This was the first ff I ever wrote, some two and a ahalf years ago. I've not updated or added to it although maybe one day I will. I have posted it as one chapter as I reference back to it in my current story "The luck of the Irish"
Hope you enjoy it, it is set after 'Wheelman' and before 'Tequila Sunrise'
Dempsey threw his shirts into his bag, picked out his DJ and mused on the curious practices of the English aristocracy. It never bothered him this dressing for this and that but he thought Lord Winfield would appreciate it and he would appreciate some of Lord Winfield's whisky: it was quite a bar he kept.
"How long are you going to take?" called Makepeace. She had intended to drive to her fathers country home yesterday but an unexpected visit from a friend had delayed her and then this morning she stopped by on a whim and invited Dempsey to come with her; she wasn't quite sure why but it was too late to worry about that now. It wasn't often that they got a weeks leave and Harry just wanted to escape from everything.
"Come on" cried Harry.
"Ok princess you wouldn't want me to come naked would you?" he paused
"Are there going to be any guests I need to impress? Or what about royalty – hey I may get to sleep..."
"Dempsey!" how comes Dempsey could still provoke her Harry wondered
"Under the same roof………" James put his head around the door and grinned.
He had planned on getting drunk for a week, but this offer was out of the blue and it made him smile.
He thought of the last time he and Harry were at Winfield Hall. It had been a bit frantic and dangerous; too many dead bodies. Hopefully this would be a true holiday.
He looked at her, she looked lovely, that white blouse so suited to the warm summer day was almost see through – he let his imagination run for a moment.
He swung his bag over his shoulder, "let's go then Princess"
Then the phone rang
Dempsey ignored it, Harry looked at it. Dempsey looked at Harry
"C'mon" he said "we're gone", then he looked at Harry again and sighing picked up the phone.
"Yo"
"Boss, Hey I'm on holiday – you gave us a week off."
"Why should I know where Harry is – you gave her a week as well Boss"
Spikings groaned. "Well I need to contact you both. Harry was due at Winfield Hall yesterday but hasn't shown up and I thought you might know."
Dempsey looked at Makepeace up and down, "I don't know Sir" "I can't imagine" He looked at the semi transparent blouse, actually he could, he smiled at her.
"Well Lieutenant I'm sure a man with your detective powers can find her and get both of your selves in here ASAP: your holiday is deferred."
Dempsey hung up
"Told you we should have gone"
Harry cocked her head
"Holidays deferred we're on our way to the office – that is once I've found you
Let's play hide and seek. You pretend to hide. I'll pretend I can't find you."
They decided on a picnic by the river at Henley and to go in after lunch
Spikings asked Chas to try Winfield Hall again, it wasn't like Harry to be out of contact and Dempsey had not answered when he rang back. Slamming the phone down was no answer.
Machin was flying out to Barbados this lunch time; Spikings needed someone on his tail. Eight months ago when Tennant had ended up in the bottom of a pile of concrete his The Bones Club had been taken over by Machin who seemed more into drugs than gambling.
George Strong worked there as a barman and listen out for Spikings. George had bought a regular supply of heroin for over 6 months now and forensics had noted a change in the quality. The source had definitely changed and Spikings needed to know where the power lay.
SI 10 didn't pull in every drug deal they knew about, they played the long game watching for the big opportunity, the chance to bring down the whole house in one go, and this may be the time to pull weight with this new supplier. If only they knew the root source!
"Chas!"
Chas moved and put his head round the door, he had heard the phone book hit the wall; he would have rather stayed in the outer office.
"Can I get you something Gov, coffee or stronger?"
"Get me that officer who befriended Machin's girlfriend. If there's no one else too do the work I'll have to do it myself." Spikings was sore
"No luck with Dempsey then he asked?" And regretted the question straight away "That Yank wouldn't know a situation until someone shot at him" Chas felt the anger and ran off to get hold of Lindsey Wagner, the undercover constable Spikings wanted.
Chas took Spikings a coffee and said that Lindsey would be here in half an hour.
