‘Thank you for coming,’ DCI Worrow said, as Ruby pulled up a chair. ‘I understand that you’re very busy.’
Ruby crossed then uncrossed her legs, trying to contain her rising jitters as she wondered why Worrow had called her at such a late hour. It was nine p.m. and they were the only people on the floor of the so-called ivory towers. Unlike the minions in serious crime who were still working on the floor below, the rest of her superior officers had all gone home.
Worrow interlocked her fingers and rested them on the desk. Even at this late hour she was perfectly groomed; her black bobbed hair styled to perfection. Ruby patted her dishevelled bun to find the pen she had embedded in it earlier. Too late to worry about it now, she thought, as DCI Worrow spoke.
‘I came in to see you this afternoon and I was disappointed to see that both yours and DI Downes’s office doors were closed. This goes against my imposed open door policy, and I believe it could be contributing towards the low morale of your team.’
The woman spoke in such an officious tone it was as if she were reading the words. But that was her nature as far as Ruby could see: stilted, unnatural. Ruby wanted to say that the only time her team suffered from low morale was when Worrow came to visit. She refrained from rolling her eyes, as such behaviour would be unbecoming of a police sergeant. Her superior’s attitude got on her nerves. Coming out with this crap when they were juggling with a serial killer? Fresh from a university business degree, Worrow was always coming up with ideas, strategies and discussions. While Ruby admired her, getting fast-tracked for promotion at such a young age, flying through the ranks had left Worrow with little time to experience life on the streets. It was hardly any wonder that officers could not identify with her. With a privileged upbringing, and a swish Hampstead pad, she was totally out of place in Ruby’s world. And the thing was, she was never going to change. Shoreditch was a temporary stay for Worrow: a test of her resilience. But unlike Downes, Ruby did not want to set her up to fail. Instead of arguing, Ruby decided to give her a break and listen to what she had to say.
Ruby nodded as DCI Worrow spoke about open doors, social media and weekly team building meetings. She tried to look interested as she told her about the new spreadsheet she was introducing to the team to track their individual targets and detection rates.
‘We’re nearly finished,’ she said, as Ruby’s head snapped up from checking her watch. ‘There’s one more thing I need to speak to you about.’
Ruby tried to look interested. But it was past nine o’clock; she had not eaten since twelve and there was still lots to do.
‘I’ve had an informal complaint from a member of your team. They’ve expressed some concerns with regards your style of management.’
‘Style of management? Are you serious?’ Ruby blurted in disbelief. As Worrow’s eyebrows shot up, Ruby regained her composure. ‘So you’re saying someone from my team has complained about me.’
Worrow drew in a terse breath. ‘It’s not an official complaint, just an expression of concern.’
Ruby could feel her blood pressure rising. Why didn’t Worrow just get to the point? ‘Ma’am, with all due respect, I’ve no idea what you’re talking about. Concern for what?’
‘They wouldn’t provide any details, only to say they had concerns with regards your background and the company you keep. They also had misgivings with regards your reluctance to adhere to procedure. While no formal complaint has been made, these are things I will be keeping a very close eye on for the welfare of my team.’
Welfare of her team? Since when had she done anything to contribute? The heat of her temper rose within and she fought back the urge to slap the smug smile from Worrow’s face. How dare she, Ruby thought, lecturing her about the welfare of her team? To Worrow, they were just numbers to input on a spreadsheet: how many arrests; how many successful charges; making up pretty little pie charts to impress the bosses. She did not know that Ash’s wife suffered from morbid depression and his mum had moved in to help with the kids. She wasn’t aware that Luddy was struggling with his sergeant’s exams because he was dyslexic and too embarrassed to admit it. And she sure didn’t know that Eve was struggling to get past her insecurities. Worrow had not earned the right to call them her team when all she had ever paid them was lip service. ‘I’m still not clear what the complaint is about. Can you at least elaborate?’
‘A member of your team has issues with your reluctance about sticking to police policy.’
‘And the company I keep?’ Ruby asked, her heart picking up a beat. Worrow was new to her post and trying to make a name for herself. If she knew of her acquaintance with the Crosby family, it could spell serious trouble for Ruby’s career.
‘They wouldn’t elaborate other than to say it was not befitting of a police sergeant, particularly a member of the serious crime team.’
‘But I was double vetted prior to taking the post.’
‘Something I’m well aware of, and there’s nothing to say these claims are substantiated.’ Worrow sighed and lowering her voice she leaned across the table. ‘Ruby, I know you think I’m some sort of automaton, that I’m just here to step over people on my way to promotion.’ Ruby opened her mouth to respond, and Worrow raised her hand. ‘Let me finish. Believe it or not I’m on your side. I appreciate how tough it is working in a male-dominated world, and I just wanted to say, you need to watch your back – I’d hate to lose you.’ Worrow’s gaze shifted towards the door as if she expected the professional standards department to jump out at any minute. Straightening her posture, her cool veneer regained a foothold.
‘What do you suggest I do?’ The heat of Ruby’s anger visibly evaporated as the fear of losing her job took hold. ‘This job is my life. I’ve worked hard to get where I am. I can’t lose it all now.’
‘I appreciate that, and nobody is questioning your dedication to the team. But you’ve got to be seen to be doing the right thing. You mix with unsavoury characters as part of your role and as long as you have a legitimate reason for doing so, then you’ve nothing to worry about.’
Ruby fell silent as she tried to figure out how much trouble she was in. Was Worrow holding back? Did she know more?
Worrow interlaced her fingers. ‘I may have come down a bit hard. There’s nothing official in motion and nobody’s out to get you. I just wanted to make you aware so we can nip it in the bud.’
‘I’m just trying to think of what I’ve done to warrant a complaint. I guess I’ll have to document who I speak to in the future, in case I get pulled up for it.’
‘That would be wise, even if it’s a quick update in your pocket notebook. Just keep yourself covered, that’s all I’m saying. This isn’t like any other job. You don’t get to leave it at home at the end of the day.’
Ruby smiled. ‘You’re not going to tell me to get a job in B&Q now, are you?’
Worrow could not help but smile in return. ‘No, I think we’ll keep you where you are. Besides, I’ve heard you’re terrible at DIY.’ She unclasped her hands and pushed back her chair. ‘Yes, well… I believe this has been quite a productive meeting. Let’s hear no more about it.’
Ruby nodded. Worrow had made it clear. The unofficial complaint was going away. She did not feel guilty, because her loyalty to her team should never have been called into question. But as Ruby left Worrow’s office she wondered if she knew her boss at all. There was a lot more to Worrow than the unyielding senior officer she presented to the team. She had caught a spark of humanity behind those cool blue eyes, and given her recent phone call she was not as prim and proper as she pretended to be.