‘Dan, you were spot on with what you did. But I knew what to expect. An amateur wouldn’t.’ She sipped her tea. ‘Is there anything you’d like to know about me? My background?’
‘You were Five, right?’
‘Straight from university. Fast-track graduate entry.’
‘You applied to be a spy, is that it?’
‘Pretty much. The days of university lecturers having a quiet word with likely candidates are long gone. It’s just another branch of the civil service, these days.’
‘And you ran surveillance teams?’
‘That was part of my work,’ she said. ‘I was in Belfast for a few years.’ She smiled. ‘I didn’t talk like a Brit bastard when I was there, of course, I had more of the Irish in me,’ she said, in a perfect North Belfast accent.
‘Counter-terrorism?’
‘I wasn’t handing out parking tickets,’ she said.
‘And in the UK?’
‘The National Security Advice Centre, working on serious crime investigations. And then, after 9/11, I moved to International Counter-terrorism Investigations, mainly because of my language skills.’
‘You speak Arabic?’
‘Fluently. And half a dozen other languages, as it happens.’
‘Why would Five want to lose someone like you?’ asked Shepherd. He took a bite of his sandwich.
‘They don’t see it as losing me, Dan,’ said Button. ‘They see it as forging a link with a new investigative organisation.’
‘So you’ll go back to Five one day?’
‘I’m not going to lie to you, Dan. This job is a stepping-stone for me. Sometimes you have to leave an organisation for a while to progress up through it.’
‘So, just as I’m getting used to you, you could up and leave?’
‘That goes for anyone,’ said Button. ‘Sam Hargrove is moving up. I will, in due course. What about you, Dan? Do you plan to end your days as a DC?’
‘Of course not.’
‘So, if you stay with the police, you’ll more likely than not be offered a job with another unit when promotion comes. If you agree to switch to SOCA, another opportunity might come up for you elsewhere. So it could be that, just as I’m getting used to you, you’ll be the one who ups and goes.’
‘So, if I join SOCA, I could still transfer back to the regular police at some point?’
‘If you wanted to. Or there might be other options. Five, for instance. Or Six. Special Branch. Customs investigations. There’s much more movement between the various law-enforcement agencies, these days. Nothing lasts for ever, Dan. That’s the only constant in this world. But enough of what might be and what could be. I’m heading up the SOCA undercover unit, and I hope you’ll be part of it. You’re just the sort of man I need. Your SAS background will be invaluable, and you’ve proved that you’re more than capable of working undercover.’
‘And you need a decision from me soon?’
‘Sooner rather than later.’
‘And if I decline, I stay with the police?’
‘It’ll be complicated but, basically, yes. At present you’re employed by the Met but Superintendent Hargrove is answerable to the Home Office and works for the various UK forces on an ad-hoc basis. Under the new regime, SOCA will handle all roving units, but each individual force will have its own undercover unit for local investigations. If you decided not to join us, a space would be found for you on one of the local units. I’m sure the Met would jump at having you. But, Dan, it would be such a waste of your talents – it really would. We’ll be handling all the major undercover investigations, and the local units will be sweeping up the crumbs, nothing more.’
Shepherd sipped his coffee. What Button was saying made sense. It would be a good career move for him. And although she hadn’t discussed money yet, he was sure there’d be a hike in salary. There was the challenge, too, the opportunity to pit himself against the country’s biggest villains.
‘What are your reservations?’ she asked. She picked up a slice of cherry cake and put it on to her plate.
‘I’m not sure,’ he said.
‘But you need time to think it over?’
‘I guess I’m like most people,’ he said. ‘Change is always a bit worrying, even if it’s change for the better.’
‘It’s going to be a big move for all of us,’ said Button. ‘SOCA is new territory, but it’s much-needed. Crime has gone country-wide, global even, so the way we tackle it has to change. It’s an opportunity for both of us to get in on the ground floor. Frankly, I can see the day coming when the local forces are more involved with crime prevention and motoring offences, and all major crime is investigated by SOCA. Murder, robbery, rape, they’ll all be dealt with by a national team. It makes so much sense.’
‘I’m not convinced that just because something is handled nationally makes it more efficient.’
‘Trust me, Dan. Most of the corruption in this country is at local level. Members of Parliament are lily-white, compared with the men and women who sit in our town halls. Policing is just too big an issue to be dealt with locally. The town halls can’t even run our schools properly.’ She smiled. ‘Anyway, this isn’t about politics. This is about you doing what you do best. Being a thief-taker. And you’ll be taking a lot more thieves working with me than you will at the Met.’
‘What about giving evidence?’ asked Shepherd. ‘The way things are at the moment, we do the work but the local force takes the credit so the undercover operatives don’t have to stand up in court.’
‘Same with MI5,’ said Button. ‘And it’ll be the same with SOCA. The undercover unit will be protected. Other officers, from the more visible units, will give evidence under oath. The worst possible scenario for you would be giving evidence in camera or with your identity withheld.’
‘Weapons?’
‘On a case-by-case basis, as now. You have a weapon signed out to you, don’t you?’
Shepherd nodded. ‘A SIG-Sauer.’
‘I’m a fan of the Glock. But I rarely, if ever, carry one.’
‘Mine’s locked away at home most of the time, but there are occasions when I need one at short notice.’
‘Nothing will change there,’ said Button.
‘I don’t want to be signing forms in triplicate and having to justify every round.’
‘I hear you, Dan. Loud and clear.’
Shepherd sipped his coffee. It was full and rich, possibly the best coffee he’d ever drunk. But he doubted that he’d pay regular visits to the Ritz. Charlotte Button, on the other hand, seemed at home in the opulent surroundings. He wondered if she was meeting all the SOCA recruits there, or if he had been singled out for special treatment. And if she pulled the same surveillance trick on all her interviewees.
‘What sort of time-frame are we talking about?’ he asked.
‘Weeks rather than months,’ said Button. ‘Because of the long-term nature of undercover work, people will join gradually, as and when they become available. I gather you’re on a counterfeit-currency case at the moment and that you’re co-operating with Europol.’
‘It’s a complicated one, and I’m right in the middle of it,’ said Shepherd. ‘Albanian Mafia have been using asylum-seekers to bring in fake euros. The euros are being handled by Bangladeshi money-changers in London. We’re getting ready to bust both ends.’
‘How long before it’s wrapped up?’
‘A week, maybe.’
‘So if you decide you want to come on board, I’ll make sure no further work comes your way.’
‘I’ve decided,’ said Shepherd.
‘And?’ said Button, raising an eyebrow.
‘I’m in,’ said Shepherd. He picked up his cup and held it towards her. She smiled and clinked hers against it. ‘I look forward to working with you,’ he said.
‘And I with you, Dan,’ she said. ‘Or can I call you Spider now?’
‘You know about that?’
‘I know everything,’ she said. ‘Except how you got the nickname.’
Shepherd looked shamefaced. ‘Ah,’ he said. ‘I ate one once.’