Part   Seventeen   "Career Development"

 
This is the seventh book in the Tamara's Tales (formerly Tommy & Tamara) series. For the whole saga visit Tamara's Tales
 

 
Monday 4th January 2016
 

"Well, it wasn't much of a holiday but it was different!"

"True, but you're going back to a quiet desk job whilst I still get all the running around!"

"You'll be back in London before long, Tammy."

"I'm wondering if I really should? I mean, what am I achieving down there?"

"It's work, so you get experience - and pay. You might even get promoted, eventually."

"I know, Suzie, but am I getting satisfaction? The work involves analysis, research and report writing. There's no adrenaline, no buzz, I'm not involved in any live work."

"Then ask for a transfer to Jenny's team."

"Don't forget, I am one of her team, but just not in Thames House. Actually, isn't there a rule about siblings in the same unit?"

"Probably, anyway what do I do with Ken?"

"You can move in while I'm up here?"

"I'd like a hand, and I don't have a car."

"Or a licence? That needs sorting or Angela will be on the road before you?"

"Yeah, you could hire a van?"

"I'm nineteen and I haven't had a licence for a year yet - I don't think any of the van rental firms will let me? I'm also up here and won't be in London for a week or two."

"Tammy, help me here, I want to get out."

"Has he hurt you?"

"No, but he's been drunk a few times and I can only guess what state the place is in?"

"I'll get you some help, do you have keys for the flat?"

"Yes, Dad gave me a set."

"The security system will need your staff pass."

"Right, I'll go round there in a few days, but I could really do with a hand?"

"Ask Dad's PA?"

"That airhead? She gives blondes a bad name."

"Look, Francesca works for us and has a car. If you need more help, I'm sure we can find an able bodied male?"

"That's sexist, Tammy."

Richard called for Suzie to get downstairs.

"Got to go, I'll see you down South."

The pair hugged, "Take care, Suzie."

Tammy made her way over to Elsie's house at ten, after making a short call to Glasgow. She'd gone to Dunbankin' at nine for a conference call but Kevin was unavailable and Dave had no real updates, so Tammy had sat with Suzie whilst she packed.

Angela was finishing coursework in her room and didn't want to be disturbed, whilst Joan was busying herself somewhere. The Smarts' house was quiet when she'd left.

Despite the opinion that the Gores and the Lavoska sisters were well South of Thurso, and probably not even in Scotland, the earlier security regimes were still in force, at Dunbankin' at least.

Over at Elsie's the main gate was open but William and Jonathon were felling a tree that would likely have fallen in the next storm, straight onto the stable block. She parked her buggy under a new canopy but still pulled a rain cover over the seats. There was only one charging socket and that was in use but at least she was able to chain it up.

She found a meeting in progress in the lounge.

"Ah, Tammy, you need to hear this."

"Okay, I guess I've missed something?"

"Yes, did you know it's Finlay's sixteenth birthday on Friday?"

"No, but we'll be in Birmingham on Friday night!"

"So we'll have to hold a party on Thursday night?"

"Okay, seems sensible."

"Now, a certain other girl's birthday is also coming up, when is it Daisy?"

"My real birthday is on the sixteenth but I was always at school and my brother was in Scotland, so we celebrated on the same day."

"So we'll hold a joint birthday party on Thursday, Tammy, are any of their school friends available?"

"I'll check, I'm sure a few will be back by then. Is Finlay attending, or Florence?"

"I haven't decided."

"You need to decide in the next few days, and doesn't the Head want to know your answer?"

Finlay didn't answer, but Cathy was clearly concerned.

"Tammy, did you get hold of the doctor?"

"Yes, Elsie, I spoke to his wife, Professor Roberts was out but she'll ask him to call us when he returns."

"Perhaps he could be invited to join us here?" Asked Cathy.

"I think a telephone consultation should be enough to start with, then we'll decide." Elsie was adamant.

"Excuse me, what doctor?"

"Sorry, Finlay, Grandma Elsie asked me to contact Professor Julian Roberts, he's a gender specialist who saw me when I first transitioned."

"A shrink?"

"He's qualified as one, but that's not his job. He helped me, and I think he'll help you."

"By telling me what to do?"

Elsie indicated to Tammy that she wanted to answer this one. "No, by listening to you. Let's wait until Professor Roberts has spoken with you before passing judgement."

"Yes, Grandma."

Tammy went up to her room, there was still plenty of time before lunch. She met Helen at the top of the stairs, waiting.

"I'm leaving, Tammy."

"Hold on Helen, what's going on?"

"I'm clearly not liked and now those kids are taking my inheritance."

"I don't think we should be having this conversation out here, come into my room."

Helen was clearly upset, even angry.

