Had whoever had been there seen him dash out after Danny? He'd made a mistake and misjudged Danny would run off. He thought things had been going well and Danny had warmed to the fact he cared about him but when he'd tried to tell the boy, Danny had turned on him. The words "I know what you want" from who he thought loved him still echoed in his mind.
He'd tried to explain he didn't want anything, only to be loved back. They'd talked on the way to the hut after he'd picked Danny up. He'd not wanted anyone nearby to see them and had suggested meeting at the harbour. If anyone had questioned him, he could have just said Danny had run off and he was taking him home.
He looked at himself in the mirror. Now, he was partly responsible for Danny's death by taking him up there that night but how was he to know someone had been watching? He'd just have to wait until tomorrow and if he'd be picked out but what then?
Ellie had some questions for him though.
"So, about tomorrow. You're only there to make the numbers up," Ellie tried to assure him. "You did stay in after I went to bed?"
"What sort of question's that?" Joe wanted to know. "Why would I go anywhere and leave the boys? Go to sleep Ell and stop being so suspicious."
"I had to ask," she replied, turning her lamp out and staring at the bare wall. "When are you going to finish this bedroom?"
"Why are you asking me that now?"
"You've been going to do it for six bloody months, that's why. All you have to do is put Fred in his cot or why don't you call one of your friends to help you? Ask Nigel Carter one evening then."
Joe turned his lamp out, not answering her. If he got picked out at the line-up tomorrow, they would be having a different conversation. He thought it had been safe enough meeting in a remote place, trust someone to have chosen that spot to maybe camp out for the night.
Rose and Alec got back to their caravan, Rose in a good mood as she'd had more to drink as a way of deflecting Joe Miller from refilling Alec's glass.
"They will be suspicious," Alec was telling her as they laid on the seating.
"Well we got away with telling him you were driving," Rose complained. "Do ya think he was with Danny that night then?"
"It's hard to tell, we had better hope Ashworth got a good look at him," Alec replied as Rose snuggled up to him.
Once they settled in bed, Rose thought they could raise the stakes somewhat but she also warned him not to get too carried away.
"I will be careful love," he promised her.
"Yeah, well just because there's someone on standby to see to you if you need it," Rose joked.
"I will try not to disturb them if you make all the moves. Come here love, I know you won't let anything happen to me. Why don't you tell me more about this Doctor friend of yours who you travelled with? You never really mentioned about this twin he had. If he was meant to stay with you, why did he choose to leave?"
"I wish I knew Alec. They were about to leave, The Doctor and Donna, who had helped create the other Doctor. He'd just whispered he loved me but said he didn't deserve me after what he'd just done. Alec, he wiped out this species called The Daleks but left their creator and this mad Dalek who probably got away so how's that wiping them out?"
"I suppose that was how he looked at it?" Alec suggested.
"They'll turn up again, they always do. Some from another time period maybe? Anyway, before I had the chance to say I didn't care what he'd done and that he'd saved everything from being destroyed, he walked away after Donna said they had to leave. Even my mum couldn't believe he'd just go off like that."
"So, this gap between the worlds closed?" Alec asked as she'd previously tried to explain it to him. "Will it not open again if you thought it had closed before?"
"No, it was the Daleks, they made it possible again. Besides, it's dangerous to keep opening it, they might find their way here, well them or something worse."
"It sounds like there cannot be anything worse," Alec replied.
"You have no idea Alec, trust me. Mind you, some are a bit funny, like the Slitheen, though they are dangerous, they have very long claws and I should know."
"You've been captured by these creatures?"
"Yeah, a few times. The Doctor always talked his way out of it though, he was good at it although he got us into it most of the time. There's a lot to tell you Alec and I will, like how we came here the first time and went back. We almost got trapped here that time but we got back, only for me to get trapped here for real."
"I'm sorry you got trapped here Rose but you did get back?"
"I went to find him Alec, he thought leaving his twin here was a good idea but his twin had other ideas. It's something, getting rejected like that after all that time."
"I can imagine love. Still, you have me now."
"Yeah, I do and do ya know what?" she asked him. Alec shook his head. "I finally met someone who could say he loved me and he's willing to stay. I'm not saying it was the Doctor's fault his twin didn't want to stay, I mean what's staying here with me compared to carrying on travelling?"
"I'm sure he did not think of it like that love? Maybe he did not think after what had happened that he deserved to stay here with you?"
After some more kissing and getting as close as they could, Rose fell asleep while Alec considered how lucky he was. This Doctor and his twin were in another universe and he, Alec Hardy was the luckiest man on both worlds. Yes, he was ill but Rose was willing to help him and make sure nothing happened to him and she was keeping his boss from finding out.
He knew he'd never be able to repay her for what she was doing but maybe she'd settle for him actually staying with her and unlike the Doctor's clone, he was willing to make a commitment. Maybe though, he shouldn't judge either of the other men, one who loved her but couldn't say it and one who could say it but wasn't willing to stay and prove it.
The next morning, Ellie was trying to organise her two sons, thinking she should maybe go drop Fred at her sister's house first so she gave Lucy a ring.
