The body of the dead man had been collected. His file was marked “Internal-Security Threat” which made the processing a top priority for the evidence collection team.

The dead man’s body was handed over by the evidence collection team to the evidence processing team. The dead man’s body was removed from the black body bag, and placed upon a large white ceramic table - with raised edges and gullies on either side where bodily fluids and scraps of flesh could be washed away.

For internal-security threat processing work, the on-duty senior evidence processing officer would conduct the evidence processing. There would be no post-mortem - the People’s Ministry for State Security and Policing were not interested in how the man died - they knew that already. They were only interested in harvesting secrets.

The clothing, personal belongings, and anything connected to the dead man’s body would be examined in minute detail. The heel of a shoe - perfect for hiding microfilm. The trouser hem - perfect for concealing a silk map. A false tooth - it could hide a microchip.

The senior processing officer thought it rare to have a real member of the Unit, a verified undercover agent - sent straight from the operations team on the 16th floor. So many of the “suspects” he had dealt with - alive and dead - turned out to be just the wrong people at the wrong place at the wrong time. Wild goose chases - but fighting a war against an insurgency and the enemies of the hard fought people’s peace was never going to be clean and easy. You have to get the right people, at the right time, in the right place - so it is understandable that mistakes will happen. Right person, wrong place, wrong time. Right person, right place, wrong time. For every 10 they got wrong, no - for every 100 they get wrong, the one you get right makes all the difference. And the one you get right will justify all those that are wrong.

It was also a shame, thought the processing officer, that they hadn’t managed to get him alive. Imagine the secrets that were inside his head when he was alive - ready and waiting to be extracted by the secret service team at the slaughterhouse. But 7 gunshot wounds to the torso and back at close range does not lend itself to live suspects.

We work with what we have.

Even the most cunning and well trained agents make mistakes. They are careless, because they don’t think they will get caught - well, not caught today. Good tradecraft is an always on mentality, but getting caught in the middle of a drop or a meet complicates things. You cannot go to meet a district commander of the Unit without having something, however small, on your person that will provide a clue for the next stage of an investigation. A crumb of cheese.

According to the preliminary operations report - the deceased was observed meeting a suspected district commander of the Unit where “papers were exchanged”. The report did not say whether the deceased was giving papers to the suspected district commander, or was receiving them. The deceased fled on foot - and was out of sight of the operations team for an estimated 10 minutes before being apprehended and neutralized. Plenty of time to discard, hide, or destroy any paper that was received from the suspected district commander. Unless, or course - you were not planning on getting caught today.

The body was stripped of all clothing and jewelry. Cavity inspections were performed on mouth, throat, ears, nasal passages, and rectum. The teeth of the dead white man were removed and x-rayed. The body was inspected for any hidden items - under flaps of skin or surgically inserted. The body was x-rayed. The stomach, esophagus, and intestines were removed and the content inspected. The deceased’s hands and soles of his feet were swabbed for explosives residue.

The senior evidence processing officer was joined by three junior team members and they started the process of inventorying and disassembling the dead man’s possessions.

The dead white man’s possessions were;

2x black lace up work boots (dirty)

2x black socks (worn)

1x white underwear (worn / grubby / blood stained)

1x white under shirt (worn / 7x puncture holes / blood stained)

1x pair of denim work trousers (worn / blood stained)

1x blue work overalls ( dirty / 7x puncture holes / blood stained)

1x black leather belt (old / well used)

1x watch (quartz / analogue face / made in China)

1x packet of Victory cigarettes (filter / contains 11x cigarettes)

1x book of matches (12 matches unused)

1.86 People’s Republic Shillings of loose change

1x black leather wallet (old)

1x scrap of paper (located in breast pocket of blue overalls / blood stained)

1x wedding ring (gold / 7 ct.)

