. The two-way traffic was separated
by central parkland that featured both a clock monument erected from local
granite and a memorial stone dedicated to the soldiers who lost their lives in
the two world wars.

Hamish was spot-on when he
described Seddon as a charming little fishing town that oozed character and
old-world charm. I checked my watch as the wharf and our pride of the fleet
suddenly came into view.

‘It’s quarter to one. She departs
in fifteen minutes,’ I said to Brigit.

‘Hamish was right, it certainly
ain’t no
Queen Mary,’
said Brigit, echoing Hamish and looking at the old
relic that was probably built sixty years ago and bore the name MS
Molly
Bloom.

A man directed three vehicles
onto the deck and positioned them in the stern where four other vehicles sat
already secured. The
Molly Bloom
was in need of a facelift and perhaps a
lick of paint to give the old girl a bit of sparkle, but basically she still
appeared to be a very solid and dependable carrier. Looking from our car
window, I could see the hall anchor had already been drawn and was fitting
snugly into the hawse pipe. I saw a small crane used for cargo handling in
operation on the port side, most likely taking aboard the last of the
merchandise supplies. A collection of various aerials, including radar, was erected
at higher elevation on the main mast.

The old girl appeared to be
driven by a 90-hp diesel engine, which I knew would produce a speed of around
ten knots. It had probably undergone a number overhauls and upgrades throughout
the years. Starboard side played host to the passengers, and there appeared to
be a kiosk serving drinks and snacks. Yes, this would be a pleasant voyage
following the coastline around to Pedley, I thought.

‘Tom, we’d better hurry. If
Hamish was right about the number of car spaces, there are only about three
left.’

I turned to see if Burke and
Martino were still behind us.

The two cars accelerated up the
ramp and across a broad, heavy-duty ramp. We were directed around to stern
side, where a second person was waiting to clamp our vehicles. Once the chains
were secured we made our way up the companion ladder. Around to starboard the
four of us took up our seating positions to enjoy the coastal scenery and some
of the simple offerings provided by the onboard kiosk.

On my way to buy four
cappuccinos, I counted twenty-three people, primarily made up of couples and
two families with their respective children. I could see a thermometer mounted
upon a nearby wall registering eighteen degrees, which, given the time of year,
was a comfortable temperature to enjoy the passage.

Brigit and I sat in our deck
chairs sipping at our coffees, observing the other passengers going about their
business and looking across to some fishermen who were still in port preparing
their boats for the afternoon catch.

‘Wonder what the poor people are
doing?’ I said.

‘Tom, I’m going to enjoy this
trip. So glad Hamish came up with the idea.’

‘And you can thank the storm for
redirecting us here.’

~ * ~

A
short distance away a Toyota Land Cruiser had just been secured to the stern
deck. Its two occupants immediately vacated the vehicle and one man made a
mobile call.

‘Charlie here, boss. We’re on
board the
Molly Bloom.
They never saw us following them.’

‘Very good, Charlie. What about
Brad Morgan?’ enquired the Piedpiper.

‘He’s just arrived so we’ll talk
soon. The two cops from the farm are also here.’

‘I’m sure you can deal with them.
Nothing too serious, though. Remember, other than mobile communication there is
to be no direct contact with Morgan prior to the abduction. The element of
surprise must be maintained throughout and if by some chance they do suspect a
problem, then we have the unsuspecting Brad Morgan up our sleeve,’ directed his
superior.

‘Sure, boss.’

‘Did you enquire if the boat
stops between Seddon and Pedley?’

‘No stops,’ responded Charlie.

‘Very well, and what time’s your
expected arrival into Pedley?’

‘It’s a three-hour trip so that’ll
make it four o’clock,’ Charlie replied.

‘This is the plan, so listen
carefully. You will apprehend Brigit O’Neill and put her in the back of your
vehicle. Ensure her one good arm is bound. Use the chloroform just before you
disembark so you don’t arouse suspicion. Above all, she must be delivered to me
alive. Within reason, do what you wish with Tom Harrison for he’s of no
consequence, but be sensible about how you arrange her abduction. Keep your
fellow passengers in mind.’

‘Okay, boss.’

‘Charlie, I can’t emphasise this
point enough - avoid attracting attention because the fewer people that know of
this the better. Tell me, how many people are on board?’

‘Around thirty or so.’

‘Did you cover the three rear
windows of the vehicle as instructed?’ ‘Yes.’

