‘So how many?’ - The Inspector asked.

‘We have 11 in our records - but we can reduce that down by excluding several factors’ - said the records technician.

‘So how many?’

‘Four are juveniles - and three appear to be too old. So that leaves us with four.’

‘And they are…?’ - The Inspector said.

‘Christine Ellis, age 36. Charles “Charlie” Ellis, age 42. Carlo Stephen Ellis, age 22. And Charles Allen Ellis, age 54’ - the technician said.

‘Please print them off, comrade.’

The technician printed off the records and handed them to the Inspector. It was the day after the meeting between Operations and the secret service. The Inspector took the documents and walked back to his office. He sat down in his office chair and was starting to make some notes when the phone rang.

‘Hello?’

‘Ah Inspector - this is Number Four over at the slaughterhouse. How are you, comrade?’

‘Very good Number Four - and you?’

‘Bit of a busy night - what with all the greater good work going on at the moment.’

‘Yes...how did that go? Pretty standard work I should imagine - I hope you didn’t shoot anyone!’ - The Inspector laughed.

‘Ha ha - yes. We managed to keep the guns holstered. I was calling to see about Bedivere - any news on him?’

‘I was just heading up to the Chief Inspector to inform him that Operations have failed to make contact Number Four. No response from Bedivere.’

‘Do any of your fellows know what Bedivere looks like Inspector?’

‘Yes - a couple of them do. Those that were running him. Why?’

‘We found a cold package yesterday - and I was wondering if your fellows wouldn’t mind having a look at it to see if it rings any bells?’

‘You found a cold package?’

‘Yes we did.’

‘Where did you find it?’

‘It might be better if you come over to the slaughterhouse - where we can have a chat. Nothing official. Bring your fellows with you!’

This could be a trap - thought the Inspector.

‘Sorry comrade - I am right in the thick of things here. Just getting ready to round up the Gawain targets.’

‘We think we have Bedivere’ - said Number Three.

‘Where do you have Bedivere?’

‘The cold package, Inspector - but it would be better if we discuss it in person. And there is something else we need to discuss as well.’

‘When?’

‘Soon - things are going to be moving fast once they get moving Inspector. I would hate for you to miss the ride.’

‘Let me get Gawain going, and then I will head over with one of my boys.’

‘And he knows Bedivere?’

‘Yes - he knows Bedivere.’

‘Looking forward to seeing you’ - said Number Four.

‘You too comrade’ - The Inspector replied.

The Inspector hung up the phone, then picked it up again almost immediately, dialing a three digit number - ‘My office, now.’

The Inspector carried on making notes. There was a knock at the door.

‘Come.’

The smoking man walked in, closed the door and sat down.

‘Everything okay, guv?’ - Asked the smoking man, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it.

‘I just had Number Four on the phone. They seem to think they might have located Bedivere.’

‘So everything is going to plan then guv?’

‘Maybe - they want me to head over to the slaughterhouse later today with someone to ID the body, and that someone would be you, comrade.’

The smoking man shifted in his seat - ‘It could be a trap guv.’

‘It could be a trap comrade - but I think our friends over at the slaughterhouse have found the breadcrumbs and are starting to build a picture. If they get a positive ID on Bedivere - then that picture will become even more complete, comrade.’

The smoking man looked uneasy. ‘What happens if we walk in the slaughterhouse and don’t walk out?’

‘It’s a possibility - but I don’t think that will happen. If it were a trap, then Number Two would need to sign off on it, and then he would need the Super to concur, and then I would get a call from the Chief asking me to head over there for a briefing or something. They know they have something - thanks to our handy work - but at the moment they don’t know what they’ve got. With a Bedivere positive ID they will have a bit more.’

‘Still not sure about this guv. Can’t they just send over a photo? Not sure I fancy spending my last hours hanging from a meat hook before a one-way trip to the farm.’

‘Is there any other kind of trip to the farm?’

The smoking man extinguished his cigarette, and lit another - ‘So we go over there, make a positive ID and then what?’

‘They will have questions, comrade, and we will just listen. They won’t give too much away, but they will want to bounce some ideas off of us. They know that they are heading out on a fishing trip - and there is a good chance the fish will eat them so they will be cautious.’

