Control to Charlie 5. Control to Charlie 5 come in please. It's no good sir"
"Bloody Dempsey I need him now" Spikings paced around – "where are our dynamic duo due this afternoon?"
"Err Harry had regular meeting with one of her snitches, 3.00pm near Covent Garden."
"Its Dempsey I want" Spikings was edgy
"No telling Sir"
"What do we know about illegal gambling Chas?"
"Bookies down the end of Old Kings Road take dodgy bets"
"No not horses – cards"
"Sorry Sir – cards - that's Dempsey's area – he likes the casinos."
Spikings rose to his full height and shouted "It may have escaped your notice that we have been unable to raise our American friend for the past hour and I need to respond very soon else we'll lose the job to C division."
Chas winced: "Where's it going down?"
"Apparently some very rich people, possibly American, use the Park Lane Hotel as a base for their small, but extremely lucrative, operation. The City of London hotel managers' consortium is extremely concerned and would like this blown away very gently – like a feather."
"And you want Dempsey?" Chas sounded confused
"He can win at Black Jack and Poker"
"I'm just not so sure about gentle Gov"
Spikings smiled knowingly "Oh he can do gentle when he wants"
Chas looked puzzled "I'll keep trying to raise him"
"Tell you what Chas; just book him a room at the hotel"
"The Park Lane" Chas was mystified by this conversation
"That's where the action is"
"It's just that last time…"
"…Last time," Spikings rubbed his head, "Oh last time: Yes," he smiled broadly "– last time Sergeant Makepeace saved Lieutenant Dempsey from being decapitated on his first morning in London I do believe." He waved his finger around – "don't mention that to the manager." He thought for a moment "They stayed in the honeymoon suite I seem to recall – see if it's free; it should suit Dempsey."
"Shall I book a room for Harry too?" Chas was merely surprised that Spikings could still surprise him.
"My God do you think we're made of money. They can do what ever they did last time – it seemed to work."
Chas doubted Harry's response, but took the yellow pages down and turned up Hotels.
"He's done what" Harry was disbelieving
"Booked Dempsey in the honeymoon suite of the Park Lane, undercover."
"Because?"
Chas had known this wouldn't go down well "Because there is a rumour, a strong suspicion, that this is the new base of a high society gambling ring."
"And Dempsey?"
"Is good at cards; especially Black Jack and Poker"
"And he's supposed to infiltrate this ring?"
"That's the idea"
"For which he needs the image of?" Makepeace was pushing for answers
"Being very well off, rich, very rich, and able to gamble without worry." Chas felt this wasn't fair, he was taking the rap for Spikings, and Harry was being a touch unreasonable he thought.
"So Spikings has put him in the honeymoon suite at the Park Lane?"
"Yes"
"And?"
"And?" Chas wondered where this was going
"And I do what exactly? Has he booked me a room?" Makepeace was irate "Well," Chas shuffled, "Err he thought that last time"
"Last time Dempsey and I went to the Park Lane Hotel he nearly got his head cut off in the kitchens and the manager banned us from ever going back again."
"The one suite is all Spikings said to book," Chas looked apologetically at Makepeace.
"Well I'm not having Spikings making assumptions" Makepeace picked up her bag which she had seconds ago put down on her desk.
"You do do undercover roles… err" Chas wondered how to phrase it "together"
"I think Dempsey can do this one very well by himself! Tell Spikings I'm not available." Makepeace hesitated a moment then turned and left the office. She sat in her car for 5 minutes, angry and trying to calm herself. She saw Dempsey arrive, as he walked in through the glass doors she drove off. There was nothing else for it; she needed a long hot bath to calm down. How dare Spikings assume! He especially said he wanted to see no evidence of their relationship, BLOODY CHEEK!
