Scorpio's Lot (41 page)

‘I’m about to conduct a lie
detector test but I assure you there is no need for alarm. I will ask you a
series of questions to which you will answer truthfully. Do you understand?’
said Neville Bradbury.

‘Yes,’ replied Brigit.

‘Very well, let’s begin. What is
your full name?’

‘Brigit Anne O’Neill.’

‘And where is your home address?’

‘Number eight Maple Crescent,
Pedley.’

Following a number of routine
questions that would supposedly reflect truthful answers, the line of enquiry
now took on a more serious intent. Up to this moment the Piedpiper had observed
no irregular movements coming from the pointer as it inscribed its zigzag
recordings upon the printout. Additionally, Brigit appeared to be at ease with
the line of questioning thus far.

‘Are you employed by the
syndicate?’

‘Yes.’

‘In what capacity?’

‘I sell marijuana on the street.’

‘And who is your clientele base?’

‘Juveniles, including senior
schoolchildren.’

‘And who is your source of
supply?’

‘A person called Charlie.’

‘Can you describe this person?’

‘Only vaguely.’

‘Oh, how so?’

‘The man’s around six feet tall
and is heavily built. He always wears a long coat and a hat that covers most of
his face.’

‘Would you recognise him in a
crowd without his hat and coat?’

‘I doubt it.’

‘Have you ever sold harder drugs?’

‘No.’

The graph paper continued to
record short spans, not once enabling the pointer to inscribe its incriminating
long sweeping line. Determined to speak the truth and triumph over this bloody
contraption, Brigit managed to maintain her composure and nerve throughout the
experiment. The Piedpiper was observing one very cool subject through the glass
panel.

‘How well did you know Jake
Reynolds?’

‘We were a couple, so naturally I
knew him well.’

‘Leading up to his accident, did
he speak about the -’

‘It was murder!’ Brigit cut in.

‘As I was about to ask, did he
discuss any drug matters?’

‘Occasionally, but nothing too
heavy.’

‘Can you elaborate?’

‘Jake disapproved of teenagers
taking dope, claiming it would ruin their lives and that the supply of drugs
was too readily available.’

‘Was he aware of your
involvement?’

‘No, he wasn’t.’

‘And why was that?’

‘Had he known it would have meant
the end of our relationship.’

‘Did he ever discuss any other
aspect of drugs?’

‘Not to speak of.’

‘I’ll put it in another way. Do
you know if he witnessed any drug-related incidents?’

‘Jake briefly touched on the
local syndicate being a dangerous lot and that he had witnessed an ugly scene
in the park.’

‘What did he tell you about this
incident?’

‘That there was a bashing over
some drug business.’

‘And what business might that
have been?’

‘He never discussed the matter
any further.’

‘Come now, Miss O’Neill. Do you
really expect me to believe that?’

‘I don’t give a shit if you
believe me or not, your frigging machine will provide you with the answers!’

Up till now her answers had
resulted in the pointer maintaining a regular pattern on the printout. Whether
her emotions had contributed or not, the monitor suddenly went into a frenzy of
longer and irregular swipes, prompting the Piedpiper to pause and record some
notes. A raw nerve had been struck and it was important for Neville Bradbury to
persevere with the subject in hand.

‘Back to this incident in the
park. Did Jake by any chance mention what the topic of conversation was?’

‘No.’

‘Are you quite sure?’

‘Yes. As I said, he only spoke of
the bashing but didn’t or wouldn’t elaborate.’

‘That strikes me as odd. A bashing
generally requires a reason and yet neither of you discussed the subject any
further?’

‘Bloody hell, my words are
falling on deaf ears.’

‘Tell me, what you know about the
syndicate?’

‘No, I’ll ask you a question for
a change. Why are you people so bloody persistent with all this interrogation?
I can’t understand what it is you’re trying to get out of me. I have fully
cooperated with this test of yours, but now my patience is wearing thin. Once
and for all, what is it that you need to know? Just spit it out!’

Neville Bradbury was totally
unprepared for this unexpected outburst. He hadn’t anticipated his subject to
reverse the roles. He deliberated for a moment, giving Brigit the impression he
wasn’t sure how to continue with the line of questioning.

‘We’ll break for ten minutes,’ he
finally said.

