Ellie had just got a message that Becca Fisher was waiting downstairs and looked in Alec's direction.
"Sir, have you still got Mark downstairs?" she asked him from the doorway.
"Yes but Rose just sent a message to say we are about to get an alibi for him," he replied, showing her the message.
"Well Becca Fisher is downstairs," Ellie told him. "What did Rose do?"
"What we can't Miller, we had best see what Ms Fisher has to say then," he replied, putting his phone in his pocket. "Now you see why Rose is of use to us."
"I hope you're not just using her," Ellie warned him.
"I never meant it like that," he told her, going for the lift. "You were questioning her being involved."
Ellie tried to think back just a few days, when Rose had walked into the station and Hardy seemed to be taken with her. She bet they were already sleeping together, he wouldn't waste any time making a move on the Vitex heiress, Torchwood agent or not.
"Becca, are you here about the offence we talked about?" Ellie asked her when they got out of the lift, her thinking Hardy was getting lazy.
"What? No, I got a text message, from Chloe Latimer, can we talk in private?" Becca asked her.
Ellie led her to another interview room and Becca showed her the text. Ellie wondered what Rose had to do with it.
"I didn't know what to do, until Rose Tyler came into the hotel. She said if I knew where Mark Latimer was that night, well she said he was being held her over it. He can't have had anything to do with it, he was with me."
"So, you were the one in the other car?" Alec mused, not wanting to say someone had told him even though it was on CCTV just as the tape cut out.
"I wish I'd never gone to meet him now," Becca sighed.
"Becca, if you hadn't, he would be a major suspect," Ellie replied, getting a scowl from Alec that she saw sideways.
"I met him up there and we drove off, back to the hotel, we went to my room and we had sex. Satisfied?" Becca wanted to know. "You can't tell his wife, you have to promise me. Chloe knew something was going on when he collected her after she'd helped me out one night at a function. You can thank her and Rose Tyler for me being here. That night was the worst decision I ever made, he acted like nothing had happened the following day."
"Really?" Alec asked her.
"Well he was walking up the High Street and spoke to me but he seemed in a hurry, then all hell broke lose," Becca told him.
Alec was just glad he'd not done that to Rose after they had spent their first night together, even though they'd not really done much. He supposed people reacted differently.
"Can I go now?" Becca wanted to know, hoping to get away with the drugs offence now she'd given Mark an alibi.
Alec nodded and Becca got up.
"Are you going to tell Beth who gave Mark an alibi?" she asked Alec.
"No, unless she asks," Alec replied. "It's up to Mark to tell her."
After Becca left, Alec got up to tell whoever was on duty to let Mark go but decided he should tell him himself.
"You can go Mark," Alec told him as he stood in the doorway, hoping he could go find his new accommodation now and if Rose had managed on her own.
"Just like that?" Mark asked as he got up.
"You should have just said instead of wasting time," Alec replied. "What do you expect when you keep secrets eh? Your fingerprints were found in the hut."
"I told you, I had to attend a burst pipe up there," Mark told him wearily.
"You can see how it looks," Alec stated. "Did you see anyone while you were waiting for Becca Fisher?"
"No, it was dark though there may have been a motorbike near the edge of the cliff. I just thought the owner had been for a walk and was a bit late back."
"Were there any lights on in the hut?" Alec wanted to know.
"I never looked," Mark replied. "Danny was in there while I was waiting."
"We don't know that for sure. We think he was taken there but the camera only shows the car park," Alec replied, not wanting to say they had an eye-witness, if Ashworth could be trusted.
"You said he wasn't killed there though. Where was he killed then?" Mark wanted to know.
"We believe he ran off, down to the boatyard. He maybe disturbed someone or someone chased him down there," Alec admitted, forgetting what he'd told the Latimers over the weekend.
He didn't think Mark was in any state to remember anyway. If his wife found out where he'd really been that night, she wouldn't remember what she'd been told either. They had been understandably upset at the time. He let Mark leave and went back upstairs to clear his desk.
"Leaving early?" Ellie asked him.
"I am moving out of the hotel, Rose may need some help," he admitted.
"Wow, that didn't take long then?"
