A BLIND EYE

by John Henderson

  CHAPTER 31

  It was a hot Sunday morning and the sixty foot cruiser was moored at the Rushcutter Bay marina. Already aboard the “Chez Anne” was the permanent skipper, Charlie Chambers, also known as “Chic”, Adam Vance, a young deck hand of about twenty, and a young married couple, dressed in white, employed to keep the guests well watered and fed. By eleven o’clock all those invited for a pleasurable day on the harbour were aboard and the skipper, having edged the cruiser from its birth at the marina, now slowly navigated through the host of yachts anchored in the bay.

  The eleven guests were seated in the large carpeted main saloon taking advantage of the air conditioning while the young married couple plied the guests with drinks and canapés. The Fishers sat together on a lounge running the entire port side of the saloon, together with the Porters, Noel and Simon. Sue and Georgie sat on two lounge chairs located on the starboard side. Mr. Lee, after some consternation with meeting the lovely Sue from Adelaide and a lengthy discussion with Sue, Noel and Ron, had reclined into a bean bag located at the starboard aft end of the saloon near the main door giving access to the deck outside. Chief Paxton, wearing shorts, a Hawaiian shirt and sneakers reclined in a similar bean bag to the port side of the door and in front of the lounge. Ron sat on a small stool between Sue and Georgie. There was a well stocked bar at the forward end of the saloon with a companion way on the forward starboard side giving access to the deck below.

  It was Simon who had put forward the idea to all concerned that an all in get together may resolve some of the differences and antagonism plainly evident, to varying degrees, within the group. With the gathering now waiting expectantly for someone to take charge of the situation, all eyes finally came to rest on Simon who concluded he was the unelected leader and up to him to commence proceedings.

  After drawing attention by using the old spoon and glass trick, Simon commenced. ‘Ladies and gentlemen, I realise this little get together may be an inconvenience for some of you. However, by the time we get back to Rushcutter Bay this afternoon, I hope some of you may have changed both your thinking and attitude towards those present with whom you may now regard with some antipathy.

  ‘Chief Superintendent Paxton, thanks for coming along. Most of what you will hear today may not concern you, but as we are dealing with fraud, corruption, conspiracy to murder, and probably a host of other offences, we thought it might save a lot of time if you were present. Apart from that, a nice day on the harbour hearing a soap opera unfold will, no doubt, be uplifting. In view of the cordiality inspired by the venue, and the generosity provided by our host, may I suggest, Chief Superintendent, we dispense with ranks with your name being “Chief” for the day?’

  ‘Yes, that’s fine.’

  ‘I know the venue is somewhat unusual, but thanks to a suggestion from Mr. Lee, who just happens to own the “Chez Anne”, I jumped at the opportunity as it has provided us all with a neutral playing field. In addition, I have no doubt you will all agree that the venue is somewhat of a difficult place from which to retreat should any of you feel so inclined.

  ‘Initially I thought it appropriate to summarise the situation as I see it. However, I came to the conclusion that you are probably all aware of what’s going on and my summation may be totally incorrect. As a consequence, each one of you is going to tell your own sordid little tale, and please don’t think you can put one over us by claiming you don’t know what the story is. Everyone here has a bit of knowledge of the events, some more than others. I appreciate that relating your own story may be difficult for you as the truth often hurts, but as I mentioned to the Chief, whatever may have started out as an individual’s trivial indiscretion has turned into a series of malicious events including blackmail and conspiracy to murder. If you feel your story is disturbing, take comfort in the fact that the next story will probably be worse. Let’s face it, we’re all in the same boat, if you’ll excuse the pun.’ No-one laughed.

  ‘And who’s going to get the ball rolling? You don’t expect anyone to actually volunteer to be the first to bare their soul?’ asked Nigel, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

  Sue surveyed the scene and came to the conclusion, not surprisingly, that few, if any, of the people in the saloon were at ease. She leant over and whispered in Ron’s ear, ‘I think we’re starting about three drinks short, no-one’s relaxed yet. And what does Simon hope to achieve here today? This place has all the ingredients for one hell of a punch-up, even if it’s not in a steel cage.’