‘Alright guv - so when are we going?’

The Inspector handed the smoking man the four documents - ‘Gawain targets. Send out four patrols to bag them up, and then bring them back here. We will sweat them for a bit before sending them over to the slaughterhouse. And no lethal force - do you understand, comrade?’

The smoking man took the documents and glanced at the names and faces - ‘Yes guv.’

‘We will head over there after lunch.’

The drive from the Ministry to the slaughterhouse took about 30 minutes. The smoking man and the Inspector drove in silence, and they shortly pulled up to an old red brick building. There was an abandoned security hut, and the entrance barrier stuck in the raised position. An old chain link fence looped around the carpark at the front, and was covered in creeping plants. There was a rusty sign as you entered the car park which read “NO VISITORS - PRIVATE PROPERTY”.’

All the windows of the red brick building had been painted black. There was a door to the right hand side of the car park with a sign above it - “RECEPTION - NO DELIVERIES”. High above on the side of the red brick building was a faded wooden sign which said - “MacMillians Meat Packers”.

The smoking man parked the car. The Inspector turned to the smoking man and said - “They think we are idiots, so let’s not spoil the illusion comrade. Act dumb, and no detective work. They want to solve this whodunnit - so let’s not get in their way. Understand comrade?”

‘Yes guv.’

‘Alright then comrade - into the belly of the beast!’

They both got out of the car. They walked across the car park to the reception door - the Inspector went first, opening the door and stepping in. The smoking man followed him.

They stepped into a dusty, dim, and what appeared to be disused reception area. There was a desk with a phone and a man wearing a navy blue tracksuit sitting behind the desk reading a newspaper. At the end of a short hallway was a set of double doors. The man reading the paper looked up, and promptly picked up the phone. He pressed a button and waited a moment - ‘Visitors’ - he said, and then hung up. He went back to reading his newspaper ignoring the Inspector and the smoking man.

The smoking man and the Inspector stood in the dusty reception - there were no chairs to sit on.

After a short while, one of the double doors at the end of the hall opened and Number Four stepped through.

‘Inspector - thanks for coming’ - Number Four walked up to the Inspector and shook his hand.

‘Number Four’ - said the Inspector - ‘I hope this won't take too long, I am in the middle of an operation at the moment.’

‘Not long at all’ - said Number Four smiling.

Number Four looked at the smoking man, gave a nod and then turned - ‘This way comrades.’

Number Four walked down the hall and through the double doors. This is where they cattle prod us - the smoking man thought. The Inspector followed Number Four, and the smoking man followed the Inspector.

The Inspector and the smoking man passed through the double doors to a dim corridor. The building inside looked like a jaded office building from a bygone era. Linoleum floor, wooden wainscotting, and fluorescent overhead strip lighting. Only a few of the fluorescent bulbs were working with some of them flickering on and off. They turned right and followed Number Four. They continued through the building until they came to two stainless steel doors. An old sign above the door read - “KILLING FLOOR - NO UNAUTHORIZED ENTRY”. Number Four pushed open the door and they entered an air lock of sorts. On the other side of the stainless steel doors was another set of stainless steel doors. Number Four pushed through these as well, and the flooring changed to non-slip ceramic tiles. The walls were white subway tile and the lighting was bright and industrial. They walked down a hallway and Number Four stopped at a room on the left. The sign above the door read “MEAT LOCKER 17”. Number Four pulled the lever handle on the door and pulled it open - ‘After you comrades…’

‘No - this is where it happens’ - thought the smoking man. The Inspector looked into Meat Locker 17 and said - ‘ Good afternoon Number Three.’

The Inspector stepped into the meat locker. Number Four stood outside waiting for the smoking man to move - ‘After you comrade’ - said Number Four. The smoking man stepped into the meat locker and Number Four joined him - pulling the door shut behind him.

The room was about 10 meters by 10 meters. Harsh industrial lighting shone down from above. On one of the walls was a long broken thermometer. Along the roof were stainless steel railing with dozens of meat hooks hanging from them. In the middle of the room was a large stainless steel table with a black body bag on top of it.

There were no chairs. Number Three was standing beside the stainless steel table.

