Jekyll & Hyde Inc.

“Why did we have to meet in this dump?” said Paul. “I feel like I’m raising the tone just by being here—and that isn’t like me.”

“I was told this operation would be very definitely off the books and under the radar,” said Daniel. “Which of course isn’t at all worrying.”

“Someone is going to want us to volunteer,” Paul said gloomily. “To do something risky, to benefit someone else.”

“But something that just might be in our best interests, if we can pull it off,” said Daniel. “That’s how our betters always bait the hook.”

The two young men nodded slowly, contemplating the way of the world.

“That is some suit you’re wearing,” said Paul. “Was it on sale?”

“At least I look respectable,” said Daniel. “You look like you stole yours off a homeless person.”

“He didn’t put up much of a struggle,” said Paul. He looked thoughtfully at Daniel. “It’s been what . . . three years? Since we started out in training together?”

Daniel nodded. “Where does the time go, when your career’s going nowhere?”

“You too?” said Paul. “Hard to believe we were the high fliers; the ones who were going to make our mark in record time. But, you can’t fight the system . . . ”

“I thought we were supposed to be fighting the bad guys,” said Daniel.

Paul started to raise his cup, remembered, and put it down again. “Why did you want to be a copper, originally?”

“To help people,” said Daniel. “To protect them from all the scumbags who prey on the vulnerable. To fight monsters. You?”

“I just thought it would better to be one of those giving the orders, than those who had to take them,” said Paul.

“You do surprise me,” said Daniel. “I thought you were only in it for the money.”

“Well, that too,” said Paul.

They laughed quietly together, and then looked round quickly as the door swung open and two more familiar faces entered the café. Oscar Marsh was a large, sturdy type in a heavy fur coat, while Nigel Rutherford was a tall, slender aristocrat in a very expensive suit. They both smiled at Daniel and Paul, and pulled up chairs to join them.

“It’s the Bear!” said Paul. “I can’t believe you’re still wearing that same old animal pelt, Oscar.”

“Fur never goes out of style,” said Oscar, in his deep rumble of a voice.

“Still visiting the old family tailor?” Daniel said to Nigel.

“Money never goes out of fashion,” Nigel murmured. “I have to say . . . it does my heart good to see you chaps again, but I’m not sure I like this. What are the odds that four ambitious types who started out together would be selected for the same clandestine meeting?”

He broke off as the young waitress showed up with her coffee jug, only to retreat again in the face of clear disinterest. She hurried back behind the counter to be comforted by the older waitress, who knew plainclothes cops when she saw them.

“I take it you two received the same mysterious summons we did?” said Daniel.

“And that your careers aren’t everything you thought they were going to be?” said Paul.

“Got it in one,” said Oscar.

“The word ‘promotion’ was mentioned,” Nigel said diffidently.

“I just want work that matters,” said Daniel.

“Still the Boy Scout,” said Paul, not unkindly.

“Somebody has to be,” said Daniel.

“But why you?” said Nigel.

“Because people who choose to be monsters, when they could be people, offend the hell out of me,” said Daniel. “Life is hard enough without the bad guys making it worse.”

They glanced round one last time as the door banged open, and then they all sat up straight. Alicia Gill was the youngest police commissioner ever—a short, blond powerhouse packed full of authority and ambition, with a face that might have been attractive if she ever smiled. She was out of uniform too, though wearing something too expensive to be properly anonymous. The four police officers started to rise to their feet in the presence of a superior officer, but Gill glared them into quickly sitting down again. She hauled a chair across from the next table, dropped into it, and set her briefcase down beside her. The young waitress started forward hopefully, but Gill stopped her with a look.

Paul fixed Gill with an equally hard stare. “So. Why are we here, Commissioner?”

“Call me Gill,” she said sharply. “And keep your voice down, because officially I am not here and this meeting never happened. Now pay attention; I have a job for you.”

“How can we help someone like you?” said Nigel. “We don’t even breathe the same air.”

“Right,” said Oscar.

“I have hit the glass ceiling, and discovered it’s made of bulletproof glass,” said Gill. “No more promotions and no way forward—unless I can pull off something really impressive, on my own initiative. I need someone useful to take care of the heavy lifting, so I chose you four because you’re all new to plainclothes.”

“But still—why us?” said Daniel.

“What he said, only louder,” said Paul.

“None of you have any experience in undercover work, so I can be sure no one knows about you,” Gill said steadily. “On the street, or in the force.”