The events have been speeded up for the purpose of the story – I'm sure DI Hardy would have really liked to have solved the murder this quickly!

Hardy had already packed his things, he'd been up since half six after going through his plan and just hoping Rose would go along with it. She hardly had a choice and although it wasn't fair that she'd had to move, she can't have been happy where she was. Just checking the bathroom, he wheeled his case out and slung his overcoat over his arm, though why he'd brought that with him when it was the beginning of summer, he didn't know but it was still a few months before he could even be considered for another transfer let alone actually get someone to take him.

He had only agreed to come here because it was supposed to be a quiet town. So much for that. He unlocked the door and dragged his belongings in, noticed Rose was absent but he could hear the shower running and closed the door again to go hand his old room key in.

Rose stepped out of the shower, having taken clean clothing in with her and being able to take her time. Once dressed, she stepped out to see Hardy unzipping his large suitcase.

"Thought you had to work this morning?" she asked.

He was supposed to have been.

"I can do that for you, you get off. Unless there's anything you don't want me to see?" she smiled, brushing her hair.

"No, not really, just stay out of my holdall."

Rose gave a mock salute, "Yes Sir," then she smiled. "Go on, get out of here, I'll be fine."

"Get a taxi down to the café for one, I'll meet you there. Don't worry if I'm late, you'll be safe there. Don't let anyone come up to you and say I sent them, unless it's DS Miller, you only deal with the two of us. Oh, I'll give you my mobile number, just in case, well both of them." He pulled a card from his jacket. Then he added, "Don't tell DS Miller you've moved out of the B&B just yet."

"Ok. Alec, is it ok if I go to the sports centre later? Only all those chips and meals are going to make me fat."

Hardy disagreed but couldn't say anything without offending her and since they had to share a room, he kept his mouth shut.

"I'm going to borrow a car, I'll take you there later and pick you up. Bring your things to the café and I'll take you straight there from the harbour."

"Thanks, I feel much better now. Thanks for rescuing me."

What could he say? "I wouldn't call it rescuing exactly, you're our only witness, we have to make sure you're safe. You're safe now, I won't let anything happen to you."

Rose felt reassured. He was doing his job, just that, nothing else Rose had to keep reminding herself repeatedly.

Hardy had a car waiting out front that took him down to the station, where DS Miller was waiting for him, annoyed she'd had to give up her Saturday morning with her family to answer Hardy's inane questions. She couldn't explain why her phones didn't ring, she could have sworn they were on, they always were and if something had happened to Rose, she would never have forgiven herself.

Miller was quite a heavy sleeper but her husband, Joe, usually heard and nudged her, he was used to it but he said he had no idea her phones were on silent and had only woken her when he'd gone to the bathroom and saw the flashing light of a missed call on her work phone. She was sat in Hardy's office and said "Sorry" when he sat down.

He didn't want her excuses but there again, if he hadn't got the call, he would not have been able to arrange to move Rose. He felt better now, knowing she was safe but he had taken an awful lot upon himself.

"Sir, is Rose ok, getting frightened again like that? Don't you think you should move her?"

"Not just yet, the killer hasn't got in her room yet, the cleaner apparently left the window unlocked, it won't happen again. I'm going to borrow a car and drive her up and down to work, she can't afford a taxi. I'll go pick her up at ten thirty every morning."

"Sir, I could do that."

"No Miller, she's my responsibility, if I can't go get her, then I'll send a squad car for her and tell her. Next time, double check your phones before you go to bed."

"I really don't know what happened unless my youngest was playing with them when I got back last night but I didn't see him with them."

Miller went back to her desk, Hardy got on the phone saying he wanted a plain car ready for him in the garage by one. He didn't hear the answer of "You'll be lucky" from the officer in charge but he knew better than to argue with the detective, he wasn't one who took no for an answer. Someone would have to start using their own car and wouldn't be pleased when they came in on Monday morning to find their police vehicle missing or the keys gone.

Rose was unpacking her things and hanging them up, finding a laundry bag in the bottom of the wardrobe with the room number on and went to put it in the bathroom. She unpacked Hardy's case, hanging his suits and shirts up and assigning a dresser drawer to him. Then she gathered her gym stuff and swimming costume and stuffed them with a towel into her smaller holdall that had been tucked away in the larger one.

She wandered downstairs just after twelve thirty, wondering whether to hand the key in or not but decided to keep it and hand it to him when he'd taken her to the sports centre, then deciding maybe she should leave it in case she forgot, he wouldn't be pleased if he had to come and find her and she was in the pool.