"You are kidding me," Lucy laughed when Ellie told her Joe was appearing in a line-up.
"Stop it Lucy, it's serious. We have a possible witness as to what happened to Danny, Joe's just helping to make up the numbers. My boss also wants to talk to Tom, in case Danny told him anything."
"Well, okay then, I can watch Fred for an hour or two. Olly says Rose Tyler's in town what's she doing here?"
"I'm sure you'll find out when Olly puts it in the paper. I'll drop Fred off in about half an hour then?"
Olly was just leaving home.
"Why are you looking after Fred?" he wanted to know.
"Your aunt roped your uncle Joe into appearing in a line-up, can you believe it?" his mother laughed. "Don't you go printing that."
"Seriously? Why would she do that?"
"She said to make the numbers up or something, there might have been a witness the night Danny died."
"Really?" Olly grinned.
"Talk to your aunt first," Lucy warned him. "She might still be mad with you."
Olly knew she was but this would make a good story, it would prove something was being done about Danny's death.
Joe Miller however wasn't sure this was still a good idea as he fastened Fred into his car seat. Tom went to get in the car beside his baby brother.
"Dad, do I have to do this interview?"
"Tom, your mother thinks it's important, so yes. It's better than what I have to do," Joe tried to joke.
"Yeah. Hey Mum, dad's getting nervous," Tom laughed.
"I don't know what he's worried about," Ellie told him as she got in the driver's side.
Joe thought that was easy for her to say, it wasn't her standing in the line-up.
Rose and Alec were making breakfast, bumping each other in the kitchen area and Rose laughing about it.
"Do ya think Joe Miller's getting nervous?" Rose asked Alec as they ate.
"Maybe? If he thinks we have someone who can identify him. You had better be ready to calm your friend if I have to ask him a few questions. Like you said before though, what do I charge him with?"
"Yeah, that's the problem," Rose replied. "If he'd met Danny before, he's not likely to give details, is he?"
"I will have to refer him to child services, they will have to inform Danny's parents. As if they've not got enough to worry about. I can't understand people like that."
"Neither can I. My stepfather would go crazy if anyone approached Tony like that. Meeting as a family is totally different."
"That goes without saying," Alec agreed as he cleared the table. "What's wrong with people like that who have to meet kids in secret?"
"Guess we'll have to leave that to the experts?" Rose wondered.
"Yes, well, we may have to call them. So, you talk to Tom while I see to the line-up. Don't let DS Miller into the room. Do you want me to be there?"
"I can manage but isn't one of his parents supposed to be there?"
"Rose, his dad might be the reason Danny was up at the hut the night he was killed. We can hardly let him be present. Okay then, get his mother to stay but I will make it clear to her you are conducting the interview."
"Right, gotcha. Are ya calling Lee Ashworth?" she asked as Alec got his phone out of his pocket.
He nodded as he pressed the number, squinting and making Rose smile.
"What do you want?" Lee asked him when Alec said who it was.
"I need you in for the identification line-up, can you make your way to the station?"
"Bit short notice," Ashworth replied. "Do I have a choice?"
Alec ignored the remark.
"Have you seen Claire?"
"She won't want to see me now you forced her to meet with me," Lee replied sarcastically.
"Come off it Ashworth, Claire admitted the two of you had met the night before last. There's no use pretending otherwise. Why did you go to her cottage?" Alec wanted to know.
"I missed her, why do you think?" Lee told him.
"Why keep up the pretence? Stop playing games Ashworth, I should charge you with impeding a police investigation. This line-up could have taken place yesterday. Now with the games you and Claire have been playing you have delayed us finding who was with the boy."
"Suit yourself, as for finding Claire, you and your girlfriend were easy to spot leaving Claire's cottage. You never told me how she managed to hook up with you."
"I'm not discussing that with you Ashworth, I suggest you set off now."
Ashworth smiled to himself as Alec hung up on him. All that time the detective had been after him in Sandbrook, now he held all the cards and Hardy didn't like it. Alec was asking Rose if she was still going to see Claire later.
"Well, I can't pass up a free hairdo," Rose smiled as they set off.
"Just be careful love, you don't know her like I do. She could twist things around and don't believe anything she says about when her husband was locked up."
"Why, what's she gonna say Alec?" she asked as they crossed the road.
Alec thought it was better coming from him than Claire. He waited until they got to his office and he closed the door.
"While Ashworth was locked up, she came to me for help," he admitted.
"What kind of help Alec?"
"The night those two girls went missing, she told me she'd gone home to tell her husband she was pregnant. When he got locked up, she was scared to tell him."
"So, why did she tell you?" Rose wondered.
"She wanted me to go with her to terminate it. She had no-one else and Tess was on the side of the Gillespies, I doubt Claire would have got anywhere with her."
"So, you went with her? Why would she bring it up?"
"She may make more out of it," Alec replied. "You can't believe anything other than I took her there and tried to comfort her. At the time, I had no reason to think she had anything to do with it. Things have changed Rose."
"In what way?" Rose wanted to know.
