━━ CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT/ joplin and saunders
episode four, part two.

The new clients were ushered into the front room quickly as Lockwood grabbed Lucy from the kitchen. There was something off with the brunette but Demi knew that she could ask later. Whatever it was would probably explain why she had passed out downstairs. However, clients took priority. They needed money and reputation badly.

So while George and Lucy took the sofa, opposite the two clients, Demi perched on the arm of the armchair that Lockwood had put himself on. He looked worse for wear considering none of them had had a real chance to clean up since wraith-hunting but the clients didn't seem to take notice. His arm rested on the sofa behind Demi's back, protecting her even from his lower position.

"I'm Sebastian Saunders and this is my partner, Pamela Joplin," Saunders began as he gestured towards the woman sitting down. Her face felt familiar but Demi wasn't sure why. It was a friendly face but there was a feeling of distrust. Demi didn't trust her, not that she dwelled on it. It was a job and they needed it.

"Business Partners," Joplin clarified. Her voice was soft while Saunders was almost abrasive. He looked his age, grey hair sloppily combed over in an attempt to disguise his hairline. His greasy appearance likely mirrored his practices, "We're Sweet Dreams excavations, maybe you've heard of us?" Joplin asked curiously. Demi glanced over at George and then Lockwood but neither seemed to react particularly to that name. She hadn't heard it either.

"You're gravediggers?" Lockwood asked curiously as he looked up at Saunders. He was standing, lording over all of them and grabbed something from his pocket.

"We prefer 'excavation and clearance'," He responded simply as he passed a card to Lockwood. There was no acknowledgement of Demi but she didn't really care. Instead, her gaze focused on the card and she tried to get the words to focus. But Lockwood had passed it away before she had a chance to read, "I'm sure you'll have seen the headlines, Mr Lockwood." A sigh escaped from the boy's lips. That was never a good thing, "After all the avoidable deaths, DEPRAC now requires the council to assess their cemeteries for risky plots. We're currently engaged in a major operation in Kensal Green Cemetery."

"But that's huge," George cut in before Saunders could get any further. It wasn't a compliment but Saunders was the kind of man to not realise that.

So, he simply replied, "Thank you." Saunders had sat down by now as he began to explain their process, "Pam, usually susses out the dodgy ones long before they present any serious danger. We dig for bones. She digs for stories." The way he described her job almost made it sound like a bad thing but Demi glossed over it. If they were coming to an Agency, then there must be something different going on. Not their typical dodgy graves that Sensitives or the Night Watch could deal with.

"I use burial records to look for traumatic cases of death likely to tip the odds for visitation. Suicides, murders, sudden tragedy. You never know when a spirit might activate," Joplin explained. Demi glanced at George and he suddenly had a smile on his face.

"You're a researcher?" George asked, excitedly, "did you know Fittes has its own database now?" There was something about his tone that made Demi smile. It was nice to see him find someone like him. Demi loved reading as much as the next girl but actually researching wasn't really her thing. George was alone in that.

"It's not very good," Joplin's words were assured, "Broad in scope but there's no depth. Give me a stack of books any day." It was like she knew exactly what to say to make George smile. That was exactly how he felt but it was almost odd.

"I couldn't agree more," George nodded. But before their conversation could go any further or the silence could stretch out for even a second, Lockwood spoke up.

"Mr Saunders, Ms Joplin, thank you very much for taking the trouble but we're mansion specialists. We don't do odd jobs for the council." Lockwood sounded exasperated and slightly offended that the pair would even come to their doorstep. Demi was slightly frustrated at Lockwood but he ignored the look and nudge she gave him. A frown appeared on her lips.

"Are you sure? We heard you'd be grateful. Oh, sorry, uh... amenable to this work," Saunders responded as he glanced around at the company. Demi didn't know what to say but the frown only seemed to deepen. That was likely Barnes or Kipps. Someone had been chattering behind the scenes and it only served to wound Lockwood's pride.

"Well, you heard wrong," The bluntness with which Lockwood spoke was unmissable. Saunders had hit a nerve, "Our listener, for example, is one of the best in the country, and-" He began to brag but Lucy interrupted before he had the chance to say another word.

"Lockwood, I'm good. That's all," She almost snapped. The look in her eyes was one of anxiety and Demi wanted to give her a hug even if she was being too modest. Ever since Lockwood had blasted her name during the Ward case, she had been wary of media attention. From what she knew of Lucy's past, that didn't surprise her one bit.

"We're just a normal agency as much as Lockwood likes to brag," Demi cut in, saving Lucy who was clearly more anxious than the boys had realised. There was a look on her face that Demi recognised all too well.

"And we need a job," Lucy mumbled softly to the boy. He let out a sigh and glanced around at the group.

"Jensal Green is London's most prestigious cemetery owned and run by the Bickerstafff family," Joplin began, clearly wanting to persuade the company. Not that it would take much. It was only Lockwood's want for glory that stood between them and finally having a proper job. Joplin - at least - seemed to recognise that.

"Until one of the sons was caught diggin' up corpses," Saunders interrupted, chuckling at the frankly gross fact, "The scandal that brought the word 'necrophilia' into common usage." The fact he was so assumed by it was odd to Demi but it was nothing she hadn't heard before.

