7. Smash and Grab

Wednesday, 4.45pm, Jacobs Jewellery, Heathcote.

Samuel Jacobs was concentrating on the intricate watch repair when he heard the bell jingle on the shop door. Glancing up from his work, he called to the two men dressed in overcoats who had just entered, 'Be with you in a minute!' Peering through his loop he continued to reseat the jewelled movement into the silver cased pocket watch. He did not notice as one of the men pulled a crowbar out from under his coat or the other produced a hammer from his pocket.

At the sharp crystalline crash of breaking glass Sam dropped his work in surprise. The watch fell to the floor, the movement exploding into a dozen pieces. He gaped at the two men who were grabbing handfuls of gold necklaces, bracelets, rings and pearl pendants from the shattered counter display and shoving them into a shabby Gladstone bag. Sam half rose from his workbench to protest when the man with the crowbar raised it threateningly and snarled 'Shut it. Sit down.' Sam sank fearfully back down and watched in anguish as the second man swept every diamond engagement ring from the front window display into the bag.

Crowbar man watched Sam closely, lightly tapping the bar into his open palm in a meaningful way. Hammer man at the window turned and said quietly over his shoulder 'Done. Let's scarper.'

Backing away while watching Sam all the time, Crowbar man joined his accomplice at the door. Both men cast a sweeping glance around the room and then rapidly walked out the front door. They had been in the shop less than 5 minutes.

Sam was frozen in shock for a full 10 seconds. Then he rose in panic and frantically looked around his destroyed shop. He rushed to the front door, carefully stepping through the broken glass. Throwing the door open he looked out to see a dark Holden driving off down the main street. Dismally he looked back into the shop, realising that every item of any real value had been taken. The thieves had left only the cheap silver trinkets and poor quality watches behind. With dawning realisation Sam remembered that the insurance premium was two months overdue. His shoulders slumped and he knew that he was ruined.

...

On Wednesday the following week, just after 4.30pm, two over-coated men walked into Leach's Jewellers branch in Bendigo. Casually strolling into the shop they waited a few minutes until the last customers had cleared the store. The shop clerk looked at the two men curiously and asked,

'May I help you? We are closing now.'

The taller man stepped forward and cold cocked him with a sucker punch. Out cold, the clerk did not hear the shattering glass.

...

Over the next 3 weeks, every Wednesday, a different jewellery store in the Central Victorian goldfield area was hit by the two smash and grab thieves. Maldon, Creswick and then Dalyesford were all targeted. The Powers That Be at the City Metro Police Office were concerned and were considering setting up a specific Task Force if the problem escalated. The CMPO released a interim Bulletin putting all local police departments on high alert.

That Tuesday afternoon Bill Hobart scanned the bulletin with interest. Details were sketchy. The victims had been either knocked out or had been too shocked by the sudden violence of the robberies to really note specifics. Descriptions were very general, 'two men, one short (5'6") and stout, one tall (6') and dark featured, both in overcoats and driving a dark coloured Holden' did not tell him much. The taller man appeared to favour a crowbar, while the smaller a hammer. Hammer man seemed to be the one in charge, but that was still being debated. The MO was always the same, sometime between 4.30 and 5pm on a Wednesday afternoon a local jewellery store was targeted. In every case it was a one-man operation that was attacked. These were small family owned businesses with little or no security to speak of.

In spite of concerted inquiries at every pawn shop and with every known fence between here and Melbourne there was no trace, as yet, of the goods being sold. Now Lawson was concerned that Ballarat would be next on the hit list. The local Shop Owner's Association were putting pressure on him to do something before someone was seriously injured. Lawson had assigned Bill to investigate and come up with suggestions. Bill just wished that someone had at least had the presence of mind to have noted down the rego number. It would have made his job much easier. As it was, this report wasn't a lot of help and he didn't have much to go on.

'Right' thought Bill to himself, 'Think this through. What have you got?' He got up and wrote on the chalk board:

'2 suspects - smash and grab'

'Dark Holden, 3rd driver?' He scratched that out, no one had reported a get-away driver.

'Wednesdays'

'4.30 - 5pm'

'Heathcote, Malden, Dalyesford, Creswick...'

Bill stopped and considered. He turned to the large map on the wall behind Lawson's desk. Taking out some red push pins from his desk drawer he put a pin into every town location on the map. He took a step back and thought.

'Interesting', said Lawson's drawling voice behind him. Bill glanced over his shoulder and saw Lawson and Dr. Blake watching him. Bill nodded his head.

'Yep. Look at this,' he spread his large hand over the area, placing his palm down in the centre

'Each township hit is within a 25 to 30 mile radius of Castlemaine.'

