Chapter 7.
The next morning, having showered and dressed, Harry in white shorts, a pale pink tee shirt and sandals, Dempsey in jeans, a white tee shirt and trainers, they made their way to the breakfast terrace, already feeling the heat of the sun on their skin, even though it was still only eight 'oclock.
After they had enjoyed a traditional Spanish breakfast, Harry choosing magdalenas (lemon flavoured cupcakes) and Dempsey, churros (lightly fried dough similar to a doughnut, topped with honey), both meals complimented by cafe con leche ( sweet milky coffee), Dempsey took a map of the Costa del Sol from his pocket and spread it on the table in front of them, skewing it slightly so they could both look at it at the same time.
"Now, Aunt Alice said she thought the mansion was at a place beginning with 'san' and it was near here." remembered Harry, finding Marbella and tracing the coastline with her eyes.
"There!" said Dempsey, pointing to a spot on the map. "San Pedro, it's only a few kilometres away."
"Yes that must be it." agreed Harry. "There isn't another place beginning with 'san' anywhere close."
"Ok, angel." said Dempsey. "We'll get our equipment and go recce the area. Presumably there ain't many big mansions 'round there."
The car's interior was already hotting up, but thankfully it was fitted with air conditioning, so before long the cabin was cool.
"Aren't you baking in those jeans?" asked Harry, looking quizzically at him from behind her Armani designer sunglasses.
"Nah!" replied Dempsey, chuckling, pulling his Ray-Bans from his forehead to the bridge of his nose. "You ever been in New York in the summer? This place is cool by comparison!"
Just ten minutes later they were cruising through San Pedro.
"Pretty hick place." remarked Dempsey, looking from side to side. "There's nothing to it, except for a few buildings fronting the road."
"No there's more, Dempsey." said Harry. "Turn right here."
He did as she suggested and soon they were in the heart of the town, already bustling and busy, its narrow streets bordered either side by rows of shops, intermingled with cafe's, restaurants, bistro's and bars, many shaded by fruit bearing orange trees
"There ain't no mansion here, princess." said Dempsey. "Guess we'll drive through and head into the countryside."
Soon they'd left the town behind, the road now flanked by olive and lemon groves, the odd outbuilding visible amongst them and, in the distance, a mountain rose into the hot, blue sky, its side peppered with cork trees and evergreen oaks.
Eventually the road led them upwards and into a forest of Spanish pine trees, Dempsey slowing down, allowing them to look left and right, their eyes searching for anything that might hint at a hidden house.
They passed a single track lane leading up the mountainside to the right and Harry, glancing up it as they coasted by, suddenly gripped Dempsey's arm.
"Stop Dempsey!" she called out.
"What is it, honey?" he asked, halting the car.
"I've just seen some large wooden gates." she replied. "But I can't be sure there isn't CCTV covering them."
"Ok, describe what you saw." he instructed.
"The lane has high hedgerows either side, the gates are double fronted, look about ten feet high and span the entire width of the road. I'd say they are about three hundred feet along the road."
"And you didn't spot a camera?"
"No Dempsey!" she said, forcefully. "What have I got, X ray vision!?"
"Okay cool it angel, you're doin' good." he chuckled, taking hold of her hand.
"Sorry darling." she said, gripping it. "I'm just a tad nervous we'll be seen."
"I guess we'd best not risk takin' a closer look here." he said. "I reckon we might get a better view from higher up, what do you think?"
"Yes, it's worth a try." she replied.
They motored on, the road getting steeper as they went, the tall pine trees towering majestically above them, shading the area from the burning sun until suddenly they burst into daylight, the open ground covered spasmodically with thorny, bushy vegetation.
Travelling a little further, they reached a ridge and as it fell away in front of them, they suddenly gasped at the vista spread before them.
Dempsey parked the car, both of them stepping out to survey the breathtaking panorama.
Stretching ahead and to their right, for as far as the eye could see, were the magnificent Andalucian mountains, looking purple in colour, glimmering in the sunlight and to their left, the blue Meditteranean, sparkling in the distance.
Forgetting for a moment their mission, they stood with their arms around each others waist, gazing at the awesome sight.
Shaking themselves out of it, they collected their binoculars and, adjusting their sense of direction, began sweeping the area below them, the powerful magnification bringing the view so close, they felt they could reach out and touch it.
