Ellie stared at him.

"Well?" he asked, waiting for her to answer.

"She's my friend and I won't have you screwing her around. If you want to see her, then don't mess with her. Yes, I would have invited her last night if she'd not been working but any sign you are just stringing her along, I'll warn her. So, why was she here early?" she turned the tables on him, hoping not to get a reprimand for defending her friend.

"You think I'm going to screw her around Miller? As for her arriving early, she wanted to make sure there were no misunderstandings between us that would get in the way of her interview. Yes, we've had a few official encounters where we did not exactly get on but I would not have wanted that to get in the way of her helping us with our enquires," he replied, since Rose had inferred to the desk sergeant that was why she had come to see him.

"I hope that's it?" Ellie dared ask him. "So why did you go after her the other day?"

"That's none of your business Miller. It was nothing to do with her, we had just come from the newsagents earlier, if you remember?"

Ellie did remember that he had been rude and asked Jack Marshall personal questions and the newsagent had been rude back.

"You thought you'd upset Jack and you were concerned about him?" Ellie dared grin.

Alec felt like telling her to take that look off her face.

"An ambulance was there Miller, how was I to know who was in attendance?" he replied.

Ellie wondered if he was trying to fool her or himself.

"Well I turned around when you headed back there, I was sure it was Rose you were talking to," she admitted.

Alec wondered about the two of them, both had been watching each other.

"So, what was wrong with him?" Ellie continued.

"Ask your friend," Alec replied, putting his specs back on. "Anything else? You have plenty of work to do and call me when the other paramedic arrives."

Ellie knew she'd get nothing out of Hardy. She knew he'd pulled the old 'I'm a police officer, tell me why you've been called out' trick on Rose, he wouldn't have tried it with her partner. He knew Rose would have to tell him if he'd asked her.

Alec tried to get on with his work, his head was still hurting from the fall last night but he couldn't let on plus he was wondering why the hell he'd accepted another dinner invitation just because he wanted a few more answers out of the blonde especially since she had more to tell him about the Millers.

At least the dinner conversation may be more interesting than last night and she now knew not to get him to drink more than he was comfortable with but he wasn't going to cut her any slack, well maybe not at first, depending on what she had to tell him but he still couldn't use any of it.

If it was more to do with Mark Latimer, then maybe but the husband of his DS, who had a temper and had known Danny? It seemed an interesting point and she'd been right to raise her concern over it but it could only be a coincidence and she had no proof Joe Miller had any connection to Danny's death. He couldn't just dismiss what she had told him though which was why he had agreed to hear the rest.

Ellie had gone back to her desk in a huff, if he messed Rose around, she'd make sure he knew about it boss or no boss. Maybe she shouldn't have mentioned that she'd thought of inviting her friend over at the same time but she'd only been trying to even things out though Hardy hadn't talked much. Even Joe had said he was quiet while she'd gone off but she needed to have words with her husband about forcing drinks on guests, since Rose had also objected a few times.

After they had interviewed Steven, who had backed Rose up over the callout to see to Danny's injury a few weeks before, Alec had Ellie call the coroner to see if there were any signs of a gash on the bottom of his foot, since he'd not at first believed Mark Latimer, especially after forgetting the name of the 'friend' he'd claimed to be out with that night when all along it had been Becca Fisher, who had found him collapsed on his bathroom floor, as Rose had reminded him.

He sat back for a moment both women had saved him in their own way but Rose had kept him alive to get him to hospital so he could at least accept her dinner invitation as a way of thanking her and not getting more information out of her. It could have been any of the ambulance crews who had been sent last night but as he'd already pointed out, it just had to be her.

He still couldn't quite understand why she'd chosen to go back and stay with him though, even when she'd claimed she didn't want to leave him on his own and he bet she had never done that before but to find her leaning on him when he'd woken up?

He thought of getting his DS to call the ambulance service and request a medical presence at the re-enactment the following night and to ask for Rose personally but she might know it was him who had requested her in particular. Maybe he should wait and ask her to volunteer but if he left it too late, they may assign a crew who were covering that area and he wasn't sure that would be her.

Instead, he got up and crossed to Ellie's desk.

"We should have an ambulance on standby tomorrow night, for those who find the walk too much," he announced without warning, Ellie jumping up since she was taking a drink and going over some information.

