Scorpio's Lot (36 page)

Under
instructions to phone the Keeper, Victor Marlow, later that night, the
Piedpiper had compiled some notes in readiness of the expectant issues for
discussion. Pressure had mounted to address and resolve the backlash directed
at the operation following the
Molly Bloom
fiasco. The regional head was
adamant the blame did not rest squarely with the southern organisation, since
Morgan, the prime instigator and loyal henchman to the Keeper, must be held responsible
for his actions. The conversation was tense.

‘Have you interrogated the O’Neill
girl yet?’ Marlow asked.

‘I was planning to do that
tomorrow, primarily to give her a chance to recover. She’ll be more alert
following a night’s rest,’ replied the Piedpiper.

‘Very well, then. And what is her
present condition?’

‘As well as can be. She’s being
held in cell one.’

‘And how do you propose to
interrogate her?’

‘By using a polygraph machine. I
happen to have one here.’

‘What, a lie detector test?’

‘And why not? They’re reliable
and give a quick result.’

‘But are they accurate?’ Marlow
never bothered about using the more humane tools of the trade.

‘Of course.’

The Keeper pondered over his
regional head’s proposal. Being a sceptic by nature, Marlow had doubts about
the concept. He envisaged their subject manipulating the test to suit her needs
and make a mockery of the situation. He was in need of further convincing.

‘How do these bloody contraptions
work?’

‘By monitoring breathing, pulse
and skin response. It’s widely supported that very few people can control all
three functions at the same time

Marlow cut in. ‘Yeah, yeah, but
what’s being monitored?’

‘Stress is being measured,
because lying is stressful.’

‘Okay, enough of this shit. Just
do it and if it doesn’t work then we’ll do it my way.’

‘All right.’

‘Now this brings me to my second
point and that is, what do we do with our interfering Tom Harrison?’ questioned
the Keeper.

‘I haven’t planned that far ahead
just yet,’ responded the Piedpiper.

‘He needs to be taught a lesson
for his meddling. Have two of your men pay him a visit tomorrow night with
orders to rough him up a bit. Be sure it’s not overly violent, but make enough
threat to stop his constant interference.’

‘Is that really necessary at the
moment? I mean, can’t we wait until after the O’Neill polygraph results and
then take appropriate action?’

‘Do I detect you’re suddenly
going soft on me?’

‘Certainly not, just being
careful with all the present media hype.’

‘Do you know this Tom Harrison?’
asked Marlow.

‘Yes. Tom Harrison’s of no
consequence and I don’t think continual violence is the answer. As I said, the
O’Neill results should determine Harrison’s fate, meaning if we uncover any
incriminating information then he becomes a marked man -’

‘Assuming the girl has passed on
this information.’

‘Of course. A negative result
should imply that no further action will be taken against him.’

‘No, they are my orders! Arrange
for your men to carry this out tomorrow night. Harrison must be warned that no
further involvement will be tolerated and to stay away from the police,’ said
the Keeper callously.

‘Yes, sir.’

‘Now tell me exactly what
happened aboard the
Molly Bloom,’
Marlow demanded.

The Piedpiper reiterated the
events of the afternoon, leaving no doubt in Marlow’s mind that Brad Morgan was
the main instigator. The Keeper listened intently, not once interrupting his
subordinate’s detailed summary He deliberated for a moment prior to responding.

‘Effective immediately, I have
decided to downscale the southern operation. The
Molly Bloom
incident
has attracted national coverage with both the media and general public
demanding arrests. To be expected, police resources will now be upgraded and I
daresay there’ll be an influx of journalists upon your doorstep snooping around
for a story. There’s no point in ranting and raving about the consequences for
the damage has been done. What I can’t comprehend is the stupidity of even
contemplating such an act. Give that man of mine a gun and he thinks the
fucking world is his to rule. Disciplinary measures will be taken against
Morgan and Charlie in due course. The whole place will now become inundated
with people searching for answers and therefore I can’t afford to expose our
operation for the sake of maintaining current returns. Our logistics team will
temporarily cease distribution for the southern region until all this hysteria
and hype subsides. This low-key approach is a cautious but necessary one and it
will require a discipline and high level of patience before this region is back
on track.’

‘Yes, my thoughts exactly and a
strategy that was to be expected,’ said the Piedpiper.

‘Now on to an equally serious
matter. Today I’ve learnt of a very disturbing development. My sources advise
that a rival syndicate has intentions of establishing a base in the Pedley
area. These people are expecting our operation to be downscaled in light of all
this media coverage. They have decided to risk all, believing these
circumstances will provide opportunity to infiltrate our existing clientele.’

‘Which rival syndicate are you
talking about, Victor?’

