Constable Davies was surprised, and not a little pleased, to receive the invitation to join the doctor and his family for dinner. He would be able to see if he was right about who's side he should be on. He accepted for the following night, when his day shift had finished.
"Capital!" Lucien grinned, "7 Mycroft Avenue, five-thirty. Don't be late." He left to inform Jean she was feeding extra – again!
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"He did what?!" Genevieve shrieked, "so that's why you shot off leaving Agnes Clasby halfway through a consult."
"Sorry, maman, I shall apologise to Miss Clasby, but I'm sure she'll understand. But, yes, Munro all but arrested Vivi for Father Moreton's murder."
"The man's mad," Jean muttered and checked she had enough meat for the meal. "Chicken casserole with damper top?"
"Lovely," he smiled, "sorry, Jean, but we need to know if we can trust Davies; Vivi thinks we can, from what she saw in the station."
"It's fine, Lucien, Bill and Vivi were coming anyway, one more mouth won't make much difference, but save the discussion until I've put the children to bed – well except for Li, can't expect her to be left out." She sighed.
"No, but she could go and do her homework in the study."
"True."
"Munro should be looking at the congregation," Genevieve folded her arms, "he's been insulting us left, right and centre, lately. Adultery, greed, envy … all from the confessional, I'm sure."
"But confessions are between you and the priest," Jean huffed, almost glad she no longer went to confession. She was no saint but she was sure she had nothing in particular to confess to – perhaps pride? But it was pride in her family, not herself in particular.
"Quite." Genevieve tossed her head.
"Well, I'm going to do an autopsy," Lucien turned to go, "perhaps there's more to that than there seems. I'm sure it was an allergic reaction to the bee stings but the sermons might be something different altogether."
"See you later," Jean sighed.
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Lucien's autopsy had shown that although the bee sting allergy had been the cause of Father Moreton's death, he was otherwise in good health, that is until he thought he'd have a look at his brain. It was times like this he missed Alice in the morgue, to discuss possibilities. However, she was still on leave after Isobel's birth and he, and she, had no idea when she would return.
"Well, that explains the errors of judgement," he hummed, holding the brain in his hands, "a tumour in the frontal lobe. Wonder if anyone knew about it? I wonder if that was why he brought up Jean's past … hmm."
He put the priest back together and slid him back into the fridge. He took the file up to Munro who flicked through it, huffed, and dismissed him.
"Best look at the members of the congregation he's insulted," Blake suggested, "the use of confessions gives someone a good reason to kill him."
"That's my job," Munro scowled.
"Then do it!" was Lucien's parting shot.
Davies watched the interchange and thought maybe he should return to that line of investigation; if he came back with results the case would be resolved. He wasn't looking for glory, just a properly followed line of questioning and no more innocent townspeople being dragged in for no reason other than they were seen in the vicinity of Sacred Heart. He'd start with the younger priest, Father Emery.
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"I'm afraid Dr Blake is right," Father Emery sighed, "some of our congregation have walked out of the service, during the sermon. I can only think it was because the subject was their confession."
"I would like to talk to those people, I don't suppose you could give me their names, maybe their addresses?" Davies held his pencil ready to take down the information, "just to eliminate them from our inquiries."
"Oh, yes, I suppose that would help," he nodded, "well …"
He reeled off four or five names and mentioned that Mrs Genevieve Blake had had strong words with Moreton on the way out of the church after some of the services.
"Though I doubt she would have killed him."
"Any relation to Dr Lucien Blake?"
"His mother."
"Ah," Davies nodded, he thought he might have a quiet word with Mrs Blake at some point. He wondered if she would be at dinner.
"They all share the house," Emery seemed to read his thoughts, "Dr Blake Senior, Mrs Blake, and all the family, quite a lovely group, Constable, though the younger Mrs Blake no longer attends this church. Father Moreton upset her when she was planning her wedding to Dr Lucien."
"Sounds quite a houseful."
"Indeed."
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Davies found out what a houseful it was when he arrived a little before five-thirty. He had been brought up to show his appreciation of such kindnesses and brought Jean some flowers for that purpose.
"Why, thank you, Constable," she smiled, "that is so kind of you. Come in, Lucien is in the living room, he'll introduce you to the rest."
As he turned into the living room something small tugged his trousers. He looked down to see a small child and automatically lifted her up.
