Pete was still waiting for Rose to tell him why Alec Hardy, of all people was asking for her personally.
"I'm listening."
Now Rose wished she'd not already told Jake. So explaining how awful the hotel in Torquay had been and that she'd not heeded the weather warning for severe fog on the south-west coast, she tried to make it out as innocent, which was working up until the point something had happened when they'd woken up, Rose not wanting to go into the finer details but Jake was hanging on every word.
"Rose, I thought you'd know better than that? You kept this from me and your mother for two weeks?"
"What was I supposed to say? I didn't plan on it, he was a perfect gentleman, he slept on top of the bed."
Jake was waiting to hear her confess the rest of it but she was most unlikely to admit there hadn't been a problem until they had woken up.
"So instead of turning you away and back into the fog, the hotel owner agreed?"
"No, not at first, Alec persuaded her to let me sleep on the sofa but after he offered to let me use his room to get a shower, I felt guilty. He asked what I was doing in the town, he'd have found out from his boss anyway. When I was leaving, he asked for my number and he asked me if something happened, would I get to know about it. I never expected him to actually call, honestly. So, has something happened?"
Pete shook his head, knowing she was missing something out. He passed his pad over to Rose, Alec had only left brief details that several people had seen lights off the coast late at night and had insisted he would only talk to her. Underneath was his mobile number, which Jake had just got for her and she'd gone and left her mobile on her desk.
"Well, find out what he wants then or do you want Jake to do it?"
Rose didn't need to be told twice. Jake stayed behind, having a feeling Pete had more to say.
"You knew about this?" Pete asked him after she had left.
"She'd just told me before you sent for us and yes, I think she can handle this, since she's already met him and she's been ok for the last two week."
"Has she though? Did you know she's been going around asking if there have been any reports? She's got everyone so nervous that she knows something is going to happen before it's even been reported."
Jake let out a laugh. "I tried to smooth things over Pete, I just made excuses for her that she was keen to get the latest project off the ground. She seemed keen on it, the first time since you shut the other project down. Maybe this is just what she needs?"
"Great Jake, she swaps one Doctor finding project for another, this will take some explaining to her mother. You really think she can handle it?"
Rose had hurried back to her office and grabbed her phone to see she had a voicemail and pressed the button to play it, hearing Alec's voice for the first time in two weeks. She had to admit it was good to hear it and had begun to wonder if she ever would, what with him not leaving his number, her messages obviously not getting to him or he'd not known whether to respond to them or not.
She waited anxiously as she dialled the number Jake had got for her and wishing now she'd asked him sooner. Alec was in his office, wondering if someone other than Rose was going to call him back so when her number came up, he tried to remain calm, answering just 'Hardy' in case it was someone else, which it had better not be, not after two weeks of thinking he'd never see her or hear from her again.
"Hi Alec, I just got your message, sorry, I was called to a meeting. How are you?"
"Rose? Hello, long time no hear? We seem to keep missing each other, a bit like me and my daughter, she's either at school or – well never mind that, I'm fine, how are you?"
"I'm sorry I kept missing you, you didn't seem to get the messages I left and you never left your number."
"I know and I apologise, I was a total ass and forgot to take the number withhold off, you can blame Daisy for that and I did get your messages, the first one took me a week to get and when I got the second one, well I did not think you would still want to hear from me."
"Yeah, I guess things were just plotting against us? Anyway, care to tell me about these sightings? Not making them up are you, to get me to go back?"
"If I said yes, would you send someone else?" he asked.
"No, you called, Torchwood takes every piece of information seriously. Is that the only reason you called?"
"Listen, Rose, I am sorry I never gave you my number that morning and I realise now I should have done but even with the blocked number, I thought maybe you would know who it was?"
"I did and I had some explaining to do when you rang that number and asked for me, we're not supposed to do that, I made an exception for you."
"I had no idea, I thought you gave the number to everyone?"
"Not my personal mobile one or did you think it was my work one?"
"The thought did cross my mind. So, you want to know what's going on down here?"
"That was the idea."
"Oh and I thought you had called because you missed me?"
"I did but I can't just take off, give me a reason to come down Alec."
"I miss you Rose, is that not reason enough?"
Rose went quiet, Alec thinking she'd hung up.
"Are you still there Rose? I said I missed you."
"I miss you too Alec, I'll be down there tomorrow. Are you still at the hotel?"
"No, I moved out, I have a cottage by the harbour, I will text you the address, don't bother with the hotel."
"I'll have to book into the hotel, I'm supposed to be there on Torchwood business. I'll go there first then come and find you at the station."
"Tomorrow?"
