Title: Look, Cover, Write, Check
Author: Esme
Date: early 2000 - 11th Feb. 2001
Category: this doesn't quite fit anywhere in my opinion, but I
suppose it is something like a vignette - just a short scene (or
two) of life with the Sydney Water Police.
Disclaimer: The characters of Frank, Rachel, Helen and Tayler all
belong to the writers and producers of a tv show called
"Water Rats". I merely use these characters to write
stories to fill in my spare time.
Author's notes: I haven't posted a Ratfic for rather a long time.
Year 12 took over last year and all those stories started at the
end of 1999 are still waiting to be finished. This one was
inspired by a Legal Studies lesson or two - just a bit of whimsy.
Thanks to my beta-readers, especially the Chief Superintendent -
your help is always appreciated. g
- - -
Look, Cover, Write, Check
- - -
As Frank walked in the door (almost on time - 17 minutes late was
nearly a record) Rachel was on her way out.
"Hurry up Frank, we'll be late," growled Rachel.
"I'll see you in the car."
"What's up her nose?" Frank asked Helen as he signed
in. "Where are we going?"
"Youth justice conferencing Frank," replied Helen.
"Get going."
"Conferencing?"
"Ask Rachel to explain, she's as thrilled about it as you
will be."
* * * *
"Morning," said Frank as he got into the car. "How
are we this beautiful day?"
"Yeah great," said Rachel as she drove aggressively out
of the carpark.
"So what are we doing?" asked Frank.
"'Youth justice conferencing'," Rachel said sweetly.
"Oh good," said Frank. "Um, what is it?"
"Oh it's the latest idea trying to stop putting so many kids
in jail. Remember whatsisname from last month?"
"Um Andy, Peter, Shaun?"
"Nah the other one."
"Oh Ben, Joel, Max?"
"Yeah Joel," said Rachel. "Well the convenor will
sit down with Joel and with the Houghton's and talk all about
it."
"What?"
Rachel sighed as she tried to explain. "We get the
perpetrator and the victim and well Joel will talk about why he
robbed them and the Houghtons will talk about how it made them
feel. And together they negotiate some sort of punishment for him
- like a simple apology or community work or reimbursement. And
so Joel doesn't have to go into detention. You know, touchy-feely
police work."
"So. . ." said Frank, "instead of him doing time,
we just try to make him feel guilty and say sorry and he does a
bit of community service - which all good little boys should be
doing anyway."
"Oh and I suppose you were a good little boy Frank?"
"Of course! I used to help the old ladies across the road
with their shopping."
"Oh, little Frances in his boy scouts uniform," cooed
Rachel.
"Yeah," said Frank. "But really, what's the point
with this whole conferencing thing? I mean what's happened to
good old-fashioned police work? Where is the police *force*? All
this touchy-feely police service stuff is pathetic."
"Get off your soapbox Frank, it's your job," said
Rachel. "This program has an 80% success rate of preventing
recidivism."
"Recidi-what?" said Frank.
"Re-ci-di-vism," Rachel said slowly. "Come on
Frank, it was the first word on the spelling list at the academy.
Right up with 'jurisdiction' and 'affidavit'."
"We had a spelling list?" Frank said. "I must have
been away that day."
"Yeah, you know we had to do the whole 'look, cover, write,
check' thing."
"Look, cover what?" said Frank.
"You're not really with it today are you Frank?" sighed
Rachel. "Oh it's just what David used to have to do to learn
his spelling words. You look at the word, you cover it up, you
write it down, then you check it."
"Oh right," said Frank. "How is the little bloke
anyway?"
"Yeah he's good, not so little anymore," said Rachel,
the first smile of the day finally forming on her face.
"It's that time of year again, so we're right back into
soccer, soccer and more soccer."
"Ah the poor child is dellusioned," said Frank.
"Whatever happened to good old footy?"
"Oh I don't think anything so uncouth as football would be
allowed at David's school," Rachel said primly.
"Well I'm surprised they're not playing lawn-bowls
then."
Rachel threw her trademark look in Frank's direction.
"Right, so how do we spell this recidi-whatever it
was?"