"It's just a caravan, it's more practical than the hotel. I expect Rose will also be checking if the mobile lab has arrived as well, then the CSU can send any more evidence to them, they will have been fully briefed."
"Well Brian's not too happy about it," Ellie replied.
Alec could have already told her that. He went off to find Rose, who was now sorting everything out. She'd left a few things in his room and just handed her own key in to the young girl on the desk. She'd assumed Becca had gone to tell Alec where she and Mark Latimer were that night and hoped Alec would share the juicy gossip.
"Need any help?" Alec offered while he found some milk to make tea when he'd located the caravan.
"We have to go back and get the rest of your stuff," Rose reminded him, going to put her arms around him.
"You could have put it all in the large holdall," he replied, trying to turn to kiss her.
"I'm not used to packing for a bloke ya know? I've not heard the mobile units have arrived yet, I expect it took a while to persuade the council to close the car park. They'll get well compensated for loss of parking fees."
"We let Mark Latimer go, well done for talking to Becca, that was good thinking love."
"She was undecided," Rose replied as she put his arms around him. "So, that's Mark out of the picture then?"
"What gets me is why get Carter to cover for him when he's such a bad liar?" Alec wondered, putting his arms around her and resting his chin on her shoulder.
It reminded Rose of what the Doctor would do on the occasions they hugged. When they had been trapped on a planet under a black hole came to mind. She still had to tell Alec who she really was but he'd not asked many questions so far.
"He probably thought Nigel would go along with him?" Rose mused.
"We still have to talk Rose. I am letting you in on the investigation because I need your help. I can't concentrate when I should because I have to keep calm and not lose my temper with all the incompetents around here. A boy died Rose and all people want to do is keep secrets and cover for each other."
"Poor Alec. It's a small town, they're bound to stick together when an outsider wants to know things. Let's get to the hotel and call for some food on the way back?" Rose suggested.
Once at the hotel, Becca was back and stared at Alec.
"Are you both moving in together?" she asked them.
Rose thought considering she'd given Mark Latimer a solid alibi, she was a bit slow.
"Can we trust you to keep it quiet?" Alec asked, since she'd asked for him not to tell Mark's wife.
"Yeah. If anyone asks, I'll say the press arrived and you moved out. I did warn Rose earlier," Becca replied.
Alec wondered if he was supposed to thank her? Rose nudged him.
"Thanks for that then. Come on Rose, we should get the rest of my things."
As Alec was clearing his room, Lee Ashworth was planning his moves on Claire. He knew she had a weakness for a certain Chinese dish and prawn crackers, so he walked to the nearby village and was in luck they had a takeaway. He knocked on the cottage door he'd seen Hardy and the blonde come out of earlier and rushed up the nearby hill. He reckoned Claire wouldn't come out in a hurry, if she wasn't expecting Hardy going back.
Claire had been thinking about the visit from Hardy and Rose Tyler. What the hell was he doing bringing her here and her pretending she wanted to be friends? Did she think she was fooling anyone? She'd expected Alec to come alone, not with the Vitex heiress. Now, Alec wanted her to agree to meet her husband, whom she'd not seen since last year.
She had been genuinely scared of what Lee was capable of, after he was so easily led into finishing Pippa off after the girl had heard too much. She'd not wanted Lee to be found guilty because if he was, he would give her up and say it had been her idea. She'd been surprised he'd not done that though but to make sure he wasn't locked up and her along with him, she'd followed Hardy's now ex wife and the stupid woman had been so busy kissing another bloke she'd not noticed the car pull up in the street outside and Claire had sat watching them.
Then when Tess had gone off, she'd made her move, smashed the car window and made it look like an opportunist by taking not just the evidence bag with the pendant in it. She'd been so sure the car was empty though when Lee had sold it whilst out on police bail. Then the idiot had gone and left it in when she'd heard the police were searching it after a friend on theirs who ran a car lot warned her.
Now she was glad Tess had left Alec, he knew what it felt like when she'd run away from Lee for fear he'd turn on her despite stealing the only evidence the police had to connect them to Pippa's death. It had been regrettable but the girl was hysterical and she would talk, no amount of assurance from Ricky would keep her quiet.
