THE WHITE AUDI SPED ON THE FREEWAY to the high school. The tensed inspector-mother was in her ‘crossroads’ of ‘not’ knowing…

… what TO DO WITH her son…

… who was incontrollable in behaviour and criminal actions that had no respect for her UPKEEPING LAW AND ORDER enforcement job…

… so ‘was’ her guilt too…

… of ‘COVER-UPS’ she ‘did’ for her family WHITEWASH bailouts -- of his consistent destructive and delinquent troubles that he-caused in his school.

She scoffed – and ‘blamed’ his late father…

… Solomon ‘spoilt’ him a lot – HIS FIRST-BORN – and gave him too much of face-and-freedom…

… that ‘grew’ his horns…

… and, she ‘too’ cringed whenever…

… he encouraged him ‘Go-Gemini-Go,’ which ‘his’ father ‘did’ – since Peter was a toddler.

-O-

Whenever Peter caused some fighting problems in school – Caroline and Solomon too had ‘major’ fights at home…

… WHERE HER HUSBAND, then ‘alive’…

… who had ‘taken’ the side of his son’s point-of-view and prejudice to’ get back’ at her…

… and ‘even’ forgave him…

… because he loved the eldest of the twin more.

In one past situation of Peter’s outburst in the history class – WHERE HE ‘LOST IT’ – as he disputed his teacher and shouting out and disrespected Mr Alexander Hull…

… that ‘got’ him suspended for a week…

While at home – the one-armed son then ‘bullied’ his twin…

…. Caroline decided that Peter should BE ‘SENT’ AWAY TO MILITARY SCHOOL to discipline him ‘before’ he would be a future menace to society in years to come…

… but Solomon disagreed and accused his wife of ‘splitting’ his family – and during one of the parents’ bitter argument, the sobbing Peter even stood up and shouted,

“Okay, come on, SEND ME AWAY to whatever bloody military school – I just want to GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE FROM THIS HELL HOUSE – away from you both, who DON’T LOVE ME AT ALL – all you both do is FIGHT-FIGHT-FIGHT!!!”

… Solomon pacified him… and, Peter ‘sometimes’ listened to his father…

… where…

… Peter was then ‘fed’ with lies and false promises of his father’s words who…

… swore ‘on his own-life’ that he WOULD ‘QUIT’ GAMBLING…

… AND, MAKE THINGS RIGHT AS the head-of-the-family to the ‘broken family affair’ in raising the twin sons under the Walkers’ roof – that the twins would ‘not’ be separated.

Solomon even personally went to Stamford High, the next day…

… to apologize to both of the school board and the history teacher for his son’s misbehaviour….

… and, ON THE 3RD DAY, Peter ‘was’ back in school…

.. but…

… after a week, Solomon broke his ‘own’ vows…

… as he succumbed back into his gambling addiction…

… and further chalked-up family debt.

-O-

The Audi sped – with Caroline who was still in the reveries of her ‘late’ husband ‘whom’ she had ‘not’ forgiven for the debt burden that he caused her even …

… after his death -- the widow was paying his debt in Perth.

Her life had ‘not’ moved on as the ‘BROKEN FAMILY’ STIGMA hung on her head when she ‘wore’ the pants of the head of the family – but she ‘was’ also…

… a failed single mother to a delinquent son.

It was a baggage of a cross that the inspector-mother carried each time when Peter got into his self-inflicted problem with his anti-social behaviours while still at his tween-years of age…was a burden to her to bear each-day, since hated-husband passed-away.

As a person, she was conflicted in the crossroads of being a mother or a policewoman…

… where it had pain in ‘either’ side, in every decision she made…

But…

… that changed in her ‘last’ visit to Stamford High…

… when Peter clouted Zubeer Khan with his Babolat…

… where Principal Harris ‘spoke-and-punished’ her son…

The divorcee then ‘asked’ her out later, to discuss further of her son…

… they concluded over a few drinks – that Peter ‘lacked’ a father figure…

… and, ever since then, the widow was dating her son’s school principal…

… in the hopes of a surrogated father-figure to discipline the devil in Peter.

