Dempsey was feeling exposed, he'd told Harry he loved her and she hadn't said it back, they'd had a nice meal and a nightcap at her place but then she'd said she was tired and he'd taken the hint and left. He'd hurt her; he got that but he wanted to be with her and if she loved him she'd want to be with him too, wouldn't she?

Chas came into his office and handed him a requisition for an undercover operation Steve Bradshaw was undertaking and the American's eyebrows rose. 'What, he's going into this as some kind of high roller? Not sure he fits the part; can't he go work in the cloakroom or something?' He signed off the request with an ill humour that befitted his current mood.

'Bradshaw's started to add value, I want to show confidence in him, don't worry I'll keep an eye on things and make sure it doesn't get out of hand.' Chas could read Dempsey pretty well, 'coffee,' he suggested.

The American nodded and followed his colleague and friend down to the canteen and accepted the black coffee with a nod of thanks. 'Busy in here this morning,' he looked around the crowded cafeteria, it was Monday morning so that was probably it.

'A whole week of work in front of people, a visit to the canteen cheers them up,' Chas remarked dourly. 'How's it going?' He took a mouthful of coffee and waited patiently, if Jim wanted to talk he would.

'More work piling up,' Dempsey responded although the workload didn't bother him; he was good at prioritizing stuff as he went with his nose and he was rarely wrong. 'Need to recruit more officers and don't want to lower the bar for entry so that's a challenge.'

'Department's got a good reputation we don't want to screw that up,' Chas agreed although he knew that wasn't what was biting at Jim. 'It might be better to select possible candidates and make an approach…

'Yeah, but that's called poaching and believe me I'm unpopular enough as a Yank without actually earning the carpet-bagging reputation. Harry'd say I should take in more female officers but between you and me I'm glad she's out of the firing line up there in her little office and putting Hargreaves into the field brings me out in a cold sweat specially with Watson.'

'Harry and Joyce are good coppers,' the Glaswegian nodded and waited patiently as he guessed Dempsey was troubled about something relating to his former partner.

Dempsey frowned. 'I screwed up with Makepeace,' he looked at Chas his gaze heavy with regret. 'Got so tied up with the NYPD cleanup and the cover that I blew it and now we're… Guess I don't really know where I am with her… He looked away his demeanour showed his pain and frustration with the situation.

'Harry's very fair,' Chas responded wondering how big the screw-up was…

'She ain't being unfair,' Dempsey defended Harry and ran a hand through his hair in an exasperated fashion. 'I infiltrated the dirty cops by an association with a couple of brothers, both cops. The brothers had a sister and I got to them through her. Didn't think about it just went with the cover; did what had to be done. Successful operation.'

Jarvis got the gist as he knew Jim of old and he was a big success with the ladies. 'I see, so you're in the doghouse,' he saw Dempsey's wry expression and smiled. 'I imagine it's not your first visit,' a glimmer of a smile appeared.

'Nope, I spend more time there than somewhere more pleasant,' the American agreed in a resigned tone. 'Just got to be patient I guess and hope she'll come round. I could kick myself but then why bother I'm black and blue already.'

'When I'm in the doghouse I offer to do something with the missus that she knows I hate; like shopping or spending a weekend with her mother, seems to work.' He shrugged and got up. 'Better get back to it.'

Dempsey followed thinking about what Chas had said and gloomily reviewing a number of things he hated doing and guessed he'd better put a list together.

-oOo—

Harry hadn't realised that she'd featured in a heart to heart between Chas and James as she took the staircase down to SI10 to have a word with the Chief Inspector. As usual all heads turned as she entered the office and as Harry looked very attractive in her figure hugging, navy blue, jumpsuit the appraisals were extremely masculine and lingered.

She ignored it and entered the lair of her ex-partner as he was giving someone an ear-bashing on the phone, he waved her into a seat and continued to give the unfortunate on the other end of the phone his views in clear and brutal terms. Spikings bark was always worse than his bite but with Dempsey the two were equally painful.

The American slammed the phone down and tilted his head to one side and said in a genial tone, 'and how can I assist you Detective Inspector Makepeace,' he dropped the aggression as easily as he would pick it up again if the situation demanded it. His dark gaze ran over his ex-partner appreciatively and he felt the usual stirrings of need which had been a familiar companion over the years.

Harry was used to Dempsey's explosive temper so it was water of a duck's back to her and she pushed a file at him. 'Mason and Steers, Ponzi scheme supported or aided and abetted by having the P.M.'s son attached as one of the early investors. High dividends paid out to early investors in order to attract more.'

'That's your theory,' he enquired politely. 'Can we throw the book at them?' He groaned as she shook her head and gave a sweet smile, he should be used to what that smile did to him but it never grew old.

'Not yet,' Harry leaned forward her features animated. 'Because of shall we say Junior's name being attached there is a great deal of interest; lots of new investors and they can pay out anyone who wants to realise their profits. Not many investors are doing that because of the respectability Junior has given to the investment. In fact, many are being offered new deals with higher pay-outs if they invest more.'

'So, it's all legal and above board which sounds like Mason and Steers,' the American pondered on the subject. 'What about if there's a crisis of confidence like Junior backing off the investment kind of publicly, I'm guessing this deal is being run on one of the foreign exchanges hence the overseas angle?'

