How the police had changed since he was a boy. Bill was starting to relax. The tension left him with a shiver. He began to eat, grateful for something other than drink in his stomach. "I'm glad to 'ear it," he said after swallowing his first bite. "T' police used to be much harsher. Not PC Crane I mean. 'E's a good man." If it hadn't been for Crane, John would have been in prison, rather than in the army.

Alasdair nodded as he ate before speaking "the police forces are changing, people like constable crane are the future of this profession. People with a bit of compassion and understanding about them. Someone able to policing but also do hearts and minds with the locals"

He took a drink from his bottle "the future is totally changing and this is only the start of it. People like constable crane are what the police force will be in the future. The time of the brute force is going out like the dinosaurs. While there may be a place for it. Alot of those days will disappear.

Bill nodded in agreement and ate his meal sheepishly. Despite the policeman's claim that the police force was changing, it still felt odd to sit here having a meal with the man after getting arrested. Not that he was complaining. "What are ye guys going to do with t' real crime, though? There are still Magnus Carringtons about." Despite the original being shot in the head, and good riddance.

Alasdair nodded "policing will still be here bill. Just the approach will be different. We will always be here to here to prevent and deter crime. Thats the role and it will never change. But the days of just mindless beatings will change and for the better. We are not barbaric. We want the public to help us and trust us aswell"

He continued to eat "what about your kids? What they up to these days?"

The way the policeman kept using his first name felt odd to him. When he had dealt with the police before regarding John and Joe, they had called him Mr. Blacke, when he had been a boy in custody they had called him all sort of names but his name, and once he was in prison and in the reform school, he had listened to a number. But he didn't mind this personal approach. It was certainly better than a number and he liked the policeman.

"I'm glad to 'ear it," he muttered. Even before he had been arrested as a boy, he and his friends had considered the police the enemy, and they had sometimes thrown rocks at them or pulled pranks. Part of it had been a boyish hunger for adventure and looking brave in the eyes of their peers. But it had been fed by a sense that the police was already prejudiced against them and eager to beat them down.

The question about his children embarrassed him and he stopped eating. Of course the policeman had seen John's file! It had to be hard to miss what with how thick it probably was. And then Joe had spent a night in a cell recently too. Now Bill. It was a good thing this new sergeant wanted to give people the benefit of the doubt, because he suddenly felt like his family was building up a 'Longbottom' kind of reputation.

He sat back a little and sighed. "I suppose ye've seen our John's file? I swear, we tried our best with 'im. Well, I'm glad to say t' army seems to 'ave knocked t' sense into 'im at last. If it wasn't for Crane, PC Crane I mean, 'e'd have been in prison, and probably come out worse. But 'e seems to want to make summat of 'is life now. Our Joe, ah, 'e's eighteen and 'e's quicker to make his decisions than 'e's smart, ye know what I mean? And our Ruth... His gaze darkened. He glared down at the chips. "T' man I hit, 'e seduced 'er and then treated 'er badly. I wish there was a law that'd stop men from bein' arseholes. That'd be a lot better than lockin' up poor people for petty theft, or beatin' lads for mischief."

Alasdair shook his head "I havent looked at his file. It must be archived with the rest of the non current incidents. Most of the paperwork gets archived by our spare constable on duty. Constable Crane is a good lad, guys like him are the future. While there will always be a need for some brute force at times. There's a greater need for understanding. I'm big on hearts and minds. Drunk and disorderly. If theres no harm done then why can't we just take them home and get them out of harms way. 9 times out of 10 they live on that beat. I don't want to have constables tied up on petty paperwork when there's real crime on going"

Alasdair paused for a moment "we were all kids, we've all done past mistakes but I tell you what. If John is interested. Theres a place on the Constabulary for him. I need someone with a bit of firearms knowledge if he's interested and we can look at sorting that file of his"

He leaned on the table "between you and me Bill, if I hadn't binned that report. It would go to court and be thrown out by the magistrate as soon as they found out it one it was in a pub, and two there was drink involved. So it would be a waste of time for yourself and also financially there would be a loss. I've also gotta send the constable who was on duty so everyone losses out over something that will be thrown out"

He soon finished his dinner and asked the constable on spare to bring a couple of coffees. "You've given me a name bill and I'll keep him on my radar, but leave it be. You might not get him but you will protect people in the long run"

Not for the first time this evening, Bill wondered whether he was actually awake. The police offering their John a job sounded like something straight out of a bizarre dream. "I'll let 'im know..." he said awkwardly. If John ended up working for the police, the kid had really made a u-turn. Bill wasn't sure how he'd feel about it.

"Angus McLeod is 'is name," he said. "The slimiest eel that was ever seen in Whitby. I saw 'im chattin' up t' barmaid like ruinin' one woman wasn't enough. I know I shouldn't 'ave punched 'im, but, well... I don't know if ye 'ave bairns of yer own, ser, but if ye do, ye'll understand."

Alasdair nodded "two kids, that's why I do this job. Make the streets alot safer for them and everyone else. But I can empathise with you. If anything happened to them. I would do the same"

He thought for a moment and then nodded. "I know the name and I'll speak the constable on that beat. He will be closely monitored" alasdair would have to find out who's beat it was. It might have been Francis or Elijahs he wasn't sure. He would have to check. He paused for a moment. "I couldn't contain all the information in my head about each report and beat. Theres alot goes on in this town. Alot of paperwork has been filed needlessly for petty stuff that should have been dealt with there and then not dragging people through cells and paperwork for spitting in the street or drunk on their way home from the pubs. I aim to streamline this place and want good people here to help do it"

Though the police sergeant had been kind to him, it was only now that Bill felt they had anything in common. Behind his uniform and power, this man too had children to look out for.

Then the man told him once again how he didn't want people arrested over petty stuff and how he wanted to reform the place and Bill just nodded. He was glad of it, but he wondered why the policeman sought to stress it so much. Did he want something from Bill? Spread the good message among 'his people' that the police could be trusted? He sipped the coffee that was handed to him, waiting for more to come.

Alasdair sighed "18 years I patrolled the beat as a constable and then transfered here for promotion. I became a constable to provide for my family. Put a roof over there head. And now my daughter has her heart set on becoming a constable aswell. So you see I want a better environment for her to come into. I don't want her to see what me, my cousin or anyone else regardless which side of the law it takes. I've seen things that would turn most men's stomach"

He took a drink from his cup and spoke again "most of us are family men bill. We do this to help our families. And yes I completely understand what you did. But I will say this. He will not get away with it. Maybe not today or tomorrow but he will slip and we will get him and make sure, people like your daughter and you....get the justice they truelly deserve"