Hi all, I've been waiting for some divine inspiration..now I've got my plot line..I hope lol. This is part 2 of my original story 'Two of a Kind' I have decided to run the two couples adventures together as trying to split them into their sections with the same story would be difficult, this means that D&M are slightly out of sync as when G&A go off to New York Dempsey is supposed to still have his leg in plaster. Therefore for the sake of my sanity, I have written events as happening at the same time so you will have to ignore the D&M timeline somewhat. This is just the opening chapter to get the couple to their repsective locations. just a note my Geography is not the best, so i apologise if it is slightly off. Anyways, hope you all enjoy. please R&R
Two Of A Kind – Part 2
"Mate take a squiz at this!" shouted an excited Chris to Ray holding a newspaper aloft.
Ray grabbed the paper from Chris "Bloody nora!" he exclaimed surprised "I knew it, I bloody knew it. He can't deny it now..the whole bloody world knows." Ray was clearly delighted at the revelation.
"Oh my God!" squealed Shaz studying the front page picture. "That is sooooo sweet. I told you the Guv and the Ma'am are in love."
"That's not love, that's lust." Scoffed Ray "The Guv don't do love. 'es gonna be right knacked today, all that exercise. This has got to go on the wall." Ray ripped off the top page and started to draw on it with thick marker pen.
"DI Carling! A word please." Commissioner Malcolm Brent's voice boomed across the room.
Gene and Alex gazed in wonder at their new unfamiliar surroundings as the yellow taxi cab made its way to the hotel Dempsey had suggested. The towering buildings of the New York skyline filled them with awe.
The cold March drizzle, which had filled the air since they had stepped out of JFK airport, hadn't dampened their excitement. Gene especially was looking forward to everything the USA had to offer, including spending two weeks with his Bolly. Armed with a guide book and Dempsey's recommendations, he had a packed holiday planned. In Gene's mind they had both earned and deserved the rest, this was their escape from their hum drum life in London. Not that working in CID could ever be classed as dull, but they both needed time away from the London scum and precious time together to cement their new found relationship. They had been through so much together recently, and survived, that Gene had felt that they had both turned a corner and life was never going to be the same took his eyes away from the buildings to glance over at Alex who was staring out of the cab window, apparently as fascinated by the view as him. A small smile crept across his lips as he grasped her hand and squeezed it affectionately. She turned her head to face him and smiled back.
Dempsey and Makepeace were also in a taxi heading from the airport to their hotel in Alicante. Dempsey shifted uncomfortably in his seat in the back of the car. He grimaced each time the driver threw the car around a corner or slammed on the brakes at a junction. Harry huffed irritably as her partner fidgeted beside her. He had been like this throughout the whole flight from London. She folded her arms tightly around her and stared out of the window trying to ignore the shuffling leftenant. After another five minutes Harry snapped "Dempsey will you sit still. It's like sitting next to a two year old."
"I can't help it" He snapped back irritably "Damn leg aches...I've been sat too long and Stirling Moss here ain't helping." He gestured towards the Spaniard "I'm starting to get cramp too." Dempsey grimaced again.
Harry softened slightly as she recalled Dempsey's recent gunshot injury. He had barely had the plaster cast off two days and he was straight on a plane and heading for sunny Spain.
"Is it still giving you lots of jip?"
"Yeah." He conceded "Not too bad it's only when I stop moving for long periods of time it ceases up and starts aching." He began to rub his cramped muscles
"We're nearly there." She smiled with sympathy
"Then you can massage it for me." Dempsey grinned back
Harry rolled her eyes muttering 'Give me strength' She was beginning to think that this assignment was going to test her patience to the limit.
"They've gone where Sir?" said an annoyed Ray to Commissioner Brent, his face wearing a disgruntled look.
"New York." replied Brent brightly. "They needed some time off to.. er.. well, you know, be together...er..well yes...you get the picture." He struggled
Ray was incredulous "There's a mountain of paperwork 'ere Sir, reports to write up on the Daly case and the like and they've buggered off for a dirty holiday."
