Dempsey, in his new role as Chief Inspector, reviewed the Ritz robberies with Makepeace, Bradshaw and Hargreaves. 'So, what have we got, as I understand it we have no evidence to arrest Fiorelli on the hotel thefts but illegal gambling we do have. Okay, so the escort side of the business; how do we check that out without sending Makepeace back in?'

Harry looked across at her ex-partner her expression hard to read. 'I've asked my father to book an escort, Freddie will be staying in the Royal Suite at the Lanesborough and will be taking a Stubbs and a Constable to make the place seem like the ancestral pile. I've told my father SI10 will pick up the bill for the room and hopefully we can get enough on the girl to get the necessary evidence. We will need a number of officers to make sure those paintings don't get into the wrong hands as the insurance company won't be pleased that they've been removed from Winfield Hall.'

'Your father owns a Hall and has an original Constable, why do you work here D.I. Makepeace you could be going to garden parties and visiting the palace,' Bradshaw asked sarcastically.

Dempsey ignored Bradshaw as he didn't like him and didn't pretend to, 'okay, so your Pop is going in as a plant; are you sure he's okay with that. I mean he's an elderly guy and er… won't the escort be expecting certain behaviours.'

Bradshaw gave a dirty laugh, 'is that your idea of a birthday treat for Papa, D.I. Makepeace?'

Harry sighed and exchanged an empathic glance with Hargreaves, 'Freddie can handle it; he gets bored if he isn't up to something or other, anyway he says he's going to be a talker and then nod off.'

'That's what he's telling you,' Bradshaw gave a loud guffaw. 'Should have sent Dempsey in to give the escort what for, no stately home or priceless paintings though so that's a bust.' D.S. Bradshaw didn't have much of a filter so the glare he got from Dempsey had him confused, everyone knew the Yank was a player, nothing wrong with that, what was his problem?

Hargreaves gave Steve a withering glance, 'Watson and I will go in as a couple in the adjoining room so if Lord Winfield shouts for help we'll be available. The room will be wired so we can hear what goes on.'

'Better tell you Dad to keep it clean,' Bradshaw sneered. 'Don't want Watson and Hargreaves to get hot under the collar with a bed in the room; I'll be covering the hotel with a bunch of wooden-tops from the Met, when you've signalled the robbery's taken place we'll make sure nobody gets in or out.'

'Okay,' Dempsey was used to the innuendo filled banter and didn't bat an eyelid over most of Bradshaw's verbal offerings however the jibe about him and the escort wasn't well received cos that was just annoying. He didn't exactly need anything that would reinforce Harry's current behaviour and he was eager to move the conversation on. 'So, we get the girl caught in the act so to speak; hotfooting out the hotel with the painting under her arm and then what; we interrogate her on what she knows or do we follow the paintings back to wherever Fiorelli stores them?'

Harry frowned, 'it would be better to know how he disposes of them and to see if we can get the others back, however that does put the Stubbs and the Constable at risk.'

'What's a Stubbs,' Steve asked as he lit up a cigarette and eyed them through the smoke. He wasn't stupid but anything to do with the Arts and Antiquities wasn't exactly his forte.

'Specialised in horses, painting of a horse,' Dempsey accepted a coffee off his secretary Vanessa and gave her a charming smile.

Bradshaw was running on automatic and said something sexist about Vanessa's tits and picked up a jammy dodger.

Harry and Joyce looked askance at Dempsey and he remembered he was supposed to act like Spikings so he admonished Steve for the comment telling him to cool it.

'Okay Harry, you're the liaison with your father and we'll do the rest,' Dempsey was eager to keep her out of it as one, she didn't work for him and two, he didn't want Fiorelli trying to acquire Makepeace, word was he was scouring the city looking for her.

'If we're letting the paintings go with the girl back to wherever, I need tag teams following them,' Steve leaned forward, 'that's a different operation from stopping anyone leaving the hotel.'

'They're your Pop's paintings go ask him,' Dempsey instructed Makepeace. 'Steve's right, we need to know what the game plan is up front.'

Harry didn't really like being ordered about by the Chief Inspector but she went into her office and had a quick conversation with her father the result being they were to follow the stolen paintings.

'Right Bradshaw organise the necessary teams to follow the girl and the paintings and let's get on with it. D.I. Makepeace I'd like a word in my office.' He asked Vanessa to get them some coffee and followed the blonde officer into his lair.

'What did you want to speak to me about sir,' Harry used the correct form of address when talking to a Chief Inspector. She didn't want a one-to-one with James so she was eager to cut to the chase.

He gave a smug smile, 'worth all the crap I went through to get this job when you call me sir, D.I. Makepeace.' It was fortunate they still worked in the same division, he knew Harry'd avoid him if she could.

'I'm glad you think so,' Harry obviously didn't share his view on the 'crap' he'd gone through and she sat down and looked at him expectantly not willing to prolong the conversation.

