Chapter 21.

Dempsey had decided against following Harry up the stairs after concluding that they both needed some time to calm down and behave more rationally. James repeatedly cursed his own stupidity and inability to control his temper, particularly since he knew what a fragile state his fiancée was currently in – none of this was her fault. He only had himself to blame and that low life piece of scum that refused to divorce Harry unless he got his money grabbing hands on half on the Winfield family estate.

Discovering that he was going to be a father, although unplanned, should have been one of the happiest days in his life, yet it had been tragically tainted by Harry's accident and subsequent amnesia.

Even now Coltrane was ruining his life – maybe not directly, James realised as he wandered aimlessly around the ground floor of the house. But still if Coltrane had only had the decency to plead guilty instead of protesting his innocence in court, then there would have been no need for Dempsey to travel to America and spend six weeks away from Harry. He would have been there to protect his fiancée and keep her safe.

Concluding that it was best to give Harry some further time to allow her anger to subside and hopefully realise that they had both said some terrible things which neither had really meant, Dempsey decided to make himself useful and sort through the mail which had piled up during both his own and Harry's absence. Sifting through the various envelopes which were mainly addressed to Harry his hand paused on one particular letter on which was printed the logo for this year's London Marathon, and his mind was instantly transported back to ten months ago, when only three weeks into their relationship, he and Freddy along with some of Harry's friends had all gone to support her in the gruelling run.

Dempsey had been so proud of Harry on that day, and so had her father and friends, as not only had she finished the marathon, but she had completed it in just a few seconds short of four hours, which was almost a full hour under the average time for women running on that day. Yet even that achievement and experience had been somewhat spoiled by Robert Makepeace, who also competing in the event, had decided to match Harry stride for stride throughout the entire 26.2 mile journey.

Throughout the marathon Dempsey and the others had moved to several locations around the course to spot Harry and cheer her on, and it had taken all of his self-restraint and a few calming words from Freddy, not to barge his way through the crowds and other runners to forcibly remove Robert Makepeace from his partner's side.

Dempsey remembered the finish line well as they all gathered to watch as Harry approached and then crossed Westminster Bridge with her brow creased in concentration and a determined look which ensured that she managed to pip Robert to the finish line by a solitary second. Harry had barely come to a halt before her estranged husband attempted to congratulate her by pulling her into his arms, and deciding that he had seen more than enough Dempsey jumped the metal barriers with a look of sheer thunder on his face and a steely determination to separate Robert Makepeace from his partner.

"Get back behind the barrier, spectators aren't allowed on the course." A policeman demanded as he tried to prevent Dempsey from going any further.

"I'm police, Lieutenant James Dempsey, SI10, see?" Dempsey objected as he quickly flashed his badge and indicated towards his magnum which was nestled in its holster.

"Oh, right….I'm very s…sorry Lieutenant Sir, I …I didn't realise." The younger, less senior officer stuttered out, as his eyes bulged in admiration for the plain clothes police officer and his substantial gun.

"No worries." James quickly muttered in reply as he advanced towards Harry and her ex.

Standing and looking down at the envelope in his hand, Dempsey couldn't help but smile in the memory of what happened next.

He recalled the intense scowl and look of displeasure on Harry's face as she abruptly shrugged out of Robert's embrace and then with surprising force shoved him away from her. Dempsey then recollected the look of astonishment on the slimeballs face as Harry's forceful push caused him to momentarily lose his balance, and then in his exhausted state Robert tripped over his own feet before landing unceremoniously on the ground.

"You okay?" Dempsey had asked as he finally reached Harry's side and gathered her in a congratulatory hug, whilst some of the crowd looked on and tutted their disapproval at what seemed to be an unprovoked attack from the female runner upon one of the male runners.

"I would be better if I hadn't had him matching my every step for the last four hours!" Harry unhappily stated, as running the long distance would have been difficult enough without her ex hounding her every step of the way.

