Chapter 19

Harry, having been in a deep sleep, slowly opened her eyes trying to work out what the noise was.

"Harry, someone's at the door." mumbled a sleepy Dempsey patting her fully awake. The door bell rang again, this time more urgently.

"Urrrrggh," sighed Harry, swinging her legs out from under the bedcovers. "I'm coming." She muttered pulling on her bath robe "I'm coming."

"Who's calling round this time of night?" Dempsey asked peeking at the alarm clock on Harry's side of the bed.

"Normally you, but you're already here." She said padding out onto the landing.

The door bell rang out, this time a long shrill ring.

"Somebody wants your attention anyways." Dempsey called after her. He was curious; they were both still signed off sick, so it couldn't be anyone from work demanding their attention in the middle of the night. He grabbed his bathrobe and followed her down the stairs, pausing halfway down.

Harry opened the door and stopped dead when she saw a bedraggled Pipa standing on her doorstep. "What in God's name do you want?" Pipa had braced herself for Harry's sharp tongue. She was probably the last person Harry wanted to see at this time of night, if not ever.

"Harry, I'm sorry if I woke you, but I need your help." She pleaded.

Harry planted her hands firmly on her hips, she couldn't believe after all their history Pipa would dare to show her face at Harry's home "You've got a nerve." She hissed "Coming round here at the dead of night begging." Harry couldn't disguise the disgust in her voice.

"Whass going on?" Dempsey, detecting the unfriendliness in Harry's tone, appeared by her shoulder. He was half expecting to see Robert standing there. Instead he was surprised to find a slightly built, half drowned woman shivering in the rain.

Harry was unmoving "This is Pipa the husband stealer." Her voice was laced with venom.

"Oh boy." said Dempsey, unsure whether he should do something before Harry punched Pipa. He'd seen scorned women fight in the street many times, and it aint pretty. If there was one thing that got women throwing punches, it was broads stealing other broad's men.

Pipa looked apologetic "Oh, er I'm sorry I didn't realise you had company. You must be James?"

"Yes he is." Harry sharply cut in before Dempsey had a chance to reply "Not that it's any of your business. Goodbye Pipa..." Harry made to shut the door on her ex best friend. She felt strangely protective over Dempsey as if Pipa was a pariah swooping down to drag her man off.

Pipa was quick to stop her by stepping forward into the light of the hallway and putting her foot on the threshold. Harry gripped the door, she may have despised Pipa, but she didn't want to give the woman a broken foot.

"Please Harry, hear me out, then you can slam the door on me."

"What is the point Pipa? You've got my husband, I have a new partner. We've said everything that needs to be said"

Harry was about to push her away when Pipa wailed in desperation "He's thrown me out! He's got Matthew...please, you're my only hope!"

Harry stared aghast at the pathetic Pipa, what the hell did she expect Harry to do?

Dempsey glanced at Harry, she was still standing her ground, however he had noticed something she hadn't "Er Harry, I think this might be serious."

"Huh?!" Harry shot him a stern look, was he taking her side?

Dempsey ignored her and asked Pipa "Did he do that?" he pointed to her lip "Did Robert hit you?"

Harry swivelled back round to Pipa, then she saw what Dempsey had noticed. Pipa's split, swollen lip, Harry's eyes widened "Pipa?" Harry asked softly, Pipa looked away embarrassed "Did he hit you?"

"Yes." She said quietly "He stopped me from going to Matthew."

Dempsey and Harry looked at each other, the rain was still sheeting down and Pipa made a pathetic sight stood there on the doorstep. They couldn't turn her away, not at this time of night with nowhere to go. Harry relented and let the door swing fully open. "You'd better come in." Pipa nodded her thanks and stepped into the shelter of the hallway.

Harry regarded her ex best friend cautiously. Although it was quite obvious Pipa was distressed, Harry couldn't help but feel a deep sense of mistrust. Pipa had been responsible for so much hurt and pain in Harry's life, she really didn't have the appetite for more.

