"Give it to me," Pete offered as Rose sat back in the chair.
"What have you got there Rose?" Tony was curious. "Is it some photos?"
"No Tony, it's not photos," Jackie replied, trying to get him to finish and get ready for school. "Rose, why don't you drop Tony off this morning?" she then suggested, looking at Pete as he tried to take the envelope from Rose, who was staring at it.
It had her married name on it and she'd not used it for a few weeks, knowing Jamie wouldn't come back now, with Alec still being in the news. She had been outraged that a reporter had branded Alec the worst cop in Britain and had Pete's PA lodge a complaint to the editor, stating Alec was a personal friend of the Tyler family and did they want a legal fight on their hands if they didn't issue a statement saying it had been the personal opinion of the reporter responsible?
They had kind of backed down and issued an apology to Alec, saying they understood the pressure the police were under and they had been a bit harsh on him. It hadn't satisfied Rose but Pete believed it was the best that would happen. Alec had to smile when he'd seen it, his DS making a point of asking if he had friends in high places. He'd not mentioned it to Rose that he thought she was behind it, let her think she was helping him.
"What?" Rose snapped out of her daze. "I suppose so, are you ready Tony?"
"Yeah, Rose is taking me," Tony jumped off his chair, dropping his spoon in the bowl.
Jackie supposed Tony was still missing Jamie but glad Rose was back home. It had been heartbreaking to see Rose coming back with things from the apartment she'd shared with Jamie. She had since been told by Pete that Jamie had cleared his things out, although if he'd done so in person, Pete didn't know.
He was surprised Rose hadn't packed a case and gone down to see Alec in Broadchurch but the detective still hadn't caught the killer. Maybe Rose was staying back to give him time?
"Come on Tony, get ready," Jackie encouraged him as she got up. "Don't get him all giddy on the way," she then turned to Rose.
"He gets giddy on his own Mum," Rose reminded her.
When Jackie and Tony had left, Pete sat beside her.
"You knew this was coming Rose," Pete told her. "Best get it over with. I can get the lawyers to handle it all for you, it's doubtful Jamie will want to go through the divorce court."
"This is what I was dreading Dad," Rose admitted as Pete opened the envelope.
"I'll get someone round to read the documents to you and you can sign in front of them. How about before Tony gets home from school, say two?" Pete suggested. "There's no need to appear in court, if the press get hold of it, you'll need to go further than Broadchurch to escape," he smiled.
"Thanks Dad. What else can I do but sign?" Rose wanted to know. "How did things get so bad? It's not Alec's fault Jamie didn't like him being at the wedding."
"Rose, have you considered Alec may have only made things worse?" Pete asked her. "Maybe Jamie never got over the fact you told him about The Doctor?"
"Then it's a good thing I never told him who The Doctor was," Rose replied. "Leave that here Dad, I'll be here when someone from the legal team arrive."
"Right then," Pete agreed. "Want me to be here? I can if you want?"
"Will you? Thanks, I don't think mum can help me with this," Rose smiled. "What you said, about Jamie being jealous. Alec thinks the same, that he only made things worse."
"We'll never know," Pete put his hand on her shoulder.
When Rose had dropped Tony at school, telling him to have a good day and his nanny would collect him, she decided to go back to the local clinic.
"Name?" Rose was asked as she stood at the desk.
"Rose Smith," Rose replied, hoping she wasn't recognised. "I came the other day but I have some questions, if that's okay? I was a bit stunned."
"Everyone is," the receptionist smiled at her. "Take a seat over there."
Rose crossed over and sat on her own, everyone else sat playing with their phones. Should she text Alec and say she wanted to talk to him? She couldn't face him right now, not until the divorce papers were filed. If she went to Broadchurch, she would attract some attention.
If she had at least agreed to a divorce, maybe not too much damage would be caused and Alec would maybe be relieved she would soon be free. That had been one of the reasons she had stayed away from him, that of being married and starting a relationship with him.