‘Their organisation is known as
Traffik, spelled with a k. Like us, their headquarters are based in the city
and with continual recent growth they now see a need to establish a regional
operation in our domain. I’ll fill you in with the details at a later date.’

‘Okay.’

‘It’s both a brazen and foolish
act and I don’t plan to compete when the likelihood of disclosure is at a very
vulnerable level,’ declared the Keeper.

‘Then how do you plan to combat
the threat?’

‘To put it bluntly, we’ll expose
them for what they’re worth.’

‘And how do you propose this will
be done?’

‘I will personally deliver to you
a list of documents containing the names and addresses of their hierarchy. I
won’t mention these details over the phone and it would be careless of me to
post or email this type of information. Once in receipt of these documents,
your role will be to alert the local authorities,’ instructed Victor Marlow.

‘But why can’t you alert the
authorities in the city?’ questioned the Piedpiper, who at times couldn’t
fathom Marlow’s peculiar ways.

‘With the intention of
infiltrating our southern operation, it’s important that you see the list of
names. Besides, I’d prefer to see the Pedley constabulary deal with this
directly,’ declared the Keeper.

‘Very well,’ said the Piedpiper,
believing Marlow to be somewhat pedantic about the matter.

‘I’ve given a lot of thought as
to when and where our transaction could take place. The Pedley Annual Festival
seems an appropriate venue,’ said Marlow.

‘But that’s only the weekend
after next,’ said a surprised Piedpiper, who then added, ‘Yes, that would be
ideal.’

‘Good. I don’t want to prolong
this matter, for it needs to be addressed and dealt with sooner rather than
later, and besides, I’ve always wanted to experience your famous carnival.’

The annual Pedley Festival was by
far the town’s biggest weekend and was always the calendar event eagerly
awaited by locals and visitors alike. The three-day extravaganza brought with
it a grand parade filled with floats, costumes and lavish decorations. Public
dancing and fancy dress was a common sight, including buskers and numerous
other street performers selling their acts. Musicians filled the walkways and
cafes, and a masquerade ball together with a spectacular fireworks display
concluded the celebrations on the final night.

The festival’s traditional
insignia of purple, green and gold adorned the buildings and the streets were
transformed into a buzz of activity. Its attraction was so widespread that
makeshift accommodation was always erected to cope with the influx of thousands
who poured into the town each year. The commercial success alone boosted the
economy to such a point that it was rumoured the state government had begun
dipping into their coffers to support the cost of staging such a large-scale
event.

‘The carnival weekend is like no
other. It’s literally nonstop entertainment throughout the three days. It’s
perhaps a good opportunity to forget the troubles of the world,’ suggested the
Piedpiper.

‘I’ll look forward to it all. A
change of scenery can’t hurt.’

‘Will you drive down to Pedley?’

‘I’m planning to arrive in my
helicopter this time.’

‘Do you think that’s wise considering
the place will be filled with cops and journalists wondering who this person
may be?’

‘Makes no difference. They have
no idea who I am and besides, I’ll instruct my pilot to land at the farm and
arrange to have a car pick me up.’

‘So be it.’

‘Our rendezvous will be the usual
underground, but I’ll phone you closer to the date to confirm. Remember, I want
their bloody syndicate destroyed and the passing of these documents to the
appropriate authorities will ensure their undoing,’ said the malicious Keeper.

‘Just a secondary issue I need to
bring to your attention. A Sergeant Carpenter based in Pedley happened to visit
Broadbent, but according to Bradbury no suspicion was aroused,’ declared the
Piedpiper.

‘Do you suspect an informant in
our midst?’

‘Definitely not, all my men are
totally loyal and committed,’ said the regional head, annoyed by the
accusation.

‘What was the purpose of his
visit?’

‘He purchased wine, beer and food
for some forthcoming police function. I have my people checking this out to
establish if their social gathering is genuine.’

‘It all sounds a bit suspicious
to me. I mean, why wouldn’t this cop go to a supermarket instead? After all,
the warehouse is a wholesale outlet and not some bloody convenience store.’

‘Claims his budget was a bit thin
and the dollars would go further at Broadbent’s. Neville used his discretion by
assisting the constabulary and I believe his decision was the correct one. As I
said, no suspicion was aroused since the place was totally in order.’

‘Perhaps I’m overreacting and let’s
face it, Bradbury always has the place immaculately presented.’

‘Anything else to report?’ asked
the Piedpiper.

‘Not for the moment. Just keep me
informed when you’ve completed the O’Neill interrogation with that bloody
machine of yours. I’ll fill you in on the details regarding this Traffik
syndicate when next we meet.’

~ * ~