Spikings looked out of the window at the hot summer day, a holiday – yes that would be good, sometime soon maybe, Mrs Spikings was frequently mentioning the idea.
"Lindsey here for you sir" said Chas as he opened the door.
"Ah sit down dear", Spikings knew the lack of his best team was not her fault. "Tell me" he asked "about where Machin is taking his lucky lady."
"They're flying out to Barbados on a Pan Am flight 2.15 this afternoon Sir; staying at the Grand Royale for 3 Days. He's told her that he's doing some business but she doesn't know what; she never asks about that, she gives him sex and she gets to see the world."
"Who else is joining the party?" Asked the Chief
"George thinks Richards and Stokes are going with Machin."
Harry and James lay back on the grass, the English sunshine was warm for once, the bottle of wine was empty. Dempsey closed his eyes. "Well I suppose we had better go into the office then" said Harry. Dempsey opened his eyes, Harry's blouse was still on her, not like a moment ago when his eyes were shut, "You could hide again he suggested" But Harry was walking towards the car "If we don't get in soon we won't survive the bollocking" she said. Dempsey rose and followed her.
Spikings shouted at them. "You've missed the bloody plane".
"What plane?" asked Harry
"I think you'll find we're missing our holiday" replied Dempsey.
"Your life will be a permanent holiday Dempsey when I fire you." Spikings was not happy at all, the chance to follow Machin all the way was lost.
"What plane?" asked Harry again
"Machin his lovely lady Marlene along with Richards and Stokes have just flown out to Barbados to meet our Chief Heroin supplier. I want to know all about him."
"Barbados?" asked Harry
"Bloody Barbados" yelled the chief.
"Ok", brighten up Harry, "when do we go?"
"I had seats on the plane that took off half an hour ago"
James looked at Harry "Maybe you hid too hard" he quipped.
"The next flight out is 5.00am tomorrow morning" growled the Chief. "Meanwhile I suggest that Harry goes and talks to Lindsey Wagner."
Harry left the office, Dempsey turned to go to.
"Just a minute Lieutenant" the Chief spoke again, "I do believe you hung up on me"
"I didn't say I wouldn't find her - Sir"
"You didn't say bloody anything."
"Sir I think you should have mentioned Barbados, every broad dreams to go there."
Dempsey turned and walked out.
The chief thought of Mrs Spikings, would she like it? It would certainly be different to Eastbourne.
"I hope you enjoy this room Mr and Mrs Dempsey" the porter placed the bags in the bedroom. "The honeymoon suite has already been taken I'm afraid but the views from this balcony are very romantic Sir"
"What's the name of the dude who's taken the Honeymoon Suite?" asked Dempsey "I may try and persuade him to change his mind"
"O I don't think you'll do that Sir, Mr Machin never has a different suite"
"He comes here often? On Honeymoon?" Harry asked
"Not Honeymoon, but more often recently madam.
Will that be all?"
"Yes, - thank you." Dempsey dismissed him with a generous tip.
Harry looked at the bed. "Don't worry about volunteering to sleep on the sofa"
"Hey Princess, the romantic view's getting to you already. You want to try the bed out now?"
Harry looked at him and smiled; "There is no sofa!" she wandered off to look over the balcony. True it was very romantic.
Harry leaned her wet back hard into Dempsey's chest. She was at 45 degrees to him watching Richards at a beach bar about a 100 yards away. Dempsey sat on the white sand hands supporting himself and the full weight of Harry leaning into him.
The sea they had just come out of was to his right and Stokes was walking towards the bar.
"This is sooo good" he almost sung. Harry couldn't see his face but she knew from his voice he had a big grin all over his face. She turned to the right and his eye line for a moment expecting to see a bikini clad model or probably two delighting his view.
To her surprise she only saw Stokes walking up the beach.
"What's so good?" she asked before she thought to keep quite.
"This is Princess, your wet nearly naked body pressing into mine" – Dempsey thought on but seeing Stokes joined by two local afro Caribbean men said "Our friends have got company"
"Keep whispering sweet accounts of all you can see and I'll dream you're saying something different"
Harry didn't flinch, James noticed that. She watched and commentated while James kissed her neck.
