Day 3
DI Alec Hardy loosened his tie while searching his reflection in the dusty mirror behind the counter. He wiped his sweaty palms with a sanitized napkin. God he looked like hell, no wonder the men called him Shitface. DS Ellie Miller had seemed surprised to learn that he knew what the lads called him behind his back. Then again Miller wasn't the most observant of people. Her very own husband, Joe, had murdered the poor Latimer boy. He supposed that wasn't entirely fair. It wasn't as if he himself could really cast stones at anyone. It had been his wife that had caused the Sandbrook debacle after all. People often had blind spots where their loved ones were concerned. He hadn't even noticed that she had been sleeping with DS Bradley; he'd been a close friend of his…no surprise there. He felt a knife dig deeper into his heart. Alec clutched his chest unobtrusively and took a conservative sip of his lager. Dr. Baxter had told him that his meds and alcohol didn't mix. He'd tried to tell Miller that, but she had ignored him and insisted that drinking to forget your troubles was something that people did and that she was going with or without him.
He knew it was a bad idea. It was too soon for her to be out and about town; it had only been a couple of weeks since the whole sordid business had come to a head. She chugged another mug next to him and grinned forcefully, nodding to the music, already completely soused. She ought to be with her kids at her sister's house, not here, not yet. She couldn't be alone right now. He looked at the other occupants of the grimy local and saw that they were already shooting her dirty looks and whispering loudly. They didn't even bother cupping their hands. He sighed and nursed his mostly full mug. In a small town like this, it wasn't surprising that everyone knew everything and understood nothing. God, he hated this place. Miller suddenly turned to him her eyes bright with drink as she said, "Hardy, I love this place!" She pulled his arm while gesturing around the dingy bar with her other hand saying, "We should come here every night! I can't believe I've never been to this pub before." Hardy pulled himself away from her, hunched into himself and took another small sip of his drink. He sighed loudly and said,
"I believe it." Miller didn't acknowledge his tone or reply. Hardy noticed that one of the more grizzled male patrons in the corner seemed to find Miller's light-hearted exhilaration, offensive; which it probably was under the circumstances... However, it looked like said Grizzly was going to do something about it. And no matter how you looked at it, neither Miller, nor himself with his weak heart, were in any condition to prevent him. He really was not up to being beaten to a pulp. He got up and tapped Miller's shoulder, saying, "Oy, Miller, lets get like a duck and get the flock out of here, eh." Miller turned to him smiling obliviously as she let him lead her out of the tavern and away from the brewing violence in the air. She staggered and leaned into him as she said,
"Ho was that a joke? That's funny, your funny, you should have a drinky more often Sir. Do I even still call you Sir, Sir?" Hardy grumbled,
"You better." Miller barely seemed to hear him, as she asked,
"Soooo, when are you leaving? I figured you would have gone by now... You have to leave too, don't you?" He muttered crossly under his breath,
"I don't have to do anything." Miller turned towards him and tried to look him in the eye, but found his face was wavering too much, so she settled for his nose,
"But you are going?" Hardy looked at her crossed eyes and turned the question back on her asking,
"Are you?" Miller retorted loudly and flapped her arms,
"I have to don't I, I can't let Tom and Fred live in their fa- their father's shadow." She hung her head and leaned into Hardy as he led her over to a bench on the wharf, he said,
"Who said they had to?" Miller put her head between her legs and her hands on her head and said her voice anguished,
"You've seen this town, really seen it, do you think we could continue to live here as if nothing had happened." Hardy waited until she looked up at him to shake his head and say,
"No, but that doesn't mean you should let them scare you off." Miller scoffed,
"What do you know about it, this isn't an easy decision, this is my home, my family lives here, has lived here since forever. It isn't easy for me to up and leave all this behind." Hardy shrugged and said,
"Then don't." Miller groaned,
"Ahhh, you make everything sound so simple, like I've got a choice. It isn't as if you have one either, you're in the same boat as me, you can't do the job anymore, you know that." Alec crossed his legs at the ankles leaned back and looked at the stars as he said in sotto voice,
"I was going to wait to tell you, but you might as well know now." Ellie looked at him trying to calm down the buzz she still feeling. Hardy continued to stare at the stars as if they were all that mattered; he began quietly, "I was given an ultimatum a few days ago. I am basically untouchable right now. After the successful conclusion of this enquiry and my name being cleared up in the Sandbrook case, and all the good press I've received, it just isn't good PR to get rid of me at this point. The powers that be have given me a deadline. I've got three months. Three months to get myself fit enough to pass the physic. I need to either go for the bloody surgery, or somehow get miraculously healthy." After his shocking pronouncement he glanced at Miller and added persuasively, "I could use a proper DS under me in the meanwhile." Miller shouted explosively into the night,
"God, how does everything always end up being about you somehow?" Hardy raised an eyebrow in response. Miller's head began to feel a bit clearer and she asked an impertinent question, "Why do you even want to work here anyway, I thought you hated this town." Hardy stated simply,
"I do." Miller stared at him and said with emotion,
"Then why, and don't fob me off with some shit excuse, you own me an upfront answer." He nodded considering,
"Perhaps I do." His voice took on an uncertain tone, "In all honesty I don't know why I want to be here. I'm somehow drawn to this place. Perhaps it has something to do with me being here as a child, maybe it's something else, but I feel like I'm supposed to be here, it doesn't even feel like I have a say in it." She nodded thoughtfully,
"That doesn't make any sense, so it must be true." Hardy asked her point blank,
"So will you think on it Miller, think about staying on, here?" She thought about everything that had brought her to this point, and wondered if maybe she didn't have something to prove, if not to the town, or her family, or even Hardy, then at least to herself. So she said the only thing she could,
"…I'll think about it, but my children come first." Hardy nodded decisively,
"I'm sure they do." Miller made sure that he understood by saying,
"No promises." Hardy replied steadily,
"None." Miller nodded tiredly, her eyelids sagging, more than ready to go home and fall asleep. Hardy looked over at her fondly and almost smiled to himself.
