CAIRNS, A CITY AT WAR WITH ITSELF, PART 3

Constable Ruby Frome of the Smithfield Police Station took the call. Constable Frome had recently transferred to the Smithfield Police Station from Longreach in the western central region of Queensland. Her colleagues had all said there were a lot of single hunks in the Smithfield Police Station, and Ruby, at thirty-six years of age, was getting a little tired of doing all the shit work at a Police Station and now had dreams of being a stress free domestic goddess and to hell with feminisim.

Ruby's dream was not to be however, and her vision of a domestic goddess with a sparkling clean house, happy, contented rugrats and an adoring husband was relegated to the memory banks of
broken dreams and the misery of life. All the male officers at Smithfield Police Station were well and truly taken and not one of them anyway was what Ruby would call a "hunk."
Sourly, she reflected that her colleagues at Longreach had given her a bum steer. At the back of her mind was the jubilation and cheers of her colleagues when she said she had been given the transfer. They had all been so happy for her! Nasty thoughts kept pricking at her, unspoken impressions that her colleagues at Longreach had wanted her to go.

"A Skye Lovelady has reported her unit has been broken into, and someone has killed her cat," Constable Frome announced. "Someone has left a message saying that her turn is next."

Her announcement immediately galvanised the male staff at the Smithfield Police Station.

"SKYE LOVELADY! DID YOU SAY SKYE LOVELADY!" every man in uniform called out excitedly, instantly standing to attention.

Constable Frome was astonished. It was like she had just said they had all won the Lotto or something. "That's what I said!." she replied tersely.

"She lives at............" However Constable Frome didn't get to announce the address. She stared, gobsmacked, as four officers instantly raced to the doorway.

"Hold it!" roared the Sergeant. Everyone stopped. "Only Constable Lake and I will go," he announced, motioning Constable Lake forward.

Constable Lake was also a fairly new transferee from the Western regions of Queensland. He had spent some time at Dalby, Winton and Richmond and had finally requested a coastal transfer. Nonetheless, he had heard a lot about the lovely Councillor Skye Lovelady, and was just as intrigued as everyone else to meet the lady and investigate the complaint.

The others didn't bother to hide their disappointment. "Awwwwww," said Constable Porter. "Awwwww, phooey! Favouritism!" snarled Constable Schmidt.

As the police car left the station, siren blazing, Constable Frome ventured to ask the remaining sullen faced officers who Skye Lovelady was.

"Only one of the most drop dead gorgeous looking women you could ever imagine," replied Constable Schmidt. "And the Serg. goes and takes that prick Lakey with him!"

"Aaay," snapped back Constable Frome, "Why should you all care how good looking she is anyway. You're all married men! How would your wives feel knowing you're lusting after another woman! Shame on you! For shame!"

"Gah," Constable Porter snarled back, wondering for the hundredth time how the hell a moralising, lecturing, judgemental embittered woman had escaped from the Victorian era and ended up in the Queensland Police force in 2013.

"Must be cuppa coffee time," said Constable Schmidt, walking to the tea room.

"Again!" sneered Constable Frome.
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Councillor Skye Lovelady was aware when the police car roared up her driveway and two police officers entering her ground floor unit. She was also aware that she had gone into shock and her body would not stop shaking. Her legs felt like jelly and her hearing became fuzzy. At one time she had grabbed a thermal blanket and wrapped it around her, but her shaking had become worse.

She was vaguely aware the police were talking to her, but could not respond, only nod. Everything seemed like one of those dreams where images were stretched into distorted shapes and she felt like she was slipping inside a tunnel. The tunnel seemed to be sucking at her, dragging her in.

She could recall the ambulance van arriving and the Constable helping her into it. She held his hand and wouldn't let it go. It was the one solid grasp she had on reality. A warm and rough hand.

............................................................................

She woke sometime later, and took a few seconds to realise where she was. She was in the Cairns Base Hospital, a private room, and there was a man sitting in the chair next to the bed.
Her legs ached and she recalled her bicycle accident from the day before, and being helped by the two women who had two children and then......

Then she recalled Monty........

She couldn't help the tears, the loud crying. Memories of Monty as a kitten, his endearing little tricks and games, his softness and fluffiness, his affection for her, swept over her as she continued to sob.

"Heeeeey," said a soft male voice next to her.

Skye sat up in the bed, and was handed a tissue.

Gradually, she calmed down and looked at the man sitting beside her.

"Constable Ryan Lake," he said, offering his hand and speaking in a quavery voice. "The Sergeant said I should stay here all night."

Skye took his hand and for a few moments they looked into each others face. A few moments, yet Skye was to believe it was like a lifetime. A pair of blue eyes locked onto a pair of brown eyes and recognition flared from some deep memory recess.

They both spoke at once, hesitantly. "I know you from somewhere......"

There was an awkward silence and they both laughed nervously.

Flustered, Skye dropped his hand and they both continued to stare at one another. Skye liked what she saw, this slim man with dark hair and dark eyes. Constable Ryan Lake had scarcely been able to take his eyes off her all night long. She was so beautiful! He couldn't help thinking of all the stories in the childrens books his Mother read him when he was young, about the Sleeping Beauty. All throughout the night, he had counted his lucky stars that he had taken the transfer to Cairns. Oh, he had his doubts. Cairns was a different city, with a definite crime rate, so different from the bush of Queensland where in little towns like Winton and Richmond, everyone knew everyone, and crime was the odd drink driving offence. He knew his chances of promotion in the country towns was weak, and if he wanted to climb the ladder in the police force, he would have to work in the cities. He was prepared for that, and to further his studies as well. Cairns was renown for having a great university campus in the suburb of Smithfield. So here he was! Not only enjoying the Smithfield Police Station where he had established a good working relationship with all his colleagues, but now in the Cairns Base Hospital, sitting beside the lovely Councillor for Smithfield! How lucky could he get, he marvelled.

"I don't mind your holding my hand," said Constable Lake, offering her his hand again.
"As long as you don't tell the Sergeant," replied Skye with a smile, taking his hand.

They both smiled, and looked into each others eyes again.




To be continued...............
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