Field Walking

by John Bishop

the activities they offer. Yes Ziggy?’

  ‘I’m guessing this means there are lots of legitimate first time visitors who nobody in Arajinna has ever seen before.’

  ‘You’re guessing right.’

  ‘And three of us are going up there to watch for a hit man we mightn’t recognise so we can stop him shooting Max Kingsley.’

  ‘It might be a her, Ziggy. “Hit person” is the term in these days of equal opportunity. It’s not as easy as looking for a him.’

  ‘Sorry, Sarge. I didn’t want to worry anybody.’ There was subdued laughter.

  Justin Brody said. ‘As usual, Ziggy has gone straight to the heart of the problem. The folks in Arajinna see plenty of strange faces these days. Lenny might use someone we know, but, as I said, he’s a smart operator and there are crims out there who haven’t made it into our records yet. Whoever we pick for the security brief will have to live in Kingsley’s pocket.’

  ‘I’m up for it boss,’ said Ziggy. ‘If you’re looking for volunteers.’

  ‘Thanks Zig. You were top of my list.’

  ‘Bugger me,’ said Megan Schmitz, getting to her feet and pointing at Ziggy. ‘I’ve had more security experience than this whipper-snapper!’

  ‘I doubt whether Judith Kingsley would be happy for you to be living in her husband’s pocket, Meg. But I was hoping you’d take the job as her bodyguard.’

  ‘Yeah. Well. Okay. I’m in then, aren’t I.’ She glared at Ziggy, gave a thumbs-up, and sat down. There was more laughter.

  Justin Brody nodded his approval. He’d worked years and pulled strings to build this team. If Operation Bravo failed, it would not be for want of commitment.

  ‘Yeah, well I need some brownie points too,’ said Norm. ‘So I’ll be number three.’

  ‘Sorry Norm,’ Justin said. ‘I want you here on the communications desk. Eamon will be the third member and he’ll be the team leader.’

  ‘I knew I never should have studied IT. The others get all the fun.’

  ‘You’ll have plenty to keep you busy, Norm. If there’s a crisis and I’m not around, you’ll have to make the call to shift people off other jobs and tell them to head for the bush.’

  ‘Now for the key personnel,’ said Eamon. ‘Max Kingsley and Judith live at Banabrook. He teaches at the High School, she retired from teaching to oversee the development of Banabrook as a tourist attraction. Senator Caroline Blake lives in Sydney with her husband Sean Leakey. There’s a cousin, Tony Blake. He’s a retired architect and he’s refurbishing an old house on the river at Arajinna. He and Caroline’s mother, Emily, are permanent residents at that house, and the senator visits from time to time. There’s a cottage on Banabrook occupied by the farm manager, his assistant, and a cook. The other staff live in the town or on other farms. We’ve asked Mrs Kingsley to give us a staff list. The local constable at Arajinna is Dominic Gerado—sole occupant of a station originally designed for a staff of three. He lives on site. Nearest other police station is Calway Junction; one Sergeant—male, two constables—one of each. So, what have I missed Kenny?’

  ‘I’ve put together a folder for each team member, Sarge.’

  Again several voices chorused, ‘Good work Kenny!’

  ‘Okay, people. That’s it, except for the team and Kenny. There are eight million stories in the city, this is only one of them.’

  Team Meeting

  Wednesday 12th August 1992

  ‘Your age is showing boss!’ Eamon sat himself at one end of the table.

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘Eight million stories in the city.’

  ‘Yes, well we are ageing, mate.’ They exchanged weary looks. ‘So; you folks will be off at sparrow-fart tomorrow, but get some sleep tonight because you could be in for a rough few days. Leave Kenny a list of any cases you need us to cover. I think we know them all; but best to be sure. I want you totally focussed on this job. It’s unusual for us to put a whole team under cover waiting for something to happen. You’re going to need to be diplomats as well as coppers, and if the time comes to draw a gun or make an arrest, it will need to be strictly by the book. Among the things the three of you have in common is an ability to do it right under pressure. You know what I’m talking about!’

  ‘I promise this time there’ll be no call for a Royal Commission,’ Ziggy said.

  ‘I wasn’t having a dig at anyone in particular, Zig.’

  ‘With any luck, this time there won’t be a dickhead of a mayor who needs to stick his opinions where the sun don’t shine.’

  Justin gave the merest hint of a smile before he said, ‘This brief Kenny has put together isn’t very long so let’s browse it quickly now. You can ask questions as you go.’