"When you were a kid did you use to play pretend games?"
"What do you mean?"
"Like I used to pretend I was a cop and played at arresting my little brothers and sisters – now I'm a cop doing it for real"
"I used to pretend I was a real princess, with medieval hats, veils and long dresses."
"You're a princess for real."
"No I'm not Dempsey, and I never will be – just Lady Harriet."
"Well princess did you ever pretend you were rescued?"
"I never needed rescuing"
"No prince charming?"
"No"
Dempsey thought on for a few moments, he enjoyed this opportunities. They talked about real stuff and opened themselves up when they did roles. "I pretended I wasn't scared, when my I was frightened witless by the neighbourhood gang"
"I pretended I wasn't lonely when I played with my soft toys"
Dempsey resisted the strong temptation to put his arm around Harry, the conversation allowed some intimacy, and would carry on for longer if he did, but he didn't really know how far Harry's pretence / role play went and what was acting and what was true and, damm it, what was wise.
"Did you give them all names?" Dempsey asked
Harry smiled, remembering back, she added "my favourite bear was called James"
Harry longed for the arm to pull her into him, but as she had time to reason she knew that work and play rarely mixed well and decided to do the right thing lean out of the intimate space.
Dempsey looked into the eyes that were half heartedly averting their gaze and smiled "Well princess let's get us something to eat."
He held Harry's hand as she stood; he continued to hold it as they walked back over the sand towards the hotel. She made no attempt to withdraw her hand, but coughed gently and looked at their clasped hands. "Just pretending princess – after all we've got to look the part a little bit", he smiled and brought his pace alongside her. "What do you say to oysters?"
Harry sat back down on the sand, she had thought the idea of dancing to a portable tape recorder somewhat strange, bur Dempsey had somehow managed to get a Waltz tape and it had turned out quite fun. Now she let him feed her the last pieces of the fruit from the exotic picnic directly into her mouth. She felt herself in great danger of agreeing to any of Dempsey's suggestions which were bound to follow soon;
She had to find some resolve from somewhere. She bit the piece of mango in half and fed him back. His eyes looked at her so softly; he ate as she fed him. Harry knew she was on the precipice of no return.
"Dempsey" she asked, "Why did you arrange this?"
He looked a little taken aback, "we're on our honeymoon" he replied
"But that's only pretend" Harry thought back to her own ill-fated honeymoon, she was enjoying this more.
"Well not many guys get a chance to do a dummy run", Dempsey paused for a moment and looked a little hurt. "Do you think I did good Princess?" he paused again and grinned "Will you marry me now for real?"
With the grin, Dempsey's eyes glanced away
Harry had found her resolve
Dempsey never changed and along with his passion for women was his stronger passion for police work. She glanced in the same direction as he had just cast his eyes; a small boat was making its way out to the super yacht moored out in the bay.
"Dempsey" she asked for a second time, "why did you arrange this?"
"To seduce the ice queen", he reached over her, brushed his face across hers kissing her cheek gently, and took some binoculars from the bottom of the picnic basket "and…………. because this was the best spot to check when Machin was out of our way"
"Your plan now?" queried Harry as she helped pack away quickly.
"We do a little bit of research in the honeymoon suite……. Hey we can see if we want to book it for a real honeymoon- what d'ya say honey?"
"Let's stick to the police work" Harry felt in control again.
"Look just what we need"
"What have you got? - Scuba diving?", Makepeace was incredulous as she took the leaflet out of Dempsey's hand.
"Yeh"
"I'm sorry I'm not following your line of thought here"
"Well the way I see it Spikings ain't gonna pay up for anything we do without a reason so here's our reason"
"So you think Hoyte is diving with the drugs?"
"No – well technically may be, but I doubt it really"
"So why do you want to go scuba diving?"
"To see you in a wet suit" – Dempsey grinned
Makepeace turned back to her search
"Come on Harry – An hour or so diving would be great fun,"
"So", Makepeace confirmed, "we pretend to Spikings that we thought Hoyte was diving?"
