"Chief, I need you to catch up with Harry tomorrow. I've got an idea..." Dempsey continues speaking into the phone receiver quickly, not letting his boss get the opportunity to butt in. "We're gonna be leaving the apartment in the morning and we'll need a cab. Anyway, can you or Chas can drive it?"
"Yes... but can't you tell me now?" Spikings rubs his eyes and looks at the pile of papers on his desk. He feels his left eyebrow twitch, a sure sign that he needs to get out of the office.
Dempsey pauses, "Harry and me. We haven't got all the info yet. I should have it by the morning. Morocco Jack's getting twitchy and low on funds, he's got someone on his tail."
"What are you planning now?" Spikings isn't sure he wants to know, "Will SI-10 be blessed with your presence anytime soon?"
"Jack wants Danny to hook up with Debbie." Dempsey says it fast, it comes out as one long word, rambled down the phone.
"Your Danny? Harry's Debbie?" Spikings sighs heavily as one half of his newest, and most successful, partnership mutters an affirmative grunt down the phone line. "What time do you need this cab tomorrow?"
"'Bout 10? Harry will ring you to confirm. Give us time to ruffle their feathers."
"Dempsey?" Spikings feels duty-bound to remind his detective of behaviour, even if he can't fathom how they went from Dempsey about to board a plane, to looking furtive like thieves or lovers in the office. If there was a power cut, he could use the electricity between them to start a generator.
"Yes, Chief?" Dempsey sounds amused.
"Keep it professional with Makepeace won't you?"
"I'll do exactly as she says," Dempsey replies oozing innocence and hangs up.
Spikings eyes the receiver warily as if whatever energy the American has, might transmit itself down the line and affect them all. If he asks too much, he's afraid he'll understand the pair of them even less than he does now.
In the morning, he puts on a flat cap and thick coat and borrows an impounded London taxi.
"C'mon handsome." Harry appears first, looking breezy and amused, as she lingers by the door of the block of nondescript flats.
"You sure you want to come out? You could just stay in, keep the sheets warm." Dempsey is next, his hair ruffling in the wind. He pulls Harry to him by her coat lapels and she lets him kiss her. Spikings averts his eyes, he's fairly sure that was 'snogging'.
"Maybe I'll surprise you later." Harry laughs as Dempsey growls.
Spikings wonders if the Met code of conduct covers bucket of waters and frisky staff.
"Put her down for five minutes." Jack looks at them with fatherly amusement and Spikings is relieved, and somewhat alarmed, to discover he agrees with the criminal. "Taxi's here already. Tell ya, better than your New York yellow cabs."
The assorted party pour themselves onto the back seat as Harry checks her bag for the keys. Jack supplies the address.
"Yo, babe, you'll have to sit on my lap." Dempsey leers at Harry, opening the back door on his side and pulling her in. To Spikings' surprise, she does just that, wrapping her arms around her partner and fondling his neck as if it was something they always did.
Jack yawns noisily from the middle of the group on the back seat.
"Tired?" His wife asks, patting her husband's knee.
"Yeah, you two were bleeding noisy." Jack accuses Dempsey and Harry, without malice. "I expect a brothel would've been quieter… no offence, ladies."
"He doesn't mean it," Jack's wife says to the rest of them, "We were young once."
Spikings coughs, catching his breath.
"You okay there, sport?" Dempsey asks of his boss, a hint of glee in his voice. Jack's wife offers him water which Spikings waves away.
"You're good at resuscitation." Dempsey's gaze is somewhat apologetic towards Harry who smiles in a display of domestic harmony.
"Yeah, we know." Jack turns to his wife and Spikings tries to listen to his conversation. When turns out to be a shoddy, abridged history of the East End, he loses interest and tries to eavesdrop on his two finest detectives who have forgotten he is there. Or maybe they are aware, and they're playing with him. He prefers them arguing. He knows where he stands.
"I warned you I'd be noisy." Harry purrs.
"Think you might need tuning up." Dempsey's hand slides up her leg.
She squeaks and giggles in a very un-Makepeace fashion. "My engine runs fine."
Spikings' eyes widen and he only just remembers to stop at the traffic lights.
"If you need oiling later..." Dempsey suggests with a devilish look, clearly challenging his partner.
"I hear lubrication is essential for a smooth ride." Harry gives as good as she gets. Dempsey is looking positively delighted. "You're the wheelman, you should know."
Spikings concentrates on driving the cab. He's got a bloody good idea, but he'll ask Mrs S, who'll probably look at him like he's daft. She's always thought that Harry called the shots when it came to Dempsey and they'd been 'Up To Something' for a while.
Jack is speaking to Dempsey, "Are you gonna be able to concentrate, Romeo?"
"Yeah, I've got intense concentration when required," Dempsey's hands grip his partner's waist. "One of my many talents, ain't that right babe?"
Offering an amused smile, Jack gives up and turns to his wife, continuing his tour of the London landmarks. Spikings winces.
In his rear-view mirror, he sees Harry open Dempsey's jacket and then fuse her lips to his in a heated kiss, whilst her hand slides her gun between them so Dempsey is armed. Spikings has to admire them, though as the party leave the cab and Dempsey slides back across the seat and runs his hand on her cheek and the two seem to exchange an entire conversation without words, he wonders about what boundaries they've started to scratch away. He knows they were caught up in the ambush at the restaurant last night but both look unscathed on the surface.
"Take care of her." Dempsey orders. Spikings notices the gentle look on Harry's face as they drive away. Spikings suddenly realises that they never called each other Danny or Debbie in this exchange.
He won't ask. If he does, he might have to separate them and he can't have that. They're too bloody good.