Harry looked at her watch, there were over 2 hours to kill - plenty of time to go and see the Albbi and Jo but she was feeling too agitated. "Look it's not helping you being here" she announced harshly
"Well it might just help if you let me in on a few of your secrets" Dempsey was barely holding his temper down
"They're nothing to do with you" was her patronizing reply
"So you think! You were pretty uptight just now" he threw his arm towards the house "what's with the leap down the path?" Dempsey demanded
The RT cut in "Control to Charlie 5: Dempsey, Makepeace where the hell are you?" They ignored it as was their custom; Spikings continued "I want you in here Dempsey – you're not at home ergo you are fit enough to be here working this scam with Fry"
Dempsey snatched the RT "Fry set it up – let him sort it"
"It's ok I can drop you back" Harry volunteered deliberately loud so Spikings would catch it
Dempsey flicked the RT off again "We could be going to the other place" he insisted
"I can handle it on my own" was her adamant claim
"You really don't want me here do you?" Dempsey's voice was dropping now
"It's awkward"
Perplexed and uncertain he enquired "Why don't you even introduce me?"
"This is my past Dempsey like I said you don't need to be here" she actually noted the hurt look on his face "Look you'd better go back to the factory else we'll both be suspended I'll drop you at the station" it was her best solution.
.
.
Harry sat totally still in her car. As the minutes passed the muscles in her body became set rigid; her past played through her memory.
- The time that she and Emma had first met - the fun times - how similar they were. The jokes they played on the boys, the nights they sat up sharing dreams and the times they shared intimate secrets of love.
Then the betrayal and hurt cut back in, all the more poignant because in some ways Emma had hurt her more than Robert. Repeatedly Harry shook her head to rid herself of all these thoughts; she needed a clear mind, a detectives mind not one screwed up with personal baggage.
Did you get car? Dempsey asked Fry
A 'V' reg Porsche 930
"Woo" Dempsey raised his brow and then nodded his head towards Spikings' office "What did the chief say?"
"O Spikings, Spikings was fine with it" Fry brazened out
"'He tell you that you'd be working for nothing if it went tits up?"
Fry coughed and Dempsey knew he was right
"Well Fry" Dempsey paused and for one brief moment Fry thought positively until Dempsey continued "he's right"
Fry felt sick
"You've brought the car into the garage here and their photographing and etching identifiers on all the engine and wheels?"
"and seats" Fry added
"Well that should set us up real good" Dempsey reassured him
"Now one of us sells the car and we give them enough time to fit all their duff parts and then one of us buys it" Dempsey started to run the scenario through "Take it for a test drive, say it sounds a bit too rough – they say they can repair it for a reasonable cost if it breaks down"
"And we bring it in here, re photograph and then when it breaks down we ask the garage to do the repairs, they put back the original parts and we bring them in" Fry finished
"So why's our friend Woodrow involved?"
"I think he's just collecting protection money off Tranton – he's the one running the operation. - Murdoch and Montpelier do the grimy engine work in Gravesend"
"Do we get Woodrow?" Dempsey asked
"No but we do get it marked up as a case solved" Chas added his two penn'th "and upstairs" he pointed with his finger "are wanting results"
"This ain't really a result" Dempsey remonstrated "not without Woodrow"
"Well you never know we might pick up some more on the way – or get one of the boys to squeal"
"It's your shout" Dempsey brooded "I'm just doing what I'm told"
Spikings had been drawn to his office doorway by the sound of Dempsey's voice "Now that's what I like to hear" he beamed
There she was, Emma walking down her garden path, her coat folded over her arm – it had been needed for the early morning chill but the sunshine had produced a mild, pleasant spring day and a large bag looking like it was in grave danger of spilling its contents slung over her shoulder. Harry smiled, it was very Emma and her bubbly permed hair still that rich chestnut colour she had discovered in their second year! She watched Emma open the front door and saw a small fluffy grey cat brush itself along her calf, mewing a welcome before weaving itself in a circuit of both her legs and the bag spilling it's contents onto the hall floor. Emma bent and picked up the cat, nuzzling her nose against that of the cats and scolding it light heartedly for the mess extruding from her bag; Harry couldn't catch most the words but 'mummy' was one and 'baby' another and previously un-thought scenarios blossomed in her mind until logic informed her that there was not going to be an unsupervised baby in the house. Before she could get herself any further confused Harry took a deep breath, steeled herself and stepped out of her car.
"Emma" she called once she'd reached the pathway, seeing the door about to close on her. Emma turned and froze, wide eyed unsure of why the past was here in her front garden. "Harriet" she greeted guardedly.
Now there was an impasse, neither knew what to say next and both stood at the respective ends of the short garden path; Harry knew it should be her, she bit her lip nervously, pushing back her hair behind her right ear "It's about a job I'm on – I need to ask you some questions"
Emma dropped the cat, what she thought was a nightmare had just become a night – no day – terror. Why were the police here? It was obviously not 'a sorry bad news job' "Are you here to arrest me?" she trembled
"No nothing like that" the reflex small smile that reacted to reassure the panic worked and Emma breathed again "Do you want to come in?" she invited, pulling her bag away from the walkway so her visitor wouldn't fall over it.
Nervously Harry stepped forward.
"Umm come through" Emma led the way down the short passage way and into the kitchen "Tea?" she asked nervously but Harry didn't reply.