Both soon found what they were looking for.
"I spy with my little eye..." said Dempsey.
"Something beginning with M..." answered Harry, her sunglasses perched on the crown of her head.
"That's gotta be it, hasn't it?" he said. "There's nothin' else in sight!"
"No." agreed Harry. "It's huge!"
"Gotta be twenty thousand square feet at least." remarked Dempsey.
"Is that a path running along the back of it?" asked Harry.
Dempsey adjusted his glasses and focussed once more, finding the same path as Harry.
"Yep, looks like it."
"I don't see any sign of activity, do you?" said Harry.
"Nope. Looks quiet as a church in the middle of the week."
They lowered their glasses and looked at each other, knowingly.
"I'm game if you are, honey, but we ain't got our weapons with us." he warned.
"Tonight or now?" she asked, ignoring the warning.
"No time like the present, princess." he said, retrieving his sunglasses from the neck of his tee shirt and putting them on.
Fetching his camera, Dempsey took a few shots of the mansion and its grounds, then got back in the car.
They retraced their steps, looking closely for signs of the path they'd seen through the binoculars and eventually arrived back at the lane governing the entrance to the mansion, obviously having missed it.
Dempsey was careful to stop before passing the entrance, not wanting to be picked up by any CCTV cameras.
"If we assume the house is through those gates." he said. "Then the path can't be too far away, can it."
"That all depends upon how long the driveway is and whether the house is exactly as the crow flies, Dempsey." said Harry, incredulously.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm just gettin' my bearin's again, Harry." answered Dempsey, sighing. "Sheesh, you are tense. I think we'd best hide the wheels and look on foot. That path can't be far from here."
A little way back up the road, they found another small lane, Dempsey reversing the car into it and bringing it to rest around one hundred yards away from the main road.
Grabbing their cameras they walked up the road, keeping the mansion on their right and soon enough, a small path was visible through the bushes.
"Guess shorts were the wrong idea, princess." said Dempsey, looking at how narrow and overgrown the path looked.
"I didn't know we'd be breaking and entering, did I!" answered Harry, tetchily. "No matter, let's get on with it!"
Dempsey began rooting around in the undergrowth, eventually bringing out a thick, sturdy looking branch, about two and a half feet long.
Grinning at her, he held it up. "This'll save those great legs of yours, honey."
Harry couldn't help laughing, her tension lightening, her eyes softening and heart lifting, both full of love. 'Where does he get that power to relax me?' she thought.
"My knight!" she said, then pointing ahead. "Shall we go, Lancelot?"
Dempsey went first, beating back the undergrowth for Harry, until they reached a wooden fence, about eight feet in height.
Bending down and cupping his hands, Dempsey said. "Ok princess, step on these and have look over the top."
Slipping her sandals off, she climbed onto his hands and reached for the top of the fence, steadying herself with it.
"Bit more Dempsey." she called.
He lifted her higher.
"Okay, that's enough."
"Whaddya see?"
"Lots of lawn, a few trees, big pool, garden furniture, barbeque, usual stuff but it all looks definitely empty."
"Any cameras?"
"Ah." she said, scanning the house and gardens closely. " Er, no, none. How odd."
He let her down slowly, she dropping to the ground, keeping her arms round his neck, then kissing him.
"Couldn't resist!" she smiled, putting on her sandals.
"No CCTV?" said Dempsey
"No, not that I could see." confirmed Harry. "Unless it's very carefully hidden, I don't think there is any."
"If you think about it, angel, would Jimmy Hofton want video footage of young girls being brought here? And I guess he thinks this place is sufficiently hidden away that nobody'll find it. Add to that his reputation and he probably reckons he's safe enough."
"Let's hope you're right!"
"Okay." he said. "Now we gotta find a way in."
"Dempsey, once we're in, if we're in, what exactly are we looking for?"
"Hoftons study or office. If there's anything going to incriminate him, it'll be in there, don't ya think?"
She nodded her agreement.
They began walking along the path again, Dempsey pulling at the wooden slats that made up the fence, testing how secure they were. One of them suddenly came loose at the bottom, so he bent down for closer inspection.
Each slat appeared to be nailed at the top, middle and bottom, to corresponding horizontal beams that made up the fences skeleton, but pull away the last two and it would hinge on the top nail.
