"You be very careful love, Joe Miller will not be very happy today."
"Yeah, I know Alec, I'll be careful and I'll be with Steven all day. Do ya think it might prompt Joe into doing something drastic?"
"Maybe? You should be safe enough for now, he won't know what time you are starting. You are on an odd shift today though."
"Yeah, it happens sometimes, we get an overlapping shift. It's so there's still cover with crews going off duty. You get off then, I'll get a cab but I'll see ya tonight, if we don't meet up somewhere."
"You wish love," Alec joked, going to kiss her cheek.
"Now we have something to tell people when they ask how we met."
"There is not much to tell love, it's not very exciting, meeting at a traffic accident."
"Yeah but ya might have still carried on getting mad with me every time there was an incident. I'm glad we didn't get the one to attend Jack though."
"It cannot have been pleasant for the crew who did attend either," he reminded her. "I have to go."
"Yeah, I know. See ya later."
Rose called for a cab and was unlucky to get Lucas but she kept looking at her ring as he watched through the mirror.
"That an engagement ring then?" he asked her on the way.
"Well yeah, that's why I'm wearing it on that finger," she replied, not in the mood for him.
"Well you could have just chosen to wear it there? So, is it the detective?"
"Yeah, who else would it be?"
Lucas though had a bad habit of dropping her on the corner instead of driving into the car park and Rose was going to regret it as she got out and she recognised Ellie's car.
"Hello Rose, I've been waiting for you," Joe told her as he got out, leaving Fred in the car.
"What do ya want Joe, I'll be late for work."
"You sent your boyfriend after me, about that stupid car park fight."
"Go away Joe, I'm not talking to you, I have to give a statement now, thanks for that and no, I didn't put him onto it, the other driver did."
"He had to know who to look for Rose, now Ellie knows I lost my temper that night, she's not happy."
"You only have yourself to blame for that," Rose replied, trying to get past him. "I have to go to work."
"Come on Rose, you always get there early, you can't fool me with that excuse. So where's your boyfriend? Trying to get more on me is he?"
"You're paranoid Joe, let me past. What do ya want?"
"I want to hear it from you, did you see anything that night?"
"Like I'd tell ya if I had? I can't talk about it until I give my statement Joe, ya know that. You've been married to Ellie long enough. Do I have to call the police station?"
"You'll only call your boyfriend or should I say fianc ? Did he ask you already what happened that night?"
"I can't tell ya but you made me lie to Ellie for ya, using me as an excuse for being late."
"You agreed with me," Joe reminded her.
"I had no choice, Ellie's my friend. I'm not discussing this with you, go see to Fred."
Suddenly, as Rose thought he was going to give up he turned on her and backed her against a hedge. They were just out of view of the car park where everyone would be checking ambulances or getting in their cars and Rose was surprised no-one had passed them. She wasn't going to let Joe forget.
"Let me go, you know cars will be going in and out soon."
"No-one will take any notice. You are going to tell your boyfriend nothing, do you understand? I dropped you off, you went in the supermarket. Hold on. You did see the fight, didn't you? I saw a crowd, you had to be amongst them. That's why Hardy's suddenly interested in it. You are going to tell him you made a mistake about it being me or I might have to remind you of my temper," he told her, trying to grab her arm but Rose shrugged him off.
"You've really done it now Joe. Yeah, I know ya have a temper, even with Olly. Did ya lose it with Danny?"
"What are you talking about?" Joe asked her, trying again but she evaded him, getting past him and ready to run. "Come back here," he called as she backed away slowly.
"Huh, think I'm that stupid? Bet ya anything you lost your temper with Danny that night he was killed."
She could accuse him even if Alec couldn't.
He suddenly made another move, until he heard Fred through the open window call for him then Rose took the chance and turned away, running around the corner and seeing Steven coming out of the office.
"Rose, where were you, I was just going to call. You'd better be quick or had you forgotten what time we start?" he asked, pointing to his watch. "What's wrong with you, spent too long in bed with your boyfriend?" Then he saw the look on her face. "Rose, is something wrong?"
Rose shook her head and tried to get past him but he stopped her.
