The walk and train ride to the SIU proved uneventful. Once in the SIU, Billy got the reception to phone Queenan. Queenan told the reception to provide Billy with a visitors long term photo-id and send him straight up. Instinctively Billy started to look for trouble, which is why he decided to use the stairs. Even so, once he reached the top floor he virtually bumped into Brown. His hat proved a good choice, rather than drawing suspicion as a hood would have done, even indoors a hat was accepted by most people. Even so, Billy guessed that Brown was thinking the matter over. Unfortunately Billy could walk no faster without raising suspicion.
Billy managed to reach Queenan's secretary without misshap and headed past her straight into Queenan's office, saying "Brown may have recognised me". Billy checked behind, yes there was Brown "He has".
Queenan turned in annoyance to face Brown, then waved Brown to come in. Once Brown was inside Queenan said to him with some emphasis "Brown, stand by the door and shut up. Call Ellerby if you must".
Then to Billy Queenan said, "Billy sit down. I've decided to do as we originally agreed; you helped us, until we screwed up and your cover was blown. So besides Witness Protection, I will give you a job in the SIU anyway. Not a job with a badge, more like a low ranking cop on paid suspension, an assistant for me and Sergeant Dignum. You can also help out with training the new intake. Many have never met a real hardened crook before. You can knock some of the idealism out of them".
Oh, Joy thought Billy.
Queenan continued "Witness Protection will take some time to set up, particularly as we don't know how many cops are either informing for Costello or just plain loose mouthed, which is more likely. For now you will have to sleep in the cell block. There's a canteen and we can arrange to get meals brought into the cell block. You can use the executive room at night, I'll get hold of a radio and there's a TV there. Hopefully you can move home in a week or so, maybe with company".
Oh, Joy thought Billy again. Still, he would be safe. He hoped.
Brown was wondering what was going on. He knew that Billy was always on a short fuse, but had never found him to be a bad person, in fact rather the reverse once you got past his hard exterior. In fact Billy had been one of the few decent white cadets. Maybe he should stick close and find out more, although given what was being said around the place about his boss Sullivan that might be a problem. He decided to call Ellerby anyway, for the record.
Ellerby was not amused by Brown's call. He charged round to Queenan's office like a raging bull after a matador. Once inside he then lambasted both Queenan and Billy. Queenan calmly told Brown to leave and then told Ellerby to come over and look at the terminal. Queenan then brought up Billy's real Personnel Record. Ellerby was dumbfounded, gasping "Why" when he saw how Billy had been framed by the SIU. Queenan replied "Because I'm using Billy as bait. Billy pass that grey folder marked FBI". Ellerby left in a shocked state after he saw the contents. After warning Billy that Brown worked for Sullivan, Queenan waved Brown in again and said to him "Once I've issued Billy with his ID and got him on the payroll, show Billy round, make him feel at home".
Oh, Joy thought Brown. Now why did he get the feeling that everyone was hiding something ?