Jack Irish: Bad Debts Page #6

(Both laugh)

(Phone rings)

I suppose you're too burnt out

to go again?

Hey, listen, I'm the son

of a famous Fitzroy hard man.

You knock me down, I'll

just get straight back up again.

Ooh.

(Phone rings)

JACK, ON MACHINE: You've called

Jack Irish. Leave a message.

Got that number for you.

Ronald Bishop's last phone call

was made to a Doctor Paul Gilbert

at some health spa in Daylesford.

Oh, yeah, and Harry said

not to wear out this service.

G'day.

I'm looking for Long Gully Road.

The Koolanja Healing Centre?

You've come the long way, mate.

Long Gully's down there

at the T-junction.

Turn left, go down

about a kilometre or so,

second on the right,

first after that, yeah?

But the place is closed, I think.

I'll give it a try. Thanks.

Hooroo.

(Classical piano plays)

Hello?

Hello!

(Fly buzzes)

(Music stops)

(Flies buzz)

Hello?

Ohhh!

Ah!

NEWSREADER:
Police released

the names of the murdered men.

Doctor Paul Gilbert,

a deregistered general practitioner,

and Ronald James Bishop,

a former social worker.

An anonymous call to the RSPCA

led police to the grisly discovery

of the bodies

that may have been there

for over two weeks.

As yet, the motive for the murders

is unclear.

Oh, good, you're alive.

I was worried sick.

I'm fine.

So, I'm thinking we can

pretty much discount coincidence.

You've got Jeppeson, McKillop

and now Bishop.

And according to the news,

Ronald Bishop was killed

before Danny McKillop.

Feels like there's

a bit of spring cleaning going on.

Thanks.

My editor,

he's an old drinking buddy

of the former Planning Minister,

Kevin Pixley.

He hates journos.

He reckons we ruined his career.

But he's a Fitzroy tragic.

He might just talk to you.

Yeah, I should talk talk to him.

I reckon a journo

will send everyone to ground.

OK, but don't think

you can cut me out, Jack.

I feel a Walkley Award coming on.

Really?

So you were worried sick, were you?

No, I think I had

an off oyster at lunch.

He's in the kitchen.

MAN:
Spit of your old man.

You know, he was

one of the hardest bastards

ever to pull on a Fitzroy guernsey.

We'll be lunching soon, Kevin.

Goodbye, Mr Irish.

Very economically done.

I got my instructions,

you got your marching orders,

so we'd better be quick.

There's a beer.

They tell me I shouldn't drink,

but stuff 'em. What do they know?

This is about Yarra Cove, eh?

Yeah.

Who was that society bird, Jeppes...

Ann.

Jeppeson. Ann.

Yeah, saucy little girl, right?

She nearly put a stop

to the whole thing.

Now, this is off the record,

is it, Jack?

I'd be more inclined to shaft

the shaftworthy if it was.

Be like me doing a public service.

Totally off the record.

It was your idea to sell the

Hoagland Commission flats, wasn't it?

Well, you know,

the place was a cesspit.

It was Pittman's lead at the start,

But the Premier and I

were happy to be involved.

Just export all the rapes

and bashings to Melton.

There was plenty of opposition,

wasn't there, at the time?

There wasn't a whisper

till that woman got involved.

Suddenly, you had

rent-a-leftie protesters

popping up like

pricks at a pyjama party.

I had Premier Weak-as-Piss

ready to drop the whole development.

Thought it was going

to cost him the election.

Well, why was Pitman involved?

I thought he was

the Police Minister at the time.

Where've you been, Jack?

Planning's where the big graft is.

That's where the big boys play.

Pitman would have put on lipstick

and a party frock

and sucked off the entire caucus

to get his hands on Planning.

Can you tell me about

the tender process?

I'll tell you anything.

There wasn't any.

As Planning Minister,

I called for one.

Correct procedure.

So...?

There was a palace coup.

I was made Minister of the Arts,

Geriatrics

and other National Disasters,

and Lance Pitman, Mr Lucky,

got my job.

Now, you can say

whatever you like about me, Jack.

And when I was Planning Minister

I was responsible for some

f***in' horrible cock-ups.

I mean, there's some I still

can't bear to drive by today.

But I did get into parliament

to help people.

So Pitman sold it

straight to Charis?

For about half of what it was worth.

Lunch now, Kevin.

(Grunts)

And the death of Anne Jeppeson?

Oh, well, buggered if I know.

I mean, she was being tailed 24-7.

Listen, you got a light?

No.

Sh*t, I could have stayed indoors.

What was she being tailed for?

Oh, she had some activist boyfriend

the government didn't like.

Was it ASIO?

No, not ASIO, local boys.

Special Branch.

See, they were monitoring

her every bowel movement.

I don't know how she could

have got herself knocked off

without anybody noticing.

You haven't got any names, have you?

Oh, yeah, Special Branch.

They love giving out

that sort of info.

But I had this all out

with the new Police Minister,

Garth Bruce, yonks ago.

And?

And...

..next time bring a match.

It's time for my lettuce and a nap.

Yep. Leaving now.

DREW:
Mate, you've got to

watch out for these people.

Kwitny doesn't come

from the Melbourne Club.

This mob thinks bribery's

a legitimate tax deduction.

Hey, did I tell you,

I tipped eight out of eight

three weeks in a row,

in me granddaughter's tipping pool.

You did, Wilbur, but I'm happy

to hear it over and over again.

Why are they wearing the colours

of a team that was extinct

over a decade ago?

They do know it's a Saints-Hawks

game we're going to?

Look around you.

They may now barrack for the Saints,

but all they see is Fitzroy.

Jack.

Detective Tony Baker.

Nice to see people still

do work among the elderly.

Yeah, it's the Fitzroy Youth Club.

No risk of anyone wanting to join?

Like you to come

for a little drive, Jack.

Have you got some identification?

Oodles.

But if it's not convenient

for you right at the moment,

I do have instructions

to arrest you.

Really?

Yeah.

On what charges?

Many options available to us.

Conspiring to

pervert the course of justice,

conspiracy to conceal

the odd murder or two.

Yeah, well, it does appear

that a gap's just opened up

in my social calendar.

Then, I'll come with you.

No, it's OK, mate.

I'll see you there.

See you at half-time, fellas.

Yeah, righto.

I didn't know

Jack had a mate from the Gold Coast.

So, cop shops

have gone up a notch or two.

Police Minister's expecting you.

The Minister?

I'm meeting Garth Bruce?

You've managed to piss off

people in very high places, Jack.

After you.

Come in, Jack.

Thought it was about time

we had a quiet drink together.

Take a seat.

Hey, what'll you have?

Uh... whisky and water, thanks.

Jesus, what a day.

Politics, eh?

Win one, lose ten.

(Sighs)

I'm told you've been

sniffing around,

asking a lot of questions

about old business.

Really?

I was a cop for nearly twenty years.

I know the story,

and I know the system.

I know what goes on.

That's why the Premier

gave me the job.

Yeah.

What's your particular interest,

mate?

Well, I got a phone call

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