"You, Rose Tyler, are hiding something and you are always early. If you don't tell me, I will call the police station and ask your boyfriend. Did you have a lover's tiff?"
He saw she didn't find it amusing.
"Well say something?" he added.
"Joe Miller was waiting when I got out of the cab. Lucas always drops me on the corner, stupid idiot and Joe must have been waiting and got lucky. How the hell did he know what time I'd be working? Someone must have told him."
"His wife?" Steven suggested as they walked towards the building.
"How could she know? Oh, hang on, she started early, Alec got a call to join her I think. So Ellie called Alec and Joe somehow figured I was working and would get a cab?"
"Hold on Rose, what did he say to you?"
"To forget what I saw that evening."
"What? That was a threat Rose, call your boyfriend or I will. Go get changed, we have plenty of time since we're on the fill-in shift. Give me his number, I'll call him."
"No, leave it Steven, forget it."
"No way, your boyfriend would go crazy. I'm off to see the supervisor, you were just threatened Rose."
Try as she might, Steven wouldn't hear of leaving it and dragged her into the office. He quickly explained Rose was engaged to Alec and that Joe Miller used Rose a few years ago to cover up his argument with another driver.
"Rose, you should call DI Hardy, he needs to know this. We can manage for now. If you don't, Joe could go after you again but why now?" the supervisor wanted to know.
"Alec had Joe in for questioning, the other driver came forward," Rose tried to explain without bringing Danny's death into it.
"Give me his number Rose or do I call the police station?" the supervisor asked her.
Rose had to relent and reeled Alec's work number off.
"He was busy with something though, he had to go off. That's why I got a cab and it's Lucas's fault, he always drops me around the corner."
"Then Joe must have remembered?" Steven suggested as the supervisor waited for Alec to answer his mobile.
Alec wasn't in a very good mood for a few reasons, one being Rose had to get a cab to work, he'd been trying to stop her doing that when he was at home. So when his work phone rang with an 'Unknown number' he was even more unhappy.
"Hardy," he just answered out of habit because Rose wouldn't call him as she'd only just gone to work and she would text him anyway, since she knew he was going out early.
"DI Hardy? This is the shift supervisor at the ambulance station. Your girlfriend, Rose Tyler, she had a bit of a run-in with Joe Miller and apparently, she is right to be worried about it."
"What?" Alec asked, wondering why she'd not called herself but then thought it may have upset her. "Is she still there?"
"Yes. She's a bit shaken but otherwise okay. Can you come round, it appears Joe Miller was waiting for her arrival. Rose has told me a bit but insists she can't say any more at this stage."
"Yes, it's an ongoing investigation. I'll be there as soon as I can but if she gets called out, I will catch up with her and under no circumstances is Joe Miller to be let on your premises," Alec ordered.
"Mr Miller no longer works here, he won't be let onto the premises and I'll try to keep Rose here until you arrive unless there's a real emergency. I know you can't tell me any more than Rose can but you have our full co-operation. I remember Joe had a bit of a temper when he worked with us but this is the first time he's threatened anyone, especially Rose herself. Can she tell me why he would suddenly turn on her?" the supervisor asked.
"All I can say is Mr Miller was helping with our enquiries over a matter and now he seems to believe Rose put us onto him," Alec replied.
"I see then? Just get here as soon as you can DI Hardy, I'd rather not have Rose and her partner hanging around for too long, I'll try not to send them out but it may become unavoidable."
"Yes, fine. Just don't leave Rose on her own," Alec requested, trying not to let on to Ellie what it was about, now she was paying attention.
"What was all that about?" Ellie wanted to know as they walked to their cars at the end of the caravan site as Alec had insisted. "That was a waste of a visit."
"Yes, who sent us?" Alec reminded her. "I was trying to cut down on Rose using cabs before and after I start work. Now she's had a bit of trouble."
"Is she okay?" Ellie wanted to know.
"She is fine for now, it's part of an investigation I am looking into. I can't tell you any more Miller."
"Of course you can't," Ellie muttered under her breath as they reached the cars, Alec having gone straight there. "I'm going up to the ambulance station to see what's going on," Alec told her as he unlocked his car and seeing Ellie's didn't have a remote control for hers.
