Dempsey was unaware of Harry's mood change as he dug deep to tell her his feelings.

Do you remember that song 'Gotta take a little time, a little time to think things over'?" he knew the words off by heart he had played it so often.

Harry heard the words with alarm; she went cold with the shock. She steeled herself and tried to keep the tears from her face. Everything that she had convinced herself of was wrong – the signs had been pointing in a different direction. Either that or something had happened to cause the catastrophic turnabout. If she hadn't been lying down she would have collapsed – the bottom had fallen out of her world. No wonder he'd been so quiet.

Dempsey on the other hand was thinking how appropriate the next lyrics about 'reading between the lines' were. There was plenty that had given him hope: her touches and caresses, kisses even and he could still almost feel her fingers tracing his face whilst they had listen to the orchestra at that picnic. Walking with her on the beach, her reaction when she didn't know if they'd slept together, her invitation in response to his advances….

"Dempsey Makepeace" Dempsey's heart sank. Fry! Ever since he had appeared Fry had been keen to keep him in his sight saying something incoherent about Spikings. On that basis he had told him where they would be, supposing it the most certain way to keep him out of their way. Now he regretted it. He stood up "Fry you've done it again ~ there is no Makepeace here"

Fry stopped a moment taken off guard, as Harry stood to join Dempsey she spoke with a voice of ice The cover, Fry, is Dempsey Mr and Mrs - no Makepeace "

"Sorry I forgot in the rush" Fry sounded proud, as if he knew something…

Harry went mad "YOU CAN NEVER FORGET FRY, NEVER - YOU JUST CAN'T DO UNDER COVER AND YOU NEVER WILL - EVER"

The cover is Dempsey Mr and Mrs' the phrase started to rebound with increasing ferocity in Harry's mind, then as the phrases over lapped each other all she could hear screaming at her was 'the cover - the cover'. Like a horror film the words formed into flying monsters and flew at her from all directions at once bombarding, attacking and destroying her dream. The image of her and James walking on the beach that afternoon, holding hands, playing in the sea, lips so close to touching exploded like a mirror shattering into a thousand shards. Other thoughts shouted round Harry's head: never again would she be able to do undercover like this with Dempsey, in fact how was she ever going to work with him again? He truly had become her best friend and now in the risk of gaining more she had lost everything.

Fry felt flattened but continued "There's a message from Spikings Dempsey has been summoned by the Coltrane case." He turned directly to Dempsey "A car is waiting to take you now back to Dublin so you can get the 6am flight to Heathrow and the 9am on to New York." he stood back his message delivered.

Dempsey and Makepeace stood shell shocked and Fry waited for Dempsey to move. "Fry that is a poor joke. The only reason I told you where I would be was to keep you away NOW FOR F**** SAKE GO."

Fry looked bemused "That's the message ~ the driver is waiting. Someone packed your bags they're in the boot."

Suddenly Dempsey realised this was real, he turned and started to walk Harry out of sight

"Dempsey?" Fry seemed to have no idea, he was about to repeat his top priority message.

Dempsey blew "I WILL BE THERE IN 5 MINUTES CONSTABLE! NOW IF YOU DO NOT GIVE US SOME SPACE YOU WILL BE WAKING UP IN HOSPITAL AND AS I WON 'T BE IN THE COUNTRY I WON 'T HAVE TO FACE ANY CONSEQUENCES."

Finally fry got the message and backed away. Dempsey pulled Harry into him and they held each other very tightly.

Harry knew the moment she released her arms they would part forever and she desperately tried to delay that moment for as long as possible. Dempsey held her; he didn't want to let go of her – ever! He hadn't told her anything yet and he had so much to tell her and no words would come out of his mouth. He held her tighter and tighter – the tightness a measure of how very much he wanted her – so much so that her ribs were in danger of breaking.

"Well princess looks like things have started to roll." The only words he could speak were factual ones

Hearing him call her 'Princess' Harry gave up any idea of self control she just sobbed. This was the end. Now he had the time he had just spoken about time to think things over. He brushed her tears. "Harry these are the car keys" he put then in her hand then held her tight. He kissed her cheek and tasted the saltiness of her tears "Harry I've no idea how long" she felt his tears mingle with hers but he continued to talk "Harry you do know you are the only reason I ever stayed. Only, always for you… for us" he noticed movement in the distance and kissing the tears running down her cheeks he walked away. Harry sat down paralysed with the shock.

As Dempsey walked past Fry he stared ahead and spoke in monotone – it was the only way he could keep any control over his body and mind both of which were about to explode into a myriad of desolate pieces. "Fry get in the car with me we'll drop you off as we go past the hotel."

"But" Fry looked across into the shadows hiding Makepeace from his sight

"The sergeant will be fine. She'll drive back and you will not contact her until you see her in the office" never having heard Dempsey quite like that Fry did as he said.

Inside the car Dempsey buried his head in his hands and let his tears fall silently. He didn't move or speak when Fry got out of the car. Fry suddenly felt that Dempsey may never speak to him again. Dempsey's tears streamed down his cheeks into his hands and soaked the sleeves of his shirt. He was grateful it was some distance to the airport. His eyes were red and sore before he got onto the plane to New York; at least when he got off the yanks assumed it was jet lag.

Eventually Harry made her way back to the hotel. She lay on the bed and smelt Dempsey on the pillow: This must be the first time she had ever been dumped before she'd even been asked on a date! And it was the only time in her life that it really mattered, that she never wanted to recover from. She cried and sobbed and when the pillow was soaked she tossed it aside and cried into the next one. When the tears failed she simple cried without them until as the sun rose she slept out of exhaustion.

Late next morning Makepeace pulled her professional face together and went into the office. At noon they pulled Tierney successfully and arranged for his deportation to the UK .

yes this is the end of this story

yes it will continue