Dempsey woke again to the sound of the door opening and tensed, his senses on high alert as he anticipated a blow.

'Brought you some food Mr Dempsey' a different voice this time, softer and with a slight stammer.

As Dempsey tried to sit up, there were hands on his arms helping him upright.

He heard the man suck in a breath 'look at the state of you, he's a brute, Mick. Doesn't know his own strength.'

Dempsey lifted a cautious hand to his face and winced, his eyes focussed on the smear of blood across his fingers. At the same time he became aware of the pressure in his bladder.

'Need to pee.' He muttered.

'Okay, let's get you stood up.'

With the man's help he made it onto his feet. Everything hurt, he almost doubled up at the shot of pain in his stomach as he tried to walk. Together they made slow progress out of the door and down a corridor.

'Can you manage?' the man asked.

'Uh Yeah.'

Dempsey stumbled through the toilet door and almost gagged at the smell. Leaning on the wall he averted his eyes as he peed and staggered back out. He hadn't the strength to do anything other than follow the man back to his room.

'What's your name?' He asked as he sat down again, pain wracking through him with the effort.

The man sighed and sat down beside him.

'Not really meant to tell you that. But Norman….I'm Norman.'

'What am I doing here Norman?' Dempsey picked up the sandwich from the plate in front of him.

'Him in there' he cocked his thumb 'got some grudge against you.' Norman shrugged. 'I'm just hired muscle. But I don't like this.' He pointed at Dempsey's face 'this wasn't what I agreed to.'

Demspey suddenly realised that this was probably his chance of escape. Norman was the weak link here and could provide the chance he needed to get out of wherever he was, to get back to Harry.

XxXxXxXxXx

Chas poked his head round Spikings' office door. 'Got a witness, guv, a Mrs Wilson, she has a confectioner's along Kennington Road. Saw a man meeting Dempsey's description in an altercation with some others. The times match up.'

'Bring her in then.' Spikings saw the look on Chas' face 'What is it?'

'Just a warning, she can er…she can certainly talk.'

Spikings rand his had over the back of his head, 'well hopefully she'll say sometime useful. Uh Chas…' he nodded to him to close the door. 'How's Harry doing?'

Chas blew out a long breath, they were past pretending they didn't know the depth of feeling between Harry and her partner.

'I'd say she's bearing up, but if things don't turn out well…..'

'Let's not go there yet.' Spikings muttered.

The following day

Mrs Wilson was relishing this, she had hardly paused for breath in the last twenty minutes, Chas could feel Spikings' rising irritation beside him.

'Nice looking young man, tall, dark and handsome I'd say. Reminded me a bit of my grandson, Eric.' She paused for half a second and Spikings took his chance.

'Tell me exactly what you saw Mrs Wilson.'

'E was walking along happy as Larry, and these men kind of jumped him. Snatched 'is flowers, threw. 'em on the road.'

'Flowers?' Spikings said.

'Didn't I say? He were carrying a bunch of flowers, tulips. Lovely they were. His girlfriend's a lucky woman. Been years since anyone bought me flowers.' She stopped, a wistful look on her face.

'Can we go back to the men who surrounded him.' Spikings said through clenched teeth.

'Men? Oh the men. Three of 'em there were, nasty looking thugs, big ugly one and a smaller one, spivvy looking and then the third one, looked like 'e was the boss, you know sharp suit and that.'

'And what happened next.' Chas asked.

'They kind of bunched round 'im, your man was fighting back, there was a bit of shoving. But then they manhandles him into a car.'

'Do you know what kind of car?'

'Big fancy one, kind of brown red colour, what do you call that colour, like wine?'

'Burgundy' Chas suggested.

'Burgundy, that's it.'

'I don't suppose you saw the number plate.'

'No, 'fraid not, I were too busy checking he were alright, poor lad he looked well out of it.'

'Dempsey? Did they hit him?'

'No, but something happened cos 'e suddenly kind of collapsed, like his legs give way from under him. That's when they pushed 'im into the car and drove off.'

Chas and Spikings exchanged glances. 'Anything else?' Spikings asked.

'The flowers were lying there in the road, all bashed up. Terrible.' Mrs Wilson sat up straighter and leaned towards Spikings. 'His girlfriend, is she alright?'

'Yes.' Spikings didn't dare look at Chas 'yes she's bearing up.'

XxXxXxXxXx

Harry was not bearing up at all, she was sinking and with every hour of uncertainty that passed she sunk further into a place filled with ominous scenarios, Dempsey being harmed, injured or worse. She had images of him calling out for her and of him dying alone and her never seeing him again.

She realised that slowly, imperceptibly over the years Dempsey had become her main confidant. A solid base against which she would throw her doubts, her fear and her anger.

She could talk to her father, but he was recovering from a fall two weeks ago and she didn't want to add to his worry. She had tried to talk to Angela but she had just given well-intentioned platitudes, 'he's strong and he's smart Harry, he'll find his way out of this.'

But Harry from experience knew that even strong smart people, even police officers could be overpowered and harmed and…..no she wouldn't go there, she wouldn't contemplate not having him come back to her.

In the end quite unexpectedly it was Spikings who proved her source of comfort. He turned up at her door early one evening a few days after Dempsey went missing. He shuffled self-consciously on her doorstep, saying he was checking in on her as he was worried and it didn't seem appropriate to talk in the office. Harry made tea and they carried on a polite conversation until at last Spikings said 'you know you don't need to put on a brave face for me Harry, you're not at work now and this must be intolerable for you.'

All it took were these few kind words to break through the fragile shell she'd built around herself, a futile attempt at creating the illusion that she was coping.

Harry didn't bother to hide the tears that welled up and spilled down her cheeks.

'I just can't bear not knowing'. She sobbed openly now. 'He could be dead.'

Spikings sighed, he had always had a soft spot for Harry and had always been her champion, never in any doubt she was his smartest, most capable detective. He had at times berated himself for landing James Dempsey on her but he knew it was her or no one. But he had observed the change in their relationship over the years and the change in them both as people as they rubbed off on each other.

'Harry please don't think I'm being intrusive but you and Dempsey are…..more than work colleagues, more than friends aren't you?'

Harry bit her lip, she could lie but what would be the point, she suspected everyone knew already and if they didn't she was certain that things would be different when Dempsey came back and their secret would be less easy to keep.

When Dempsey comes back she thought. And she had to believe he would.

'Yes' she said looking down at her hands 'yes' she said again with more certainty and lifted her head to meet Spikings' eye 'we've been together that way for a month, almost four weeks. 'And' she added almost defiantly 'I've never been happier'

Spikings reached across and squeezed her hand 'we'll find him, Harry, you'll get him back.' He paused 'we're all here for you.'