Lucien raised his eyebrows.
"I've got brothers," he explained.
"That's Jennifer," Lucien proceeded to introduce all the children and his parents.
"Father Emery did say you had a big family, Dr Blake," Davies smiled and let Jennifer down now she had checked his mouth for teeth.
"Ah, so you've started to investigate the case, have you?"
"From what you said, in the office, I thought someone ought to; Munro's got his eye on Father Emery."
"And you?"
"I think it's a member of the congregation he's insulted. He gave me names."
"I suppose I was on that list, Constable," Genevieve gave a little smile, "for chastising Father Moreton after the services?"
"He did mention you, ma'am," he nodded.
Lucien glared at him.
"Depends if you went to confession this week, Mrs Blake."
"Actually, no. So, that would probably be my next confession, that I've missed two weeks. I was in Melbourne on Wednesday."
Davies just gave a little nod and a smile.
"Apart from Genevieve," Jean had heard everything from the kitchen, "we attend St Peter's, Lucien doesn't attend at all, except at Christmas."
"I see."
"Jean knows just about everybody in Ballarat, Constable …"
"Er, my name is Charlie, Constable seems a bit formal, for now."
"Charlie," Lucien smiled, "she'll be able to tell you what they may have confessed to."
"Even though you don't attend Sacred Heart?" he looked at Jean.
"Probably."
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"Right," Jean came down the stairs, "that's the little ones put to bed. Li, are you joining the discussion or doing your homework?"
"Done that, mum," Li smiled, "I'd like to hear what's going on, if that's ok, just in case Inspector Munro decides to arrest me as well."
"I'll sue his arse off if he does," Lucien growled.
"I'll draw up the papers, shall I, just in case?" Vivi laughed.
"Behave you two," Genevieve chastised her children, "now, Charlie, how can we help you."
"Well, Mrs Blake, perhaps I should explain how I came to be here, in Ballarat."
"That would be a good idea."
So, Charlie told them how he had been called to the Minister's office one day. It was work he had done before, as a lowly constable he was largely ignored in some stations and had uncovered minor incidences of corruption or lack of effort on the part of some stations. His father had been a copper, a good one, who, as he rose high enough, had the ear of the Minister.
"So, he sent me here because all the files he receives are heavily altered by someone; no mention of Inspector Lawson, cases solved by Munro, alone, and he knew there had to be something wrong. He knows Mr Lawson, or his reputation and remembered that he asked for extra leave after his wife gave birth. Up until then the cases were dealt with by him and he would mention officers that had gone above and beyond; I believe you got a mention, Sergeant," he looked at Bill, "how you put yourself in considerable danger to save the lives of two children …"
Bill looked embarrassed.
"That would be Millie and Jacob," Jean smiled, "we adopted them."
"Ah," Charlie nodded, "but since Munro arrived, Mr Lawson hasn't had a mention."
"But he's clearing up Munro's mess!" Vivi exclaimed, "Sands …"
"Sands?"
"Arrested and charged with theft," Vivi leant on the table, "he didn't do it, just in the wrong place at the wrong time. He came to me to defend him in court so I asked Matthew to look into it, I need the facts before I can go to court for or against, and it turned out that a constable Munro had brought in had just arrested Sands because he was running away. Matthew had the constable do the job properly and de-arrested Sands. No court …"
"… which means he would have signed off the paperwork, but I don't remember seeing that case – at all." Charlie frowned.
"It's almost as if he's trying to discredit the boss," Bill scowled, "push him out."
"That doesn't bode well," Jean hummed, "he never says anything but he must be worried."
"And Alice," Lucien added.
"Alice?"
"His wife," he clarified, "they have a baby girl, four months now but a rocky start. I bet he hasn't said anything to her."
"I'll go over and see her, tomorrow," Jean decided, "or maybe she'd like to come over for the day."
"Ask her over, Jean, change of scenery," Lucien agreed.
"Right."
Charlie left with a clear idea what he had to do, and that meant searching Munro's office. He also felt he had friends in Ballarat, friends who would help him and back him up whatever he found. He also had to find out who murdered Father Moreton.
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"Oh, Jean that would be lovely," Alice smiled at the invitation to spend the day with her friend and the children. "You are so busy I don't like to intrude too often."
"Never an intrusion, Alice, you are welcome any time." Jean pooh-poohed the idea. "Come along when you're ready."