"Fine, I'll get on with it when I've finished all the other jobs before I go home then?" she asked him, making those around her smile.

"Well they won't have anyone to spare if we don't request assistance now," he reminded her.

Ellie wanted to say why didn't he just come out and ask her to get Rose to do it? She was surprised when he muttered something about he'd see to it himself and she knew who he was going to ask for. He'd be in for a shock if either Rose wasn't on duty at that time or they told him it would be whoever was nearby.

Alec got through to the supervisor and asked for their presence when he told them what it was for.

"Of course, DI Hardy, we'll make a crew available from that time but I could ask for volunteers of those who are due to finish around that time so as to minimise any disruptions," the supervisor told him.

Alec thanked him and was pleased he'd not had to ask for Rose by name. Now all he had to do was mention it to her later and hope she took the bait by volunteering herself and her partner. If it helped catch Danny's killer though she may suggest it herself, especially if she suspected Joe Miller had something to do with it. He needed more proof though and if he listened to her, she may be willing to help him, as long as she trusted him.

He had to trust her now though, she knew his secret but so did her partner and he would keep quiet since they weren't allowed to talk about patients they'd taken to hospital without being questioned officially so he was safe enough for now he supposed.

He was still working at six thirty as others were leaving , Ellie waving to them but then getting up herself, went to his office.

"I need to go home to see my boys," she announced, since she needed to talk to Tom about the following night.

"Fine, go then, everyone else is leaving," he agreed, Ellie thinking he would object.

She wondered if Rose had anything to do with it.

"You should leave too, since you took a whack to your head last night," she told him.

Alec was glad most of the staff had already gone.

"Do not go repeating that Miller. If anyone is to blame, it's your husband, he should not be encouraging police officers to drink," Alec replied.

"I told you I've already tried that, he takes no notice. We don't get many work colleagues as guests," Ellie replied.

Alec couldn't imagine why not.

"So did you invite Rose Tyler as a colleague of your husband at first?" he wondered out loud.

So he was trying to get information, Ellie mused.

"When she arrived in town, she didn't know anyone and Joe felt sorry for her so we invited her round. I soon made friends with her and introduced her to Beth and a few others. Even after Joe left to look after Fred, we stayed friends."

"So you saw a lot of each other socially?" Alec thought he'd ask, without raising any suspicions.

"Now and then, not all the time, we had our separate lives and Rose worked some funny hours," Ellie replied. "Which was why Joe choose to stay at home. It was okay for Rose, being on her own but the hours don't suit everyone. Until now, I'd always finished at five and my youngest is noticing I'm not there to put him to bed."

Alec wondered if he was meant to apologise for keeping her working late?

"We have the reconstruction tomorrow night, who will watch your youngest then?" he asked.

"I have a babysitter I can call. I'd ask Olly but he'll be covering for the paper. Anything else?" she wanted to know.

Alec wanted to ask all kinds of questions about Rose Tyler but he'd get no answers and Rose would get to know, probably before he arrived for his dinner date. He shook his head and leaned back in his chair, Ellie taking that as she was free to leave.

"Sir, I hope that reconstruction will do some good," she told him.

"It will, it will give the town something to focus on, that we're seen to be doing something instead of things going on behind the scenes."

"Did you get an ambulance crew?" she asked, Alec knowing she was trying to find out if he'd asked for Rose.

"They will ask for volunteers out of those going off duty. Goodnight Miller."

Ellie turned, smiling to herself. That was his way of saying Rose would get to know about it and volunteer just to annoy him, judging how irritated she'd been on the beach with him last week. She knew they were playing some kind of game with each other, pretending they couldn't stand each other but she still wondered what had gone on outside the newsagents and she doubted either of them would ever tell her.

Alec gave Ellie ten minutes before thinking about calling for a cab to take him up to the hotel, it was all uphill and he was still recovering from his brush with death last night. Then he had a better idea and going downstairs, asked if any patrol cars were going that way.

He got out in front of the hotel and looked across the street to see if the convenience store was still open. He went across and chose some chocolates to take with him and hoped he could sneak them past the hotel owner. After Rose had been in the hotel, even to rescue him, the woman might get suspicious or even worse, think they were for her after she found him and called for help.

He escaped Becca Fisher but not a certain Karen White, who after being refused a desk at the newspaper office, had camped out in the lounge. She'd seen him passing and got up, calling after him.