"Yep this whole little drama is one great pretence – we might as well get the most out of it."
Makepeace went back over to the draw she was searching.
"Ugh" – Dempsey came over to see what had caught Makepeace's eye. "Tourist novelties. They're absolutely tasteless – who would want to buy one of those?"
"Oh I don't know they look kinda fun to me. We could buy one for Spikings"
Harry just looked at him "I want to keep my job"
They carried on searching for a few minutes
"Nothing else here" concluded Dempsey "how about booking that dive?"
Dempsey and Makepeace had followed Machin inland and parked in amongst some waterfalls. James was taking a photo of Harry, "move a little to your left he said, I can't see Stokes." The camera caught the edge of Harry's arm but was zoomed in on Stokes and Machin. James took the photo.
A big fat mama came past and watched Dempsey take the photo of Harry.
"Hey sweetheart you look more ravishing than the falls behind you" his over-the-top comments made Harry smile. "I wish we could dance and make love here" Dempsey actually meant everything he had said to Harry in the last 24 hours.
The fat mama watched and listened "Dis is the kissing bridge" she said
"You want me to take your photo together? You are lovely couple. You must have photo together. You cannot have honeymoon photos not together."
Dempsey thought for a moment, looked up towards Machin, standing with Stokes – waiting for someone. He looked at Harry, damm she looked gorgeous. He decided to risk two things at once; that the someone wouldn't arrive and that Harry wouldn't slap him. Dempsey handed the mama the camera and went over to Harry.
The big Mama took the camera and framed the picture.
"You have to kiss she said, dis is the kissing bridge. The wedding couples they kiss here, you kiss and I'll take photo."
"You heard the lady" James whispered to Harry, "c'mon we're so good at pretending she thinks we're on honeymoon -" His hand reached around her waist and he pulled her into him.
"Are we?"
"Are we what?"
"Good at pretending" asked Harry. She really didn't know if she was putting more effort into pretending that she felt no attraction or the pretence of love.
"You kiss or I go" yelled the fat mama, "I have things to do"
James took hold of Harry and kissed her. Harry felt his hand run down her nearly bare back and onto her thigh, then back onto her back.
Harry's mind switched off completely. She kissed him back. His bare skin against hers. The kiss went on.
"Hey I'm only taking a photo not a movie" said the mama putting the camera at the side of them.
Her voice brought them back to alertness
"Are we pretending?" asked Harry
"I'd say we're good" replied James
"Where have Machin and company gone then?" Harry groaned
"You were supposed to be watching them. Harry you didn't close your eyes did you?"
"No" lied Harry indignantly
"Well I couldn't see them" stated James, and picking up the camera walked on. Well, he grinned to himself, at least half the gamble paid off.
Harry walked back out to the balcony, it was cooler out here, Damm this room she thought, there was no sofa to sleep on. Dempsey was asleep on the bed, He had offered to let her have the bed again like last night but Harry was determined to take her turn. She looked back at him, asleep - most of the extra large bed was empty, the fan above provided a cooling breeze. She decided that sleeping on the far side of the mattress would be ok, and she would wake early.
James and Harry both woke with a start as a short Caribbean man walked through shouting that he was room-cleaning service.
Makepeace shouted that he should get out else he would not live to see another day. The little man ran back out through the rooms, having seen what he came for.
Meanwhile as Harry and James uncurled their bodies from each other James mentally checked his head, no hangover, he had gone to bed sober, he couldn't remember anything, but he had woken with Harry in his arms damm, damm and damm.
"Hey Harry - " he paused he didn't want to say the wrong thing
"I lay down on the far side of the bed" she said very matter of factly. What she found most disturbing was that she didn't mind waking up nestled up with James. She got out of the bed very quickly, pulling a cover round her.