  ‘I don’t know really, but we have two couples jumping into bed with the other’s spouse. I’m putting my money on Agnes and Robert becoming an item. Louisa has already dumped Nigel, so that leaves Nigel and Louisa at loose ends. But then again, I don’t watch that TV show, what is it, The Days of the Bold?’

  ‘Since you raised the issue, Nigel, looks like you can go first, after all, rank does have its privileges,’ said Simon.

  ‘Hell, where do I start?’ Nigel asked himself.

  ‘Try at the beginning when you discovered Chief Rose was helping himself to the slush fund,’ replied the Chief unexpectedly. It seemed the Chief was more interested in proceedings than Simon thought.

  ‘Alright, I’m dead anyway. When Rosey started borrowing cash from the police slush fund it wasn’t hard to work out what he was up to. I played along with his little scheme, not that he ever had any idea I knew what he was doing. I suppose I was aiding and abetting as I was well aware he was pulling a swindle. You see, Rose would submit vouchers for payment to informants without all the necessary documentation that’s needed. Apart from the lack of paperwork, none of the informants ever existed; they were all bogus.

  ‘Anyway, I learnt he would take the money to Canterbury races on a Wednesday and back a sure thing. I haven’t a clue who gave him the tips, but it must have come from someone close to a stable, because he rarely lost. This gave him the cash to pay back the slush fund and give him a bank to go gambling, which he did at the Taipan Club. I knew we could shut down the Club whenever we liked but I saw the opportunity to make a bit on the side. I went to see Mr. Lee and we came to an arrangement. It was an insurance policy; he pays the premium and we lay off taking any action. I didn’t gamble myself but found the Club a great spot to have a beer.’

  ‘Great spot for a beer or a great spot for your womanising?’ interrupted Agnes with a sneer.

  The look Nigel gave Agnes was not pleasant. ‘For both, but you wouldn’t understand, so why bother?’ came the hostile response. After a long pause and some deep breathing aimed at reducing his anger level, Nigel continued. ‘I found the cash Mr. Lee was paying me, when added to my police pay, was sufficient to keep Agnes relatively quiet. It also helped me pay for my place of refuge at Potts Point.’

  ‘What do you mean “refuge at Potts Point”’, Agnes interrupted again, a look of bewilderment on her face. ‘You mean to say you’d pick up a woman at the Taipan Club and take her back to some sleazy hotel up at The Cross?’

  ‘Oh, shut up, you stupid old cow. I’ve been renting a flat over there for years just to get away from you and your incessant demands for more money, which I don’t have,’ came Nigel’s angry response.

  ‘Well, listen here, buddy boy. Whether you know it or not, I do have a social life and certain obligations, all of which require oodles of money. If you can’t, or won’t give it to me, I’ll find it elsewhere.’ With that, Agnes adopted a childish pout and sat back on the lounge.

  ‘Look, do you want me to continue with my little tale, or do you want a domestic thrown in?’ asked Nigel irritably.

  Simon made a pronouncement. ‘Agnes, you’ll get your turn, as will the rest of you. I suggest there be no more interruptions during each revelation. We can have a cat fight after everyone’s had their fair go. In the meantime, I think it’s a good idea if we all just shut up and have another drink to calm down,’ Simon beckoned to the young married couple to keep the drinks coming. ‘Now, Nigel.’

  ‘Okay.’ To cut a lon
g story short, if I got lucky at the Club, I’d take the girl back to Potts Point for the night. Agnes never seemed to care if I stayed out; she probably thought it was work. I met Louisa and we had something more than a one night stand. This went on for a while until she apparently had had enough, although I did think it was very abrupt, the end of the relationship, I mean. A few weeks ago I started to chat up Sue, over there,’ he said nodding to Sue. ‘I didn’t have a clue who she was or who the bloke she was with was.’

  ‘Bet you can’t say that again in half an hour,’ taunted Agnes, downing a double scotch and incurring a look of rebuke from Simon.

  ‘After the bloke left, who I now know was Ron, I thought Sue was fair game. I don’t know if it was the couple of beers I had earlier that clouded my judgment, but it never occurred to me that it might be a set-up. I should be really pissed off with both you and Ron, Sue, but strangely enough, it’s okay. I don’t really give a damn.’

