The phone rang at 6.45am. Dempsey reached out and picked up the receiver "Dempsey" he wasn't awake enough to say anything else, his name was the easiest thing. He noticed the woman lying in the bed next to him stir and listen. The voice on the phone cut through to his conscious
"Harry" he sat up "You sleep ok?"
"Perfectly, thank you" She quite liked this thoughtful Dempsey "I'll pick you up in half an hour" she was saying "Chas has been on the phone we need to speak to Riley about the Jasmine case, he'll meet us at Paddington Station at 7.40."
"And breakfast?"
"I'll treat you if promise not to shout at the waitress staff"
"I don't" he defended
"You do it so frequently you don't even realise"
"I like my coffee with my breakfast"
"Stop arguing and get dressed Dempsey"
Dempsey looked to his side, "any chance of making that 45 minutes?" he asked as he thought about how he could spend that time.
"Just be ready"
He hung up and looked at Julie, "DS Makepeace is one hard task master" he said as his hand cruised her body and his eyes locked on to her face.
Julie knocked his hand away and Dempsey was shocked, he wondered what he had done. "Makepeace?" she questioned
Dempsey wondered where this was about to fly off to. "You know her?"
"Harry your partner is Makepeace?"
"Yeh, Harry Makepeace. Why?"
"You talk in your sleep"
"Oh you don't want to worry about that"
"Oh but I do", she sounded serious and pushed his hands away again. She looked at him "You have no idea do you?"
"No and I won't unless you tell me - that much I do know"
"When you talked about make peace in your sleep I thought you were dreaming about some policing problem, then when you kissed my neck and murmured make peace I thought it was the same as make love not war but now I know."
"Good because I don't know what on earth you are going on about"
"You talk to her in your sleep!" Julie removed herself from the bed
"What?"
"Tell me are you cheating on her?"
"On who?"
"Are you in a relationship with that Harry Makepeace?"
"NO I TOLD YOU, SHE'S MY PARTNER"
"You told me she was work"
"She is"
"Jim let me tell you one thing, no make that two. One - she is not just work and two don't worry I won't phone you again." she pulled her clothes on. "I've just realised why you were sitting by your phone - you were waiting for her to phone weren't you? No don't bother answering I'm not going to be part of some thing extra on the side" She put on her shoes, smoothed her hair with her hands "I'll get a taxi"
As Harry pulled up outside she saw Dempsey and a slim woman coming out of the main entrance. Harry felt a wave of disappointment ripple through her. Dempsey was talking to Julie but she defiantly ignored him and got into the waiting taxi. Dempsey watched it drive off, and then noticing Harry's car opened the passenger door and sat in. "Don't say anything" Dempsey spoke, the same words echoed out of Harry this wasn't going to be a fun breakfast after all.