My name is Martine Edwards, NO! Marty Harrison! I’ve been shot and woken up in a strange new world. A mirror of my world but I’m a woman! What happened? Where is this? Am I dead like the reflection in the mirror said or is the Shadowman really my unconscious self trying to help me make sense? One thing is certain, to get home I have to find out why I was shot… Dig out the truth and wake up from this dream.

The following day I arrived late, OK sue me, sometimes it’s nice to ride the sick note a little and the duvet was sooo inviting…
Not so inviting was the welcome, you know, that feeling that somebody has walked across your grave? Well I think I was buried under a motorway… Something, was watching me, whatever or whoever, was doing so I could not track. A few shadowy figures like last time but nobody appeared to be paying attention to me.

Arriving at the Office brought a few ribald comments from “the missing link”, well jealousy, I thought. Andrew was out somewhere but Clarice gave me some hard looks. Unfortunately that was matched with a summons to her office, oops, interview without coffee then.

“Nice of you to join us Marty, I’ve got two cases for you to look over today. Prelim reports and suggestions for observation by four.”

“OK, I’ll get right on it. Sorry for the delay but…”

“I know, light duties, don’t want you getting too tired just yet. Matthews is muscling in on at least one current op. He’s talking about getting his team to make the arrests and take over the op.”

“What? I thought teams were independent?”

“Normally yes, looks like he’s wired in with some of the brass hats somehow. Politics and the like.”

“Well I hope my guardian angel is on duty and I can stay out of the way. I’ve read the prelim notes you gave me and have some idea where to start.”

“Really? Step into my parlour clever girl”. Clarice raised an eyebrow at the news.

Inside the office, she again swept for bugs. Paranoia I supposed but given people trying to kill you I think a certain amount of caution was called for.

“OK girl, what have you found.”

“Well it may seem off the wall but I remember hearing the University had a department working on molecular morphology, changing temporarily certain properties but it is a temporary change. Lasts maybe 24-36 hours so more of academic rather than commercial application but I think it could be used to hide assorted nasties from our attention but they’d not just need the apparatus but the time an Excise team was inspecting.” I carefully kept quiet that my sister was working in that department but knew there was no way she would get involved with criminal types and anyway, where would she get contacts here to evade detection. Something was not right and my senses were starting to tingle.

Clarice pursed her lips and looked me in the eye…

“Marty, that sounds like unobtainium again. Are you sure that this is possible?”

“Yes Boss, I heard about it in passing from a Researcher working there. Of course it could just be a tall tale, you know, like “gremlins”?”

“I know what a gremlin is and there’s enough of them in this place. What drew you to this idea?”

“It is off the wall but any criminal outfit getting hold of the research or worse grabbing one of the researchers and their notes would have a totally deniable asset and more importantly be able to completely bypass our teams with little or no direct possibility of detection. Where would Matthews fit into this? Just empire building or something else?” I thought I’d make a stab at finding a little more about him…

Just a light day reviewing case notes eh? No way. My Guardian Angel must have chucked her hand in and gone on leave. At least I wasn’t reading the secure files when I felt a shadow over me. Looking up I saw Chris Matthews, smiling like he’d won the lottery, broad grin (think Shark girl!) eyes flashing but somehow empty. Ice blue eyes, they say the eyes are windows to the soul… Looks like the curtains are drawn then. Silver grey hair, the appearance that at some time he may have had a moustache or beard, well groomed nails but in addition to the slightly normal appearance he seemed to fall into shadow as though there was a curtain drawn over his expression before a new one was revealed.

“Just checking on our newest recruit and wondering if I could offer her a short lunch? My treat of course.” His smile gently changed but still seemed practiced rather than open.

My instincts were to run but how else was I going to find out what was happening and somehow HE seemed to be a major part of it.

“Sure, we can enjoy a coffee in the canteen.”

“No, my treat. How about a small, discrete little café not so very far from here? A nice private meal and we can get to know much more about each other.”

“And where is this place? I cannot go too far as I’ve a meeting with Ms Adams shortly.” Well it was true, sort of.

“Oh just around the corner, a Chinese Buffet, the Golden Lantern. Fairly new so still has a decent chef” He gave an almost menacing grin as he added, “Before Immigration catch up anyway.”

What the heck, as long as the Boss knew where I was and it wouldn’t hurt to give Andy the nod so he could watch my back. A naughty thought brushed across my mind… He could help scrub me clean afterwards.

“OK, I suppose it wouldn’t do any harm to get to know some of the other teams in the area.” I stood up, passed an email to Clarice and copied to Andy and collected my jacket. “Shall we?”

“Certainly, lunch awaits” He opened the door and waited for me to leave.

The Golden Lantern turned out to be one of those “all you can eat” buffet places and was just off Market Street, barely 100 yards from the Office. Clearly Chris was either a regular or was well in with the owner and staff. On arriving, he was greeted by the staff with respect if not exactly like a long-lost friend the way Andy was by Luigi, look closely hun you are going to learn something important but DON’T let it show, my little co-pilot voice was back on duty or at least had left the alarm on.
Like most lunches with somebody from another office, we started with the usual small talk. At least, perhaps following one of those unwritten rules, we did not discuss my work but he gave me his potted history. Apparently he had been transferred a few months earlier and was forming a new team.

“So how many are on your team?”

“Quite a few but they’re tied up with other things at the moment. Perhaps you might consider working with me on some projects?” He looked quizzically at me as he did so.

“But I’ve only just got here and I’m still finding my feet with the various investigations we have at present. You know we shouldn’t really be discussing this?”

“Don’t worry, the people here will not pass anything on, I’ll have their tongues and ears if they ever did and they know it.” He looked almost fierce as he said this and frankly I felt a little nervous.

“Oh don’t let my fierce face put you off. I offer nothing but friendship and my assistance in your career and I can help you a great deal. Just join me and we can do great things, I can offer you your dreams.”

In some ways, that was the most uncomfortable meal I have ever had. I felt like I was on the menu, oh Chris was politeness itself. But, you know when you can feel dirty without actually getting into the dirt? And I swear that on occasion, and it must be a trick of the light in that place, his face seemed engulfed by shadows.

“I mean it,” he tried to reassure me, “I offer nothing but my friendship and to help you achieve your dreams here. I have an operation coming to fruition and you can assist me greatly just by keeping me in the loop so to speak. No, I don’t expect you to betray Clarice, but I need certain information that you have access to. Please don’t worry…” he placed his hand on mine, “it is nothing classified, just some routine data about an existing operation. Operation Sunstar, I need the names of the main players and their places of operation.” He showed me a security clearance that would allow access but I couldn’t help thinking why not just access the file? On the other hand, I knew some divisions did operate rather independently and kept secrets from each other…

“Well, I should check with Clarice, I am new in post after all…” I tried to dissemble.

“Not to worry, the data I asked for is just a sign of good intent and that you are willing to be a team player… You are a team player aren’t you Martine?” he looked intently at me.

“Well I think so, I’ve always tried to do my best for the team but I am new and still finding my feet.”

“Don’t worry if you are concerned about breaking any confidences, you will be making them with those who count.” He looked at his watch and scowled. “Stopped again, I don’t know why I carry this other than it was a present from my father. I really must get it fixed” He looked up and at the clock on display near the counter.

The staff there looked away as his gaze passed over them. Almost with a tremor of fear?

With that, he stood, helped me to my feet and draped my coat across my shoulders but there was a distinct feeling of uneasiness as his hand passed over my shoulders. What was that old saying? “A pat on the back is the recce for the knife” I remembered hearing that years ago. If I was meant to hear something important, I wish it came with a clue…