Blind Faith

Chapter 4 The Phone Call

It was a Friday evening; we had been waiting and waiting for the forensics, again they were promised for Monday morning. We had been over and over the story and I had rehearsed Anne and Bill till they had their stories word perfect. Jane had reluctantly told me her side of the tale which tallied with Anne's. We were all frustrated with the twice a day visits to the police station to report in. We were all living in Anne's home and I had most of my clothes there.

We were waiting for Anne to finish fixing dinner when I heard the sound of a cell phone. A ring tone I had not heard before. "Oh Business!" said Ann as she rushed to a sideboard and took out the ringing cell phone. She looked at the display and took the call. She did not say a word, but was obviously being spoken to. The call lasted for a minute or so, at last Anne said, "I owe you," and closed the phone and put it back in the draw.

Anne turned and faced me, "Joyce-Lynne that call was; in effect, for you, but the caller wants to remain anonymous. The caller thought that you would recognize the voice and there is a need to be able to deny that the phone call ever took place let alone any knowledge of the subject matter."

I was mystified so enquired, "What is so secret and so sensitive on a Friday evening?"

Anne said, "The caller wishes to make it known to you that a warrant for my arrest was sworn out this evening, after hours by the duty magistrate. I am to be arrested on Sunday afternoon for failing to report in! The source will deny even knowing this so please do not ask who it is. How we got to know must remain a secret!"

"But why on Sunday and how can they know that you won't report in?" I was seriously worried this sounded very fishy.

Anne chuckled, "It is the 'City to Surf' fun run on Sunday morning and unless we get to the other side of the main road before they close this road at 7:30 am, we will be stuck here until after twelve! They always close this road and there is no other way out!"

"The sneaky bastards, this is down to that damn police inspector, he has set you and me up. I bet the forensics have been around for a while and he has laid this trap for us. We must be very careful not to spring it while we spring one of our own. Did I hear you say 'You owed' the informant?"

Anne smiled, "yes, but it's the sort of debt that I am happy to pay. How are we to get round this little problem, and why not just go to your place on Saturday evening or go out very early on Sunday morning?"

"Well if we do either of those things then perhaps they will know that we are aware of the trap and the arrest warrant. They will be disappointed, but won't use the warrant they will find another way to trap you. They will also become suspicious about the source of our information. They will be watching us closely. I have seen an unmarked car following us every time we go report in. Now do not go looking for it when we go tomorrow! We must be very sneaky. It will be very nice to get them to arrest you with that warrant when in fact you have reported in!"

Anne began to see where I was going, I continued. "I know an old policeman who stands in as desk sergeant on days like Sunday. I will have a quiet word with him and arrange a specific time to report in. He will make sure no one else sees you; all we have to do is to get there. Now are you sure there is no other way out of here when the road is closed. I know there isn't a ferry, but is there someone with a boat?"

Anne smiled, "sadly not that I know, but I do have some 'City to Surf' entrance forms and runner tags. Bill and I always go in it." She went to the sideboard and came back with the runner's tags and the route map.

There was a watering station at the end of her road where it was closed off. "My neighbors' usually man the watering station; shall I give them a ring?"

I smiled the cops were going to be given a nasty surprise! A few phone calls later, all done on that special phone and Anne and I were going to be a couple of runners who would 'Join' the run at the watering station, run to the next one, leave the run, get to the police station, report in, back track, rejoin the run at the watering station before Anne's road, run to Anne's road and retire, dress in the same clothes, dispose of the evidence and see what happened.

We had normal clothes arranged and top clothes to wear to and from the end of the road and to visit the police station. We would be seen at the watering station and then be lost in the crowd for a while then found again. Still on this side of the road block, but having reported in! If the plan worked the inspector would order in his arresting officer or even do it himself. I would then have some heavy duty leverage to get the case moving and even get the charges dropped.

Anne and Bill went to bed very happy. I sat and fumed at the dirty tricks that the Inspector had laid for us then laughed like a drain. If we could pull this off I was going to be very popular with the senior partners.

The operation went off like a charm. We knew we were seen leaving Anne's house. We knew we were followed to the blocked off roadway and we were able to get lost in the crowd. It took only twenty minutes for the short run, a fast car ride to and from the police station to check in and return to the course and then run back to Anne's road. We changed back into the original clothes and went back to Anne's house deep in conversation. We were in my car waiting in the queue with several others just after twelve pm when the Inspector and two burly Cops knocked on the window demanded Anne get out the car. I was told to shut up. Anne was roughly cuffed and thrust into a waiting Divisional Van (Australian for Paddy Wagon) and carted off.

Our trap had sprung. I went straight to the watch house, I made an urgent application to see the duty magistrate. Took photo copies of the duly signed reporting in file and waited for the fireworks to go off!

The duty magistrate was very angry with the Inspector. Anne was immediately released the reporting was reduced to Monday mornings only and only for two more weeks. The cops were ordered to proceed with a pre trial hearing within 14 days or drop the charges. The Inspector was to be reported to his superiors. I was very pleased with the result.

Anne did indeed owe the person who had contacted her!

When we reported to the police station on the Monday morning, the forensics were there. The reports were dated nine days previously the Inspector had sat on them and set his trap deliberately. I formally registered a very strong complaint with the duty superintendant who promised to look into the delay. More trouble for the Inspector?

The hearing was to be heard on the following Friday. I took the forensics with me into the office and let Anne go off on her own, her first un-escorted outing in almost five weeks. I reported the weekend's action to the partners leaving out the tip-off of course. They called in an expert and we all went over the forensics. 'Dear Johnny' had died of a massive cerebral hemorrhage. He was brain dead within seconds, before Anne had had time to react; well before Anne began CPR. He had several problems that could have caused equally sudden death! His arteries were in a bad state, he had other aneurisms and his heart had been under strain for several years. The postmortem report said 'Dear Johnny' was a walking corpse waiting to fall over. He should not have been driving and certainly should have retired from the stress of life as a senator and had himself hospitalized!

The partners all smiled. The senior said he would lead at the hearing! I could assist.

The hearing was almost an anti-climax except we had the chief magistrate hearing it and as I had represented Anne at the original bail hearing and he had heard about the fuss over the false arrest. He shushed the senior partner and recommended that I present the defense case and recommendations as I would not likely miss anything out being so close to the defendant. The Senior Partner sat down with a deflated thud and deferred to me.

It took less than 30 minutes and the result quite a foregone conclusion Anne was released without any charge. The police actions were to be reported to the Police Minister, 'Dear Johnny's' honour was left unblemished. He had stumbled down Anne's steps by accident. Just how he ended up naked was not reported upon.

The senior partner was a little miffed, but full of congratulations. I was one huge step nearer a junior partnership!

© Sylvi Slafford Aug 2010