"What did you do?"
"I showed her," Cathy shrugged. "It's not like there was anything there for her to see. I drew the line at letting her talk to Ms Nichols, who said she wouldn't unless you were with her, which is probably not a bad idea. No doubt Queenie will try again."
"Can we go in?"
Cathy glanced at Del and Brigit who were loitering innocently behind Kit.
"Del Fielding, Brigit Wells," Kit pointed. As they stepped forward, unnecessarily, to shake the detective's hand, Kit finished the intro, "Detective Senior Constable Cathy Martin. We're Angie's the next best thing to family, if that makes a difference."
Cathy smiled an okay. "I've already told Ms Nichols she can have her bar back, but can't open again until tomorrow. So, if you could ask her not to let anyone else in until then," she glanced at Rabbit and her mates, "I'd be grateful. Oh, and before you go, O'Malley, can I ask you a favour?"
"You can ask," Kit agreed.
"Karen Farrell didn't go from here to work yesterday; and I can't find her. Could you?"
"That's odd," Kit frowned. "I'll see what I can find out."
Kit had only taken three steps when she had to restrain Del from dragging her woman away by the scruff of her neck, after Brigie had quietly asked: "So Detective, are you a friend of Dorothy's?"
"Dorothy who?" Cathy Martin asked.
"Is there more than one?" Brigie queried, suggestively surprised.
"My mother's a Dorothy," Cathy said. "So is my landlady and my brother's cat."
"Brigit," Del snapped.
As Brigie turned on her heel to obey, Cathy winked at Kit which meant no more than that she'd understood Brigie's impertinent question. Kit raised an eyebrow, rounded up her 'reinforcements' and headed in to rescue Angie from a no-longer situation.
"It's about bloody time," she nonetheless exclaimed. "My yard is overrun with lunatics and perverts." Angie pushed a pile of pictures out of the way, then set out four cups on the bar.
"What happened to the gangsters?" Brigit asked. "I was hoping to meet the Queen Bee."
"See what I mean?" Angie pointed at Brigie. "Lunatics and perverts."
"Yeah, but we are the only ones that are allowed in," Kit said, as Angie half filled the cups with espresso. "Where are Julia and Gwen?"
"Who wants cappuccino?" Angie asked, poised to pour the hot milk and ladle the froth. "Everyone? Good. Julia took Gwen home because she had to prepare a moon phase."
"Didn't know Gwen was that powerful," Kit noted.
"What? Oh. No, I meant..." she held up her hands. "I gather that we, as in the Earth, is/are in a perfect possie for an auspicious moon thing. Gwen's coven are chanting about it."
"Oh please!" Del moaned.
"Each to their own Del," Angie insisted.
"Naturally," Del rolled her eyes. "But, given the circumstances," she stressed, "I do hope you didn't let any of those journos near your resident wicca expert. Your business partner being a witch is bound to send the lesbian vampire rumours into overdrive."
Kit laughed in agreement. "Yeah, I can just see the Hellmouth references in the headlines tomorrow. It's bad enough the reporters are out there interviewing Ms McDerm-"
Angie was shaking her head. "They're not."
"Yeah, they are. We saw them."
"Katy, they're not," Angie insisted. "Carrie is doing the interviews. She's a journalist."
"You mean she was here spying on us?" Brigit said, with fist-on-the-bar indignation.
"No, I don't think so," Angie said. She slapped a copy of the North Star, the local rag that covered Melbourne's northern suburbs, down on the bar. "I think she was here because she was here; but she got herself one hell of a story by being here."
"Yeah, but is she queer?" Brigie smirked.
"Darling?"
"Yes, Del? Oh, okay I'll shut up."
Blood-drained Man in Lesbian Disco
by Carrie McDermid
"That's a screamer with a byline, if ever I've seen one," Del noted. "Read it please, Kit."
Kit took a breath. "Okay. Alleged Melbourne crime lord Gerald 'Gerry' Anders was yesterday found murdered in a lesbian nightclub in North Fitzroy. Crime lord?" she laughed. "That's a gross exaggeration of..."
"O'Malley," Del interrupted. "Can you do it without the commentary? We can all get outraged afterwards."
"Yeah, okay. The deceased's blood-drained body was found in a metal tray-like box in the disco of The Terpsichore - a St Georges Road bistro and dance club run by women for lesbians. Aagghh! Sorry.
"The dead man was found by the owner of the venue, Ms Angela Nichols at 12.45 on Thursday afternoon. On discovering the body, which was suspended on a tray over the metal box which contained his blood, Ms Nichols called the North Fitzroy police.
"According to local CIB Detective Ray Conway, the deceased - who was later identified as 47-year-old alleged career-criminal Gerry Anders - had bled to death.
"This was confirmed by the first Homicide Squad member on the scene, Detective Senior Constable Cathy Martin. The forensic pathologist Dr Ruth Hudson declined to comment.
"Witnesses at the scene, when the body was discovered, claim they had no idea how the dead man could have got into the nightclub, as it is only open to lesbians and other women. Men are usually not allowed in.
"Do you suppose the idiot witness she quoted was herself?" Kit growled, before continuing. "Senior Sergeant Charles Parker, the man in charge of the murder investigation, stated that police already have a possible suspect - the man's a fuckwit! - that leads were being followed up and witness statements taken.
"The victim, Gerry Anders, who is a nephew of well-known Melbourne businesswoman Marjorie Riley and husband of one-time Saturday Show dancer Poppy Barton, leaves behind his wife and three sons Sean 25, Tom 22 and Mark 19.
"At the time of his death Mr Anders was being investigated by Victoria Police over his role in the execution-style shootings of alleged drug importers Julie and Mike Sherwood. The bodies of the Sherwoods were found in their car in bush outside Woodend in late January.
"Anders was also about to face court on charges of assault against a patron of his popular dance venue The Moshun Club; and was recently questioned by the Arson Squad over his possible connection to three inner-city hotel fires.
"Anders spent five years in jail for armed robbery in the late nineties, and was arrested two years ago for the alleged kidnapping of Melbourne entrepreneur Alan Shipper. Those charges were dropped following the death of Mr Shipper in a car accident before the trial.
"At this stage Gerry Anders' connection with The Terpsichore is unknown, but sources claim the late nightclub owner may have had a financial interest. Bloody hell!" Kit finished.
"That's kind of what I said," Angie smiled.
"You want I should go out there and deal with the bitch?"
Everyone looked at Brigit Wells, considered her offer seriously, then snorted with laughter.
"Who on earth are these sources she's claiming?" Del asked.
"I have no idea," Angie stated.
"And you'd never met this Anders bloke before?" Del continued.
"Never,"