Tammy continued, "I've barely seen anything of you for the past few days."

"I've had some horrid talks with Elsie, lectures if you will. I thought she'd be dead by now!"

"Hey, stop that."

"Are you on her side?"

"Helen, I'm not taking sides here. Firstly, I probably know more about Elsie's condition than you do, but that's because I asked the questions and not because I was simply given the information."

"So?"

"Have you tried having a sensible, civil, conversation with her?"

"After she tears me up? No, I leave the study as fast as I can."

"Have you ever asked to see her?"

"No, what's the point?"

"Right, start with going down to her and then apologise to her."

"I've done nothing wrong!"

"Helen, each of us has a different outlook on what goes on around us. I might think I've done nothing wrong but others can look at it differently. If nothing else, apologise for your attitude."

"That won't fix things."

"I can't see anything broken?"

"That's not what I meant, Tammy."

"Okay, why did you think you were getting an inheritance?"

"I'm her niece, I'm entitled."

"Firstly, no-one has the absolute right to benefit from a will, but you also have substantial assets of your own."

"Most of which I can't get at, yet."

"Granted, but have you been asked to pay for anything here?"

"Only personal items, and I have some income."

"Including the payment from Parliament for the seat your mother never took."

"Ironic that one, isn't it. I have interest from some of the funds as well."

"Okay, so you have money coming in. But what are you doing with yourself?"

"Looking around."

"At what, Helen? It's the middle of winter up here and nothing much is happening, unless you're interested in frozen fish?"

"Well ...."

"Look, I think your biggest problem is that your life has no direction, no focus. Find something, decide what to do and ask Elsie if she doesn't mind you doing it."

"I don't need her permission!"

"Tell me, did your mother ever accept advice?"

"Rarely."

"I can see where you get it from. Look, a little humility can go a long way."

"Really, anyway, what about those two upstarts?"

"Who lost their parents to murder and would possibly be dead themselves if we hadn't intervened."

"Elsie didn't have to invite them here."

"She didn't, I collected them and asked Thomas if he had a room available. Elsie didn't feature in that discussion."

"So you did that without her knowledge and got away with it?"

"No, of course she knew, but she wasn't very well that day. She's a lot better now."

"Anyway, she'll give them loads of money."

"Firstly, we're going to a reading of their parents' will soon so we'll have a better idea what they'll be worth when Finlay turns eighteen, secondly Cathy is looking to adopt them."

"That would make them grandchildren."

"Yes."

"Why is Cathy doing that, did Elsie tell her to?"

"No, but Cathy thought it was the right thing to do. Did you know she can't have children of her own?"

"No."

"Look, find something to do and you'll still be welcome here. However, if you shout and swear at Elsie, I'll pack your bags for you."

Helen thought about Tammy's words.

"I s'pose so."

"What happened to that Open University course?"

"I just did an access module, a very broad course, and I got credits from that for other courses."

"So why didn't you go onto another course?"

"I couldn't see one that I liked, and I lost interest."

"Were you on the cruise when you did the module?"

"Yes, I finished it back here."

"Have you considered doing an educational cruise, find a subject that interests you and cruise at the same time?"

"Do they exist?"

"Sure, there's cruises for everything, although you might have to cross the Atlantic for some of the weirder ones, there's loads."

Tammy left Helen to ponder her fate, although it did seem that Miss McPherson's mood had improved. Tammy's phone rang.

"It's Ben, I'm on my way up."

"Aren't you on gardening leave?"

"It's more complicated than that, I'll be with you in fifteen."

"I'm at Elsie McPherson's."

"Can you meet me at your home?"

"Sure."

Tammy freshened herself in her bathroom before heading back across, at least her buggy would get a charge whilst it was back at Dunbankin'. Her parents weren't back, they were visiting Tesco after dropping Suzie off at the airport at Wick. Pru wasn't in either, it was a public holiday in Scotland.

"Will you be here for lunch?"

"I don't know Zara, what's the time?"

"Half eleven."

"I have no idea what this meeting's about, or how long it'll be?"

"How about I make up a plate of sandwiches?"

"Thanks, coffee for two?"

"Coming up."

"You're in a good mood today."

"I've had a couple of days off and it's a new year."

"Did you hear from your father?"

"Yes, he apologised for screwing up the catering company but still thought I should have stayed with him!"

"Oh well." Tammy went to move the chairs around.

The doorbell sounded, Zara was closer.

"DS Franklin to see Miss Smart."

"Tammy's in the study, sir."

"Don't you want to see any ID?"

"No, I know who you are."

"My fame precedes me?"

"Yes, and according to your wife, someone has it in for you."

