Alec went back to his office, hoping Miller would take her time coming back. He wondered where Rose was, then regretted telling his DS to take someone else with her if anything came up but he could hardly call her back in and say if there were any accidents and Rose may be attending, then he'd go. He still wasn't sure it was a good idea for rumours to get around the station, everyone knew Rose and maybe eventually as they were seen together there would be no need for rumours.
He did wonder though where Stevens was getting his ideas from, had someone seen he and Rose leaving the hospital yesterday morning or had the cab driver given the game away? He didn't trust that man as far as he could currently throw him, his attitude would get him into big trouble one day though now, he may back off annoying Rose.
Ellie went out a few times, Alec wishing he'd not said anything but he monitored the ambulance call-outs once he'd found where they were and not thought any of them had involved Rose, she must have got all the easy calls today, he thought. Ellie excused herself early to go prepare Tom for the reconstruction later and Alec himself thought he'd have a rest before joining the parade or he really would need some help from Rose.
It was almost time for Steven to call in and say they were going to attend the reconstruction and he drove them around the back of the town to where Rose had roughly said they were starting from after she had time to call Ellie, not wanting to bother Alec and they saw a line of police cars with flashing lights and officers redirecting traffic. He assumed the road would also be closed from the harbour, there would be a lot of unhappy drivers but this needed to take priority.
He stopped behind a police car and Bob came forward and Rose got out. She thought Steven would have asked her by now if she wanted to drive the short distance but he'd not said anything so when he got out, she was surprised.
"Hello Rose, Steven," Bob greeted them. "I half expected you two would volunteer for tonight."
"Yeah, it just seemed the right thing to do, since we were just going off duty," Rose replied.
"Well we'll be following the walkers from a distance, you can follow us," Bob told them. "Everyone's gathering and DI Hardy will give the nod to Tom Miller to set off on his skateboard. Hope you can drive slowly Steven?" he joked.
Steven reached Rose and handed her the keys, it was a habit of his to take them out even if they were just standing by the vehicle.
"Ask Rose not me," Steven grinned, holding the keys out to her.
Bob just smiled, knowing it would mean a lot to her, what with knowing Danny and being the one to find him on the beach, almost a week ago. He did wonder though if Hardy had requested them, well Rose in particular in view of them meeting early yesterday. He had been telling the truth when DS Miller had asked why Rose had arrived early since she and Hardy hadn't seemed to get along but maybe that was all changing?
Alec gave the nod to Tom to get on his skateboard and everyone followed, Tom trying not to get too far in front, knowing his parents were following him. People were chatting amongst themselves, Ellie found Beth putting her arm in hers and they walked together, two mothers both affected by this reconstruction.
"Ellie, who found my Danny on the beach? I mean who attended, apart from the police? Was it Rose? Only I looked back a while ago and thought I saw her further back."
Ellie could hardly deny it, she would see Rose at the harbour but thought Beth had already asked her on the day. So much had happened though, she'd maybe forgotten.
"Yeah, it was them Beth, they did everything they could but Danny was already gone, sorry. We know he wasn't killed there, we're hoping for a big response from this reconstruction, things we didn't previously know."
"You know where he was killed though, don't you?" Beth asked her.
Ellie knew her boss would be trying to listen, despite Mark now walking beside him. She also suspected he'd been the one to request Rose and her partner to attend, maybe that was why Rose had arrived earlier yesterday but on the other hand, maybe there was another reason? Now, she wasn't so sure she had thought of inviting them both to dinner at the same time.
"We are looking at the possible scene Beth, that's all I can tell you until we are sure but we think Danny was transported to where he was found. They sent the paramedics because the person who called it in wasn't sure and they followed procedure. Rose has been affected by it more than her partner, she was in the station yesterday giving her statement."
"I'm glad it was her," Beth replied. "I know she would have done everything she could Ellie," Beth told her. "I've not had the chance to thank them yet, for trying."
"I'm sure they understand Beth," Ellie tried to assure her friend. "They'll be in the harbour car park after the reconstruction for a few minutes, in case anyone found the walk distressing, you may get chance to talk to them."
Mark was asking Alec a few questions as the procession made its way across the harbour. Alec hadn't been entirely sure why Danny had even skateboarded down the High Street just a week ago when the hut was in the opposite direction but maybe he'd been meeting someone in a car and been driven up there?
