About Time, page 1
Copyright © 2022 Jodi Taylor
The right of Jodi Taylor to be identified as the Author of
the Work has been asserted by her in accordance with the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
First published in Great Britain in 2022 by
HEADLINE PUBLISHING GROUP
This Ebook edition published in 2022 by
HEADLINE PUBLISHING GROUP
1
Apart from any use permitted under UK copyright law,
this publication may only be reproduced, stored, or transmitted,
in any form, or by any means, with prior permission in writing of
the publishers or, in the case of reprographic production, in
accordance with the terms of licences issued by the
Copyright Licensing Agency.
All characters in this publication – other than the obvious
historical figures – are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons,
living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Cataloguing in Publication Data is available from the British Library
ISBN 978 1 4722 8690 1
Jacket illustration & design by Tom Sanderson
Author photograph © Accent Press
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Contents
Title
Copyright
About the Author
About the Book
Also By
Roll Call
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
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13
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19
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25
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27
28
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35
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39
Epilogue
Author’s Note
Another Author’s Note
Acknowledgements
Discover more from Jodi Taylor . . .
About the Author
Jodi Taylor is the internationally bestselling author of the Chronicles of St Mary’s series, the story of a bunch of disaster prone individuals who investigate major historical events in contemporary time. Do NOT call it time travel! She is also the author of the Time Police series – a St Mary’s spinoff and gateway into the world of an all-powerful, international organisation who are NOTHING like St Mary’s. Except, when they are.
Alongside these, Jodi is known for her gripping supernatural thrillers featuring Elizabeth Cage together with the enchanting Frogmorton Farm series – a fairy story for adults.
Born in Bristol and now living in Gloucester (facts both cities vigorously deny), she spent many years with her head somewhere else, much to the dismay of family, teachers and employers, before finally deciding to put all that daydreaming to good use and write a novel. Over twenty books later, she still has no idea what she wants to do when she grows up.
About the Book
Patience is not a virtue known to the Time Police. And Commander Hay is facing the longest day of her life . . .
After their heroic efforts to safeguard the Acropolis and prevent the Paris Time-Stop, the Time Police have gone from zero to hero. Then one fateful mission to apprehend a minor criminal selling dodgy historical artefacts blows up in all their faces.
An officer is attacked within TPHQ. A prisoner is murdered. And investigations are about to lead to the one place where no officer can legally tread.
Worst of all, trouble is brewing for Luke, Jane and Matthew as a shocking revelation threatens to tear Team Weird apart for good.
By Jodi Taylor and available from Headline
TIME POLICE SERIES
Doing Time
Hard Time
saving time
About Time
The Chronicles of St Mary’s series
Just One Damned Thing After Another
A Symphony of Echoes
A Second Chance
A Trail Through Time
No Time Like the Past
What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
Lies, Damned Lies, and History
And the Rest is History
An Argumentation of Historians
Hope for the Best
Plan For the Worst
another time, another place
A Catalogue of Catastrophe
Short-story collections
The Long and Short of It
Long Story Short
The Chronicles of St Mary’s digital shorts
When a Child is Born
Roman Holiday
Christmas Present
Ships and Stings and Wedding Rings
THE VERY FIRST DAMNED THING
The Great St Mary’s Day Out
My Name is Markham
A Perfect Storm
Christmas Past
Battersea Barricades
The Steam-Pump Jump
And Now For Something Completely Different
When Did You Last See Your Father?
Why is Nothing Ever Simple?
The Ordeal of the Haunted Room
The Toast of Time
Elizabeth Cage novels
White Silence
Dark Light
long shadows
Frogmorton Farm Series
The Nothing Girl
The Something Girl
Little Donkey (digital short)
joy to the world (digital short)
––––––––––––––
A Bachelor Establishment
Roll Call
TIME POLICE PERSONNEL
Commander Hay
Commander of the Time Police. About to endure the longest day ever.
Captain Farenden
Her adjutant. Looking on the bright side has never been more difficult.
Amelia Meiklejohn
One half of the perfidious Meiklejohn siblings. About to embark on a new career with the Time Police. What could possibly go wrong?
Major Ellis
New head of BeeBOC (Big Business and Organised Crime, for the uninitiated).
Lt North
New head of Records/Historical Briefing. And heading up the first team to boldly go where no man has gone before.
TEAM 235
Lt Grint
Team leader. Still stumbling down the rocky road of romance.
Officer Kohl (Socko)
Officer Hansen
Officer Rossi
TEAM 236 – TEAM WEIRD
Luke Parrish
Self-appointed team leader – but not for much longer.
Jane Lockland
Actually – she isn’t.
Matthew Farrell
Right in the middle and not happy.
SECURITY TEAM
Lt Filbert
Head of security.
Officer Varma
Persistent. Always gets there in the end.
Officer Wu
Officer Harvey
Officer Jessup
Officer Miller
MEDCEN
The doctor
Possibly even more depressed than ever.
Kelly
Medical orderly.
POD BAY & LOGISTICS
Senior Mech
Unhappy about the number of women in his life. The unnecessary number of women in his life.
Oti
From Logistics. Crate provider.
OTHER OFFICERS
Major Callen
Using his initiative.