Harry's eyes scanned the kitchen, it was tidy - no counting mugs, or place settings; neither were there any other easy clues two plastic dishes on the floor for the cat, a small pin board with a few money off coupons showed that money was tight and an invitation to a birthday event but no names written on it – just the why, when and where.
Emma had started to fill the kettle and the click of the on switch cleared Harry's mind "Please, thank you" Harry twisted her fingers uncomfortably.
"So what have you come to ask me?" Emma ventured as she took two cups and saucers from the cupboard and started to lay a tray up.
"Do you live here alone?"
"With Gypsy" Emma gratefully picked up the cat and stroked it
"How long…"
"About 5 years, I brought this place when…." She stroked the cat harder for something to do but Gypsy wriggled and jumped down "well I guess you haven't come about that"
"No, no – you're right of course" Harry brushed her outfit down for something to do
"I think I heard that you were in some special branch thing"
"SI10" Harry parroted
"Sounds very 'go getting'"
Harry shrugged in a non committal manner
"Bet you broke into the mans world" Emma continued, beginning to gabble – "what was it you used to say 'want a job doing properly get a women to it'"
The kettle boiled and as she poured the water into the teapot Emma continued to babble "Seems Maggie's up for any battle – what's the top job in the police force?"
"Commissioner" Harry replied automatically, a cold distance in her voice
"You think you'll make it?" Emma asked leading them into the lounge area.
Right now Harry doubted she'd still be in the force by Sunday but the question drew her back on target "I need to know anything you know about investing in oil, the Middle East and Abu Dhabi"
"I teach in the local junior school 9 year olds really are more interested in dinosaurs and Romans" Emma laughed nervously because the question made no sense to her at all.
"But what about the others – Robert…."
"Robert! He and David planned to make their fortune and never did, I think Albbi and Jo did though"
"When did you last see Robert?"
"About 6 months after you did" Emma poured the tea as a distraction; she handed Harry a cup and saucer and cradled a cup in her own hands. She flinched "look Harry I know it was all so very wrong of me and I regret that but you really had a luck escape"
Harry sat staring stone like at a blank space on the wall
"He didn't understand the term fidelity" Emma continued nervously
"I don't recall you doing that" Harry's replies were so much more cutting that Emma's forays into reconciliation
"Ok, I thought… well it doesn't really matter what I thought"
"Yes it does – it does to me – tell me Emma what were you thinking"
"I thought that you and me – that we got in a muddle – that you should have got Richard and me Robert – So when I got with Robert I thought you and Richard…."
Harry raised her eyebrows, it seemed that assumptions were rife
"Mutual comfort and …" Emma sensed the pointlessness of trying to persuade Harry "Look Robert turned out to be a serial womaniser – the chase was, probably still is, everything to Robert" the words were rushed in between long pauses as Emma tried to explain "you're…."
"…better off without him" Harry finished coldly
"You are" Emma affirmed –"look you made a new life – got away"
"I still carry the scars"
"Scars fade" Emma pronounced hopefully – look at me I've got my teaching career, my home and I'm hoping that one day soon Rick will pop the question"
Harry scanned the lounge for a picture – she found it on top of the tv; Emma followed her gaze "he teaches as well, different school though – we've been together for two years"
"You must have moved on Harriet – did you back to your maiden name?"
"No, I stayed Makepeace" she fingered her chain in an automatic reflex
"I know we never spoke since" Emma laughed nervously "until today but do you think we could…" she scanned Harry's eyes "well put the past behind us"
"The past is coming up to haunt me at the moment" Harry reflected "and it's rather ruining the present" the words left Emma speechless. Harry stood and walked towards the door "If you know nothing more I'll be going". Emma sat momentarily stunned before she scuttled past Harry to open the front door. The cat rubbed itself up against Harry and Emma bent to pick it up again as she opened the door for Harry. As she stepped out Harry turned back one last time "I hope you get your proposal and live happily ever after" she managed to say with a weak smile and then she walked as quickly as possible without it looking like a run until ensconced in her car Harry burst into tears.
The car journey should have been finished at least half an hour earlier but Dave and Mac were still en route to interview the Campbell brothers.
"What do you know about Harry?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well we stuff about each other don't we – like what football team we support, what beer we like…"
"Harry seems to be a vodka girl"
"And we talk about what we're doing at the weekend or the girls at the bar we rate"
"Well some of us do"
"And about what we're saving up for – you know money things"
"Where are you trying to get to mate?"
"Did you know that Harry was loaded"
"Who said that?"
"Your mate Fraser"
"He told me that she was landed gentry"
"Which means what?"
"That her family have land somewhere – you know Lords and Ladies 'n all that"
"Do you reckon he's right?"
"Can't see why he would make it up"
"Can't see why it bothers him"
"I think his point is that we don't really know her – she could be funding these terrorists"
"Why would she do that? She spends all her time hunting them down"
"I don't know – perhaps she makes her money from oil?"
"I thought you said her family had property"
"They're not mutually exclusive"
But she's just called Harry Makepeace – their aint no Lord or Lady Makepeace that I've ever heard of"
"Maybe she's a duchess"
"Don't be so stupid"
"Oh god this is the third time we've been past that pub – have you any idea where we're going"
"Try second right"
"She came to university here apparently"
"Doesn't mean anything"
"Yeah it does – you have to go to a posh school to get in here"
"Well she's posh – so what? She wears bow ties and old fashioned blouses but she's a bloody good cop"
"Look we're here"
"Finally"
