‘The unit is to work separately from any of the existing drugs squads. It will only have one purpose, which I will come to in a moment. But first, I wanted to let you know that the team will have a new DC added to its complement, who may even outshine our resident choirboy.’
‘This I want to see,’ said Jackie.
‘Well, you won’t have to wait long. He’ll be joining us in a few minutes. He has an outstanding CV, having read law at Cambridge where he was awarded a blue in the Boat Race.’
‘Did he win?’ asked William.
‘Two years in a row,’ said the Hawk.
‘Then perhaps he should have joined the river police,’ said William. ‘If I remember correctly, the Boat Race takes place between Putney and Mortlake, so he’d be back on the beat.’ This elicited more banging on the table.
‘I think you’ll find he’s just as impressive on dry land,’ said the commander, after the applause had died down. ‘He’s already served for three years with the Regional Crime Squad in Crawley. However, there’s something else I ought to mention before—’
A sharp knock on the door interrupted the Hawk before he could finish the sentence. ‘Enter,’ he said.
The door opened and a tall, handsome young man entered the room. He looked as if he’d stepped straight off the set of a popular television police drama, rather than just arrived from the Regional Crime Squad.
‘Good afternoon, sir,’ he said. ‘I’m DC Paul Adaja. I was told to report to you.’
‘Take a seat, Adaja,’ said the Hawk, ‘and I’ll introduce you to the rest of the team.’
William watched Lamont’s face closely as Adaja shook hands with an unsmiling superintendent. The Met’s policy was to try and recruit more officers from minority ethnic backgrounds, but to date it had been about as successful in that ambition as it had been at arresting diamond smugglers. William was curious to find out why someone like Paul had even considered joining the force, and was determined to make him quickly feel part of the team.
‘These SIO meetings are held every Monday morning, DC Adaja,’ said the commander, ‘to bring us all up to date on how any major investigations are progressing.’
‘Or not progressing,’ said Lamont.
‘Let’s move on,’ said the Hawk, ignoring the interruption. ‘Is there any more news on Faulkner?’
‘His wife Christina’s been in touch again,’ said William. ‘She’s asked to see me.’
‘Has she indeed. Any clues?’
‘No, sir. I’ve no idea what she wants. But she makes no secret of the fact that she’s just as keen as we are to see her husband behind bars. So, I don’t imagine she’s suggesting tea at the Ritz simply to sample their clotted cream scones.’
‘Mrs Faulkner will be well aware of any other criminal activities her husband is involved in, which would be useful for us to know about,’ said Lamont, ‘in advance. But I wouldn’t trust that woman an inch.’
‘Neither would I,’ said Hawksby. ‘But if I had to choose between Faulkner and his wife, I consider her the lesser of two evils. But only by half an inch.’
‘I could always turn the invitation down.’
‘No way,’ said Lamont. ‘We may never get a better chance to put Faulkner behind bars, and don’t let’s forget, however minor the offence, because of the judge’s suspended sentence, it would put him inside for at least four years.’
‘True enough,’ said the Hawk. ‘But, DS Warwick, you can be sure Faulkner will be watching us just as closely as we’re watching him, and he’s certain to have a PI tailing his wife around the clock, until the divorce is finally settled. So while tea at the Ritz is acceptable, dinner is not. Do I make myself clear?’
‘Abundantly, sir, and I’m sure Beth would agree with you.’
‘And never forget that Mrs Faulkner’s slips of the tongue have always been well rehearsed. And she’s also well aware that everything she tells you will be repeated word for word the moment you arrive back at the Yard.’
‘Probably even before her chauffeur has dropped her off at the flat in Eaton Square,’ added Lamont.
‘Right, let’s get back to the matter in hand. There are several cases you’ll have to brief the new Art and Antiques Squad on before you start work on your new assignment.’
‘You were about to tell us, sir, before DC Adaja joined us, how the new unit will differ from any other existing drugs squads.’
‘I can’t tell you too much at the moment,’ said the Hawk, ‘but you will have only one purpose, and it won’t be to catch low-level dealers selling cannabis on the street to pot heads.’ Suddenly everyone was wide awake. ‘The commissioner wants us to identify a man whose name we don’t know, and whose whereabouts we can’t be sure of, other than that he lives and works somewhere south of the river in the Greater London area. However, we do know what his day job is.’ The Hawk opened a file marked Top Secret.
2
‘SO, HAVE YOU passed your sergeant’s exam,’ asked his father, ‘or are you destined to be a detective constable for the rest of your life?’
William’s expression gave nothing away, as if he were facing the eminent QC from the witness box.
‘One day your son will be the commissioner,’ said Beth, giving her prospective father-in-law a warm smile.
‘I’m still waiting to hear the results of the exam,’ sighed William, as he winked at his fiancée.
‘I’m sure you will have passed with flying colours, my dear,’ said his mother. ‘But if your father were to take the same exam, I wouldn’t be quite as confident.’
‘That’s something we can all agree on,’ said his sister.
‘A judgement that’s made without evidence or facts to support it,’ said Sir Julian, as he rose from his place and began to circle the room. ‘Tell me, what form does this examination take?’ he demanded, clutching the lapels of his jacket as if he were addressing a wavering jury.
‘It falls into three parts,’ said William. ‘Physical,