'So you think they might live in Castlemaine?' asked Blake.

'Maybe. Don't know. I do think they may be recognised in Castlemaine. Perhaps that's why they are avoiding it.'

'Then Ballarat might be a bit too far afield for them?' questioned Blake.

'No, not too far, maybe too inconvenient until now', responded Lawson. 'There are only so many small town jewellery stores in this area,' he waved his hand around Castelmaine, 'they can't hit the same places twice too soon. They are going to have to move further out. We're the next logical stop.'

'I don't know, Boss,' mused Bill slowly. 'I keep coming back to the timing. Why Wednesdays between 4.30 and 5pm? It is odd. Very odd. Thieves don't usually work to a time-clock.'

Blake chortled, 'You think their wives need them back for dinner by 6pm?'

Bill suddenly had a light-bulb moment and his mouth dropped open in shock.

'No Doc! Not their wives!'

He turned excitedly to the papers on his desk and frantically shuffled them around. Doctor Blake looked at Lawson and raised an eyebrow. Lawson shrugged a 'I don't know' back.

'Here, here it is! Look, at this,' and he thrust a 6 month old copy of the Police Gazette in their faces. 'Look, page 7. See?' and he pointed out an article to his superiors. The men read the indicated article in disbelief.

'You're kidding, Bill. This is a story about the new special day-release work program for the Castlemaine Gaol! You're not seriously suggesting...' Lawson was appalled.

'Look, it works.' Bill referred to the article, 'Low-risk prisoners nearing the end of their sentences are to be given the opportunity to work locally on farms and manufacturers in the Castelmaine area on one day a week to help them adjust back into society. They have a day-release parole once a week, are escorted to and from the gaol by a prison officer, requiring them to be back to lock-up by 6pm.'

'Hmmmm,' mused Blake, 'So you are saying, some enterprising prisoner is using the opportunity to set himself up financially for when he is released?'

'Yes,' Bill was emphatic. 'The robberies all take place on his day of release and all late afternoon. After he has finished his work placement but before he is due back for the official count and lock down.'

'You do realise this also means his escorting officer is complicit.' said Lawson grimly.

Bill nodded, 'That's why they couldn't rob any Castlemain store for fear of recognition. He is probably local. At the very least he would have been seen in the town.'

Lawson considered for a moment or two, then spoke again. 'Bill, contact the Castlemaine gaol and find out how many prisoners are undertaking the work program. Find out who their escorting officers are.'

'Right Boss. But, one more thing,' Bill hesitated,

'Go on,' encouraged Lawson.

'Well, if they are going to hit a store in Ballarat tomorrow, I don't know how we can stop them. We just don't have the man-power to put a policeman into all 12 jewellery, gold exchanges and department stores in Ballarat.'

Lawson frowned at Bill, 'And your suggestion?'

Bill took a deep breath. What he was going to suggest wasn't strictly police protocol.

'We tell every jeweller in town to watch out, but do nothing. If they get hit to call us immediately. Ballarat is over an hour drive to Castlemaine. They are going to be pushing it to get back in time for lock up. They're going to want to take the fastest route back. So I reckon we set up road blocks on the Midland Hwy out of town and catch them on the run home.'

'Hmmmm. Risky. But if it fails, or they hit another town instead of Ballarat, we can still try and track them back to the gaol. Right, Bill, contact the warden at Castlemaine. But be discreet. We just need the names of the parolees and their escorting officers. He doesn't have to know why. Say, oh, we are taking an interest in the scheme and want to encourage it or something. I'll get the troops organised. Blake, go home, I'll see you tonight.'

Blake rose to go, but before leaving he clapped Bill on the shoulder then held his hand out. Bill looked at Blake then took the proffered hand. Shaking it with gusto Blake pronounced,

'Well done Bill, you'll be running this place yet!'

Bill rolled his eyes at Blake and just muttered 'gedoutta'er'.

...

The Warden of Castelmaine Gaol waxed lyrical about the benefits and how the new scheme would help offenders rejoin society and become law-abiding members thereof. Bill patiently heard him out, although he was privately of the opinion that once bent it was hard to get straight again. Still, he was willing to allow that it could happen, on occasion, if the circumstances were right. Maybe.

Finally the warden gave Bill the information he needed. There were 6 offenders currently taking advantage of the scheme. Only two of those were on Wednesday release. Bill thanked the Warden and promised that his superior would be in touch to discuss the Work Release program with him soon.

'Love to be fly on the wall when Lawson talks about that with him' Bill chuckled to himself. Bill spent a few more minutes on the phone cross checking details then reported to Lawson.

Lawson looked up from his desk at Bill. 'Well?'