Alice was relieved to have the invitation. She loved Isobel but sometimes she got a bit bored. The house didn't take much looking after and Matthew looked after the garden so to go and spend the day with Jean would make a nice change. She got Isobel's things together and stowed them under the pram, checked she had turned everything off, locked the door and set off to walk down the road.
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"Matthew's in Melbourne," she sighed when Jean asked how Matthew was. "Has been all week."
"Why didn't you say, you could have come for dinner more often," Jean pushed tea and fresh cake towards her, noticing Alice had lost weight.
"Oh, he said to say nothing."
"What's going on, Alice? We had Charlie Davies here, last night, he's looking into Munro because Matthew's signature no longer appears on the case files, not even the ones he deals with when Munro isn't on duty."
Alice slumped in her chair, "he's embarrassed."
"About what?!"
"He's been called to answer disciplinary charges," her eyes filled with tears.
"What?!"
"Disciplinary charges, he's upset someone."
"Jean?" Thomas had heard her call out, so she must have been loud as his hearing wasn't as good as it could be.
"Matthew's on disciplinary charges," she hissed.
"Oh no, no, no, no, that's not right." He shook his head, "Matthew is the most upright copper I've ever met. This is Munro's doing."
Jean picked up the phone. "Constable Davies, please." She waited while her call was transferred. "Charlie, could you come up to the house please, bring Bill, if he's there." She cut the call and rang another number. "Vivi, you're needed."
"Lucien?" Thomas raised an eyebrow.
"He's at the hospital," Jean shook her head, "it'll be pistols at dawn when he finds out." She turned to Alice, "don't worry, Alice, this will be sorted. Munro's up to something, trying to cover himself in glory while dropping Matthew right in it."
"Matthew could lose his position," Alice sniffed, "we'd have to leave Ballarat."
"Oh no you won't, it won't come to that." Thomas assured her.
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Alice couldn't believe it. These people, her friends, held a council of war around the kitchen table while Genevieve looked after the children. When Matthew had told her to say nothing she had worried so much she found herself unable to eat properly which led to her having to start bottle-feeding Isobel. Matthew tried to support her, she tried to support him when all they had to do was talk to Lucien. But he too had worried that Lucien would do something rash and land himself in hot water, so he said to say nothing.
"He never lets anyone into his office alone," Charlie hummed, "he uses the phone in there. Yesterday he came out and gave us a list of people to talk to in relation to a threat made or Dr Orton's life. Somebody pointed out that Dr Alice Harvey was married to Mr Lawson, nobody was prepared to come and talk to you, doctor," he looked at Alice, "so beware, he may decide to talk to you himself."
"Spend the days Matthew's in Melbourne, here, Alice," Jean squeezed her hand, "if he comes looking for you, you won't be alone."
"I suppose he's going after those of us that made a complaint against him."
"It would be logical," Charlie pointed out, "but would you threaten him?"
"No, he thinks women are to be played with, touched inappropriately because he's a senior physician and therefore God." She huffed, "I would kill him and nobody would be able to find out how, or why, or who, not even Lucien."
"That's the ticket," Thomas laughed, "why waste time?"
"Anyway," she sighed, "the board always believe the surgeon or physician because women are 'hysterical and emotional attention seekers'. Matthew told him to keep his hands to himself or he would sue him for defamation of my character. He left me alone after that. Maybe it's the father of one of the nurses, or the brother, I can't see the nurses threatening him, too afraid to lose their jobs."
"You may have something there," Charlie nodded, "I'll see if I can find some copper who isn't crawling up Munro's backside to look into it."
"I'll do it," Bill offered. "If the board will give me a list of the women who've complained about him, they'll see something is being done about the threats and so will the nurses he's been after."
"Thank you, Bill," Alice smiled, "it would be a shame for some parent or family member to go to prison just for protecting their child."
"Right, now to what we do about Munro," Charlie put his elbows on the table and looked around.
"Well, as he never lets anyone else in the office my guess is there is incriminating evidence there. Though he's a fool if that's where he keeps anything." Jean shrugged, "there again, he tried to tangle with Vivi, so I suppose that automatically makes him a fool."
"When Miss Blake was brought in over this murder I didn't know her. One of the other lads told me who she was and that she was going to have his – excuse my language, ladies – balls for breakfast; that's she's taken down bigger men than him."
