"Is Lee still in town?" Rose wanted to know as they packed what they needed for now.
"No, I had someone following him. He sold his van and bought a motorbike and he was seen leaving the town. I have left orders that I'm to be informed if he leaves the country."
"Ya think he will?" Rose stopped to ask.
"Rose, I think you should pack everything and be prepared to stay in Broadchurch. I'll have to come back so I can give notice on the apartment and explain to Daisy. We'll book a caravan for a few weeks and you can use the time finding us somewhere else. If all goes well with my interview," he suggested.
"What about the other person up for the job? I mean they might get priority?" Rose wondered.
"The chief there knows why I've put in for it and besides, I think she will be under orders to take me, since the trial has just collapsed."
"They want ya out the way?" Rose asked as she went back to the drawer.
"Not exactly but they will want me to lie low for a while and keep out of the news. Sending me to a small, quiet seaside town until it all blows over is the best way of doing that."
"So, I stay there until ya settle things here then?" she then asked him.
"It's for the best love."
Alec could tell she wasn't happy about it though.
"You will be better in a caravan than a hotel," he reminded her when she'd packed everything.
"I know Alec. It's just I thought I'd got real home, here, with you?" she replied with a tear in her eye. "When do we have to leave?"
"I know love, sorry but we'll make a home, in Broadchurch, yes?" he smiled as he took hold of her. "Why not invite your mother down when I have to come back?"
Rose smiled at the thought of her mother thinking the so-called quiet seaside town would be like Southend or Margate.
"Oh, it will be too quiet for her," he added as he kissed the top of her head.
Rose took one hand that had been around his waist and began trying to get his shirt buttons undone.
"Do you need cheering up love?" he leaned down to whisper in her ear.
He figured she needed it, after what she'd just gone through.
Alec made a phone call to the caravan park in Broadchurch and told them it was urgent police business he needed a three bedroom comfortable model that was suitable for a long stay and after some negotiations and the promise whatever costs would be covered by the South Mercia police department, they set off just before twelve noon.
"They said the caravan would be ready for four this afternoon," he told Rose as he came out of the kitchen. "I managed to get them to agree for us to keep it as long as we needed."
Rose stayed quiet as they drove towards the south west coast to the sleepy seaside town that would get put on the map – for all the wrong reasons. Alec booked them into the caravan park and after leaving their unpacking, went in search of something to eat.
"I will make sure you have enough money before I leave," Alec then assured her. "You can relax down here, Ashworth won't find you, I promise."
Rose just hoped he was right. They spent the weekend looking around the area and getting groceries so Rose could get anything else from the local shop just outside the camp, next to the swimming pool, which Rose was going to take advantage of and relax a little. It was then soon time for Alec to go face his prospective new chief.
"I'm risking upsetting my DS who's up for promotion," Alec was reminded.
"I realise that and I appreciate you considering me," Alec replied. "I have the witness from the trial that fell apart in Sandbrook, she needs protection."
"So I've been told and she was brave to testify. The thing is Alec, I don't want that case following you down here. Your present chief says you need to lie low but you can only do that by not attracting attention to yourself. Very well, let's give it a trial then? You may find DS Miller to be hostile when she gets back from leave but leave it to me."
"Thank you, it will mean a lot to Rose. Have you been told we are in a relationship?" Alec dared ask.
"Yes, I heard but that wasn't the reason the court case fell apart, was it?" the chief wanted to know.
"No Ma'am, it was a number of things but she wasn't to blame. She risked everything to testify against the man who threatened her with sexual abuse if she spoke up."
"Yes, I was also informed that was a factor Alec. I agree she should be kept safe, at all costs and I will try to explain to DS Miller that it was my decision to take you on. You should introduce her to Rose Tyler, your girlfriend will need all the friends she can get."
"Thank you for taking a chance," Alec replied. "I will need help with housing costs though. I rented a caravan for now, my current chief said the cost will be covered."
"We can sort that our," the chief agreed. "Hiding away in a holiday park seems the best way for now and if it's suitable, I would stay there, rather than registering at rental agencies."
"Yes, I will take your advice, I don't want any gossip if Ashworth does come looking for us," Alec agreed. "He's left the country, for now."
"Indeed not. Let's hope he stays away then?" the chief nodded in agreement. "How much time do you need to move?"
"Ah, I have to give notice on my apartment, Rose will be staying here, for her safety," Alec replied. "I also have the house to sell but I will leave that to the agency, I won't be looking to buy anything else at the moment. I'm in the middle of a divorce."
"Perhaps it's best you do keep your girlfriend here then?" the chief wondered.
