Ring, ring, ring, ring

Ohh…bad, bad, headache! Argh, I wish Jonesy or Rory would get the phone, Alex thought to himself. He said a silent thank-you when he heard Rory pick up the phone.

"Hello, Rory speaking, oh, sure Mr. Croydon, I'll get Dad for you."

Ohh, good God, what does the Boss want now?

"Dad! Mr. Croydon is on the phone for you!" called Rory as he brought the phone into his dad's bedroom. Alex reached out for the phone.

"Yeah, thanks mate." Alex hoisted himself up and took the phone. "Hello?"

"Acting Sergeant Kirby, nice to know you at least have a son who can get up at a decent hour!" Alex shook his head in confusion. "What?" The Boss heaved a heavy sigh on the other end of the line. "It's nine o'clock in the morning, Kirby! And your shift started forty-five minutes ago!" Alex looked at his clock. "Yes, uh, sorry Boss, had some things to do last night…" Alex yawned, trying to wake up. The Boss was getting frustrated.

"Look, Acting Sergeant, if your idea of after hours is going to the pub and getting severely drunk, well I am not here to stop you – as long as it doesn't affect you getting to work in time! Now, I am ringing, because we have our new probationary constable starting in twenty minutes. And I'll be amazed if you can get here in time. Good morning, Acting Sergeant." Alex looked at the phone funnily. "Yeah, right." He called out to Rory. "Rory! Can you get me a couple of painkillers and a glass of water?" Alex stumbled out of bed, trying to find his uniform.

"Rorz!" Alex called out. Rory's head peeped into his room. "Yeah?"

"Look, mate, is my uniform out there? I did tell you to fold that basket of laundry…"

Rory disappeared and soon returned with a neatly folded shirt and pants. Alex gave a sigh of relief. "Thanks mate – oh, and can you get me a juice and a muffin!"

Finally, after getting dressed, washing his face, and grabbing his short 'on the go' breakfast, he grabbed his keys, left some last minute instructions for Rory and jumped into his old blue car.

"Okay, Rory, now, Susie or Jonesy will be here to check up on you at about lunch time, and if the phone rings, take a message, and –"

"Dad!" yelled an exasperated Rory. "I'll be alright, okay?" Alex looked at his son. "Yes, I know – now, be good!"

Alex ran into the station one hour late for his shift. "Sorry I'm late everyone! Had a few problems this morning…" Jonesy interrupted.

"You mean, downing five or six beers last night and me having to try and carry your sixty-five kilo bod into bed?" Alex gave Jonesy a Look.

"Anyway, schedule for today!" said Alex, picking up the clipboard on his desk. "Right-i-o, Kelly and Matt, patrol, Susie and Joss, cleaning the lost property cage, Amy and Jonesy working on the missing money case, and myself…with the new probationary constable…hmm, interesting…"

Kelly was just above to leave when her ears perked up at the words of 'new probationary constable'. Thank the Lord – maybe I'll get paired with him or her more often than Guiseppe here…

"Ah, yes, well, she's a female, and her name is…Lisa Samuels…twenty-one, fresh out of the Academy."

Kelly's smile lit up. "Thanks Alex!"

About fifteen minutes later Alex heard the buzzer go off and looked up to the monitor. Aha, the new constable, he thought to himself. He walked over to the Boss' office to let him know.

Knock, knock

"Come in, Acting Sergeant." Alex entered. "Uh, Boss, the new constable's arrived…"

Tom looked at him like he was an idiot. "Well, go bring her in." Alex was lost for words. "Uh, yeah, sure Boss…" Slightly embarrassed, he hurried out of the office into the foyer.

Lisa Samuels gave a friendly smile when she saw Alex's face. "Ah, finally – thought I must've come earlier than planned!" When she saw Alex's shocked expression, she gave a laugh. "Don't worry; I'm just pulling your leg – nice to meet you…Acting Sergeant Alex Kirby," Lisa said, looking at Alex's name badge. She gave him a hand to shake. "Probationary Constable Lisa Samuels, nice to meet you too," replied Alex. "Well, come on through to the station." He lifted the 'door' in the counter to let her through.

He scurried her through quickly to the Boss' office.

Knock, knock

"Lisa, this is Senior Sergeant Tom Croydon, or, we call him Boss. Boss, this is Probationary Constable Lisa Samuels."

Tom looked up from his paperwork, and took his glasses off and stood up to shake Lisa's hand. "Well, you've already had the introduction," Tom said with a slight laugh. Alex had to give a smile too. Ever since Falcon-Price re-opened the station and Tom had sorted his life out, he'd gone back to the 'old Boss' that Susie and Jonesy always called. "Well, let's get through the ritual, shall we?" He sat down and picked up a file and his glasses.

Lisa and I took a seat each.

"Lisa Sarah Samuels. Aged twenty-one years. Fresh out of the academy. Has some medical problems." Tom put the folder down and took off his glasses. "Now, you are sure these medical problems won't interfere with your career, Lisa?"

Lisa nodded. "Oh, yes, Boss, and if any complications occur, it'll be my mistake – something I did wrong." The Boss seemed happy.

"Well – welcome to Mt. Thomas."

