"There was a guy here earlier.." Gemma looks at the crowd of dancers in the dressing room, her sharp Louise Brooks bob shining in the lights. "Thought he'd been shot. You know when you see those people havin' electric shock treatment, like that he was."

The waitress demonstrates by sitting in a chair and then scrambling to her feet, surprisingly adept for a woman wearing 4inch platforms with no sense of rhythm but a sharp mathematical brain. Her colleagues look amused at her antics.

"Maybe he's one of Danny's chaps." Cristal offers. Harry has recently learned that Danny is firmly in the closet.

"Nah," Gemma says with conviction. "This guy was well into the women, no gaydar on 'im."

"It happens," Faith comments, pausing as she counts out her tips. "Rare, though; most of us are miles from home."

"Where are you from then?" Gemma settles on the corner of Harry's station and picks up a lipstick.

"Born in Sweden, actually; I don't remember. We came here and stayed all over the place." Faith waves her hand vaguely.

"Aren't you from America?" Gemma asks Starlight.

Harry tries to pay no attention as she carefully wipes away her eye make-up, but she watches the dancers in the mirror's reflection. Starlight is looking uncomfortable.

"What of it?" The girl shrugs.

"This guy was American." Gemma comments. "Mind you, we get all sorts. He just looked surprised when you and Sharon were on or about then."

Starlight looks like she wants to punch the waitress. "Look, I don't know anyone from bloody America, and I was born in London; I grew up there."

"I don't think it means anything." Magic, or Magenta, her real name, pacifies them. "Faith is right, it sometimes happens. Maybe Starlight or Sharon reminded him of someone?"

Harry's heart races as Starlight chews her lip nervously, and they both wipe the debris of the evening away.

And there she is, the Chancellor's step daughter revealed in the cracked mirror. There's no mistaking the little mole above her top lip, which the dancer usually keeps well hidden under the stage paint. When her coloured contact lenses are removed, Harry is almost certain from her late night studies of the files. Magenta's words may have made the situation worse.

"This fella, what did he look like?" Harry enquiries willing her voice to stay even.

"Tall, like, this tall…." Gemma demonstrates waving her hand above their heads, "Reminded me of Al Pacino, you know that actor in Revolution, with all that hair; moody bugger but proper handsome with it."

It sounds like Dempsey. She wouldn't put it past him to find her somehow.

"I'm off then," Faith gets up wearily, "You coming?" She departs with Betty; the pair live in the same building.

"Could it be your fella?" Magenta asks as they wait for Starlight to pack her bag, the dancer fussing over what to take. "What's the deal with him now?"

"I haven't spoken to him in ages." Harry explains truthfully.

"Why on earth not?" Magenta protests and Harry finds it amusing how maternal the woman is despite her sexy dance routine.

"He's too busy to worry about me and anyway, it's easier said than done. I'll lose my nerve before I did anything."

"I've seen your set, you're no wallflower." Magenta arches an eyebrow. "Maybe you need to ask what you'd do now, not back then when you first walked through those doors."

Harry is relieved when Rusty appears ready to give them a lift home. Within moments Magenta is dozing, but Harry sees Starlight looking pensively out of the window, more awake than ever.

XXXXX

Dempsey drives the rental car back to his hotel. In the bar, he numbs his senses with a couple of scotch on the rocks until it reminds him of Harry in a red dress. He tries to watch the TV and picks up a book. Throwing it on the bed, he finally gives in to his base desire, picturing his partner. What he saw and what he will see this evening.

He should go home. She's fine, in as much as Harry could be. But he's worried about her state of mind. He's gotten lost in work before; became obsessed with Coltrane.

Who the hell is her control here? That's the point of a team; she needs someone to hold her to account and give her back up. Nobody looked like that person.

Dempsey lies awake unable to work out if it's sexual depravity or lust that keeps him here. If she knew... he can't imagine the mortification she'd be feeling.

It's wrong, but he has to go back.

XXX

"Can I have some help?" Harry finds Starlight alone in the bar. "I want to try out a new thing, and I don't know if it'll work."

"Sure, of course." The dancer follows her to the stage and waits as Harry asks Jez to play her chosen song. Faith has already said yes, and Danny was bemused but entertained, but it's an excuse to talk to 'Sandra, the missing step-daughter.'

Harry goes through the motions of her rehearsal again, thinking how parts of this job are tedious like any other one. Putting on make-up is comparable to the tedium of a stakeout. As the song reaches the climax, Harry removes her top with a flourish, like an arrest. Even the VIP room isn't all that daunting, it's not much different to walking into an police station and being eyed by men who are juniors, worse are the ones in power; at least her she is in control. Men can't touch since one of Rusty's crew is right outside for safety. The guy from last night, who must've been the same age as her partner with none of his ease, wanted to chat. He was terrified that word would return to his childhood sweetheart, and she felt guilty for taking his fifty quid.

"What do you think?" Harry asks when the song ends.

Starlight is similarly mesmerised. "It's original…I like it."

"It reminded me of someone." Harry explains softly, hoping her confession will win her kudos.

"I don't think anyone thinks of me." Starlight pulls at her ponytail and fiddles nervously with the ends.

Harry waits, adopting Dempsey's trick of expectant silence.

Starlight sighs. "My stepfather isn't a nice man. He wants to control what I do. This is a better life, I've got somewhere decent to live, and I've lost weight."

Harry agrees. She wonders if Dempsey has a better life without her "You know you can report your step-father."

"I thought.. he's got an important job, nobody would believe me, even my mum didn't." Starlight pauses and catches herself. "I'm happy here; Danny and Faith are kind; Rusty keeps me safe."

Harry nods; nobody is here under duress. "I know what you mean."

A crash distracts them both. Gemma appears at the bar, smiling goofily. "I dropped the glasses. Listen, I remembered something. That American. He had a smoke on a cigar in the car park an' I thought that's posh; most guys here have roll-ups or ciggies."