"Do you think this will do any good?" Mark was asking Alec.
"We hope so, someone coming from one of the pubs on the harbour may have seen Danny skateboarding or being picked up by someone in a car," Alec told him, feeling okay for now and glad he'd taken Rose's advice of going easy on himself for a change.
He'd glanced back a few times but couldn't tell from that distance who was driving the ambulance but he hoped her partner would let her have the honour. Everyone made their way to the car park where a few more police cars were stationed to stop overnight parkers, Alec had thought people may want to take their time and hopefully remember something themselves and talk to the officers who were there.
Ellie was still with Beth and Alec was watching the crowd then saw Rose driving the ambulance, which pleased him no end. He supposed in his capacity of being in charge, he would be justified being seen talking to her so he went over as she was getting out.
"Detective Inspector Hardy," Rose greeted him, trying not to beam from ear to ear.
"Miss Tyler, we must stop meeting like this," he half joked.
Steven though was dying to burst out laughing, they were fooling no-one by pretending to be coy with each other and he bet a week's wage they were already sleeping together, the way Rose had been so keen to attend the event.
"So, how's things going?" Rose asked him as Steven went to the back of the ambulance in case anyone needed assistance.
"Good so far," he nodded to where several people were talking with other officers. "We may not have enough people answering the phones tomorrow, care to volunteer?"
"Sorry, got work at ten, these stupid hours. How are we supposed to have a social life?" she replied, not wanting to give the game away. "I called DS Miller earlier to see where you were starting off from."
"You could have called the front desk for that," he replied dryly, hoping no-one would notice they looked a bit too comfortable around each other.
Rose tried not to laugh at his attempt to look like he wasn't really talking to her other than about the event. He'd noticed a few photographers and a film crew and didn't want to give any clues, well not yet as it could put Rose in the firing line, so to speak. Rose nodded to where Ellie was making her way towards them.
"Did you volunteer for this Rose?" Ellie started asking her. "Or were you requested?"
"Leave it Miller, I asked for a crew going off duty, they were obviously the nearest," Alec told her.
Ellie thought that was a likely story, he must have given her a hint yesterday. She went off, leaving Alec stubbing his toe on the gravel as Rose had gone off to see if Steven needed any help so Alec went to the back of the ambulance but he noticed the harbour newsagent was standing outside his shop. Maybe the man thought it would have been too much, since Rose had attended a few days ago, which was partly why they'd both ended up in bed last night.
He knew he wouldn't be able to keep their new relationship a secret but Rose was still worried about it getting back to Joe Miller, she was deeply affected by the thought plus she was upset she'd been the one to find her friend's son. He hadn't though seen Olly lurking around, who had sneaked a photo of them talking, for future reference, if the detective wasn't going to tell him anything.
"Something wrong?" Rose asked him as Steven was being asked something by a woman.
"No, I'm fine, I took your advice," he replied, since no-one seemed to be taking any notice of them. "Your friend apologised for her husband giving me more to drink than I was comfortable with, it seems he makes a habit of it," he replied, seeing Joe Miller with his son.
"Yeah, he was always trying it, I finally got him to stop when I used to go round, trust me, it wasn't easy. You are coming over?" she asked quietly.
"Yes, I will just collect a few things, I will probably be there the same time as you. I'd best go mingle," he replied.
He stepped away as Steven turned back and saw Olly, giving him a warning look but Olly just shrugged his shoulders.
"So what are you two up to?" Steven asked as he closed the back doors. "You may as well admit it," he continued, holding out his hand for the keys, which Rose had the sense to take out when she'd seen Alec.
"Don't know whatcha mean," Rose replied, going around the other side.
They drove off slowly, Rose giving a wave as she passed Alec, who waved back and hoped Stevens wasn't lurking around but most people were leaving so it seemed safe enough, he hoped. He caught one of the patrol officers and got a ride to his hotel, then remembered he passed a takeaway going towards where Rose lived and thought he would save her calling in so he sent her a message and hoped she'd get it before she left work.
As Rose and Steven were getting back to the ambulance station, Rose heard her message tone and sneaked a look.
"From loverboy?" Steven teased her. "Drop the act Rose, I know you too well. You're not fooling me so just admit it. He stayed last night then?"
Rose knew the game was up as far as he was concerned.
"Yeah, I'm worried about him being on his own Steven, no-one may hear him the next time," she admitted.