"Yeah…but still you did great…..real good…You made it in just under four hours, and you beat that stoopid jackass….I'm real proud of ya Princess…..now let's go get ya medal and picture taken …..oh an' one of them t-shirts, huh?" Dempsey suggested as with his left arm still wrapped possessively around her right shoulder he guided Harry over to the administration area to receive her goody bag which contained a several items of refreshment and a foil blanket to prevent her body temperature dropping too slowly, followed by another short walk to collect her certificate, photograph and medal.

"Are Freddy and the others still here?" Harry asked as she glanced through the heavy crowds in search of her father and friends.

"Yeah, we all watched you finish, but when that sonofabitch made a move on ya' I told them to meet us back at the cars…think you'll be ok to walk that far?" Dempsey asked as he was conscious of the fact that now they were shuffling their way through the other runners his partner seemed to be walking somewhat unevenly.

"Mmm." Harry mumbled with a nodding of her head as she finished the last of her water.

"Cos' I can always carry ya?" James offered.

"I'm fine, just a few blisters that's all."

"In that case ya' better leave the chasin' of the criminals to me!"

"No need, we have the next three days off, remember?" Harry reminded Dempsey.

"Yeah, plenty o' time to help with your recoverin' in bed!" Dempsey announced with a cheeky wink.

"Don't you ever think of anything else?" Harry mildly chastised her partner, even though she had to admit that other than training for the marathon, and their work her own thoughts had pretty much been occupied by the same thing to such an extent that she had begun to wonder if Dempsey's pre-occupation with sex might be contagious.

"What? Well I don't know what you're referrin' to tiger, but I was thinkin' that you could do with a rest!" Dempsey replied with a playful smile.

"Hmm, I'm sure that you were." Harry dubiously replied as she recalled Dempsey's look of appreciation when she had revealed her running shorts and vest earlier that morning, followed by his roaming hands- not that she had allowed them to wander too far.

"That's after you've taken a bath of course….which by the way I fully intend to supervise jus' in case…..ya know health an' safety an' all that!"

"Really? I what exactly do you imagine might happen if I were to bathe unsupervised?"

"Weeelll, you in your weakened state you could slip an' injure somethin'…or you fall asleep from exhaustion and then accidentally drown…oh an' then there's the fact that I know that you always miss bits unless I'm there to give you a hand." Dempsey seriously stated as they came to a halt and stood in line to receive Harry's medal and certificate.

"How very considerate of you Dempsey." Harry remarked as they slowly moved forward towards the head of the queue.

"Only got your best interests at heart honey!" James responded with a grin before his face instantly fell.

"What?" Harry asked in confusion at the sudden change in her partner's demeanour.

"We got company." Dempsey growled as he jerked his head backwards in Robert's direction as the barrister joined the back of the queue.

Harry sighed deeply in annoyance as the expression on her own face also changed into a scowl "I've had enough, let's go home."

"What? No, don't let him ruin this for ya', not after all the hard work an' trainin' ya' gone put in. Angel, ya deserve that medal an' certificate!" Dempsey insisted as he resisted Harry taking him by the elbow and trying to direct him out of the queue.

"I couldn't care less about a stupid bit a metal and a piece of paper…I just want to go home. Now are you coming with me or not?" Harry impatiently asked in a low tone so as not to draw attention to themselves.

"If you walk away now Robert will see an' know that he won….Ya' wanna give him that satisfaction?"

"No." Harry begrudgingly stated.

"Well then." Dempsey remarked as he guided her forward to where they finally reached the head of the queue.

James looked down at the letter in his hand once more, and realised that although Robert Makepeace had not won that day, he had certainly been trying his best to win ever since, and had gradually succeeded in encroaching his way into their lives more and more.

But not even he had thought that the lousy sonofabitch would go as far as to try and kill Harry and her father.

Spikings may not yet be certain that Robert Makepeace was behind the accident, but James was absolutely convinced that Harry's obsessive estranged husband was. Not only was Dempsey intent on proving that the barrister was responsible, but he was also determined to make sure that the bastard finally paid for everything he had ever put Harry and her father through.

As Dempsey screwed the letter in his fist into a tight ball he vowed that one way or another Robert Makepeace would pay!

…

I hope that you all enjoy my latest instalment, and would like to thank you for your continued support and encouragement. It goes without saying that I will look forward to reading all of your comments and feedback. Many thanks.