Tammy came out of the study having listened to the exchange. "Infamy! Infamy! They've all got it in for me!"

She ushered Ben into the study and firmly shut the door.

"Tammy, I'm a little concerned that your housekeeper knows more than she should."

"Don't read too much, I know she has a coffee in town once a week and probably hears Sandy talking to others."

"Even so, she shouldn't be repeating that."

"I've heard that most employees have a manager they can't stick, at some point in their career. I doubt if the Police service is any better?"

"It's worse. I spent most of the weekend giving statements about recent operations, some of which were compromised because of that Inspector. A bloody joyful new year it was."

"He's out of the picture now, surely?"

"If only, the Federation are supporting him."

"What about yourself?"

"My issues are being resolved."

The secure phone rang, Tammy answered but simply asked the caller to call again two minutes later. She was ready when it rang the second time.

"Okay, we're secure."

"Thanks Tammy, do you have DS Franklin with you?"

"Yes, Kevin."

Tammy could have asked how he knew, but the answer was irrelevant.

"Good, I'll fax some paperwork for him to read and sign. You can witness then fax back to me."

"Right."

"Firstly though, what have you done with the package I sent just before the weekend?"

"It's in the safe here, why four hundred rounds?"

"That was the smallest size the RLC would supply to another site, although I'd asked for 500. Leave that with me."

"Okay, but I hadn't asked for additional ammunition?"

"It's not for you, although you can dip into it if you need to. There should have been a log sheet with it?"

"Oh, okay, but there wasn't a log."

"I'll fax one of those for you as well, but everything will become clear in due course."

The fax machine started up whilst Kevin was talking and five sheets came out. Tammy recognised one was the Official Secrets Act signature sheet, the other sheets were a Met Police transfer request. Ben signed and Tammy witnessed before popping them back in the fax.

"They're on the way to you, Kevin. Now, what's this all about?"

"Ben's joining us, officially now. Can I have a word with him?"

Tammy went in search of the coffee and sarnies, Zara was just coming out of the kitchen with a tray.

"How long are you likely to be, Miss?"

"A bit formal?"

"Well, there is a visitor on the premises!"

"To answer your question, I really don't know. Could you let Thomas know I won't be there for lunch?"

"Already done."

Tammy let herself back into the study but latched the door. Ben was just putting the phone down. She put the tray down and poured a coffee for each from the cafetière. A log sheet for the ammunition had now arrived and was on the desk.

"I guess you're owed an explanation, Tammy?"

"That would be useful, where do you start?"

"I'll sort of work backwards. I've been doing more and more work for the Counter Terrorist Unit over the last year, mostly because of you!"

"Hey, don't blame me!"

"You did seem to be connected."

"It didn't help that they were after me, or my friends."

"Well, regardless of why, I liaised with the Met Police much more during the last year than I had during the rest of my career."

"Okay, but was the bank robbery for real?"

"Of course it was, we had prior intelligence but it was meant to be at lunchtime."

"It was mid morning."

"Yes, so the units weren't in position. I was off duty, it was Sandy's birthday, but I wanted to see what I could do."

"So you borrowed my weapon?"

"Yes, sorry, but it was a useful means to an end."

"By getting you suspended?"

"That wasn't the intention! We needed to expose the Inspector and it was just too good to pass up. He immediately wanted details of my intelligence work, and, did you know he's been trying to find out where the O'Shaughnessy children were?"

"No! Did he find out?"

"Thankfully no, but you were very exposed in the town last week and could have been seen."

"As well as being unable to protect myself."

"Apologies, but would you really have pulled a weapon on a uniformed police inspector who was only asking about children, this is Scotland not the wild west!"

"Unlikely, but they'd be looking for a boy and a girl. Damn!"

"Don't worry, I know what I saw but I've also been briefed. It seems he was being paid for information, but he didn't know the value of the information he was giving away."

"A rotten apple. Did he know the Trethgarwyn family?"

"Not directly, he wasn't involved in the investigations and wasn't cleared high enough to see the final reports."

"How did he get to be an Inspector without clearance?"

"No, no, he was cleared to Confidential and could see some Secret reports if absolutely necessary; that's enough for daily police work. The problem is, anything involving you has a Secret or even a Top Secret classification. Gore, it seems, was trying to dig into your background."

"So where do we go from here?"

"I've been allocated to support you until we've been to Birmingham, then I have a training course to attend."

"In London?"

"Yes."

"Well, I'm due back at work at the National Crime Agency once this job is finished, what about you?"

"I was made an offer a few days ago, a joint offer by DI Edmunds and Dave Brown of the Security Service, that would allow me to stay up here after I've been trained."

"Doing what?"

"Running Caithness Marine and keeping an eye on you!"