"You WHAT!" Dempsey stood in agitation "There ain't no way…." He leaned in towards Spikings "Not without Harry"
"Sergeant Makepeace is already overseeing two scenarios" Spikings pointed out very dryly "And as next senior officer…"
"Whoa back up there" Dempsey held his hand up in front of Spikings face palm forward "what do you mean 'next senior' - I am a Lieutenant and she's just a Sergeant"
"Dempsey you are taking the Woodrow case"
"I don't have a problem with that" Dempsey growled "just let me and Harry do it together"
Spikings rose and walked around Dempsey, he jerked open the office door "Fry" he called "There's a case just come in – I want you and Dempsey to work it"
Spikings stood by his door and in so doing invited Dempsey to leave. Dempsey launched a pen he'd picked up onto the floor in frustration, as he marched out he mumbled to Spikings about not bothering to come to his funeral.
Fry bolted out of his chair, he'd rather partner anyone else than Dempsey on his own. Dempsey tossed Fry the wodge of photos Spikings had just run through "Xerox these and I'll meet you in the parking lot in ten" he instructed as he pulled Harry by her right arm out into the corridor
"Excuse me" Makepeace protested
"The chief wants me dead" Dempsey informed her with bitterness
"You're being alarmist"
"I'm telling you he doesn't want me here"
"It was barely weeks ago that stuck his neck on the line to get you your permanent transfer" Harry reasoned quite measuredly
"Well he's sending me out with Fry"
"You've worked with him before – "
"Yeh but not just me and him Harry – he drives me nuts"
"Fry's a solid worker" Harry pointed out
"Me and you – we're partners, we should be out there together"
"We're still partners" she reassured him "now go and hunt Fry down" she placed both palms on his chest to send him on his way with a gentle push
"What's this? The wife sending me off to work?" Dempsey mocked as he reached out and took hold of her hips "only it's you Harry I want to be with" he objected as he pulled himself into her
"I thought you sounded rather keen on Luscious Laura" Makepeace mooted
"Me?" Dempsey feigned shock "Nah - now Naughty Nita – she sounded kinda fun" Dempsey's hands were roving over Harry's behind and as he edged her back against the wall and himself over her he whispered "but there ain't none as brazen as the naked sergeant with her legs wrapped round me just feet away from the boss" his left hand grazed upwards over her waist and his thumb extended to catch the curve of her breast as he breathed his words over her lips.
"Dempsey" Harry scolded in a loud whisper "we're in a public corridor"
His thumb kept exploring the underside of her weighted curve and Harry drew breath ready to push Dempsey back but his lips were closing hers and her hands slipped upwards around his neck until the noise of a door opening jolted the pair apart.
"Later what say we try the desk" Dempsey suggested with a glint in his eye
"I say you'd better go and find Fry" Harry finally pushed him away in a friendly shove adding 'that she doubted he knew how to Xerox something'
"What? He's always bringing the stuff in for Chas"
"Yes but Chas asks him to photocopy" Harry grinned with devilment
Fry finally opened the passenger door of the grey merc, he passed a brown envelope to Dempsey and despite the advice from Harry mentioned 'that Harry had said although the SI10 photocopier was a Canon these would be alright'
Dempsey passed the envelope back telling Fry to study everyone of the mug shots 'cos he would test him on them when they finally got to their observation point' Dempsey turned the ignition and as he selected first he asked Fry 'what had kept him'
Fry was foolish honest "you never said the back carpark- Gaynor said we didn't have a parking lot ten and suggested that you usually parked out here"
Dempsey almost missed second gear as he absorbed Fry's naiveté; he screeched around the corner "Gaynor from switchboard" he mused "good job she knows me well". In third gear he pulled out to overtake a blue ford transit and Fry winced as a thought he'd never had before crossed his mind about Gaynor and Dempsey. By the time Dempsey had completed the manoeuvre and glanced to his left as he pulled back into the main stream of traffic he noted the red flush that had travelled from Fry's neck to the tip of his ears.
"'she your girlfriend?" Dempsey asked, chewing his inner lip with mischievous intent. Fry was so flustered that he loosened his tie
"She's quite a looker" Dempsey continued generously "size 14 but great curves"
Fry coughed, his throat dry with panic; he had no idea if Dempsey was right he was more worried how Dempsey knew because if she'd dated Dempsey he might as well throw in the towel now.
"D cup I'm guessin"
Fry undid the top button of his shirt and contemplated how he was going to survive for hours in the company of Dempsey alone when the first 5 minutes had been such a total nightmare.