She handed the key in. "Everything ok Miss Tyler?" Becca asked, hanging the key up. She'd been asked by Hardy not to ask too many questions, in return, he would let the incident over the drugs slide and be forgotten about. She'd had little choice.

"Yeah, it's ok, better than where I was. I wish I could afford something like this. Do you have any taxi numbers?"

"There's a taxi rank just down the street or there are some numbers in the doorway."

Rose knew she wasn't supposed to go out on her own so she chose a taxi service at random and booked one. There was no sign of Alec Hardy when she stepped into the harbour café but she was early. She had just been brought her order when he came in and sat opposite her.

"I was supposed to be buying you lunch," he smiled.

"Never mind, I don't have any board to pay now."

After a fairly silent lunch, he asked where the sports centre was and dropped her off and arranged she was to stay inside until he picked her up. Rose felt like a schoolkid being given instructions about going off with strangers, Hardy was doing the same and maybe taking it a bit more seriously than he should.

For the first time since that awful night, Rose felt more relaxed, enjoying her swimming and then the exercise bike. She noted the time and went to get changed and was waiting in the doorway, trying to remember what sort of car he was in, then seeing him drive up to the pickup point in an SUV type car, black of course and throwing her things in the back seat, got in the front.

"Hi," she said cheerfully.

"Did you enjoy yourself?"

"More than you can imagine thanks. I almost forgot the events of the last week or so. I can't believe it's only been a week."

Neither could Hardy. He was getting nowhere fast. He'd had the results he'd been waiting for but not what he'd expected. It all depended now on things speeding up. Now the killer could no longer intimidate the only witness by attacking her and trying to get into her room, plus the two calls, it might prompt whoever it was into taking drastic action and make a really big mistake, which was exactly what he wanted. There was still the missing phone, if that was just switched on, they could end this.

Parking in the hotel rear car park, Hardy led Rose to the side entrance and they made their way upstairs. Thinking she might want some time to herself, he left her at the door.

"I'll just be downstairs if you want me. Come down and join me for dinner at six, I'll be in the bar if you're any earlier. If you want to come down later I'll wait."

"You don't have to leave you know, it's your room as well."

"No it's alright, I'm not going to crowd you, have some time to yourself, you don't need me hanging around." He put the key on the dressing table. "See you downstairs." Then he left.

Rose wished he hadn't, she wanted someone to talk to. He'd said not for her even tell DS Miller she had moved and wanted to know why. She also didn't know whether to tell her mother or not but she hadn't yet told her she was the star witness in a murder case and she would ask questions. Best leave it.

She put her swimming costume to dry and got changed and went down to join Hardy, who was drinking tea in the bar and helped herself since he'd got two cups.

"Didn't feel like staying on my own. You don't mind do you?"

They talked until it was time to go in for dinner and Hardy didn't have a clue what he was going to talk to her about until it was bedtime. He was useless with women and was surprised she was still talking to him at all. Rose soon put him at ease though, talking about London and what she used to do there and asking him about Scotland. He found he could actually talk to her.

"I'd love to see Scotland, it sounds beautiful up there. Do you still have relatives there?"

He didn't really want to bring his family into it. "Just an aunt in Oban, that's in the Highlands, in the west." It wasn't appropriate to bring up the fact he was divorced.

They moved into the bar, Hardy buying her a drink but it was Saturday night, a few people were starting to come in, including a few he recognised of those partly responsible for another death so they got up and went into the lounge, sitting on a couch by the window, he did not want to hear their conversations, especially sitting with Rose. One man had already purposely spoken aloud when they had been leaving, something about the police not doing enough to protect the town. Luckily he had let Rose go before him.

They went up to their room just before ten and Rose went to get changed in the bathroom, opting for her pyjamas and settling herself in the bed she had chosen, turning away as Hardy went into the bathroom and then coming out in his shorts and t-shirt.

"You can turn round now Rose, I won't bite. I hate having a conversation with someone's back."

Rose smiled and turned around to see him sitting up in his own bed.

"I think I'll actually get some sleep tonight," she smiled. "I hope you don't snore Alec," she teased, spluttering out a laugh.

"I'll have you know I do not snore, Rose Tyler and I'm highly offended at such a suggestion." He switched off the light and Rose giggled.

"Just what do you find funny?" he asked, switching it back on again.

