‘Thoughts?’ Caroline asked as Dexter walked into her office and closed the door behind him. Although she could already tell from his reaction in the briefing what Dexter was thinking, she was looking forward to hearing it in his own words.
In the time she’d known Dexter, she’d never seen him be upset or angry about anything, but Elijah Drummond appeared to have found his trigger points within minutes of arriving.
‘It’s got to be some sort of joke, hasn’t it? Bloke’s on a wind-up. You can see why EMSOU were so bloody keen to get rid of him,’ he said, as he paced the floor in Caroline’s office. ‘And I’m not surprised they were so confident it might be a permanent move. This’ll be the one time the higher-ups keep their word on things like that, I can tell you. Can we just tell them we don’t bloody want him?’
Caroline sympathised, but she didn’t have many options. ‘We’ve fought tooth and nail to get just one extra team member, Dex. We can’t turn around now and say “Sorry, we don’t like that one”. He’s new. He’s probably just nervous and trying to make a good impression.’
Dexter shook his head. ‘You know that’s not the case. He’s rude, he’s arrogant. He butts in wherever he likes, without a thought for anyone else.’
‘Dex, he’s been here five minutes.’
‘Exactly, and I already want to throttle him. He thinks he knows it all. He’s picking holes in the way we do things, trying to make us look like idiotic country bumpkins.’
‘Maybe he’s just offering an alternative viewpoint. It’s good to make sure we’ve considered all possibilities. There’s no harm in having a fresh pair of eyes cast over things. Perhaps there are things we need to change or adapt slightly.’
‘What, so we end up doing things the exact same way as EMSOU? Then what would be the point of us? They’d swallow us up in seconds. Being able to do things differently is the only thing that keeps this shop open. We wouldn’t have half the success rate we do if this was all done by EMSOU.’
Caroline sighed. ‘You don’t know that, Dex. No-one does. EMSOU have infinitely more resources than we’ll ever have. Not to mention staff numbers.’
‘More people doesn’t mean more gets done, though, does it? I think we’re living proof of that. Huge teams just create bloat. Things get lost and forgotten about. People hide in crowds and don’t pull their weight. That’s why Elijah Drummond stands out like a sore thumb over here. Maybe they weren’t trying to get rid of him, after all. You know, I reckon he might genuinely be the best they’ve got. And that says it all.’
Caroline kept silent for a few moments before speaking.
‘Dex, is everything okay?’ she asked.
Dexter stopped pacing and stood with his hands on his hips, his head slightly cocked to one side.
‘No, it isn’t. He’s winding me right up.’
‘I don’t mean Elijah. I mean in general.’
‘Yeah. Fine. Why?’
‘Because you’re not the sort of person to get so wound up about someone else. It’s not like you.’
Dexter loosened his tight jaw, moving it from side to side before speaking. ‘Yeah, well it’s not like you to be defending EMSOU and saying we’d be better off as a part of them.’
‘I didn’t say that, Dex.’
‘Sounded like it.’
‘Dexter, you know I want my team to be able to come to me with anything. Anything. And you know I prefer to chip in at the mucky end and I hate pulling rank, so I’m giving you a gentle little reminder that in this office I’m your superior officer, and that commands a certain level of respect. And yes, now I’ve said that I want to stick my fingers down my throat and vomit. If you need to rant at me, feel free. That’s what I’m here for. But if you want to rant about me to my face, let’s at least do it over a couple of pints in the pub, alright?’
Dexter looked at her and nodded, seeming to come down from his perch a little.
‘Yeah. Sorry,’ he said. ‘I don’t know why, but he just winds me up so much.’
Caroline couldn’t help but smile. ‘He’s not that bad. Just a bit enthusiastic. Don’t forget he’s come from a completely different environment. He’s probably used to having to put on an act to get heard above all the other loudmouths over at EMSOU. He’ll soon pick up that he doesn’t need to do that here.’
‘He’s a DS, boss. He knows the score. He must get that you don’t just walk into a small team like this, where everyone knows everyone, and trample all over it. That’s not a cultural thing. That’s just being human.’
‘To be fair, I have heard they’re a different species over there.’
‘In that case maybe we should put him in a cage.’