The Broadbent manager retreated,
leaving Brigit to ponder over this sudden development. She sensed her behaviour
had prompted the hooded man to reassess the situation and that he had departed
to consult the matter with his superior. Had the test now terminated, or would
his line of questioning recommence with its monotonous routine and degree of
predictability? Perhaps upon his return he would be accompanied by some lackey
who took delight in using physical force to extract information.

~ * ~

‘You’ve
lost control of the experiment!’ the regional head told Bradbury, holding a
printout of the conversation.

‘On the contrary, the test has
reached an interesting point where her position could be described as vulnerable,’
said Bradbury.

‘How?’

‘These last few questions have
finally stirred her emotions.’

‘But her current emotional state
doesn’t necessarily mean she’s lying,’ insisted his superior.

‘That may be so, but -’

The regional head cut short
Bradbury’s response. ‘You need to continue, with emphasis on the syndicate’s
operations. It’s vital that we uncover the extent of her knowledge.’

‘Certainly.’

‘Also be sure to mention Jake
Reynolds’ encounter in the park again, and in particular, those incriminating
discussions he overheard.’

‘And if she refers to the
underground and its operations?’ asked Bradbury.

‘Then question the locality only,’
dryly responded his boss. ‘Remember, Tom Harrison’s fate rests squarely on the
outcome.’

~ * ~

Half-expecting
an entourage of evil-doers to return, Brigit was relieved to see only her joker
re-enter the room to continue with his unfinished work. With the sensors
repositioned, Bradbury was ready to proceed with the interrogation.

‘Now back to Jake Reynolds’
episode in the park, which I hadn’t quite completed. Tell me, did he discuss
any part of the conversation he overheard that night?’

‘We’ve already been through this
before and again my answer is no. He spoke only of someone yelling, which led
to a bashing, and told me to avoid these people at all costs. He wouldn’t
elaborate any further because he didn’t want to alarm me with all the violent
details.’

‘Did he mention what was being
yelled out?’

‘No. This is bloody ridiculous -
you simply can’t take no for an answer! The yelling was probably a series of
idle threats he didn’t elaborate on. I cannot tell you any more because there
is none to give. Do you have the sense to realise we’re going around in circles
with this line of questioning?’ Brigit was allowing her frustrations to
surface.

‘Again I’ll repeat my earlier
question. Tell me what you know about the syndicate.’

‘Not much, other than my supply
and deals on the street. Charlie and only Charlie provides the dope and certain
individuals and groups are my regular clientele.’

‘Do you sell any hard drugs?’

‘I’ve already answered no to
that.’

‘Do you ever use some of your own
spoils?’

‘No.’

‘Miss O’Neill, have you any idea
where this underground network is located?’ Bradbury was deliberately changing
his tactics to assess what reaction this loaded question would bring.

Brigit paused to consider the
possibilities. She had often thought about its likely whereabouts, but logic
told her the locality could only be somewhere in the bush. Unbeknown to a
blindfolded Brigit, the syndicate had purposely confused her into believing the
five kilometre journey from the
Molly Bloom
to the farmhouse was around
a half-hour trip. Despite the chloroform, they were not prepared to run the
risk of her regaining consciousness and having the location recognised. Later
into her captivity, the brief excursion to reach the Pedley underground
entrance took only ten minutes, giving Brigit the illusion of still being in
the countryside.

‘Somewhere in the bush would be
my guess.’

‘Any idea where?’

‘How can I answer that when you
people had me blindfolded?’

‘You’re not answering my
question.’

‘It’s probably around half an
hour or so in any direction from Pedley.’

‘Are you certain about your
diagnoses?’

‘Yes!’

‘Miss O’Neill, that concludes our
test for today. Would you please accompany me back to your room.’

After returning Brigit to the
confines of her bluestone abode, the Broadbent manager proceeded in the
direction of the Piedpiper’s chambers to deliberate over the test results. He
entered the room to see his superior in deep thought, studying the graph
printout at length.

‘Was the test procedure to your
satisfaction?’ asked Bradbury.

‘Yes. Some flaws here and there
but overall a convincing result.’

‘Can you tell already?’

‘If there’s been consistency it’s
very much immediate.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Well, in Brigit’s case there
were no irregularities other than the emotional outburst when you decided to
pause proceedings,’ responded the Piedpiper.

‘Did that part of the test
indicate anything?’

‘No, that little rebellious act
was no more than letting out some aggravated tension.’

‘Then have you reached a
conclusion?’

‘I have. The O’Neill girl was
telling the truth and in many respects that’s a big relief considering the location
to this underground was at stake.’