This chapter is more focused on the plot than the fluffiness, but I hope its enjoyed anyway.


"Oh no, no, no, no, no," Harry groaned as the phone rang. The alarm clock was flashing 4:52 so this had better be good. "What?"

"Harry, I really don't want to disturb you but I thought you'd want to know," Adam said in one quick breath as Ruth turned over, a hand on her husbands chest and very annoyed at being woken up.

"Adam, I have a pregnant wife who gets hormonal when she misses out on her sleep, get to the point and do it fast."

"Elena Gavrik's been found with her throat cut."

"Oh my God!" Harry sat up rubbing his face. "She was fine this evening what the hell happened?"

"We've got her on CCTV leaving the reception with Ilya and they were arguing. He left her and that's the last we see of her until her body was discovered in St James Park about half an hour ago."

"We need to know what her conversation was with her husband before she died," Harry said.

"I have a lip reading analyst coming to Thames House as soon as she can to view the tapes, I just thought you'd want to be informed. What with your… history."

"Thanks Adam," Harry said sincerely before disconnecting the call. He froze for a few seconds before his wife moved slightly.

"What did he want? I'm only on my third hour of sleep and don't appreciate him interrupting," Ruth moaned.

"That lack of sleep is entirely your own fault," Harry said stroking her hair. "If you hadn't leapt on me the second Emily left there wouldn't be a problem would there? In fact I seem to remember you finding me irresistible three times until you were satisfied."

"I wasn't satisfied at three, I just didn't think you could go for the fourth round," Ruth said. The sleepy teasing smile on her face made it clear that she was purposefully winding him up. "Anyway, you're avoiding the question, what did Adam want?"

"Elena's been murdered."

"Oh my God," Ruth said. "But we saw her less than twelve hours ago, she… was horribly rude actually."

"I know," Harry said. "She's…" he hesitated because he didn't want to give her a shock, not when she was pregnant. Ruth seemed to read his mind.

"Harry, I work with you. I've seen it all. Usually I'm the one handing you the particularly delightful pictures of gruesome murders." Harry nodded in acknowledgement.

"Her throat was cut and her body was dumped in St James Park."

"Fabulous," Ruth said sarcastically. "Oh my God I can't believe it. Who do you think did it?"

"I'd be willing to bet the house it was Ilya," Harry said. "Or at least on his orders. He might not have wanted to dirty his hands personally."

"I mean I didn't like her but I didn't want her dead." Harry nodded in agreement and silently stroked her hair as she settled on his chest. Sleep was now far from both of them.

"We'll deal with that at work tomorrow," Harry said. "I want you to sleep and take care of spud."

"Mm," Ruth said. It took a long time but eventually she felt her eyes drifting closed when Harry decided to speak

"You don't think…"

"What?"

"That I hurt her?"

"Of course I don't," she said sleepily. "You must have had too much to drink if you think I'll ever believe that. I trust you, I don't believe you are capable of cold blooded murder, and even if I did, you've had your arms around me all night long."

"Ruth, I have killed people you know," he said.

"Yes, I know," she replied. "But I also know you aren't a bad man. Now is there anything else or can I sleep?

"Go to sleep," he soothed. It didn't take long before she drifted off. Harry stroked her hair very, very torn with emotions. He didn't care for Elena but he hadn't wanted to see her murdered either. And professionally it was annoying that a Russian diplomats wife had been murdered on British soil. He was sure this was Ilya. He'd talk to Adam about it tomorrow. Or later today actually. For the moment, he just wanted to make sure that his family were safe.


The next day Harry got into the grid early while Ruth waited for Emily to take Jamie for the day. Harry wanted to be the first to know the details but he didn't know why. He was interrupted in his thoughts by Adam sitting in his office before he'd even opened the door.

"Well?" Harry asked.

"I've had the lip reader in," Adam said. "She got here really early because apparently she had a flight to catch to St Petersburg. I've got the tape from the CCTV here but it doesn't tell you much. From certain angles you can't catch what was being said. Basically Elena asked Ilya for a divorce and they left the venue."

"Elena would never do that," Harry said. "She likes her comfortable life being the Russian diplomats wife too much."

"She did it Harry," Adam said, reinforcing the fact. "They got into a big argument on the street but the camera's were too far away to make out what was said. Ilya slapped her before she walked away. That's the last time she was caught alive on the CCTV."

"Okay," Harry said, coming to terms with a new side of the woman he thought he'd known. But then people change in twenty years don't they? he thought to himself.

"What about the post mortem? I know its early but…"

"We are not doing one," Adam said. "Her body is being flown back to Moscow right now."

"That's insane," Harry said. "She might be Russian but she was murdered on British soil, very possibly by her Russian husband with whom Britain has just signed a partnership deal, sharing intelligence and the like."

"Ilya threatened to completely walk out on the partnership deal, taking Russia with him unless he was allowed to talk Elena's body home."

"He's already signed, he couldn't do that," Harry replied.

"He sounded so capable that the Home Office just let him. I didn't call you because there was nothing you could have done. Towers had already caved in," Adam said.

"Did we at least get a time of death before the Russians took her body?" Harry asked.

"Between midnight and one," Adam said.

"Well at least that narrows it down," Harry said. "I want to know where Ilya was at that time."

"Harry…" Adam tailed off wondering whether he was brave enough. Harry nodded for him to continue. "This is pointless, it's a murder investigation. Its police work. What do you hope to achieve by carrying on with this?"

"Elena Gavrik did not deserve to have her throat cut because she was choosing to leave Ilya. If she was murdered by our Russian partner on UK soil, that very much makes it my business. I can't bear to let him get away with it. I've hated Ilya for nearly thirty years. I need to know if its justified."

"Okay," Adam said. "Good luck explaining that to your wife though."

"She knows that the truth is important," Harry said with more confidence than he felt. Elena wasn't exactly the best subject between them. He sighed, knowing as he did so that for thirty years Elena had been more trouble than she was worth. Even in death she was carrying on in fine fashion.