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to see you,” Judy informed her, adding a flat derision to the word “commander”, “he’s just so up himself.”
    “Tell me about it,” Anna agreed, her heart sinking at the thought of him. Judy came round and looked over her shoulder at the screen.
    “Wah!!!” She exclaimed. “Is that him? Are you gonna sort him out - WOW - I would! Is he a sex God or what?”
    “That’s Freddie, but please keep it to yourself - I just didn’t know.”
    “I knew I’d seen the name. It was on the back of Brian’s paper - the one he holds up to his face so I can’t talk to him.”
    Anna saw an icon flash blink the computer monitor. The file from Inspecteur Du Maurier had come in from Interpol France. She clicked the download.
    “There’s a file on Freddie. Can you open and print for me while I go and see Mister Big?”
    “That’s not what I heard.” Laughed Judy suggestively.
    Anna smiled, raising her pinkie with a mocking wiggle.
    “Don’t forget to salute.” Called Judy as she stepped out.
    ###
    “Ah - Inspector Leyton,” began Beaumont Locke in his most pompous voice, sweeping his hand languidly back through his graying hair and pushing back his leather executive chair. “We need to touch base and set a few targets and parameters. I believe in a consensual approach to individual empowerment. I want to see a developed profile of key performance indicators so that we can roll out a joint action plan.”
    Without permission Anna sat down and stifled a laugh.
    “Obviously you’ve been on another senior command and control management jargon course.” She sneered with an unwavering stare.
    He moved his chair forward. “Anna – Darling... it doesn’t have to be like this.” He sighed gazing up at the ceiling with a patronizing weariness.
    “What!” she exploded. “We are over Beaumont. Somehow you have abused your power to get me on this squad. I’ll let that ride... just so long as you let me get on with my job and don’t use the situation to exercise personal control over me. The squad wanted a European language speaking detective. Well, you got yourself one and that’s all you’ve got Commander Locke. You didn’t want to be near me when you thought some shit could stick to you.”
    He moved back and nodded with narrowed eyes. She knew that he would not risk any politics with her. He was on the way up and needed to stay clean. She had no malice or resentment towards him now. He had shown himself and he knew she knew what he was.
    “Let’s stick to business Inspector. Everything comes through me first OK.” He said stiffly.
    “You’re the boss - I guess you wouldn’t want anyone else to get any glory.”
    “Don’t be impertinent!” He boomed. “No swanning about with half baked continentals. No unofficial liaisons with foreign agencies. I know you have all kinds of pavement café tendencies. This is a Scotland Yard job - and you are a Metropolitan police officer merely on attachment to Interpol - whatever all these internationals want to think.”
    “Why don’t you just stand over me?” She snapped.
    “Sir!” He ordered.
    “Sir!” She echoed as she stormed from the room.
    She could not believe his arrogance. How could she ever have thought that there was something enduring between them? It had been a mistake, but mistakes were sails not anchors. A wind had got up and she was sailing on.
    It was six o’ clock and she had to get going. Reaching her office she found Judy still there, intently reading the file from Interpol France.
    “You gotta read this,” she bubbled excitedly “your man could unlock the whole enquiry.”
    Anna thought quickly, pushing aside her anger at her ex lover’s presence in her life.
    “Can you give me the story as we head for the tube?” She breezed, realizing that Judy had two kids at home and was working late out of friendship. All she had on her mind was some kind of fantasy evening with a world boxing champion who was into philosophy, collected art and