"Do you know why we've brought you here this morning Miss Barclay?" Dempsey asked a nervous looking Sue.

Sue's eyes flitted from Dempsey to Makepeace and back. "Is it about what happened at the house?"

She knew full well it was and Dempsey wasn't in the mood for pussy footing around. "What did happen at the house Miss Barclay?" Dempsey said, answering her question with another.

Sue's eyes flicked downwards as she contemplated what to say. "Bessie and Thomas's grandson argued."

"Did you see them arguing?" Makepeace questioned.

Sue paused. "I heard shouting and something crashing to the floor."

Makepeace stared at her for a while before speaking. "That's not exactly what I asked. Did you actually see them together last night?"

Sue hesitated. "Yes," she answered quietly.

Dempsey inhaled deeply, trying to hold his patience in.

"And what did you see?" Makepeace pushed.

"There was a lot of blood on the floor," Sue answered vaguely.

Makepeace nodded. "Yes, we all saw the blood on the floor but did you see how it got there?" Sue was clearly holding back.

"I didn't see much, it was dark," she answered.

Dempsey's impatience got the better of him. "Look, did ya see Bessie stab Jack or not?" he barked out.

Sue looked suddenly panic stricken and Makepeace turned to glare at Dempsey before addressing her again.

"Bessie has told us that you witnessed the stabbing," she said, watching for a reaction in Sue's face.

Harry got the reaction she was looking for as every drop of colour suddenly drained out of Sue.

"Is that correct?" Makepeace asked. "Did you see Bessie stabbing Jack?"

Sue nodded and looked to the floor but said nothing else.

"Listen," Makepeace began, touching Sue's hand lightly, "if you can't give us any details on this I'm afraid that you are going to be implicated." Sue's eyes widened in shock at the thought. "It is in your best interests to tell us everything you know." Makepeace gave her a moment to consider that. "Now," Makepeace sat back in her chair, "let's start from the beginning. Where were you when you first heard the shouting and crashing?"

Sue hesitated for a while and then almost jumped out of her seat when Dempsey growled and began to pace the room like a penned in tiger.

"Err, I was in my room," she said quickly, nervously eyeing Dempsey. "The noises were coming from one of the rooms down the corridor not far from me."

"Okay, and did you hear anything of what was being said?"

Sue paused again just a little too long before shaking her head. "I couldn't hear through the walls. I just heard shouting."

Makepeace was beginning to get a little exasperated herself. "And what happened after you heard the shouting?" she asked.

"Nothing, it went quiet," she replied.

Dempsey growled again and paced even more furiously.

"So when did you see the stabbing?" Makepeace asked, raising her voice slightly with annoyance.

Dempsey had had enough. He stormed over to Sue, leaning over the table towards her and banging his fist loudly on its surface.

"Listen here, there's an old man on his death bed in hospital right now," he shouted, pointing to the door, "At the moment he's got a son who hasn't been near him for years, a grandson whose been accused of assaulting him in his bed and a damn housekeeper who's... well god knows what she's been up to! Now I'm losing my patience here real rapidly, so if you don't give us the information we need I'm gonna make it my business to throw the book at you for any damn thing I can!"

Sue looked terrified and glanced across at Makepeace. "Aren't I allowed a lawyer or something before I say anymore?" she appealed.

Makepeace sighed and rose out of her seat. "Will you excuse us for a moment," she said, heading for the door and glaring at Dempsey as she went. He strode angrily after her.

"What is wrong with you?" she asked, once they were outside the door.

"What's wrong with me?" he replied in disbelief. "What's up with her? She knows what happened and she aint sayin' a thing!"

" I was actually getting somewhere with her before you started shouting the odds. You're making her clam up! Will you just calm down?"

He breathed in deeply and gave her a sarcastic smile. "By all means. If you think you can get her to talk anytime today," he gestured to the door, "be my guest."

"Thank you," she replied with a note of sarcasm as she re-entered the room.

"I'm sorry about my partner here Miss Barclay. We just have a few more questions. Lieutenant Dempsey is just going to observe the proceedings from now on," she said, turning briefly to give Dempsey a purposeful glare. Sue looked uncertain but remained quiet. "Now," Makepeace began again, lacing her hands together on the table in front of her, "you said that everything went quiet, what time was this and how long after were you aware that someone had been injured?"

Again Sue looked reluctant to answer and a tense silence settled upon the room. Before long the pressure of the silence began to take its toll on Sue's already taught nerves and she felt obliged to speak up.

"It was about half past seven," she blurted out.

