Brock began to frame an objection, but Sharpe went on. ‘Form your own team. Take any of Chivers’ people you want. He’s waiting to brief you now. Room 413, two floors down. All right? Now, the second matter …’ He sprang to his feet, reached for a glossy document lying on his desk and slapped it onto the table in front of Brock.

‘You’re familiar with this, of course.’

Protect and Respect: Everybody Benefits. Diversity Strategy of the Metropolitan Police. Brock recognised the cover. Everybody in the Met had received one and there had been extensive reports in The Job, but he hadn’t got around to reading it. There had been a series of briefing sessions for line managers, but he’d always been busy elsewhere.

‘What do you think?’

‘Well…’ Brock said cautiously. ‘A positive move, post-Macpherson …’

‘Yes, yes. But more than that. In the Deputy Commissioner’s words, this is a core business imperative.’

Sharpe paused to let that sink in, then tapped the document with his fingertips and went on severely, ‘It’s that important, Brock, and we all have to embrace it.’

Brock was wondering now whether this was some kind of reprimand. Had his absence from the briefings been noted, or had he inadvertently committed some error somewhere along the line? Had he been reported for political incorrectness?

‘The Diversity Strategy includes a six-point action plan, as you know. Six strategic areas, right?’

For an awful moment Brock thought he was going to be tested, but Sharpe lifted his left hand, fingers outstretched, and ticked the points off with his right index finger, one by one, for emphasis. ‘Leadership, crime, processes, workforce, training and communications. And to help stimulate debate and develop policy in each of these strategic areas, six Strategy Working Parties are being established. One which will be particularly close to your heart, Brock, will be the Crime Strategy Working Party.’