Commander Hay blinked. ‘Is it?’
‘“If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster / And treat those two imposters just the same.” When you promoted me to the Hunter section, I thanked you politely and carried on with my day.’ She stood up. ‘With your permission, now that I’ve been demoted, I’ll thank you politely and carry on with my day. If you’ll excuse me now.’
‘Three days, Officer North.’
‘Yes, ma’am.’
On the other side of the door, Captain Farenden was speaking to Major Ellis. ‘I’ve reserved Briefing Room 3 for you, Matthew. You won’t be disturbed there. And I’ve arranged for some coffee to be sent up.’
‘Thanks.’
Captain Farenden folded his arms. ‘This is a shit business. What will she do, do you think?’
‘I don’t know. I suspect her instinct will be to get as far away from us as possible.’
‘Will she go back to St Mary’s?’
‘That’s what I’m afraid of.’
‘Try to talk her out of it.’
‘I will, but this has got to hurt, Charlie. And it’s not her fault, but people won’t know that. I can just hear some of them saying they always knew female officers couldn’t hack the Hunter Division. It’s all so unjust. That stupid bastard Grint . . .’
Ellis looked up as the door opened and she emerged. ‘This way, please, Officer North.’
She still had that strange, blind look about her. ‘If it’s all the same to you, sir . . .’
‘It is not. This way, please.’
Once in the briefing room, he poured her some coffee. ‘Here, drink this. You’re looking very shaken and I’m concerned for you.’
She made a huge effort that was painful to watch.
‘Coffee? This is very kind of you, sir. Every mission should end with senior officers bringing coffee to the other ranks. Are there any biscuits?’
The hand holding her cup was very nearly steady.
‘I’m so sorry, Celia. This happened while you were serving on my team and I feel responsible.’
To someone who didn’t know her well she was almost back together again, functioning nearly normally, but he could see the lost look in her eyes. She shrugged, saying lightly, ‘My life has always gone exactly as I’ve planned. I’ve never actually experienced a setback before. It will be quite interesting to see how I deal with it, don’t you think?’
He sipped his own coffee. ‘Listen, I’ve had some thoughts about what you could do next. It’s not exciting or glamorous, but I think, after today, that’s not what you need.’
‘What is it?’
‘Well, I wondered if I could, perhaps, welcome you back into my team. I know that this all happened while you were out with us, but we would all be very pleased to have you back again.’
‘They’ll be qualified in less than three weeks and then no more team.’
‘Well, that’s the beauty of it. It’ll give everyone a few weeks for things to settle down a bit because there’s going to be a lot of bad feeling flying around – mostly directed against Grint. You’ll have had a chance to think and make your decisions when you’re less . . . stressed.’
North made no response.
‘And,’ he added, well aware he was at risk of overselling, ‘you did once say you were becoming fond of them. Like pets, I think was the expression you used.’
She very nearly laughed. ‘Yes, I believe that was what I said.’
‘There you are. And this is the Time Police. Who knows what could happen in a few weeks?’
‘Yes, indeed,’ she said brightly. ‘If whole careers can go down the tubes in a single afternoon, who knows what could happen in a few weeks?’
‘Celia, if you want to talk, then I’m available. If you don’t want to talk, I’m still available to sit in silence for as long as you like. You are not alone in this. Please promise me you’ll think carefully before coming to a decision.’
She nodded and Ellis could see she very much wanted to be alone. ‘I shall. And thank you for the coffee, sir. If you’ll excuse me now . . .’
Back in Commander Hay’s office, Captain Farenden was also pouring out coffee. Commander Hay was looking out of the window, her back to the room. Without turning, she said, ‘Did I make a mistake when I gave Grint a second chance? Go on, Charlie, say I told you so.’
‘I would never do anything so dangerous, ma’am. Although I wish I’d been wrong.’
‘So do I,’ she said shortly. ‘And it’s not me who’s paying the price for my bad judgement. He’s lost me a valuable officer.’
‘You think she’ll leave?’
‘Oh yes. Her pride won’t allow her to stay.’
‘Will she go back to St Mary’s?’
‘I don’t know. What reason could she give?’
‘They wouldn’t care. Anyone leaving the Time Police would be welcomed as a hero by St Mary’s.’
‘Damn and blast Grint.’
‘What will you do with him?’
She sighed. ‘I think . . . I shall leave him to the mercy of his peers.’
‘You’re throwing him to the wolves, ma’am? He won’t have an easy time. North isn’t loved but people respect her. She’ll get a lot of sympathy.’ He considered. ‘Whether she wants it or not.’
15
No one ever knew how the details of North’s misfortune got out, but get out they did. As Captain Farenden had said, North was not loved, but she was respected, whereas Grint was neither loved nor respected. Nor was he socially sensitive. It took him a while before he noticed that no one wanted to eat or drink with him. That people were blanking him in the corridors. That conversations died away as he approached and then started up again when he’d passed. North, on the other hand, was surprised to find people nodding at her as she passed, or shunting up to make room for her in the bar.
Luke in particular was furious, railing against Grint and vowing retribution.
‘And keep Kohl, Rossi and Hansen out of my way as well,’ he said to Jane, viciously kicking a shoe across his tiny room. ‘Fire-trucking pillocks.’
Even Jane was conscious of a slow, boiling anger within her. That this should happen to North, of all people. Word on the street was that she would leave, and there were few enough women in the Time Police these days. And North was Jane’s role model. North had forced the Time Police to accept her on her own terms, and they had. She was respected. People listened when she spoke. She was everything Jane wanted to be, and if this could happen to strong, resourceful North, then what could happen to Jane?