Hardy was in his office counting down the minutes he could justify going back and shaking down the arcade. He hoped today that he might bump into this Harkness bloke and see if his bark was worse than his bite or if the chief and Miller were over-exaggerating in their warnings.
He had looked up what he could find for himself on Pete Tyler, a tough arcade owner, which he already knew but nothing about any plans for Broadchurch on the council website listing planning permission but if Tyler did indeed have a few councillors on his side, there wouldn't be but it was annoying him.
He knew it wouldn't be fair to chase after Tyler's daughter to get the information he needed but when he'd seen her yesterday, finding out what her father was up to was the last thing on his mind after first getting her phone number and inviting her for a drink and to go to the dance with him, well now he knew about it. Perhaps he should go secure a pair of tickets or risk paying on the door but if they were sold out, Rose wouldn't give him the time of day and he would have blown his only chance of getting over being sent here in the first place. At least she might make his stay, however long, more pleasant.
It would be six months before he could even apply for a transfer then where would he go? Certainly not back to Sandbrook and watch his ex wife make-out with her boyfriend who would never leave his wife. He wished now he'd seen it before and taken Claire Ripley up on her offer but since she'd turned out to be a bit of a psycho perhaps it was just as well he hadn't.
Just after eleven, Miller knocked on his door.
"Sir, the hospital just rang. That patient remembered something else and I think I found a match for him from a missing persons report. He's from Weymouth and his name is Daniel Jones. He works, well guess where?"
"I'm in no mood for guessing games Miller, just tell me."
"In the arcade belonging to Harkness, the Lucky Dollar. It's right next to Tyler's arcade."
"That's a bit of a coincidence, him losing his memory. Do you think he is faking it?"
"I don't think so Sir, he was definitely in an accident. It was investigated last week when it happened."
"By Hunter? Can I trust anything that man did if he let things go?"
Ellie hated anyone talking about her old boss that way.
"Sir, with all due respect, DI Hunter was a good man."
"I'm sure he was before he got to retirement age and wanted an easy life. Tell me, these arrangements with Tyler amongst other things, how long had they been going on?"
"A few years."
"Exactly. Hunter hung on until the last minute when he could have got out sooner. Well get up to the hospital then and see what else he remembers."
"Aren't you coming with me?"
"Take one of the other DS's with you."
"Oh I get it, you don't want to face Martha again?" Ellie laughed.
"What has that to do with anything? Can't you handle an interview on your own?"
"Yes, I can but you seemed keen on getting out yesterday."
"That was before I was ganged up on to go to the local dance."
"So you have no intentions of going then?"
"Not with that nurse. Well are you going to stand there all day?"
Ellie shook her head. Perhaps she should play match-maker, how else was she going to get him to the dance? She took Frank with her to the hospital and while he was asking the man some questions, Ellie was talking to Martha.
"So go on then Ellie, what's DI Hardy's first name?"
"It's Alec but don't tell him I said so."
"Why didn't he get my hints yesterday?"
"Maybe he needs a push?"
"Yeah, I might go by the station when I get finished and see if he's there, you know? I finish at four today and it's my day off tomorrow."
"Might be worth a try. Don't tell him I was encouraging you, he seems determined not to go."
By eleven thirty, Hardy was itching to get to the arcade so before Ellie got back he got his jacket and walked the short distance, planning on trying to eat at the same time as Rose, if she wanted his company. That was if she didn't catch him hassling her brother again or she almost collided with him.
He stood outside the arcade for a while, it was a bit early for the lunchtime crowd who ventured down from the town to spend their hard-earned cash on the machines. He checked Harkness and his boyfriend weren't around and began to wander through the recently extended arcade, which had annoyed the local newspaper editor as she had been about to apply to use the building next door as her new office.
Mickey was watching the CCTV monitor and nudged Tony.
"Hey Tony, why don't you go see if you can handle the new DI?"
"Me? You go Mickey."
"Come on, go stand up to him, what would your dad say? You don't have Rose to stick up for you today."
"She said she'd be in again."
"Did she say anything about going to the dance?"
"Nah, not to me unless she's said anything to mum. Mind you, mum was acting a bit funny last night."
"How so?" Mickey wondered, since Jack had said they'd been to visit her.
"Can't say, who knows with her?"
Hardy had almost reached the change desk so Mickey went out of the office.
"What you doing here again?"
"Have you put those notices up yet?" Hardy asked, not seeing any.
"I have to wait for Mr Tyler coming back."
"Are you not in charge while he is away?"
"No, Tony is."
"Then he needs to make sure the signs go up. While I am here, you should be aware I know how you have been getting away with a warning when you get into a fight. That stops. The next time you are caught, you will get locked up."