-O-

4 days ago, …

… Peter defied authorities once again…

… despite, Principal Harris had arranged a handicap van for her sons’ ‘special-excursion-trip’ to the Treeton dairy farm…

… meanwhile at the same time, in his field trip…

… the divorcee had a lunch-date with the widow, in his membership country club…

… which was a short-lived outing – when they got the ‘tragic’ news of Treeton…

… while over there…

… Peter ran into an open-field in a thunderstorm – that resulted – ‘more’ victims hit by the same thunderbolt.

Both Principal Harris and Insp Walker got into their respective cars and raced to Treeton…

… now, 4 days later, after the 3rd day…

… of grounding Peter at home…

… the widowed single mother – was back once ‘again’ in her car leaving to the head to Peter’s west-wing gym ‘crime scene’ – while leaving behind her sleeping boyfriend in the country club’s suite room.

Her iPhone ‘then’ rang…

-O-

… she answered to the call of Corporal Frank Smithy,

“Inspector Walker, you son Paul -- was involved in an accident at the South Perth Zoo in some animal breakout incident.”

“Oh my God! Is he okay…? Is he badly hurt?”

“No Ma’am, he is alright – just bruised – he was ‘lucky’ to escape a charging rhinoceros which escaped its enclosure gate.”

“Oh my God – I’m coming over now.”

The white Audi turned to U-ie from the road to the high school…

…diverting to the direct path of the zoo…

… as the mother wanted to save the son ‘WHO’ WAS WORTH SAVING…

… her ‘Good-son’…

… who was obedient-one of the Twin…

… and had made ‘change’ to his life…

… and improved at studies since the post-BMW tragic disaster.

<>

A HALF HOUR EARLIER…

… the school peon was running for his life…

… while being pursued by a bare-bodied one-armed angry tween…

… armed with a Babolat racquet – his weapon of choice.

“Run you curry-muncher, run! I’ll break your bloody head! I will kill you!”

The terrified middle-aged man reached the admin department and he locked himself in the Vice Principal’s office. Peter arrived and saw both the adults through the glassed window – with Muthoo showing his cellphone video to the VP, who was also the Disciplinarian teacher.

… he calmed down, from the thought of smashing the racquet on the window.

‘… why doesn’t the phone-battery blow-up, just like the phone-bombs of the ‘PFC’s Breakup video, to ‘kill’ them both…?’

The one-armed boy then knocked the door – but he was ‘ignored’…

… the adults were then ‘talking’ for almost 2 minutes, while occasionally the peon was pointing at Peter through the glassed window, and Mrs Burnell ‘looking’ shocked and unpleased behind her desk.

‘… burn-Burnell-burn in hell…’

The VP then stood tall akimbo and walked to the door and unlocked it – but only opened her door half-way…

“You! Leave your racquet outside my office – and enter!”

… everyone in Stamford High’s staff-and-student knew about the last semester attack of Zubeer Khan by the same culprit.

Peter dropped his ‘weapon’ outside and obediently entered. He then eyeballed the mousy peon hiding behind the disciplinarian teacher – and he shouted out at him…

“Mrs Burnell, that paedophile took video in the Boys-room…”

The VP cut him off…

“Where is the girl who was with you?”

“… I dunno where Bella… bee-bee – whatever her last name is at – that is ‘not’ the matter of the problem here, at all – but this lustful pervert here is the one to be addressed because –during the school break with no-one around, your ‘root rat’ of peon here, was up to no good and intend of making his side-income gig to make-and-sell porn!!!”

“Lies! Lies!” Cried Muthoo.

