He couldn't believe they convinced him to do it. He looked like a clown … not a homosexual. He forced himself to push the door of the tennis club before he could change his mind and run home.
He felt even worse when he left the club. He definitely was a clown among the other men. All well dressed and paying tribute to their friend. He waited until the constables had finished putting their suspect in handcuffs and joined them in the carriage driving back to the station house. When they arrived, he all but ran in his office to hide and get dressed in his own clothes. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw that Julia was in his office, holding his trousers in her hands.
"Oh my! William!" she laughed when she saw him. "I guess this … costume sheds light on why your pants were here and you were not in them."
"Julia, can you please help me close the blinds before more people see me like this?" he asked, closing the door to his office with the lock and working on the first blind.
Julia helped him, still laughing. When they were hidden as much as they could by the blinds, William collapsed in his chair, sighing.
"Come on William. It could have been worse." Julia laughed, sitting on his lap.
"I don't see how it could be worse, look at me Julia I look ..."
"Colourful." she finished for him. "I have to say, it is a change from your usual black work suit." she continued, unbuttoning the purple vest he was still wearing.
"I felt so stupid. They all looked completely normal in their regular suits and here I was, looking … colourful."
They stayed silent for a few minutes, each enjoying the presence of the other when suddenly William seemed to realize that they were not at home but in his office, surrounded by his colleagues, suspects and convicts.
"Julia, you'll need to move. I have to get changed and interview the man I brought back from the club." William said, squeezing her thigh.
"Mr Murdoch, you brought a man back from the club? Should I be jealous? Is there something we need to discus?"
"Julia!"
"I'm joking William, calm down." she said, laughing as she moved off her husband's lap. "Where are you going?" she asked when she saw him walk to the back of his offce.
"I'm getting changed." he repleid, confused.
"Could you change here? I wouldn't mind the show ..." Julia teased.
"I wouldn't mind giving you a show but the constables trying to see through the blinds … not so much." he said.
When Julia looked by the window she saw the constables either hide or pretend to be working and she laughed. When she turned to talk to William, he had disappeared. She saw him move behind the green curtain of his small library/cabinet. He threw his costume in his office before he realized he had not taken his regular clothes with him.
"Uh … Julia?"
"Yes."
"I seem to have left my clothes on my desk, could you bring them to me please?"
"Sure."
She collected the clothes and joined him behind the curtain.
"Thank you." William said. "What are you doing?" he asked when she pulled back on the clothes she was handing him.
"Just thinking how I have never seen naked in this context before."
"Well, since we are in my office at the police station I would say it is a good thing. Now hand me my clothes please? I have a suspect to interview."
"Kiss me first. Or you don't get your clothes." Julia said.
"Are you blackmailing a police detective in his own office Mrs Murdoch?" William asked, pulling her to him.
"Yes, I am." she laughed, pressing her body against his. "Now, what are you going to do about the situation?"
Her husband kissed her passionately as an answer. They got so carried away that William's clothes fell on the floor. A few minutes later, as William was starting to unbutton his wife's dress, the door of his office opened and the voice of the inspector was heard from the other side of the curtain.
"Murdoch! What the hell is going on? We are waiting for you in the interview room."
"I … uh … I'm just changing into my regular clothes Sir, I'll be right out."
"Alright. Oh and we got a telephone call from the morgue, Dr Ogden is expected there." the inspector said, closing the office door, a smirk on his face.