She heard a loud knock on the door and jumped. Had Alec come back without that Rose Tyler? She'd heard no car though and why would he come back? She got up slowly then cautiously unlocked the door to see a white plastic carrier bag on the doorstep. She looked around and saw a figure in the distance at the same time her message tone went on her phone - the message just said 'Your favourite'.
She took the food inside as Lee watched from his vantage point. He'd missed her but she had betrayed him though she had redeemed herself when he'd left the pendant belonging to Pippa on the back seat of the car he'd sold. He crouched down and waited twenty minutes then he made his way to her cottage. Claire had finished the food and had a feeling he would dare to knock on the door. How did she feel about him though? Was she ready to see him again?
She had been going to refuse Rose Tyler's offer of going with her to a meeting but deep down, she had missed him. She took the chain off the door then unlocked it, opening the door slowly to see him standing there. She let him inside and just went for him.
Afterwards, they lay together and Lee wanted to know about Alec.
"So, were you seeing Hardy then?" Lee asked her.
Claire burst out laughing. "No, I told him things to get myself out of being arrested. What did you expect Lee?"
"I should have known you only did it for yourself Claire."
"He was here earlier, he wanted to set up a meeting between us," Claire told him.
"I know, he was with that Rose Tyler. She was with him when I went to the police station the other day. Claire, I got caught up with that boy's death."
"What?" Claire shouted, trying to get up.
"Calm down Claire. I just happened to be on that cliff top when he saw me. I didn't want Hardy to know I was in town until I was ready to use him to find you. The boy ran off down the path to the boatyard so I went after him."
"Tell me you didn't kill him Lee?"
"It was an accident Claire, he ran into the oar I was holding out, well swinging it. I never expected him to run around the corner the same time I reached it, did I?"
"Get out Lee, now," Claire told him.
"What? Claire, they have no idea I was involved, in fact, Hardy wants me to identify someone who was up in the hut with the boy before he ran off. Don't you see? I can pin it entirely on whoever it was. I got a good look at him but I'm not telling Hardy that."
"Are you so sure Lee?" Claire asked him.
"Yes Claire, now stop worrying. Are you going to throw me out?" he asked, trying to climb onto her.
Ashworth laughed quietly to himself as his estranged wife slept. She'd probably throw him out in the morning anyway but for now, if he could convince her Hardy wouldn't find out he'd killed that boy accidentally, she could be an ally.
Rose was tired after moving everything and unpacking again so they just went out to the camp bar to get something to eat then had an early night. They had made some progression, Rose telling Alec not to get over-exerted.
"Rose, I will be fine," he tried to protest as she insisted he moved off her.
"Yeah, I just don't wanna take any chances Alec. Just wait for a Torchwood doctor to arrive and see what they say. They can have a heart specialist here whenever you want. Why not have it done Saturday morning, then you have time to recover?"
"That soon?" he tried to joke.
"We don't want any scares Alec, like you doing something stupid such as get annoyed with a suspect or chase them. So, what are we doing tomorrow? We should get you introduced to the forensic lab team and I should set up my office."
"Rose, you can use an office in the station, the one next to mine," he suggested, stroking her arm.
"I'll have everything I need at the mobile one Alec. They'll be a laptop with a secure connection back to Torchwood to start with and an assistant who I can set things up with. Alec, we'll do anything to help find Danny's killer, if we're wrong about Lee Ashworth."
"We're not but I just have to prove it," Alec replied, snuggling into her neck.
"You mean we have to prove it Alec," Rose reminded him. "You're not on your own this time, you have me and the whole of Torchwood behind you. Want to go have a look in the boatyard tomorrow?"
"They should have finished in there. What do you hope to find?" Alec wondered.
"Clues Lee was down there and that he lied he stayed on top of the cliff. What did Danny do down there then if he wasn't running away from Lee?"
"Well Miller's suggestion was, he disturbed someone else, the person who was stealing the boat but why would anyone be down there stealing a boat if not for putting Danny in it? No, that does not add up Rose."
He was talking to himself as Rose had fallen asleep. He planned on proving tomorrow it was Ashworth who chased Danny down to the boatyard. It would have been helpful if someone had reported a boat was missing but maybe it had just been chosen at random? If it was Lee Ashworth, he would have made sure the boat had a motor on it. What got him most was, it was too similar to how the man must have carried poor Pippa from a car into the woods and laid her down.
