After his phone call, Alec got the letter from the hospital out of his pocket and stared at it. Should he open it or not? What difference would it make anyway, if he kept putting it off, fate would catch up with him eventually and if he rang and got scheduled for surgery, he probably wouldn't even survive but maybe the odds had turned in his favour, now a young blonde had her eye on him.
What would she be wasting her time with him for? He had a strange feeling he was meant to know who she was, well apart from watching her across the road and then walking to her cottage then when he'd seen her outside the coffee shop. Getting the job of checking it out didn't seem half as bad as he'd thought, he'd only seen her from a distance before and she looked better close up.
He put the letter away, then changed his mind and opened it and put his specs on. He was a little surprised to be told that pending a consultation with the surgeon, he would be fitted in almost immediately and now, there was no case to stop him, no excuses. Maybe, just maybe, he might have a reason to beat this thing, if he didn't screw things up and make an idiot of himself in front of the coffee shop owner every time he went in and she survived the funeral with him but would she want to be seen, in front of the whole town sitting in the church with him?
Hardly anyone would know who she was anyway, she probably wouldn't be that bothered about it and what the town had thought about his delay in bringing the killer to justice. He dialled the number and got the hospital appointments department, being asked for his patient number. After being told he'd been marked as an urgent case, he was given an appointment for the following Monday morning and told if he couldn't attend, to call them back.
Well that gave him a few days to actually think about it without charging in, so to speak. It also gave him two days to decide if he was going to string the coffee shop owner, Rose along or not and tell her who he was trying to video call. Maybe tomorrow, he might admit it and see if she was only flirting with him and not intending to do anything about it.
After Alec had left, Rose wondered why he'd seemed in a hurry today to get out. Why was he coming in at that time anyway? Was he just taking his morning break there then going back to work but what had Pete actually meant? She wished now she'd paid closer attention to the news and thought she might walk up to the mini market and get a copy of 'The Echo' and see what they had printed about it.
After Chloe left, she walked up the road and decided to get a few things while she was getting the paper. She'd wanted to call at the Chinese but trust them to be closed on a Tuesday, was it national they all picked the same day? Instead she called at one of the stalls and then walked back home, to read the paper.
She was in luck, there was an article about the conclusion of the case and a piece about Alec but all it said was there had been an incident and he was slightly injured but it mentioned another case he'd been involved in, stating he had finally told his side of the story and that he'd covered for another member of his team when vital evidence had gone missing.
Rose wondered if it was his wife and that's why he was trying to make a video call, to get her to admit it or maybe get back with her. If he was trying to get her back, she knew she should just let him get on with it, she really fancied him and not because of who he reminded her of and she was never going to tell him that.
The next morning, Rose had got to the shop early again, getting her milk and a sandwich for later from the shop next door. She'd just put the water boiler on and the coffee machine when Pete rang.
"Good news about the sign. You can put it up as long as it doesn't obstruct the pavement."
"Great, there's nowhere where it won't, except right outside the window, I don't want Alec Hardy questioning me about it again."
"Sorry love, I tried. How's it going anyway?"
"Fine, he's taken to coming in every morning, he's been told by his boss to keep an eye on me and he's taking it seriously."
Pete laughed. "Are you sure you're not encouraging him?"
Rose didn't want to admit it but she rather was. "Mmm, I'll get back to you on that point but don't tell my mum, you know what she was like when she first saw him on TV."
Jackie Tyler's reaction had been bad enough when she'd heard an eleven year old boy had been murdered but when she'd seen Alec Hardy, she'd asked what was 'He' doing back and why hadn't he contacted them?
"You don't have to remind me Rose, I thought you'd have been the one to crack, since we were on the verge of closing your project down. By the way, are you talking to Mickey yet? You forgave me."
"I don't know yet but you sort of made it up to me by getting this shop for me. Well I'd better go figure where I'm putting that sign, where Alec Hardy won't trip over it or someone will pinch it. I got a copy of the local paper last night, he's in it."
"Told you."
"Yeah. All it says was he was involved in an 'incident' but there were no details. He has to be hiding something and I'm gonna find out what it is, before I do something really stupid like carry on flirting with him when he might already have a girlfriend."
"He's not been in the town that long."