  ‘And you became the subject of a blackmail scam demanding you confess your sins to the Chief,’ said Simon, finishing off the story for the benefit of the others.

  ‘Yes’, Nigel flippantly replied. ‘Sure did.’

  ‘Does anyone else, apart from Agnes, have any questions?’ asked Simon.

  “Yes, I do,’ replied Mr. Lee. ‘Nigel, right from the start of our little agreement I had another insurance policy, and that was the ability to blackmail you for the extortion of funds from the Taipan Club. In effect, all the money I paid you for insurance against the Club being shut down was money down the drain. But I acknowledge that was my fault and very stupid. And yes, the thought of having you thrown over The Gap did cross my mind, but I guess we all feel like we’d like to do that to someone or other at times.’

  ‘Okay, so I made a mistake. I needed money, and lots of it. If you were married to Agnes, you’d soon find out how much money you didn’t have and you’d end up trying anything to get more.’ Apparently neither Agnes, nor Nigel had ever stopped to reason why he was prepared to go to such lengths to keep her happy.

  ‘Has anyone anything else to say, or wish to join in on this conversation now?’ asked Simon, fully prepared for the outburst Agnes would, no doubt, launch. He wasn’t wrong.

  ‘Bloody hell yes,’ said a very angry Agnes, the whisky having done nothing to sooth her temper. She bounced off the lounge and stood in front of Nigel, her arms akimbo, her head and shoulders forward, a look of cold hostility in her eyes. She then let fly. ‘Why, you pompous bastard, I knew you and Louisa were screwing your little hearts out right from the beginning. And you know how I found out? Well, I’ll tell you, you so-called detective big wig. Every night you and Louisa were shacked up in your little love nest, Robert Porter and I were shagging ourselves stupid. Besides, I really enjoyed the intrigue of sneaking off for an illicit affair behind your back. And you want to know something else? I started blackmailing Louisa, threatening if she didn’t pay me I would reveal that the wife of a big shot political figure in State Parliament is having an extra marital romp with a superintendent of police after having picked him up in some grotty, illegal gambling casino.’

  Noel looked at Sue, pulled a face and raised his eyebrows. Christ, he thought, all hell is going to break loose soon and Simon was right; you can’t get off this tub. Just at that moment the comely young lady and handsome young man, both dressed in white shirts and shorts, entered the saloon carrying hors d’oeuvres and drinks of beer and wine. Noel was not the only one to think the couple’s entrance was timed impeccably to prevent a blood bath.

  ‘Excuse me, young man, can I have a double scotch and soda?’ asked a very angry Agnes.

  ‘By all means, madam.’

  Robert Porter looked at Agnes with a serious look on his face. ‘Agnes, I like to think you were bluffing Louisa and that you would never destroy my career. Is that right?’

  ‘Look, Bobby boy, my husband can’t afford me. You and Louisa have bags of money to throw around and I needed more. Louisa just happened along at a very opportune time and she couldn’t help setting herself up to be blackmailed. Would I go so far as to ruin your career? Guess we’ll never know now.’ Agnes took her whisky from the young man in white and threw the contents down her throat in one gulp. ‘Better get me another,’ she said, handing the glass back to the surprised man.

  As Agnes vented her spleen on the unjust cards fate had dealt her, husband Nigel listened on with increasing indignation. With the attention drawn to the young man in white, Nigel Fisher, exasperated to the extreme, couldn’t control himself any further.

  ‘What the bloody hell do you mean “can’t afford you”, you stupid woman. If you didn’t try to lead a life way beyond our means we could live very comfortably, thank you. And who wants to be part of the snob pack strutting around in the belief the rest of society is composed of nothing but plebeians. Bloody social hypocrites. And as for your little affair with a politician, have you no conscience? Good heavens, woman, if you’re going to have a bit on the side, at least pick someone with some moral integrity. God, a politician, the ignominy of it all. Obviously you have no scruples and an absolutely deplorable taste in men.’