"Yeah, I have to get it arranged and book out the equipment I'll need and then I have to pack."
"Ok, I get it, then I will see you when you settle in the hotel. Before we discuss what I am calling you for, we have to talk."
"Yeah, I know Alec but I have to tell my stepfather why I'm going down there."
"Because strange lights have been reported, out at sea two nights in a row."
"Ah, sounds like my kind of assignment, I'll see you tomorrow."
Rose called Pete then Jake and after checking out the equipment, Jake telling her she should get it tomorrow before she left, she told him why.
"So you're driving down there tonight?" Jake asked her. "Something you didn't tell me?"
"Nope, I told you, nothing happened until the next morning but afterwards, I tried to delay leaving, hoping he'd say something like ask me to stay or go back but he didn't so I gave him my number, hoping he'd get the message I wanted to see him again."
"You were gonna give up when you couldn't contact him?"
"Hell no Jake, I was gonna fake a sighting and go down there, whatcha think?"
"That's my Rosie, now get out of here and never mind going down tomorrow, get yourself there tonight and surprise him."
"Don't worry Jake, that was the idea. I'll call ya when I find out something."
Jake shook his head and walked her down to the underground car park.
"What are you gonna tell your mum?"
"That I'm going on a mission to the south coast, she needn't know where it is."
"You know she'll get it out of you, why not just tell her?"
"Yeah, that's a great idea Jake, thanks. She'll have me certified or stop Pete from letting me take the lead. I'll get down there tonight, see what information they have and Friday, get a boat out to the area. I expect Alec's DS will know about it and arrange to get me out there. Maybe tonight I can get him to take me up on top of the cliff where the sightings were."
"How romantic a reunion Rose, I thought you'd have other things on your mind?"
"What? Your mind, Jake Simmonds is in the gutter. Besides, what's not romantic about standing on top of a cliff in the moonlight and looking out to sea?"
"Ok, I see your point. Now get on home and pack or it'll be tomorrow when ya get there."
After giving Jake a brotherly hug, he watched her drive off and wondered if the detective himself wasn't making the whole thing up in a ploy to get her to go back, she had been on the verge of doing the very same, why wouldn't he? He shook his head and went to find Mickey to give him the news that Rose had admitted she'd found herself a new bloke and had kept it quiet for two weeks.
Getting home, Rose tried to get to her room without her mother seeing her but she swore Jackie Tyler had hidden cameras everywhere and was caught on her way upstairs.
"What are you doing home so early? It's only just gone lunch time."
"I came to pack, I'm off to investigate something."
"On your own?"
"For now, just a report we had in earlier, no need to send a team yet, I can just see what's going on. I'm gonna set off now and avoid the traffic."
"Well can't you wait and say goodbye to Tony? You know he gets upset when you just go off like that."
That would make it almost four before she set off and would mean sitting in endless traffic on the motorway. So much for that then. Reluctantly, she agreed and just went to pack, hoping she would get away with explaining why she was going away so soon but that wasn't to be and the boy demanded to know why she was leaving.
"It's just work Tony, a week at most."
"Then where are you going?"
"Yes Rose, where are you going in such a hurry?" her mother wanted to know.
"Just down to the south coast."
"To the seaside? You just got back Rose," Tony laughed. "Is it where uncle Mickey went?"
"No, a bit further away than where he was but not as far as where I went before."
Her mother was suspicious her daughter wasn't admitting where exactly that was.
"Then tell us where you're going?" Tony asked, going to the dresser and getting out his atlas. He had a circle around the places Rose, Jake and Mickey had been, in different colours.
Rose found the page of the area and pointed to it, well the general area.
"It has to be exactly right Rose," Tony told her as he got his red crayon out of the packet.
Rose could see her mother was paying close attention.
"There," Rose pointed quickly and hoped Tony would just circle it quickly but Tony never did anything quickly enough for Rose's liking as he looked where her finger was and went to circle it. Rose hoped he wouldn't have to go repeating it but knowing he would, she prepared herself.
" h," he spelt out slowly. "Bro ad chur ch," he tried again.
"You mean Broadchurch? What ya going there for Rose?" her mother asked, looking as Tony smiled and put the circle around it proudly.
"Because it's to do with why we went to those meetings," Rose told her.
"Well why is Pete sending you? You know what's there."
"Have you been before Rose?" Tony asked innocently.
"Well, answer him Rose, have you been there before? Tony, take the atlas to your room and find nanny."
"Ok Mum, is Rose in trouble?" he grinned, not wanting to miss anything.
"But Mum," Tony protested as she ushered him out of the room and into the arms of a passing maid, whom Jackie instructed to take him to his playroom.