'Only two on work release on a Wednesday. I did a little more checking and I think I've got our blokes. Tom Royson is serving 3 to 5 for aggravated break and enter. He's also got form for burglary. His minder is Mark Turner. Seems both are Castlemaine lads from way back. Went to the same Primary School. Turner has only been a warder at the gaol for 2 years, has a good work record, but get this, he drives a late model Holden.'

'Sounds like our men. Well done Bill. Go finish up and get home. You're with me at the road block tomorrow afternoon.'

...

Bill had a restless night. He worried about his decisions late into the night. Was it all just supposition? It felt right in his gut, but he didn't have a lot of evidence to go on. What if there was no robbery tomorrow at all? Or if there was one, it was down in Bacchus Marsh or some other town, not Ballarat. What if someone got hurt? Maybe he should call Lawson and convince him to try and get Melbourne officers down and post them in the stores? or close the stores? or... He tossed and turned until finally he had to get up and have a hot drink. He added a good shot of rum to his simmering cup of Milo, sat down in his easy-chair and open his well thumbed copy of David Copperfield and began to read...'Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life...' He read until he finished his drink and his head dropped to his chest.

...

The tension in the Station was palpable all day Wednesday. The men carried on with their usual duties but were on edge. At 4 o'clock, police cars were stationed unobtrusively behind screening gum trees on the outgoing lanes of the two main roads out of Ballarat heading to Castlemaine. They would roll the cars out into a road block if required. Bill and Lawson sat on tenterhooks listening to the police radio band in the car. Another car with Sergeant Charlie Davis and another officer parked next to them on the Midland Highway verge. The cicadas in the gum trees were singing their deafening song. The road was quiet, only the occasional sedan or farm vehicle rumbling by. Bill watched the road in the distance.

Just after 4.40 the radio squawked into life...'...robbery reported at Allen's Jewellery store, suspects fleeing in dark Holden, heading down the Midland Hwy...'

Lawson motioned to the officers in the car next to him, then Bill leaned down and turned on the ignition. The support car moved out to block the outbound lane. Both officers got out of the car and started to direct the sparse traffic around the road block. It wasn't long at all before a speeding car came into view in the distance. As it came closer they could identify it as a Holden doing well over the speed limit. Charlie stepped out and tried to flag it down. The car accelerated toward him and he danced out of the way. At that moment Bill gunned his engine and his car screamed forward blocking the inner lane. The speeding car swerved to avoid a collision and smashed nose first into the ditch of the median strip.

The driver of the Holden had been flung forward into the wheel and had struck his head, knocking himself out. The passenger hurled his door open and took to his heels heading for the bush. Bill leapt out of the car and flew after him in pursuit. Close on his heels Charlie followed. Dodging around trees and bush, the suspect was fast but Bill was faster and slowly gaining on him. Bill could hear the man wheezing and panting as he struggled up a small rise. As they reached the apex of the hill Bill had come close enough to reach out and grab the man, throwing both arms around his chest. They waltzed together then tumbled down into the bracken. Charlie came panting up the hill behind them and watched as the two men wrestled. Bill rolled off Tom Royston and came to his feet shouting,

'You're under arrest!'

Tom looked up at Bill's fierce face and put his hands up in surrender. Bill and Charlie reached down and dragged Tom to his feet, hauling him back down the hill and into custody.

...

As always, after any police action there was a mountain of paper work and reports to fill out. Interviews to be held. Investigations to follow up on. A search of Mark Turner's flat had revealed a cache of gold, diamond rings and other jewellery hidden under the floorboards. A boat ticket to Rio was also found among the jewels - the liner was leaving from Princess Pier, Melbourne in 3 weeks, a good 6 months before any release had been possible for Tom Royston. It seemed Turner was the mastermind behind the smash and grab raids. He and Tom had been childhood friends, but had lost contact with each other as they got older. Mark Turner had big dreams and no money, Tom had the skills he needed to achieve his goals. He had sought Tom out in gaol and renewed the contact. He had really only wanted a few 'tips' on how to get some easy money, but the new 'work release' scheme was a gift. Turner had seen right off how he could benefit from it. It did not take too much to convince Tom to apply to the scheme and then help Turner execute the smash and grab robberies during his work days. Tom had believed that Turner was helping him set up for when he was released. Whether Turner ever really intended to share any of the stolen wealth with Tom Royston is doubtful, considering the ticket, but both men would have many years together in a cell to argue the point.

Bill was happy and more than a little relieved that his hunch had paid off and two more bad guys were behind bars. But the icing on the cake was The Divisional Commendation for Exemplary Service medal that Lawson presented to him later that month.

And the beer Lawson bought him at the Pig n' Whistle after.