"Yes," Joplin cut in, giving Saunders a glare, "but before then, the clientele was very high-end." At least one of them seemed to have half a brain. That was good. This is what Demi wanted them to say.

"And the grave in question is in the older section?" Lockwood asked curiously. Hook, line and sinker. Demi smiled, more to herself than anyone else.

"Someone of importance?" "Pre-pleb?" Demi and Lockwood asked at the same time. They both knew where this was going and while Lockwood just saw the glory and fame it could bring, Demi saw it as a job. A job that would be worth some real money.

But before either of them could get too excited, George commented, "Where the bodies were dug up by the pervert?" It was almost like he disapproved of the case but Lockwood had tunnel vision now. The case would be accepted no matter what the others thought.

"A visitor with historical significance would be more attractive to us," Lockwood explained, focusing his gaze on Joplin as he sat up straighter on the chair. Demi nodded in agreement.

"It is within the original curtilage, yes, but I can't give you a name," Joplin explained as she glanced between them. That was perfect. That was exactly the kind of case they liked. A mystery and it would give George time to research. Keep him busy for a few days, "A hidden, unmarked, grave that's not on any official list. One of our sensitives found it, triggered by extreme nausea which eventually made her pass out." The more she spoke, the more that this sounded just like every other case that they had taken in the past few months.

"Nothing we haven't dealt with before," Demi commented. There was a hint of sarcasm to her tone but there was also genuinty to it. It was something that she had become used to even before Combe Carey Hall. The first few cases with Lucy had been nothing short of nauseating. It was all in their line of work.

"Whatever's inside there, it's powerful." It was a warning but like always, Lockwood brazenly ignored it as his smile seemed to grow even more. Powerful was something that attracted Lockwood not pushed him away.

"We've a legal obligation to bring in agents for any grave which might contain a Type Two. DEPRAC cover the expenses so the work must be done at night so our claims can be certified. Bureaucratic BS but uh... makes things interesting," Saunders explained. Any other Agency would have likely been put off by his words but not Lockwood.

"Interesting, yeah," Demi mumbled under her breath but nobody caught it. She didn't want to pretend that she was enthusiastic about the idea. If it made a sensitive nauseous and pass out, she had no idea what it would do to her. But it was part of the job and Lockwood would keep her safe, she knew that at least.

"You'll be well-supported. We've got night watch, sensitives and security to keep out the relic men. The cemetery really comes alive at night." It was another poor attempt at a joke and reassuring the group. Demi didn't feel particularly reassured but it didn't really matter. It was money.

"So you're telling me, you think there is an unidentified Type Two in an unmarked grave that you want our help digging up, at night?" Lockwood asked. Demi found it hard to miss how excited he seemed by the prospect of this. A proper case.

"Put like that, Mr Lockwood, I admit it could sound better," Joplin said softly, ready to fight her case. But she didn't need to.

"Ms Joplin, it sounds irresistible."

-

Demi was packing her kit bag alone in the basement when she heard the door open. Her head snapped up and George came down the stairs. He didn't notice her until he reached the bottom and then he flashed her an awkward smile. Demi returned it and turned around, grabbing a few more flares and stuffing them in the side pocket. Then she zipped the bag up. She wasn't sure what they were even allowed to use so she was packing everything, for caution's sake. The other three had already packed their bags a few hours earlier and they were having downtime before night fell.

Lockwood was asleep in his room. Lucy was in the attic though Demi wasn't entirely sure what she was doing. George - she thought - was asleep but the way he was moving indicated otherwise. He grabbed the files from the shelves and dropped a piece of paper under the new section he had created for this case.

"Why are you staring?" George asked. Demi hadn't even realised she had been staring off at the wall, her mind elsewhere but his words brought her right back to reality. She blinked and turned around to face him, pushing a smile onto her face.

"Just zoned out. Probably should get some sleep before tonight," Demi responded. It was all a lie. She wasn't that tired. In fact, she had tried to sleep but failed miserably. Her mind was too awake, too anxious with everything.

"You could sit out tonight," George suggested and Demi scoffed, shaking her head vehemently.

"I'm fine." It was a complete and utter lie. George could see right through her and after Combe Carey, he had been silently worrying about her every day.

"You're not." George was blunt as he closed the file and slotted it back into place on the shelf. He turned back around, perched on the edge and watching the girl from his position. Demi scoffed and opened her mouth to dispute his claim but he got there first, "Don't try and lie. You had a panic attack on mission. You don't remember signing the NDA or punching Kipps. You're not okay." Demi shrugged and pulled the kitbag over her shoulder. A soft hiss of pain escaped her lips, "And you're still injured. You need to go to the hospital."

"George, I'm fine. Trust me. I'm fine." A complete and utter lie and Demi wasn't even sure if she believed it anymore.

"You're so stubborn." Demi shrugged. She opened her mouth to make some sort of rebuttal but he was right. She was stubborn. Too stubborn for her own good sometimes.

"I know." There was nothing else she could say and George looked at her for a moment, expecting her to say something else. But there was nothing else that even of them could say, "I'm gonna go and try and get some rest." George nodded and the two parted ways.

-

NOTE
demi is back hopefully on a regular basis so i hope you enjoyed!! also this is not been properly proof-read so excuse any mistakes <33