The following day at work passed by uneventfully, apart from an episode where the handle fell off Paul’s mug. Everyone in the office spent several minutes discussing whether it would be wise to glue it back on or not. Jay decided to leave a little early so he could check his car’s oil and water levels.
Jay stood in the street with his car bonnet up and his arms covered up to his elbows in grime. A car pulled up alongside him and almost blocked the road. Jay recognised the driver immediately. His heart pounded as the car’s window opened.
“James.. have you got a minute?” asked the police inspector.
“Yeah.. sure” Jay wiped his hands on some rags and closed the bonnet whilst the inspector performed a clumsy piece of parallel parking. Jay was glad that Meldova had chosen to drive in an unmarked car.
“It’s not easy finding a parking spot here” said the inspector as he approached Jay on the pavement.
“No.. it does present its challenges from time to time”
“Still.. it’s a nice area, eh?..” the inspector kicked the wheel of Jay’s car “..This your car?”
“Yes.. unfortunately” replied Jay.
“What’s wrong with it?.. Looks alright to me”
“Oh nothing.. other than its old age and its oil consumption”
“Well.. we all get old James..” The inspector nodded towards Jay’s front door “..Can we go inside James?”
“Sure” Jay was cautious. He remembered how the inspector behaved last time, starting off nice and then turning everything against him. Jay would play his cards carefully this time.
Once inside and with the door firmly shut, the inspector removed his jacket and hung it up on a hook in the hallway. Jay washed his hands with bright green oil-removing jelly in the kitchen sink.
“Is it ok if I keep my shoes on Jay?”
“Yes.. no problem.. I need to hoover anyway..” Jay decided it would be strategically beneficial to be civil to the inspector “..Would you like a cup of tea inspector?”
“Yes please..” the inspector stroked his throat with his hand “..I’m parched” He then walked into the kitchen where Jay stood drying his hands.
“So.. inspector.. to what do I owe this pleasure?” Jay handed the inspector a mug and threw in a tea bag, reprimanding himself for sounding so sarcastic.
“Yes.. sorry to drop in on you like this James.. I’ll cut to the chase.. I wanted to hear if you would be interested in.. let’s say ‘doing a deal’ with us?”
“A deal? ..What sort of deal?” James poured hot water into the inspector’s cup.
“Well.. it’s all a bit delicate you see James.. I can’t tell you too much.. but the bottom line is that we have a.. a ‘situation’ which you could possibly help us with.. That is.. in return for us dropping all charges”
“Ok.. Sounds interesting.. Do tell” Jay pushed the sugar bowl and milk carton towards the inspector who had already placed himself at the breakfast table.
“It’s no light task.. and I’ve got to be honest.. it’s not totally without danger either.. But.. you and your friends will have all charges dropped and all records erased if you cooperate.. The Globus incident will never have happened.. and that will be official”
“Hmm..” Jay sipped at his hot tea, not sure whether to believe the inspector or not. He half expected it to be some sort of trap. And why had the inspector said friends in plural?
“That’s why we’ve got to do this as a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ James.. Nothing in writing.. If you are up for it I will make the necessary arrangements for you to go in to S.I.S for a meeting.. It’s their case”
“S.I.S? Who’s that?” Jay rested his cup on the table and grabbed his pad computer.
“You won’t find much on there James.. other than their name.. S.I.S is the Secret Intelligence Agency.. it’s what was formerly known as MI6”
“You are joking aren’t you?..” Jay put the pad down in disbelief “..Really?” The inspector nodded. Jay’s eyes scanned the floor of the kitchen before looking over to the inspector again “This just sounds very.. well.. unbelievable.. very ‘John Le Carré’ to me..” Jay levelled his eyes directly at the inspector “..Is this a setup?”
“No.. I promise you it isn’t”
“And what if I can’t help them?”
“They already know you can James.. They have done their research”
“So what if I refuse?”
“Well.. then we’re back to square one.. and I’ll have to press charges against you”
“Great!” Jay strutted back and forth across the kitchen floor, running a hand agitatedly through his hair as he tried to think. He turned to face the inspector again “So.. heads I lose.. and tails you win.. right?”
“No.. I don’t see it that way James.. We are trying to treat you fairly.. and we both know that you have committed a crime..” The inspector sipped his tea “..I can’t just let you off without some sort of.. “ the inspector had difficulty finding the correct words and rolled his hand around in the air a couple of times whilst he thought “.. without some sort of.. well.. ‘reciprocal arrangement’.. The Crown Prosecution Service would have my guts for garters!”
Jay sat down on a stool, saying nothing for a few seconds “Ok.. ok.. I’ll talk to them.. There can’t be any harm in that”
“No James.. there isn’t” The inspector looked relieved and smiled at Jay.
“And you can’t give me any clues whatsoever as to what they want me to do?”
“No. I can’t.. And you can’t speak to anyone about this either.. Not your girlfriend, not your friends, your mother.. nobody.. Understood?”
The inspector stood up and walked back into the hallway “S.I.S will contact you in a couple of days..” The inspector threw his jacket on and opened the front door “..Good luck James.. and thanks for the cuppa” The inspector left, closing the front door behind him.