Past Recommendations.
From his desk George Cowley caught sight of Bodie striding passed his office door from the restroom and he called out to the agent.
"Bodie? How is he?"
"Oh, I don't know Sir," Bodie replied with mild exasperation,coming to stand in the doorway. "I've given up trying to get through to him. Won't even come down the pub with me."
"That's where your're going now?" Cowley got up and moved into the corridor.
"Yes Sir, you did say you were finished with us for the day?"
"Yes, yes of course but could you do me a favour and hang around in the pub for a bit?"
"That's one order from you Sir, that I'm definitely going to carry out to the letter!" Bodie beamed.
"Aye, I thought you would." Cowley allowed himself a wry smile. "Goodnight Bodie."
"Goodnight Sir."
Cowley watched him leave and then turned towards the restroom and paused in the doorway to consider the figure sitting motionless at the table. He was as quiet and subdued as he had been in the car journey back from the prison. It seemed telling Bill Haydon that he wasn't to be released after all hadn't brought the matter to a conclusion for Doyle. Cowley needed to get to the bottom of his agent's apparent malaise but he knew it would require careful handling.
"Not off to the pub with Bodie?" he inquired, rounding the table to stand opposite the agent who absentmindedly chased the bubbles on his coffee around the mug with a spoon.
Doyle lifted his head slowly to regard his boss solemnly. "No, Sir."
"I think it's time for something a bit stronger than that, don't you?" Cowley nodded towards the coffee and then, not waiting for a reply he added, "Come with me."
As he walked away he heard a sigh and then there was a long pause before he heard the scraping of the chair being pushed back and footsteps behind him.
"I'd thought you seeing Haydon would have given you a kind of satisfaction. Clearly I was wrong." Cowley motioned Doyle to the two armchairs at the end of his office.
"I've been a fool, a bloody fool." Doyle murmured, sitting down.
"Oh?" Cowley poured scotch into two glasses, passed one to Doyle and took a seat opposite him.
"I allowed a seed of doubt to be planted in my mind and had my head turned by a pretty girl. I've let myself down and, more importantly to me at any rate, I've let Syd Parker down. He must be turning in his grave right now at my stupidity and my weakness."
"Syd Parker?"
"He taught me all I knew as a young copper. Mentored me, took me under his wing. I don't know what he'd be thinking of me now if he were still alive."
Cowley took a sip of scotch. "Let me tell you something," he said thoughtfully. "Something that will make you realise that Syd Parker would be as proud of you today as he was of you seven years ago." And then Cowley settled back in his armchair to recount the following tale to his sombre agent.
ooOoo
'The building doesn't look in keeping with a new up and coming organisation.' observed Syd Parker as he mounted the steps of the C.I.5 offices in central London. It was old and dated but, as he told himself, it's what goes on inside that matters and, with the way the world was turning these days the police needed all the help they could get. Having negotiated his way through security Syd arrived in reception.
"I'd like to see George Cowley please." he announced to the smartly dressed young woman at the desk.
"Do you have an appointment?" Betty asked, knowing already that the police constable before her didn't but checking the diary anyway.
"An appointment? No, I don't. Do I need one?"
"It is advisable." she told him " Mr. Cowley is a very busy man."
"I know. He's interviewing candidates for C.I.5. That's what I've come about."
"You want to apply? I'm afraid it doesn't work like that. Mr. Cowley finds you, not the other way around." Betty informed him.
"No, no, it's not me. It's ….look, can I see him or not?"
Betty paused to view the man doubtfully and then got to her feet.
"Wait here." she instructed and disappeared into the room behind her to re-emerge again seconds later.
"Mr. Cowley will see you. You have two minutes." she told him firmly.
Inside the office Syd found a middle aged man at a desk hunched over his paperwork. He didn't look up immediately as Syd moved quickly across the room and extended his hand.
"I appreciate you sparing the time to see me Mr Cowley, I'll not keep you long."
"Indeed you won't." Cowley raised his head and was surprised by the younger man before him neatly turned out in his police uniform. He stood up somewhat reluctantly and shook the man's hand. "I don't take kindly to having my time wasted, Mr…?"
"Parker. The names's Syd Parker."
Cowley took off his glasses and motioned Parker to sit down. "What can I do for you, ?"
"It's more of a case of what I can do for you, Mr. Cowley. I have a young man at my station that I'd like you to consider for your new venture. A Doyle."
"And what makes you think he's any better than any of the other men I have in mind?"
" He's keen, eager, sensible, level headed and quick to learn. He's passionate about his work and a more loyal and trustworthy man you couldn't wish to meet."
"So are most of the men I'm interviewing." Cowley told him, his mind already drifting back to his paperwork.
"If you just give him a chance he could be just what you're looking for."
"Who is this…." Cowley glanced down to his hastily scribbled note, " Raymond Doyle to you?"
"He's my partner, Sir" Parker could barely keep the pride from his voice. "And a damn good one."
Parker's passion seemed to ignite Cowley's interest again.
"So good that you want to get rid of him and off load him onto me?"
"No Sir, so good that I'd hate to see his talents not put to better use."