He moved it sideways, like a pendulum, exposing a small space. Grabbing another next to it, he gave it a tug, the same space emerging in the same way. He repeated the same to two more, eventually leaving an area big enough to climb through.
"Ok princess, we're into the garden." he said, resting his stick against the fence. "The house next."
They clambered through, Dempsey quickly swinging each slat vertical again, and swiftly made their way to the mansion, running over the lawns, along the side of the pool and passing what appeared to be a pool house and changing rooms.
Suddenly the sound of an engine broke the silence.
"Quick!" said Dempsey. "This way!"
Harry ran with him to the pool house, then round to the back of it.
They were completely out of sight now, breathing hard, beads of sweat on Dempsey's brow, perspiration beginning to soak their tee shirts as their heart rates slowed and returned to normal.
After a few minutes, they heard the sound of music, puzzled for a moment, until they recognised it as a transistor radio, playing Spanish songs. Dempsey sneaked a look round the edge of the pool house wall and saw a young lad, roughly nineteen, come walking towards him.
He quickly ducked back behind it, putting his forefinger to his lips and grabbing Harry's hand. She gripped it, tightly.
Detecting the sound of a key going into a lock, the kid humming along to the music, they listened as he rattled around inside the small building, eventually hearing the door slam and his singing recede.
Dempsey risked another peek.
The young lad was busy sweeping the pool with a brush attached to a long pole, slowly dragging it back and forth through the water and singing to the music emanating from his radio.
"He's cleaning the friggin' pool!" whispered Dempsey, the exasperated look on his face causing Harry to stifle a chuckle.
Some minuted later, the radio was snapped off and, following a clatter of something falling to the ground, silence reigned once more.
Dempsey peered round again, noting the brush disgarded at the poolside and the boy walking towards the main house with his back to him. Fishing around in his pocket the lad drew out a bunch of keys and, after fiddling with a few, found the one that opened a door, disappearing inside.
"Come on!" urged Dempsey, both of them making for the same door. Reaching it they stopped, Dempsey slowly entering, alert to the sudden appearance of the pool cleaner.
Signalling with his hand, he gestured for Harry to follow him in. They were in a laundry room, twin sinks on one wall, three washing machines and two tumble dryers opposite.
They sidled towards an open archway, which led into a vast kitchen area, and looking around cautiously once again, their ears straining for any hint of sound, they swiftly made for a door which led them into the main hallway, a huge staircase and galleried landing dominating the area.
"Where the hell is he!?" whispered Harry.
"No idea!" replied Dempsey, looking quickly around the hall and making for a door. It opened into a dining room. They tried another, this time an immense lounge greeted them.
The third one was locked.
"Bingo!" he whispered, pulling a set of lock picks out of his jeans pocket and working on the door.
Suddenly they heard whistling from above.
"For God's sake hurry up Dempsey!" whispered Harry. "That's him. He's probably been nosing around."
"Yeah, I know how he feels!" answered Dempsey, then hearing a click. "Ah, got it! Quick, inside!"
Once in the study, he silently closed the door again, both of them listening.
They heard the boy pass the door, still humming and whistling an unintelligible song, the sound gradually getting fainter.
"Right Harry." he said. "So far so good. Look at anything you think might be useful and use your camera."
She started sifting through various paperwork on the large, oak desk, whilst Dempsey got to work again on the drawers, each one locked and each one, when opened, revealing nothing he found incriminating.
Until the last drawer.
Inside were several VHS recording tapes, each one labelled with a date.
"These might be something." said Dempsey, taking a photo of each date on each tape. "We'd better just take one with us, it may show us something, Hopefully it won't be missed. Come on angel, let's get outta here, pronto!"
They made for the door, Dempsey opening it slowly, listening once again for any sound.
Silence.
They quickly retraced their steps, back through the hall, into the kitchen, then the laundry room.
The door leading out to the patio and pool was closed - and locked.
Daring not to pick the lock and open the door only to find the boy the other side, Dempsey looked around, spying a small window about two feet above him.
Cupping his hands once more, Harry kicked off her sandals and reached up for the small window ledge, as Dempsey lifted her towards it.
"Okay?" he asked.