"Well, have you been there before Rose?" her mother demanded to know, her arms folded.
"I passed through, ok?"
"From Torquay? How can you go through Broadchurch to get home from there then?"
"I sort of got lost. That hotel was terrible Mum, I left the night before, it got foggy so I accidentally turned into Broadchurch and stopped at another hotel."
"That Alec Hardy was there then?"
"Yeah, we met, so what?"
"Don't give me that Rose Tyler, don't go telling me you just 'met' him?"
"Sort of, yeah, it's no big deal Mum. With him being in the police, I told him what I was doing down there and if anything came up, to call. He just has so I'm going down to see what it is."
"Why's Pete not sending Jake or Mickey then?"
"Because he asked for me. I must have given a good impression. I'm off to say bye to Tony then grab my things and set off, I know I'll get caught in traffic but I'll just pull over and wait it out, at least I'll get a bit nearer."
"You've booked a hotel then?"
She wasn't going to tell her mother she had – from the following night but she may not be staying there, only for it to look like she was and if things didn't work out with Alec after all. She found Tony, gave him a big hug and got one of the staff to help her with her case and her laptop bag then set off after setting her satnav. She had told her secretary to book her a room at The Traders from Thursday night but she expected Pete would have something to say, just as long as he didn't let on to her mother.
She had barely got onto the motorway when she could see the traffic queuing ahead so ninety minutes after setting off, seeing a sign for services at the next exit, she waited in turn using the inside lane until she could cheat and pull off and wait an hour or so until it cleared. When she could see out of the windows that the traffic was moving again, she finished her second latte and went back to her car, debating to call Alec or not but he'd sounded disappointed earlier when she'd said she wouldn't be there until the next day.
Planning on surprising him, she started the car and hoped he'd be at home but why wouldn't he be? Ellie had noticed the change in him after he'd got off the phone when Rose had called him back.
"What happened to you? Had a personality change?"
"Excuse me?" he asked, putting a file on his desk and taking off his specs he hated wearing.
"Out with it. So what are you doing about those reports then?"
"It's been taken care of Miller, someone will be here tomorrow and I expect your full co-operation."
"So, Rose maybe?"
"I told you, they may send a male operative. This had better not go any further until we establish these were not hoaxes Miller, anyone can fake a video."
"Maybe but they're pretty convincing and there's been no full moon the last two nights so it can't be that. How much to you know about this project Torchwood have?"
"Only what was in the memo," he replied, leaning back with his hands behind his head.
"Which I didn't get, how convenient. So, what did they say?"
"I already told you, they just took the details and someone rang me back."
Ellie was determined she was going to get the truth out of him if it was the last thing she did and according to Torchwood, there was only one Rose but Hardy and the Vitex heiress? She seemed way out of his league but there again – the vicar and the hotel owner, who'd had an affair with a dead boy's father? Nothing much surprised her any more, not the least her sister managing to keep a job at the newspaper office situated next door to the amusement arcade.
"Oh come on Hardy, just come out and admit it, you called the woman you met two weeks ago because if you hadn't, you wouldn't have that stupid look all over your face like you had the morning she left."
"That obvious? Just don't spread the word around, she may not even want to see me again."
"Come off it Hardy, she's coming back isn't she? Why tomorrow?"
"She has to get some equipment and pack. Besides, like I said, I may have left it too late to contact her."
"Those messages you were late getting?"
"What's wrong with these people around here that it takes a week to get a message?"
"It was just one of those things, you could have rung her."
"I did."
"She never called back?"
Alec shook his head. "Maybe because I never left a message, or my number."
Ellie picked a paper-clip up and threw it at him. "You're such a knob Hardy, no wonder, she probably thought you didn't want to see her again - men."
Alec was about to wave her out of his office when she got up.
"Come round tonight, I'll order some Chinese."
"What for?"
"Aren't you tired of eating on your own? Besides, Tom's been a bit down again, I think he's still having a rough time at school so maybe he'd talk to you?"
"Great idea Miller, I arrested his dad. Ok, what time?"
"Seven, when I've put Fred down for the night. Why don't you call at that takeaway near you?"
"I have to go the other way."
"It's at the end of your street."
"So it is. You invite me and I have to pay?"
"Miseryguts, you wouldn't say that if it was for Rose."
"Stop it Miller or I'll hand you the bill for the food."
As Alec was getting the food, Rose was about an hour away from him, not bothering to make another stop. She just concentrated on getting there to surprise him, he must have missed her as much as she'd missed him and they'd both gone the wrong way about contacting each other. When she got almost to the end of the road leading to the harbour, her satnav indicated for her to turn right and showed a row of cottages about halfway up.