Dempsey ran his gaze over his ex-partner appreciatively she was wearing the pink suit and a darker top underneath, he liked the skirt it clung to her ass in a way that was pure temptation. She wasn't in the business of tempting him though so he'd better get on with it. He knew she'd be less than enthusiastic about what he was about to propose. 'Fiorelli's trying to find you apparently, he's lovesick, know how he feels, kind of feeling it myself.'

'I'll watch my back then,' she responded her blue gaze hard on his. 'Anything else,' she said a quick thank you to Vanessa as she brought in the coffee as requested.

Well here goes nothing he thought as he leant forward in his seat. 'Yeah there's something else, I'm taking you into protective custody until we get Fiorelli, that's what else.' He took a slug of the coffee and monitored her expression.

'No,' Harry responded in a determined tone. There was no way she wanted Dempsey monitoring her twenty-four by seven she was having a hard-enough time keeping it together as it was.

'It's not negotiable Harry, you're gonna be nestled under my wing for the duration, this ain't about you and me Makepeace, it's my job. I have enough intel from our contacts to know there's a lot of dough currently being thrown around to find Sharon Jackson. So you,' he pointed at her, 'are under SI10 protection. Also, if they do a background search on your Pop they may come up with a few snaps of his daughter so using your father has its risks.'

'I see.' She got up and studied the toe of her shoe. 'Well perhaps it would be better to call it off then; I don't want my father threatened just because some man is lusting after me.' Her blue eyes met his and there was no doubt her words were double edged and aimed at him as well as Fiorelli.

'Take care Harry and let's not make this personal,' his dark eyes warned her off. 'In my professional opinion, you need protection princess, so let's play nice. I'll take you to the safe house later, don't go back to your place for clothes, I got it covered.'

-oOo—

Fry entered the house in Notting Hill and placed the aromatic take-away meal on the table and smiled happily at Harry as she sat reading a magazine. 'I always feel it's a bit like playing house with your friends,' he got out the plates and knives and forks. 'This is a nice place.'

'Yes, it's rather up market, the Chief Inspector must be splashing out on his budget,' Makepeace responded dryly.

'Only the best for you princess,' Dempsey entered the lounge after checking all the doors and windows. 'Your Pop's travelling down to London today but has the escort booked for tomorrow so we shouldn't be here for too long. Come on eat up, you look like you've lost a few pounds,' his dark gaze flickered over her slim form.

'I've been de-toxifying,' she offered in an even tone and a quick glance back at him. She went for a king prawn at the same time as him and he got it and then put it tantalisingly in front of her mouth. 'You have it,' she said pleasantly.

'Where's the fun in that,' he waggled it in front of her face and she turned away so he gave up on trying to feed her but he knew she liked it when he did.

Fry went out to get some drinks for them all and Dempsey took the opportunity to wipe a piece of imaginary rice from the corner of her mouth.

'Stop it,' Harry snapped at him. He was just trying to flirt with her and it was out of order. She'd told him they were finished.

'Stop what, you had food on your face,' he shrugged amiably and smiled warmly at her. 'I miss eating with you, we used to do a lot of it. Nobody to criticise my food choices.'

'Well you've had female company reasonably recently maybe she approved of your food choices until you arrested her brothers. Poor woman she must have felt terribly betrayed.' In other words, I feel betrayed thought Harry.

'She wasn't a particularly nice person her name was Dorothea, she was very manipulative and incredibly selfish but she did love her brothers, close family.' His gaze caught hers. 'It wasn't a love affair on my side it was work. C'mon Harry I was cleaning up Coltrane's mess so other young cops didn't get caught up in it like Joey. I get it you don't like it but it was necessary.'

'Oh, so if I did it with Fiorelli you'd be fine,' she challenged him. She saw his eyes darken. 'No, you wouldn't be fine with it would you so there you go? And how would you feel about me if I had done that?' It was amazing he obviously thought she was being irrational.

'It's different for girls, I know you're gonna call me a chauvinist and maybe I am but…

'There's no but about it,' Harry fired up. 'I don't think your prostituting yourself for the sake of the job is something I can accept.'

'Now hang on a minute, there was no money involved so I wasn't prostituting myself I was playing a role,' he fired back feeling outraged she saw it like that. 'Guys put it around no-one thinks badly of them but if dames do that they get a name. It may not be fair but that's the way it is.'

'Would you have had sex with another man for the sake of the job,' Harry asked him her gaze icy as she saw him struggle with the meaning behind the question.

'No I wouldn't,' he growled not exactly following where she was going with that but knowing instinctively it wouldn't be good for him.

'Oh, so you're quite happy to have sex as part of the job as long as it's a sexual act you prefer,' she eyed him critically. 'In other words, you found it acceptable to have sex with Dorothea and to use your body to get what you wanted which was an introduction to her brothers.'