Dempsey hung back in the doorway awkwardly not sure whether he should say anything. He felt like a spare part, but the atmosphere in the room was killing him. He knew he should step back and let the women have it out, but a part of him sensed that the situation needed handling with kid gloves... Something he wasn't convinced Harry was in the right frame of mind to do. He had two choices, he could let Harry give Pipa both barrels which could make the situation worse, or he could step in and let Harry give him both barrels for interfering...it was a no win stalemate. He waited a little longer for Harry to start her interrogation, but she looked strangely apprehensive as if she didn't know where to start herself. Pipa, shivering, looked nervously at Dempsey for help, appealing to him to do something.

Dempsey frantically searched for the right thing to say, the only thing that sprang to mind was the seemingly British answer to everything "Errr, I'll just go and urm put the kettle on...and make tea?"

Harry turned to him and raised a mystified eyebrow. Dempsey shrugged as if to say 'I dunno where that came from either' followed by 'What the hell am I saying?' He padded barefoot to the kitchen quickly followed by Harry. She shut the door behind her and said in a strained whisper "What do I do now? What do I say?"

"You're asking Mister tactless here Huh? Hell Harry, she's your best friend."

"Ex best friend." She corrected. "She can't stay here." Harry's eyes were wide.

Dempsey leant against the kitchen unit to face her. "Hey babe, it's your call, but that lady's a mess. She looks like she could use an alli."

"But why me, of all people?"

"Better the devil you know?"

"Thanks."

"You know I didn't mean it like that...what was it Alex once said? Something to hate for unity...I like that ...real cute."

"Hmmm." Harry pursed playfully "You do pay attention sometimes."

Dempsey plonked three tea bags in three mugs as the kettle boiled. "She could be the answer to our prayers...think how much she knows about that lowlife and she's now a fully paid up member of the 'We Hate Robert club'.

Harry sighed "I would have never had Robert down as the violent type, never in a million years."

"You mean he never got like that with you?" the thought had crossed Dempsey's mind that Robert may have raised a hand to Harry. The idea made his blood boil; hitting women was a no no in his book.

"He's always had a temper, when he felt like it, but he was more likely to use the silent tactic than lash out. He could go for days without speaking to me."

"Yeah, and they say it's the quiet ones you need to worry about." He stirred milk into the mugs and handed Harry one. "I think you should let her stay, sleep on it and decide what to do in the morning."

Harry nodded; she knew he was talking sense. Harry eyed the mugs Dempsey was holding "You having tea as well?"

Dempsey looked down at the mugs "Er yeah!" he shrugged "Looks like it, gee I'm picking up bad habits from you."

The three of them sat awkwardly in the lounge sipping tea. Pipa had discarded her soaked jacket, but sat uncomfortably bolt upright. Once again, it was Dempsey who broke the silence "So, tell us exactly what happened."

Pipa looked at Harry for permission to tell her tale, Harry gave a nod, Pipa began...

Harry and Dempsey listened to Pipa's story intently; however, they were both perplexed as to what it had to do with them. It seemed on the surface a clear domestic situation. Harry asked "He won't marry you, so you decided to leave him?

Pipa's eyes flitted from Harry to Dempsey and back to Harry. She said "It wasn't just that, I found out about the inquest...I know what he is trying to do to you. I'm so sorry Harry, I really had no idea. I realise..." she swallowed hard "I now realise I mean nothing to Robert...he has shown his true colours. He used me to get back at you, that's all I was, a weapon." Pipa hung her head trying not to cry. She felt so foolish and stupid admitting to Harry how Robert had kept her in the dark.

Harry, with the first pangs of compassion, said quietly "How did you let this happen Pipa, you used to be so strong, so switched on."

Pipa's eyes had welled up "I don't know, I really don't know...he's a manipulative bastard. He played Monica off against you and then did the same with me and you. The final straw was finding out he is trying to destroy your career and take you inheritance...that's not right. No sane human being does that.

"He ain't no human being." Cut in Dempsey "I'd sure like to pay him a visit." he growled, face creased in disgust.