Rose sat up. "You need to lighten up a bit Alec, I was just teasing you."

Right, two could play at that game. "How do I know it isn't you that snores and I get the blame?"

"I don't snore," she retorted back, sitting up in bed and hugging her knees. "Sorry."

Hardy smiled. "Let's have truce. How about we go somewhere tomorrow? Drive up the coast."

"Mmm, that would be great. It'll be good to forget about all this for a while. Thanks."

"You're welcome. From Monday, I'll come up and collect you for work and drive us back after you finish at the station."

"I can get a taxi now I don't have the B&B to pay for."

"No, I insist if I can, if not and I can't get away, I'll call you and then you can get a taxi. Do you have any questions you wanted to ask me?"

"Just one. How come DS Miller doesn't even know that I've moved?"

"Do you really have to ask that question?"

Rose thought about it. Maybe not. "Because she disagreed with you walking me home. Oh, she won't like it we're sharing a room? Guess that answers that then? Does she think it's inappropriate?"

"She'll read the wrong thing into it, not that there's anything to read into whatever she thinks. Besides, it's best only the four of us know. I told her if I can't pick you up I'll send a patrol car for you but she thinks you're still at the B&B. My chief doesn't exactly know we're sharing a room, I tried to get two singles but they were occupied."

"Oh, well at least you tried. I don't mind really, having a room-mate. Like I said, I hope you don't snore of I'll have to come over there and stop you. I heard a pillow does the trick."

"I hope you're only joking about that."

"Snore and find out. Either that or I'll have to think of another way."

"Goodnight Rose and if it's you that snores, I'll think of a way to stop you as well." He turned out the light and smiled to himself, half hoping she would, he could think of a few ways.

Rose was also smiling hoping he would and thought about how to make herself snore.

It was the first time she slept properly since this whole thing started but she found herself thinking back over the events. If she had just got closer before the person on the beach had turned away, this would have been over and he would have been caught. Just before Hardy's alarm went off though, she was woken by a sound and she sat up in bed, thinking she was back in her old room.

Hardy had just come out of the bathroom and inadvertently the door had closed a bit more loudly than he had intended, he was used to being on his own.

"Sorry, didn't mean to wake you just yet."

Rose lay back down again, she had caught sight of Hardy in his t-shirt and shorts. Hardy turned back round to get back into bed then changed his mind. He crossed over and sat on the edge of Rose's bed after he turned his alarm off.

"I didn't mean to scare you, you probably thought someone was trying to get in your room again, I'm sorry."

Rose sat up again. "Yeah, it did sort of bring back bad memories, you have no idea what it was like. I mean, did he really think I was going to open the door and let him in? How did he find out which was my room?"

She leaned forward and rested her head on her knees. "Alec, can I have a hug?"

Hardy moved forward and put his arms around her, Rose resting against his chest and Hardy with his chin resting on her head. Then he backed off as he found himself rubbing her back, feeling how close she was, he wanted to comfort her but he couldn't.

"That's what we're trying to find out Rose, he's getting information from somewhere, we just have to find out where from. You're safe now, he won't find you here, I promise."

Rose looked up at him and leaned forward and Hardy moved closer, putting his hand on top of hers. "I'm sorry this happened to you, you were only trying to help and you put yourself in danger, it's my job to protect you."

He took her hand and held it in his for a moment, then let it go. Rose took his hand back. The next thing she knew, he had moved closer with only the smallest of gaps between them as he had leaned forward. Then he kissed her and Rose kissed him back. Just as suddenly as it started, Hardy drew back.

"I'm sorry Rose, I shouldn't have done that."

"Why not, I wasn't exactly objecting." She took his hand again.

"Because my boss said I could compromise you, getting involved with you."

"It's a bit late for that Alec, you already have my statement, how can you compromise things?"

"By getting you to change your statement, saying you saw things you didn't"

"What makes you think I'd do that?"

"If I asked you to, would you change your statement?"

"No, I only saw what I told you. How would I say anything else? Do you think I would wrongly accuse someone because you ask me to, to get someone to admit to it?"

"No, I would not ask that of you, Rose. I couldn't." He raised his hand and touched her cheek.

Rose held onto his hand "Then how could you compromise my statement?"

"I never was one for taking orders."

He leaned over again and kissed her, longer and deeper than the last one and Rose leaned into him, moving onto her knees and putting her arms around his neck, Hardy putting his arms around her waist.