"All in the name of justice," Vivi reminded him.
"Of course." He nodded. "So, we need him out of the office for an hour or so, but how do I get in?"
"Matthew's keys," Alice dug in her handbag. "Here, he gave them to me for safe keeping, they never leave my side."
"He really doesn't trust him, does he?"
"Not an inch," she agreed.
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Matthew paced his hotel room. He couldn't understand why none of the files he had sent over to the Commissioner had surfaced. Each of the cases he mentioned, the ones he had cleared up after Munro had arrested the nearest unsuspecting resident of Ballarat, were not in the files or had his name removed and Munro's added. There were copies in his study desk, at home. He didn't know why he had snuck them out of the station, but he had and now he needed them. The only people he could trust were his wife – obviously – and the Blakes. He rang Lucien, time to come clean.
"We know," Lucien cut him off tersely, "why the bloody hell you didn't say anything I will never know, Lawson, we've been mates for ever. Alice spilt the beans, you've put her through hell, you bastard!"
"Stop!" Matthew yelled down the phone, "I know, but I couldn't tell you, I knew what you would do and I won't investigate you for murder! Blake, listen, the fewer people that knew the better, and maybe I could have handled it better, but I didn't. Now, I need files, they are in my study at home …" he told him where he had hidden them, not even Alice knew because he couldn't take the chance of her being brow-beaten by Munro to give them up. "How will you get them to me?"
"Vivi," Blake huffed, "she goes to court in Melbourne so it won't look odd if she takes the train. I might ask Bill if he could accompany her …"
"Good, if he can, but if he can't …"
"We'll sort it, you dickhead," Lucien grunted.
"Yeah, I owe you."
"No, you owe Alice, big time."
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"I don't need protecting," Alice glared when he told her what he needed and what Matthew had done.
"In Matthew's eyes you do, so do the rest of us," Lucien put his hand on her shoulder, "otherwise he would have told all of us what he had done to keep us safe. I know," he held his hands up, "he's a dickhead, but he's our dickhead and I'll hold Isobel while you deal with him."
"Get what you need," Alice handed him the house keys.
"Thanks." He took the keys and went over to her house.
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"I'll be fine," Vivi tiptoed up and kissed Bill, "I go to Melbourne all the time. I'll get these to Matthew …"
"Miss Blake! Miss Blake!" Charlie Davies came charging across the platform. "Thank god I caught you." He gasped. "Here, I found this in Munro's office, last night. He was off duty so I nipped in. Tell Mr Lawson not to go to the Commissioner, go straight to the Minister."
"Charlie?"
"You'll see," he thrust an envelope into her hand, "and Sergeant, suddenly you've been taken ill, you can't work today. That gut rot thing that's goin' round." He passed him a ticket.
"What?" Bill blinked.
"Come on," Vivi grabbed his arm, "thanks, Charlie."
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Once the train was underway, Vivi opened the envelope and gasped, "bloody hell," she swore, "no wonder Charlie wanted you to come with me, and for Matthew not to go to the Commissioner, look."
She passed a photograph over and let him take in the details.
"Shit," he hissed, "the Commissioner, Munro and Froggy Morgan, gang boss. No wonder no one could ever get anything on him. They look like they're having a nice relaxed drink together, good mates."
"Quite, Morgan has his fingers in lots of pies, and possible links to unsolved murders." She took the photo back and slipped it into the envelope. "So, straight to the Minister, then, not much point in going to the Commissioner if he's in the thick of it, which it rather looks like."
As they travelled they read the files Lucien had passed over. Bill said he remembered most of the cases and Vivi remembered very clearly the Sands case.
"I wonder how Charlie's getting on with Father Moreton's case," she mused. "Bill, let's forget about church …"
"Elope?" he smirked.
"And a party afterwards, we could bring Li to Melbourne for the day, under a pretence …?"
"How about not," he hummed, "don't get me wrong, she's a great kid, but if she comes I can't take you to a hotel and …" he whispered in her head.
"William Hobart!" she screeched, glad they were alone, "no, let's just have a civil wedding and then Jean can cook to her heart's content and ma won't sulk. Also it would be nice for Pierre and Véro to attend, they missed Lucien's weddings."
"P'rhaps you're right. Someone's bound to think I've got you pregnant," he looked at her, "you aren't are you?"
"No, we take precautions, remember."
