"Another one?" Spikings looked at the phone in disgust
"I'm sorry Sir" Chas told his boss "but bomb squad are getting tetchy"
"Tetchy! I'm tetchy Chas – Mrs Spikings has been on at me for months about making sure I'm here for her Towns Women's Guild presentation"
Chas coughed unsure of what response Spikings was hoping for
"Is there definitely a device?" Spikings barked trying to weigh up the two options – would it be the pleasure from having to miss the blessed presentation or the hell such a heinous crime would draw from Mrs Spikings
"Under a white mini, parked directly in front of the entrance"
"Damn them – look send Harry – she'll calm everything down – just keep Dempsey away from the bomb squad else they might just put him in the car and blow it up.
"I thought she was in Kent Sir"
"She was driving that car of hers through Covent Garden and Grays Inn like a Nigel Mansell not more than an hour ago – I had the bloody traffic control onto me three times before I left."
"Sounds more like Dempsey to me Sir"
"Look if you can't get Harry then send Mac and Tony Deary" he took breath a moment "Tell the Commissioner if he wants SI10 to take over the investigation then we'll do this our way"
...
Lord Winfield welcomed the pair with arms opened wide "Little Jimmy Wainwright has collared everyone he's met about baseball practice." He began with open relief "and the boys in the stables tell me they've have had him round every night after school." Freddy patted his daughters elbow and walked with her through the grand hall.
"Oh I'm sorry Freddy" She glanced across to Dempsey "I'm sure James can tell them to leave you in peace."
"Oh no don't get me wrong I rather like it actually" Freddy turned towards Dempsey and smiled broadly "reminds me of when you were young and the place had your friends tearing around. I was just getting worried about the young chap being disappointed when you weren't here." They reached the drawing room.
"That was my fault" Dempsey volunteered
"Work situation" Harry cut in
"Top secret" Freddy presumed with a beautiful naivety and a single finger knowingly (and rather mistakenly) tapped on his forehead.
Susan came rushing through "Lady Harriet, Mr James" she still curtsied "I just heard that you've arrived" she was breathless "- do you want a late supper"
"Oh thank you Susan that's ..."
Dempsey cut in afraid that Harry was about to cancel any food "you got any of your game pie Sue?"
"Made one special" she told him proudly "and I've got some pastrami 'n I made some 'rye bread" she announced with a proud grin.
Harry noted the pleasure in the cooks eyes that was derived from knowing what she had prepared would be appreciated and with that dawned the realisation that unbeknown to her James had become part of the fabric of Winfield hall. She hadn't honestly considered the impact that his rehab period after finally being released from the French hospital would have had. As if to confirm the fact Dakin came through with the drinks "Mr Dempsey –Chivas Regal on the rocks" he observed as he passed the cut glass tumbler to Dempsey and a vodka martini to Harry
"I told you it's Jim, call me Jim" Dempsey admonished him light heartedly.
Harry returned her attention to the cook "You've been busy"
"I'll put together a nice bit of salad ma'am" Susan smiled knowing just what suited Lady Harriet as well.
"I don't suppose" Harry hesitated unsure about revealing her recent bedtime habit that she had also tried her utmost to keep hidden from Dempsey but the contrast of textures and sweet and savoury was tantalising her at present "You have any peanut butter?" she whispered well out of earshot to James
In a very typical Dempsey and Makepeace way both Harry and James shelved the issue of promotion and the future to be dealt with in the future and reverted to enjoying the immediate which now they had eaten included sharing the huge cast iron bath tub under the pretext of relaxing away the tensions of the journey .
...
Mac paced around for two hours getting chilled through to the bone. Tony had volunteered to take statements from staff inside the clinic and left him to wait whilst the bomb squad brawn danced around the car debating which wire to cut. Mac knew he should keep his mouth shut but the inordinate time they were taking had driven him beyond distraction "I was told you always cut the longest wire" he said wistfully
"And you would trust life to such information" The sarcastic sneer called out from under the car
"Depends who gives it" Mac retorted
"Well nothing beats 3 years specialist training" the squaddy seared back
"You know we might all warm up if this things goes up" Mac taunted
"'Bout time you lot actually caught the screwed up sods who keep making this shit" the other guy brokered before nodding to his colleague "let's go with the longer wire"
Barely thirty seconds later they tossed the diffused package to Mac with a parting that consisted of 5 words of which 4 were unrepeatable.
"SI10 are taking this over from terror squad" Mac called out to their backs
The shorter of the two bomb squaddies turned on the spot "SI10 eh?"
"Yeh" Mac smiled slightly unsure why his comment had drawn such a threatening response "Seems terror got terrified when they got a real bomb"
"Well the illustrious SI10" somehow his Scottish accent had become thicker Mac noted "won't be needing us" he paused for effect and noted the uncertainty flicker all over Macs bemused face "You've got that yank who always cuts the longer wire" he mocked and Mac knew that there was history he would have to check up on back at the office.
...
Next morning Susan greeted the beleaguered pair who had dragged themselves out of bed at a disgustingly early time for a Saturday morning where no work was involved. "Joe McAnelly had some peanut butter – he's just dropped it in ma'am"
"Oh that's very sweet of him" Harry observed as she began to cover her toast. She spread the peanut butter and scanned the table; Dempsey was tucking into scrambled eggs, bacon and toast and flicking through back pages of yesterday's New York Times and reading out the scores of various football games.
"Are they baseball teams Mr Dempsey?" The cook asked as she spotted his empty coffee cup and poured him another
"No these are football, American Football" Dempsey began
Noting Susan's uncertainty Harry jumped in with her own explanation "over egotised, over dressed men who wouldn't be brave enough to play a real rugby match"
Dempsey grinned "You telling me that all that pumping testosterone don't do it for you?"
"Why men think they need bigger shoulder pads than Dallas" Harry began
"Oooo I watch that" Susan began
"Typical of Americans to use oversized everything" Harry commented "they don't seem to have heard of the term moderation"
"Sue Ellen – she looks stunning.." the cook paused suddenly unsure if she'd over stepped her mark or not
"Linda Gray" Dempsey through out as he took another mouthful of his breakfast "she looks more beautiful in real life"
Susan had served a good number of British minor royals and even a few more famous but major TV stars held an air of awe and romance and her interest was shining forth as she asked "Have you met her?"
"A few years back" Dempsey suddenly felt the need to be coy, he looked across to Harry who rolled her eyes causing him to wince but she still dropped him in it "Dinner was it?"
Dempsey's grin told her he was not going to rise to her bait; it broadened more as he watched her spread the jam over the peanut butter to the bemusement of poor Susan.
"You want to watch out Makepeace you're picking up American habits there" he teased.
Two gulps of coffee later Dempsey stood "Well excuse me ladies" he announced "I think I'd better go and prepare for the great American game to take a foothold in Kent"
"My nephew Ashley is coming to do that baseball thing – he's real excited" Susan smiled before adding "What exactly is baseball?"
"Oversized rounders" Harry piped in
"Rounders? Well what's with the head gear and big gloves?" she couldn't help asking
"The Yanks oversize everything Susan" Harry teased as she reached for a second slice of toast.
"Some things are better bigger" Dempsey whispered into Harrys ear as he left causing a faint blush to rise.