‘I would strongly suggest you
carry out this maneuver within the last half hour before docking. Carried out
too early, you’ll have all that unnecessary time to deal with, and besides, the
use of chloroform just prior to arriving will serve us better. Do you
understand?’

‘Yes.’

‘I’ll arrange to have two of my
men waiting at Pedley wharf in case they’re required for backup.’

‘Okay.’

‘Charlie, this is your third and
final chance to correct an otherwise deplorable record in carrying out my
instructions. Fail me a third time and your punishment will be carried out.’

‘The O’Neill girl will be yours
this time,’ declared a nervous Charlie.

‘And so be it, otherwise it’s
your head!’

The phone went dead. Charlie
looked pale.

‘You okay?’ asked Mick.

‘Failure and it’s our heads!’
stated Charlie and then proceeded to inform his accomplice of the Piedpiper’s
instructions. ‘So they’re the orders. We’ll contact Morgan shortly and work out
a plan. For Christ’s sake, Mick, loosen up a bit. Go and get a drink or
something.’

~ * ~

orbes
had summoned the troops to discuss the activities “ of the past twenty-four
hours. He anticipated a lengthy meeting, given that four separate incidents
should now provide the case with some much-needed headway. His instructions to
those outside his office were clear and precise - no interruptions permitted
and certainly no incoming calls unless considered necessary. He intended to
raise some directives regardless how long it would take and therefore this
meeting was to be conducted with no outside interference. To compensate in the
absence of Burke and Martino, Forbes invited Senior Sergeant Ross Whittaker,
Sergeant Neil Carpenter and Constable Peter Jennings to sit in.

He commenced his opening address.
‘Be prepared for a long session, for we have a lot of ground to cover in light
of what’s come to hand. The checklist for today will include Detective Marsh
and his report regarding a visit to Berkley Fun Parlour, a partial briefing
concerning Peterswood, Senior Sergeant Whittaker witnessing an unexpected
rendezvous in Bridge Street and, surprise surprise, my own observations over breakfast
this morning. We’ll discuss each matter at length and then devise some action
plans that will need to be carried out.’

Forbes paused to take a mouthful
of coffee. ‘But first I want to draw your attention to the front-page article
in today’s
Pedley Advertiser.
I took the liberty of approaching the
editor yesterday, explaining the need to educate the local community about this
drug syndicate and of the lethal carnage they have created and can create.
Suffice to say the publicity alone may prompt someone to come forward and
assist us.’

Reaching for the morning edition,
Forbes unfolded the newspaper on his desk for the men to read. The headline
read: WHO IS THE PIEDPIPER OF PEDLEY?

Ashley Collins, the journalist
responsible for the article, had painstakingly gone to great length in
describing this drug leader as ruthless, corrupt and a butcher who was already
responsible for three known murders.

‘The headline certainly can’t
hurt since we need every bit of help to flush this lot out,’ Carpenter said.

‘Exactly my point,’ emphasised
Forbes.

‘I must say this Ashley Collins
has got some guts for being so explicit,’ said Marsh.

‘Okay, that’s enough of the
newspaper article for now. What I intend to cover next is my own observation at
the La Porta’s Cafe this morning. This incident I witnessed over breakfast
demands further investigation. A man in his mid-forties sat at the next table
and placed a mobile call while he waited for his breakfast to arrive. He called
himself Ben Johnson. Ever heard of this name, Ross?’ asked Forbes, thinking
that if anyone knew the locals it was Ross Whittaker.

‘Yes, he’s the Esplanade Hotel
publican.’

‘That’s interesting. Would you
have any idea who this Stephen was that he was on the phone to?’

‘There are a number of Stephens I
can think of. What was the topic of conversation?’ queried Whittaker.

‘He questioned whether a business
matter was finalised, then asked when he was returning because there was a need
to meet him at a bank, or perhaps he said “at your bank”. After that the line
went dead due to a poor signal.’

‘Did he say “a bank” or “your
bank”?’ Whittaker asked.

Forbes scratched his head, trying
to recall the conversation. ‘The more I think about it, I’m sure he said “your
bank”.’

‘Then this person can only be Stephen
Buchanan, a local bank manager,’ Whittaker said.

‘Excellent. Now comes the
interesting bit. Stephen Buchanan was in Peterswood at the time of the phone
call. What do you make of that?’

Whittaker frowned. ‘An
interesting coincidence. I wonder what he was doing in that neck of the woods.’

‘That’s what we need to find out.
Marsh and I will address this issue and interview these two shortly. Ross, how
well do you know this banker and publican?’