"Not always," he reminded her.
"True, but I'm not pregnant," she squeezed his hand. "Something we never talk about, is it?" she sighed. "Do you want to be a father?"
"Once upon a time, maybe, but I know you're not keen on motherhood, and we have plenty of kids around, as we have noted before, we'll cross that bridge when, and if, we come to it, eh?"
"Yes," she leant against his shoulder, "I do love you, Bill."
He kissed the top of her head.
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Melbourne was its usual busy self. They took a taxi to the Minister's office where they hoped to find Matthew as well as the Minister.
"Er," the secretary frowned, "he's in a meeting." She looked at Vivi's business card.
"With Mr Lawson?" Vivi wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer.
"And others."
"The Commissioner?"
She nodded.
"We have information pertaining to the case. I will be representing Mr Lawson should this travesty go further."
"Oh, right," she wrote down Vivi's name and the reason for her visit and slipped into the office.
"Sir," she handed the Minister the note.
"Send her in."
"And the officer with her?"
He nodded.
For days they had gone back and forth, Matthew proclaiming there were files that he should look at and the Commissioner saying it was all in his imagination, all the case files had been sent over.
"So why are there none with Mr Lawson's signature on?" the Minister queried, "he should be signing off at least half of the cases, he always has, and noted those officers that go above and beyond."
"According to Munro, he's rarely on the job …" the Commissioner scowled.
"Actually," Matthew interrupted, "we do the same amount of shifts, day and night, and I do sign off cases …"
"Miss Blake," the Minister stood up, so did Matthew, and eventually the Commissioner – they all knew her reputation and the Commissioner was wary of her appearance. "You have some information for us?"
"Indeed, Minister," she advanced, "these files, unredacted, are of the cases Mr Lawson has signed off, including one I don't believe you have seen at all."
"I won't ask how you got them, Miss Blake," he opened one.
"They are the original files, kept safely, as Inspector Lawson always does, for use in court or by a lawyer during a case."
"Aha," he nodded, reading down the first one and flicking through the pile that was already on his desk. "Hm, I see."
"Raymond Sands, habitual petty thief …" he looked at Matthew, "I don't appear to have that here …" Vivi had purposefully put that file on top of all the others.
"Really?" Matthew raised his eyebrows. "I remember sending it over …" they all looked at the Commissioner.
"It doesn't show Munro in a particularly good light," the Minister observed. "Complete lack of investigation resulting in a man calling in a lawyer he probably couldn't afford to clear his name."
"It didn't get to court," Vivi sat in the chair he indicated, "Mr Lawson had the case properly dealt with …"
"So I see," he frowned. "and these?"
"All cleared by me," Matthew spread the files out, "all quick fix cases, find the nearest unsuspecting petty crim and charge him. Only Sands was brave enough to seek help."
"He wanted someone to interview your wife in connection with a death threat made to Dr Orton at the hospital," Vivi watched for Matthew's reaction.
"I've told Orton to keep his hands to himself, but I wish the board would look into these cases and not use the usual excuse of hysterical women," he huffed. "How is she?"
"Worried. As she is on leave after the baby, she is, to me, out of the picture." Vivi shrugged, "not that that will stop him."
As she spoke Alice was in Lucien's study with Munro who had just arrived to do what he couldn't get any of the officers to do.
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"Dr Orton," Munro started, "has received a death threat."
"Really, and you're telling me this because?" she raised an eyebrow.
"You have complained about him."
"And so have others, he is inappropriate with much of the female staff at the hospital, has propositioned me, two of the ward sisters that I know of and had affairs with other junior nurses he promises career rises and advancement to."
"And you know this because?"
"Because, Mr Munro, those nurses talk, word gets round," she huffed, "do you know what they call him?"
He shook his head.
"Octopus Orton. Have you spoken to any other female hospital staff?"
"I'm talking to you."
"Because my husband is a copper."
"No, because you've complained multiple times."
"Of course I have! For heaven's sake, Munro, I've been away from the hospital for nearly a year, I've been in no condition to send a death threat to him for half that time as I was confined to bed! Do you ever do your homework? Do you ever stop to think how to investigate a crime? No, you go to the most obvious person and 'interview' them. In this case me, because I have the guts to complain more than once. Go and do your job properly, go and read the files, speak to the others who've complained. Maybe even speak to the board. Quite frankly, whoever has threatened Orton might have done the rest of us a favour, the complaints have substance, Munro."
