"You know her better than I do love," Alec replied. "She obviously can't accept he admitted it."
As Rose had been left in the station earlier, she had stopped him.
"I had best go see her, you finish down here and go home. Daniels will make sure you get a ride. I'm sorry you had to see your friend like that."
"Well I thought she would go crazy if we were right but at him, not us," Rose replied.
"I told her she was too close to this to act rationally," Alec replied. "Now I have to deal with her and go see the Latimers. I have no idea how they will react. I should call them and make sure they are all at home."
"Well I don't envy you having to tell them. Do ya want me to go with ya?"
"No love, Daniels will go with me. However they react, they will think their friend knew about him. How could she not see it though?"
"That's what I don't get. That's how he did it Alec, that's how he covered it all up, he knew how to deal with crime scenes through Ellie and attending incidents."
"Did you ever attend any other crime scenes besides on the beach that morning?" Alec wanted to know.
"No, not as such but he told me about a few. Did he clear everything from the hut?"
"Yes, that's when I had my suspicions, that it was someone who knew what to do. It was the perfect cover, your friend being out of it and not knowing if he was at home or not. If she believed him over the car park incident, she will believe anything he says now. Sorry love but it's best you stay away from her."
Rose could only nod her agreement and went off to sign her statement from that morning.
"Alec," she called after him. "Will this be added to the charges against him?"
"Yes, unless you want to drop them? It's up to you."
"What will happen? I'll already have to testify about his temper in the car park, now I may have to testify him threatening me. Won't there be a conflict?"
"We will have to leave that up to the prosecution service. Sign the statement and we'll see if they want to include it but the more we have, the better. We still have to get him to admit both incidents but if his wife gets him a different solicitor, things may be delayed."
Daniels had told her she was brave to stand up to Joe Miller at the time then took her to reception to wait for a ride home.
"We'll call you if there's anything else," Daniels had told her. "It must be a relief he's been locked up?"
"Yeah, just a bit but what if he won't admit this morning or the car park?"
"Then we will have to go by your statement and the other driver's. We'll also have to get more witnesses to come forward though I doubt we can charge him with anything other than causing a disturbance. We have no real proof he started the fight."
"No, I wasn't there, I thought he was gonna leave. All this time, I bet he knew I'd seen him. That was why he thought I'd stay quiet about it, so he wouldn't retaliate when I'd seen how he could lose his temper so fast."
"Well it's out of the way now and your boyfriend won't let anything happen to you," Daniels smiled.
That was Rose's only consolation. Up in Alec's office, things had not gone well as a tap came on the door to say Ellie's ride was waiting and her two sons were being taken to a local hotel.
"This is all your girlfriend's fault," Ellie was still claiming.
"Don't blame Rose for this Miller, your husband made the choice. It's still not clear what happened to Danny that night but we have enough with what he's admitted so far. We'll be interviewing him again shortly. Stay away from the press and that includes your nephew and stay away from Rose. I also doubt the Latimers will be pleased to see you."
"They won't believe it was Joe, you made him admit it, you and Rose."
"Miller, how many more times? Rose came to me because she was worried and she had a right to be. I worked on other facts and things were falling into place. Him threatening Rose this morning gave me the chance to confront him and he admitted he was with Danny that night."
"Well Danny must have said something to him," Ellie protested.
"Exactly Miller, I can't discuss it with you, you had best go join your boys. Go get them what they need, report to the head of the CSU."
"I can't stay in a hotel room, what about Tom and school?"
"Best let him go back, no-one but the Latimers and Rose know who we are charging with Danny's death. Let us know if you leave the hotel."
"I still think Rose is wrong about this morning and the car park," Ellie told him.
"She wanted to be but she's not. She got a genuine shock this morning, her partner told me and why would he lie?"
"I can think of a few reasons," Ellie replied as she got up. "If you'd not come here, this wouldn't have happened."
"Yes, it would and you would have been investigating your own husband, well you should have been but you would never have made the connection."
"Well it's not over, so don't go thinking it is."
"Then leave Rose out of it, she is just as much a victim in all this as Danny was. Your husband used her Miller, to cover himself in front of you."
"That's what you say."
"Go see your boys Miller," Alec had replied, since he was getting nowhere fast.
He knew she'd never accept any of it and he hoped she'd stay away from Rose. Miller was right though, they couldn't stay in a hotel room longer than one night but he doubted she would accept any further help from him. Now, he had to prepare a press statement and go see the Latimer family. He also needed more answers from Joe Miller and that would have to wait until tomorrow when the house had been searched.
Now he knew where Danny had got the money from that had been found in the boy's room, Joe must have given him it to pay for the phone, or to keep quiet maybe both? He had picked up his desk phone and pressed the extension for the chief.
"So I heard," the chief told him when he said he'd made an arrest. "Are you certain you have the right person Alec? How did DS Miller take it?"
"She does not believe anything I told her. We are going to have to fight her, she will protest strongly. I will question Joe Miller more tomorrow but I have no other suspects at this stage. Just one thing though, how will the prosecution take the news their chief witness and I are engaged?"
"I have no idea Alec but since she gave her initial statement before you got engaged, it should be okay. How involved will she be Alec?" the chief wanted to know.
Alec wondered if she meant with the case or himself.
"Well, Rose witnessed Joe Miller's temper, which is what put me onto him in the first place, then he threatened her to stay quiet, proving she was right to bring her concerns to me."
"Well be careful Alec," the chief had warned him. "Goodness knows how Ellie will react and what she will tell his solicitor and if it comes to a trial, any defence he gives may tie it all back to you and Miss Tyler being involved. You'll have your work cut out Alec."