"You're to go nowhere near him Dempsey!" said Harry firmly "You'll just add fuel to the flames."

"Not a good idea James, he'll find a way of screwing you over as well." added Pipa

"The way I see it, he's already screwing me over and I've never even met the guy."

"You don't want to." said the girls together.

"Like hell I do." Dempsey sipped the last of his tea. "And that scowl Lyons."

"Thomas!?He's just Robert's little whipping boy. Does what he's told." scoffed Pipa.

"Don't think so lady." Dempsey shook his head "He's not so innocent, he's gotta taste for blackmail."

"Huh!" Pipa was surprised "No surely! He wouldn't do that...how?"

Dempsey and Harry glanced at each other, Harry sighed "He has tapes, recordings of us."

"What!" exclaimed Pipa "Never! Where, what of?"

"That's the million dollar question." smiled Dempsey ruefully.

"Monica recorded us when we were in Spain," explained Harry "We weren't together then, Lyons wants to prove I killed Monica out of jealousy...like I was in some blind rage because she tried to seduce Dempsey."

"Did she? Did you?" Pipa looked aghast at Dempsey, "sorry that's a very personal question."

"She tried, she failed." Dempsey simply replied.

"Well that's a first." Pipa shook head.

Harry clipped icily "Dempsey doesn't jump into bed with every woman who throws herself at him you know." Dempsey was amused by Harry's statement.

"Oh Lord, no, I meant Monica. She normally gets want she wants...you had a lucky escape James, she eats men for breakfast."

"Yeah, I was nearly dish of the day alright." He grinned.

Harry was feeling decidedly uncomfortable discussing Dempsey's liaison, she tried to get the conversation back on track. "Anyway, she recorded us in the apartment and we're a little concerned that us sharing a bed could be misconstrued."

"You shared a bed, but you weren't together...yes I can see how that could be misconstrued." Pipa was somewhat baffled.

"Well, erm..." Harry was quick to back track "Not really sharing a bed...erm Dempsey was in it and I was on top of ... it doesn't really matter...the fact it is...we were just sleeping...oh for heaven's sake." Harry gave up trying to explain how she and Dempsey ended up sharing the one bed in the apartment when Dempsey was ill.

Dempsey chuckled "I was out of it, I was sick, Harry was looking after me."

"Right." Said Pipa not entirely convinced that sleeping was all they did that night. Pipa looked at both of them seriously "So, we need to find those tapes."

It was the word 'we'which rang in Harry's ears, it wasn't 'you', it was 'we'. Harry suddenly realised Pipa was sat here on her sofa offering help. She wanted to help them get rid of Robert Makepeace. The enemy, in Harry's eyes, had swapped sides. Dempsey had been right once again, she wanted to be an alli, a fully paid up member of the 'We hate Robert Club'. Harry watched as her ex best friend yawned with exhaustion. She was a mess. Her hair hung limply around her pale features. Her lip was even more swollen with a dry trail of blood down her chin and dark circles bagged under her washed out eyes. Harry's eyes were drawn to the knees of Pipa's jeans, they were both wet and muddy suggesting she had fallen over in the street. Harry took a deep breath "You can stay the night, but please find somewhere else tomorrow...you understand this isn't easy?"

Pipa nodded "Thank you...not sure where though."

"What about Claire?"

"I haven't seen her in years...or the others for that matter. Robert made sure of that." She said sadly, it was true, she hadn't seen any of their old friends for years.

Pipa's situation was even more desperate than Harry could have imagined "Let's just get to tomorrow and we'll take it from there."

"Harry, I am so grateful...to both of you."

Harry managed a small smile and turned to Dempsey "We'd better make up the spare bed."

"I'm on it boss." grinned Dempsey relieved that the two women had found some common ground. He knew it wasn't easy for Harry to accept Pipa into her home, but he viewed Pipa as a valuable source of information. Plus Dempsey was a sucker for a damsel in distress, he wouldn't have been able to stand by and let Harry throw her out into the street, especially when there was a kid involved.

