Some hours later Harry slumped over the desk with her head in her hands. Robert had a thriving business he'd moved a substantial amount of money around last October - there were no actual accounts just a folder with portfolios in with scrawlings all over them. His bank statements showed random transfers to his ADCB account but this looked to accrue higher interest and with the substantial income Robert had that seemed quite logical. Still she couldn't believe Robert would care about the Middle East it was quite obvious from here that he cared about money and acquiring as much as possible. She smiled a wry smile - he had assumed, like most people, that because she had a title and a stately home she had a substantial income, the irony being that most years the estate was lucky to break even and constantly putting off advisable structural repairs was, she knew, piling up trouble for the future. That was something Robert had never believed. Harry hated the responsibility that would come to her when her father died, she felt guilty enough leaving him with the day to day management as it was and the thought had crossed her mind more than once about the nightmare of death duties.

When it was obvious that Robert wasn't going to arrive home that evening, Harry hunted out a drink and decided that any paper work for joint bank accounts that they had shared was either long gone or stashed in old shoe boxes in the top of the wardrobe. With the bottle of vodka to keep her company she revisited her married life as recorded by receipts, bank statements and overdraft facilities. Eventually when she know longer knew if it was the vodka, her tiredness or restrained tears blurring her vision she flopped back on the bed; the stress exhausting her she slept splayed across the king size bed.

Dempsey rang the door bell and nonchantly stuck his hands deep into his pockets and then quickly withdrew them conscious of what Luscious Linda may construe about his self control. He smoothed his hands down his shirt and then fortunately the door opened.

"Hi" he breezed

"'You got a booking?" the dark haired woman asked

"We chatted half hour ago" Dempsey schmoozed

"You're alone!" The woman scanned the street in disbelief

"What you see is what you get" Dempsey held out his ands palms up

"Huh" The woman scoffed "didn't your mother ever tell you about the saying your eyes are bigger than your belly or in this case your imagination is bigger than your performance" she didn't give the impression of being impressed, but warned him "You pay for us all even if you fall over after two."

"Don't you go worryin' yourself" Dempsey drawled "I'm hungry – in fact I'm starving" he licked his lips round

"Your girl not giving you it?" She only asked because he didn't look like the kind of guy who needed to buy their services

"Can we go in?" Dempsey pushed forward "only I'm not really into al-fresco in this weather"

The door opened wider "You want them one at a time, in pairs or all at once?" she asked as he stepped inside

Dempsey smiled "I booked a foursome" he winked saucily

At 4.00am Robert let himself in. His contact in London had said it would be a few days before Harriet Makepeace would be publically disgraced- well he'd waited plenty of years a few more days wouldn't hurt. He'd kept track of all her romantic liaisons harbouring an insane growing jealousy that wouldn't let him see her with anyone else. She was his, his wife, his possession she should have stayed with him. Sleeping with other women was just a thing that he did, that men did, he'd never wanted to live with any of them - his Harriet was the one he was supposed to live with that was why he'd never moved in with any of his other women. And there she was asleep in their bedroom. Wide eyed and almost disbelieving he smiled - he had no idea why she was there but once again she would be his.

The secret would be not to wake her, not yet and he knew just what to do - he'd been pretty successful before. He knelt by the bed not wanting any pressure on the mattress to alert her and started with the faintest brush across her upper body. Harriet was in a deep sleep, he would take his time he studied her from top to toe and his arousal grew. He started tracing one breast, drawing circles around the other. Harry shuffled and he kept the touch very light dividing his attention between both sides of her body playfully keeping away from the sensitive parts for the most, allowing himself just the occasional foray he could feel her reaction, he liked the hardness he was creating. Occasionally she shifted on her back whether to move into or away from him he didn't care. He released the buttons of her blouse and exposed the rather attractive black lace that revealed the cherry redness of her peaked arousal. His finger traced the cleavage and ran under the line of lace "get off James" she scolded "I'm sleeping." The name galled him but he wasn't James and wasn't about to stop

Now his fingers played over and under her bra, her admonishment was only half hearted and Robert knew he was winning; he watched her mouth open her face turning left and right seeking out the lips of her suitor, her back arching up; his mouth met hers and their tongues clashed fiercely.