"Princess – I was just in the middle of a real dream" Harry walked towards the shower. "I've dreamt about the shower too" Dempsey paused "~ any chance of that dream coming true?" James question was answered by a slam of a door. Harry was most angry that she had absolutely no idea of what she felt. She could remember lying down; she would remember anything else wouldn't she? She had no hangover; they hadn't drunk much at all, damm, damm and damm.
When she came out of the shower Dempsey was shouting down the phone. "I wake with a beautiful woman in my arms and your incompetent room service barge in, now my chance of passion," he turned and looked at Harry, "is dressed and walking out of the room."
He hung up and followed Harry. "Makepeace – that wasn't their room service, it must have been Machin"
"So? What do we do now?" asked Harry
"Well- for now I figure he is convinced by our cover but we'd better get to Hoyte soon"
Dempsey glanced behind him and put two coffees on the table, smiled and sat down looking straight at Harry "who's for breakfast with our friends today?"
"I can see two of them … nothings showing much yet."
"May be later" added Dempsey with his innuendo.
Harry looked back from the far side of the bar to Dempsey whose eyes were fixed on her breasts, "I can see two of them, … nothings showing much yet" he repeated back to her.
Harry stood up in disgust, picked up her wrap and stalked off.
"Hey where you going, I was only saying"
"I know what you were saying and where you were looking" shouted back Harry.
"Makepeace don't leave me"
"I'm going to have a sauna," Harry walked off; "you'd better go and say hello to the two of them."
"I wanted," Dempsey shrugged his shoulders and turned and walked up to the bar.
"What d'ya want?" asked the bar tender
"To make made passionate love to that beautiful woman with the wonderful breast" he answered. He looked at the bar tender, "sorry - double scotch please"
Machin looked over at him. "Hey you can have one of my girls – or two if you want – they very discrete, and very lovely."
James looked as two long legged ladies drape themselves around Machin. "Real women" – his words came out aloud rather than in his head as he had planned.
"Yours now – for a desperate friend" offered Machin
"Hey I'm on my honeymoon" retorted Dempsey.
"I thought a few days on the most romantic place on earth would soften her up. But some guy has the honeymoon suite, and apparently he's not even on honeymoon. I want to ask him to swap, but the hotel wouldn't let me."
"Double whisky sir," the drink appeared
"Offers still there" replied Machin looking at the two girls.
"Thanks" Dempsey tipped the double shot down his throat and ordered another.
Harry lay with a face mask on, she had actually rather enjoyed the massage, but the real reason had been to befriend Marlene, Machin's lady. Lindsey Wagner had tipped her off about Marlene's favourite extravagancies and so by no accident Makepeace was making small talk about her honeymoon, and how she loved romance.
By the time the cucumber was peeled off their eyes Makepeace had secured information about Machin's last few trips to Barbados.
Dempsey listened to Harry's information. He considered and then made a proposal: "Yesterday I said that this trip was just one great pretence – what if it really is just that – one great pretence – and Hoyte has absolutely nothing to do with drugs?"
"So why would Machin keep coming out here?" Makepeace wasn't swayed
"Cos he likes it – we've had fun"
Makepeace was not convinced at all "No; types like Machin never do stuff just for fun, there has to be reason somewhere."
Back at SI10 Spikings threw a photo onto his desk.
"What do you call that" he shouted.
Dempsey looked at the photo of him and Harry
"Working undercover sir"
"Working, - working" he yelled.
"Yes sir you get two views at once, it's like having eyes in the back of your head."
"That's true Sir", put in Harry
"Only", bellowed Spikings, "if you have your bloody eyes open sergeant. And it looks distinctly like the Lieutenants are closed to me."
Harry picked up the photo. Her eyes didn't show thank god, but James' were shut. "I couldn't see" she recalled his words – and smiled.
Spikings threw the photos down one at a time describing / naming the people:
"Stokes,"
"Richards and Caribbean guy"
"Machin"
"Hoyte"
"But" he yelled "Nothing to link Machin and Hoyte"
"And a load of holiday snaps – you were supposed to be bloody working!!!"
Harry picked up the photo with her and Dempsey.
She looked at the photo again in the background was Hoyte picking up Stokes in his car. She pointed them out to Dempsey. "Look there is our connection proven."
