Did Dempsey do it, or not? Even he doesn't know lol

Chapter 10

Gene and Alex positioned themselves at a table in a quiet part of the bar Leroy had directed them to. Senses on high alert, they had gone to great lengths to make sure they hadn't been followed.

Gene checked his watch "Any minute now." He pulled his cigars out of his jacket pocket and lit one.

Alex recognised that Gene was as jumpy as she was. It was one thing doing this on your home turf with the backup of your warrant card and the station, but to do it in a foreign country where you didn't know rules and didn't know who to trust, it was a totally different ball game.

"What do you think he wants?" asked Alex taking a sip of wine "Do you think he's setting us up?"

"I don't think so Bolls." Gene shook his head "I think our Leroy knows far more than he is letting on. Why would he be following us? I don't think it's the appealing lure of my aftershave. Why would he have talked in the cell like he did?"

"Perhaps he thinks we can help him? God knows how, maybe there are very few people he can trust." Alex spoke in hushed tones.

Gene nodded his head "I don't trust the whole ruddy lot of them, but if he is right about cops getting murdered, we've walked into a right bloody mess lady B. One thing's for sure...he's not a gang member."

"Why's that?"

"Gang's tend to have better things to do like beat the crap out of each other and flood cities with shitty drugs, screwing up useless twats lives. They don't tend go out of their ways to help two British holiday makers."

"Hmm. Could he be police?" Alex mused

"Possible." Gene's eyes fixed on the door "Looks like we're about to find out". Alex lifted her head to see Leroy making his way over to them. He looked serious , but not unfriendly. He gave Gene and Alex a nod of acknowledgement.

"Sorry about earlier, I wasn't sure whether the walls of Bloomingdales had ears. Leroy Banks." He introduced himself to Alex.

"Alex"

He nodded again and took his seat opposite Gene. "Sorry to dump this on yer Gene, but I need to know what happened last night to you and your good lady here."

"More or less what I told ye." replied Gene "Leroy, I really need to know who you are before we go any further." Leroy regarded Gene with a question forming in his mind.

"You a cop aren't ye?"

"Yup, so's the missus here." Gene was trying to come across as confident, but he felt he was failing. He had just taken a big risk telling a supposed gang leader he was a Police officer.

Leroy accepted Gene's answer "Thought so, it was how you were speaking in the tank.

"We think you're a Police officer too." Added Alex, determined to be part of the conversation.

"Ha, you're good, both of yous. Yeah I'm a cop, undercover. I've been infiltrating this gang for six months now."

"Has this murder got anything to do with the gang?" asked Gene, glad that they got the truth bit out of the way.

"Erhum" Leroy shook his head "let me give you the back ground."

"Please do, we are very confused as to how we have got mixed up in all this." pleaded Alex.

"The stiff in the trash was a guy by the name Cody Jackson, he was an undercover cop like me, in fact up until six months ago he was my partner...and friend. I got taken off the case we were working on and given the gang detail, been there ever since. Kinda got the impression I was in the way."

"But what's this got to do with us?" asked a perplexed Gene. "Why did we get arrested for 'es murder?"

"You weren't suppose to find him, no-one was. Why do ya think the cops were so quick on the scene?"

"We were wondering that, it all just seemed so convenient." Commented Alex

Leroy shuffled closer to Gene and Alex, checking around the room that no-one was listening.

"The cops who arrested you, two of them were following you today. Nobody was supposed to find Jackson. I need to find out who they are working for." Leroy looked even more serious. "Three cops have disappeared and four have wound up dead. The funny thing is..." he laughed mirthlessly "Funny, you don't see what's under ya nose until you step away from it. Working with the gang I get to see and hear things I wouldn't normally do as a cop."

"Like what?" Gene spoke slowly. He was finding Leroy's tale fascinating

"Cops taking payoffs for turning blind eyes, cops involved in drug gangs."