"Huh? Blame the punters, they always start it."
"Yes and from what I've read, you normally finish it so either stop fighting or you will get charged with disturbing the peace. Do you understand?"
"Yeah, I get it. Mr Tyler will get me out and trust me, I'll only get locked up once."
"Sure of that? Where is young Mr Tyler anyway?"
"Busy."
"I won't ask what with. Just remember about those signs then, I will be back. When does Mr Tyler return?"
"He never said. Are you gonna hang around all day, you're putting the customers off."
Hardy looked around at the mostly older teenagers who were playing video games and laughing. He knew as soon the school holidays came along, all the kids would be hanging around spending their pocket money instead of getting out in the fresh air and unless he did something drastic it would be a great shame they didn't go out on the beach and play football instead of choosing to spend their time indoors.
He was looking to see if there were any other violations he'd missed when he caught a glimpse of Rose making her way to the office at the side of the change desk so he carefully avoided her seeing him and dodged around a row of slot machines and went to wait outside, getting himself a much needed carton of tea, thinking he'd wait and order some food nearer the time she came out, if she didn't completely ignore him.
Rose had done nothing but talk about him all morning to her two fellow assistants, both of whom knew exactly where this was leading – she had a bad crush on the town's newest addition to the police force.
"Rose, stop going on about him will ya?" Amber asked when she'd got in at eleven. "Just go find him and tell him you fancy him and be done with it."
"It's ok for you Amber, you've not had to listen to her since she came in," Alice yawned, pretending to be bored but the way Rose had been going on, she was dying to meet him but they had an unwritten rule of first come first served when it came to men.
"Nah, I don't chase blokes," Rose grinned. "Not after that other disaster, how did I know he was married?"
"How do you know the new DI isn't?"
"He's divorced, it was in the papers he was getting one after his last case and his stupid ex wife almost screwed up. He was really lucky he guessed who smashed her car window. No, I'm gonna let him chat me up if he's around the arcade today."
"If your dad catches him, that'll put him off for good," Alice mused, trying to look like she was doing something. "You'd better hope that Martha doesn't get her claws into him."
"Why would I be worried about Martha? Geez Alice, how many times has she tried and failed to get a bloke to take her to the dance?"
"As many as you?" Amber giggled as the shop bell rang and Beth Latimer came in with her daughter Chloe.
"Hi girls, Chloe's looking for something to wear at the dance on Saturday. I have to get to the information centre, I'll leave you to it."
"Mum, I don't need you to tell them what I want, I'm sixteen, not six."
Rose smiled, Beth was just like her mother. Just before twelve, having served Chloe, she got her jacket and dived out before the other two gave her a list of instructions such as finding out how old the detective inspector was, his height, weight and if he was fit or not. Ten minutes later, she was sure she'd seen him dodge behind some slot machines but she'd been imagining seeing him all morning and waved to Mavis, the long-suffering morning cashier who was dying to get out as soon as Beryl got there at four.
"Hello Rose, they're in the office. Tell Mickey I want my break will ya?"
"Sure, I'll tell him, don't let him take his first again."
She found Tony and Mickey watching two older teenage girls who knew they were on camera and were showing off certain parts of their anatomy.
"Tony, you should know better," Rose scolded him as they didn't hear the door open.
"Aw Rose, it's just a bit of fun, they know someone's watching."
"Yeah, a couple of perverts. Get your eyes back in your head Mickey. Has the new DI been in again?"
"He just left, chill Rose, I got him under control."
"Yeah, sure you have. I hear Martha's looking for a date for the dance."
"She is? Good luck to her then. She might con the new DI into taking her."
"I thought she fancied you. The last time she came in she was asking about you."
"She's got her eye on Tom Milligan, I'm not in her league, trust me."
"Everything ok?"
"Why wouldn't it be?" Mickey huffed as the two girls nudged each other, waved and made their way outside where Alec Hardy saw them come out as he was watching for Rose after he'd placed his lunch order.
"You don't have to check up on me every day Rose," Tony insisted.
"I promised dad. I got a message earlier, he'll be back on Thursday at some point, he's down in Poole. Have Jack and Ianto been in?"
"No, why should they?" Mickey asked worriedly.
"I saw them hanging around yesterday that's all. Tony, you stay away from them."
She didn't want to alert Mickey that Tony had already said something, she was sure her former boyfriend was playing both fields and would turn on her father quicker than a spin of the wheel of fortune and take Tony with him.
"Right, I'm off for my lunch and let Mavis go grab something before you two stuff your faces with burgers. If we don't watch out, she might end up working for Jack."