… Peter fuelled further deceits of lecherous fabrications of made-up ‘more’ false accusations…

“Bella told me that when she was ‘alone’ she heard ‘someone’ outside the Girls-room – and she was scared and that was ‘why’ – she used the Boys-room instead…

“Lies! Mrs Burnell, this Peter Walker is telling all lies to cover up his hideous and outrageous actions.”

“Peter, where is Bella?” the VP asked again…

“I don’t know where Frenchie’s at! Probably ran away to the police station – making a police report against the criminal perpetrator here!”

… Muthoo shouted…

“What police report are you dishonestly accusing me of!!? I saw with my very 2 eyes of you kissing that Bella Beaulieu in the Boys-room – and you both were half-naked! This is a shameful and disgusting student behaviour within the school premise!”

… Peter shouted back…

“What!!? What ‘did’ you just say…? Mrs Burnell, NOTHING OF THAT SORT happened – he’s the one who is lying now! I did ‘not’ do such a repulsive thing because I’m a Catholic, and we Christians would not’ do such things – Mrs Burnell, you-go…

“… educate this Hindu here of severity of PUNISHMENTS OF BREAKING the ‘The Laws of Our 10 Commandments’ that make us ‘not’ go to heaven!!!”

Before the VP could respond, the peon spoke up…

“Are you-yourself obeying the 10 Commandment? Isn’t bearing ‘false witness’ a sin too by church-laws? You blood fool – I know the 10 Commandments, by hard – and even in Hinduism that I practice -- has 10 times more commandments to obey and follow – which forbid us just to go to heaven too!”

The VP finally spoke up…

“Look-here, Peter – it’s your word against ours! But ‘what’ you did was immoral and goes against both this school policies and the laws of religion?” Said the Methodist Christian VP.

“What? What immoral thing ‘did’ I do? Like I said NOTHING OF THAT SORT happened! I was only protecting the modesty of a girl from this pervert -- and MY ‘CRIME’ NOW was sharing the same space with her just now – while this ‘man’ who has been boldly preying on taking videos of children ‘still’ walk free, is that the ‘right’ judgement, tell me now…!!?”

“I did no such thing that you are blatantly accusing me of! I have high moral codes and I know what is right and wrong because I’ve been working and serving this school for almost 35 years!”

“Oh yea, but today is ‘not’ your luck day, Mr Muthoo Ganesan – now that I have ‘caught’ you – and finally expose your 35-years act, you pervert!”

“How dare you call me such things…?”

“Oh yeah, you sex perverts breed like rug rats – and that is ‘why’ India where you came from, has more than a billion in population, just like a super virus!”

“This is a preposterous accusation! You are a racist fellow, you Peter Walker!”

Mrs Burnell was seeing the conversation of ACCUSING EACH OTHER was going to a racial tension direction, and she stepped in, to put a lid to it…

“Enough, Peter! Stop racial profiling in my office – you have created an ‘offence’ in this school – I’m calling your mother now!”

“Yea, let my mother come – meanwhile, you can ‘sack’ him now Mrs Burnell – before my inspector-mother puts him away for good, as the paedophile-pervert who took lewd pictures of innocent young students for 35 years, while working here!”

“Shut up, Peter!” the woman cried.

“You Peter Walker – stop calling me a paedophile which I’m ‘not.’” The man cried.

“Muthoo, you go call security to get Peter’s things at the West-wing’s Boys-room.”

“… yes, Madam…”

The bare-bodied one-armed tween saw the peon walking to the door…

“Mrs Burnell, HOW CAN YOU LET HIM ‘get’ away – this Peeping Tom might slip away to escape to New Zealand and be a runaway fugitive haven over there? KEEP HIM IN ‘HERE,’ and use the telephone to call up security to get my gear!”

“Shut up, Peter!”

<><>

AT THE ZOO, PAUL RECEIVED A CALL FROM HIS MOTHER saying that she was coming over soon. He and Jane had received medical attention for their bodily nicks-and-bruises at the ambulance. Earlier, some reporters from the media had briefly interviewed them both.

