at high-level meetings at the Yard. But Hawkins didn’t care; he was where he wanted to be. He was in his kingdom. Hawkins relaxed into his comfortable seat and turned the sports news on. Bliss!
The intercom on his desk beeped. “Sir, your eight thirty’s here.” It was Hawkins’ PA.
Eight thirty—dear God! He thought it had beeped to confirm that his coffee was on the way.
Hawkins prodded the intercom with annoyance. “Eight thirty?”
“Yes sir, Detective Inspector Khan. She is just in the waiting area.” The intercom bleeped at the end of the message.
Hawkins sighed. He remembered the file he had been meaning to read since the end of last week and gave it a glare before picking it up out of his in tray.
He read the front page of the file; Miriam Khan, Detective Inspector, start date Monday. A woman, Hawkins sniffed before flicking through the file, twenty-six years old, he shook his head, three years bloody service and already a D.I.
A fast tracker, straight out of Uni, and she thinks she knows the world. Great!
The intercom bleeped again. “Should I send the Detective Inspector in sir?”
What he wanted to say was no. Send her back to school so she can learn a few things and tell her not to come back until she was at least thirty-five.
“Yes,” Hawkins grunted back. “No chance of some coffee, I suppose?”
“Yes of course sir,” the PA responded, with not a hint of irritation in her voice.
There was a loud knock at the door and Hawkins straightened his tie. “Enter”.
A petite young Asian woman walked into Hawkins office and closed the door; if he could have drawn a picture of the person about to walk in it would have been this. Clearly a favourite with all her senior officers. What a tough career she must have had.
“Good morning sir.”
The woman’s voice stank of privilege. Hawkins quickly decided he didn’t like her.
“D.I. Khan?”
The woman nodded in reply.
“Have a seat.”
“Thank you, sir,” Khan said, avoiding the sofa and sitting on one of the less comfortable looking seats in front of Hawkins' desk.
Avoided the sofa—clearly trying to show her professionalism. Hawkins was too long in the tooth to be sucked in by this; he had made a point of neither standing up nor offering the new D.I. his hand to shake.
“Welcome to the team.”
“Thank you, sir. I’m thrilled to join SOCA. This is what I’ve worked for through my entire career,” Khan said, with not a hint of irony.
All three years of it! What dedication! The Chief Inspector thought to himself.
“So, first question. What is it you think we do here?”
Khan took a breath before answering. Must be nerves.
Hawkins smiled.
“Well, sir. SOCA was formed in 2006, after its initial beginning as the National Crime Squad. The division concentrates solely on organised crime and brings members of the big syndicates to justice; in short we arrest serious criminals.” Khan finished, looking proud at her answer.
Pitiful answer— which was exactly what Hawkins had expected. He stood up. He was about to give his favourite speech. He sucked in his stomach and puffed out his chest.
“Inspector, the Serious Organised Crime Agency is about so much more than arrests.” Hawkins began by deliberately omitting the ‘Detective’ rank when he addressed the woman.
“Don’t worry, it’s a usual mistake.” Hawkins said, without further apology. He put his hands behind his back as he started to pace up and down.
Khan tried to smile.
“Richard Pascale once said; ‘our universe is complex but not chaotic’. The world is balanced through continuity and sustainable leadership; this allows us to starve off any chaotic symptoms when they crop up.” Hawkins stopped pacing and looked at the young Detective Inspector. “Do you understand?”
“I think so?” Khan said, not looking convinced..
“Good, our role in the Serious Organised Crime Agency, is primarily to keep the criminal world in check. If
The intercom on his desk beeped. “Sir, your eight thirty’s here.” It was Hawkins’ PA.
Eight thirty—dear God! He thought it had beeped to confirm that his coffee was on the way.
Hawkins prodded the intercom with annoyance. “Eight thirty?”
“Yes sir, Detective Inspector Khan. She is just in the waiting area.” The intercom bleeped at the end of the message.
Hawkins sighed. He remembered the file he had been meaning to read since the end of last week and gave it a glare before picking it up out of his in tray.
He read the front page of the file; Miriam Khan, Detective Inspector, start date Monday. A woman, Hawkins sniffed before flicking through the file, twenty-six years old, he shook his head, three years bloody service and already a D.I.
A fast tracker, straight out of Uni, and she thinks she knows the world. Great!
The intercom bleeped again. “Should I send the Detective Inspector in sir?”
What he wanted to say was no. Send her back to school so she can learn a few things and tell her not to come back until she was at least thirty-five.
“Yes,” Hawkins grunted back. “No chance of some coffee, I suppose?”
“Yes of course sir,” the PA responded, with not a hint of irritation in her voice.
There was a loud knock at the door and Hawkins straightened his tie. “Enter”.
A petite young Asian woman walked into Hawkins office and closed the door; if he could have drawn a picture of the person about to walk in it would have been this. Clearly a favourite with all her senior officers. What a tough career she must have had.
“Good morning sir.”
The woman’s voice stank of privilege. Hawkins quickly decided he didn’t like her.
“D.I. Khan?”
The woman nodded in reply.
“Have a seat.”
“Thank you, sir,” Khan said, avoiding the sofa and sitting on one of the less comfortable looking seats in front of Hawkins' desk.
Avoided the sofa—clearly trying to show her professionalism. Hawkins was too long in the tooth to be sucked in by this; he had made a point of neither standing up nor offering the new D.I. his hand to shake.
“Welcome to the team.”
“Thank you, sir. I’m thrilled to join SOCA. This is what I’ve worked for through my entire career,” Khan said, with not a hint of irony.
All three years of it! What dedication! The Chief Inspector thought to himself.
“So, first question. What is it you think we do here?”
Khan took a breath before answering. Must be nerves.
Hawkins smiled.
“Well, sir. SOCA was formed in 2006, after its initial beginning as the National Crime Squad. The division concentrates solely on organised crime and brings members of the big syndicates to justice; in short we arrest serious criminals.” Khan finished, looking proud at her answer.
Pitiful answer— which was exactly what Hawkins had expected. He stood up. He was about to give his favourite speech. He sucked in his stomach and puffed out his chest.
“Inspector, the Serious Organised Crime Agency is about so much more than arrests.” Hawkins began by deliberately omitting the ‘Detective’ rank when he addressed the woman.
“Don’t worry, it’s a usual mistake.” Hawkins said, without further apology. He put his hands behind his back as he started to pace up and down.
Khan tried to smile.
“Richard Pascale once said; ‘our universe is complex but not chaotic’. The world is balanced through continuity and sustainable leadership; this allows us to starve off any chaotic symptoms when they crop up.” Hawkins stopped pacing and looked at the young Detective Inspector. “Do you understand?”
“I think so?” Khan said, not looking convinced..
“Good, our role in the Serious Organised Crime Agency, is primarily to keep the criminal world in check. If
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