"She wouldn't get the bus to Weymouth every day," Mickey scoffed.
"I meant if he gets his own way and opens one here, idiot."
"That won't happen, he said…"
"Said what? Are you thinking of working for him?"
"No of course not," Mickey lied, thinking that maybe she was onto him. "Thought you were going?"
"I am, just watch out Mickey, you know Jack's just tryin' to cause trouble. You too Tony."
She made her way outside and looked across at the stalls and thought she was seeing things as Hardy was sat at one of the tables. She walked across and he greeted her.
"Hello again, join me?"
"I'll just go order then. Are you eating?"
"I just ordered something. Been to see your brother?"
"Yeah, I think Mickey's tryin' to cause trouble."
"Want to tell me about it?" he asked as his order was called and he followed her to the stall.
Rose ordered and went to join him.
"It wouldn't look good if I were to give you a list of complaints," she smiled. "Besides I've only got half an hour."
"It's that long?" he asked, smiling for a second time since he'd met her yesterday. He'd smiled as she'd left him the day before, what was happening to him?
Despite him being in a slightly better mood after he'd met her, he was still annoyed his DS had tried to force him into asking that nurse to go to the dance with him – he chose his own dates after his disastrous marriage to Tess, who had done all the chasing.
Rose went to get her order, thinking she was going to have to stop doing this but it was her day off tomorrow and once her father got back, it would be back to normal.
"I shouldn't be bothering you with my concerns over the arcade, you might be causing a few of them."
"In what way?"
"I don't know, Tony wouldn't tell me anything, not that he does these days but I'm guessing since you visited yesterday and said there had to be some changes that they won't be that bothered about them. They only do what my dad tells them to do so you're wasting your time, Alec."
Anyone else he would have told them to stop calling him that.
"They are breaking a dozen licensing laws Rose, how can I not inform them? I would have done it anywhere else, not just here. They had too easy a time with the other DI, I have to be seen as the tough guy. Just for you, I will give them until your father gets back and I am only doing it for you on one condition."
Rose thought this was it, he was about to ask her out, she hoped.
"What's that then?"
"That if you have any concerns, you come to me."
"Oh, well only until my dad gets back. Is that all?"
"Will you be down here tomorrow by any chance?" he dared ask.
If it had been any other woman other than the arcade boss's daughter, he wouldn't have been so worried.
"It's my day off tomorrow but I might call in and keep those two on their toes," she smiled, nodding to Mavis and hoping she wouldn't go back in and tell tales on her to Mickey that she was eating lunch with the local police.
She also hoped she would be gone when Mickey came out or he'd be straight on the phone to her father.
"Then would you care to join me for lunch, across in the café?" he asked nervously, pointing to the end of the row of old apartments and wishing he could afford one of them.
That reminded him to ask Miller if she'd found him somewhere to live yet, the hotel owner and been eyeing him at breakfast so he thought maybe tomorrow he would skip and make some toast at the station.
"Lunch? Well I was only planning on a walk on the beach or something so yeah, half twelve?"
"Twelve thirty then. That dance you mentioned yesterday, where would it be?"
"The local high school, why?" she asked, throwing her trash into the bin to show him at least one of the Tyler family obeyed the local by-laws.
"Just curious. Until tomorrow then, don't let me make you late back to work but if you are, you can blame me."
"I will," she smiled, putting her purse on her shoulder. "See ya then, Alec."
He watched her walk off again, a bit nearer to asking her than he had been yesterday when he'd learned about it and someone else hinting he should take them instead but if he went to get two tickets and asked Rose tomorrow lunchtime, he could truthfully say he was already going and got himself a date, not that he would say who with. Maybe for Miller's and Nurse Jones's benefit, he may deny he was even going and just turn up, with Rose on his arm.
Since when did he do that? Rose was having more of an effect on him than he cared to admit. He saw Mickey come out of the arcade and head towards him so he got up, thankful Rose had just left.
"Was Rose just here?" Mickey called as Hardy threw his trash away.
"Why would she be sitting with me?"
"I never asked if she'd been sitting with you."
"Well to answer your question, you just missed her and I don't care for your insinuations I would have known that."
"Huh?" Mickey asked as Hardy walked off.
Was the DI trying to hide something? Had he been sitting with Rose, eating lunch? He was going to have a few questions for her when he saw her again, like what the hell she was doing eating lunch with the enemy. He was sure Pete would have told her to stay away from the new DI, maybe he should call him and tell him but what would he say? The DI could be trying to wind him up since Rose shot him down in flames about the dance in front of Hardy yesterday and Rose herself could be just trying to make him jealous. She was doing a very good job as well.