"I'd like you to come down to the station," he stood up.
"Like hell I will!"
"If I have to arrest you, Mrs Lawson …"
"That's Doctor Lawson, I've earned my title, use it, and if you do arrest me, I shall sue you for every penny you have and more. You are a disgrace to the uniform!"
He grabbed her wrists and fastened the handcuffs on her; propelling her through to the front door and out of the house.
"Watch Isobel for me, please, Jean," Alice tossed her head, "I shall be back soon."
"Bloody hell," Thomas whistled, "ring the Minister, Jean, get a message to Vivi."
Jean was already on the phone making that call.
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"He did what?!" Matthew stood up and made for the door. Bill grabbed him.
"No, boss," he shook his head, "Vivi will represent her, but I'd like to be a fly on the wall."
"On what grounds has he arrested Mrs …"
"Doctor …"
"Dr Lawson, Avril?" the Minister looked at his secretary.
"Um, well, he went to talk to her about a death threat to a senior doctor at the hospital because she's complained about his inappropriate behaviour to herself, several times, and apparently to other female members of staff."
"Octopus bloody Orton, they call him," Matthew growled, "and yes, he thinks he has a right to every woman there. But Alice hasn't been in the hospital for a year …"
"A year, Lawson?"
"She had problems with her pregnancy, and now that we have our daughter she hasn't yet returned to work. Any death threat is likely to be a male relative … not me, I told him to keep his hands off my wife … protecting their daughter or sister. Complaints against senior doctors and surgeons aren't taken seriously by the board, as I said."
"Put a call through to Munro, Avril, please."
"Sir."
"… and bring in the speaker."
"Sir."
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"What?!" Munro shouted at the constable who had taken the call from Melbourne.
"It's the Minister, sir, urgent, he says." He gulped.
Alice was certain he went pale.
"Stay here, with her," he growled and strode out of the room.
"Right," the constable looked at Alice and sighed. "Cuppa, doctor?"
"Thank you, constable, that would be much appreciated."
He left and returned quickly with a cup of the station tea and the sugar – in case.
"You ok?" he murmured, sitting opposite her.
"Perfectly," she hummed, and sipped the tea. "I didn't do it, threaten Orton."
"I know," he stretched his hands over the table and looked towards the door. "I know, Dr Lawson, 'cos it was me."
"You?" she hissed.
He nodded, red-faced. "Orton propositioned my sister, fresh out of nursing school. She's a theatre nurse and he grabbed her backside in the scrub room?"
Alice nodded, "I know where you mean, and yes, it is the scrub room."
"Right, well, she wants to quit, after all that trainin' for a job she loves. She didn't know who to tell; well she wasn't going to tell anyone but she was crying one night at mum and dad's house and I got it out of her. Dad's not strong enough to do anything but grumble so I thought if I warned him off, it'd stop."
"Did it?"
"Uhuh," he shook his head, "now you're in trouble …"
"No I'm not, neither are you. You could've gone and given him a thrashing, I had to stop Inspector Lawson doing that, but you just sent him a note telling him to keep his hands off your sister or …"
"They'd find him lying at the bottom of Lake Wendouree, if they found him at all."
"Right," she hummed.
"What do we do, I mean if Munro finds out it was me I'll lose my job."
She sat back in her chair and thought, "I have an idea."
"You do?"
"I do. Can you get your sister to find all the women he's propositioned or made suggestive comments to and have them meet me at Dr Blake's house tonight? Sevenish?"
"I guess so, why?"
"We're going to stage a protest."
"You what?!"
"You heard."
"Blimy!"
"Hm."
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Alice had to get a taxi back to Jean and Lucien's when Munro reluctantly released her, though she thought she'd still start the process to sue him for damages to her good name.
"You're going to do what?!"
"Stage a protest," she smiled, "the board won't listen to individual complaints, so we'll get together and show them that we are not to be toyed with."
"What do you need?" Genevieve positively glowed with excitement.
"Banners, they call him Octopus Orton …"
"Got it," she stood up, "I'll be in the studio. Jean, the old sheets we cover the furniture with when we do a spring clean …"
"Yes, I know," Jean grinned and went out to the garage where such things were kept.
"Thomas, Pierre, aidez-moi," she called to her husband and brother.