This got Dempsey's attention. "Seven thirty? That aint right!" he said instinctively before realisation dawned on his face and he slammed his fist against the wall. "I knew it! I knew somethin' was off when that woman lured me downstairs and then said that Jack had left after. He hadn't left at all, he was still there, wasn't he?" Dempsey shouted at Sue.

She stared at her hands that were clasped in her lap and nodded. "They argued after you left."

Dempsey saw red suddenly then and dived for the door, receiving shocked looks from both Sue and Makepeace. Makepeace bolted after him, telling an officer outside the door to wait in the interview room with Sue.

"Dempsey!" she called after him. "What the bloody hell are you doing?"

"Where is she?" he yelled angrily, heading straight for the next interview room.

Makepeace caught up with him just as he reached the door and slid in front of him, barring the way.

"Move out the way," he said, through gritted teeth.

She folded her arms and glared at him. "What for? In case you hadn't noticed we were in the middle of interviewing Sue back there."

"Let me in to talk to that woman," he seethed, pointing to the door, "I'll get the truth out of her and we'll not need to waste our time on Sue no more!"

"Dempsey, Bessie isn't going to crack but Sue will if you just give me a chance!"

He ignored Makepeace's plea and went to grasp the door handle behind her. "I'm goin' in to talk to Bessie!"

She brushed his hand away. "Not like this you're not!"

"What's wrong with you? Let me get in there and do my job!" he shouted, trying to push past her.

She pushed him back. "That's just it though Dempsey, you're not doing your job!"

His expression hardened. "What the hell's that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what I said! You're not subjective in all this, that's plainly obvious!" she came back. He huffed. "How many times have you been the one to say to me that work and emotion don't mix? You're too emotionally involved!"

That threw him for a few seconds but he bounced back quickly. "Oh come on sergeant, don't preach to me! I'm goin' in there to finish this damn case!"

"You don't want to go in there to finish the case!" she contradicted him. "You're going in there with some misplaced vendetta on behalf of Thomas, and what's more you still don't have the full facts!"

"Oh come on Harry, you can be real proud of yourself this time, you were right for once, she's guilty as hell!"

Right for once! That was below the belt! And although in the back of her head she knew that Dempsey's whole attitude that day had a lot to do with Thomas's weakening condition and his concern for him, the fact that his words hurt angered her more.

"I thought she might have been guilty, I didn't assume that as fact!" she growled back at him. "That's what professional police officers do Dempsey, find out the facts!" she shouted.

"Well let me get in there and find out the facts then!" he shouted back.

"No, no I won't," she refused, putting her hands on her hips. "And I'll tell you why, because you go in there with all guns blazing in the state you're in now and at best you're going to get yourself suspended, at worst, fired and thrown out of the bloody country!"

He rolled his eyes. "I never knew you cared!" he answered sarcastically, changing tact.

What the bloody hell was that supposed to mean? "Well against my better judgement, I do!"

For some reason her answer stung. "That just sums everythin' up don't it?"

She hadn't got a clue what he was talking about and her expression reflected that.

"You Harry!" he enlightened her, "You stickin' to the rules all the time! You aint got no instincts! All you got is your 'better judgement', and your damn professionalism. You aint got the guts to go any further, to take a risk on somethin' that could work out!"

Harry was no longer sure if Dempsey was referring to policing or their personal life, but either way his words were cutting through her like a knife. Then, through her haze of hurt, Makepeace suddenly became aware of someone calling her name. She looked past Dempsey to see an officer rushing towards them.

"Sergeant Makepeace!" the officer stopped beside them and spoke a little breathlessly. "Miss Barclay says she is ready to talk to you but only if she can be assured of police protection if she has to testify."

"Okay, thank you," she replied, reluctant to move until she knew that Dempsey was going to leave Bessie for the time being. The officer retreated back down the corridor and Dempsey followed him but not before turning to have the last word.

"If you want this to work you gotta give more back! 'Cause either you're with me, or you aint!"

Makepeace wished that they weren't at SI10 at that moment because she would have loved to have given Dempsey a proper piece of her mind! As it was, she stormed after him but was confused to see him stride straight past the interview room.

"Where are you going?" she called after him.

"Back to the hospital!" he shouted over his shoulder. "Since I aint needed here!"

Fine! She'd be better off with him out of the way anyway but she wasn't going to let him go without having her say. Catching him up, she grabbed his arm and swung him around to face her.

"I don't know exactly where you were going with that Dempsey, but as far as work is concerned, I won't go along with what I know to be wrong just because you think you're right! And as far as anything else is concerned, if there's any uncertainty it's not one-sided! Just take a look at yourself!"

This may seem as if they are going downhill but im working upto the big love scene which I'll post in the next few days.