Max’s defence team are going to shit on us. I can’t believe they couldn’t locate her even if she has pissed off back to the Philippines.’
Sam and Dave remained mute. Sam finished his drink, then lifted up his hat and picked aimlessly at the band.
‘Isn’t anyone going to say anything?’ Peter looked at Dave, who looked to be on the verge of tears.
Dave drained his stubby in one gulp. ‘What’s there to say? We should have known it was going to be one-sided. If you’re an unreliable witness, then join the club. My apparent unstable mental state added me to that list. I’m glad Mum wasn’t here to see this.’
‘Today was a bad day,’ Sam said finally, after throwing his hat on the table. ‘Tomorrow could be different.’
‘Why are you so optimistic?’ Peter asked.
‘The way I figure it,’ Sam began, ‘Doug’s in the slammer, Max’s career is finished, I’m sitting with my mates, and I’m alive.’
‘I just wish it would go against Max,’ Dave said. ‘Dumb Doug puts up his hand. Fancy not ratting on Max and taking the fall for him.’
‘Max is a cop,’ Sam replied. ‘Cops don’t like going to jail. There’s a lot more black fellas in jail than there are cops. Get it?’
The barmaid had finished gathering up the used glasses on the other tables and had sidled up to them, one hand on her hip, looking bored.
‘Just another round, thanks, love,’ Peter ordered, finally glancing up at her.
A different barmaid returned with their drinks.
‘Where are you blokes staying tonight?’
‘We’re sharing a room here,’ Dave replied.
‘You derros are staying at the best hotel in town and I’m at some flophouse on the Strand. How the hell does that work?’ he complained.
‘We can’t help our good breeding,’ Sam laughed.
‘Is there another bed in your room or do I have to bunk in next to you, Sam?’
‘You can sleep on the floor,’ he returned, ‘I’m not having you snoring in my ear all night.’
‘Sleeping on the floor would be better than that room I was in. It wasn’t even air-conditioned. It was like sleeping in an oven. And the coffee was stone cold.’
‘Okay,’ Dave relented. ‘You can stay with us, but on one proviso.’
‘Sure,’ Peter replied.
‘No bloody whinging.’
MARVELLOUS MURDEROUS MELBOURNE
7
Melbourne
Shazza looked unusually healthy and alert, Peter thought when he kicked open the office door at eight o’clock to see her typing and looking at the word processor’s screen. A pleasant change. Peter playfully rang the counter bell several times.
‘What the hell?’ Shazza looked up at him and sneered. ‘You look like a frigging politician.’
Peter was resplendent in his new Stafford Ellison suit and carrying a new leather briefcase. Another request from Bob.
‘Please don’t lower my status from scum journo to scum of the earth,’ Peter replied in a mock aristocratic voice. ‘Still on the wagon, I see? Don’t know if that’s a good thing. You sound too witty.’
‘Doing my best,’ Shazza replied. ‘Been two weeks now. If I keep this up I could become a good Christian girl.’
‘I think I prefer you drunk or hungover.’ Peter smiled. ‘You, a good girl? And I’m going to become a choir boy.’
Shazza took a drink from her cup of coffee.
‘That’s reminds me,’ Peter said anxiously, ‘is the coffee machine still working? I don’t want Mad Dog chasing me around the office.’
‘You can rest easy. It hasn’t broken down once since you’ve been away.’
‘Thank God,’ he sighed.
‘So, are you glad to be back from the sticks?’ she asked.
‘Shit yeah,’ he beamed. ‘I know for sure that I’ll be able to get a goodcup of coffee in Melbourne. Back in civilization,’ Peter said happily and turned away from the counter.
‘Hey. There’s a big bunch of flowers on your desk,’ Shazza winked. ‘Someone thinks you’re good in the sack.’
‘Really?’ Peter stopped dead, flattered. ‘I wonder who it is?’
Sam and Dave remained mute. Sam finished his drink, then lifted up his hat and picked aimlessly at the band.
‘Isn’t anyone going to say anything?’ Peter looked at Dave, who looked to be on the verge of tears.
Dave drained his stubby in one gulp. ‘What’s there to say? We should have known it was going to be one-sided. If you’re an unreliable witness, then join the club. My apparent unstable mental state added me to that list. I’m glad Mum wasn’t here to see this.’
‘Today was a bad day,’ Sam said finally, after throwing his hat on the table. ‘Tomorrow could be different.’
‘Why are you so optimistic?’ Peter asked.
‘The way I figure it,’ Sam began, ‘Doug’s in the slammer, Max’s career is finished, I’m sitting with my mates, and I’m alive.’
‘I just wish it would go against Max,’ Dave said. ‘Dumb Doug puts up his hand. Fancy not ratting on Max and taking the fall for him.’
‘Max is a cop,’ Sam replied. ‘Cops don’t like going to jail. There’s a lot more black fellas in jail than there are cops. Get it?’
The barmaid had finished gathering up the used glasses on the other tables and had sidled up to them, one hand on her hip, looking bored.
‘Just another round, thanks, love,’ Peter ordered, finally glancing up at her.
A different barmaid returned with their drinks.
‘Where are you blokes staying tonight?’
‘We’re sharing a room here,’ Dave replied.
‘You derros are staying at the best hotel in town and I’m at some flophouse on the Strand. How the hell does that work?’ he complained.
‘We can’t help our good breeding,’ Sam laughed.
‘Is there another bed in your room or do I have to bunk in next to you, Sam?’
‘You can sleep on the floor,’ he returned, ‘I’m not having you snoring in my ear all night.’
‘Sleeping on the floor would be better than that room I was in. It wasn’t even air-conditioned. It was like sleeping in an oven. And the coffee was stone cold.’
‘Okay,’ Dave relented. ‘You can stay with us, but on one proviso.’
‘Sure,’ Peter replied.
‘No bloody whinging.’
MARVELLOUS MURDEROUS MELBOURNE
7
Melbourne
Shazza looked unusually healthy and alert, Peter thought when he kicked open the office door at eight o’clock to see her typing and looking at the word processor’s screen. A pleasant change. Peter playfully rang the counter bell several times.
‘What the hell?’ Shazza looked up at him and sneered. ‘You look like a frigging politician.’
Peter was resplendent in his new Stafford Ellison suit and carrying a new leather briefcase. Another request from Bob.
‘Please don’t lower my status from scum journo to scum of the earth,’ Peter replied in a mock aristocratic voice. ‘Still on the wagon, I see? Don’t know if that’s a good thing. You sound too witty.’
‘Doing my best,’ Shazza replied. ‘Been two weeks now. If I keep this up I could become a good Christian girl.’
‘I think I prefer you drunk or hungover.’ Peter smiled. ‘You, a good girl? And I’m going to become a choir boy.’
Shazza took a drink from her cup of coffee.
‘That’s reminds me,’ Peter said anxiously, ‘is the coffee machine still working? I don’t want Mad Dog chasing me around the office.’
‘You can rest easy. It hasn’t broken down once since you’ve been away.’
‘Thank God,’ he sighed.
‘So, are you glad to be back from the sticks?’ she asked.
‘Shit yeah,’ he beamed. ‘I know for sure that I’ll be able to get a goodcup of coffee in Melbourne. Back in civilization,’ Peter said happily and turned away from the counter.
‘Hey. There’s a big bunch of flowers on your desk,’ Shazza winked. ‘Someone thinks you’re good in the sack.’
‘Really?’ Peter stopped dead, flattered. ‘I wonder who it is?’
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