'Look I've had a lot of women, they like me. It ain't always serious, sex sometimes is just that, sex though I guess you'd have to make hard work of it.'

'And what's that supposed to mean?' Harry enquired furiously. 'I'm hard work is that what you're saying. I'm not easy, you'd prefer it if I was easy.'

Fry was wondering if he should go back in because the two of them were going at it hammer and tong. It seemed to be bit of a domestic but you never knew with them. They could argue about anything.

'Harry, you're being ridiculous. You don't agree with what I did I get that, what are you jealous? You got no reason, I swear on my mother's life… His dark eyes searched hers. 'Okay, I'm sorry you're upset but if I had the time again I don't think I would change it. I felt like I owed it to Joey; Joey as he was when we were young cadets before Coltrane and the booze got him. And if I had to do it to keep you safe I would, you know that.'

'Yes, I know that but I feel the way I feel so it's hopeless,' she ran her hands over her face in distress and felt James move and take her in his arms. He stroked her hair and murmured soft calming words to her until she'd got herself back under control. It was stupid, the person who had hurt her the most was the only one who could give her comfort. 'I'm okay,' she took a deep breath and her blue eyes met his, the hurt clearly showing.

'You're crucifying me here Harry,' his pain was there in his eyes. 'We're on the frontline; protecting people and sometimes you do what you have to do. We've got to get past this princess…

They both heard Fry clearing his throat and making enough noise to warn them he was about to come in. 'Drinks,' he said brightly feeling really awkward.

'Thanks, I'm very thirsty,' Harry smiled at him in a friendly way whilst wondering how much he'd heard.

Fry had heard them arguing but not the detail particularly but it sounded like Dempsey had done something to upset Makepeace and Jim was sorry for it but exasperated with her at the same time.

-oOo-

The next evening Lord Winfield's escort knocked on the door of the Royal Suite at the Lanesborough Hotel. Penelope was a very pretty, young girl and was obviously an upper class, young lady like his daughter Harriet. He couldn't think her parents would be pleased at what she was up to so he decided to talk to her about it after offering her a glass of wine.

Penelope was soon in tears with a hard luck story that would have wrung the hardest heart. 'I can't get out of this situation, I wish I could,' she told him as he patted her on the back.

'There's always a way my girl, we just have to help you find it. Here's my card; phone me at any time. Now I'm going for a little nap, you don't have to worry about the transaction side of this. I'm finding myself quite tired and not up to that sort of thing at my age. It's been very nice to talk to you, Penelope.'

Watson and Hargreaves were staring at each other aghast. Lord Winfield reforming the young escort had not been in the game plan. They were hoping she'd still follow through with her original intention but Penelope was a nice girl at heart and couldn't rob a man that reminded her of her grandfather so she left in a distressed state.

Dempsey took the news stoically. 'What is it with you Winfields' are you on some personal crusade to make my life difficult,' he stood the operation down. 'Pop's just had a heart to heart with the escort who was so conscience stricken she left the paintings behind. Have you any idea how much that has just cost the British tax payer?' Budgets were a bit of a sore point for the Chief Inspector as he now had to account for everything and he hated the paperwork.

'Well Freddie is very decent and she probably reminded him of me or similar. Oh dear, well perhaps he's saved a soul tonight,' she offered trying to appease.

'Saving souls is for the Salvation Army, we're a serious crime team,' Dempsey muttered irritably and then got news on the RT that Bradshaw was following the girl back to wherever after the operation had, as the Sergeant put it, gone 'tits up'.

'Keep a low profile, don't intercept,' Dempsey picked up his jacket. 'Fry stay here with Makepeace and I'll go see if we can recover the situation.' He looked at Harry his dark eyes determined and forceful, 'stay put or I ain't answerable, you got that.'

'Yes, thank you Chief Inspector,' she answered coolly. She was very glad she didn't have to work for Dempsey because he was very, very bossy in fact he made Spikings look like a pussy cat. It irritated her a bit that her hormones danced around when he'd told her to 'stay put,' in that fashion, it was ridiculous; when had she become so bloody weak.

'And you,' Dempsey pointed at Fry, 'are to intervene if the Detective Inspector decides she wants to leave. You don't let her, you're acting with my authority, you got that!'

Fry looked extremely dropped on, she was his senior officer and he had a bit of a thing for her. What on earth would he do to stop her? The thought of man handling Makepeace terrified him and made him go weak at the knees at the same time.

'That's not fair Dempsey,' Makepeace protested, I mean what would Fry supposedly do if she decided to leave. It was the perfect tactic because James knew she wouldn't put the young officer in that position.

The American came up to her and smiled, smugly. 'I'm keeping you alive angel, that's what's fair. Later,' he strode out confident that he'd checkmated Harry because of her wonderful British integrity. He was glad he wasn't blessed with that kind of burden.