The Actor

Simon meets with the narc cops

Simon

Two of them in the one office, but the office was a large one – like Coombs, the narc-cops were beneficiaries of the space-glut. Unlike him they had succeeded in imparting something of themselves onto their surroundings. It was a mix of old and new: a hat stand by the door, unused; a whiteboard along one wall covered with impenetrable scribblings and interspersed with photographs of grim-faced suspects; a row of computer screens along the adjacent wall displaying case files and evidence forms – these marked off the early minutes of Simon's visit by, one after another, switching themselves back to a dull grey screensaver mode – and two desks in an L-shaped configuration. Simon sat at the focal point of this arrangement, feeling like the subject of a flanking maneuver.

"You've got a warrant?"

"We're getting one."

Simon flicked his gaze between the two men. He was wondering whether he should be making an effort to find identifying marks that might tell them apart. But why bother? It wasn't as if he'd be the one asked to pick them out in an identity parade. Cop A and Cop B. As monikers, these seemed as good as any.

"And what the hell do you expect to achieve by this raid?"

"Gather evidence. Just like any other investigative technique."

Cop A looked down at a document on his desk, back at Simon. "You're going to blunder into a working pharmaceutical plant? And do what exactly? Collect samples?"

"If there is product on site, it will confirm what we suspect."

"So that's the upside? You confirm what you already think you know anyway. And the downside? – You alert all the people behind this that you know what you know." The two men exchanged skeptical looks. "That makes no sense. You realize that?"

"We believe it's the best way to move the case forward."

"Yeah? You ask me, your time would be better spent polishing up your resume."

Simon held his pose of tolerance.

"You know these people make medicine for the sick, right? And you plan to barge in and fuck up their production schedule for the day?" He shook his head. "You got to call this off, buddy. Before you make a fool of yourself."

Simon shook his head. "I take it then that you won't be participating?"

Ignoring this, Cop A perused some more of the paperwork. Spotting something in the fine print he looked up at Simon. He slid the paper across the desk. "This here? This is the place you aim to bust open?"

Simon leaned forward to confirm, then nodded.

Cop A handed the document across to Cop B. They exchanged a quick glance. Cop B suppressed a momentary giggle with limited success. By the time they had returned their collective gaze to Simon, however, it was two poker faces that opposed him.

"So you plan to go ahead with this? Whatever we say?"

"I do."

"Well good for you, buddy. Remember to keep an eye out for us when you go in. We'll be on the side-lines cheering."