Silence. No one moved a muscle.
She flipped open a file.
‘Lockland, there have been three requests for you to join various sections.’
Three? Jane glowed. For the right reasons this time.
‘Parrish, I have received an astonishing two requests from section heads wishing to avail themselves of your talents.’
Luke frowned. ‘Only two? What is the matter with this place?’
‘Farrell, I’ve had the Map Master in here three times this week already.’
Everyone nodded gravely. Enough said.
‘Having given due consideration to your various . . . requests, I have come to the following decision. Your collective failure to submit your D12s constitutes failure to comply with an order from a senior officer. I cannot allow that to stand. However, this is offset – to some extent – by your recent meritorious behaviour, and I have therefore decided it is necessary for this team to undergo a period of further training. Major Ellis has agreed to supervise you for another month, at the end of which, the situation will be reviewed.
‘Farrell, you are docked one week’s pay and if you ever, ever do anything like this again then I’ll dock you your head. Now get out, all of you.’
The correct procedure was a smart about-turn and march to the door. Team 236 shuffled disjointedly from the room. They heard Parrish say, ‘Well, that went quite . . .’ and then the door closed behind them.
She sighed. ‘I’m not sure I didn’t prefer them when they were three disconnected individuals with more personality issues than you could shake a stick at.’
Ellis drew breath. ‘Nevertheless, ma’am, nicely played.’
‘Yes. Everyone got what they wanted and no one died.’ She eyed him. ‘This is usually the part where Captain Farenden and I high five.’
Major Ellis was a battle-hardened veteran. He started nervously and eyed his commander. ‘Er . . .’
‘What are you waiting for, Major?’
‘For the courage to inform you I am a decorated officer with the Time Police, ma’am, and my superior skills lead me to believe you’re making fun of me.’
‘Quite right, Major. Now give me back my damned paper knife.’
Two weeks later a ceremony took place.
Team 236 were the first trainees ever to receive a decoration. Less impressively – although as Luke said, only slightly less impressively – Matthew was the first trainee ever to be suspended. As Ellis said to Officer North, ‘You never knew whether to kiss them or kill them, did you?’
Officer North stared at him, managing to convey the message that, in relation to this particular team, she personally was suffering no such indecision.
‘What about you, Celia? Are you happy to spend another few weeks with Team Weird? Or have you decided your future?’
‘My future is still under review, sir, but yes, I’m happy to put in another few weeks. They gave me a Team Two-Three-Six mug and I feel I’m under an obligation. Plus, I’m beginning to regard Parrish as a personal challenge.’
‘Yes. A pity to waste all that potential, don’t you think?’
The ceremony was to take place in the patched-up atrium. Unwilling to display their broken clock, the Time Police had draped their flag across the wreckage. Strategically placed smaller flags concealed the worst of the damage to the walls and windows. As Luke said, the effect was overwhelmingly . . . Time Policey.
‘Never does any harm to send a message,’ said Major Callen. ‘Too many people out there willing to take a pop at us.’
Major Ellis was concerned at possible poor attendance. ‘None of them have any relations, ma’am – none that would be interested, anyway – and I’m afraid there won’t be many people present. They’ll be lost in that great space. Would you prefer to hold the ceremony in your office?’
She considered. ‘No, I don’t think so. Our ceremonies always take place in the atrium – in full view of the public. I’m particularly anxious this team shouldn’t be treated any differently.’
‘As you wish, ma’am.’
As it turned out, their concerns were groundless. A surprising number of officers were lining up under the clock. Their reasons for doing so were unclear. Luke was convinced that despite Ellis’s reassurances, a good number of them were almost certainly expecting Team 236 to be publicly disbanded. If not publicly shot.
Grint, Rossi, Hansen and Kohl stood at the front, lined up with military precision. The Map Master led a small contingent of her own people, all of them blinking in the unaccustomed daylight and whose attempts to achieve two neat lines had led to some amusement. Captain Farenden was there, healing fast and expecting to return to duty any day now. There was even a contingent from security – because, as Luke said, most of them were on first-name terms with that reprobate Lockland and probably wanted to see who she’d kill next. Ellis and North stood at each end of Team 236 – to foil any chance of escape, as Luke said in a loud whisper. And quite a large number of people – who presumably couldn’t quite believe what was about to happen – were present as well. All in all – quite a respectable turnout. There were even groups of civilians who had collected on the walkway above.
The ceremony began at eleven on the dot. Major Callen called the room to order. Commander Hay entered and took her place by the podium. One by one they were called forwards.
‘Trainee Farrell.’
Matthew stepped up.
Her voice carried around the atrium. ‘For conspicuous bravery displayed during the recent attack on Time Police Headquarters.’ She handed him a certificate. ‘Congratulations, Trainee Farrell.’
‘Thank you, ma’am.’
She smiled brightly and said more quietly, ‘I’ve never before handed out a commendation with one hand and a formal warning with the other.’
He swallowed. ‘No, ma’am.’
‘Let us be clear, Trainee Farrell. If you ever go over my head again, I will reopen every investigation into every St Mary’s-related offence on and off the books, and – trust me on this, Trainee Farrell – I will not rest until I discover exactly how your mother lied and cheated her way out of the Troy investigation – and once I have her, I have them all. Do we understand each other, Trainee Farrell?’
He nodded dumbly and stepped back.
Next up was Jane. Scarlet-faced and vibrating at an even higher rate than usual at the thought of being the centre of so much attention.
Commander Hay affixed the medal. ‘For commendable service. Congratulations, Trainee Lockland.’