"So, come on then, got five minutes to spare for a quick interview as to how the case is going?" she asked, leaning in the doorway as Alec was about to take the stairs.

"You are not serious?" he replied, the chocolates under his arm.

"Don't tell me you've already spoken to the local reporter?" she asked, after she'd seen him cross the road earlier when he'd been talking to a blonde woman, who had gone off.

"Why would I talk to any reporter?" he wanted to know, wanting to get changed and make himself presentable for his dinner invite and the annoying reporter was delaying him.

"Going somewhere?" Karen tried changing the subject, nodding to the chocolates.

"Forget it Ms White, you won't get anything out of me."

"Got a date with a blonde? I saw you earlier, across from the police station," she tried to get him to admit.

"Try printing anything and see how fast your editor pulls the plug," Alec warned her. "Does he know you're here?"

He knew she was acting on her own when she didn't reply.

"Thought not," he gloated, as he began to climb the stairs, slowly.

He didn't want to get all worked up and her call for an ambulance, that would be the end of his career until he sorted himself, which he'd put off again. It wouldn't be Rose coming to rescue him this time, it would be another crew and whoever it was wouldn't stay all night with him.

"If you want to talk, you know where to find me?" Karen called after him as Becca came out of the bar.

"Everything okay?" Becca asked the reporter. "Was that DI Hardy going upstairs?"

"Yeah, he declined to talk to me," Karen replied, about to go back into the lounge. "I think he's in a hurry, he had a box of chocolates under his arm."

"Really? I've not seen him with anyone," Becca grinned. "Unless?" she wondered.

Karen was interested.

"No, it wouldn't be that," Becca dismissed it, giving her guest no information as she went back in the bar.

Becca thought she'd best not say maybe they were for her, after she found him in time last night? If she said anything to the reporter, the detective wouldn't thank her if Karen White printed that he'd been found on the bathroom floor and she'd called the paramedics. Maybe the chocolates were just to ensure her silence though?

She caught one of the staff and asked her to watch the bar and seeing Karen had gone back inside, went upstairs and knocked on Alec's door. Alec was just taking his shirt off to go get a quick shower since he'd not had the time that morning when he heard the knock. Quickly fastening a few shirt buttons in case the annoying reporter had bribed Becca into giving her his room number, he asked who it was as he opened the door slightly.

"Hey, have you got a minute?" Becca asked him, trying to avoid the fact his shirt wasn't fastened properly and kicking herself for admitting she was with Mark the night Danny had been killed and Alec Hardy knew about it.

"That depends if the reporter sent you," Alec replied, trying not to let her in.

"It's about last night. I didn't tell her you were taken to hospital, in case you were wondering?"

"I wasn't," Alec told her. "I'm in a hurry so if you would get to the point?"

"Well I just wanted to tell you that, well I wouldn't say anything about them taking you, not to anyone. I mean you're not in the habit of doing that are you, collapsing on the bathroom floor? Only they never said what was wrong with you."

"I thought I told you this morning? They stitched me up, I'm fine. I had dinner out and drank a little too much, that's all there is to it."

"Well, okay then. Going out again, on a date maybe?" Becca dared ask him.

Now Alec knew the reporter had sent her.

"Is this an interview?" he asked, wondering why otherwise she was the second person to ask him.

"No, sorry. I shouldn't keep you. You'll not be in the dining room then?"

Alec thought if he said no, she would definitely know he had a dinner date.

"No, I'm going out, which is why I am trying to get ready," he replied, which was his way of saying he didn't normally answer the door with his shirt unfastened, though if it had been Rose, he may have made an exception to see her reaction.

Who was he kidding though? She'd seen him last night while she was trying to keep him alive long enough to get him to the hospital, he had to remind himself, not that she would have been taking much notice unless she'd stayed to see the orderly get him changed into a hospital gown. He'd just been glad they'd not removed his shorts, not that she would have been able to see, since he was laid in bed.

Becca finally got the hint and left, assuming wherever he was going, the chocolates were for them and not for her. So much for him thanking her for not telling then, if she was in that frame of mind it would be round the town by morning but then he'd check out and she'd lose the police paying for him.

She saw Karen as she got downstairs.

"You had no luck either finding out where he was going?" Karen asked her.

