Chapter 28

3 weeks later

The note had been hastily scribbled on the back of the envelope 'Be by your desk by 6 and expect a call. Do what they tell you, but watch your back. Leave Makepeace in bed!'

Dempsey had found the note when he arrived home from the supermarket that evening. After many jibes from Makepeace about the lack of provisions in his flat, Dempsey had resigned himself to becoming domesticated. He didn't mind turning his abode into something more female friendly; in fact it had the effect of making it more like a home rather than just somewhere to lay his head.

Pot plants had appeared in soulless white corners, pictures had appeared on blank walls….his couch now had a matching pair of scatter cushions which co-ordinated with a brand new bean bag. He had missed these feminine touches, not since Simone shared his life had he felt part of a couple co-existing in each other's space. Harry's flat too had started to be transformed with the arrival of various videos, male toiletries, newspapers and a number of items which had given the quintessential English residence a trans-Atlantic slant. Harry's kitchen now boasted a bright, shiny new popcorn maker along with a waffle iron. Gadgets which, apparently, no self-respecting human being could live without. The evidence of two very different lives dove tailing and melding together was clear to see. It was a gradual, unconscious process of two lives becoming one.

It wasn't the demand to be by his desk which baffled Dempsey as he raked his fingers through his hair, it was the 'Leave Makepeace in bed' bit. He was always getting odd messages to be in such and such place at such and such time, that was part of the job, the reference to Harry made it suspicious.

Their relationship wasn't common knowledge to their colleagues let alone the criminal fraternity. He could either read too much into the comment as written by somebody who actually knew they were an item or dismiss it as some wag trying to be funny. It wouldn't be the first time a snout had made a joke about the two detectives sleeping together, at first it had shocked both of them that anyone would think that they were sharing a bed, now it was a regular occurrence and barely stirred a reaction from either of them.

Dempsey counted his blessings that Harry wasn't with him when he discovered the note. He knew she would find the idea that someone out there was clued up unsettling. It wasn't that she wanted to hide their relationship; it was that it could be dangerous if the scum of London were aware of the situation and use it to their advantage. One could be used to hurt the other.

Thankfully Harry was otherwise engaged at Lady Farley-Hartington's Charity auction. Harry had invited Dempsey, but after his last meeting with the host of the evening, Dempsey had labelled Lady Farley- Hartington as 'One big pain in the butt', the woman just didn't stop talking. At the last charity bash in aid of refugees from some middle eastern country Dempsey had never heard of, the 'big pain in the butt' had cornered him and rattled through several topics from Vietnam, the Suez crisis, Mongolian orphans right through to injured captive Killer whales in American zoos…..not to mention the depressed dolphins. All this without drawing breath.

Harry had simply laughed informing Dempsey that she had a reputation for being full of 'hot air' and had earned herself the nickname of Lady Harley-Fartington, and her best friend , Mrs Ormerod was affectionately known as Mrs Haemorrhoid…another pain in the butt. Harry also told him under no circumstances was he to give her cold hard cash or he would end up a marked man. This otherwise helpful insight had come too late for Dempsey who had been forced to hand over £50 just to get rid of her so that she would move onto her next victim. With this memory firmly planted in his mind, he had turned down the invitation citing that the 'the big pain in the butt' would either succeed in boring him to death or bankrupting him. Harry had jokingly called him a wimp and he should suffer the Lady like everyone else and being American didn't exclude him from the torture….so he couldn't play his joker card. Dempsey's expression said it all, he would rather spend the night in the cells than endure another night with that woman. Harry took pity on him and left him off….this time, but warned him he could run, but he couldn't hide. Lady Farley-Hartington would hunt down him and his wallet in the end.

These situations, which had once been so alien to Dempsey, had started to feel more familiar. Harry's world was no-longer the aloof, stuffy aristocratic social in-club which sneered at the likes of Dempsey who's background, he felt, excluded him. Getting to know Harry's kind had been a steep learning curve as had been getting to know Harry herself, however, he had found Harry's friends to be great fun and when he put on his English tailored Dinner Jacket he was filled with a peculiar confidence. He looked the same as them, he just didn't sound like it. At first he had been a curiosity to them, a genuine interest in Harry's handsome yank, now he was considered a friend and an integral part of the gang. Where Harry was invited, James was invited too….they all called him James.