He thought had it not been raining the day after she was reported missing, the river would not have burst its banks and she would have been discovered sooner. Then they would have got more proof of how she died. No, Ashworth was responsible one way or another for Danny's death, only he would have left the boy on the beach, like he left Pippa in the woods.
Did Ashworth actually think he was fooling anyone by leaving Danny where he would be easily found as opposed to hiding Pippa? Tomorrow, he would catch up with the man and ask him a few more questions, after Rose arranged a meeting between him and Claire. He would meet Ashworth somewhere and escort him to the mobile offices and see if the man would give any clues on the way there.
As Ashworth had predicted, Claire was planning on telling him to leave in the morning so he woke early and was gone by the time she woke up. Claire just got up and hoped he wouldn't keep coming around with her favourite food but now, how were they going to fool Alec and that Rose Tyler when a meeting was arranged? She picked her phone up and decided to try and get out of it.
She hadn't reckoned on Rose answering Alec's phone while he was taking a shower, something she would have joined him in if not for the fact the tiny cubicle only just had room for one person. Rose had seen Claire's name come up on his phone and saw no reason why she shouldn't answer it.
"Alec's phone," she answered, trying to sound like she'd not just woken up and she was in her dressing gown, Alec's phone being on his side of the bed, well that was the side he'd got in the night before but they had slept in the middle.
"Oh, so you didn't waste any time getting in Alec's bed then?" Claire asked sarcastically.
"That's none of your business Claire. I was gonna call later to say I have a place you can meet Lee. I can come down and get you, say around eleven this morning?" Rose asked her, since it was now approaching eight.
Claire didn't usually get up at that time but she'd suddenly noticed Lee was gone.
"That's what I was calling about. I'm not so sure I want to meet him."
"Claire, it's vital we get some more information out of him. A boy died and we have to prove who the killer was," Rose reminded her.
"I know what Alec's up to. He's trying to blame Lee," Claire replied.
"Claire, he's not accused Lee, he's trying to get the facts," Rose replied, wishing they could prove they were right.
"Well I'm sorry but he'll have to get them another way. I'm not ready to meet with Lee."
Claire thought that was fairly true, since she'd not expected him to find out where she was and turn up on her doorstep last night.
"Claire, I can stay with you or have a camera on you. You'll be safe," Rose promised her.
"Why is he insisting on seeing me?"
"I don't know Claire. All I can promise is nothing will happen to you. Look, I'll come down anyway, then if you change your mind I'll be there," Rose suggested.
"Well okay then but I'm not promising I'll go with you," Claire replied.
Claire hung up and sent a text to Lee 'You will have to pretend you weren't here last night, Alec still wants us to meet so you'll tell him who you saw'.
Lee saw the message and replied with 'That's easily done Claire'.
Claire flung her phone on the sofa. So last night was just sex to him, he was only acting like he wanted her back to satisfy Alec. Lee would never admit he was near where that boy had been killed, let alone admit it was him who actually struck the deadly blow. How stupid could Lee have got, going around a boatyard looking for someone and swinging an oar?
Well Alec would have to either believe Lee wasn't responsible or not and find whoever else was there on his own.
Rose and Alec set off for the boatyard below the cliff top hut, Alec wondering what Rose expected to find that uniformed officers hadn't, since the CSU would only just have arrived, having finished at the hut but up until now, they had no proof Danny had been killed there. If it had been Ashworth, the fatal blow could have been struck elsewhere and he'd gone back and thrown the oar in one of the boats after he'd got back from leaving Danny on the beach.
This was getting more complicated by the minute, was there yet another crime scene, he wondered as they arrived where the CSU van was parked. He got out and was greeted by Brian.
"Sir, we're just about to go over the boatyard. We'll concentrate around the area the oar was found for now."
How was he supposed to tell the man about where the boat had been taken from?
"Right, you do that then. Rose, can you get someone up from your mobile lab to look around where that boat was taken from?"
"Another possible crime scene?" Brian dared ask. "How many more are there?"
That was what Rose and Alec were wondering though Alec was convinced now it was the boatyard and Ashworth had noticed the boats chained up. So, Ashworth had thought he was being clever, taking Danny down the coast and trying to throw off suspicion?