"Rose, it's not a good idea to accept her dinner invitation."
"Why Not? You wanted to interview her son, see how he reacts at home," Rose protested.
"Oh, I'd not thought of that," Alec admitted, Rose giving him a nudge. "We could probably learn something."
"Yeah, now ya gettin' it," Rose smiled. "She doesn't like the idea, does she? Kids admit things to their friends more than they do to their parents ya know? Me and my best mate Shareen used to tell each other all sorts of things, my mum would cringe. Tom might talk more at home than in an interview."
"That's if she lets him downstairs," Alec replied.
"Why do ya think I said I was lookin' forward to meeting them? If she invites me to see her youngest, he might be around, I can ask him things without her realising."
Alec kept quiet for a moment.
"Is that what Torchwood does?" he asked.
"No, it's what I do to my little brother. Trust me, Tom will talk to me so why don't you let me interview him tomorrow? Ellie might not object as much."
"That depends what you ask him tonight Rose," Alec replied. "Are you going to get groceries?"
"Yeah but I might go set my office up first and talk to my stepfather. Martha will have let him know what you decided. Please Alec, don't put it off any longer."
"I promise I won't, it just made more sense to have an extra day to recover. Now I know my chances are better, I will go ahead."
"Good, 'cos I hate the thought that you'll suffer longer than you have to. You have to trust Martha when she says they'll be someone there all the time. What are you gonna do now?"
"Wait for results, I was doing as you suggested and letting others get on with it," he smiled. "I'm waiting for both forensic teams to finish at the crime scenes, the results from the oar and the cloth once they are passed to your labs and also, who had a boat stolen. That could take a while though, if whoever it belongs to does not use it on a regular basis."
"Yeah, that could be a problem then? Still, if it was Lee Ashworth that stole it, the owner's not likely to know him, are they? About Claire though, she offered to do my hair sometime, maybe I should let her? She might let her guard down."
"Yes, do that then but be careful Rose, she's dangerous, especially if she is seeing her husband again. She wanted nothing to do with him and she never even told him she was pregnant."
"Wow, that's some secret to hide. No wonder she was wary of him? If they saw each other last night though, they must have been planning something?"
"They were playing us Rose, well Claire was. If she's taking him back, I am no longer going to vouch for her in that cottage."
"Then tell her," Rose suggested. "Give her a choice, that she stays away from Lee or she leaves. Alec, you were protecting her from him but she's seeing him again. I thought on the way up here she was putting it on, that she wasn't nervous about seeing him today."
"Yes, now we know why," Alec agreed. "Right, you pay a surprise visit to her in the morning after you talk to Tom Miller while I talk to Ashworth. I just hope your lab will get more results than the police lab."
"They will, trust me, it's what they do, they find the impossible. I'd better go then?" Rose smiled.
Alec got up and offered her his hand.
"You just be careful where Claire is concerned," he warned her, kissing her cheek.
"You be careful with Lee Ashworth, you're in no fit state if he starts a fight."
"I do not need to be reminded of that Rose."
"Yeah, well just keep out of trouble until you get yourself fixed. See ya later and no working late as an excuse not to go to Ellie's tonight."
"That was a bit short notice," he replied.
"Well maybe that was just as well?" Rose asked him.
Rose went off back to her temporary office and checked in with Pete.
"Yes, I got the report from Doctor Jones," Pete told her. "Let's hope he doesn't try to put it off. If you need more lab technicians, just call Jake."
"Yeah, I will, I want him to run some checks anyway, about Alec's last case. He's not said much about it but I know he took the blame, even though he was cleared. Do ya think he'll be able to get me the full story?"
"I don't see why not? So, how's it going? You still think that Lee Ashworth's responsible?"
"Yeah, even more so now, he got to his wife before we arranged a meeting with her for him, then they had the nerve to pretend nothing had already happened. Claire told me when I took her home."
"Sounds like those two are trouble," Pete warned her. "Watch yourself with them Rose."
"Alec's already warned me Dad. Hopefully the lab will be able to prove Lee Ashworth's prints or DNA were on that rag that was found, the oar's got Danny's blood on it so with the two items, we can prove he killed Danny."
"Then let's hope so," Pete replied.
