Thompson was taken by Ashley to New Scotland Yard, the headquarters of the Metropolitan London Police. After a mug shot and his fingerprints were obtained, he was taken to an interrogation room. Thompson was told to sit down. He demanded a lawyer. But Ashley wanted to speak first.

"Mr Thompson," said Ashley, "this is a joint investigation with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. We're still waiting for someone from the London field office to arrive, but in the meantime this officer will be assisting me as her office also has an interest in this matter. She's also American. Her name is Roxanne Richardson, and she's a detective and chaplain with the NYPD."

"What's going on here?" Thompson said. "I have never touched any kind of filth in my life, nor any erotic materials. Those two damn hookers I had sex with the other night, they planted that stuff on me. They stole some very important information. And I said I want a lawyer."

"Like evading taxes, Reverend?" asked Roxanne, persistent. "What does a civilian like you need blueprints for nuclear power and research facilities for? A Rolodex of all your preacher friends, and your enemies too? And, oh yes, the codes to set off a dirty bomb? Help me out ... what exactly are you planning?"

With a voice just above a whisper, Thompson said, "How do you know that?"

"Because Samantha and Ashleigh burned a few copies, and couriered one of them to me. I promptly gave them to the F-squad. And those were no hookers ... they happen to be the fiancées of twin brothers - and their sister is my best friend, the Reverend Lucy Camden Kinkirk. Does that name ring a bell?"

"The minister my son raped?" At this point, he realized he had been set up.

"Yes, he sent the young women to find you and set the trap, in exchange for immunity for most of the other rapes he committed," said Ashley. "Forget how damning those materials are, which we will get to. You paid for sex, you penetrated two pregnant women hard enough that you could have induced miscarriages ... and oh yes, they're seventeen, so you're looking at statutory rape. Did you even notice that they were six months pregnant? What hooker would sell her services if she was expecting? Idiot! And I don't care who provided the condoms ... that's just so, perverted!"

"So ... does that mean you believe me, at least about the data that was in my possession but was then stolen?"

"That's not the point, sir. You had a duty of care to check your own materials before you closed that briefcase. You're still facing a jail sentence here, although we may be able to get it down to just six months for the sticks, and a fine of, say, £500 for the DVDs. I've had a chance to review them on the drive over, and it's barely on the side of legal. If you had checked the appropriate box on the declaration form you got in-flight, that part would not have even been an issue."

"I have a church to run!" exclaimed Thompson.

"And you run it with such an iron grip that Jack Whirry's church looks weak?" asked Roxanne rhetorically. "And the church can't run without you? My husband, Chandler, told me months ago yours is the worst of the worst among the Churches of God. That data the girls mined proves it time and again. And how did you get your hands on classified materials in the first place?"

"More to the point, because you were helping to facilitate a terrorist act," added Ashley, "your church will be seized and disbanded. And that's not to mention, you're facing any of a number of years in jail. It could be thousands. Or you might get the death penalty - well, actually you won't because there was no bomb. You're damn lucky the device was found and disarmed in time."

Thompson was on the verge of being apoplectic. "What do you want from me?"

"The Crown Attorney for Greater London, and the federal DA for Southern New York," said Roxanne, "are prepared to offer you limited immunity. You'll have to pay a substantial fine for the filth, tax evasion, as well as possessing the classified information - the suggestion is five million dollars - and in exchange you'll tell us who leaked the blueprints to you, and you'll testify against Prudence Anderson when the trial resumes next week. Prison time will be waived."

"Hope and Patrick have said everything that needs to be said," said Thompson. "They know their parents' finances back and forth. So does Felicity Hunter, who I think is the next witness when the hearing reconvenes. I don't know what I can add to that."

"There are competing immunity deals right now, for each of Harry and Prudence," said Ashley. "Both have said the other was responsible for nearly all of the child assaults. But Harry has given the LA DA more compelling information. On a test basis, we selected twenty-four individuals, twelve each men and women, who previously said Harry attacked them, but now say after the indictments were issued it was Prudence. We gave all of them polygraphs. They all passed. We can safely assume then that Harry only committed the two to which he has incriminated himself in."

"You can't use lie detector tests."

"Yes, but one of them who now works for you said that you and Prudence were too close for comfort about a year and a half ago, for about two weeks. You weren't married, so your conversations with her are not immune. Did she tell you that she wanted to set her husband up?"

"Yes," said Thompson weakly.

"Why?" asked Roxanne.

"So she could get all her husband's money."

"Do you want a barrister?" asked Ashley.

"Please. I need to talk to her, but then you'll get all the answers you want. I'll do it ... for the sake of Lucy, Cecelia and Meredith."

"Why them?" Roxanne asked. "Why not all the others?"

Thompson shrugged. "I used to be friends with Lucy's thesis adviser. As for the sisters ... well, Gwen and I had an affair years ago, before she met George and they created Cecilia. Call it returning a favor."

Roxanne handed him a hardwired phone.