Charon barely registered the policemen talking to the butler and was far too intent on making a dent in Spade's forehead with what a few minutes previously had been one of Spades dining chair arms.

Spade was too intent on trying to punch a hole in Charon's gut to even notice and all the while the pair continued to cuss at each other and try a tear bits of the furniture to pieces.

Charon managed to grab a handful of Spades hair, hauled him up and threw him hard into the foyer where he collided with the Butler. Now with both men off balance they in turn crashed into the closest policeman. The second policeman taken by surprise loosed off a couple of rounds into the ceiling. Charon ducked just in time as a huge chunk of plaster fell from the centre cornice.

Spade threw off both men, he was still intent on throttling Charon and looked round for her and spotted her amid the debris of the ceiling where she was trying to brush off some of the white dust. She'd already spotted him though and flew towards him in a wild flying tackle which caught him round the midriff and sent them both reeling across the floor.

The butler seemed completely unfazed as though this sort of thing happened on a daily basis and was busy helping up the first policeman and brushing him down at the same time after producing a clothes brush as if from nowhere.

The first cop seemed none too impressed however and turned and glared at the second cop who had made the whole thing worse - if that was at all possible. At the moment he wasn't sure who to arrest - Charon, Spade or the idiot rookie he had with him. He looked at the butler who was still brushing him down as though he were some foreign dignatory.

"What the hell is going on here? Does this happen often? They've assaulted a police officer and I am gonna arrest someone if its the last thing I do!"

The Butlers expression showed concern as the battle between Spade and Charon raged in the background.

"Technically sir, it was I who fell into you not Mr Darkspade or Miss Death. So really it is I who should be arrested."

The cop looked annoyed.

"Nope, I'm arresting them two there for affray or sumthin, I'm pretty sure there's a law that says you can't trash your own house."

The second cop seemed to have relaxed and was watching the fight with renewed interest. Spade had somehow climbed onto the stair banister and was balancing precariously, as Charon got up from the floor he launched himself and drop kicked her in the chest, she stumbled back against the other banister and then went over backwards head first, crashing to the floor in a heap. The first cop was highly ticked off and he now loosed off a couple of rounds into the now sagging ceiling, bringing it down with a resounding crash on top of both Darkspade and Charon. He finally had their undivided attention....