Harry gave a beautiful pout as she was somewhat put out by how quickly he'd picked up on her analysis, 'yes, it is. And as Mason and Steers are Persons of Interest the Foreign Office and Fraud got twitchy and have sat on their hands so Junior hasn't pulled out so far and I imagine the P.M. thinks all is quiet on the Western Front. It's only a matter of time; these schemes always fold as they're basically unsound but by then Mason and Steers will have made a nice sum of money which will be in some offshore tax haven.'

'And whenever that happens… Dempsey left the statement hanging in the air.

'Egg on faces all round,' Harry finished for him, 'as Spikings would say.' The Detective Inspector wanted to put a plan together to get a decent chance of arrest before she went to the boss.

'You told him yet?' The American was curious to know how Harry was playing this as she was a kind of a 'by the book,' girl or was until she'd been corrupted by yours truly.

'Not yet, the Superintendent will want a plan of action to approve and I haven't got that far and you did say I should come to you for manpower as I just have me.' Her blue eyes searched his to see what kind of buy-in she'd got but it was difficult to read his expression other than general admiration for her physical form which he wasn't bothering to hide.

'And I guess you want some kind of credit for the collar,' the American read her like a book. Makepeace was an ambitious woman and maybe helping with this was the way to get out of the kennel.

'I'd like to see justice being done and yes I'd like to get some credit as I've done a lot of the legwork or deskwork if you prefer.' Harry's blue eyes challenged his as she was getting impatient with the cat and mouse game. 'Are you going to help me or not?'

He smiled at her somewhat smugly as he knew how much she wanted this. 'I'll think about it,' he picked up the file and started to peruse it and then looked back at her. 'Anything else?'

'Lunch,' she offered casually; he'd assessed correctly she did want this result as she'd been frustrated by the lack of success on pursuing the two individuals. Harry was prepared to use her charms as appropriate but obviously not in the same way as James used his, well not to that extent and after all this was Dempsey.

'My treat,' he responded in kind and picked up his jacket and followed her out. He noticed his team were watching them like they were on prime time T.V. but then Harry was looking particularly hot today so he gave credit where credit was due.

-oOo-

Dempsey shared his green salad with Harry as to be honest it was just decorative as far as he was concerned and she passed over her fries; it was a routine they'd got used to over the years and it was second nature to them. Bradshaw had been very lyrical on the subject of the ex-partner's intimate behaviour suggesting she probably washed behind Dempsey's ears in the shower and that was the censored version.

'So, two ways as I see it,' James took a swig of his beer, 'we either get Junior to pull out of the deal and disassociate himself or we get someone who's a big deal in the financial world to invest and then pull out and question the operation.'

Harry considered this whilst putting a sprinkling of balsamic dressing on her salad. 'It would probably be better to do the latter as then Junior could look like an innocent victim. If we suggest the former, then he would be responsible for undermining other investors funds and it would be hard to get him out of it without mud sticking.'

'I'd like to see him in the mud right up to his neck cos stupidity should be a crime but then that's me, the guy's just after a quick buck based on exploiting the family name.' He gave her a cheeky smile, 'not like you Makepeace cos you pay your own bills.'

Harry came clean on her finances as she wasn't one to take credit for something that wasn't due. 'I do get a certain amount of funding from my father; I get an allowance from the estate as it's heir so I'm not that squeaky clean and I am very aware of the privilege.'

'In that case lunch is on you,' he growled. 'I've got two Opera tickets for Friday, you free?' He almost choked on his beer at the surprise on Harry's face, it was almost comical.

'Opera,' she said faintly, 'with you?' She couldn't imagine James sitting through an opera in a thousand years. 'Which one?' She asked as she took a fortifying sip of wine.

'Turandot, Puccini at the Royal Opera House thought you'd like it,' he offered hoping he hadn't shelled out good money for the turkey just to find out she was dining with her Aunt Snooty or Uncle Duffy.

'You know you can't talk through the opera don't you, or eat popcorn?' Her cool gaze appraised him, he was obviously doing this to increase his chances of getting into her knickers to put it crudely. On the other hand, it would be amusing to see him try and endure the performance. 'That would be lovely,' she placated him as she could see that dangerous look taking over his expression.

'What do they do instead of popcorn,' he enquired with hard fought for patience as he speared the fries almost tempted to go extreme Brooklyn for the evening just to stick it to her. Chas's ball and chain was probably grateful for his efforts not like Makepeace and her unpleasant remarks.

'Well we can order champagne cocktails for the intermission that would be lovely,' she smiled charmingly at him. 'And I can make us a light supper before we go or we could eat later….

'Later,' he responded in a determined tone. If he was going to sit through some fat broad screeching then at least there should be a 'later.' He could see Harry was amused and it annoyed him how she played him sometimes. 'This ain't going on forever babe, so enjoy it while you can.'

'Enjoy what?' Harry rested her chin on her hands and observed him in with a look of mock innocence. She could see that James was straining at the leash of his own remorse.

'You're asking for it,' he growled as he took a mouthful of beer his gaze dark and brooding.

'No, I'm really not,' she responded in a cool, mocking tone, 'but if you've bought opera tickets you obviously are.' She should've resisted that comment but she really couldn't.

Dempsey gave her a wince of a smile and then finished his beer and chucked some money on the table to cover the meal and left her there. He'd almost forgotten her former skill at winding him up after some imagined injury he'd caused but today was a doozy and after he'd tried to do something nice for her. Hell, would freeze over before he grovelled for one more day!

'Oh dear,' Harry sighed, she shouldn't have done that. It was a definite fact that she was less adept at calming her worse self with James than any other person on the planet. He just pulls my strings, she admitted to herself, damn!