CHAPTER 7
THE TOMS' BRIGADE
For Senior Detective Constable John Adams, the late shift was nearly over and for him the end couldn't come quickly enough!
John's regular partner was off sick and he had to work the late shift with Senior Detective Constable Daryl Williams, a man he didn't like and he didn't try to hide it! He knew he would have to be on his toes when working with Williams, who had a bad reputation for cutting corners, bending the rules, soliciting free meals and drinks from shopkeepers and so on. With Williams, keeping out of trouble was a full time exercise.
There was an uncomfortable air of tension between the two men which increased towards the end of their shift, as they took a turn through Fortitude Valley. At that time, ‘The Valley’ was possibly one of the seedier districts of central Brisbane. Williams seemed to know most of the street-girls by name, which was a little worrying to John. When they came upon one of the girls struggling with a man who held her tightly by the wrist, Williams was out of the car like a shot, calling out 'Let go of Randy, you bastard - before I run you in!' Not unexpectedly, the man let go of the girl and made off into the darkness.
It would have been very easy for John to miss what happened next, or perhaps pretend it never happened at all! Williams and the girl were some distance away and it was the early hours of the morning; but when he saw Randy take a bundle of bank notes from her purse and heard Williams shout 'Give it to me, you bitch!', he knew there was nothing but trouble ahead.
John was not the sort of Cop to turn a blind eye and forget anything he saw, in order to court favour with a mate. He had in fact, already gained something of a reputation amongst his colleagues for taking more than an average interest in honesty and fair play; moreover, Williams was well aware of this.
Williams and the girl finished their short conversation, with the girl slinking back into a dark doorway, as Williams came back to the car. 'Now look, mate,' said Williams, in a somewhat agitated if not aggressive tone, as he got back into the car; 'What happened out there wasn't planned, ok? It just happened. The whole damn thing is best forgotten, right? You didn't see or hear any anything, any bloody thing at all - got it?'
'You mean you’ve got it – don’t you?’ said John, thinking of the money and alarmed at having his worst fears confirmed so readily. 'Now look,’ he went on, ‘I might be your partner for this shift. But that doesn't automatically make me your partner in crime! Everything I see, I remember. Everything I hear, I remember too! You understand? What I saw, I saw and what I heard, I heard. It all goes down in my report. If that's in anyway difficult or hard for you, that's your problem. It's certainly not mine!'
'But you can't...'
'Can't I? You don’t get it, do you? It's your problem, Sunshine. It's for you to explain and how you're going to do that, I've got no idea. I just don't want to know! You've got a few hours to think about it before the next shift, but I'm not losing any sleep over it. I'm not getting involved in anything dodgy!' He started the car. 'Right. We're going back to the station to sign off. What you do after that is entirely up to you. I'm going straight home.’
'You'll change your mind, mate, you'll see. We'll have a quiet word, eh? Before the next shift, before we sign on, like. Alright?'
'You can have all the quiet words you like,' said John. 'It won't make any difference to me. I've got my job to do and I know what that is and how to do it. If you want to get side-tracked into something dodgy, then don’t expect any help from me.' He drove on back to the station, with hardly another word being said. There they signed off and parted, with Daryl calling out loudly: 'See you later, mate!', as they went their separate ways.
John was soon back at his unit where he lived alone. After a quick snack and a drink to help him unwind, he sat down and wrote a letter before crawling into bed. Being pretty tired he certainly had no trouble in sleeping. It was not until midday Saturday, after he got up and showered and shaved, that the affairs of the night before came flooding back to mind; with the uneasy feeling this might be one of the more eventful days of his career!
He went out for brunch, to do a bit of local shopping and post his letter. He didn't have a lot of time to think, or to worry, which was probably a good thing, because he had to be back on shift by four o'clock that afternoon. John was just a little apprehensive when he walked into the Police Station and was not overly surprised to be greeted by Sergeant Maitland with the words: 'What 'ave you been up to then, you young bugger? The Inspector wants to see you, quick smart, man. Come on - move it!' Without saying a word, he followed the Sergeant to the Inspector's office. There he found the Inspector in the company of two other men he did not recognize.
'I think perhaps you'd better stay, Sergeant,' said the Inspector rather tersely, as he rose to his feet in an authoritative manner. 'Senior Detective Constable Adams,' he said. 'This is Sergeant Ray Wiles and Constable Matt Rogers, from Internal Affairs. I have to tell you that last night they witnessed a prostitute named Randy Rice, hand over a rather large sum of money to your partner Senior Detective Constable Daryl Williams, in your presence and with your knowledge. I must further warn you that the whole shady episode was filmed on video tape and may be used in evidence. Do you wish to volunteer any form of statement to me by way of explanation?'
'No, Sir.'
'Well, that is of course, your right, Constable Williams. But I must say, in view of your otherwise exemplary service, that I'm surprised… and extremely disappointed. You are relieved of your duties until further notice.' The Inspector sat down at his desk and made a short note before dismissing them all with a wave of his hand and a curt, 'Thank you, gentlemen. You know your duties. Best get on with it.'