Lt Dal
Lt Chigozie
All of these are relatively normal officers.
Officer Curtis
Just don’t mention sentient poo.
Officer Rockmeyer
Unwillingly hosting Officer Curtis’s naked buttocks. Don’t ask.
St MARY’S PERSONNEL
Dr Maxwell
Supposedly in charge of evacuating St Mary’s but easily distracted.
Leon
Heroically fire-fighting while his pod takes a bit of a bashing. Again.
Dr Peterson
Both disappointed at not being involved
Mr Markham
but still happy to shove their oar in.
Mr Dieter
Very nearly squashed.
Adrian Meiklejohn
The other half.
CIVILIANS
Mrs Lockland
Jane’s grandmother.
Mrs Farnborough
The Home Counties’ Valkyrie. In all sorts of trouble.
John Costello
It’s his pod, so it’s not really stealing, is it?
Nikola Tesla
Yes, him.
Henry Plimpton
Still rocking the benevolent grandfather look but he’ll shoot you dead if you cross him. Sometimes, even if you don’t.
His men
Assorted minions, including: Blue Coat/Broom, Jim, Tucker, Clore, Trip, Fisher, Otto and Andy.
Raymond Parrish
On really top form and rather enjoying himself.
Lucinda Steel
His PA. Sadly unable to bring the world to its knees this time round, but there’s always hope for the future.
Ernesto Portman
Anthony Portman
Portmans, so no one likes them.
Bradley Portman
Portman Security
Not having a good day.
Lola
Cat-loving call girl.
Lift attendant
Now knows not to mix his lights with his darks.
Waitress
Provider of very welcome coffee.
SUNNYSIDE NURSING HOME
Dr Anne Summers
Nurse Suti
Their patient
MISCELLANEOUS
Mellor
Time Police helicopter pilot.
Miles
Civilian pilot.
A small box of emergency tissues
Doesn’t get out much. The Time Police do not have a procedure for sobbing.
Commander Hay settled herself comfortably at her desk and picked up her mug of coffee.
‘Right then, Charlie. Hit me with today’s calamities.’
The usual procedure, established during their long working relationship, was for Captain Farenden to ease his commanding officer gently into a list of yesterday’s disasters, following through with today’s pending catastrophes, and then, depending on how things had gone so far, offer a teasing glimpse of tomorrow’s possible misfortunes. As adjutant to Commander Hay, it was his job to expect the unexpected. The bizarre. The sudden. The inexplicable. And the downright stupid. Especially the downright stupid.
This last week, however, he had been spending his working days dealing with the Time Police’s latest . . . ‘recruit’ was the wrong word. ‘Acquisition’ was perhaps more appropriate. Amelia Meiklejohn – one half of the perfidious Meiklejohn siblings and former illegal – was now, unbelievably, a member of the Time Police.
A much-decorated and resourceful officer, Captain Farenden was struggling daily with all the feelings of exasperation and frustration traditionally experienced by anyone in a supervisory category coming into contact with either or both of the Meiklejohn siblings. However, he was an officer in the Time Police and challenges existed to be risen to. The alternative – and rapidly becoming his preferred option – was to shoot her dead, drop the body in the Thames and disclaim all knowledge of anything. This was a tactic that had always worked well for the Time Police in the past and he saw no reason why it should let him down now.
Captain Farenden was roused from these happy thoughts by his commanding officer enquiring whether he had gone to sleep.
He gritted his teeth. ‘No, ma’am. I was merely arranging my thoughts in order to present today’s agenda in a timely and efficient manner.’
‘Good God, Charlie – you are in a bad mood.’
‘Not at all, ma’am. Merely . . .’ He paused.
‘Merely . . . ?’
‘Nothing, ma’am.’
Commander Hay, having herself endured several frustrating interviews with Miss Meiklejohn over the last couple of weeks, had gone on to dump the whole business of their new recruit in her adjutant’s lap, citing her need to concentrate on securing additional funding from a reluctant government. Having, therefore, a very good idea of the cause of his tensely uttered ‘Merely . . .’, she simply grinned and waited.
Captain Farenden pulled himself together. ‘Well, ma’am. The situation at the moment is as follows: everyone involved in the Paris Time-Stop and Acropolis incidents has completely recovered. Lt Grint is to be formally discharged later today, although he’s been up and about for some time now. Ten days’ light duties and if nothing drops off then it’s a full return to work for him, as well.’
‘That’s good news. He’s rather unique and I was worried we’d lost him in Paris.’
‘Indeed, ma’am. And before you ask, there’s no news of Henry Plimpton anywhere. If he has any sense, he’ll go to ground for a good while. He must know we’ll put the word out that he’s a person of considerable interest with whom we would like more than a quick word after his recent attempt to stop Time. I’ve circulated rumours of a substantial reward.’
‘Have we discussed this worrying tendency of yours to spend money the Time Police does not possess?’
‘We have, ma’am. On several occasions.’
‘And did we come to any conclusions?’
‘I believe you expressed the appropriate sentiments, ma’am.’
‘I’m certain I did and yet . . .’
‘Would you like me to continue, ma’am?’
‘Spending money we don’t have, or today’s sitrep?’
Recognising provocation when he heard it, Captain Farenden continued.