  ‘Max Kingsley?’ Ziggy said. ‘He’s the Reverend Kingsley, right? But he teaches at a government high school.’

  ‘Long story, Ziggy. Short version is the church synod got a bit grumpy after he beat up Lenny’s henchman. Charity and forgiveness sometimes get forgotten by church administrators. Kingsley ended up resigning, retrained as a teacher, then took the teaching post at Arajinna to start a new life in the country. At that stage, St Mark’s at Arajinna was without a vicar. Kingsley was still ordained so the locals petitioned the Bishop. You want politics, Ziggy? The church has them! I’ve come to know Kingsley quite well. I’d have to call him a reluctant vicar. But he’s a good one; and he’s a good bloke.’

  Megan was examining a map in the briefing file. ‘I see there’s a railway. Is that a likely way for a crim to slip into town?’

  ‘Only if he hops a freight train,’ Kenny said. ‘Calway Junction is the end of the line for passenger trains these days. There’s a link with a bus service to Arajinna and Bullermark. Arajinna is about an hour from Calway, and Bullermark is about two hours. Calway is the biggest of the towns but, as you can see, it’s only a little way into the shire.’

  Justin nodded. ‘History and politics lead to some odd arrangements. Calway has the main infrastructure, like the hospital and the flying doctor, but Arajinna is where the high school was established and it was the location of The Institute for Rural Studies until the government closed it some years back. The institute had been a major employer and its closure was what led the Blakes to look for ways to keep the town alive.’

  ‘They seem a livewire family,’ Eamon said.

  ‘And rich, and influential.’ Justin was nodding again. ‘I suspect that’s one of Lenny d’Aratzio’s many niggles. I’m sure he was delighted the church gave Max a hard time after the events at Kings Cross. Lenny likes to see his enemies in the shit. But later he sees the man who helped put him in prison married to a rich, beautiful heiress and living in a magnificent rural homestead. Life’s not fair, and Lenny is a bit too fond of playing God in an attempt to even things out.’

  ‘You think envy is part of Lenny’s motivation to whack Kingsley?’

  ‘Who knows? At the police academy they’re always on about getting into the mind of the criminal. I reckon we rarely do. They’re all a mystery to me—all of ‘em!’

  ‘Is this an airfield?’ Megan was still focussed on the map.

  Kenny read from his brief: The shire maintains a grass airstrip at Arajinna. There are no navigational aids and no lighting. Hangar space is available for rent. There is no regular commercial service but flights can be chartered from the aero club at Calway Junction.

  Eamon laughed. ‘Got to hand it to you Kenny. This is bloody good research for such a quick job.’

  ‘Other questions?’ Justin asked.

  ‘I got one,’ Ziggy said. ‘Do we have a list of the hit men—sorry, the hit people Lenny’s used in the past?’

  Justin shook his head. ‘Not really. He has a reputation for finding the best, but Magro certainly wasn’t the best any more, which might mean that top operators are in short supply right now and, if he’s pressed for time to find a second assassin, he might not be too particular. I mentioned his liking for employing the old brigade and there are a few of
those still around. Old school crims with old school effectiveness. The “sorry old chap but cop this” type.’

  Eamon said. ‘Keeping close to the targets is going to be our main hope.’

  ‘Targets, plural?’ Megan said.

  ‘Yes, Meg. Given Lenny’s history, Judith Blake is as much a target as Max. Lenny can be as charming as they come, but he’ll still pop a lady if it furthers his ends. Don’t for a minute think your role isn’t as important as Ziggy’s.’

  ‘Anything else?’ Justin asked. He waited a moment but nobody spoke. ‘Okay, team. Good luck.’

  All but Meg got to their feet.

  ‘Problem Meg?’

  ‘No, boss. No problem. But I think I’ll stay and finish reading the attachments. I’ll be pushed for time in the morning.’

  Left alone, Meg rose, stretched her muscles, and strode around the room as she read. She was solidly build but carried no excess fat. A fit young officer, she had played water polo for the state until her work on the force made it hard to get to training regularly.

  Among the attachments were two news clippings. She read them in full. By the time she’d finished, she was starting to get a feel for the family she would be trying to protect, and to understand how envy might contribute to Lenny d’Aratzio’s attitude. Her own upbringing in a troubled industrial estate had none of the affluence she sensed about the owners of Banabrook.

  Clipping from The Kalawonta News

  9th February 1991

  ARAJINNA TO BE TOURIST MECCA AND