Sergeant Warrior, Crime Fighter And the Case of the Budgie Smugglers - Chapter Three
Chapter 3
On Thursday at work, Sergeant Warrior met with the big boss, Commander Foghorn. Ever since Sergeant Warrior had joined the police force, Commander Foghorn had taken a special interest in him. This was because Sergeant Warrior always took his job very seriously, far more seriously than any of the other cadets in his year. In fact Commander Foghorn decided that Sergeant Warrior took his job more seriously than almost anyone else on the force. Even at the police academy Sergeant Warrior always seemed to go to amazing lengths in the doing of his duty. Like the time when another trainee constable got locked in the academy toilet. Without a thought for his own safety, Trainee Constable Warrior commandeered a front-end loader and freed the shaken trainee by ripping a wall out of the academy toilet block. Or the time Sergeant Warrior thought the Superintendent in Charge of Academy Swimming took too many pens from the Academy stationery cupboard and reported him to internal affairs.
‘Erh hum,’ coughed Sergeant Warrior at the door of Commander Foghorn’s neat office.
‘Come in Warrior,’ bellowed Commander Foghorn in his deep voice.
‘Thank you, Sir,’ said Sergeant Warrior politely.
‘What is it, lad?’ asked Commander Foghorn who looked very busy typing into his computer.
‘I think I have another crime to fight,’ said Sergeant Warrior.
Commander Foghorn sighed, took off his glasses, closed his eyes and massaged the sides of his nose. What crime is it this time?’ he asked.
‘It’s the Case of the Budgie Smugglers!’ said Sergeant Warrior in an important voice.
‘Budgie smugglers…?’
‘Yes!’ said Sergeant Warrior, ‘Budgie smugglers are a menace to society!’
‘Well, yes, I completely agree with you,’ said Commander Foghorn patting his generous belly. ‘I could never tolerate them myself.’
‘No, Sir,’ said Sergeant Warrior. ‘After all, budgie smuggling is criminal!’
‘There are a lot of people out there who would agree with you,’ said Commander Foghorn. ‘Is there any particular budgie smuggling that is worrying you?’ he asked. ‘Or is it just budgie smugglers in general?’
‘Yes and yes,’ replied Sergeant Warrior.
‘Huh?’ said Commander Foghorn, confused. He rubbed his temples as he often did around Sergeant Warrior.
‘Yes, there is a particular case of budgie smuggling that concerns me, and yes, I am also concerned about budgie smugglers in general.’
‘Then you’d better take a seat,’ said Commander Foghorn in a resigned voice.
Sergeant Warrior, who was much more comfortable standing in front of Commander Foghorn’s desk, upright and ready to salute should the situation present itself, sat awkwardly in the visitor’s chair. He made sure to keep his back very straight to show that he was well brought up and had nice manners.
Commander Foghorn ran his hand through his snowy white hair that he’d had cut in a style to make himself look a bit younger. ‘Tell me what is worrying you,’ he said in a voice that was trying to keep the impatience out.
‘My neighbour, Oscar,’ began Sergeant Warrior flicking open his notebook and referring to his notes, ‘is in Year 4. He has a collection of budgies, and one of the budgies, er, Rose, I believe her name is Sir, laid four eggs last week. At some time later, the four eggs were stolen from Oscar’s shed in Gough Whitlam Crescent.’
‘Is that all?’ asked Commander Foghorn. He had stopped rubbing his temples, and was reaching for his aspirin. This was another thing he often did whenever Sergeant Warrior was around.
‘No, Sir, I have something else. I believe the offender decamped in a northerly direction.’ Sergeant Warrior flicked his notebook shut and returned it to his pocket. From another pocket, he pulled out a photograph of a shoe impression. ‘This was found at the scene of the crime,’ he said. ‘It doesn’t belong to Oscar’s father because he hasn’t been in the shed for a couple of months. And of course, Oscar’s foot is too small. I believe it belongs to the budgie smuggler.’
Commander Foghorn looked confused. He shook his head and creased his forehead. ‘So you think there is a budgie smuggler on the loose in Gough Whitlam Crescent?’
‘Yes,’ said Sergeant Warrior eagerly, ‘that’s exactly what I’ve been trying to tell you!’
Commander Foghorn could see the enthusiasm in Sergeant Warrior’s eyes and being a good manager, he knew what he had to do. After all, you can’t keep a crime fighter from fighting crime. And also, a good crime would keep Sergeant Warrior busy… and away from the police station.
