Dempsey attended a meeting with Spikings and the Commissioner and was offered the job heading up SI10 as the Chief Inspector was to be promoted to Superintendent.

'You would still work for Superintendent Spikings but you would be a Chief Inspector which is equivalent to your status in the NYPD, how do you feel about that?

The American nodded, he could work with Spikings they were on the same page. 'That could work,' he agreed and his eyes met Spikings and he saw the glimmer of approval from the boss. 'When would I start?'

'The application has to go through to the Promotions Board but that's a formality, the board meets at the end of the month. In the meantime, the Superintendent will introduce you to the parts of the job you're not yet familiar with. 'Welcome on board Captain Dempsey, you're work with the NYPD was exemplary, well done.'

'Thank you, sir,' Dempsey rose to his feet along with Spikings and they left the Commissioner's office. 'Can I call you Mad Gordon now,' the Yank smirked.

'You can call me sir, that would be new for you,' the Superintendent responded with his usual sarcasm. 'I'll enjoy watching you tackle the budget it will give me a great deal of satisfaction. C'mon I'll buy you a pint and you can tell me all about the last six months in New York, the unedited version.'

Dempsey gave Spikings a sharp glance and wondered why the boss wanted a blow by blow account of the cleansing operation in the NYPD, the chief was a tough cookie so he wasn't under any illusions that he'd get away without giving detail. 'Sure boss, but we do things a little differently over there so…

-oOo—

'So, you infiltrated the family of two brothers, both officers in order to get into the network of bent coppers in the division.' Spikings summarised Dempsey's NYPD undercover operation.

'Yeah, it worked a treat. None of the guys knew me and I'm good at that stuff, said I was in real estate they thought their sister had hit pay dirt. Anyway, I got the inside track and it all unravelled from there.'

'And have you told D.I. Makepeace of your undercover activities,' Spikings dark eyes showed concern as he knew that Harry had feelings for Dempsey and would probably have a less than enthusiastic response to the Yank's operational tactics.

'Yeah, told her last night.' He ran a hand round his jaw. 'Harry don't always view my way of working in a positive light; she can be critical.' His jaw squared as he anticipated the battle ahead. 'We'll work it out,' he dismissed the issue but deep inside he knew that getting Makepeace back onside was going to be tough.

'Harry would be working for you and that might be difficult,' Spikings pointed out. 'Your engagement faked or otherwise would mean she should not be under your command as you wouldn't be seen to be impartial in your treatment of the Detective Inspector.'

'Yeah, I get that.' He thumbed his nose. 'Seems hard on Harry having to move cos of me,' that would be two strikes against him. The road to future happiness looked like a long haul.

'I might have something for her but I need to talk to Makepeace about that, we'll see. Congratulations Chief Inspector,' Spikings raised his glass, 'well done.'

-oOo—

Bradshaw looked hostile as Dempsey was spending a lot of time with Spikings, 'why is he in the office again? Can't he bugger off back to New York where he belongs.'

Hargreaves looked up from her computer screen, 'I think he's back for good but you're right he is spending a lot of time with Spikings.'

Makepeace walked in and went into her office without her usual 'good morning,' to the troops and the door was firmly closed behind her.

'Goldilocks doesn't look too happy maybe the Yank had a headache,' Steve sniggered enjoying the innuendo.

Watson looked up at that and could see Joyce's negative body language and didn't chime in, he liked Hargreaves she was all right.

Harry went through her notes on the Ritz robberies, it had been difficult to find which girls had been assigned to the mark at the hotel and the subsequent robberies. None of the girls talked about it which was strange. Those particular jobs probably weren't pick up's in the hotel they would have been bookings with the escort service. So, who kept the booking system, it wouldn't be Fiorelli. He had office staff in the main club, the Black Cat, which is where she'd worked but as she'd worked nights she hadn't really seen them. Someone would have to book an escort.

She called her father and asked him to do the honours. Freddie loved intrigue so if they got the girl to the Lanesborough Hotel they could implement a sting operation and if the girl stole valuable property they would have enough on her to extract the necessary information; failing that yours truly could go back into the Black Cat and charm Fiorelli. Harry had no great appetite for that option but if push came to shove she might have to.

Spikings called the Detective Inspector into his office. 'Are you all right, Makepeace,' he asked her in a kind, avuncular fashion.

'Fine sir,' came the brief response as the Chief Inspector's benign tone raised alarm bells. 'Why did you want to see me?' Her eyebrows rose when Spikings gave her the news about his new role and Dempsey's promotion and then it sank in that James would be her superior officer.

'I see, well congratulations sir,' Harry offered weakly. Spikings deserved the promotion he was an excellent officer and very loyal to his team.

'I called you in because that leaves you in an awkward position vis a vis Captain Dempsey, your engagement etcetera.'

Makepeace didn't say anything with regards to that because even though she was handing back the ring there would be gossip about the two of them which would mean working together would be difficult.