Alec was running out of ideas for excuses to keep calling Rose, she had got to him and he really needed to find Danny's killer. Would it be better if he could get Rose to come and stay with him? If would cure his anxiety if nothing else but how would they explain her being here? Ellie Miller was onto him, bringing up the subject of Daisy being one of Rose's bridesmaids.
Maybe they would get away with saying Rose had come on her own at his invitation as her husband was busy? He stared at his phone, willing it to start ringing and it be Rose calling him. How had he got this bad at missing her?
Rose heard her name being called, putting her phone away as she tried to get the courage to call Alec.
"Rose Smith?" the nurse wanted to make sure. "The Doctor will see you now."
Rose almost shivered at the term but recovered as she was allowed to go in first.
"So can I keep coming here?" Rose finally asked after listening and being checked again.
"Yes but you'll get a hospital appointment and you'll be booked in for the date you're due," she was told.
"Well, I might not be here," Rose admitted. "I might be moving away."
She was really hoping she hadn't been caught.
"Just let us know if you do," she was told. "Any more questions?"
Rose was sure they had better things to do than listen to her so she got up and thanked them.
"Oh, there was one thing," Rose remembered partly why she'd gone back. "The dates are right, yeah?"
She had to be one hundred percent the baby couldn't be Jamie's but Alec was certain she'd had her first real time with him. She had told him she had never felt that way before, hadn't he guessed she didn't take anything, with wanting a baby? Neither of them knew in advance that they would start an affair that night Alec had stayed over.
She went off, being told the dates were right, she had to tell her mother she was pregnant, just not who by. She got home, finding her mother in the kitchen.
"Where did you get to?" Jackie wanted to know. "Ya weren't gossiping at the school were ya?"
"No Mum, I had to go somewhere. Can we talk?"
Jackie saw the look on her face and sat at the table, the cook and her assistant busying themselves.
"I know what ya want to talk about," Jackie leaned forward and put her hand on Rose's. "That Alec Hardy, that's what. Ya've fallen for him, I knew something was goin' on when he was here. Why didn't ya just admit it sweetheart?"
"How could I Mum? I didn't know what ya'd think, ya could have been mad at me and told me to find Jamie and go back to him. Well I can't now, can I? We all know what's in that envelope that came this morning."
"Ya already sound like ya gonna sign," Jackie replied. "If ya ask me, he doesn't deserve you, if he can't keep his jealousy under control. I mean it was only by accident Alec was at your wedding. What did Jamie expect, to have Alec banned from the ceremony?"
"I don't know Mum, I only know it got the better of Jamie, since Alec got in the news again. Ya should have seen him when we were away, he couldn't stop staring at the news headlines everywhere we went. He wouldn't leave it Mum."
"Sorry sweetheart. Your dad will keep it quiet, ya can be sure of that. What are ya gonna do?" Jackie wondered. "Ya know ya can move back here properly."
"I know Mum but I may take Alec up on his offer of going down to where he is," Rose admitted.
"Rose. That's only gonna make things worse," her mother warned her. "Everyone might think it's Jamie."
"Mum, they look different," Rose disagreed. "I bet Alec doesn't spend hours in the mirror spiking his hair up."
"Jamie only did it to make ya laugh," Jackie pointed out. "Well to make Tony laugh and want to copy him. Poor kid doesn't know Jamie's not coming back."
"Do ya want me to tell him?" Rose offered.
"No, it's best we do it," Jackie assured her. "Well, where did ya get to earlier then? Ya might as well tell me."
"Mum, I went for a test the other day, a pregnancy test," Rose admitted as she put her arms on the table and then put her head on them. "Go on, yell at me."
"Why would I do that?" Jackie wanted to know. "I hope it's Jamie's? How far on are ya?"
Rose was sure her mother was trying to catch her out. The last time she was with Jamie was the night before they came back after their short break. Now she knew it couldn't possibly be Jamie's, even if the date was slightly out. She had told the doctor at the clinic it was the night she spent with Alec but there was only just over a week's difference. From what Alec had said, it was doubtful Jamie would have made the extra effort, so to speak.