That had been in Alec's mind when he'd chosen to leave Sandbrook but he didn't think it would be that soon. He had been wondering where Claire had got to after she'd refused to testify and only admitted Ashworth got her to steal the evidence but Rose was his main concern.
Claire Ripley had packed up, put the salon up for sale and moved further down south to a small village about five miles out of Broadchurch – between there and Dorchester and had rented a holiday cottage at the end of a lane. She'd got a job managing a salon very easily and she tried to forget Lee Ashworth and how she'd had to end her pregnancy. She thought Rose was lucky to have a man like Alec Hardy in her life.
Why had she chosen Lee Ashworth? Had it been because she'd fancied him before Rose met him or because Rose had actually caught him? She'd never stopped to think Rose was right to be scared of him and look where it had got her? Losing her business and getting pregnant. So she'd not moved away out of choice, had she?
Rose was pleased that Alec had got the job he'd applied for.
"We could go out and celebrate?" Rose suggested.
"Yes but I have to go back tomorrow love," Alec reminded her. "I will have to wrap everything up and assign my workload to junior officers and to Tess."
"Well give them all to her to sort out," Rose suggested as she tried not to laugh.
"Rose, do you know how much trouble that will cause?" he asked innocently.
Then he saw Rose cover her mouth.
"You won't be there, will ya?" she giggled.
"I can't," he replied.
"After all the trouble she caused and that's the reason why we're down here?" Rose pointed out. "Do it Alec then give notice on the flat and come back. Aren't ya owed some vacation time?"
"Yes but I was saving that," he admitted. "I could use a few days though?"
"Now ya getting it," Rose smiled, putting her arms around him. "When are ya supposed to start work here?"
Alec went back to Sandbrook the next day, first calling into the personnel department to sort out who was paying for the caravan and pointing out to the person in charge that it cost considerably less than staying in a hotel. He thought he was doing them a favour by saving them some money.
Then after clearing it with his chief, he broke the news to Tess.
"You're what? Tess sat down opposite him. "So that's where you've been?"
"Yes and I've left Rose there to sort everything out. We'll be staying in the caravan park for now, I've got them to agree not to give out any information in case Ashworth cares to check when he's run out of hotels to call. That's if he even finds out we've gone there."
"What are you doing about the house and Daisy?" she wanted to know.
"I'll call at the agency and let them handle it and Daisy can come down whenever she wants to, there is nothing stopping her Tess. I'm handing all the files from Ashworth's case to you, if anything else comes up but I've got an alert out for if he comes back to the area, he may have left the country."
"You expect me to sort everything out Alec?" Tess scoffed.
"What's wrong Tess? Can't handle it?" he asked as he looked over the top of his glasses. "I need to get back down there, I don't like leaving Rose on her own, not with Ashworth out there somewhere."
All was peaceful when he got back and Rose sent him off to work the following Monday morning with a smile and a kiss, going to straighten his tie.
"So, that other detective's not back yet?" she asked him again.
"No, not until the end of next week. What's going to happen here love?" he raised his eyebrows at her.
Rose just hoped he wasn't tempting fate by that statement. They settled down as best they could in the caravan but Rose was on the lookout for something to rent and had her eye on a cottage facing the sea and learned through some of the locals that it was privately rented out during the holiday season. So she got a number for the owners and passed it on to Alec to get the personnel department to look into it.
Rose finally got the go ahead at the end of October, just as the caravan park closed for the winter but they been told they could stay, along with some permanent residents. Jackie had been down at the beginning of September, after Daisy and Alec finally sold the house.
Rose had eventually got on with DS Miller, who had introduced her to a few of her friends and they had decided to try for a baby of their own. The following July, Rose had been having treatment to help her along and they were due to go for another scan, Rose having just missed her monthly. They had been to Ellie's for dinner and Ellie was keen to know the outcome.
"Don't forget to let me know tomorrow," Rose had been reminded as they were leaving.
"Who's having this baby Ell?" her husband had joked.
"I've got enough with Fred," Ellie reminded him, making Rose laugh.
Rose knew Alec was anxious to know the results as they waited at the health centre up in the town.
"Will we have to move?" Rose debated. "I mean if Daisy wants to come down more often? That spare room's really tiny."
"That may mean putting our names down at the agency or go for buying another house," Alec replied.
"it's been over a year Alec, I don't think he'll still be looking for me," Rose told him.
"I hope not love. Looks like it's our turn."
"Good news," they were told as Rose was hooked up for a scan. "Everything's looking fine and we'll be able to tell you more next time. So I'll book you for a normal session and you won't need any more treatment."
"That's great," Rose beamed. "Can I see?"