"Well it's up to him to get himself fixed Rose, you heard them at the hospital. How did it go when you got back there?"
"I dropped off to sleep and he woke before me," Rose grinned.
Steven was still laughing when they were doing the final checks.
Alec was caught sneaking back out by Becca as she had just got back, since the vicar had kept her talking.
"Are you going somewhere?" she asked as Alec had a bag under his arm.
"Yes but I would appreciate it if you told no-one," he replied, since it was almost likely he'd be moving out soon.
"Got yourself a girlfriend then?" she laughed.
"I seem to have done though at this stage I don't know how long for," he admitted.
Well that was true, if he got to his operation, it may still go wrong but if Joe Miller went after Rose, he probably wouldn't go for it or at least put it off but if something now happened to Rose, he had Joe Miller on both counts because he was considering getting Rose to make a formal statement, just in case. He'd been thinking about it most of the day, it was only a matter of time before his DS found out and she of course would tell her husband and that may be enough to rattle Joe Miller but he would never put Rose in danger.
He knew it wasn't really that far to Rose's place but he knew after that walk he'd best take it easy so he'd found the number of the takeaway then arranged for a cab, saying he needed to make a stop on the way. Lucky for him, it must have been Clive Lucas's day off. Alec let himself into Rose's block, not realising she had just arrived but heard a car driving off and saw her.
"Good timing," he greeted her, kissing her cheek as they waited for the lift.
"Yeah. Steven knows about us, I've worked with him too long, I can't hide it from him," she admitted. "Don't worry, he doesn't know Joe Miller."
"Good but I think your friend is beginning to suspect something. Did I mention she kept saying about you the other night, that she should have got you around at the same time?" he asked her.
"Mmm, I think ya might have mentioned it, good thing I was working though, for more reasons than one," she replied as the lift arrived, Rose wishing it wouldn't default to the fifth floor.
She supposed that was to deter those who got in by other means than using the code or being invited, like leaflet distributors or canvassers. After eating, they laid on the sofa, just in time for the news summary, where Rose smiled as it showed Alec in front with Mark and hoping she'd not been spotted or her mother would be straight on the phone. It showed them walking across the harbour, blue lights flashing behind the crowd and she spotted the ambulance as the newsreader went over the details again.
"I hope something good comes out of this," Rose yawned.
"So do I," Alec replied, going under her t-shirt with his hand. "Rose, I want you to make a formal statement about what you told me happened with Joe Miller. Can you do that?"
"I thought ya couldn't do anything about it?" she asked him.
"Not at present but I thought about it, you need to safeguard yourself, I don't want to take any chances Rose. You saved me the other night, I want to help save you."
"You're being serious, aren't you? You believe me that he may think I've told ya everything?"
"Yes and it worries me. When's the earliest you can do it?" he wanted to know.
"Well not tomorrow, I'll get next week's shifts on Saturday. Maybe one morning when I start at twelve again, they're not the same every week and everyone's complaining again."
"I should hope so, is nothing being done about it?" he asked, going to kiss her neck.
"There's a lot of talking going on, I think the union may get involved. Everyone would be happy just having the same shifts every week but who does what will be up for debate."
"Well best hope they do something soon then?" he asked as Rose snuggled up to him. "It makes no difference Rose, just as long as you don't get the midnight shift."
"No chance, Steven won't volunteer us for that. Don't worry, I may be home before you tomorrow," she smiled, nudging him for a kiss.
After being as careful as they could not to set Alec up another attack, they fell asleep, Rose draping herself half over him, which Alec thought was her way of saying he wasn't going anywhere if his phone should ring during the night. He couldn't really blame her though, she'd cared enough to go back and check on him in the hospital, how would she feel if she found him after chasing a suspect down a cliff? He hoped that would never happen but in his line of work, he never knew.
The next morning, after a bit of grunting and groaning from Alec as Rose played around, they had breakfast and Alec decided to risk calling for a car to pick him up, since Rose's address wasn't known to anyone except Ellie Miller and call in the personnel department and change his address and hoped the woman there wasn't a friend of his DS. Then later, he'd check out of the hotel and hopefully have a less stressful weekend than the last one with reluctant psychic telephone engineers who heard voices and Mark Latimer playing games with him and getting Rose involved as to the incident with Danny in his boat, which lucky for Mark Latimer, Rose could verify.