John was disappointed to note that none of his colleagues so much as acknowledged his presence, as he was led away through the general office to be charged; let alone offer a friendly word of encouragement or advice, which was very unsettling. He then suffered the further indignity of being finger-printed and placed in a holding cell, to await interrogation by the Internal Affairs officers. He was not at all surprised to be joined in the cell by Daryl Williams.
'Well, mate ' said Daryl. 'What a fine mess you've got yourself in, eh?'
'Me?' queried John. 'It's you who’s on the take. They haven't got anything on me.'
'Sorry, mate, but that just isn't so.'
'Rubbish!'
'You really are a stuck up, ignorant, bastard, you know. Look: for a start, you didn't report immediately that you saw me take the money. That means they'll have you for conspiracy to cover up a felony or something, if nothing else.'
'But, there's no motive, no gain for me.’
'Sorry, old son, but if you were to check your bank account and they will check it, there’s no doubt about that. You'll likely find that a large sum of money has just been deposited.'
'What? You..., you bastard!'
‘Now now. Not me, I've been held here for what seems like ages. Oh, no. But somebody, somebody else will have taken care of that little detail. No worries.'
'But why? Why would anybody want to finger me?'
'Because, old son, that way you'll be in no hurry to see me go down, 'cause if you do... then you will go down too!'
'Then I'm sunk!'
'Not necessarily, mate. You might be a bit wet, but you are a long way from sinking yet. Besides, I just might be able to help you out.'
'You? I mean, I haven't exactly been on your side, have I?'
'Oh, that sort o' thing, doesn't worry me, mate. It's par for the course.'
John rose to his feet to pace up and down the cell in agitation. 'Then how, how the hell am I going to get out of this..., this mess?' he said, nervously fingering the pens in his top pocket.
'Easy, really, if... if you're smart, like. You could join, the Toms' Brigade.'
'The what?'
'The Toms' Brigade.'
'What on earth is that?'
'Ever
heard of Superintendent Reginald Toms, have you?'
'Yeah..., 'course.'
'Well then, back when old Reggie Toms was just a lowly Sergeant, he set up this little racket for creaming off a few bucks from the working girls. You know, in return for promising to keep them out of trouble.'
'But that's extortion!'
'No, no, you're not thinking! It's not extortion, it’s common sense! They get what they want, protection from too much Police hassle. We get what we want, a few bucks now and again. Not too much, mind, I mean we don't want to put them out of business, do we? After all, they're working for us, aren't they? We don't want them to stop that, ever.'
'I can't believe it, Superintendent Toms? But he got the Order of Australia only a few weeks ago.'
'S'right.'
'He's been running this little racket for years, you reckon?'
'Right again.'
'Impossible!'
'No it isn't. Not once you get a bit of rank, experience, influence and a bit of knowledge of, you know..., what others have got to hide; then, before you know where you are, you're fire-proof!'
'Others have to hide? You mean blokes in blue?'
'Of course, we're all human!'
'Who else is in then...?'
'Sergeant Morlings and Inspector Trabant, in this Division that is. That's all you need to know, mate. I don't know anything about the other Divisions. Just my line of control and yours, if you're in. The thing is, old son, they want you in; and I don't think you're in any position to argue - do you?'
'No, I..., I guess not.'
'Right.'
'But why me? I'm not in the least bit 'special', am I?'
‘Of course not! If you were 'special', I mean a real mover, destined for the top, they probably wouldn't touch you with a barge pole. No, no, they don't need people with too much brains. You see, there's no thinking in this little job, that's the beauty of it. All the thinking is done for you by people you'll never meet and never know. All you have to remember is to do what you're told, when you're told. That way the pay is high and the risk is low and if ever you're in the shit, like we are at the moment, Sunshine; there's always somebody on high to watch out for you.'
'Is it, is it just the girls? I mean nothing else? No drugs, I hope.'
'As far as we're concerned, we just collect from the girls. Although sometimes, the payments may jump a bit above normal, like, when the old Toms' Brigade have done someone a favour, or two, or whatever. But all payments are made through the girls. It's easier and safer..., I guess. Even the girls themselves don't ever know what any extra dollars might be for.'
'All very clever, I must say. Is that what happened last night? The passing on of something out of the ordinary in the way of payment?'
'Yeah, that's what caught me off guard. She had been given some extra bucks to pass on and was anxious to get rid of it. Unfortunately one of her punters seized her handbag, hazard of the trade, as it were. They do that,
hoping to score a bit of dope, you know. I wasn't scheduled to do a pick-up, didn't know anything about it. I expect I would have got the word when I knocked off, like I usually do. Best to keep this kind of side-line activity to the private hours, know what I mean? But as soon as I saw her in trouble, I guessed what had happened and made my move. I tried to turn her around to shield the transaction from your view, but it just didn't work. Still, it's an ill wind that blows nobody any good, as they say, old son. As soon as I knocked off I reported what had happened and was told that as we needed another soldier on the ground, it might as well be you. So, it looks like sticking-your-nose-in might actually have done you a bit of good, eh?'