He raced upstairs to the spare room to test out his flat-pack assembly skills. The two women watched him go.

"I'm happy for you, he seems nice." Pipa said with a smile "He's not at all how Robert describes him."

"Let me guess 'a boorish Yank from the gutter'" said Harry sourly, that was how most upper class men viewed Dempsey and Robert would have been no exception.

"Something like that. You can tell he thinks the world of you. I'm glad you've found someone who loves you, who'd have thought you'd end up with an American knight in shining armour?"

"I know, if you had told me that a year ago I would have said you were barking." smiled Harry "he wasn't easy to get to know."

Pipa cocked her head inquisitively "So what changed?"

Harry thought for a few seconds "I woke up to the fact that under that loud, brash sometimes arrogant exterior, there is a complex, sensitive man who hates wrong. He selflessly throws himself into danger to protect others, he cares deep down for other people and I finally realised he cares for me...but don't tell him I said that, he would deny all of it."

"And you care deeply for him."

Harry nodded "I nearly lost him twice and I am not going to let Robert force us apart."

"I can see that." agreed Pipa in no doubt Harry meant what she said. "Thanks again Harry, for helping me, you have no idea what this means to me."

"No problem, but this doesn't mean I have forgiven you!"

"I wouldn't expect you to."

A silence settled between the two women, they listened to the banging and cursing coming from the upstairs spare room.

"I'd better go and help him, I don't think DIY is Dempsey's strong point." Harry excused herself and headed up the stairs leaving Pipa to her own thoughts.

Harry found Dempsey surrounded by cardboard, cellophane and an array of metal bed bits. He stood holding the instructions in one hand and scratching his head with the other. "Why don't they write this stuff in plain English...look at this..." Dempsey stepped over the wreckage to show Harry the instructions "Use screw 'D' to lock in nut 'F' on frames 'A' and 'E' before using Alan key to tighten? Tighten what?" Harry took the instructions from his hands and studied the page.

"Nut 'F'!" declared Harry rather pleased with herself. "See easy"

"Why don't you do it then Einstein?"

Dempsey picked up his screwdriver and carried on assembling the bed "Everything okay down there? I didn't hear any fur flying."

Harry bent down to hold two parts of metalwork together to help Dempsey with his flat-pack task. "I'm not over the moon with it all, but I don't think I have a choice, maybe it's time we all moved on...she approves of you y'know."

"Haaaa! I didn't think you wanted her to like me."

Harry rolled her eyes "I think men are well and truly off her menu at the moment, after Robert I wouldn't blame her. I think she is more concerned with getting Matthew back."

"That's got it." said Dempsey indicating that he had finished with that part of the frame. They both made to move to the next corner. "What's she going to do about the kid?"

They hadn't really discussed Matthew yet, Pipa had been more intent on convincing Harry she was there to help.

"They're not married; therefore Robert doesn't have much of a leg to stand on." As Harry tried to move through the cardboard and cellophane debris across the room, she stumbled losing her balance. Her foot touched plastic and whooshed beneath her, she was sent tumbling with a "Whooaaaaa!" in Dempsey's direction.

Dempsey was quick to grab her, but her momentum sent the pair of them crashing to the carpet. They landed in a giggling heap, arms and legs flailing surrounded by packaging "This DIY business is bloody dangerous." Laughed Harry "It's me who hasn't got a leg to stand on."

"Next time, get a guy into do it." Dempsey grinned at her

"I don't need a guy, I've got you! You told me you were good with your hands." She patted his chest still laughing.

"I am good with my hands." Dempsey gave her one of his cheeky grins "In the bed, just not good at putting them together."

It had appeared they had completely forgotten about Pipa until she coughed in the doorway. Dempsey and Harry sprang up in embarrassment.

"Er, I was wondering whether I could have a shower. Think I'm getting a chill." She asked.

"Oh, yes of course. I'll get you some towels." replied Harry blushing "You, get that bed finished."

"Yes Mam."

Harry left Dempsey to it and headed for the towels.

Will Harry fully forgive Pipa...please keep reviewing QQ