"Very noble of you."
"I just want the best for him, he's a good lad is Ray." Parker told him.
"Tell me some of this Doyle's faults."
"Faults, Sir?" The question had thrown Parker.
"Aye. You've made him sound like some kind of saint but he must have some negative points."
"Oh, he's far from a saint, Mr Cowley!" Syd laughed. " And I wouldn't call it a fault exactly but Ray cares a lot, cares that he does a good thorough job and cares about the victims of crimes and their circumstances. If he has a fault then I'd say he cares too much on occasions and that he can let it get to him."
"Why are you here on Mr. Doyle's behalf and not your station Sergeant?"
"Good men are hard to find, Sir, and Ray's one of them. The station know it and they wouldn't want to lose him. They wouldn't push him forward for a position with you."
Cowley leaned back in his chair to regard Syd Parker with interest. He liked the man, liked the way he selflessly put his case forward for his partner.
"What do you know about C.I.5, ?"
"The truth? Nothing much," Parker admitted. He hadn't expected quite such a grilling from this man but he held his ground. "Nothing except what I've heard circulating around the station, that it's to do with criminal intelligence but beyond that, nothing more."
"It's dangerous work, . It will be a far cry from police work. Is Mr. Doyle prepared for that? My training will push him to the limit and beyond. I need to know that he will be up to it."
"He will be, Sir." Parker answered firmly.
"You seem sure."
"I am, Sir. I'm not saying Ray won't make any mistakes. He will, he'll probably make lots to start with but he's young and he'll learn from them."
Cowley stared at Parker thoughtfully. Well,what could it hurt? He had some thirty or so men to see. What difference would one more make?And this Parker character seemed to think Doyle was worth it.
"Fair enough, Mr. Parker." Cowley decided. " I shall make my own enquires about Mr. Doyle and should they meet the high standard I require then I shall indeed grant him an interview. I hope I won't be disappointed."
"You won't,Mr. Cowley." Syd couldn't keep the smile from his face. "Thank you, Sir." As he got up to leave he paused. "Could I ask that you not let Ray know that I came here on his behalf?"
"Can I ask why?"
"No reason really,Sir, just rather he didn't know."
"As you wish. Good day." George Cowley put on his glasses again and returned his attention to his papers.
ooOoo
Cowley looked at Doyle as he finished his account of his meeting with Syd Parker. He had sat transfixed,listening intently to his every word.
"I can't tell you, Doyle, what a shock it was to find out the very next day that he had been killed that night. If anything it only served to spur me on to make C.I.5 a success. The organisation was very much needed."
"I had no idea," Doyle whispered, shaking his head in disbelief, stunned at this revelation. "No idea he'd come to see you. I didn't think he'd even heard of C.I.5."
"He hadn't really but the policeman in him made enough subtle enquiries to find these offices and put his case for you across. He thought the world of you,Doyle, he could see your potential. I realised however that on Parkers death it was too early to approach you. In fact I considered you at the time to be too young and too inexperienced in police work. You'd only been doing it for what, six months? I was content for the time being to monitor your career and I watched you rise up the police ranks gaining experience. I was impressed also with the numerous commendations you received over the years." Cowley took another sip of scotch.
"Syd Parker was as proud of you then as I am of you now, Doyle. Oh yes, you've made mistakes and will probably continue to make them along the way but you'll learn from them. And who hasn't had their head turned by an attractive woman!"
"You, Sir" Doyle allowed himself the first smile since the whole sorry affair had started.
"Are you sure about that, Doyle?" Cowley sat back in his chair and there was a definite twinkle in his eye which surprised the agent. Cowley didn't give Doyle a chance to speculate further.
"What I'm trying to say Doyle, is you were right to question your original findings in light of Jill Haydon's allegations. It's part of who you are, it's what you do. It's what Syd Parker taught you and what he would have wanted you to do. You've done him proud. Have you stopped to consider what would have happened if she had been right but you hadn't taken her seriously and did nothing? An innocent man could have spent the rest of his life in prison. Would you have wanted that on your conscience had it come to light at a later date? You care, Doyle, and I wouldn't want you in C.I.5 if you didn't."
Doyle shook his head thoughtfully. It was either the scotch or his boss's wise words that had started to make him feel a lot better about himself. There was also a pleasing sense of comfort gained from knowing Syd Parker had thought enough of him to find the offices and speak so passionately on his behalf to George Cowley all those years ago.
As both men drained the last of the scotch from their glasses Cowley leaned forward to gently slap his hand down on the knee of his agent.
"Now," he said brightly. "You have another partner who hopefully, in time, will become everything Syd Parker was to you so I suggest you catch up with him at the pub where he's waiting."
"You don't think he's still going to be there do you, Sir?!" Doyle grinned, getting up to leave. "He'll have picked up a bird by now!"
"Oh he'll still be there," Cowley replied confidently, returning to his desk."I can guarantee it."
Doyle stood at the door for a moment. "Sir?" He met his boss's eyes. "Thank you."
He stepped into the hallway and walked slowly out of the building to find his partner.