He closed up the file, passing it over to the woman pushing the cart around. "Thanks Mary."

"You know, if you finished your filing faster, then you wouldn't need me to sit here lighting a fire under your ass." She fit it carefully in a small space between the other files. "You could even think about doing them early."

"But then what would you do all day Mary?" He sat back, "You'd lose your excuse to come and view Talbot's ass from this angle."

Mary leveled a finger at him, "Don't say things you might come to regret, John Bates. I'm trained just as well as you are."

"Then tell Talbot that." John picked up his pen, taping at his computer keys with it. "When are you getting us new computers?"

"When are you going to get me something for my birthday?" She pushed the cart away and John went back to his computer, laughing to himself.

"Bates!" He turned to see a man with gray hair leaning out of his office, "Get in here."

John pushed back from the desk, walking the distance between his desk and the office. The other man closed the door and pointed John to a seat. He sat on the edge, taping his fingers on his knee before speaking.

"Look, I understand that Mary's being very adamant about me needing to file faster and write my reports a little more clearly but without good computers-"

"Shut up," The other man waved his hand, "I don't care about your sodding files. That's Mary's concern, not mine."

"Then, sir, why am I here?" John sat back a little in his seat. "Talbot and I finished our last case yesterday and it's pretty airtight. I could see a few spots where the jury might-"

"Bates, please let me explain." The other man held up a hand and John bit back the rest of his comment. "It's because you and Talbot finished your case that I'm giving you both this one."

"What one?"

The man sighed, "I didn't want anyone to handle this because there's too much that could go wrong and it's basically a ticking bomb."

"Then why're you giving it to us?"

"Talbot's still new to this work but he's got the mind to bend around what we're a little too steeped in our ways to do. You're the best person for this because you're the best investigator I have." He massaged his hands. "I need the two best minds I've got to tackle this."

The file hit the desk, almost knocking the nameplate that read 'Robert Crawley' off the side. John caught it, easing it back in place, before taking the file. "And what kind of bomb am I picking up now?"

"Our Superintendent wants us to get to the center of this issue the Turkish uprooted last year."

"That mafia business?"

"Yeah." Robert sighed, "This is what we've got to clean up."

"I thought they managed that a few weeks afterward. I remember the trials of those three… what were they, the bloke from York and then the two others who were half-Albanian or something."

"One was Armenian and that's what the Super thought but no," Robert shook his head. "That was the tip of the iceberg."

"Then who's at the base of the iceberg?" John flipped through the material before him. "There's not much detail here. How'd they figure there's even someone else involved?"

"Rumors and supposition mostly. But enough of them have popped up to give the Super reason to have us investigate further." Robert shook his head. "In her words, it's either going to make someone's career or break them in half."

"And you thought a newbie still in training and an old bag like me could risk that?"

"Retirement's not that bad…" Robert smiled, "So I hear."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence."

"You can turn it down."

John gave him a skeptical look. "Right, because you call me in here with a case I can refuse." He closed the file, "What would you have in mind instead? I assume something only a step above refuse cleanup."

"It was about that bad." Robert tapped the corner of the file. "I've got all confidence you can sort this out."

"Tell me this then," He opened to a picture and folded the file over to hold it up to Robert's view. "Who's this and why's she in this file?"

"That's Anna Smith, according to the few records our research dredged up on her, and she's suspected to be one of the orchestrators of the street business."

"Why's she a bother? That's small potatoes."

"I said 'suspected'." Robert clicked his teeth. "I don't think that's all she is but that'd be all we could prove at the moment."

"You think she's more involved?"

"Personally?" Robert lowered his voice, "I think she's the head of it all."

"And you want me to do what? Arrest her? Break her? Turn her?"

"If we had someone with her connections and her skills giving herself up for questioning, that'd be great but I also hoped Santa Claus was real." Robert turned to his buzzing phone. "I'd love to chat the rest of this afternoon about what I think we need from this woman but at this point, you need to just get eyes on her. Prove the rumors true or false, that's all I ask."

"Then we're just glorified cameras? CCTV with names?"

"If you like." Robert stood, "Just keep your heads down for now. We don't know what we've got or what we've got to do with it."

John nodded, "Alright then."

He stood, shook Robert's hand, and then left the office. As he went back to his desk he saw a tall, dark-haired man sitting at the desk across from his. John handed him the file and the man widened his eyes.

"Another one already?"