"Yeah but he's trying to video call someone, I offered to teach him."
Pete laughed. "Well if you can teach your mother, you have the patience of a saint. I remember the tales of my other self teaching her how to program the video recorder. Good luck with that and just be sure you're not doing it for the wrong reasons eh?"
Rose wasn't sure why she was doing it, if he had a girlfriend. She could check and look him up, she still had basic Torchwood access if she wanted but it wouldn't be fair, would it? He could look her up if he wanted to but had he already done so?
Alec had got up, another rough night despite him now taking his medication since he no longer had to hide it but the recurring nightmares of the water kept waking him in a cold sweat. He was relieved he only had one more night in the hotel and decided to start packing away what he didn't need.
Maybe all he needed was someone to watch over him, he should tell Rose today who he was trying to call but she was smart, she wouldn't give up subtly trying to find out, would she? It was now too late to call Daisy anyway so it would have to be after she got home from school, maybe he could drop a few hints as to who he was calling?
He made his way steadily down to the coffee shop, it was strange the newsagents being taken over and wondered why she had chosen the place but there wasn't much in the way of shops down by the harbour but already more than enough cafés and catering stalls, who were now beginning to reopen gradually. Another day and he'd be staring at them from his rented chalet and would probably get sick of seeing them.
He reached the coffee shop, noting she had opened up the sign and placed it in front of the window, there wasn't that much of a choice where she could leave it anyway, he expected she didn't want any more complaints from him or she didn't want any trouble with false claims. Before he'd set off, he'd debated if he should look her up, wondering if she'd done the same to him.
He'd decided against it though, he might be disappointed if she had a boyfriend and he'd had enough let-downs recently anyway. Rose had just served someone and she looked up when the doorbell rang. Alec nodded and went to sit by the window, she'd told him the day before not to bother going to the counter so he was going to take advantage of it and didn't really care if anyone said anything to him or not.
Rose gathered the things on the tray and picked up an orange and chocolate flapjack and a small plate then walked across to his table.
"Good morning Detective Inspector."
"Morning, I hope you don't think I'm taking liberties by sitting down and waiting for you?"
Rose smiled, he was but since he was cute, she'd let him off.
"No, I'd tell you if you were and plus I did mention it yesterday. Here, try the flapjacks today."
"If I wanted a job as a food tester, I would say so but if you insist. No-one else tried them yet?"
"Yeah, I've sold quite a lot, had to re-order this morning. So, how's the video calling coming along then?"
He recalled the second failed call last night when Daisy had pulled a face at him and gone off.
"Not so successful, I think the other person has given up. Any more suggestions?"
"Well without seeing what you're doing wrong, I can't say. Tell you what, come and meet me at five and we'll go sit across on the wall and see if I can figure it out? If the person you're trying to call is around?"
"She may be."
He was trying to recall what days his daughter went to her grandmother's house, her being totally against Daisy using her phone to chat to her friends whilst there.
Rose was thinking of backing off but he could be trying to call anyone, couldn't he? It didn't necessarily mean it was his girlfriend or ex-wife, did it?
"Did you turn your camera on?"
"Yes, I did, I don't know if she could see me or not. I could hear her calling me and to stop messing around," he grinned, pouring milk into his cup.
"Well you're halfway there then, maybe it's the sound? So, are we gonna meet at five?" she asked, seeing him pick up the flapjack and wondering if he was going to hand it back to her.
Instead, he opened it and breaking it in half, put it on the plate, then he remembered he'd not paid for his tea and wondered if she was going to charge him for the flapjack. He fished in his pocket and got two one pound coins out and put them on the red and white chequered tablecloth.
"Put the change in the charity box."
"Sure, I think you're the only one that's done so. No charge for the flapjack by the way. You've not answered my question."
"Oh. Right, yes, five across the way then."
Smiling, Rose went off as two more people came in and ordered coffee and sat at the bar. While Alec was sampling the confectionery and drinking his tea, he got his phone out and sent Daisy a message to say he was going to attempt another video call. No doubt later he would get a smart reply telling him he was a technophobe or whatever teenagers called those who couldn't grasp modern communication methods. He added in his message he had someone who was going to show him and waited to see what she had to say about it.
Before he finished his tea, Rose had gone back to sit with him.