"Come on Rose. You are famous and you are with me. What other reasons does she need? She could threaten to go to the newspapers or worse still my boss and make ridiculous charges against me. She is unstable and she's more dangerous than ever."
"Well, has she had psychiatric evaluation? I can get Martha involved, get her to bring an expert down from head office. Then if Claire wants to try anything, no-one will believe her."
"That could make her worse Rose and how do you get her to see anyone?" Alec asked her.
"Well I don't have to tell her she's being evaluated, do I? Okay, let's get the line-up out of the way and get Tom interviewed, then I'll call Martha. Do ya think Joe Miller's getting worried?"
"I think that's exactly what he is right now. I bet anything Danny was meeting him, when you think about it. Danny will have trusted him, maybe even gone to him rather than his dad. Let's see what he has to say if Ashworth picks him out shall we?"
"Can't wait," Rose smiled.
Alec's mobile rang and it was the desk sergeant to say Tom had arrived with his dad.
"Right, I'll join you until Ashworth arrives," Alec told her.
When they got downstairs, Ellie was talking to Tom.
"Just answer the questions," she was telling him.
"Will they all be about Danny?" Tom asked her.
"I expect so. You'll be talking to Rose, she's not in the police, it's just informal. We just need to know if Danny told you anything."
"You already said Mum," Tom smiled. "I don't think I have anything to tell her though."
"You saw Danny all the time," Ellie reminded him. "Tom, what do you mean by that?"
Tom shrugged his shoulders just as Rose came out of the lift, followed by Alec.
"Right, you go ahead to the interview room," Alec told them, seeing Joe Miller was looking a bit too smug with himself for his liking.
Joe was about to follow Alec as Tom and Ellie went off.
"What do you hope to gain by getting me in a line-up?" Joe joked. "Am I a suspect now, even with my wife being a detective?"
"No-one is exempt Joe, we just want a broad range of people for the witness to go through," Alec replied. "Your wife says she went to bed early that night but swears you would not go off and leave your two boys."
"I wouldn't," Joe replied as Alec led him into a room with a height chart across the wall and a camera set up. "No two-way mirror then?"
Alec let it go as he heard talking in the corridor, thinking the others who had been roped in for the line-up had arrived. While they were being asked their names, Alec thought he'd go see how Rose was coping. Ellie was sat beside her son, a camera pointing at Tom.
Rose switched it on.
"The camera's only here to make sure you're not uncomfortable talking to me," Rose explained. "If you want me to stop, just say. Don't worry, I've got a half brother a bit younger than you. So, when was the last time you saw Danny?"
Ellie noticed Rose wasn't writing anything down, which meant she intended going through it with her boss later. Tom noticed as well.
"Aren't you going to write this down?" he asked.
"I told you it was informal, I'll go through the recording later. If you want me to stop recording, just say."
"It's okay Tom, you can talk to her," Ellie told him.
"Just before we went on holiday. Then he sent me a message saying he didn't want to see me any more, he'd got a new friend."
"Tom, you never said, why not?" his mother asked him.
"I thought he was joking Mum but I never saw him, he never spoke to me at school," Tom admitted.
"Just before that, did he say he'd made a new friend?" Rose asked him, thinking Ellie didn't know everything about her son then.
Tom shook his head and looked up as Alec entered the room and leaned on the door, folding his arms.
"So, you fell out?" Alec asked him, getting a nod from Tom. "When he went to your house, what did you both do?"
Rose let him go ahead, even though it was her interview.
"We played video games after school, then we'd do our homework," Tom replied. "Then he went home after we kicked a football around on the field."
"Did anything change, the last few days before you went on holiday?" Alec wanted to know.
Tom looked at his mother.
"Tom, answer him," Ellie told him.
"I think he went to talk to my dad as I went back upstairs."
"Tom, was that in the house or outside?" Alec asked him, taking notes now.
They were interrupted by someone knocking on the door after trying to open it.
Alec stood to one side and wondered who had dared to interrupt him. Then he remembered Ashworth may be waiting.
"What?" Alec asked.
"Sir, everyone's ready and your witness is in the other interview room."
"Right, I'll be there in a moment, don't let anyone leave," Alec ordered.
He waited as the door closed and looked at Tom.
"Tom, this is important," Alec reminded him.
"Outside, I think. Yeah, he asked if he could get a drink, then I saw him going through the kitchen door. Fred was asleep in his chair."
"Was he?" Ellie asked him, wondering what Joe was doing leaving him.
"Dad never said anything," Tom told her. "I just went upstairs."
"How many times did this happen?" Alec wanted to know.
"A few times, not every day. Then one night, I got a message after he went off early."
"Tom, can I see your phone?" Alec asked him.
"Hey, why do you want his phone?" Ellie wanted to know.
"It's okay Mum," Tom replied, getting it out of his pocket. "I deleted the texts, I was angry with him."
Alec wondered why.
"Not to worry, I can get them from your phone provider," Alec told him as he got up to get an evidence bag and began writing on it.
"Are you serious?" Ellie asked him.
"I need to know what Danny said," Alec defended his actions.
He wondered why his DS was not getting the picture. Did they all have something to hide, well with the exception of the baby.