"You know Robert doesn't want to let things lie." John took his seat, "Mary was looking for you earlier."

"Was she?" The man flipped through the information, scanning the pages and pictures quickly.

"I think she likes you Talbot, even if she won't admit it."

"We'll let Mary decide that." Talbot shut the folder, "Then what's the plan?"

"We need to find the woman in that photo."

"The blonde?" Talbot held up the photo, "She looks like small potatoes compared to the bruisers in here."

"It's always the small, quiet ones." John shrugged, "I guess we'll see if it's true."

"I guess we will." Talbot stood, "Can I drive this time?"

"You drive like a maniac Talbot."

"That's the point." Talbot grinned, "People are less likely to suspect you're the police if you're driving like you're running from them."

"Fine." John tossed over the keys. "Just don't kill us before we had a chance to fail this investigation."

They drove across town to one of the specified addresses and Talbot worked them into a tight spot. Parking, Talbot opened the folder and tapped a few of the pictures. "They seem to really love this pub."

"Probably a laundering scheme." John sighed, "I'll go in for a look around."

"Are you sure?" Talbot sucked the inside of his cheek. "They might kill you and skin you alive in there."

"No," John shook his head, "Guy like this doesn't make the kind of mistake that puts me in danger. Not this early in the game."

"Are they already playing our game?"

"More like we're playing theirs." John opened the door, "Ten minutes and then come in like you're sent by my wife or something."

"I thought your wife hated you."

"They don't know that." John got out of the car and crossed the street.

He entered the pub, taking a seat toward the back corner. Pulling out his phone he made a show of texting while snapping photos of the few he recognized from his quick perusal of the file. He was in the middle of sending these to Talbot when someone sat down across from him at the table.

"It's not nice to spy on people in a private establishment." She tapped the top of his phone. "So, if you'd be kind enough to tuck that away."

John took his phone back, slipping it into a pocket. "I don't believe we've been acquainted."

"Not officially, no. But whatever file you and your partner were reading in your car out there probably has a picture of me in it." She extended her hand, "Anna Smith. It's nice to meet you."

"I'm sure the pleasure is not all mine." He took her hand, "John Bates."

"I was wondering which golden boy they'd give my case."

"How'd you know there's a case?"

"One DI is sitting across from me and another is watching the front of my pub from a car he drove far too quickly to get here." She shrugged, "I'd guess that I must be of some importance to get John Bates on my case."

"You know me?"

"I may not have your filing system but I do have people who talk. And the news does some of that." She closed her eyes for a moment, "It was the Hexam case. Something about an insurance scandal."

"I only closed that last night." John pointed at her, "You knew I'd get the case. Who's working for you on my side of the table?"

"That's be telling and I'm not that kind of idiot." She sat back. "I'm just curious what you hoped you'd gain being here now."

"Just looking."

"Looking at what, exactly?"

John eyed her up and down. "A beautiful woman with her fingers in a number of pies. All of which are grand and fantastic." He sat back, "I'm actually rather in awe of you, if I'm being honest."

"I like honesty."

"You do?"

"I do." She put a hand on her chest, "Please don't immediately degrade me or my organization just because you might disagree with how I run things."

"I wouldn't dare since I am, as they say, the rabbit in all of this."

"I'd say you rather are. But how brave of you, coming here to the fox's hole to sniff out your enemies."

"Are we enemies?"

"I don't know." She leaned over the table toward him. "We live in two very different worlds Mr. Bates. The city you see is dusky and dangerous, with very little to look forward to."

"Must be such a sad existence."

"With your wife I don't doubt it." She twitched her lip up as John swallowed. "We're very thorough in our research."

"I can tell."

"But you see, your experience tells you a lie because the world I live in is dark and deadly but full of opportunity. I wouldn't give up the chance of success in my world for the dismal reality you've accepted as yours."

"Even if it means your life ends behind bars?"

"Higher the risk, higher the reward." She took a breath, "And they'd have to catch me and then prove whatever they believe. Since they, as yet, can't do either I'd say the possibility of ending my life like you might end yours are infinitesimally small."

"You do?"

"I do." She stood, "Order what you like from the bar, it's on me. For your friend in the car too."

"That's very generous of you."

"I'm that kind of person." She winked at him. "Have a good day, Mr. Bates."

"And you, Ms. Smith." John watched her walk away, chatting with someone before disappearing behind the bar. He smiled to himself before leaving his seat.