'Maybe. I must say, it's a well-thought-out operation. No doubt about it.'
'You're right there. You in then?'
'Oh, well, I guess I've got no choice?'
'No, none at all really, unless you want to go away for a long, long holiday. Glad you understand that now. But couldn't you be just a little bit more enthusiastic?'
'No. Not until I'm sure exactly what I'm getting into.'
'Ok. I'll pass the word on at the first opportunity. Those higher up will start pulling a few strings, for both of us, real soon. You see. Cheer up! We'll be out of here in no time, no time at all.'
'Great! The quicker the better as far as I’m concerned!'
Daryl was right. Both men were released 'on suspension pending further inquiries', late on Monday morning.
John was just about to leave the building when Sergeant Maitland called his name. 'John,' he said in a fatherly tone. 'Hang on, old son. Just a sec..., the Inspector would like a quick word with you before you go. Come on. Let's get it over with, shall we?'
He found the Inspector seated in company with the two investigating officers from Internal Affairs. 'Now then John,' said the Inspector, the use of his first name giving John some degree of encouragement. 'I got your letter which, I note, is registered, time and date stamped and posted on Saturday morning, in the full knowledge, I presume, it would not be delivered until Monday morning! In your letter you set out full details of what occurred Friday night with some clarity, in a manner that closely mirrors the record of Internal Affairs. You also recorded your intention to refuse to make a statement on Saturday, in anticipation that you would be charged and detained along with Senior Detective Constable Williams. The aim, you claim, being to find out as much as you can from him about the source of the payment and any other wrong doing. All very irregular, I must say. But, on the face of it, a very clever strategy nonetheless.'
'Thank you, Sir.'
'I concur fully with the direction from above, that there is ample justification for your release pending further investigation. Now I must ask you to co-operate with these gentlemen from Internal Affairs and divulge what your most unorthodox and unapproved strategy, has revealed in relation to these serious matters?
'Yes, Sir. Well, I'm sorry to have to tell you my investigation reveals corruption within the Queensland Police Service, certainly within this Division and possible in other Divisions, involving, I'm afraid, Officers at rather high levels.'
'Names?' asked the Inspector, with a depressed sigh. 'Don't hold back, son. Give us a quick verbal indication, and you can make a full written statement later.'
'Williams told me, Sir, that he reports through Sergeant Morlings and Inspector Trabant to the top man in the Toms' Brigade.’
'The what?'
'The Toms' Brigade, Sir, named after its founder and leader: Superintendent Reginald Toms.'
'Good God man, do you know what you are saying? Are you sure...?'
'No. I can't be sure, Sir. I can only tell you what Williams told me.'
'Oh... yes, yes, of course. Look, this is much more serious, more wide spread than I ever imagined. I think you'd better go to an interview room with the Internal Affairs gentlemen and make a proper written statement. Although, you know, it really is only your word against Williams. You do understand, you could be on dangerous ground - don't you?'
'Yes... and no, Sir.'
'Oh, dear. This is a dreadful day! I do think you'd better explain that odd remark, John. Before I let you go.'
'Well, Sir, do you know what these are?’ John said, holding in his hand a couple of ordinary looking ballpoint pens taken from his top pocket. He didn't wait for a reply, but continued: 'These pens also double as small listening devices, for recording short notes. Nothing illegal about them, I hasten to assure you, Sir. You can get them today from almost any reputable electrical store. They don't hold much, but I did manage to get down most of Williams' confession. It may not hold up in court, but it will at least confirm what I've told you, Sir. Maybe event point our inquiries at the right targets.'
'Well, I suppose you're right there. If these gentlemen accept your statement as being, reliable, I may as well stick my neck out, scrub your suspension and restore you to full duties. I hardly know what else to say
. Except perhaps, well done! Now I can understand your need for caution, but I think you'd better make that statement now. Plus, of course, a transcript of what you have managed to record.'
'Yes, Sir. I'm glad you appreciate how difficult it is for me to know, when corruption is so rife in high places, just who I can trust.'
'Absolutely! I believe I know what you're thinking. But you can trust these Officers implicitly and I swear you can trust me, John. Oh my God!’ cried the Inspector picking up the recording pens from the desktop. 'Please don't tell me you've bugged my office or anything like that, in your effort to protect yourself!'
'Oh no, Sir. But I have deposited a statement and copies of the transcript of my recordings in certain secure places, just in case anything untoward should happen to me - should I fall through the cracks, as it were.'
'Oh, right. Anything else? Any other corruption you feel you perhaps ought to warn me about?'
'No, not really. But you are going to return those overdue library books of yours this week, aren't you, Sir?' he said. Then, with a smile; 'Only joking.'