Caroline laughed. ‘I doubt it’ll come to that. He probably just needs a bit of training.’
‘Like one of those dogs you see on the telly, where the owners bring in some mad expert who whips them into shape because the dog keeps eating their shoes in the night.’
‘I was thinking more a gentle nudge in the right direction, but I get your point. Do you want me to have a word?’
Dexter took a breath and considered this for a moment, then let out a loud sigh. ‘Nah,’ he said. ‘It’s alright. It’s probably just me being over-sensitive. Like you say, I’m sure he’ll calm down in good time. He’s just over-keen.’
‘Nothing wrong with being keen, Dex. Rather that than have him sitting there with his feet up, doing nothing.’
‘True. Hey, maybe we can use him as our little Rottweiler puppy. Put all that energy into something useful.’
‘I think that’s probably enough of the dog comparisons. Before we know it you’ll have given us all breeds to match our personalities, and I really don’t want to know what mine is. In all seriousness, keep an eye on Elijah. Not in a suspicious way. I mean in a caring one.’
‘Caring?’ Dexter asked.
‘Yeah. The ones who waltz in with that sort of bravado are usually the ones who are the most shy. Someone who’s truly confident and sure of themselves doesn’t feel the need to hammer it home to everyone else. They just get on with it. If it helps you feel any better, you’ll likely find Elijah Drummond doesn’t feel all that self-confident at all. He’s probably just a shy and anxious little boy who’s trying too hard to impress.’
Dexter gave a smile that bordered on a smirk. ‘You know, that does make me feel a bit better. I know it’s bad to say it, but it does.’
‘It’s not bad at all. Just human,’ Caroline replied. ‘We all spend too long judging other people and getting it wrong. Live and let live. Assume the best in people. If you’re always trying to do your best and occasionally, innocently, getting it wrong, then you’ll find that’s what other people are doing too. No-one else is a robot or a bit-part player. Everyone’s living their own story in their own world.’
Dexter raised his eyebrows. ‘Getting a bit deep and philosophical for this time of the morning, aren’t we?’
Caroline shrugged. ‘Maybe. But I’ve picked up enough about people and life in general over the past few years. Worry less, Dex. You don’t often let stuff get to you, and I don’t think Elijah Drummond should be any different. There are two ways of looking at it. Either he’s just shy and anxious, in which case it’s best to give him the benefit of the doubt, or he’s actually a complete and utter tool, in which case he isn’t worth your time getting angry and frustrated over. Whichever way you look at it, it isn’t worth the headspace.’
‘Wise words,’ Dexter replied. ‘You ever thought of writing a self-help book?’
Caroline smiled. ‘I can’t even help myself half the time. I don’t think I’m in any position to start helping other people. In any case, this is what we’re in this job for, isn’t it? We’re here to solve people’s issues and restore order and justice. That’s got to be a form of therapy in itself.’
‘Very true,’ Dexter replied.
‘Dex, listen to me. You’re genuinely one of the best people I’ve ever worked with. If you feel threatened or worried for one moment that there’s another DS on the team, I can tell you now you have nothing to worry about.’
Caroline saw Dexter’s jaw tighten again.
‘I don’t feel threatened. I’m hardly gonna think my role is at risk because some jumped up little… Sorry. That bloke just pushes all my buttons.’
‘It’s alright. Honestly. Everyone’s got buttons somewhere. It just turns out yours are very well hidden. And for good reason. They appear to be nuclear.’
Dexter let out a small chuckle, the thick atmosphere in the room disappearing by a solid half. ‘Maybe it’s a Caribbean thing. Laid-back and jovial, but God forgive you if you get on the wrong side.’
‘A lovely sentiment for a lad born in Leicester.’
‘Where they famously replace your entire genetic heritage with English DNA at the point of birth.’
Caroline smiled. ‘Fair point. Just as long as you know I’ll always consider you about as exotic as a bag of chips.’
‘Well they’re Belgian, so you’re a little off with your geography, but it’s a good start.’
Caroline looked at Dexter and smiled again. ‘Good to have you back, Dex.’
Before he could reply, there was a knock at the door.
‘Come in,’ Caroline called, watching as Aidan entered the room. She recognised the eager look on his face immediately.
‘Boss. I think we might have something,’ he said.