It had slowly dawned on her that Jamie had never intended for her to get pregnant, maybe he had hidden the fact he couldn't cope with a baby? Why hadn't he just come out and told her instead of forever putting it off? She glanced up at her mother.
"I might have known," Jackie looked at her. "It's not his, is it? Did ya mess around with Alec when he was here then?"
"Don't put it like that Mum," Rose replied. "We didn't 'mess' around as you put it. I was upset, I already knew Jamie wouldn't come back, he was obsessed with Alec being in the news again. He didn't trust me Mum."
"Well ya must have done something at the wedding," Jackie pointed out.
"We were all just messin' around dancing, that's all," Rose admitted, not thinking it was a good idea telling her about the conservatory. "How do I tell Alec?"
"Really Rose, ya should've been more careful," Jackie told her. "What if Jamie had come back? Would ya have gone back to him?"
"I don't know Mum, maybe if he promised to forget about Alec," Rose replied.
"He might have done, what about you?" she was asked. "Admit it Rose, when Alec was here the other week, I told Pete I wasn't sure about him being here."
"You sent dad to see if me and Alec were together?" Rose sat up properly.
"Well I may have hinted," Jackie had to admit. "Ya can't blame me."
"Well me and Alec were just talkin'," Rose replied, flopping down again. "Have we got any tonic water?"
Her mother called over to the cook's assistant, who found some in the large refrigerator and brought a glass over. Rose drank it and grinned at Jackie.
"Should I call Alec, tell him I have to see him or just go down there?" Rose wondered.
"Don't ya think it's best to tell him to his face?" Jackie replied. "Are ya up to having some lunch later? Elsie's makin' that soup ya like."
"I'll try Mum. I should at least call Alec but I'll do it later, when dad comes back. Alec needs to know a few things."
"Ya mean things ya never even told Jamie?" Jackie wanted to know. "Why did ya never confide in Jamie?"
"It didn't seem important Mum," Rose raised her head slightly, pushing the glass away. "Anyway, Alec's been askin' questions. I think he might believe what he's told, I don't think Jamie would have, he'd have dismissed it."
"Ya know what I think?" Jackie leaned forward, taking Rose's arm. "Jamie was in too much of a rush to go off here there and everywhere. Ya were never at home for months on end, it was like when ya used to go missin' before."
"It wasn't the same Mum," Rose reminded her. "Anyway, Alec's more serious than Jamie, he'll at least listen."
Later, down in Broadchurch, Alec had been distracted by going out after getting a call from the local vicar, who said he had something of interest to show him. He was handed a box containing a smashed up laptop.
"You say you took it from Tom Miller, last night?" he wanted to make sure.
"I found him smashing it with a rock while I was walking home," Paul Coates explained. "He threatened if I gave it to the police he would say I was abusing Danny."
"I hope that's not true?" Alec asked, putting the box under his arm.
"Really?" Paul asked him.
Alec made one of his faces and squinted at his phone after putting the box in the back of the police car he'd arrived in.
"What?" he answered as he saw it was Ellie Miller.
Ellie was tired of him not bothering to see who was calling.
"Sir, Mark Latimer just called. He said Chloe's boyfriend told them that Danny used to go off with him and Nigel Carter at the farm he lives on. They knew nothing about it, Danny had said it was okay. Seems a bit strange, Danny wasn't like that," she told him.
"That you know of Miller," Alec replied, leaning on the car roof. "I've just seen Paul Coates, he said he had to stop your boy and Danny fighting in computer classes. He said he reported it to you and the Latimers."
"No, he never told me," Ellie sounded surprised. "I'll have to ask Joe when I get home, whatever time that's going to be," she added, hoping to get home early for a change.
"Get your husband to bring Tom in for another interview at some point," Alec then told her. "Get Nigel Carter back in as well, I want to know what he was doing taking Danny with him on a farm. Was he into poaching?"
"How would I know?" Ellie huffed. "Are you on your way back? Only I'd like to get away early tonight, my youngest is giving Joe some trouble putting him to bed."
Alec would have thought with Joe Miller being at home all day with the young boy that he would be used to it. He ended the call and called his old friend back in Sandbrook.