‘Good afternoon Inspector - thanks a lot for coming down. I am sure you are busy so we won't keep you too long’ - said Number Three, shaking the Inspector’s hand. Number Three looked at the smoking man, but said nothing to him.

‘If I had known you were going to be here Number Three, I would have asked the Chief Inspector to join us.’

‘No need for that Inspector’ - said Number Three, looking at Number Four. Number Four took over.

‘Inspector, we were conducting the snatch operations yesterday on the targets the Chief Inspector sent over - for Operation Camelot - and one of the targets, a Colin Pinder, was found like this…’

Number Four unzipped the body bag to reveal the bloody remains of Colin Pinder’s head and torso.

‘We were wondering, Inspector - if this man is known to the kemp...to Operations?’

The Inspector turned to the smoking man. The smoking man stepped forward and gazed at Colin Pinder.

‘Why did you shoot him in the head?’ - Asked the smoking man.

‘We didn’t’ - said Number Four - ‘as I said, we found him like this.’

‘That’s him’ - said the smoking man.

‘That’s who?’ - Number Four asked.

‘Bendyqueer’ - said the smoking man.

Number Four raised his eyebrows. ‘Bedivere?’

‘I don’t know comrade - whatever you are calling him, that is him.’

‘Are you sure, comrade?’ - Asked Number Three.

‘Yep, that's Bendyqueer - did he try to run, so you shot him? It happens comrade’ - said the smoking man.

‘Thank you comrade’ - said the Inspector.

Number Four zipped up the body bag. He looked at Number Three - who nodded.

‘We found someone else at Mr. Pinder’s unit, or should I say, Bedivere’s unit. Something interesting…’

‘Interesting?’ - The Inspector said nervously.

‘We found a very distinctive cigarette’ - said Number Four.

‘Talking of cigarettes - is it okay to smoke in here?’ - Asked the smoking man, pulling out his packet of Victory brand smokes.

‘Yes comrade’ - said Number Three.

Number Four pulled from his pocket an evidence bag containing a cigarette butt. He peeled it open, and held it out for the Inspector - ‘Smell’ - he said.

The Inspector leaned forward and sniffed the bag - ‘Turkish?’

‘Yes - Turkish’ - said Number Four.

‘Have you smelled that type of cigarette before Inspector - recently maybe?’ - Asked Number Three - ‘Have another smell.’

The Inspector smelled the bag again - ‘Yes I have, Number Three.’

‘And so have we - Inspector’ - said Number Three.

‘We ran full forensics on the Bedivere residence - and the weapon used to kill Bedivere has been used in 17 unsolved murders, many Unit-linked political assassinations’ - said Number Four.

‘We also have a full DNA profile and partial prints from the scene’ - said Number Three

‘Perceval…?’ - The Inspector pointed out.

‘We need your help Inspector - we need you to engineer another meeting at the Ministry. We need you-know-who to be there - and we need evidence, Inspector’ - said Number three.

‘Is “you know who” who I think it is?’ - Asked the Inspector.

‘Let’s not jump to conclusions Inspector - just arrange the meeting. A de-briefing on where we are. There has been a major development - Bedivere is dead. We need to regroup and discuss where we are’ - said Number Three.

‘Okay’ - said the Inspector.

‘You will do it?’

‘I will speak to the Chief when we get back to the Ministry’ - said the Inspector.

‘Shall I just drop it on the floor?’ - Asked the smoking man, holding the end of his cigarette.

‘Yes comrade’ - said Number Three.

The smoking man dropped his cigarette on the floor and stomped on it.

‘Call Number Four once you have spoken to the Chief’ - Number Three instructed.

‘Yes comrade’ - said the Inspector.

‘Alright - I think we are done here comrades’ - Number Four announced.

The Inspector shook hands with Number Three, and Number Four pushed open the meat locker door. The Inspector and the smoking man left the meat locker and followed Number Four back down to the reception. The man in the blue navy tracksuit was still reading his newspaper. He didn’t look up when Number Four, the Inspector, and the smoking man appeared.

‘Call me when you know something Inspector’ - said Number Four

‘I will’ - the Inspector shook Number Four’s hand.

Number Four gave a nod to the smoking man, and then turned and went back through the double doors.

The smoking man and the Inspector walked back across the car park towards their car. They climbed in and drove back to the Ministry in silence.