The zoo visitors were still gawking and taking videos of them – and Paul was frazzled by the undesired attention, like their attraction needed a ‘Tarzan & Jane’ cage of their own.

He whispered to the blind girl…

“… O’ Jane, what have we done…?”

She gave no answer – ‘was’ still shaken and reliving moments when she was rescued by the African bull elephant who fought a Black rhino, which had nearly killed her. The still terrified Jane then -- received a call from her mother who was ‘busy’ at the clinic, so she had instructed her younger brother Christopher Turner to pick Jane up at the zoo.

Moments later, a middle-aged man in his early ‘40s came – the blind-tween identified him as ‘Uncle Topher,’ who ushered her home.

Soon after that, Paul was back alone at the bird park sidewalk – under the watchful eyes of Corporal Frank Smithy as they waited for Caroline. A half-hour later, the Audi came…

… Paul noticed his mother was dressed in civilian clothes – ‘not’ her uniform…

‘… she was ‘not’ at work today – HAS SHE BEEN gone out dating with Principal Harris…? Hope ‘not’ so – where…

… in THE ‘OTHER’ PERTH had a devastating earthquake damaging the Great Barrier Reefs as its consequence…

‘… curtesy of Peter, who ‘was’ THREATENED TO PROTECT the House-of-Walker from being ‘sold’…

‘Please-Mom… HOPE IT WAS ‘not’ Tom Harris…’

Ever since the post-BMW-crash tragedy, Caroline ‘too’ had removed…

… the photos of her ex-husband from the ‘house’ – and all of his ‘stuff’ were stored in the garage.

-O-

Caroline Walker was talking to Officer Smithy for a moment -- before they both lifted Paul into Audi’s backseat. Paul saw his mother with a sour-look…

… that was ‘not’ good – he expected a police-lecture, that ‘was’ to be followed.

The mother was quiet as she drove – at the backseat, Paul was watching every move on her face, through the rear-view mirror…

… after 5 minutes, the annoyed with ‘both’ of her sons, mother blurted out…

“Poe, you left this morning – and Peter too left the house – and ‘now’ he’s in trouble!”

“… huh… what trouble has he got into this time…?”

Caroline did ‘not’ say, but divulged a burst out…

“I gave YOU PERMISSION TO MEET-UP with Ms King for your counselling but ‘not’ to go bloody dating after that! Why did YOU ‘NOT’ COME HOME? You are ‘still’ too young and yet you wandered off ‘around’ without my permission – TELL ME NOW, did you ‘get’ my consent by calling me, that you’re going-out ‘dating!!?’”

Paul sighed…

“I thought I can see some animals before school reopens next week – so Jane and I decided to visit the zoo – I’m sorry. Mom…”

Caroline’s voice cracked…

“You both NEARLY ‘GOT’ YOURSELF killed just now…”

… Caroline sobbed as she drove – from the backseat, Paul reached out to touch her trembling shoulder…

“… I’m sorry, Mom – please don’t cry…”

The white Audi drove to Stamford High School.

<><>

THE SCHOOL SECURITY DELIVERED PETER’S BACKPACK to the VP’s office. Peter deliberately wore his sweaty McEnroe print t-shirt, which he used a just now’s practice. He did that so…

… to stink-up the air-conditioned Mrs Burnell’s office – so that she would ‘NOT’ LECTURE him more of the topic of student disciplinary.

It worked…

… Mrs Burnell left her desk to step out, leaving her door wide open to vent-the-air…

Peter sat and looked out the glass window – anticipating his inspector-mother to walk in soon…

Then, it would be the gathering of ‘adults’ -- talking him down of…

… the dos-and-don’ts of his crime allegations and accusations …

… after ‘SUMMING-UP’ to…

… his word vs the peon’s…

In the meantime, Peter had some serious MENTAL HOMEWORK to do…

… which was to DENY EVERY charge thrown at him – and to…

… pin-point everything to the scapegoat-peon.