"Can you get some information from a smashed up laptop?" he asked hopefully.
"Hello to you too Alec," another Scottish voice replied. "Got yourself another girlfriend yet? Ya might not be so grumpy then," his friend laughed.
"I'm working on it. If I send you the laptop, can you retrieve data, especially any messages."
"I can try Alec. Is it for that case you're working on then?" Alec was asked.
"Yes and it might be the answer to a lot of unanswered questions. Can you put a rush on it?"
"Don't I always?" his friend laughed.
Alec went off to arrange to get the evidence to his friend then went to his office. Ellie was waiting to see him but what he really wanted to do was call Rose.
"Miller, can you bring your boy's laptop in at some point?" Alec asked her before she got chance to say anything.
"I'll ask him. Why the sudden interest?' she wanted to know, forgetting her annoyance at him.
"Well we're running out of clues, in case you forgot Miller," Alec replied, looking at a folder on his desk. "If Danny was hiding something from his parents, maybe he told Tom?"
Rose had finished her meeting with Pete's law team, the main man himself plus an assistant had left, with the divorce papers.
"Can ya take care of everything?" Rose had asked after signing where indicated.
"Of course Miss Tyler, just leave everything with me," she had been told.
Pete had got back before their arrival and asked Rose if she was sure about signing.
"I don't have much choice Dad," Rose had sighed. "It doesn't even say where Jamie's living. Doesn't he have to put an address on them?"
"Ask when the legal team arrive," Pete had smiled. "I know it's not easy for you Rose, you did your best but it was Jamie's choice not to make it work."
"I know Dad. When I call Alec, can ya talk to him? I want him to know some of how I came to be here."
Alec had been about to leave when his phone rang and was pleased it was Rose. He had been wanting to tell her he'd got out of the hotel and a caravan was slightly better at present.
"Rose. How are you?" he asked with a grin on his face.
"Alec, I'm fine. I wanted to talk to ya," Rose greeted him.
"I hope it's that you are coming down to see me?" Alec smiled, hoping no-one left in the outer office was watching him.
"I was thinking about it," Rose admitted. "What if I'm spotted though?"
"Rose. You will be fine, I promise. I may have some news for you, if you do come down. I can't say over the phone love. I miss you Rose."
"I miss ya too Alec. Are ya still in that hotel?" Rose asked him.
"No, did I not mention I moved into a caravan? A few weeks ago, to get some privacy, the hotel owner was letting reporters stay there and there was a chance you may decide to visit me."
"I had things to sort out Alec," Rose made the excuse. "Anyway, I have news as well."
"Then I await your arrival," he replied. "Is the news about Jamie?"
"Some of it is," Rose had to admit. "Some of it's about what ya were askin' me when you were here."
"Ah, then I really cannot wait to hear it. Come down this weekend?" he asked hopefully.
"Friday then," Rose agreed. "I have to talk to Tony first, he'll be upset about Jamie, we have to explain Jamie's not comin' back."
"That is certain?" Alec wanted to make sure.
Rose went quiet. She had signed the divorce papers but she couldn't tell Alec on the phone.
"See ya Friday Alec," Rose then replied.
Alec supposed he wouldn't get her to come down before so he had to agree. He knew it wouldn't come soon enough but now, he had new leads such as why Nigel Carter was taking Danny out poaching and why Tom Miller was smashing up his laptop.
With a bit of luck, he should get the boy's messages sent to him and he could interview Tom again and see if he gave anything away. Was Tom protecting someone or was he still just being loyal to his school friend? He'd had the contents of Danny's laptop, including an online account but he wanted to know what had been said between the two boys.
Ellie Miller had got home and while Tom was eating, went to his room to find his laptop but there was no sign of it. Her husband went to join her while Tom was watching TV.
"What are you doing Ell?" Joe wanted to know.
"Looking for Tom's laptop," she replied, getting up from under the bed.
"Just ask him," Joe insisted. "What do you want if for?"
"Hardy wants it for the investigation," Ellie admitted.
"Are you being serious?" Joe looked at her. "What does he hope to find?"