"Was Jackson bent?" Gene rubbed his chin, thinking

"Yeah, someone had got to him. Either he got greedy or was going to turn them in. Either way it was curtains. Another cop by the name of Joey got shot dead by his partner during a foiled drugs bust. He was up to his neck in it. Couple of days later his partner goes missing, I suspect he's now fish food." Leroy suddenly looked maudlin, his expression having been serious now looked downcast and regretful.

"This officer who shot his partner, was he corrupt as well?" Alex asked carefully, noting the change in Leroy's demeanour.

Leroy shook his head "Nah, he was another friend of mine. Sound guy. I since found out Dempsey had discovered the same things I know. They sure got rid of him... "

Gene and Alex stared at Leroy in surprise, they held their tongues tight so that they wouldn't give away the fact that they knew Dempsey. The wheels were starting to turn in Gene and Alex's minds as the realisation hit that they had blundered smack into Dempsey's problems.

Gene collected his thoughts, a pout formed on his face "So what do you want from us?"

"I need your help brother."

"Well stop calling me brother, despite angelic appearances I am not a bloody monk and Bolls 'ere is definitely not a Nun..so spit it out."

"I think I'm next." Leroy fixed Gene with a pleading stare "I'm stuck in the gang. If they find out I'm a cop I'm dead. I can't get out and return back to the department...otherwise I am also dead. Ye see my problem, see what I'm saying?"

Gene and Alex nodded

"I need your help to find out who is running the show, y'know the chief kingpin."

"Hmmph" grunted Gene with a slight smirk

"I'm serious honky, I heard they're looking to branch out into to London. That means they will be looking to put English cops on the pay roll. Believe me, this son of a bitch is going to screw up your clean up rate."

Gene and Alex paled at his words. It was bad enough with the amount corruption in the Met as it was without the Yanks muscling in on the action.

"This King pin," Alex was trying to get the facts right in her head "You think he's NYPD?"

"I know so, sister, I just can't prove it yet. Someone is protecting the Mafia families is New York, they need to be stopped."

On hearing the name Mafia, Alex started feeling very uneasy. She remembered Dempsey telling her and Gene that corrupt police officers make friends with the Mafia. She wondered how much of a hold on the Police the Mafia had, God forbid that they'd branch out to London. If Leroy's information was correct, this was their problem too. Alex looked across to Gene.

Gene sat back in his chair folding his arms considering. The same train thought was running through his mind as well. He sniffed, took a brief glance at Alex and said "Ok, how can we help?"

Liam Daly sat in the small cubicle waiting. He was very intrigued when he was told he had a visitor. His piercing blue eyes stared expectantly at the Perspex glass divider in front of him. Eventually he heard the door handle turn and in stepped a short broad man in his fifties. His hair silvery grey. Daly fixed the man with a suspicious glare. Daly didn't recognise him by sight, it was only when he opened his mouth to dismiss the guard, his identity became known. Daly had only dealt with the man on the phone.

He pulled up a chair, grinned and spoke in a thick American accent "Hiya Daly, nice place you have here."

"How the hell did you get in here?" Spat Daly

"What a great English welcome."

"I'm Irish and it's not a welcome. I say again, how did you get in here?"

The American chuckled "I have ways." He leant forward placing his hands purposely on the desk "Where's my money paddy?"

"Where do you think it is...Yank." said Daly sarcastically. "Everything was seized when I got arrested..the whole lot including your money."

"That's not my problem..it's yours. We delivered the product to you, now you have to pay for it." The American looked deadly serious and business like. He was in no mood to toy with Daly. As soon as he had heard that Daly had been arrested and his new drugs supply line into the UK had collapsed, he was straight on a plane from New York to London. Tired and jet lagged, his patience was on a knife edge.

"Coltrane, I don't give a shit about you or your organisation, I've rather got my own problems to sort out first."

Coltrane was less than impressed with the Irishman's answer. "I spent ten hours on a goddamn plane to come and see you. I thought this was the start of a profitable relationship. Clearly I was wrong." The American started to drum his fingers on the counter in agitation. He wasn't used to being treated like a schmuck.

