"Well I can at least make ya a drink," she offered. "I didn't expect ya to remember where I said I was staying."
"I was down here meeting a friend," he admitted. "I don't know why I had to get a hotel up in the town. I would have thought you would want the comfort of a hotel?"
"Hey, I've not always had money, thanks very much," Rose objected.
Did he really think he could make friends by insulting her, she wondered, folding her arms and leaning on the counter.
"Sorry, I'm just tired," he apologised. "You want the truth Rose?"
"That'd be a start I suppose?" Rose forgave him as she made some tea.
"Until I saw you earlier, I thought everyone in the town was against me. Then I wondered if you might be my only ally, being new here yourself."
"Why's everyone against ya?" Rose wanted to know, handing a mug of tea to him and sitting next to him.
"Seriously? The fact I'm an outsider for a start, investigating why a young boy who was popular was murdered," he replied, wondering how she knew he didn't take sugar in his tea.
"Well I suppose ya won't win any popularity contests," Rose smiled behind her drink.
"Thanks. So are you my ally or my enemy?" he wanted to know.
Great, Rose thought. Straight to the point like John and his twin had been.
"I can be your ally, Alec but that's it. Do ya wanna know why I'm really here?" she asked him.
"Is it anything to do with your fiancé passing away?" he took a stab in the dark.
Who was he kidding, he asked himself. Why else would she be here?
"Yeah, mostly. I'm still upset, I nearly had to get a friend to drive me down here. I couldn't stay home, there were just too many memories for me. As for a caravan, it's better than where I spent my time while John was ill, in a hospital room."
"I'm sorry to hear that Rose," Alec sympathised, touching her arm when he put his drink on the coffee table. "I did read about it recently, well what little there was about it. I expect you wanted to keep it to a minimum?"
"That was the idea Alec, I wanted to keep it private, it's not a pleasant memory. My stepfather had every single person available working on a solution to John's illness but he got so ill so quickly," Rose admitted. "Even alien 'tech' wasn't the answer."
"I know where you once worked Rose," he admitted, leaving his hand on her arm but rubbing his thumb over it.
To Rose, it felt somehow comforting. She had loved John but they'd had very little physical contact apart from when he'd just arrived here.
"You never answered my question earlier Alec. Did my stepfather contact ya?" she asked him again.
"Is that what you think?" he replied, moving his hand.
Rose backed away slightly, knowing she had offended him.
"Sorry, I'm just edgy, that's all," she apologised, missing the feeling on her arm.
"No Rose, I was surprised when it was you sitting on the pier. I am sorry I had to go off and leave you," he explained.
"I saw ya on TV, seems there were some troublemakers there?" she decided to forgive him.
"That's usually the case in these situations. It's no worse than Sandbrook," he replied.
"I missed a lot of that, sorry. Ya can tell me if ya want?" she offered, wanting to take his hand back. "So, who found the youngest girl?"
Alec hesitated for a few minutes, realising it was getting later and he should be going.
"Another time eh?" he finally replied. "I should call for a cab."
"There's a spare bedroom, if ya wanna stay?" she offered. "The other one has my cases and stuff in it," she smiled.
"No, I should really go," he insisted.
"Well, come back tomorrow, I'll make ya something to eat," she insisted.
"Then I look forward to it, after the day I have had today," he accepted, getting up slowly.
Rose noticed but put it down to him being tired.
"I can't imagine Alec. Do ya have to work tomorrow?" she asked him.
"Yes, there will be a lot going on I expect?" he replied. "Goodnight Rose and thank you, for agreeing to be friends. At least I know there is one friendly face here now. How long are you staying?"
"That depends if the press find out if I'm here or not," Rose told him.
"They won't hear it from me," he promised, holding his hand out to her. "The town's reporter may pick up on the fact but I will try to keep him away from you."
"Thanks. Night then, maybe tomorrow night you'll tell me why you ended up here?" she hinted.
"It was a case of someone willing to take me on," he replied. "Goodnight Rose."
He awkwardly tried to shake her hand but she moved and it became an awkward sort of hug. Then she surprised him by kissing his cheek. Once outside, he called a taxi number he'd put in his phone for emergencies and walked the short distance to the road.
The next morning, Rose decided she'd go up to the main supermarket and get something to impress Alec since she'd invited him to dine with her. Despite getting back to his hotel room late, Alec was already in the police station as Ellie Miller arrived, two paper cups in her hands.
She offered him one but he shook his head.
"I don't drink coffee," he informed her.
"Of course you don't," Ellie huffed, passing one to her colleague. "Present for you Frank."
She then followed Alec into his office, handing him a piece of paper.
"You wanted a map of Danny's paper round," she said as she handed it over.
"Right, I will go now," he decided, since the place was a mess with telephone wires all over the floor and over desks. "Tell them to clear their desks when they leave them," he nodded to where someone was getting up.
He put his coat on and went off, Ellie relieved he wasn't insisting she went with him. He had just left when the local newsagent called her.
"Okay Jack, I'll come over when Hardy gets back," Ellie promised when told he had some information for them.