"DI Carling, please remember you are talking about your senior officer and a fellow colleague. I don't think DCI Hunt would like to hear you talking about his leave as a..." he coughed uncomfortably "dirty holiday."
"Yes Sir, Sorry Sir." Ray looked sheepish "We just have a heavy work load at the moment and I'm due down at the morgue in half an hour...Harry Sticks has been found swimming in the Thames minus his feet."
"Harry Sticks eh? That old windbag. Use to tread the boards...bit of a small time actor in his youth."
"Don't think he can tread anything now Sir." A slight smile appeared on Ray's face, pleased with his own joke.
"That means you Carling, are now the officer in charge of CID...you've done it before..it will be good for you."
Ray's smile disappeared. It wasn't the fact that he was now in charge that irked him, he was looking forward to that bit, it was all the form filling, reports and statement taking needed to put together the evidence for the Daly trial. DI Carling hated paperwork and he felt that Gene and Alex had dumped it all on him so that they could go off for two weeks of shagging.
Brent continued "Spikings is sending one of his officers over with their reports on the Daly case can you give him this?" Brent handed Ray a blue cardboard file marked 'Private & Confidential' "It's DCI Hughes file. Dempsey and Makepeace have gone to Spain to find him. They need all the intelligence on him they can get. You might like to assist them by getting onto Thames valley Police and getting more info on our wayward Chief." Brent gave a curt nod to Ray.
Ray groaned, that's all he needed more collaboration with SI10 and Spikings. Brent read Ray's expression
"It would be a feather in your cap Ray if you managed to find the information which leads to the speedy arrest of Hughes...eh? Think how pleased Hunt would be if you made his job easier, not to mention Spikings's." Brent raised his eyebrows suggestively, hoping that Ray could see his point.
Ray understood and beamed at him "Yes Sir, I'll get onto it as soon as I get back from the morgue."
"Good 'o" with that Brent left the office.
Ray finished his doodle on the picture of Gene and Alex kissing and pinned it to the notice board. He had drawn a love heart complete with arrow with the initials GH and AD. He stood back, admired his handy work and chuckled.
"Ray that is so childish." Berated Shaz with a giggle.
Alex continued to stare out of the cab window at the streams of motorised and human traffic. She was amazed at how much busier New York seemed to be than London. Many nationalities and ages of people fought for space on the pavements, car jostled with cabs trying to get to their destinations across several lanes. Horns sounded, traders yelled, youths bounced along with ghetto blasters balanced on their shoulders pumping out the latest hip hop. The Cab ground to halt at a set of lights. Gene observed a teenager body popping on the corner of the block being watched by an enthusiastic crowd. Gene pointed at him "We should video that for Chris, show him how to do it properly instead of making a prize twat of himself."
"I thought he did really well. Then again he's very good." Alex motioned towards the youth, leaning into Gene to get a better view.
The Cabbie picking up on their conversation looked at them in his rear view mirror "You from London then? Here on vacation to see the sights?" The cabbie was clearly of Mexican origin as his accent was a mixture of New York and Spanish.
"Yes we are..on holiday." Alex Replied cheerfully.
"Always wanted to go to London...the wife she really wants to see the Queen...I just love the cockney accent...hey can you do that rhyming stuff?
"No." Came Gene's terse reply
"Love that Apples and pears jive...give me a bit of that..go on hit me with it." The Cabbie said enthusiastically
"I don't do cockney slang." Huffed Gene
"But, you're from London.. you speak it?" Replied the driver confused
"I'm not from London, I come from Manchester." Grumped Gene starting to lose his patience
"Oh, ok, Manchester..Joy Division, New Order...great music. Maybe me and the wife will get the tube to Manchester when we go to London."
Gene glared in disbelief at the back of the cabbies head as Alex stifled a giggle.
