"Absolutely not! Have you lost your mind? Hardy! That's exactly the opposite of what I want for Tom, so no. No, no no no and no! Never. No!"

Hardy squeezed the bridge of his nose with his fingers. That was about exactly the reaction he'd anticipated, though so far, the swearing had been suspiciously reduced. Fred was probably in hearing-distance. "Listen, they won't be alone. I'll be right there, they won't leave my sight, I promise."

"Oh, right. Because that worked so well with Claire Ripley! Just because you're unlikely to keel over from a strong gust of wind doesn't mean I'd trust you to protect my son!"

"You're already trusting me to protect him, or is he not right here with me right now?" he shot back, stung.

Miller was silent for a while. "Sorry." She sounded it "That was uncalled for. But it's … it's different. I mean, generally keeping Tom safe – that's a given. But … Joe and…"

Hardy sighed and tried to think of a good enough argument to sway her towards his idea. It was hard. He wasn't actually all that fond of the idea himself. His arse was getting cold since he'd chosen the same bench he'd sat with Tom on for this call. The weather was unpleasant enough to grant uttermost privacy and his jacket kept at least his upper body dry and warm, but it was fairly miserable, sitting in a park in the drizzle just to have a phone-call. "Look. Tom's already here, in grasping distance of his goal. Right now, he's sticking with us but he's sixteen and determined and … and maybe he needs to do this. I don't like the idea of him talking to him, either, but I don't think anything short of handcuffing him to your house will keep him from it on the long run. I really think it's necessary. For Tom."

There was a sniff from the other end of the line and he patiently waited for Miller until she was able to speak again. When nothing came, he continued. "Do you think he'll physically hurt Tom? Is that it? You know him best and…"

Miller snorted. "Turns out I don't know him at all!"

"But you do. Even if he deceived you, you lived together for at least twelve years. Even I can still spill some of the worst traits of Tess and Tess will happily talk about mine – and we'd be mostly right, too. Do you think that Joe's capable of physically hurting his son?"

"Four years ago, I'd have laughed in your face. But I would have also laughed about the idea he'd hurt Danny, or desire an eleven-year old boy. So honestly, I don't bloody know!" She paused. "But after what his colleague said… I think he might."

An old man with a dog walked by. The mutt was wearing a tartan-coloured dog-coat and it trotted slowly and miserably behind its owner. It would have probably preferred to stay inside. "Tom said he never even yelled at him. Never raised his voice except when he was scared for Tom."

"When I think back, there's not a moment in our life I ever thought he was capable of violence against his children. And yet…"

"Yeah." There was no denying that Joe was capable of violence against children. Maybe he should cancel his stupid idea.

He was just about to tell her to never mind, he'd get Tom back somehow and tether him to Broadchurch, when Miller continued. "Then again, when we… when we chased him out of Broadchurch, he wasn't angry. He was scared, and desperate and delusional. He thought he could get his life back," she growled, "as if being acquitted meant he was innocent and everyone would take him back with open arms. So… I don't think physical violence is the real threat."

He waited. And waited, as it was clear she wasn't yet finished. "But?"

Something rustled and after another pause, Miller murmured, as if she didn't want to say it out loud. "What if … what if Tom wants to stay with him?"

Hardy gritted his teeth and scratched his beard, suddenly understanding what she was so scared of. "You think it's possible?"

"Daisy did."

Startled, he held the phone away from his ear and stared at the display, not sure what he was expecting to see. "Well, thanks a lot."

"Oh, no – I didn't mean it like that! Obviously not the same! But … he could. Tom … if he thinks Joe is innocent, even now still doubts everyone … there is every possibility that he'll want to live with him."

Yeah. Legally, he'd be allowed to do that. As Joe had walked free, if Tom so chose, he could demand living with his father from now on. But … would he? "Is he still so angry at you that he'd have a reason to drop you and Fred and his friends and life just to live with Joe? Because that's why Daisy moved in with me – she was furious at Tess."

"Really? I thought she just wanted to live with your cheery, sunny attitude around her all the time." If Miller could snark, they were getting somewhere. "Why's she so angry?"

"Found out about Tess and Dave and the pendant," he said, off-handed. On the street outside the park, a van drove through a puddle, splashing water over a woman with a cane. The woman cursed impressively after the driver but they either didn't hear or didn't care.

Something dropped in the Miller-household, something metallic that made an awful racket. Hardy had to pull the phone from his ear to keep his eardrums. "What? You mean Tess was the one who lost it? Are you serious? And you're only telling me that now?"

"Well, you're a detective! I thought you knew!"

"Bloody hell…" He could hear her pace around whatever room she was in through the line. Some plates and cutlery were being stacked now, the metal-thing probably picked up from the ground. Miller was cleaning during the call, undoubtedly had him on speakers. He hated the things but would have liked the use of both his hands to be able to put more than one in his pocket. "Well, doesn't matter now. Anyway… do you think it's wrong to think that about Tom?"

The man with the dog walked by again, this time in the other direction, carrying a bag with groceries. The dog looked a lot happier to be walking towards home.

"Honestly?"

"Yes! I wouldn't ask if I wanted a lie. I can give those to myself just fine."

"I think you have raised a good kid, Miller. Whatever stupid things he's done, I believe his heart is in the right place. Maybe … maybe trust him a bit more in this case."

It was so utterly silent on the line that he had to look at the phone to see if he had suddenly lost the connection. "Miller?"

"You… you'll be there? The whole time?"

O

Afterwards, he took Tom aside. The boy was still grouchy and shifty, and Hardy had the distinct feeling that he was minutes away from taking off, probably realizing that his window of opportunity was slowly closing.

"I talked to your mother. She's coming by tomorrow to take you back home," Tom's eyes widened, and Hardy hurried to continue. "She has also – reluctantly! – agreed that you can talk to Joe."

Tom opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. He looked like a deer in the headlight, or rather a fish on land, opening and closing his mouth as if to draw in air that wasn't coming.

"There are conditions," Hardy warned. "I will be there. Not so that I can hear you, but you will not leave my sight, under no circumstance. Is that understood?" Tom nodded eagerly. "Good. I've got enough pull with the local police to have you picked up if you disappear on me, and your father will not fare well in that situation, believe me." Again, Tom nodded. "You'll meet him at his work-place, out in the open. So bring warm clothes – it'll be bloody cold. I won't be listening in on you, I promise. This won't be a trick, there won't be any trying to force some confession out of him – this is between you and him, and not about the bloody case." He knew Joe had killed Danny, and everyone privy to the taped confession knew it as well. Hearing it again, getting evidence that would still not be valid in court, would help nothing. If they ever managed to put Joe Miller where he belonged, they'd need more than that. "But maybe that won't convince him, so… Just tell him what you want to tell him and see where it goes, okay?"

Once more, Tom nodded eagerly and when they returned to the hotel-room, he looked relieved and excited. Daisy was clearly surprised at the change of attitude, and she gave Hardy a look that conveyed her questions. He nodded, mimed 'Later' and she left it at that.

He was so bloody proud of her, his heart might not be able to take it.

To get Tom out of his way for a while, he sprung two tickets for a movie they both had been able to agree on. Daisy, still making his heart swell at every turn, promised to not let him out of her sight. Christmas would be crushing his finances this year. She deserved at least a pony. Or maybe he could take her for a holiday abroad?

The kids safely stored away, Hardy buckled his sturdier trousers, put on his warm jacket and made his way to Liverpool Shipping Port, having checked that Joe Miller would be working tonight. He'd rather eat nails than do this, but for Tom and Miller's sake, he would have a chat with that man.

He wished for a drink, but being sober for this was essential.