Rose went to get groceries then she went to get changed to go out, calling Alec to remind him of their dinner invitation.
"Yes, I will be back," Alec replied just after six. "Miller has already left."
"Well, get yourself back Alec, any news yet?"
"From your labs or ours?" he joked.
"I'm not saying ours are any better Alec. If your labs had our resources, they'd get the same results but I don't like that Brian's attitude."
"No, he seems a bit off?" Alec had to agree. "This may be his first murder investigation though."
"Yeah, maybe. Have you contacted Lee Ashworth yet?" Rose asked him.
"I'll call him in the morning, what about you with Claire?"
"I think I may just turn up, see what she does?" Rose wondered.
"Well before you go see her, we'll get Tom Miller in first thing. Rose, the thing about Danny knowing the man he was with fairly well? What if it was Tom's dad?"
"Hey, we never thought of that," Rose replied. "Let's watch him tonight then?"
"Yes, indeed, we should," Alec agreed. "I wonder if Miller put her husband in the line-up?"
Rose let out a laugh. "Yeah, bet she was pleased about that, considering him a candidate for meeting Danny?"
"Well, they may mention it tonight?" Alec wondered.
"Maybe I can ask her while she shows me her youngest son?" Rose asked.
"Is there any point in my being there?" Alec wanted to know.
"Sorry. It's just she might talk to me more?"
"Yes, you are probably right, you women tell each other things," Alec had to agree. "Just like teenagers tell each other. Am I going to be able to ask any questions?"
"Don't be daft Alec, I'll need you there when I interview Tom. I thought though if I took the lead, it would seem less formal? About Ellie's husband though, we never did think about it. I mean he knew Danny and whoever was there that night, Danny trusted him."
"Yes, he does seem a likely suspect in that respect. We shall see though if Ashworth points him out but in that case, will he agree to appear in the line-up?" Alec wondered.
"It'll seem odd if he refuses," Rose replied. "Maybe he doesn't think the eyewitness saw that much though, I mean Lee said he hid around the corner when Danny rushed out."
"Maybe he'll not suspect then? Right, I will be back soon love," he told her, sitting back in his chair.
"Great, you can help me choose something to wear tonight," Rose replied.
"Then I will be there shortly."
Rose smiled, he had called her 'love' when they weren't in the bedroom. The night before, Rose had felt happier than she had done since her arrival on this world.
Once Alec got back, he delayed her getting ready by them ending up kissing on the bed.
"Alec, I wish you'd get your surgery done earlier."
"I made my mind up Rose, you seem to forget I was not going to have it done at all," he reminded her.
"That's what worries me Alec. Would you have got around to it before it was too late?"
Alec tried to get up. "Rose, stop asking question eh? Yes, I know I'm bad and could get worse but after being told my chances were not that good? I expect they would rush me to the nearest hospital were I to collapse and they would have gone ahead, after getting Tess to sign the consent form."
Rose was horrified. "Really? What if she'd not got there in time Alec? Geez, you are one stubborn man. I used to have this friend who was almost as bad."
"This Doctor friend of yours?" Alec replied.
"How did ya guess? Alec, he could have fixed your heart in thirty seconds, had he been around. I'm sorry you never got to meet him."
"So am I Rose, three of us though, all looking the same is a little too much though. We should be going."
"Yeah, we'd better call for a bottle of something on the way. So, which dress?"
"You choose love, I don't expect they will be dressed up."
"I'm gonna sit opposite them, to study her husband," Rose grinned as he helped her off the bed.
"You are too suspicious Rose, you are almost as bad as me."
"Is that a compliment? Are you gonna watch him as well?"
"That would make him suspicious, you go ahead."
After stopping at an off-licence, Rose going to choose some chocolates for Ellie, Alec rang the doorbell and took the bottle of wine from Rose. Inside the Miller house, Joe had been questioning his wife's decision to entertain her new boss and his famous girlfriend at such short notice.
"Ell, you could have invited them another night," he had told her when she'd got home, Fred still in his chair.
"It was a spur of the moment thing, we were talking and Rose wanted to meet Fred. She's got a younger half brother, she remembers what it's like," she'd replied, ruffling the boy's hair as he played with a toy police car.
