Upgrading the D's Office by Gail
"Why do we have to move so far away? We might as well move to a new building!" moaned Frank.
"Oh shut up, Frank," shouted Rachel. Walking away, she thought,
"Can't see why they need to paint, half the time we're not here, always on a case," said Frank.
Helen entered in just in time to hear Frank. "Frank," shouted Helen. "*You* were the one moaning about grubby offices, stop complaining and get your mind on your work."
"Oh I see, two on to one now, is it?"
In came Tommy and Gavin, trying to talk to Frank over boxes. They'd come to report Tayler has been missing for over 24 hours, she was supposed to have started her duties two hrs ago. Worriedly, they explained the situation to him.
Frank, in turn, told Rachel. She looked at him and Helen curiously. "But I passed Taylor on the way out when I was going to get lunch, she was complaining about the smell of paint."
Frank was just about to go out of the office, but listened to what Rachel had to say. He came back and somehow got paint on his hand.
"Bugger it!" said Rachel, "Now you've gone and put pain on my side of the table!"
"I can't help it" said Frank. "They should have let this place dry out before we moved over."
Jeff put his head round the door. "Haven't the pair of you got anything to do but argue about this? Anybody would think *you* were paying for the paint!"
"Hey Jeff, there's nowhere to put anything, one table two chairs. Everything over the other side is covered with sheets, paint tins everywhere, and in any case we only had one day o move. We are supposed to be detectives not removal people."
"Rachel," said Jeff. "For god's sake take him out of here and go and investigate Taylor's whereabouts."
"She normally comes by water taxi, take Tommy and Gavin with the "Nemesis" and see what you can turn up. You'll be able to contact me at home, the paint is giving me a headache, some of it's still wet. We should have stayed over the other side while these offices dried out."
Frank looked at Rachel and Helen, smiling. Helen and Rachel looked at each other, then at Frank. Wryly, Rachel told him, "We don't want to hear it."
Frank laughed and replied, "Would I say anything?"
Rachel looked at Helen. Both smiled. "Yes, you would!"
"Right guys, get on the job," demanded Helen, snapping back to business.
"Okay said, Frank and Rachel."
"Do you realize whilst they are painting the offices the Nemesis is further away". Said Frank
"Well that's why we are going to the Nemesis by car", smiled Rachel. "Anyway the offices should be finished tomorrow or the day after."
"Hey," moaned Frank. "That means we have to move everything back!" Tommy and Gavin looked at each other shaking their head.
"Never mind," said Tommy.
"The way you put your things away it won't take long" remarked Gavin.
"Ha ha," replied Frank. Rachel and Helen said nothing.
Gavin, Tommy, Rachel and Frank had been aboard Nemesis about an hour and could not find anybody who had seen Taylor. They were getting worried, as it was by now dark. As the Nemesis was docking they could see lights on in the normal offices.
Tommy and Gavin moored the Nemesis ran after Rachel and Frank. They walked cautiously, hands on their guns, they could here voices saying, "Well Taylor, what do you think, will the "Ds" like it?
They approached the door cautious, with their hands still on their weapons, listening in surprise. Tommy opened the door, whilst the other three walked in at that moment.
Taylor turned around and smiled. "What do you think?"
Tommy let go of the door and walked towards Gavin. Helen followed them, and stopped short in surprise. They couldn't believe it! The office walls where beige with dark blue carpets and curtains, and all new furniture. While they were getting over the shock, Helen was talking to Jeff on the telephone.
Within twenty minutes, Jeff arrived. He was all smiles, he couldn't believe his eyes - it was like something out of a novel.
Frank turned around, grinning. "This beats my house any day."
Everybody laughed as Rachel muttered, "*Anything* beats your house, Frank."
Jeff smiled. "Well, Frank, was it worth it? You always said that you and Rachel should be entitled to some better offices..."
Rachel looked from Jeff to Frank then to Tommy and Gavin then to Taylor. "Is this where you were all the time?" she asked.
"Yep," replied Taylor. "But I couldn't tell you, because Jeff told me to keep quiet. He knew I knew what sort of thing you would like in the office."
Frank gaze returned to Rachel he looked straight into her eyes, she was smiling. The others all filtered out of the room.
As they left, he suddenly moved closer to Rachel, put his arms around her and kissed her on the lips. "If it means having you by my side all the time they can paint the office again" he said with a smile.
Rachel smiled and tilted her head to find his lips again.
THE END
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