  Agnes looked thoroughly shocked and for a moment dumbfounded by Nigel’s outburst. Eventually, after her mind became a little clearer, she again let fly. ‘You, you bloody simpleton. What about yourself? It’s quite all right for you to finance a love nest and drag any poor unsuspecting female away for a night to satisfy your own lecherous lust. Hell’s bells, for the time and expense it takes you to chat up a bird at the Club, you may as well go next door and rent a girl for five minutes.’ The glass of whisky was snatched from the tray held by the young man in white and disposed of in a similar manner to the previous drink.

  CHAPTER 32

  Everyone in the saloon sat riveted to the Fisher’s verbal brawl unfolding in front of them. Even Charlie, after anchoring the “Chez Anne” in Athol Bay, just off Taronga Zoo, couldn’t help but find things to do in the saloon, like polish the ship’s ornate brass bell that hung behind the bar. Sue and Georgie listened intently, wondering how the exchange would end. Unfortunately for Sue, her listening was about to be interrupted. ‘Hey, Georgie, where’s the loo, I’m busting?’

  Georgie looked around and said, ‘I haven’t a clue, but when you find it, let me know.’ Sue got up and tactfully whispered in Louisa’s ear who pointed to the companion way then indicated subsequent directions with a hand. A few minutes later Sue returned and gave Georgie a whimsical look. Just at that moment, the tension within the saloon was broken by the pert young lady in white as she announced that lunch, consisting of a smorgasbord, was available on the afterdeck.

  Considering the mood pre-lunch discussions had taken, lunch itself was a marvelous success, free from anger, bitterness and the enraged spouse. To everyone’s surprise, even Agnes seemed to be chatting amicably with Nigel. As Georgie waited her turn to indulge in the platter of prawns on offer, she turned to Sue. ‘Hey Sue, you’ve something to tell me?’

  Sue frowned. ‘Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t recall Louisa having left the saloon since coming onboard. If I’m right, how did she know where the loo was, unless of course, she’s been onboard before?’

  ‘You mean…’

  Sue raised her eyebrows. ‘Louisa and Mr. Lee?’

  Georgie shook her head. ‘Look, I don’t want to know. The whole thing is just becoming too convoluted for my liking. As soon as lunch is over, let’s go down to one of the cabins and change for some sun baking.’

  ‘Great idea,’ replied Sue. ‘At this stage, I really couldn’t give a fig as to what happens now. Just at the moment I have better things to think about; where did you say the lobster was?’

  ****

  Several of the people onboard, including the Fishers and the Porters, took the lunch time break as an opportunity to have a look over the “Chez Anne”, sixty feet of opulence and extravagance. The highlight of the inspection was what could be called the state room, a palatially decorated
cabin with a king size bed. It was while surveying the plush creature comforts of the cabin that Robert Porter noticed a pair of onyx and diamond earrings in a glass dish located on a bedside table, a pair remarkably like those he had given Louisa as a birthday present a few months previously. Robert Porter, visibly shaken by the possible ramifications of this discovery, quickly withdrew from the cabin and sought solitude on the open deck while Louisa, totally oblivious as to the cause of her husband’s rapid withdrawal, left in pursuit leaving the Fishers alone in the cabin.

  ‘And what’s wrong with those two?’ asked Nigel.

  ‘Don’t know,’ replied Agnes. ‘I get the idea he recognised the earrings beside the bed because he stared at them for a moment then turned tail. Say, I wouldn’t mind owning this boat. You drag your women off to your pokey little flat at Potts Point and I’ll drag my lovers down here,’ she said running her hand over the luxurious quilted bed.

  ‘I get the idea Mr. Lee rarely uses this place. He doesn’t strike me as being the type,’ Nigel said as he opened a cupboard not expecting to see anything of significance. He quickly shut the door, his face turning pale.

  ‘Anything of interest in there?’ enquired Agnes

  ‘No, not a thing,’ Nigel replied. Nothing that would interest you anyway, Nigel thought as he remembered the way Louisa had looked in the sheer negligee he had bought her when their relationship had been on more intimate terms. His head spinning, Nigel and Agnes made their way back to the saloon where Simon had herded the rest of the gathering together, leaving the nice looking couple in white to clear up the lunch things.

  The idle chat immediately ceased and the mood took on an air of oppressive apprehension. ‘One hell of a way to spend a Sunday afternoon,’ remarked the Chief to Ron as they took up their seats in the saloon.