15
Ruth marched towards the interview room knowing that Ros would need the information Catherine had found. The more she thought of it, the more she wondered how long the Prince had been duped by the pretty young woman. Sighing heavily she knew men like Prince Bertram would always be susceptible to a pretty girl paying them attention. It was as misogynistic as it was simplistic. A millionaire prince and the media darling. He needed a pretty, young and apparently vacuous woman on his arm to boost his self esteem. It was almost comical that such a set up would work in the 21st century. She rolled her eyes before tapping the door once.
"Interview suspended. Senior Analyst Ruth Pearce has entered the room." Adam announced before stating the time and clicking the tape recorder off. "Ruth?"
"A word."
"You can say what you wish." The Prince huffed. Ruth raised an eyebrow.
"Sorry, no." Ruth smiled slightly. "You are a security risk until proven otherwise. Ma'am." Ruth uncharacteristically called Ros by her rank before both her and Adam followed her out in to the main corridor.
"Well really!" The Prince snapped as Adam closed the door behind him.
"Ma'am?" Ros raised an eyebrow.
"Remind that prat who he is dealing with." Ruth snapped before handing her the paper Catherine had given her. "Katya, the current love of his life is an FSB undercover officer. Once we knew she was linked to Yannis I guessed there was a connection. Catherine found it."
"Bloody Hell." Adam frowned. "And she got passed RPS vetting."
"Did they even vet her?" Ros read the paper. "This was supposed to be a nice, straightforward job. Arrest a few illegal arms dealers, back in time for last orders in the George." She sighed. "Not this bollocks."
"You want to tell him his girlfriend is a spy or shall I?" Adam smirked as Ruth folded her arms.
"Oh, perks of the job." Ros smiled. "That's mine. Ruth, thank you. Tell Catherine she did well."
Ros turned back on her heels, heading into the interview room. Adam sighed heavily before following her. He could almost bring himself to feel sorry for the Prince knowing how Ros was going to grill him. Almost.
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Beth tapped her pen on the desk as Zaf looked up. "Sorry." She kept her eyes on the screen as she dropped the pen. She could feel Zaf watching her as she typed.
"You ok?"
"Men are generally idiots."
"All men or just the ones you know?" Erin asked as Zaf huffed, pretending to be offended.
"Men like Prince Bertram. I mean where is his sense? He is what 60?"
"56." Erin answered. "And he thinks a young woman like Katya wouldn't have an ulterior motive? I mean she is clearly the 'in' the Four Gunmen of the Apocalypse needed. Bet she was working for Daddy."
"Shitty father if he was pimping his only daughter out." Zaf huffed. Erin nodded, thinking of her own teenage daughter and her best friend - Emma who just happened to be Zaf's step daughter. "She's what? 25?"
"Something like that." Erin sighed. Beth bit her lip.
"Some women like older men." Zaf paused. "I mean look at Calum and Catherine, Carrie and Adam, Sarah and Malcolm, Harry and." He looked up to see Ruth return to the Grid.
"And some women exploit that." Ruth joined the conversation. "Catherine, can you go through Yannis' financials? I'll did into our apparent Gold digger." She shot Zaf a look he couldn't quite decipher as she sat at her own workstation. She knew she was being oversensitive but she hated women like Katya who just used their looks to get ahead. It was clear from what she had read about the woman Katya was, on the surface at least using her looks to ingratiate herself with the Prince and his cronies. She sighed heavily, wondering if at one time people thought the same about her and Harry - although she would never class herself as being as beautiful as the young woman they were investigating
Catherine narrowed her eyes as she realised somehow her friends had upset Ruth. She made a mental note to talk to her stepmother at some point before they went home. Ruth kept her head down, apparently absorbed in her work. She sighed, hoping it was just a misunderstanding. The whole debacle that was Havensworth was beginning to be more trouble than it was worth as far as she could see.
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Dimitri walked into the hospital with Lucas, determined to talk to Yannis. Ros had put a bullet in his shoulder but not seriously injured him. Once they had found he was on the Male Surgical Ward they headed there, knowing his room would be heavily guarded. Lucas smiled his best charm smile at the young nurse at the entrance to the ward. It seemed the younger woman was immune to his charms as she stepped past them. Dimitri smirked slightly.
"Married too long, losing your charms."
Lucas shook his head.
"And you and Beth are still just 'living in sin' as my old dad would say. You ever going to make an honest woman of her?"
Dimitri sighed. "Tell her, not me." He paused. "I'd have married her years ago - as soon as we got together but she's anti marriage. Too used to being on her own all her life." He frowned as he looked ahead. "That's his room, yeah?"
"Yes." Lucas felt his stomach drop, realising there were no sign of the armed guards he knew should be there. Both he and Dimitri quickened their pace as Dimitri rested his hand on his gun. Noticing a cupboard door slightly ajar a few feet from the door Dimitri pulled his gun in the ready position.
"Shit." He mumbled as he kicked the door open to reveal the murdered guards. Lucas narrowed his eyes, images of the day Sarah Caulfield was killed came to mind. He fought the nausea as he pushed the hospital room door open to see Yannis sat up in bed with a bullet wound in his forehead. Crimson blood stained the pillow behind him. He closed his eyes, pulling out his phone he called the Grid. It seemed Yannis would never be fit to answer any questions ever again.
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Harry rested his head in his hands as he read the report on his desk. Following the discovery of Yannis' body and the two dead police guards he had sent most of the team home. There was little more they could do until Katya was located. It seemed she was the one pulling the strings but he couldn't help but wonder if it had been her to sanction the murder of her father. The man had been shot in cold blood. The thought of the man's daughter being responsible for that made him feel physically sick.
"Harry."
He smiled slightly as he heard Ruth walk into the office.
"Ruth."
"I've put a Look Out notice for her at all the ports, airports and at both ends of the Eurotunnel."
"Good." He nodded.
"Not your fault." She stated as he looked up at her.
"Then I'd like to know who is at fault." He sighed, running his hand over his face as Ruth stepped around the desk. "Two minutes earlier it could have been Lucas and Dimitri dead. As it is those police officers were young married men, both had families waiting for them at home. And they died on duty? For what?" He sighed. "Ignore me. I'm just getting old." He paused as Ruth took his hand. She tugged his hand so that he was standing up in front of her.
"Old? Never." She smiled slightly. He frowned, tilting her face so she had to look at him. He kept his finger under her chin for a moment as she took a deep breath. "Harry, you know we will catch up with her. We will find out what happened to Yannis and the so called arms deal we were sent to deal with."
"I know." He paused. "Ruth? What is it?"
"Nothing." She closed her eyes as he stepped even closer to her. She rested her hands on his chest, relaxing at the familiar feeling of him so close to her. He watched her for a moment before her eyes opened to meet his. "Old insecurities hitting me. That's all. Comments about Katya and the Prince, age gap relationships." She shrugged. Harry frowned, he had no idea what she was referring to. "Me, thinking the things said about her were probably very similar to things said about me at one time. About us."
"I don't give a damn what anyone says about our relationship. None of their business."
"I know. I thought I had put all that behind me too. People thinking I was only with you because of your status when the truth is far from it."
He kissed her gently as her arms came to wrap themselves around his neck. She deepened the kiss, holding him close as he slipped one hand under the tail of her shirt. He pulled away, resting his forehead against hers.
"Home. Now."
She nodded and smiled, taking his hand in hers as she stepped back. Suddenly the age gap or the case they were working on didn't matter anymore. It was time to go home.