Ahmed rose early and decided to see what Norwich had to offer. He strode up Elm Hill and took in the picturesque mixture of half-timbered Elizabethan and the quaint Georgian brick buildings. He cursed the cobbled street as his slip-ons were not the ideal footwear for such a surface. 'Easier to walk in Pakistan' he grumbled to himself.
Three quarters of an hour later he found himself back at the Hotel. He sat in the foyer and waited for Strumpshaw's driver to pick him up. He had walked down by the rivers and then back through Cathedral Close to the Maids Head. He admitted to himself that Norwich could possibly be the 'fine city' that the signs on the outskirts boasted. However, he could not see how a Pakistani city boy like himself could fit into such a place. But....then police work was police work. He would probably be the only non-white face in the place. But then that hadn't bothered him before so why should it now? Well back in London he may have been the only coloured face within a district but within five minutes he could be in a more multicultural area. Here, it would take him hours!
'Sergeant Saeed, sir' a constable with a broad Norfolk accent snapped him out of his reverie
'I'm here to take you to see the Chief Constable'
Once in the car he attempted to quiz the driver about Norwich and Norfolk. A difficult task as the chap was quite taciturn.
'So the buggars at the station were right' thought Ahmed as he remembered the ribbing he had got from colleagues when he said he was going to Norwich. Some had wittered on ad nauseam attempting to imitate the Alan Partridge character on the radio programme 'The Day Today'.
'Well at least Partridge was somewhat garrulous and didn't speak in the local dialect' he thought.
However he did manage to tease out of the constable that he had rarely been out of Norfolk and even took his holidays in the county. He had a static caravan on a park in Hemsby. Pride tinged his voice as he spoke about it.
'What the hell are they trying to push me into?' thought Ahmed. 'I can hardly understand the buggars, not just the constable but the folk in the hotel as well'. 'How the hell can I do any detective work here when not only can I not understand the public but probably my colleagues as well?'
Bill Strumpshaw the Chief Constable was totally different. He spoke clearly even though he had a slight Norfolk burr. Ahmed warmed to him. It also helped that his office was functional. His confidence in himself and his abilities was such that he did not need the support of power props. Or then again it could be that this was Norfolk's equivalent of power props!
Strumpshaw even poured the coffee and allowed him to settle into one of the 'armed' wooden chairs before addressing him.
'You are probably wondering why you are here?' the Chief Constable looked at him and waited,
Realising what was expected off him Saaed responded in the affirmative.
The other continued, 'For quite some time I have thought that law enforcement is almost fighting a losing battle against international organised crime. They have the money, the motivation and the ruthlessness. Morality and human dignity are concepts that are alien to organised crime. That has been brought home to us here in Norfolk in the most forceful way possible. For some years we have had gangs operating in the county who have been involved in people trafficking for the agricultural industry. These were fairly low level gangmasters and we found it relatively easy to keep a degree of control over them. Gradually these people began to be superseded by traffickers of a more general and vile nature. Traffickers who represented international organisations. I am sure that you aware of the recent business up here with Aktion fur Arbeit and the extent of their pernicious web of activities?'
Ahmed nodded. Indeed the fallout from that whole affair had claimed some of the people in his own Newham Operation Command Unit. They were scumbags who he was pleased to see getting their come-uppance. He wondered whatever had happened to the guy Blunt who had been behind the investigation. There had been all sorts of rumours. Blunt had been interviewed, by the Secret Service, Internal Affairs, had been fired, had retired was in a nut house. No -one seemed to know. His sidekick Flint had also been interviewed by all the powers that be. He'd heard that she had been busted to traffic duties.
'All that reinforced my view that we need to have some sort of unit that will allow us to keep abreast of what all these people were doing. A unit that would liaise across the board and allows us to start anticipating what these people were going to do. Maybe it is a pipe dream BUT I sold the idea to the Home Office. They have given me the finances, albeit not much, to set up an experimental unit under my command in Norfolk....'
Ahmed heart rate increased. That's why he was here. No! No they couldn't be wanting him to head up such a unit.
'...I want you to be part of the team that will be led by Chief Inspector Blunt'
Ahmed's heart sank. Blunt was someone that no-one wanted. Someone with whom, he had heard, that it was notoriously difficult to work. Someone, who left his staff demoted and busted back to the beat!
'Thank you sir and thank you for thinking of me BUT it is not something that is for me'
'Ahmed, I urge you to think about it. You come highly recommended for this position that will give you a promotion. Commissioner Moyles has championed you as has a member of the new Security Committee'
'The only thing Moyles champions' thought Saeed 'is his own career. And he had a shrewd idea who the Security Committee member was'.
'What you are saying is that I really have no choice'
The Chief Constable smiled amiably,
'No I am not saying that. I am just pointing out how advantageous it would be for your career to capitalise on this opportunity. Unlike many others I do try and look after the people who do a good job for me'
'Are you saying that you want me to report to you direct?'
'No! I am most certainly not' Strumpshaw was stung by the comment.
'I do not, will not and never have undermined my officers. If I put someone in charge it is because I trust them.' He glared at Saeed.
'I understand sir. Do I get any time to think this move over?'
'Of course, the next ten seconds'
The other knew the situation only too well. Furthermore, he had to admit to himself that it was an exciting prospect although one fraught with a myriad pitfalls.
'Ok, when do I start?'
'My secretary will take you down to personnel, sorry Human Resources as they call themselves now. They will get things sorted. I am seeing Blunt tomorrow. You start then' he got up, waited for Saeed to reciprocate and then extended his hand that the other shook.