"No disrespect, but as you can see, I'm a little tied up at the mo. You will get your money when I get out of here." scowled Daly "That bastard of a DCI, Hunt, has put a large spanner in the works."

"Hunt you say?" Coltrane's eyebrows rose in surprise, it would be a real gift horse if he was talking about the same Hunt who mysteriously appeared in the cells back home.

"Yeah, Hunt, you know him?" Daly cocked an eyebrow, this meeting was getting interesting.

"I may do, I may not." The American answered cryptically

A small smirk played on Daly's lips. The Yank was trying to play his cards close to his chest, but Daly could see right through him "Course, the bastard's in New York on holiday with his shag, DI Drake, but you know that, don't you?"

Coltrane smiled broadly, but kept tight lipped. "Just get me my money."

"Or you'll do what?" Daly sneered

"You don't what to know that. It won't be pleasant." Coltrane's voice was thick with menace, he knew he could squash the Irishman with one word to the right person. He was very well connected and his network was growing rapidly.

Daly, however, wasn't fazed by him, after all he had very little left to lose. Daly decided the meeting was over. He got up and bang on the door his side of the Perspex "See ye around ...Coltrane." with that he disappeared through the door.

While Dempsey slept, Harry had busied herself booking ferry tickets and arranging her and Dempsey's digs on Mallorca. Although not entirely happy with the accommodation she had managed to arrange last minute, there was a huge festival happening on the island and hotel rooms were thin on the ground, she was content that at least she could keep a close eye on Dempsey and Hughes. Satisfied that she had everything in place, she decided she had earned a coffee and a slice of chocolate cake in a small harbour side cafe. She was about to dig the fork into the chocolate gooiness when Monica sidled up to her table, and without any invitation, plonked herself down next to Harry. Harry stared in disbelief at the brazenness of the woman.

"Lady Harriet Winfield, what a surprise to find you here." She sneered

Harry's memory clicked into place. Since she had bumped into Monica in the hotel, Harry had wracked her brains trying to place her.

"Monica Grey, how nice to see you. Long time no see." replied Harry sarcastically, she couldn't stand the woman.

Monica gave a smirk "How is Robert? I hear they made him a senior partner."

Harry guessed that Monica was going to get right up her nose, especially mentioning her ex husband. "I really have no idea, we haven't spoken for years, only through solicitors...of course." She said sourly.

"Oh is that still rumbling on...Robert wanting half of the Winfield estate when Freddy pops off." Monica knew she was riling Harry and she was enjoying herself.

"My father has no intention of 'popping off' anytime soon, not that it is any of your business." she snapped.

"Come, come Harriet, we all know the story. Personally, I don't think Robert has a leg to stand on and I do think it's rather childish of him still refusing to sign the divorce papers."

Harry narrowed her eyes at Monica. Although her ongoing battles with her ex husband were common knowledge, she really didn't like being reminded about the saga from a devious cow like Monica.

"But, I see you've moved on to better things." Monica smirked "I'd heard you had a handsome American for a partner...they're right, he's a right dish."

"Monica is there some reason you decided to interrupt my quiet coffee break?" Harry asked tersely.

Monica gave a dirty grin "Have a hit a nerve? I just wanted to check that Jim is ok. He spent the night with me, but he wasn't feeling very well this morning so, I had the hotel staff get a taxi to take him back to the Castelle."

"He's fine." replied Harry through gritted teeth 'So; he did spend the night with her' she fumed in her head 'Dempsey you really have awful taste in women' She mentally added.

"Just as long as he's ok." purred Monica and she stood up to leave "Shame really, you always lose out on the best ones, don't you Harriet. Take my advice, you don't know what you're missing."

Monica gave Harry one more galling, sickly smile and left the cafe. Mission 'piss Lady Winfield off' accomplished.

Monica is such a cow. I'm being slightly cruel, the D&Mers know who Coltrane is...Ashers you will find out when Gene & Alex do!