Alec had got a ride up to the top of the cliff and walked the rest of the way, seeing a hut in the distance. When he got there, he tried looking through the windows and began to wonder about it. If Danny had sneaked off the other night, it was likely he was meeting his killer and where better than somewhere remote. He saw a CCTV camera by the car park and thought there may be something of interest on it.
He called for a car to take him back and had barely got in his office when Ellie said the newsagent had some information.
"Well come on Miller," he told her as he indicated for her to move. "By the way, that hut up on the cliff top, there's a camera there, try and get hold of the footage from it."
Ellie just stared as he walked off, expecting her to follow him. Didn't he ever give anyone time to do anything? She pitied his wife or girlfriend, having to put up with him. She found him pressing the lift button, even though they were on the first floor.
Once they were walking across the harbour, Alec wondering what Rose was doing, Ellie asked him about last night.
"So, who was on the end of the pier on their own?" she asked him.
"Someone just leaving I expect?" he replied, not wanting to give any details he'd paid a visit to the blonde they'd seen.
"You didn't bother then?" she asked sarcastically, not believing any male could resist seeing who a blonde on their own was. "I heard Rose Tyler has gone quiet," she then grinned.
Alec stopped just before they reached the end of a row of catering stalls.
"What are you getting at Miller?" he asked her. "There are other blondes as well as her. I'm sure your nephew would know if she happened to be in town? Besides, she has a right to privacy after what happened."
"Sorry. Yeah, it was sad what happened," Ellie changed her tune. "I don't suppose she'd come here to get over it, not with what's just happened?"
"It's no-one's business Miller," he ended the conversation as they approached the newsagents' store.
"Why did you not tell us this yesterday?" Alec snapped as Jack Marshall recalled seeing Danny arguing with Kevin the postman ten days or so ago.
"I only just remembered," Jack replied, looking at Ellie. "Is he always like this?"
Alec made a face and put his notebook into his jacket pocket.
"We'll follow it up," Alec told the other man. "Are you married?" he then asked out of the blue.
"No, are you?" Jack replied. "I pity anyone who is."
Alec turned around, Ellie wanting to apologise to Jack but just followed her boss outside.
"You didn't have to be rude when Jack was trying to help," she told him.
"Where will we find this postman?" Alec asked her without replying to her question.
Ellie looked at the time on her phone.
"I think I know where he'll be," Ellie replied, pressing the number for the station to have her car waiting outside for them.
Getting no help from the postman and Ellie losing her temper with Alec, they drove back to the station in silence, Alec wondering if he should admit he'd met with Rose last night, just to give the impression he sort of had a friend in the town. He had no idea if Rose wanted to be friends or not but she'd at least invited him back for a meal.
Alec's mood didn't get any better when after they got back, Ellie had caught one of the phone engineers snooping around and then the man had the nerve to knock on Alec's door when he and Ellie were discussing something.
"Have you finished?" Ellie asked the man she'd see snooping around.
"Ah no. Are you investigating that boy's death?" they were asked.
Alec wanted to give a smart reply but changed his mind. The phone engineer continued.
"I have some information, about Danny."
"What sort of information?" Alec regretted asking after his DS had seen the man looking at something.
"He wants you to know he was put in a boat," the man replied.
"Who told you this?" Alec wanted to know. "The place is full of boats, which one?"
"That's all I was told, that and water. He was in a boat," the man repeated. "Danny told me."
"What?" Alec almost shouted, getting a look from Ellie. "Take him to the interview room," he then told her.
When they had left, he wondered if Rose would have any idea how to deal with the man. He wished he'd remembered to get her phone number last night. He thought the interview could wait while he walked over to Rose's caravan but if she wasn't in, it would just waste time.
Then he decided to go ahead and maybe mention it to her tonight. She might be agreeable and give him some idea how to deal with it. That was until he knew the man was wasting their time.
"So, do you know the Latimers?" Alec asked who he now knew was Steve Connolly.
"Ah, no," the man shook his head.
"Get him out of here," Alec told Ellie as the man tried to protest.
As he was being led out, Connolly turned back to Alec.
"You've met her before," Alec was told.
"What are you talking about?" Alec asked.
"You know, I can tell. The woman you were talking to," Connolly replied.
"Who's he talking about?" Ellie asked as Alec stood in the doorway. "Does he mean the woman from last night? I thought you'd not bothered?"
"I never said that Miller," Alec reminded her.
How was he going to get himself out of this without giving Rose's presence here away?
"Oh, you were expecting someone joining you and you didn't want to admit it?" Ellie grinned at the thought.
"Don't push it Miller," he warned her. "Keep that man away from the Latimers, they have enough to deal with."
Just then, her phone rang.
"CCTV from the hut came back," she told him.
"Then let's take a look, you can go home then," he replied.
"Wow, what brought that on?" Ellie was surprised. "You are meeting someone?"
He chose to ignore the remark until it been established if Rose really wanted to be friends or if it was just dinner tonight and she then kept her distance. They viewed the CCTV tape and discovered none other than the boy's father waiting by a car.
"What do you make of that Miller?" Alec asked her. "Find out who has the keys for that hut, then get forensics onto it."
