Simon meets the detectives

                                    

                                          
Jenny
                          
Jenny arrived back at work mid-morning to an empty office. Simon must have got away on time. Before leaving for home the night before, she'd made sure his schedule was all arranged, his instructions printed. First up had been a meeting with his new colleagues at Narcotics. It should have finished by now: Jenny logged in and found the link. Here it was – barely fifteen minutes long. Even shorter than she might have expected.
                          
She clicked play and settled back to observe. It was just like being at university again, catching a recording of a lecture she'd missed, fast-forwarding the boring bits. It didn't take her long to realize that what she'd missed hadn't been much at all, that she would have been unlikely to have contributed anything beyond her own indignation. She breathed deeply and reminded herself that you have to care before you can get angry.
                          
A dimly lit room, as seen by a ceiling camera. One of the narc cops was speaking: "All on your own? They told us there'd be two of you."
                          
"Perhaps they aren't allowed to travel together. You know, one accident and that's the entire Tech Vetting department gone."
                          
Simon smiled tolerantly. "Jenny has another engagement today. But there's no reason that should hold us up."
                          
"Tech Vetting, huh? Sounds like you go around neutering nerds." The two of them were playing it cop-show-standard. Two bit-part actors, hard-bitten and cynical, quipping wise in an effort to get noticed.
                          
Simon's smile didn't even flicker. "Did you have any questions about the case notes?"
                          
"Only one: Is this some sort of scam to get yourselves measured up for a job in Narcotics? 'Cause if it is, you're wasting your time. We's full up already."
                          
Simon was doing well, Jenny felt. Retaining his dignity in the face of the narc cops' indifference. Jenny recognized this feeling from childhood: she'd had two older brothers.
                          
"That is not part of the plan," said Simon. "The plan is to identify the people behind this new threat to national security, and to prosecute them if need be through the drug enforcement pathway." Simon was using his patrician civil servant voice, perhaps gambling on some cultural memory of subservience to aristocracy. It wasn't working yet, but sometimes these things take time.
                          
"Yeah? From what I hear, all we need to do is wait a little while. You and your department are set to quietly disappear, and all this along with it."
                          
"You needn't worry. I can assure you that is not going to happen."
                          
"Really?'
                          
"Yes really." Simon's voice carried authority, it was his great skill. Just maybe it was starting to have an effect.
                          
"That right? ..." The detective waited. Simon waited longer. "Okay, down to business then. You guys reckon you've uncovered a whole new smartdrugs operation?"
                          
"It's a new threat," said Simon. "But it's also the continuation of work that has been in progress for some months. Foreign-based drug makers harassing our tech companies for know-how that might build them better drugs. It's all covered in the case notes."
                          
"You saying we have to read this crap?" He poked dismissively at a pile of printouts.
                          
"Perhaps you have an assistant who can read it for you? No? Oh well, never mind." Jenny frowned at this, but kept watching as Simon continued. "This isn't what you're used to, I know that. These aren't South Americans toting machine guns. They're business people. A different mind-set altogether, but no less dangerous for all that. You would do well to study whatever you can get your hands on."
                          
The detective with the speaking role sat through this, unimpressed. He shrugged. "We're well aware of these guys. But we have to prioritize don't we? Squeaky wheels and all that."
                          
Simon didn't shrug back. He held his posture and his tone of voice. "It's true that these men don't sell on the street. It's also true they sell to some influential people, in influential places. Is that going to be a problem for us?"
                          
"No problem for us buddy. No problem at all. You want to keep your names at the top of this operation? We wouldn't have it any other way."
                          
"But you'll help?"
                          
"Of course." He opened his arms in a broad gesture, with a smile to match. "That's what we're here for."
                          
Jenny clicked stop. She'd seen enough.