Joe was now starting to get worried as he heard the doorbell. Had his wife's new boss suspected it was him up at the hut and was using her invite to prove a point? Maybe though, Hardy just wanted to show off his new famous girlfriend, how had that happened?
"Hi, come in," Ellie was telling Rose and Alec. "Oh, you're all dressed up Rose," she pointed to her attire.
"This old thing?" Rose laughed, pointing to her designer dress.
"I wish I could afford to buy dresses like that," Ellie smiled. "I might have splashed out while we were away in Florida but Joe miscalculated our spending money. I gave it to him to save."
As Ellie stood back to let them in, Rose and Alec looked at each other, Alec thinking that may explain where the money they'd found in Danny's room may have come from. Rose was thinking the same as Ellie led them into the kitchen, where Joe was just finishing off.
"Well, this is my husband Joe," Ellie told them.
"You need no introduction," Joe grinned at Rose, then looked at Alec. "I meant Rose being famous and you're the one who kept my wife working late."
"Ah, that I did and I apologise but finding Danny's killer is a priority and while we delay, the killer is getting away with it," Alec replied as he handed Ellie the bottle of wine.
"These are for you as well," Rose smiled, handing her the chocolates.
"Thanks, you can come again," Ellie smiled back. "Want to see Fred before dinner?"
"Yeah, I'd love to, as long as we're not disturbing him? How's Tom anyway? Is he nervous about tomorrow?"
"Why does he need to be interviewed?" Joe asked, stopping to take the bottle of wine from Ellie.
"Joe, I already told you," Ellie replied. "He was Danny's friend, he may know something."
"Such as?" Joe asked.
"We can discuss that tomorrow," Alec told him, thinking the man was being a bit defensive.
What was he hiding?
"Yeah," Rose agreed. "Come on Ellie, let's go see Fred."
She hoped both men would behave while they were gone, Alec didn't need to start any arguments.
"So, how did you get to take up with Rose Tyler so fast?" Joe asked him. "Every single man in the country would kill to get a date with her."
"I am well aware of that," Alec told him. "She took a liking to me when she arrived."
He hoped the man would not ask any more awkward questions.
"So, you chose to stay at home then?" Alec continued.
"Something wrong with that?" Joe asked him.
"No, not at all. It's not for everyone."
Rose and Ellie were standing over Fred's cot.
"Aw, he's so cute," Rose was telling Ellie. "It was a big shock when my mum announced she was pregnant, there's a big gap between me and Tony. That's why I stayed at home, I knew what it was like to grow up on my own."
"There's not much of a gap between me and my sister," Ellie admitted. "I think I was keener we had Fred than Joe was, I wanted another before it was too late."
"So, how did Tom take to having a baby brother?" Rose asked her, thinking she may as well do some snooping.
"I think it will have more of an impact when Fred's a bit older," Ellie replied. "When Fred takes more of an interest, Tom will probably feel more involved, especially now Danny's gone."
"Yeah, I bet Tom's had a shock then?" Rose wondered.
"He's not said much about it," Ellie admitted, leaning down to cover Fred. "I don't know if he's said anything to his dad though. We're not happy about bringing him for an interview tomorrow."
"Ellie, I'm sure Tom wants to help find whoever killed his friend? We're pretty sure it was Lee Ashworth though but we have to find whoever took Danny up there in the first place. Had Danny not gone out that night, well he'd still be alive."
"I know that Rose but if Lee Ashworth also hadn't gone up there that night, Danny would have gone home," Ellie replied, trying not to get upset.
"Yeah, sorry. Lee Ashworth has a lot to answer for. Why didn't he just warn Danny not to tell? Mind you, Danny may have had enough being warned by whoever took him up there, he might have panicked and told his parents anyway," Rose suggested.
"He shouldn't have picked up that oar and not expected to use it," Ellie replied. "What was he going to do with it besides warn Danny? No Rose, I think Ashworth fully intended silencing Danny that night."
"So, you think Ashworth chased Danny down there and intended getting rid of him, just because he didn't want Alec to know he was in town?" Rose wanted to make sure. "Yeah, I get that if Ashworth hadn't been up there, Danny would still be alive but what if the person who took him up there also didn't want Danny to tell anyone? Who's to say that person may have also killed Danny to silence him. That person's not wholly innocent Ellie."
