"Where the hell is Harry?"
Spikings clenches the pen tight. He cannot handcuff Dempsey who seems to have lost his mainstay. "Still not back then?"
He resists the urge to remind the Yank that he'd had to up to there 'with Tinkerbell' once and suggest that his partner's absence was due to Dempsey's behaviour. However tempting it is, he's not going to lie to the man who has been prowling the office like an untamed lion. His prediction that Dempsey would make use of the space to cause mayhem and turn up late after kicking women from his bed had proved incorrect.
It wasn't going to plan and this is not good.
"You could take a holiday." Spikings suggests with as much patience as he can find at four on a wet Tuesday afternoon.
"She was going to Kings Cross. I know my geography ain't all that but it's across the Thames, not the English Channel." Dempsey slumps, uninvited, into a chair, glaring at the empty one next to him as if that is also to blame. "I'm not leaving until you tell me."
His boss isn't prepared to chance who'd win a fight; he knows it'll be the younger man. "It's top secret. All I can tell you is that she's safe."
"She's not safe, not without me." Dempsey takes a breath, building up to more.
"… you think she's not a capable, trained armed officer?" Spikings asks, wishing Makepeace was here and could deal with her partner.
"Her gun is in her safe at home. And you know I don't mean that."
"Her house?" What on earth is Dempsey doing at her home.
"I watered the plants, picked up her post and yeah I have a key." Dempsey taunts with the only ammunition he has.
Spikings holds defence. "She's under an assignment at Edwards request and my command. Not with Kings Cross CID, but I did ask to talk to the new recruits there; they have three young girls on the team. She's not there now."
"Women." Dempsey corrects and explains himself. "Women who happen to be police officers, you know that's what Harry would say. If she was here."
"I can't tell you, Dempsey. You just have to trust me on this."
"Edwards, that toe ragging…" Dempsey begins.
"…man who happens to be my boss and therefore yours." Spiking lets forth the sigh as Dempsey remains in situ. "If there is any sign of any danger which I don't anticipate…" He stresses as his officer stirs like an angry tiger. "…you'll be the first to know and we'll send you in."
He pours a whisky when Dempsey has left; slamming the door behind him. It's only a matter of time before the man comes back demanding more.
Spiking downs the rich liquid and takes a little comfort in the spark as it slips down his throat. He thinks over ways to keep the Yank occupied, he can't have him finding Makepeace, that really is the worst outcome of all.
"I'm booking some leave." Dempsey flings open the door.
Spikings can't deny it, the man has weeks owning to him. He watches him scrawl on the calendar and slide the request form into his in-tray. Spikings gets the feeling Dempsey has won but he can't fathom how.
