Gideon's Staff - Gideon, Bk 5 Author:J. J. Marric (John Creasy) The commissioner of Scotland Yard had called a meeting of department heads. He announced to them that the government was faced with an economy drive--that each department head was to report where his department could best economize. There was grumbling from the understaffed Traffic Division, from the Uniformed Branch--a general feeling that ec... more »onomies would be difficult--but it was Commander Gideon who said, speaking for the C.I.D., "Our department alone wants another two hundred and fifty men, at least twenty per cent more floor space than we've got, and every man-jack in it ought to get a twenty per cent raise. Crime is going up. Unless we can expand, rather than economize, I'll tell the Home Office that they can get ready for the biggest crime wave London's had since 1839. ...I couldn't do my job if economies were forced on me. And," he added, "if I couldn't do the job, I'd rather not have it. I'd rather be back on the cab rank. Then I would know that if I were assigned to a case, I could see it through."
He caused a sensation.
And he knew his future was at stake.
The papers got hold of the story--it was news across England.
And certain bright minds on the other side of the law started working. If the Yard was as understaffed as it said it was--then--and the minds began to plan how to take advantage of the situation.« less