"Wonder what's taking those two so long?" Joe joked to Alec, who was at a bit of a loss what to say to the man, especially since he and Rose were beginning to suspect he was the one to lure Danny up to the hut that night.
"Women and babies I expect?" Alec offered, leaning back on the counter. "She has a younger brother, they are probably comparing."
"Well, best go back downstairs," Ellie was telling Rose, who was hoping to speak to Tom.
"Can I say hi to Tom? Then when he sees me tomorrow, he won't wonder who I am?"
"Rose, even Tom knows who you are," Ellie laughed.
"Alec and I thought it would be best if I interviewed him, he might get scared if he thinks it's going into a police report."
"When did you decide that?" Ellie asked at the top of the stairs.
"Just before Alec got home. It's best it's informal Ellie but if need be, Alec can take over."
Ellie tapped on Tom's door, not too sure about it.
"Tom, come and say hello to Rose Tyler," she called out to him, having said she'd invited Rose and Alec round.
Tom opened the door slightly.
"Hi, I didn't really believe my mum it was you," he admitted.
"Tom, why would I say that?" Ellie asked him.
"Sorry Mum. Have you found out who killed Danny yet?"
"We're trying to. Rose thought it would be a good idea you talked to her tomorrow," Ellie told him. "She's not in the police but she's here to help. Do you think you can talk to her?"
Tom nodded. "Yeah, I'll try, if it helps."
"Great, see you tomorrow and don't worry, we only want to catch the person who killed your friend," Rose tried to assure him.
Joe and Alec were already in the dining room, having carried things in from the kitchen.
"So, you and Rose Tyler?" Joe was laughing as they waited. "At least my wife's not having to work late, since you took up with her."
"We will only work late when necessary. We may get some late callouts though, we can't predict when something new comes up. Sounds like they have come back down."
Rose went to sit beside Alec, putting her hands on his shoulders first. Alec got up and helped Rose with her chair, making Ellie smile, since he'd been helping her in and out of cars. As they ate, talking about Rose's reasons for getting involved and how Alec had left Sandbrook, Rose was studying Joe Miller and the way he was asking questions.
"So, do you think other kids are in danger?" Joe asked Alec.
"All I can say is that we think the incident was isolated and Danny was just in the wrong place," was all Alec would admit.
"So was he killed on the beach then?" Joe wanted to make sure.
"No, we believe he was just placed there to be found," Alec replied. "We can't reveal any more at the moment but even so, keep a close eye on your eldest."
"Yeah, it won't do any harm," Rose agreed. "We were hoping Danny might have told Tom if he'd been worried about anything."
"I think he would have told me," Joe replied, picking up the bottle of wine.
He went to go refill Alec's glass but Rose stopped him.
"Alec's driving, you can refill mine," she offered.
Alec was wondering just how more tactful she could be.
They finally got ready to leave, Ellie and Joe seeing them out.
"Thanks for inviting us Ellie," Rose was telling her, with her arm in Alec's. "Tell Tom not to be nervous tomorrow. Did you get a line-up organised?"
"Yeah, it'll be ready for when the witness comes in," Ellie replied.
"Hey, you didn't get roped in?" Rose asked Joe.
"Seems no-one's safe," Joe laughed.
"That went well," Ellie breathed a sigh of relief as she put her arms around her husband's neck.
"Seems he didn't get away with the line-up?" Rose was asking Alec, who was relieved her car was automatic or he'd probably crash the gears and she'd never let him drive it again.
"We knew she'd have to include him Rose," he replied as he turned at the end of the street. "Want to bet who Ashworth will pick out? You may have to delay your visit to see Claire, I want you to deal with your friend, Joe Miller is bound to protest at being accused of meeting Danny."
"Yeah, okay then? Did you hear Ellie saying they were short of money on holiday?"
"Yes, that's a coincidence," Alec agreed. "I don't expect you can get her to admit how much but surely she will realise? I think she is going to be in for a few surprises, don't you?" he asked as he drove back to the caravan.
"She's gonna be a bit upset but what can you charge him with?"
"Ah, that depends on what Ashworth heard them talking about? I think he heard more than he was letting on."