Dempsey whistled as he legged it up the stairs two at a time

He sprang through the office door, his eyes searched out Tony. "Luscious Linda ain't really very luscious" he announced "but she has some rather cute sisters."

Tony grinned "you never did?" he asked

"Four women all at once" Dempsey winked "never tried that before"

"Dempsey!" Spikings called "this bloody car"

Dempsey left Tony dumbstruck and sauntered into the inner office "Fry sells this morning 'n I'll call up and buy it this afternoon and arrange to pick it up Friday morning" Dempsey addressed Spikings "That'll give them time to downgrade it overnight."

"We're not" Spikings paused to rub his head and Dempsey knew he found the next question difficult "asking too much of Fry are we?"

"He's easy pickings - Murdoch and Montpelier will think they're boat's come in"

The truth concerned Spikings a little "And Harry?" he asked

"She's doing her thing" Dempsey gave no further enlightenment but his concern showed in his next words "I tell you boss that guy you brought in better be good"

Dave and Mac made their opportune entrance

"These two brothers said that Middleton and someone else were into money grabbing from the Middle East." Mac told Spikings

"Don't know that you'll find their testimony very helpful" Dave suggested

Spikings tapped the desk with his pen "Middleton…. isn't he one of the bank owners?"

Mac was forced to nod in assent "and his name shows in the files Fraser brought us from fraud"

"What was the other name?" Spikings asked all too innocently

Both Dave and Mac shuffled uneasily

"We asked them if they knew anything about the Middle East" Dave began, his nervousness beginning to alarm Spikings "and they suggested Middleton and... Makepeace"

Dempsey jumped to his feet and Spikings shouted to him 'to let the proper channels work' as Dempsey almost teleported to his desk. Dave and Mac saw all they had feared. Spikings asked them to contact the brothers and arrange for them to make their statements and draft two search warrants.

Spikings spotted Fraser arriving late; he looked deliberately at his watch. "It's a habit I picked up off the locals" Fraser scoffed
"Well in that case sunshine" Fraser tightened, he'd never been called sunshine before "you'd better pick up the habit of staying on the job until it's done" Spikings countered "If there's no 9 o'clock start there certainly is no 5 o'clock finish"

Sitting at his own desk for once Dempsey got the feeling Fraser wasn't all he was cracked up to be but he knew he had to address other issues first. "Fry I cleared it with Spikings for you to take Gaynor with you - you know you can have your girlfriend up the duff need to sell the car prove you're responsible..."
Fry looked petrified

"It's more fun than doing this stuff alone" Dempsey recommended "have you checked with Pete that all the photos have been taken and the markings done?"

"Signed off and filed"

"I'll come down and take a butchers so I know what should be missing when I pick it up."

"Take a butchers – that's very London for a Yank" Fraser commented dryly obviously more interested in the workings of the office than his own work

"Sorry I thought you were here to find the real story behind this shit Harry has been framed for"

"Well I'm certainly exposing a few truths" Fraser started to brag but the sight of Dempsey's disappearing back snubbed him. He turned to Dave "Guess you're learning new stuff about your colleagues all the time" he leered "Here I'll do those search warrants for you – I've done so many it's water off a ducks back"

Downstairs in the car pool Dempsey called across "Hey Pete I just wanna quick look under the hood"

"O shit" Fry murmured

"What's the matter?" Dempsey asked without really being interested in the answer

"We never checked about under the hood" Fry scratched the side of his head

Dempsey wasn't even listening "What's on the odometer?" he asked as he peered at the engine and the scratches Pete was showing him

"63,000" Pete answered

"Bet you a tenner it comes back at 36" Dempsey said

Pete was inclined to agree and Fry stood open mouthed quietly bricking it until Gaynor appeared.
Dempsey smiled to see Fry suddenly stand tall "Nice car Fry" he acknowledged "now go get it sold"