Becca just shrugged her shoulders and hoped if Hardy had any sense, he'd be thanking Rose for also being discreet over his little incident. Unluckily though, Maggie from the newspaper had got to know through her friend at the hospital that the detective had been in and seen leaving with a blonde quite early but since she'd asked her friend to find out what he was doing there, she was keeping it to herself.

Alec finally made himself presentable, just as Rose was putting the finishing touches to the meal she'd been preparing. She'd been to get changed into a semi-decent red dress she kept in case she accepted a date, which was very rare. It was that one or the one she wore if she went to Ellie's or something to do with work. Well, it would have to do, it was just dinner to finish telling the annoying detective more about Joe Miller because he didn't want her to be late for her interview.

What had he expected, for her to carry on talking over at the food court? He could have at least seemed a little more enthusiastic about it before she'd watched him cross the road after they'd eaten. Why had he accepted, just to hear what she had to say? He'd already told her there was nothing he could do.

Alec ordered a taxi to take him to where he'd dropped Rose off that morning, glad it wasn't the same driver and was soon there, since it wasn't that far, less than a mile but after the night before, it would have been foolish to try and find the place on foot. As he paid the driver, hoping he'd get the same one on the way back, he wished now he'd also got some flowers, since she knew he shouldn't be bringing wine.

He went to the entrance of the middle block, around the back since the driver actually went around, unlike the other one and located the intercom. It made Rose jump, even though she'd been expecting him but she'd thought maybe he'd back out at the last minute.

"Hello," Rose answer on the second ring.

Alec wondered who else she was expecting.

"It's Alec Hardy, had you forgotten your invitation?" he replied, despite telling himself on the way there he should try to be polite.

"Come on up, you remember where I told you?" she asked, wondering if he was going to be that gruff all night.

If he was, it would be a short dinner and she'd just tell him the rest she'd started earlier and hint he should leave. She could always use the excuse she was tired after staying at the hospital with him all night and that he himself could use the extra sleep.

She opened the door, waiting for the lift to arrive and hoped he wouldn't be stupid enough to climb the stairs. He hadn't as the lift bell went and he got out, seeing her watching him. He thought maybe she thought he'd get lost or stopped on the floor below and have the lift go back down again.

"Hi, come in," she greeted him as Alec approached the door.

He held the chocolates out to her, not the cheap ones either, since the store actually had a choice.

"Thanks, want to take your jacket off, dinner's almost ready. I made chicken casserole, hope you're hungry?"

Even though he'd had a late breakfast, which hadn't been as much as she'd eaten, he was feeling a little hungry.

"Anything I can help you with?" he asked as he hung his jacket up in the entryway.

"Oh, you can light the candles if you want and pull the curtains across? I hate being seen when I decide to actually eat at the table, unless I'm out somewhere, of course," she tried to joke.

Alec looked for something to light them with as Rose went into the kitchen, spying a lighter she must have already got out.

"Did you hear anything from DS Miller?" he asked as he pulled the curtains over. "She asked why you were already there, after I got back from lunch."

"No, she didn't call," Rose replied as she got the plates out and hoped the small potatoes were done enough in the steamer, along with the vegetables.

"I just wondered, she asked enough questions," he admitted, trying not to say his DS had also warned him.

Rose hoped he wasn't going to talk about Ellie all night when she wanted to tell him about what Joe had done, after the car park incident. It still bothered her after all that time that he'd used her to get out of admitting to Ellie that he'd got into an argument and he'd never even thanked her or explained where he really was. Did Joe see her there, watching him get pulled off the other man?

She kept silent about it as they ate, talking about trivial things and how long she'd been a paramedic, including what had made her settle in Broadchurch.

"Trust me Alec, after doing my training in London, I was just glad to get somewhere quiet," she smiled as she sat back. "I asked if I could complete my training on the job. I wanted my mum to come with me but she wouldn't leave. Anyway, they had a training scheme here so I got paired with Joe Miller."

Alec saw his chance to find out if the car park had really been the first time he'd lost his temper like that.

"I told ya Alec, he'd only got mad at drivers getting in the way and his nephew being nosy but something is bothering me," she admitted. "Want some dessert?"

"You are changing the subject again Rose," he reminded her.

"Sorry. It's just something occurred to me. I think he knew I was watching that evening in the car park."

Alec put his cutlery down.

"Then tell me the rest and why you think that."