Abacus

your question. As far as our effectiveness goes, we are doing great work. Each one we cull saves dozens of victims from despair, injury or death. If we don’t do what we do the future looks bleak for your children and their children. Randall, you must understand there are different levels within the organization. Your role will not always be the same as it is now. You will eventually be assigned to larger assignments. This was also the case with me. I walked in your shoes before I took up this position.”
    Noel’s responses always provided clarity for Randall. After a conversation with Noel he always felt more relaxed with a deeper understanding of his role within the organisation. “Well, I’m sorry to disrupt you late at night for such a trivial thing.”
    “Like I said , anytime. Anyway, I hope our little talk helps you with your sleep, and don’t forget our offer regarding Jenkins, it’s always on the table. You just say the word.”
    “Okay, thanks. I won’t keep you up any longer. I’ll speak with you later.” Randall hung up the phone, laid back on the bed, and stared at the ceiling, hoping that when he closed his eyes the Ferris wheel would be no more.
    * * *
    The following morning Jesse, with clipboard in hand, stood in front of the whiteboard. “Crime fighters, this is Michael Blair, most of you should already know him from the region, he is our analyst for this job. If you don’t know him, make yourself known to him, please.” The thin, short and pasty-skinned Michael walked around the office, shaking hands with the detectives.
    “Al l right, people, now for today’s jobs,” he said, pointing to the writing on the board he had earlier prepared. “Sheik, I’ve got you following up on our Asian friend today.”
    “Yep , on it,” he answered.
    “And , Michael, you will work on the partial mobile phone number to try and identify the two missing digits.” Michael nodded and made notes. “Georgie G, I need you to liaise with missing persons and see if we have any candidates. If we do, do the usual, get a DNA profile from home, toothbrush, whatever, and organize a comparison. See Leanne who has some photos for you and other physical features to go by.”
    “On it,” Georgie replied.
    “Hobbs, I need you to finish those things we discussed last night with the divers.” Hobbs nodded.
    As the team left and went about their tasks, Jesse noticed that R andall looked a little agitated. “What’s up, boss?”
    “I’ve got one of those friggin’ talk fest management meetings today, and it’s the last thing I need at the moment.”
    Flick ing through a filing cabinet, Jesse laughed. “Well, good luck with it, boss, better you than me. I don’t have the patience.”
    “D o you think I have?” Randall huffed, as he left the room.
    * * *
    Randall didn’t like management meetings and failed to understand their benefit. In any instance, they went on far too long with those present clambering over each other to vie for their time in the sun. These meetings took up a lot of his valuable time and were mainly attended by those he referred to as cake-eaters who were really not productive towards the policing cause. These new fortnightly meetings, brought in by the new hierarchy, were the same mob who now ran the police department like a company. “How can a police department be profitable,” he often laughed to himself, “if policing is a business, with the amount of waste and poor decision making the bloody shareholders would be up in arms. The liquidators would have swept through the place long ago.”
    The relationship between Ra ndall and management was bittersweet. They needed him because he was an excellent leader who got results, but at the same time loathed his unorthodox ways. Anyhow, Randall being Randall, the relationship with management did not get off to a great start.
    He recalled the very first management meeting he was called to, where supervisors from all sections of the policing roster were ordered to provide a monthly return of work performance by staff under their supervision. He saw this as a further imposition as he was just rehashing what was readily available on the computer database. Randall toed the line and submitted the first two months’ reports, but did not receive any acknowledgement or feedback about them. Delving as he did, he soon discovered that the reports were simply being filed without even being read.
    To make a point, he provided his third report in