He had read through her statement of how they had got a call to meet the boat at the metal landing after Mark had radioed in an emergency as Chloe was unable to get the gash closed with the first aid kit on board the boat and Rose had told him Danny's foot was a bit messy when they'd met the boat and Danny had thought it was funny when Steven carried him off to the back of the ambulance to put a couple of stitches in it after Rose had cleaned it up and told him to keep it clean then put a bandage on it.
Now, he had to go talk to his boss and tell her he was worried about Rose because of what she had told him and hoped Elaine Jenkinson, who had told him on his arrival to keep a low profile and that had never happened, would agree. She would surely be pleased he thought he had to keep Rose safe. Maybe he shouldn't let her know he and Rose were already involved but they had been seen together last night so it may already be too late.
Rose had laughed when he got his phone and called the station instead of the cab company.
"Scared it'll be Lucas again?" she teased him as he waited.
Then he thought the phones may be busy after last night but someone answered with a gruff 'Broadchurch police, hold the line please' and he had shouted who it was before they had put the phone on hold.
"Sorry Sir," the desk sergeant apologised at Alec's name. "I thought you were already in your office."
"Never mind, I want a car to pick me up from Benson Court in ten minutes, it's down the other end of the High Street on the way out of town."
"Sir, I thought you were at the Trader's Hotel?" came the reply.
"I just moved, now get someone out to me and answer the other phones," Alec told him as he heard them ringing.
Rose was giggling to herself.
"That's not helping Rose," he told her as he put his phone in his jacket pocket and picked up his tie.
Rose wanted to help him but he declined.
"You are too stuffy, inspector," she teased him as she tried to loosen his tie, battling with his hands.
"Stop it Rose, I have to go, there must have been a big response from last night."
"Well you wanted a big response," she pointed out, still trying to get to his tie but Alec hadn't tried to put it straight again.
He was about to leave when his phone rang, seeing 'Miller' on the display and Rose offering to answer it.
"Rose, that would prove she was right," he reminded her. "Shush while I see what she wants."
Rose huffed and went to watch out of the window and hoped the neighbours didn't see Alec getting into a police car.
"Are you on your way in?" Ellie was asking him.
"I'm waiting to be picked up Miller, it's quicker than walking," he replied, trying not to let on it was further than the hotel.
"Well I have some interesting information, tell the driver to take you down to Ty's caravan park just down the coast, I'll meet you there. Since when have you needed a lift from the hotel – Sir?" she added.
Giving Rose a kiss, he made his way downstairs and just hoped whoever was picking him up didn't know Rose lived there, since everyone seemed to know her. Now this would delay him changing his address and seeing the chief about what Rose had told him.
After the woman who cleaned the hut where Danny had been found gave them the run-around, Alec saying it was a waste of their time, he told Ellie to go upstairs while he went to find the chief. He started to tell her that they might have a suspect without saying who it actually was.
"Really Alec, I need a name," the chief told him.
"I can't, not yet, the person who told me is afraid he will go after her," he replied, knowing he'd done it now.
"You'd better explain Alec," she told him.
"Someone came to see me a few days ago, she was worried because someone she used to work with had a violent temper she had witnessed on several occasions and when Danny was found, she got worried about it," he explained, giving the cut down version.
"I see. This person is now worried that the person who told you may have mentioned they had a temper and you would want to question them?"
Alec shook his head. This was getting complicated.
"Not exactly. The person who told me knows the man's wife and she's afraid if her friend finds out, it will get back to him and he will go after her, to find out how much she has said."
"Alec, you had better tell me the rest of it, it won't go any further than my office. If this is to do with Danny's death somehow, I need to know. Who told you this?" she asked him.
Alec just hoped when he told her, she wouldn't ask if they were involved but that had come after she'd told him but Rose had told him more later, on his insistence. He took a deep breath and risked telling his superior officer.
"It was Rose Tyler, one of the town's paramedics," he admitted.
"Then she is a credible witness Alec, did you get a statement about it?" he was asked.
"No, she came in to give us one about finding Danny on the beach when they were called to attend and verify a claim from the boy's father about some blood being found in his boat. She came in early because she had seen this person she used to work with blow up a few years ago over a traffic incident, she was a passenger in his car."
"Is this connected to Danny's death or not?" she wanted to know.
Alec could have sworn he'd just told her that.