"Sir, we have follow-ups to do," Ellie tried to remind him.
"Then get one of the other DS's to help you Miller, this is important," Alec replied, getting in his car.
"Just because it's your girlfriend calling," Ellie quipped, since she'd only heard part of the conversation.
"It was her supervisor and the problem is preventing her going out. Miller, was your husband at home when you left?"
"What?" asked a slightly stunned Ellie.
"Answer the question Miller because ten minutes ago, he was outside the ambulance station talking to Rose."
"Why would he be doing that?" Ellie wanted to know.
"That is what I intend finding out Miller. How does your son Tom get to school?"
"He goes with his friends. Why would Joe be going to see Rose?"
"I can't say, except it's to do with what we discussed before, about the car park incident."
"Did Rose see him that night?" Ellie asked, talking to him through his car's open window.
"You know I can't tell you that. Did you speak to your husband about it?" he asked her, starting the car engine to indicate he wanted to leave.
"He didn't say much but if someone cut him off, then he would have been mad at them but why now? Don't tell me, you can't say."
Ellie watched him reverse the car and drive off. Why was all this coming up now after almost three years or so and why would Joe go to see Rose? She had believed Joe when he'd said it was nothing and they had even laughed that Olly got him annoyed sometimes but Joe hadn't entirely told her everything.
Rose had got changed and they were doing their usual checks, getting looks from the other crews as they had been left until last and Rose hoping they wouldn't be asked any questions, since they were supposed to be the odd ones out today.
"Relax a little Rose," Steven advised her as he got coffee from the machine for her. "Can you tell me what Joe said?"
Rose shook her head.
"I'd best tell Alec first though he shouldn't be asking me questions. He'll probably call for his DC to meet him here but I hope I don't have to go to the station."
"You'd better hope not Rose," Steven tried to joke.
Alec drove into the car park and decided he qualified to park in the 'Official vehicles' only parking space that was empty but put his police sign on the dashboard just in case. He found the office entrance then the supervisor as Rose and Steven were in the break room and Rose knowing they would be very popular for keeping back.
"You must be DI Hardy?" the supervisor got up, taking his headset off. "I'll call Rose, Steven took her to the break room. Can you tell me why Joe Miller would go after her?"
"Not at present until I get her statement. My DC will be arriving shortly, where is the break room?"
The supervisor pointed down the corridor to a door at the end. Alec went towards it and on opening it, saw Rose leaning on the table. She soon looked up when the door opened and despite Steven being there, scraped her chair back and got up, putting her arms around Alec.
"Rose, are you okay?" Alec wanted to know before anything else. "Joe Miller just made a very big mistake," he told Steven as Rose leaned into his shoulder.
"I gathered that. I'll be in the locker room if you need me but if any crews come back, I'll try and keep them from coming in here."
"Thank you. Rose, sit down love and wait for Daniels to arrive, I can't take your statement and you can't tell me anything other than what happened before you saw Joe Miller."
"It was Lucas who was the driver this morning. He never drives into the car park, he always drops me on the corner and before I realised, Joe was getting out of Ellie's car."
"Rose, calm down love. Maybe he just guessed what time you started, unless he got the information from someone here but I doubt the supervisor would tell him. I think though his wife gave him a clue, since she had to call me early and he got very lucky. Why now though, apart from me interviewing him, what has he got to hide?"
"That he lost his temper with Danny? Sorry Alec but I said something to him about it, when he cornered me."
"Rose, you should be more careful love, you can't go up against him on your own."
"Alec, you can't ask him, someone had to ask him if he lost his temper with Danny."
"What did I say to you before you left eh?" he tried to joke.
"Well I didn't know the idiot taxi driver would drop me by Joe's car, did I? If it had been anyone else, they always come into the car park but not Lucas, he's a law unto himself. I should complain about him."
"You and everyone else love, then some notice may be taken? Let me see where Daniels has got to but you may still have to pay a visit to the station, when the chief gets to know. I still have to tell her how Miller's interview went yesterday but I guess that was what he wanted to confront you about?"