"I don't know how many, if any will turn up tonight, Jean, but I didn't want to do it on my own at our house, you know, just in case."
"I agree; it will get their voices heard and possibly save Orton's miserable hide."
"Well, I don't want the man murdered, just … oh, maybe banished from the hospital. There are plenty of good surgeons around, Jean, that don't prey on the nurses."
"I'm sure there are. I'll make some tea and put out some cake and biscuits, shall I?"
"That's kind of you."
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The children were in bed, except for Li, who had returned from school and on hearing what was intended, had immediately headed to the studio to help her grandmama. She was quite excited but had an idea why Alice would do such a thing. She was a young lady, now, boys showed interest in her and she was interested in one or two, but both Jean and Lucien had told her she was a little too young to date, in their eyes.
"We don't mind you going out with a group of friends, male and female, Li," they had said one evening when she broached the subject, "but we need to know any boy who shows such an interest in you." Jean was more mindful of the pitfalls of a good looking boy with persuasive ways and Lucien was just being protective.
So, by seven o'clock Alice was becoming nervous that she had planned the impossible.
"I'm sure at least one will turn up," Jean smiled, "then, even if no one else does she can spread the word that Dr Lawson means what she says."
"It was a bit rash …" Alice began but was interrupted by a knock on the door.
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"My brother said to meet Dr Lawson here," a young girl stammered.
"And he was quite right," Jean smiled, "come on in …?"
"Maisie, this is Joan," she pulled her friend forward.
Jean thought they were so young to be already in such responsible positions and probably should be out having fun not plotting to overthrow a senior doctor.
"Alice," Jean led the girls to the living room, "Maisie and Joan."
"Oh …" she blinked.
"My brother …"
"Ah …
"We're sort of the advance party," Maisie explained, "if you are on the level there'll be more of us. There are some who welcome his attentions, but not us. If you turn him down …"
"… he gets threatening," Alice hummed, "I know."
They talked about Orton and his attitude to women and the fact that he was married and a father of three children.
"His wife was a theatre sister but she blames us. She's come into the hospital and told us to stay away from her husband. We've tried telling her …"
"Denial," Alice shook her head.
"Yes, it's quite sad, really," Joan helped herself to a second biscuit. "These are lovely, Mrs Blake."
Jean smiled.
"So, what's your plan, Dr Lawson?" Maisie sat back and folded her arms.
"That we protest, outside the hospital," Alice almost laughed at the very thought, "but we'd best be non-violent, with my husband being a police inspector."
"Wouldn't do to get arrested," Maisie observed.
"Oh, too late for that," Jean did laugh, "Munro did that today."
"Oh, my brother just said he'd spoken to you," Maisie gasped, "why did he arrest you?"
"Because I have complained to the board about Orton frequently so he assumed I had written the threatening letter."
"Wouldn't blame you if you had," Joan muttered.
"I do know who wrote the letter, though, and I don't want him to lose his job, so I've got to talk to my husband about that."
Maisie realised who she meant and gasped. "Oh Lor'! it was Alfie, wasn't it? Oh the dolt!"
"Take it easy, Maisie, that's why I need to talk to Matthew," Alice touched her hand, "he'll probably get a reprimand but we both understand why he did what he did. I'm sure he wouldn't carry through the threat." She turned to the rest of the group. "Now, how do you feel about protesting? I don't want to force you into something this radical if you are uncertain."
"Well," Joan hummed, "how about we start with a letter, signed by all of us, sent to the board, threatening the protest, first. If we don't hear from them within a given time we stand outside the hospital with banners and so forth?"
Alice looked at her and thought this was an eminently reasonable idea, and less likely to see any of them sacked.
"I like that idea," Jean agreed, "though it isn't my fight, but Joan's right, give them chance to deal with the situation sensibly before they have to deal with a group of angry nurses."
"I'm in," Maisie nodded.
"Ok," Alice agreed, "we type the letter, you get your friends to sign it and we send it to the board. We give them a week to deal with Orton and if we see no change …"
"That's good," Li had listened but kept her own council, "gives me and grandmama time to finish the banners."
"Ah, that's what you were doing, is it?" Lucien had stayed out of the way in the study, not wishing to hamper the discussion.
"Grandmama's idea," she smiled, "but we need time to make them good."
"Our apologies if they aren't needed," Alice sighed.
Li just shrugged.