That survival-mode, that worked’ before…

… which got him off the hook of suspicion…

… to his former crime of Chinatown Wong’s battery assault with his Babolat.

<><>

AFTER MORE THAN AN HOUR-AND-A-HALF LATER, closing to lunchtime – Caroline walked into the SHS’ admin office. Peter saw her through the glassed office windowpane…

… he was ‘prepared’ for the showdown as…

… he mentally ‘had’ prepared his Hercule Poirot-like argument to EXPOSE-AND-ROAST Muthoo Ganesan…

… to burn at the high stake for ‘his’ crime of paedophilia.

But it did ‘not’ happen…

… when Mrs Burnell had anticipated Caroline outside the office and both the adults were conversing for more than 10 minutes. Even with the opened office door – Peter could ‘not’ make-out what was ‘discussed.’

Outside…

Caroline Walker who had known Mrs Ann Burnell from the numerous times of her visit to the school ‘when’ she came-in to ‘bailout’ Peter’s wrongdoing. Even her boyfriend the principal, had told her – that the senior Ms Burnell was there to counsel-and-console him during his painful divorce with his abusive alcoholic ex-wife.

Mrs Burnell too ‘knew’ that Tom Harris was ‘seeing’ the widowed Inspector Caroline…

… as both the women’s discussion was to the direction of Bella Beaulieu…

… apparently, the senior student aged 14…

… with a ‘bad-girl’ image, who had been ‘seducing’ boys coming for their practice during the off-classes period to make-out with them. She had been ‘caught’ before by Girl’s netball and basketball Coach Audrey Duncan – where…

… the school kept it a ‘secret’ where Bella had been warned, suspended and counselled WITHOUT ‘rumours’ about it spread to the rest of the students…

… Principal Harris swept the shameful episode under the carpet – and made a hush-hush decision to ‘cover-up’ because he wanted to protect his school’s good record in reputation that had involved 2 cricket team members’ names – to be ‘not’ been tarnished and smeared – by this rare unbecoming and inappropriate incident. Stamford High’s staff members were then advised to be ‘vigilant’ of this stalker’s behaviour and whereabouts.

… but after SOME MONTHS HAD PASSED, and today…

… she ‘struck’ again and had seduced the tween Peter Walker with the same modus operandi…

…where Peter was ‘caught,’ while Bella ran away from the blame.

The Vice Principal told Caroline to look the ‘other-way’ – AND ‘NOT’ TAKE ANY ACTION as its repercussion would be detrimental to both of careers and reputation of Tom and Carol.

The inspector-mother took the advice of Mrs Burnell and – they shook hands as the discipline teacher WOULD DEAL WITH the ‘true’ culprit – once school reopened 4 days from today…

-O-

Caroline walked into the VP’s office to find her one-armed son exclaiming with excitement…

“Mom! Mom, have I got a fresh police-case for you… that personal assistant of Principal Harris had been taking photos secretly in the gym locker-rooms for the past 35 years!!!”

“SHUT UP, and get your things -- and march-out to the car!”

“… huh… what about the perpetrator…?”

“One more bloody word out of you, Peter – I’ll slap you hard in the mouth!!!”

-O-

Paul was in the backseat of the stationary Audi in the vacant school’s parking lot. He heard voices in mid-argument approaching…

…seeing his mother shouting at his twin…

“No, you are following me home – you are ‘grounded,’ remember that!”

“… what about my bike – let me cycle back home…”

“No, you’re coming in the car with me – get your bike now – Go!”

Paul saw Peter getting his bike parked at the school’s bicycle bay – he rode over to Caroline who had popped open the trunk of her-Audi…

… the annoyed Peter chucked his bike on top of Paul’s folded wheelchair before the one-armed boy got into the front-passenger’s seat…

… he turned to look at his twin at the backseat with a bandage across his forehead…

… Peter chuckled…

“What happened to this ‘pretty-boy’ Floyd?’