"What about you Mam, can you do Cockney?"
Alex smiled "No, I'm from London, but I'm not a cockney."
"You sound very different to your Dad." The cabbie stated
Gene and Alex looked at each other blankly then it dawned on them what the he was inferring.
"Alex is not my daughter." Gene barked "...she is ..my .errr," He looked at Alex for confirmation of her status.
"Girlfriend." She supplied although it did feel very odd saying it out loud. She hadn't even had time to get use to it herself.
"A...right, sorry, the wife says I have knack for putting my foot it in."
"This it?" asked Dempsey craning his head to inspect the Hotel "Hotel Castelle."
"That's what it says on our reservation form." Harry said checking the paperwork. "looks ok... Spikings said we had to cut back on our expenses, especially since we stayed at the Randolph last time. He said the commissioner had a fit when he got the bill."
Dempsey got out of car and started to stretch his cramped leg as the taxi driver got their luggage out of the boot. Harry stood in front of the hotel entrance and considered their lodgings. The hotel looked like any hotel in any town centre, very indistinct, very plain, but functional. Dempsey paid the driver and joined Harry at the entrance "Home sweet home."
Harry yawned as she picked up her suitcase "I'm bushed. I think I'll have nap before dinner."
"Ok, I think I'll go for a walk, take a look around. Try and get some feeling back in my leg. C'mon princess let's check in to the palace."
"Have you or have you not got a room tonight?" Gene was starting to lose the will to live trying to get a straight answer from the manager of 'Malone's Hotel' "I have been travelling a long time and I am tired...I get very grouchy when I am tired." Gene said with warning.
"Gene, let's just go elsewhere I'm sure there are other hotels in the area." Said Alex wearily
"No, I was recommended this establishment by a reliable source..so please will you get me Bob Malone."
"Mr Malone is playing cards tonight Sir, so I can't disturb him." The manager stood his ground.
"I hardly call Dempsey a reliable source if this is the welcome we get." Snapped Alex, now feeling irritated with the manager herself.
"Dempsey?" asked the manager slowly his face starting to pale.
"Yep, Lt Dempsey." Replied Gene pronouncing Lt the English way
"Do you mean lieutenant Jim Dempsey?" he queried now starting to look like he'd eaten a week old curry.
Gene nodded with a satisfied grin.
"He's missing presumed dead." The nervous manger said in hushed tones.
Gene sensing the two men had history and not wanting to blow Dempsey's UK cover, he leaned closer to the manager and whispered "They want you to think that, he is very much alive and working for the FBI. So, if you don't want to upset him you will find us a room."
The manager shivered as Gene's eyes bore into him, he was starting to suspect that there was more to this English couple than met the eyes. He had to relent, he knew Dempsey could be a bastard when he wanted to, but he wasn't going to hedge his bets with Gene either.
"Sir I don't have a room tonight , but I can give you the best room for the rest of your stay. I will arrange a room at our sister hotel two blocks away."
"Thank you." Gene gave a victory smile to Alex and she simply shook her head.
"I will tell them you will be having dinner there, compliments of the house for your inconvenience. They serve best 'T' bone steaks and BBQ chicken in the area, I guess you're probably starving as well...It's a long flight from London." Smiled the manager
Alex suddenly found the thought of food very appealing...she was indeed starving. The so called lunch they served on the plane resembled soggy cardboard. Gene hadn't touched any of his in flight meal instead opting to sample every type of beer they offered. Unsurprisingly Gene had proceeded to sleep the rest of the journey.
Alex beamed at the manager, who had started to relax again, and said "That sounds wonderful, it would be good to enjoy it before the jet lag kicks in."
"No problem, any friend of Dempsey's is a friend of ours."
"C'mon then Lady B, I'm certainly not going to turn down a free 'T' bone."
Arm in arm the couple left the hotel choosing to walk the short distance to the next as the manager arranged for their luggage to be sent by Taxi.