Spikings stormed back into his office to face the sight of Dempsey sat next to Makepeace with his arm around her, whispering into her ear.
"Where's that damn file?" he bellowed. He'd had enough of officers who couldn't focus on their work, and this case was beginning to get on his nerves. Someone was targeting Thomas for a more serious personal reason than it seemed, he was sure of it, but these two didn't seem to be giving him anything to go on. He needed this case dealt with and out of the way or soon he wouldn't be able to justify keeping Dempsey and Makepeace working on it. And yet he felt a certain obligation towards Thomas to see this thing through. These two however seemed to be more focused on each other, and on SI10 time that was unacceptable. Time for him to let them know that.
"Here Sir," Makepeace said, standing, turning around and holding the file up. "Dempsey and I would like to return to Rainington, speak to the staff and Thomas again and search the grounds. We believe that there may be a connection between the trespasser and Thomas."
"Hmm." Spikings narrowed his eyes and looked from Makepeace to Dempsey. That had taken the wind out of his sails somewhat; they'd actually been discussing the case. "You do that," he pointed from one to the other, "and find me something!"
Dempsey and Makepeace turned to leave.
"Oh and one more thing," Spikings said before they left. Dempsey and Makepeace halted at the door and turned. "It hasn't gone unnoticed that there have been certain developments between certain officers in SI10 recently." Makepeace tried her hardest, but failed, not to blush. "Just make sure that these developments don't interfere with SI10 work or certain officers will find themselves working independently of one another, am I making myself clear?"
Neither of them quite knew how to reply and glanced sheepishly at each other. Makepeace took a breath as if to say something but then changed her mind, turned and swiftly followed Dempsey out of the door.
"I'll get you back for that Dempsey, just you see if I don't!" Makepeace said as they rushed down the corridor.
Dempsey grinned. "I can't wait!"
Thomas seemed frail and shaken when Dempsey and Makepeace returned to Rainington to speak to him. He had said that he'd heard noises again and seen lights outside his bedroom window. After reassuring him that they would not stop until this matter was dealt with, they questioned the rest of the staff who unfortunately appeared to have seen and heard nothing, apart from Bessie that is who was convinced that she had seen someone in the garden.
"Time we checked out the garden again," Dempsey said to Makepeace, heading for the patio doors. "He came back for a reason."
They paced the garden, looking up at the house and Thomas's bedroom window.
"Why does he keep coming back?" Makepeace pondered, putting a thoughtful hand to her mouth. "And it's not as if he's really committed any serious crime." Makepeace's eyes caught Dempsey's and as they stood there a strange look flickered across each of their faces. Had he thought the same? Had she suspected that too? He'd been thinking it for a while but then there was no real reason for him to have thought that, let alone her.
"What you thinkin'?" he asked, just to be certain.
Her eyes flicked away from his. She seemed uncertain. But then she was staring at the ground, her eyes attracted to something in the grass. She took a few steps forward and stooped to pick up an object.
Dempsey peered over her shoulder as she stood up. "What you found?"
"A key. A hotel room key," she corrected, turning the object over in her hand. Dempsey was itching to take a closer look. "Room 21, Melbourne Place Hotel, Kings Cross," she read, a look of realisation dawning over her face. He grinned back. Damn it, they were good! "Well, something for us to check out," she smiled, sure that he had thought the same about the key.
They left Rainington in a rush, keen to check out the hotel.
"He probably came back last night for the key didn't he?" Makepeace said as she got into the car.
"Maybe, but he could have got a new key," Dempsey replied. "Why'd he have to go to all that trouble?"
"There might have been a charge for a replacement key... or maybe he thought that someone would find it," she suggested.
"Or maybe he just couldn't resist goin' back there. You think he's workin' himself up to see Thomas?" Dempsey asked, pulling out onto the main road.
"There are better ways of paying him a visit than creeping around his garden and scaring him half to death!"
"That's what's been buggin' me, why'd he keep goin' back?"
"Or why did he go there in the first place? Well, maybe we will get to ask him ourselves."
"If he's still there," Dempsey pointed out.