"Yes okay." she replied, grabbing the ledge and peering through the glass. "It looks as though he's packing up and leaving. Okay, he's just shutting up the pool house."
Dempsey gently lowered her back to the floor, both of them hearing the radio switch on, the music coming closer, passing them and getting fainter.
They waited a further five minutes, then Dempsey got to work with his lock picks again, the door finally swinging open.
Listening intently, there was no sound.
They quickly ran back across the lawns to the fence, Dempsey swinging the four slats to one side, both slipping through easily again.
Restoring the fence once more, he picked up his stick and beat a path back to the road, where finally, they reached the car.
"Lunch, honey?" asked Dempsey, starting it up. "You hungry?"
"Ravenous!" she answered. "Let's find a nice little bistro in San Pedro, shall we? There seemed to be plenty when we drove through earlier."
"You bet, princess!"
They drove back into the town, managing to find a parking place and strolled through the centre, eventually discovering an attractive looking bistro, it's dining area covered with myrtle, rosemary and arbutus undergrowth fashioned as a roof and keeping the area shaded and cool.
A bottle of Rioja, recommended by Alberto, the owner, was quick to arrive, along with a basket of fresh bread rolls, and a carafe of water. Both of them savoured the delicious wine and feasted on salad for Harry, soup for Dempsey as a starter, followed by fish for her, pasta for him, and a dessert of fresh fruit, with coffee to finish.
"The room has a video player hasn't it?" asked Harry, sipping her coffee.
"Yeah it has. I guess we oughta see what we've got." answered Dempsey, lighting a cigar. "An' hope all that this mornin's effort wasn't wasted, huh."
"Hmmm, well it is approaching siesta time, darling." she said, her blue eyes unmistakeable in their meaning.
"I've said it before and I'll say it again." said Dempsey, reaching across and taking her hand, his eyes matching hers. "You are a minx, Harriet Makepeace, and I must be the luckiest guy on this planet!"
He beckoned Alberto over, asking for the bill and paid, leaving a sizeable tip, seeing as they'd been well looked after.
"Sank you, sank you." he said, looking at Dempsey. "You a very lucky man, senor, she a beautiful, beautiful laydee."
"Yeah." he said, looking at her, sitting opposite him, glowing. "She sure is Alberto."
They found their car, drove back to the Marbella Beach Club and once reaching their rooms, were unable to keep their hands off each other, the tension and adrenalin of the mornings danger fuelling their libido's, the earlier excitement transposed into unbridled passion.
Later, after showering and dressing, Dempsey having raided the mini-bar, they sat on their balcony, Harry sipping a dry Martini, he with his favourite bourbon and smoking a cigar.
"I guess before we go lookin' for somewhere's to eat, angel, we'd better take a look at that video."
"Okay." she said, hesitatingly.
"What's the matter, honey?" he asked, noting her hesitation.
"I've got a horrible feeling I know what we'll see." she said, her eyes betraying her concern.
"You don't have to look, angel." he said, stubbing out the cigar in an ashtray. "I ain't bein' funny, but you don't have to."
"No, I know." she answered. "It's okay, put it on."
They went inside, where he switched on the TV and pushed the cassette into the video player.
The screen at first was blank, then the images flickered on, showing a line of young black girls, scantily dressed, a bright spotlight trained on them, as they were paraded before a group of men shrouded in darkness, watching the girls walking in a circle. After the girls had completed several tours, they disappeared behind a curtain.
Harry had her hand in front of her mouth, her eyes wide with horror.
A few seconds later, one young girl emerged from behind the curtain, completely naked and sobbing.
"Oh my God, look at her. " whispered Harry, clutching Dempsey. "she can't be more than eleven or twelve!"
Dempsey's mouth was dry with anger as he watched an overweight man, beckon the girl over to him, slapping her face, then fondling her.
"Turn it off, Dempsey!" cried Harry. "We don't need to see any more!"
He flicked off the TV, both of them staring at the blank screen, speechless.
He put his arm around her, comforting her as the tears began coursing down her cheeks.
He held her close, silent, as she sobbed her heart out, eventually lifting her face and kissing away her tears.
She clung to him, her body gradually relaxing, her tears gradually subsiding.
"We're gonna get those bastards, Harry." his voice a growl from deep within. "We're gonna get 'em and expose 'em for the sick scum they are!"