Back out in the main work area, Alex had showed Lisa her desk and had just taken a call for a car speeding around Campion Street.

"Yes, we'll be right there, thank you." Alex looked around for Lisa. "Lisa!" Lisa appeared out of the mess room. "Yes?" Alex looked at his note again. "Got a car speeding back and forwards around Campion Street…want to accompany me on this one?" Lisa smiled. "Sure!"

Once in the 4WD, conversation between Lisa and Alex was minimal.

"So…" Alex started off.

"Yes?" Lisa replied.

"What made you want to become a policewoman?" Alex asked.

Lisa was silent while considering her answer. "My mother was one. She didn't actually want me to be a cop, because I had brains to go to university and do something else. I was actually considering going to university. I signed up for a degree and everything. But about two months later my mother was killed – shot, by a criminal. I couldn't concentrate on my studies. I was going to be a doctor. But I couldn't stop…stop…" Lisa was breaking into tears.

Alex looked a bit embarrassed of asking Lisa this question. "Hey, you don't have to tell me, you know…" Lisa shook her head. "No, it's better out than in." She recomposed herself and continued on.

"I couldn't stop thinking of that there was a criminal out there who had shot my innocent mother for no reason. I kept thinking to myself, 'he needs to be caught – along with another whole heap of them. How can I live, knowing he's probably out there murdering a few more people?" Lisa's attention suddenly focused on an old red car, parked outside a house on Campion Street.

"Mt. Thomas 3-5-0 to VKC"

"VKC receiving"

"Can we have a rego check on PKL-990?"

"PKL-990, a 1997 red Holden Commodore, been unregistered since 2002. Owned by a Cynthia Loch."

"Thank you VKC, 3-5-0 out"

Alex parked the car a few metres away from where PKL-990 was parked. Lisa and Alex were intently watching. This seemed like the car that was reported of racing up and down the street, but it sure wasn't doing it at the moment. A man then appeared, apparently trying to hold something under his shirt.

"He's hiding something – I'm gonna go get him" Lisa said, and before Alex could stop her she was racing off.

The driver of PKL-990 saw Lisa running towards him and started running up Campion Street. "POLICE! DON'T MOVE!" yelled Lisa, as she pummeled after him. Finally, the getaway ran out of breath and Lisa forced him to the ground. As she forced him to the ground, two pistol guns fell out of shirt. Sitting of top of him, she retrieved the guns and found his wallet. After searching through it, she gave the getaway a smug smile. "Well, you don't appear to have a guns license. Are these your guns?" He gave a strangled half-groan 'yes.' After flipping through his wallet again, Lisa retrieved a driver's license. "Peter David Everett-Johns, hey? You mustn't be transgender after all!"

Peter gave a disgruntled groan and yelled a "What!"

Lisa laughed. "Well, this car belongs to a Cynthia Loch – and it's unregistered. Unless you were once a female and registered your car in Ms. Loch's name…" Peter just gave another groan.

"Peter David Everett-Johns; you are under arrest for carrying unlicensed firearms, speeding, stealing a car and driving an unregistered car." Lisa stood up and turned him over, and gasped as Peter gave a smile.

"Well, well, well, hello sweetheart – you are Sergeant Samuels little daughter aren't you? Time has passed hey?" He reached up and gave Lisa's cheek a punch. She fell back, and Peter tried getting away.

"Mr. Everett-Johns, I wouldn't try running again if I were you," another voice said. It was Alex. Peter sighed and put his hands up. "Okay! I surrender! Happy?" Alex ran over and cuffed him and called the station on his portable.

"Mt. Thomas Portable to Mt. Thomas Station" The Boss' crackly voice came over. "What is it Alex?"

"We have caught our victim; his name is Peter David Everett-Johns"

"Okay, we have Susie looking for him on LEAP."

"Good – but that's not all; Lisa's been assaulted by him – we need am ambulance."

"Okay, Mt. Thomas Station out"

Alex ran over to Lisa who was still in very much pain. "Lisa! Are you okay!"

Lisa was fighting tears. "My cheek…the cheekbone…it damn well hurts!" Lisa burst into tears. The pain was intense. Everett-Jones sure had a strong fist. Alex took her hands reassuringly. "Look, it's okay, the ambulance is on it's way…" Alex grabbed her into a hug to calm her down. When she pulled away, blood was left on his shirt.

"Oh, Lord! Lisa! You're bleeding!" Alex pulled his shirt off, trying to apply some pressure to her wound. The ambulance pulled up.

A minute later Tom, Kelly, Matt and Amy arrived at the scene. Tom and Amy hurried over to Lisa at the ambulance. "Lisa!" called Tom. Lisa looked up. Amy rushed over and knelt down next to her. "How did this happen?" she asked sympathetically. Lisa shook her head. "He…he punched me…and cut me somehow…with something…"

Tom knelt down to take a look at Lisa's injury. "That's something nasty. Why did he do this? Was there any reason?" Lisa looked down at the ground. "I think so, Boss"

Tom stared at her. "Well, what?" he asked when she wouldn't give a reason. Lisa looked up to Tom.

"He's my mother's murderer."