"So, are you moving tomorrow then?"
"Yes, thankfully though I don't know how long for."
That was true, once he got a date for his pacemaker, he'd have to put his affairs in order. It was something he'd not really thought about and once he got to the station, he'd have to look up solicitors. Rose was looking at him again.
"I see you solved your signage problem then?" he asked, pouring the last of his tea.
"Yeah, it's the best I can do. Where did the newsagent leave his?"
"In the middle of the path to trip people up."
"I hope you told him off?" Rose grinned, pleased she wasn't the only one with the same problem.
"We were in the middle of a murder investigation, I was not here to lay down the local by-laws. The flapjack was ok by the way."
"It passed your test?"
"You could say that, I'm not one for cakes and pastries so I hope you are not going to offer me a muffin tomorrow?"
"No, I was going to order some fruit cake and some packets of biscuits, maybe scones, if I can get them wrapped, I can't serve actual meals though, part of the conditions."
"How do you manage for your own lunch?"
"I get a sandwich from next door, when I collect my milk and when I finish work, I usually just go home and make something or call at one of the stalls. I wanted Chinese last night but it was closed."
Alec decided to make a note of that, just in case, he could still eat some food without having to be careful. He put his things on the tray and sat back, putting his phone away.
"I must get to work now."
"You start late or do you sneak out for a break?" Rose asked, getting up.
"That would be telling," he half smiled, reaching for his coat on the back of the other chair.
"See ya later then?"
"I already said so, did I not?"
"Yeah, you did, just making sure. Bye for now. Can I call you Alec?"
"If you must I suppose. I don't really like my name."
"What do your friends call you?" she asked, hoping he might drop the hint if he was spoken for.
"My daughter calls me 'Dad' and my ex wife has several impolite names she calls me."
He figured if she'd already looked him up or read last night's paper, she'd know he was divorced with a teenage daughter and if not, it might stop her flirting with him but did he want her to? He was going to tell her who he was trying to call but maybe he'd just tell her later?
Rose now couldn't wait for five to come around, why was she getting giddy about it though? It wasn't an actual date as such, he might still be calling his girlfriend but he'd come in, three mornings in a row and not mentioned for her to back off yet and he was agreeing to meet her. Maybe she would get him to agree to get something to eat, it would be a start.
When Alec got back to the station, he was regretting not telling Rose the reason he was going in late but if she'd read the paper, saying he'd had an 'incident' she would be asking those sort of questions and avoiding asking him outright what it had been. He should come clean with her, that he had only a very slim chance of getting through his surgery. It wouldn't be fair to just lead her on when he couldn't make anything of it.
She seemed really nice but he still had the feeling he should know who she was. It would be so easy to look on the council website and see who had applied for permission to change the usage of a shop but she had mentioned her stepfather had arranged it all. Still, her name would have to be on the lease. He changed his mind and instead, looked up a law firm to go get his will in order, he'd made a start back before he arrived in the town but had taken it no further and he didn't want to burden Tess with any undue costs, he'd at least take out a funeral plan if nothing else.
He looked online and found two solicitors in the town and called one to make an appointment for Tuesday morning, hoping when he went to the hospital he would get a date but would he actually turn up? He wasn't ready to give up yet, life had treated him unfairly but what was the alternative?
Another few years of having dizzy spells and blackouts and collapsing in his bathroom? When he got moved, there would be no-one to find him if he did and now, only Rose knew he was moving there apart from the personnel department. If he made friends with the coffee shop owner, at least she might bother if he didn't turn up one morning and she'd get concerned and ring the station.
Maybe it would be best if he at least warned her something could and probably would happen to him, so she could decide if she was going to continue chatting him up. He didn't want her to be wasting her time when it could be all over for him in a few days time but how would she handle it? She hardly knew him though and already he'd agreed to meet her later and go to Danny's funeral with her, he was placing a lot of trust in her.
She had been the one to volunteer to take him on Friday morning, albeit to save her from getting lost but she was going to help him overcome his problem with the video calls. Maybe he should just stick to voice calls but Rose seemed to like the idea of teaching him. She can't have made that many friends in the town as yet, maybe he was the only one and that may be short-lived. No, he should do the decent thing and tell her, let her make her own mind up if she wanted to be friends or not.