"So I don't get to go home early then?" Ellie was disappointed.
Just after four, they were walking towards the caravan of the woman who cleaned the hut and it was raining. Alec was shaking his head as Ellie attempted to talk to the children they passed.
"You over-compensate Miller," he told her as she went to knock on the caravan door.
Alec was surprised when the woman who answered the door and told him they'd woken her dog up turned out to have been on the beach the morning before. He had noticed that she had seemed unconcerned, standing there smoking with a blank look on her face.
Alec finally got away and went to get changed for his dinner date.
"Going somewhere inspector?" Becca asked him as he tried to sneak past the bar. "We do serve evening meals you know?"
"I know, I have a prior engagement," he admitted.
Becca was going to tell him she knew he'd sneaked in late last night but decided against it.
"Oh, by the way, you know my bookings are down, people are cancelling? Well if I offer the police half the rate for your room, would you object to me letting some rooms to the press?" she asked hopefully.
"If you keep them out of my way," Alec reluctantly agreed.
Had Rose meant what she'd said when she offered him her spare bedroom? He might just take her up on it.
Rose was getting the meal ready and was getting nervous. She wasn't over John, not by any means but she had been so lonely and tired the last few weeks after she'd lost him. Why hadn't she gone back with the Doctor and taken her chances he'd still be agreeable if he regenerated again? She could have lived with him being a bit disagreeable at first but something had made her stay.
She'd heard Pete talk to Jake about speeding up the same device they'd made contact with the Doctor and maybe that was the answer and she'd volunteer. It was still being tested though and there were no guarantees anyone would make it back.
Everyone had known about Alec from Sandbrook apart from her but she'd told him the truth about missing a lot of it. The Doctor must have looked up his record and seen the detective hadn't deserved to get hung out to dry over failing to catch the killer. This must have been his punishment then. Well she wasn't going to let him look at it as punishment, if he'd let her help him.
Alec decided to walk down to get some fresh air and had called at a store to get Rose some chocolates. He arrived just after seven, since he'd been given no actual time to call.
"Hi Alec, come in," Rose greeted him.
She was wearing a simple red dress with one bare shoulder and he handed her the fancy box.
"You look very nice Rose," he told her as she put them down.
As she was going off, he caught her arm and dared to kiss her cheek. Then he decided to risk going for a kiss, to see how far this new friendship was going to go. She didn't back off so he went for it, then as Rose recovered, she backed off.
"Sorry Alec, it's just," she started to apologise.
"I apologise, I thought it was worth the risk," Alec smiled.
"Alec, it's not you, I'm just not ready. I want to be friends with you though," she told him.
"When was the last time you relaxed eh?" he wanted to know. "You did your best to keep your fiancé alive, no-one can fault you for that. Do you want to talk about it?"
"I don't know if I can Alec," Rose admitted.
"Then maybe I can help you? What do you say?" Alec replied. "Rose, I need someone I can trust and right now, you are the only one I can think of."
"I'm not sure Alec. I mean there are things I can't talk about, that I would have to admit."
"Then I have something to admit to you also," he replied, taking both her hands. "The reason I need to trust you is, well there is something wrong with me, that my chief cannot find out or I'm out of the police."
"Geez Alec, what the hell is wrong with you?" Rose asked. "I just lost John, you're asking a lot of me you know? I'm not even over him yet."
"I know Rose but please hear me out. I need someone to keep me going and when I discover who killed Danny, I will get more help. I already talked to my doctor, he's sending my medication and put me down to see a specialist. I just need someone on my side. Please Rose?"
"Alec, you know you look a little like him?" she asked, waiting for him to storm out.
"I saw photos of you in the paper, Rose. I don't look much like him," Alec replied.
"There's something else. We got married, just a short time before he passed away. No-one else knows."
"I see? Then I am honoured you could tell me. So, what about us being friends? No strings attached?" he dared ask.
"Well, I don't know about no strings," Rose smiled. "Yeah, I need a friend Alec. Ya won't tell anyone who I am then?"
"No, you can be just someone who happens to be called Rose," he assured her as he stepped closer. "It would be even better if I tell everyone you are my girlfriend."
"Hey, don't get carried away," Rose laughed.
"I'm serious Rose, think about it. We can help each other. Now, you promised me dinner," he reminded her.
"Yeah, sorry. Can we work up to me being your girlfriend? I'm just not sure I'm ready for this."
"On one condition. You said you had a spare bedroom? The hotel owner is letting rooms to members of the press. If I stay there, they may discover our secret," he warned her.
"I didn't say it had to be a secret Alec, as long as no-one recognises me. I'm supposed to be in seclusion after John died. Okay, ya can stay here if ya want? I'll move into the smaller room."
"Well maybe we can compromise, because I am going to attempt to kiss you again," he admitted.
"Oh ya are?" Rose smiled back, forgetting the meal. "Well, I feel guilty, so soon after John."
"Rose, maybe he would want you to move on, have you thought of that?" he asked her.
Now she knew what the Doctor had meant. Alec Hardy needed her help and he in turn could help her get over John's death.