'I need a bag carrier, someone to be my right hand and I think you would do well in that role plus it would give you exposure to those upstairs as you would represent me when I can't be available. It would be good for your career Harry and remove you from Dempsey's command.'

The blonde officer nodded, it was an excellent opportunity those roles were designated for high performers and with her networking skills she was sure she'd do well. 'Thankyou sir, I'd like to think about it but it would seem a good fit under the current circumstances.'

'It's the right move for you Harry,' Spikings assured her. 'And you can keep me from going insane when all the etiquette gets too much.' He lit a cigarette. 'Dempsey did a first-rate job over in the NYPD, they wanted to keep him on but we managed to pull a few strings to get him back over here. Better for him as there would be bound to be resentments in some quarters. Nobody likes coppers regulating other coppers but it's a necessary evil unfortunately.'

'Yes sir,' she didn't want to be drawn into a conversation about Dempsey's last operation as her emotions were still too raw.

'Operational necessities can be difficult Harry and the Yank had things to put right over there. The death of his partner had a strong impact on him, I think you know that.'

'Yes sir,' Harry wanted this conversation to end. It was too painful to think of the impact of James putting things right whilst basically cheating on her.

'All right then, if you would give me your answer by the end of the week I'd appreciate it,' he let the girl go. He knew her and he could tell the discussion was painful. He could only hope the two of them could work something out. In his experience the females of the species didn't take kindly to their male putting it about.

-oOo-

After carefully avoiding the Chief Inspector designate for a couple of weeks Harry tensed as Dempsey got into the lift beside her as they were both going up to the top floor for a meeting, Harry was representing Superintendent Spikings. The Chief Superintendent would be there which was going to be a little awkward as the blonde detective hadn't as yet returned Dempsey's ring so they weren't officially free of their engagement.

'How's it going?' Dempsey decided to break the ice as it was stupid not to talk to each other. Harry looked like she'd lost weight and she was a little paler than normal.

'Everything's fine,' she responded coolly. She didn't ask him how he was because she wanted to close down the conversation rather than extend it. They reached their floor and she was just about to get out when he pulled her back and hit a button that kept the doors of the lift closed.

'What an earth do you think you're doing,' she asked icily as he hung over her effectively pushing her back against the lift wall.

'You're getting all steamed up about something that don't matter to me other than a means to an end,' he got right into her face as she wouldn't look at him. 'Why are you doing that?'

Harry glared at him. 'It's-called-cheating,' she explained as if to the dim witted. 'That's when a person is in a relationship with one person and then has sex with someone else. I mean you can't exactly have sex without being aroused Dempsey, well a man can't anyway. So, for three months you were intimately involved with this woman and presumably got it up.'

Harry being crude was an indication of how pissed she was; Dempsey was pissed too so he got into what was annoying him. 'I wanted to get back to you as fast as possible so I took a shortcut, so what? The job got done and when I get back you'd gone missing and I find some low life draping you in diamonds; you kiss him? How'd he get so hot for you that he did that, huh?'

'The lift is about to send out an alarm,' Harry gave a frustrated sigh when Dempsey made it go back to the basement. 'Would you get out of my way, you're crowding me,' she pushed at his chest but he wasn't moving. 'Dempsey,' she warned him her eyes flashing to his.

'Nah you're gonna listen. We differ on our operational code of behaviour; you're a dame so you don't put out to keep a cover; I'm a guy and we see sex differently. What I have with you is different to what I had with the mark. Plus, you were thousands of miles away so it's not the same as if I did that here, it's a different world…

'Bullshit,' Harry responded into his face. 'As far as I'm concerned you cheated on me and I don't have any time for a man that would do that. That's not what I want. Oh, and by the way here's your engagement ring,' she fished it out of her bag. 'We're finished do you think you can get that into your testosterone challenged brain.'

His hands grabbed her arms in frustration and he went with the first thing he could think of to put the situation right. 'Marry me for real, Harry. If that's what it takes to put this right, we can do that.'

She could feel his warm breath on her temple and couldn't believe he would take this most inappropriate time to propose. He was surrounding her his body heat sending a stinging awareness through her nervous system; she needed to end this preposterous conversation before she weakened. 'No thank you, I wouldn't marry you if you were the last man on earth,' she responded in a snippy tone that always got to her ex-partner.

Makepeace could be infuriating and he was torn between kissing her or paddling her ass; he decided on the former and took her by surprise as his mouth swept down on hers. The hot furious kiss bought him nothing as she wrenched her mouth away and slapped his face.

The lift stopped at the top floor and they both pulled away and got ready to make their way to the office where the meeting was being held. Harry smoothed her skirt and ran a hand over her hair and refreshed her lipstick, Dempsey adjusted the knot of his tie. It was awkward, both protagonists trying to calm down their raging emotions and present a professional demeanour.

'After you,' he growled his voice deep with frustration as he followed her into the meeting; the engagement ring in its little box resting uncomfortably in his trouser pocket.

-oOo-