He had struck up a particular friendship with a younger chap called Barny. Dempsey had guessed they got along so well because Barny's mother was American and regularly travelled to the US to see that branch of the family, thus they had things in common to talk about. When Dempsey had been a no show at the charity event, Barny had gotten straight on the phone to demand Dempsey get over there sharpish and come and rescue him from Lady Harley-Fartington. He pleaded his case saying that he wasn't going to survive the night without his drinking partner "Sorry Bud, no can do, I got an early start in the morning."

"You do realise my death will be on your conscience?"

"I think I can live with that – you'll be fine – You told me you're a fast runner."

"Not after several single malts."

"Well then stagger fast. If she catches you I'll pay for the therapy."

"Cheers Buddy, you're a real help."

So, Dempsey had gone to bed on his own that night although sleep was illusive. He found himself lying on his back on his side of the bed staring up at the ceiling. There was something niggling away at him and he couldn't put his finger on it. He tried to tell himself he was over-thinking the note, trying to find issues where there weren't any, looking for a bogey man that didn't exist.

By 4.30am he had given up on sleep. He showered, shaved and dressed with little enthusiasm for the day. The only highlight of the day was going to be Harry's tales of woe from the night's events. At 5.30am he wandered out to his car. He shivered in the damp cold pulling his jacket tighter around his body. He'd forgotten how chilly England could be in late September at this ungodly hour of the morning. The English described it as a 'nip in the air' Dempsey had other words for it which were less pleasant. He struggled to remember the last time he had woken up in darkness, a sure sign that winter was on its way and soon he would have been in the UK for a full year.

He arrived quickly at the office, there had been very little traffic on the roads due to the time of day and as he pulled into the yard he noted that he was the first of the officers to arrive. As he got out of the car, there it was again 'that nip in the air' which seemed to seep into his bones. He hadn't really taken much notice of the weather until he moved to England. The limeys were obsessed with it and the pre-occupation with climate was starting to rub off on him 'Maybe I'm becoming a limey….driving on the left….weather…cups of tea…' Dempsey thought to himself as he crossed the yard to the SI10 offices in the first chinks of daylight.

He climbed the stairs to the office in no particular hurry, but as he got closer to the door he heard the faint trill of a phone, they were calling earlier than expected, it wasn't quite 6 yet. Suddenly he charged up the remaining steps bolted through the door hurling himself at the phone. He snatched up the receiver and barked "Dempsey!"

The line went dead and all he could hear was the buzz of the line. He slammed down the phone thinking he had missed the call "Dammit!"

He flopped onto his chair brining his fingers to his lips in thought staring at the phone receiver. "The note said 6!" He said in frustration. He could try to get the call traced, but knew it was futile and Chas would tell him so.

As the he continued to contemplate the phone rang again. This time Dempsey composed himself and waited for the fourth ring before picking up the handset. As he pressed the receiver to his ear he heard the familiar beeps of a phone box before the caller put the money in the slot. "Dempsey." He replied, this time much more calmly.

"Lieutenant, I have a message for you…"

"Who is this?"

"You don't need to know, just write this down….you got a pen?"

The male voice on the other end of the line spoke calmly and precisely with a cockney accent. Nothing unusual there thought Dempsey, this guy is an informant. "You have some info for me?"

The caller ignored the question and recited from a carefully worded script "You are to meet me at the old cloth mill at Greenwich. Do you know it?"

"Yeah I know it, what for?"

Once again the caller ignored Dempsey's question. "9am sharp. You may bring your partner, but no-one else…..understand?"

"Hey I aint gonna walk into ambush, do ya think I'm stoopid or somethin' ?"

"No ambush you have my word, I have something for you - be there and don't be late or the deal is off." The man was clearly reading from a script and had been told not to deviate from it.

"What deal?" barked Dempsey

"You know, I don't" the line went dead.

Dempsey glared at the phone in puzzlement…was it a trap for him and Harry, if so why? The note had told him to watch his back and leave Makepeace in bed, but the caller said he could bring her along. Was somebody trying to warn him of a trap to protect Harry? If he left her out of it then how was he going to watch his back…that was Harry's job likewise he watched hers.

Dempsey checked his watch, 6.15am he had a long wait until anyone else would arrive at the office including Harry. He got up from his seat and made his way to a row of armless chairs by the window. There was nothing else for him to do other than to try to catch up on some much needed sleep. He laid himself down across the chairs and covered his top half with his jacket. Once comfortable he closed his eyes and tried, once again, to sleep…..words replaying in his head 'You know, I don't'….