"You really don't know?" asked Rachel.
"Well if I knew, would I be asking you?"
"Okay, r-e-c-i-d-i-v-i-s-m. Let's try simple words for
simple people like you. Recidivism is um, re-offending. Nah
'offending' has too many syllables," said Rachel. "How
about 'being bad again'. The youth justice conferencing program
has an 80% success rate of preventing the kids from being bad
again."
"Now simple words, I understand," said Frank. "But
I still think it's easier to just chuck 'em in a cell."
"Oh you're all heart."
* * * *
"So how was youth justice conferencing?" asked Helen as
the detectives walked through the door.
"Oh a waste of time," replied Rachel.
"Oh come on," said Frank, "we're doing our bit to
prevent recidivism."
Helen looked suspicious at Frank using a five-syllable word.
"I wouldn't have thought such a word was in your vocabulary
Frank."
"He only learnt it today," said Rachel.
"Do I get a jellybean for remembering it?" Frank smiled
sweetly.
"Holloway, don't you have paperwork to be doing?"
Rachel said as she pointed him towards the stairs.
Frank turned back to Helen. "She's not being very nice to me
today."
"And I'll be joining her if you don't stop distracting me
from my work Frank."
"Message received."
"And understood?" asked Helen as Frank was still
leaning over the counter.
"I'm going!"
* * * *
Tayler poked her head through the door of the detectives' office.
"The Nemesis is just about to go out and we thought you
might be interested. A Mr Kosmopolianos just phoned and said he's
caught an intruder on his boat."
"And how would you be spelling that?" Frank asked.
"B-o-a-t?" said Rachel.
"Thankyou to Miss-I'm-so-funny over there in the corner, but
I was actually referring to Mr Kosmowhatnot."
"Ah I believe it's K-o-s-m-o-p-o-l-i-a-n-o-s," said
Tayler.
"Thanks Tayler," said Rachel, "we'll be with the
Nemmy in a second."
* * * *
"So Joel," said Frank, "how does it feel to be a
recidivist?"
"A what?" said the young teenage boy.
"This morning Detective Goldstein here and I, not to mention
the counsellor and the Houghtons, gave up our valuable time so
that you could do your bit for society and we could help prevent
recidivism."
"Man, can someone get me a translator here? How about a
lawyer?" asked Joel. "What's all this 'vism' crap
man?"
"Look Joel, we've got a few problems here," Rachel
said. "I mean you got a slap on the wrist only a few hours
ago and already you're back to stealing off boats."
"Sweetheart I haven't stolen a thing."
"Joel," began Frank, "mate you've got bits of
cruiser falling out of your pockets. Let's cut the crap,
'man'."
* * * *
"How's it going in there?" asked Helen as Frank and
Rachel walked out of the interview room.
"Oh his mother just wants to belt him across the head and he
wants a lawyer," Rachel said.
"Right, I'll get onto that one for you."
"Thanks Helen," said Rachel.
"Belting him across the head or the lawyer?" asked
Frank.
"You'll get the belting if you're not careful Frank,"
said Helen.
"Promise?" he asked gleefully.
"I'm off to find a lawyer for your beloved recidivist,"
Helen said.
"Oh lawyers," grumbled Frank, "they're all
sophistry and semantics."
Rachel leaned towards her partner. "Are you trying to
impress me Frank?"
"Now why would I need to do that?" he replied.
"Well you've had five years and you haven't succeeded
yet," said Rachel. "I don't think I've ever heard
'sophistry' or 'semantics' fall from your lips before."
"Oh they were just on our spelling list at the
academy," replied Frank. "Along with 'circumstantial
evidence' and 'subpoena', 'indictable offence', 'affidavit'. .
."
". . . 'jurisdiction' and 'recidivism'. Yeah yeah
Frank."
"You know, I won the spelling-bee in grade four," said
Frank. "'M-i-s-s-i-s-s-i-p-p-i'."
"Come on Boy Scout, our sophist will be here soon."
"Sophist, s-o-p-h-i-s-t, sophist."
"You know you might be able to find an old lady with some
shopping on your way home tonight."
"You reckon?"
"You never know."
*The End*