She pulled in, seeing a 'Residents parking only' sign, she had no idea where else she could park and she was supposed to be staying there. She never even knew if Alec had a car or not so technically, she was using his space and hope he'd sort it out for her tomorrow. She tapped on the door of the second cottage and waited a few minutes.
Up at the Miller house, food had been eaten and Tom was reluctantly telling Alec some of the boys still bothered him who had been friends with Danny.
"Maybe I could come and talk to your class?" Alec offered, it not being the teenager's fault his dad had chosen that path.
"Thanks Mr Hardy, it might help. Is my mum mad because I was meeting Mr Latimer?"
"It was maybe not one of your best ideas eh? Now you may understand how Danny got caught up with meeting your dad, it can be innocent throughout but others may not see it that way. Then other times, it can get out of control, like with what happened to Danny. He probably began to realise it was wrong and your dad lost his temper. I am not saying that would have happened with you but no-one can ever be certain. You needed someone to talk to, it was a bad choice, you should have come to me."
"Mum said you were ill, I didn't want to bother you."
"I could have still given you some advice and you were hiding away from your mother. That was quite a speech I heard she gave you, shame I missed it."
Tom smiled, remembering it well. Just then, Alec's phone rang and he fished it out of his pocket to see 'Rose' with a heart on the side.
"Excuse me Tom, I have to take this."
Going out into the kitchen, he answered it. "Hello Rose, I did not expect you to call until tomorrow."
After five minutes outside his door, she had gone to sit in her car, not wanting any of the neighbours to report she was acting suspiciously.
"Hi Alec, where are you?"
Wondering why she was asking such a question, he was honest with her.
"At Miller's house, her son was having trouble at school. Is there a reason you are asking? Still in London?"
"No, I'm parked outside your cottage."
"Really?" he beamed, grateful Ellie wasn't there to see him. "How long have you been there?"
"About five minutes, I'm parked in a resident's only zone, do you have a car?"
"Yes, I have a permit but stay right where you are, I'll be there as soon as I can and I'll show you where you can park."
"Great, I'm starvin' now, can we get some food?"
"I just ate but I can make you something or the Chinese is just at the bottom of the street."
"Then I might just take a walk when you get here."
Tom had gone into the front room.
"Everything ok Tom?" Ellie asked him. "Where's Hardy?"
"He got a phone call."
Ellie smiled – maybe Rose was in a hurry to see him and hadn't wanted to wait until tomorrow. She tried to contain herself as he popped his head around the door.
"Have to go Miller, see you tomorrow."
"Hot date with a blonde?" Ellie asked, Tom sniggering behind a cushion.
Alec chose to ignore her remark. He was home within ten minutes, pulling in just behind Rose, who was out of her car instantly.
"Hi, surprise!"
"You could say that," he replied, putting his arms around her and kissing her cheek.
Rose was expecting a bit more than that but considering they were standing in the street she let him off.
"Let's get your things inside then I will take your car to the car park in front of the hotel and get you some food."
Managing her things between them, Alec closed the door, putting her case and her equipment case down as Rose turned around. He walked calmly up to her and put his arms around her, brushing the palm of his hand on her cheek then ran his thumb along it.
"I missed you Rose, I should have not let you just go like that, watching you drive off without saying something."
Before she could answer him, he leaned down to kiss her. Breathless, Rose smiled up at him, running her fingers through his growing beard.
"Are you trying to tell me I need to shave?" Rose nodded. "I had no-one to impress, I did not know if you were ever coming back Rose."
She reached up and brushed his lips. "You only had to call me Alec, I gave you my number."
"I know, I had a feeling it was your work one, don't ask me why. You never said you wanted to see me again."
"Huh? Call yourself a detective when you can't see a girl's interested in you?"
He observed her, raising one eyebrow.
"I'm just messin' with ya Alec. I really need something to eat, maybe a chow mien?"
"They will think I am being greedy, I was in there earlier."
"Then I'll come with you, can I trust you to drive my car?"
He knew she was playing with him. "Yes, I am quite capable of driving your car. It will need moving by nine in the morning, the traffic wardens will be on the prowl, they do the harbour car parks first thing. I can see if I can get a permit for you. Are you going to book into the hotel?"
"Nah, don't think I'll bother, it's too much messing around. I would have done if I'd come down tomorrow and besides, my stepfather knows we met before, since I wasn't supposed to tell anyone to ask for me if they rang, he tore me out for that."
"Then I am sorry but you did say. So, hand me your car keys and I will take your car around then go get you some food, anything else you can get tomorrow, since you are not going to the hotel. My DS suspects something."
"Yeah, so does my mother – they'd get on well together."