The monitor was turned towards her, Alec following it as he'd been staring at what was his and Rose's tiny baby. Now, he knew it had been worth the expense but it had still been on his mind as to whether it was him or Rose who had been the cause of having to resort to the fertility clinic as she'd been reluctant to say anything after several doctor's appointments.
As they left the clinic, Alec got a call, the display showing 'Miller'.
"Here, you talk to her," he handed his phone to Rose.
"That's great news Rose," Ellie was pleased. "Now I can go on holiday and not be wondering."
"Have a great time Ellie. We'll have to decide if we're going anywhere," Rose replied.
"Well I hope that boyfriend of yours can hold the fort while I'm away," Ellie laughed as Rose got in the car, Alec helping her and making her smile over him fussing.
Then she almost died on the spot as he put his sunglasses on and she thought how lucky she was to have him. He got in the car and turned to take his phone back.
"Was she telling me I could not handle things without her?" he asked Rose, making her shiver as she stared at him. "Something wrong love?"
"What?" Rose snapped out of it. "No, nothing's wrong. It's just like, wow! We're having a baby Alec."
"Yes love, I saw. Next time you have a scan and you get a photo, get two copies. One for us and one for Miller."
Rose tried to pull him closer and nudged his sunglasses back so she could kiss him.
"Nothing's gonna spoil this Alec. I thought it would never happen, that I was afraid to go that far but you taught me how good the feeling was and I never said thanks – for being gentle with me and us working up to it."
"You don't have to say anything Rose. You were worth waiting for love," he replied, letting go of her.
"Now, I feel sorry for Claire, for her being used to get back at me," Rose told him.
"You never mentioned that before," Alec said as he started the car. "I always thought it was Claire?"
"No Alec, he went with other women to get back at me. I still don't get why she stole for him though."
Things were about to turn sour the following Friday though as events unfolded - that being a young boy being found on the beach that Alec's DS and Rose knew very well and Alec was worried it had upset her.
By evening, he was tired and just wanted to go home and to comfort Rose but he had to attend a hastily convened press conference, which Rose had turned on the TV to watch. Claire Ripley had also been watching the local news and sat up as it was announced the TV station was going live and she saw Alec on the scene. She wondered if he knew she was in the area and had followed her or it was just coincidence? Someone else had been alerted, by the local reporter and had driven down from London. Karen White confronted him as he was leaving.
"What are you doing in charge of this investigation?" she asked as people passed them.
"What are you still doing working as a reporter?" Alec snapped back. "I thought you would be back to writing press releases?"
"You let Cate Gillespie down back in Sandbrook," she reminded him. "You compromised the case by living with the main witness and you left before Ricky Gillespie's court appearance."
"I'm not talking to you," Alec replied as Ellie was waiting for him. "Report on this, if you have to but one wrong word I'll have your editor pull you back, understand? Does he even know that you're here?"
"What was all that about?" Ellie wanted to know. "You told me off for what my nephew did."
"She covered an old case of mine, she must have heard I was here or it was a lucky guess. You can drop me down by the harbour," he replied.
"Are you going back to the station?" Ellie wanted to know. "What about poor Rose? She sounded really upset earlier. Do you want me to come with you?" she offered.
Alec shook his head.
"No, you go see Tom, he must be upset as well," he replied.
The next day, with it being Saturday, Alec planned to catch up on any information that had come in overnight, then go meet Rose across the road for lunch in the catering area but Ellie had caught one of the telephone engineers snooping around on someone's desk and had hauled him into Alec's office.
Alec decided to take it to the interview room, where he soon dismissed the man's claims that the boy who had been killed had 'spoken' to him.
"She forgives you, for the pendant," the man called out to Alec as he left.
"What?" Alec was taken by surprise. "Get him out of here," he then told Ellie.
"What was he talking about?" Ellie then wanted to know.
"That case in Sandbrook, the one I am protecting Rose from," he admitted.
"No way? How could he know about it?" Ellie asked him.
"It was a lucky guess. He could have looked up the case," Alec replied. "Warn him to stay away from Beth Latimer. Rose wanted to go see her but I don't think it's a good idea."
"No, it's not. Beth needs some space right now," Ellie agreed. "I'll give Beth Rose's condolences."
As they discussed it, it was Claire's day off so she caught the bus into Broadchurch and got off at the harbour, having looked up where the police station was. She was curious as to if Rose was still with him and part of her wanted to give up the pendant but she was just as scared as Rose had been of Lee Ashworth.
She knew Lee had been mad when she'd refused to give him the pendant but he'd had to be content with her not giving it to the police. If she handed it in now, they'd issue a warrant for Lee's arrest and he'd know who'd caused it. She had to find out if Alec Hardy would be prepared to protect her.