Dempsey held a wry smile and concentrated on the London traffic until he pulled up at the disused railway sidings beyond the Surrey Docks and opened his New York Times.
"'You know what Woodrow looks like?" Dempsey checked whilst looking directly into his paper
"6'1", 16 stone, glasses and a goaty beard" Fry summarised
"220 pound" Dempsey offered "and what about if he's shaved? – how you gonna now him them?"
Fry shuffled the photos until he found one of Woodrow, he stared at it contemplating how average Woodrow looked; Dempsey lifted the photo – "look at his jowls and the width of his eyes and the stubby nose with flaring nostrils"
Fry wondered how he'd not spotted those before.
Dempsey looked back at his paper "And he ain't never alone" he added – he's got two henchmen 6'6" at least 280 pounds" Fry shuffled the photos again wondering and pondering until like a wild pig mesmerised to walk into the anaconda's mouth he asked Dempsey 'how he knew the side kicks were paid nearly 300 quid and was that a day or a week?'
Dempsey folded his paper "I dunno what they get paid – you thinking of switching sides Fry? Or just doin' a bit of moonlightin'?"
Fry was utterly perplexed but fortunately Dempsey was leafing though the photos addressing the ones they were hoping to spot showing up on today's surveillance and giving Fry a précis of their possible links. Fry scribbled notes on the back of his set of photos.
Both Yelding and Tranton arrived at the scruffy warehouse offices; Fry noted that they spent considerably more time talking to each other outside than they spent in Woodrows offices, he noted the car registration plate and when he finally plucked up courage to ask Dempsey what he thought they would be talking about Dempsey dryly told him 'that he had no idea and maybe he should take a walk by'
Fry had barely walked 10 yards from the car before Dempsey roared off leaving Fry dumbfounded and seething. His eyes skimmed the area searching for how he would make his way home but he seemed abandoned in Millwall with no access to public transport.
The screech of rubber as Dempsey drove off had drawn the attention of the two debating gentlemen; aware of their vulnerability they returned to Tranton's Audi. They came up to Fry still standing on the same spot turning circles as he contemplated walking back towards Deptford and wondering if right or left was the quicker route; he knew he would choose wrong. Yelding wound the passenger window down "You look lost" he observed
"I have no idea which is the quickest way back to the tube or if any buses ever come by – you couldn't advise me could you?" Fry plaintively asked "Only I just got dumped"
"Jump in mate" Tranton called across and Fry slipped into the back of the car; his eyes widened as he took in the dashboard, the red upholstery and the electric window eased itself back up. "so where can we drop you?" continued Tranton
"Oh anywhere near a tube station"
"Where you heading exactly?"
"Peckham" Fry admitted suddenly remembering not give the game away he added "the Granada TV studios"
"We're off down the A2, we can drop you near" Yelding offered on Tranton's behalf before continuing the conversation he and Tranton had been having on the forecourt.
Fry burst into the SI10 offices reeling from information overload "Where's Dempsey?" he breathed I've got to talk to him
The guys looked at each other "We thought he was with you?"
"Dempsey?" Chas picked up on the debate as he walked back in "I've just seen him over the Bramcote with Harry"
Over at the Bramcote Dempsey was not enjoying his discussion with Makepeace; she seemed to be in league with Spikings about Dempsey working this one with Fry but she was insisting that she knew nothing that Dempsey didn't.
On top of that she seemed to think that his abandonment of Fry on the Rotherhide road was out of order, refusing to believe that it was anything other than harassment. Now he was sulking and turning the back pages of the current evening standard "Pretty Penny's offering playful fun" he observed out loud
"Dempsey I really don't care and if I'm honest I really don't want to hear; don't you think you could just grow up"
"What do you mean – these are adult services"
Before she had opportunity to come back at Dempsey Fry burst in
"I found out so much" he announced proudly "Murdoch and Montpelier are working out of Gravesend and passing the details onto Tranton who uses Yelton as a go between with Woodrow" Fry delivered his information without taking pause for breath.
"Good work" Dempsey conceded
"Well it seems as if you've got plenty of work to be doing Lieutenant" Makepeace stood "And now Dave and I have some legwork lined up" Harry walked out of the Bramcote without so much as a by your leave "Catch you later" Dempsey called out
At the door Harry turned back "I doubt it, this involves a trip to Cambridge"
"Sure" Dempsey muttered "great to be back at work"
Fry was still bubbling with his success "Shall we go to Gravesend?" he asked expectantly
"What?" Dempsey realised he hadn't heard Fry "Did you say somethin'"
"Shall we do the leg work in Gravesend?"
"Yeh" Dempsey assented "Yeh some legwork"