Contents of Wallet:

14 People’s Republic Shillings in notes (2x 5 shilling notes, 4x 1 shilling notes)

1x color photo of a dog (German Shepherd / old / faded)

1x color photo of a female (unknown / age estimated at ±40 / old / faded)

1x People’s Republic Identity Card (Name on card: Wilkes, Anthony)

1x People’s Republic Victory Docks identity Card (longshoreman / name on card: Wilkes, Tony)

The junior team members started the detailed inspection of the dead man’s personal effects. Dissecting the cigarette packet, taking apart the watch and x-raying it, removing every stitch from the overalls and denim work trousers, and taking apart the work boots in a search for hidden compartments.

The wallet was x-rayed along with the wedding ring, belt, and the loose change.

The senior officer had the photos, bank notes, matches, scrap of paper, and the two identity cards placed upon a backlit desk. The desk had a large telescopic magnifying glass upon it, and an assortment of forceps, scalpels, and tweezers. There was a yellow legal notepad and a blue ballpoint pen as well as a stack of evidence bags. The senior officer was wearing a paper face mask and protective eyewear. On his hands he had white latex gloves.

‘So Mr. Anthony Wilkes - what secrets have you left behind? What crumbs of cheese did the rat leave behind before the cat caught you?’

The senior officer picked up a pair of medium sized tweezers and picked up the book of matches, smelling the strike.

The senior officer placed the book of matches in one of the evidence bags and sealed the bag.

The senior officer then picked up the photo of the German Shepherd with the tweezers. He turned the photo to view the back - but there was no writing or date. The senior officer did the same with the photo of the female. On the back was written “Marilyn”.

The senior officer picked up the blue ballpoint pen again and wrote;

Possible Marylin Wilkes - maybe spouse? Send to information retrieval for investigation.

The senior officer placed the photo of Marilyn in an evidence bag and sealed it.

The senior officer also picked up the bank notes and examined them - and then placed them flat against the backlit table to examine them for any irregularities. They seemed legit - and looking up at the junior team workers busy unstitching jeans and overalls, he slipped the banknotes into his trouser pocket.

Next were the identity cards. Each was picked up with the tweezers and examined under the magnifying glass. The senior officer picked up the ballpoint pen and wrote on the noted pad;

Worked at docks - recommend operations interview supervisor and identify associates. Place under surveillance?

The senior officer placed the identity cards in an evidence bag and sealed it.

The last item to be examined was the scrap of blood stained paper. The senior officer picked the scrap of paper up with the tweezers and flattened it out on the backlit table.

‘Interesting’ - he mumbled.

The senior officer moved the telescopic magnifying glass over the flattened scrap of paper and gazed upon it’s bloodied surface.

‘I think we have found a crumb of cheese, Mr. Wilkes.’

The senior officer repositioned the magnifying glass and studied the scrap of paper.

‘Yes Mr. Wilkes, some lovely, delicious cheese.’

The senior officer picked up the pen and glancing between the scrap of paper and the yellow pad wrote;

C ELLIS 12/1 - Probable message received from UNIT district commander by deceased UNIT messenger. High priority - for immediate action

The senior officer then picked the scrap of paper up with the tweezers and placed it in an evidence bag, sealing it afterwards.

Even the most cunning and well trained agents make mistakes. They are careless, because they don’t think they will get caught - well Mr. Wilkes, the People’s Republic has caught you today and now we have your crumb of cheese. Whomever C Ellis might be, the entire investigative force of the People’s Ministry for State Security and Policing will be bearing down on them - and all the other rats.

‘Comrades, how are we doing over there?’ - said the senior officer to the juniors working on Tony Wilkes’ clothing.

‘All done sir’ - said one of the junior officers.

‘Anything interesting?’

‘Nothing interesting to report sir. Lot’s of fluff and pocket lint, but no evidence.’

‘Hmmmmm’ - Thought the senior officer out loud - ‘One crumb of cheese is better than no crumbs of cheese.’

‘Sorry sir?’ - said the junior officer.

‘Nothing comrade - just thinking out loud. Okay bag up the personal effects that are not in the evidence bags’ - The senior officer collected the four evidence bags and the operations paperwork delivered by evidence collection.

‘And the body sir? - The junior officer asked.

‘Contact waste management and inform them that we have a cold package for the farm’

The senior officer left the juniors to complete their work and headed to his office to write up his report for the Chief Inspector.