"You could say that? Alec, I'm a bit creeped out by it, he even had young Fred in the baby seat."
"Who does that sort of thing?" Alec wondered out loud, just holding onto her until Daniels arrived because as much as he wanted her to, she couldn't tell him what Joe Miller had said to her.
Daniels arrived and was shown to the break room, gently coughing so as to alert Rose and Alec of his presence.
"Sorry Sir, I got held up by DS Miller, she wanted to know where I was going in such a hurry."
"I hope you did not tell her where you were going?" Alec asked him, getting a scowl from Rose.
"No Sir, I just said I was doing something for you. So what happened Miss Tyler?" Daniels asked her.
"Tell him what happened Rose, then you can go back to work but when you finish, you may have to attend a formal interview, if this has any bearing on the death of Danny Latimer and the incident in the car park a few years ago you reported. According to DS Miller, her husband denies anything untoward took place that night."
"I know what I saw and so did the other driver," Rose replied.
"Well the other driver remembered the incident but did not know the name of the person he argued with. I will have to make it formal and ask him to identify the person in a line-up."
"Great, that will make him go after me even more."
"Rose, don't say that. If the man identifies Joe Miller, we can hold him on causing a public disturbance and possibly a traffic violation but there were no cameras there at the time. We can give a press release asking for anyone who saw what happened that evening to come forward."
Rose shook her head.
"Ellie will never speak to me again."
"Rose, you knew this was coming," Alec reminded her. "Now just tell Daniels what happened when you arrived at work."
Rose recalled what had gone on between her and Joe Miller, not that she had said much apart from asking if he'd lost his temper with Danny but she knew Alec would want her to leave that bit out. Joe was hardly likely to bring that up.
"So he warned you not to say anything?" Daniels wanted to know.
Rose nodded. "His youngest son was calling him so when Joe turned, I ran off. I was hoping someone would be going in or out of the car park and would see up but he scared me. I thought he was going to lose his temper with me, he hinted if I wanted to see him lose it."
"Did he now?" Alec interrupted.
Daniels gave him a look to say this was his interview.
"Is that all Miss Tyler?" Daniels finally asked.
Alec hoped it was, he was now even more concerned for his now fianc e.
Rose just nodded.
"Can I get to work now?"
"Yes, if you will just call at the station to sign your statement, you can do it tomorrow if you wish?"
"Yeah, I'll have a late start," Rose replied.
"Daniels, tell DS Miller nothing of what happened, let's see if Joe Miller tells her himself. Hopefully, she won't be working tomorrow. I will see you back at the station," Alec told him.
"Sir, I have to remind you not to talk about what happened until Miss Tyler signs her statement. Miss Tyler, do you want to file harassment charges against Mr Miller?" Daniels asked her.
"Can I let you know tomorrow?"
Daniels looked across at Alec.
"Yes, just tell the desk sergeant to call me and I'll come down," Daniels replied, thinking Alec shouldn't be saying anything.
"Sir, may I have a word?"
Alec nodded and stepped away from Rose.
"Sir, this is getting serious if Joe Miller is threatening her. Do you want me to pick him up?"
"Oh yes Daniels, I most certainly do want him picking up. He threatened my girlfriend but aside from that, he is asking her to cover up the fact he caused a disturbance in a public place. Now I have him on something positive. Miss Tyler did say something to him but it need not go in her statement but if he brings it up, you tell him it was not relevant to him starting to threaten her, understand?"
"Yes Sir, understood. Was it to do with Mr Miller's temper?"
"I can't say, she never told me, are you with me?"
Daniels nodded and put his notebook away. Once he'd left, Rose handed Alec some tea from the machine and got herself a fresh coffee and Alec took her other hand.
"Rose, I'm sorry, I should have insisted I still dropped you off this morning," he told her.
"I know Alec, it's okay, it's that stupid taxi driver. I'll have to insist next time he drives into the car park. Alec, what happens now?"
Alec took her drink and put it down alongside his.
"Now, I can get the truth out of him. I know you should have not said anything about him losing his temper with Danny but now, I can ask him that question. I have him Rose, I know I have."