"Sir" she said. "Can we get this enlarged?"
She noticed Spikings about to explode. "Hoyte and Stokes Sir are here in the background. The backgrounds are very important sir, we were undercover"
Spikings barked "I suggest you supply only half the negative sergeant, unless you want that picture posted all over New Scotland Yard."
As Makepeace left the office she picked the photo and slipped into her bag.
Dempsey questioned Chas "How many?"
"20 in the first 3 minutes, 50 more in the next half hour" Chas confirmed the photo was all round SI10 already.
"Can you get the negative for Makepeace?" Dempsey knew Makepeace would be devastated if she ever found out.
Spikings as unsure about what he had just seen.
"When this is over" Harry asked Dempsey, "and our leave is un-deferred do you still want to come to Winfield Hall?"
She rolled and shot again at Richards
"I might have other plans"
Harry didn't have time to register disappointment. She jumped onto Stokes, a fight followed.
"Hey Dempsey – you got a message from a girl called Jane" Chas was actually watching both his and Makepeace's faces as he spoke, trying to gauge how each reacted to the news. "So is it on?" Dempsey was obviously delighted with the message and Makepeace was pretending to be totally uninterested.
"She says can you call round tomorrow?" Chas kept watching. Makepeace was busy moving stuff on her neat tidy desk from one side to the other for no good reason other than to prove disinterest that was obvious to all in the office as true pretence.
"Dempsey, Makepeace" Spikings called, Makepeace followed into his office. "Lindsey Wagner has just called for help in following Machin and Hoyte. I want you two to go and sort it." Spikings stopped. "Where is lover boy then?" he bellowed.
"That's not called for Sir" Makepeace rose from her seat.
"Sergeant" Spikings squared up "He wasn't working then and he's not working now as far as I can tell"
"We were undercover" she walked out of the office indignant and furious. Where was Dempsey any way she wondered, he had been very evasive in the last two days.
A voice from across the office called out "Hey Chas – undercover or under the covers?"
Spikings open his door – "I heard that" "Chas in here please"
As Makepeace drove up to Dempsey's apartment he was just arriving home. Whistling and happy for the first time since they had arrived back in the UK; Harry feared that her mixed feelings had better get straightened out again quickly.
"We've got work to do" she called as she drove up along side him. Dempsey jumped in the car, slid something into his jacket pocket and smiled a soppy grin at her.
Makepeace decided that she didn't want to know anything and drove off in silence.
"From tomorrow" repeated Dempsey as Spikings confirmed that they could have their weeks leave.
"Just tell me where you'll be."
"I suppose I'll be at Winfield Hall," Harry looked at Dempsey – was he coming, she had been very unsure originally but now she was not looking forward to a weeks leave alone. Dempsey proved to be good company but he had not committed himself to coming since they got back. Harry was uncertain of where the role play ended and Harry and Dempsey started, when she tried to work it out she never got very far, She didn't even know her own mind, did she pretend she didn't care when she did or was she pretending to herself she did when there was nothing really there; Since their return he had spoken so little, and not said anything of Barbados and pushed her right out to arms length.
"Or may be not" Dempsey interjected
He put down two air tickets for the Seychelles.
"Sun, Sea, Sand," he paused, "surfing, scuba diving, skiing – water that is", and he paused again somehow he didn't think it was worth adding sex to the list, however, he added: "absolutely no pretending – you coming Princess?"
Harry looked at him, her eyebrow raised with a why question
"Because we're good, very good princess" he smiled
Harry picked up the Hotel booking – twin beds
"But we don't have to use them both" Dempsey winked.
Harry grinned one of her big wide grins, picked up her jacket, swung it over her shoulder,
"C'mon she said. No phone calls sir – see you next week" She had no idea what Dempsey really meant when he said they were good but this looked fun, and too good to miss.
Spikings wondered what he had just witnessed.
"Jane?" she knew he understood the question
"The travel agent" James confirmed, "Boy – you're getting jealous these days" He took that as a positive sign.