He already knew that when he'd begun his relationship with Rose. What had started out as rivalry between the two of them and trying to get the better of each other had led him to getting himself fixed and asking Rose to marry him. Nothing was going to stop that, not even a trial so his boss was right, he did have his work cut out for him. He was going to have to be very careful indeed his relationship with Rose didn't let Joe Miller get away.
He quickly wrote what he wanted about the arrest, then called for a car to take him to the Latimer house, taking Daniels with him. As they were getting out of the car, Daniels asked him how he felt about it.
"Well Rose is glad that part is over but she will be the star witness," Alec replied as they walked to the door.
"Sir, I can tell the family, if you want?" Daniels had offered.
"I have to do this," Alec replied.
Beth didn't want to know.
"We've arrested someone for Danny's death," Alec had told them all as they sat on the sofa.
"That's good," Mark tried to say calmly. "Is it someone we know?"
"Mark, Beth. It's Joe Miller," Alec replied.
"They only live across the field," Beth's mother replied.
"Are you sure?" Mark asked him, getting up.
"We are not looking for anyone else. We still have not got all the details but we believe we have the right person. We discovered he has a violent temper, through someone who came forward and it seems like he lost it with Danny that night though we don't have all the details. Did non of you ever witness Joe losing his temper?"
They all looked at each other and shook their heads.
"Do you know why Danny was out that night?" Beth asked him.
"We have yet to establish that but we found Danny's missing phone in Joe's possession. We also believe Joe gave him money to pay for it and Joe's number was the only contact plus there are emails between them."
"What?" Mark shouted. "They were meeting?"
"We believe so. We should have a better idea tomorrow when we've been through everything. We had a witness as to Joe's temper who made us suspicious of him, then another one came forward whom Joe had an argument with a few years ago."
"What about Ellie?" Beth asked, trying to hold back her grief.
"She claims she had no idea of her husband's temper," Alec replied.
Beth let out a nervous laugh. "You are kidding? She lived with him, why didn't she know?"
"It seems it was something extreme that set him off, like an argument or someone really annoying him," Alec told her, remembering Rose had said Joe had gone for his wife's nephew a few times.
"Why did he have to lose it with my Danny?" Beth wanted to know, Mark sitting down to comfort her.
"When can we have our boy back?" Mark managed to ask.
"I will see you are informed shortly. You understand you should not reveal what you were just told? I will be issuing a statement shortly but no name will be mentioned. I will contact the local paper, with the Miller's nephew working there but if it's his uncle, I doubt Olly will want to release his name."
"Why not, he was quick enough with Danny," Beth's mother snapped. "He's a relative inspector, he'll want to clear his uncle's name."
"I will speak to his editor, we won't let that happen. We have a very reliable witness who knows what Joe was like."
"You mean Rose?" Beth guessed.
"I cannot say at this time, sorry Beth."
"Ellie said you two got engaged all of a sudden," Beth replied.
"That has no bearing on this case. We have another witness don't forget."
Alec didn't see why he should have to explain his relationship with Rose to them. He knew though it was bound to be the subject of gossip once a trial was set, there was very little chance Joe Miller would go down quietly. He had left the Latimers, picked up his car and now he was trying to reassure Rose, who was worried after her friend's late night visit.
"Rose, get some sleep love, good thing you are not on an early shift tomorrow."
"Yeah. Are you working tomorrow?"
"I have to get the rest of Joe Miller's story love, he wouldn't say much today. Well at least he won't bother you again. He'll be held overnight, we get the rest of his story then he will be put on remand, over in Exeter probably. We are also waiting for the house to be searched. We found Danny's phone there on the first search. Go get ready for bed eh?"
After they showed each other this made no difference, Alec laid awake, his arm around Rose and thinking of the day's events. Rose had been upset several times, first Joe Miller approaching her and her friend turning on her, twice. What had come over his DS? Her loyalty to her husband would have been commendable had she not been involved in the case. She had picked her side, which would make things very difficult when the case went to court but he was also making things difficult, being with Rose.
The next morning, Alec went off to work, regretting he couldn't take Rose but she assured him she would be fine now. He got a surprise when Ellie was waiting for him in reception.
"What are you doing here?" Alec asked her. "I cannot discuss the case any further with you. Who is looking after your two boys?"
"My sister, who do you think?" Ellie replied, now he was no longer her boss, since she'd been told she was on suspension.
When Ellie had called her sister the night before as she wanted to go see Beth and try to explain she knew nothing about what had happened and that Joe claimed he was innocent in it all, her sister had thought it was amusing.
"I mean Ell, that family officer just turned up, Tom had just arrived and the man just bundled them into a waiting car. He wouldn't tell me what was going on. So, they arrested Joe then?"
"Hardy's wrong, he just wants the case closed. Can you believe Rose told him Joe threatened her this morning?"
"Why would he do that?" Lucy had asked her, not believing this.
"You tell me, why would he? Hardy said it was something to do with what happened a few years ago that he's been going on about. He's already had Joe in and tried to stop me finding out. Lucy, he thinks Joe killed Danny," she admitted, despite him telling her not to go around making it known but Lucy was family.
"You're not serious?" Lucy had asked her, aware her son was around somewhere.
"Lucy, can you both come over and look after the boys for an hour or so? I have to go see Beth and make her understand Joe would never do that."
"Yeah, of course, I'll get Olly. Ellie, it won't have been him but you never came back to me, about what I saw that night," Lucy had reminded her.
"Well things just got out of hand, this morning, Hardy went off to rescue his girlfriend after she claimed Joe threatened her. I had to give him the key to search the house, I know something was found, I can't say what but they made a mistake."
"Well if you can't tell me? I'll come over Ell but if you want to know what I saw, well it could be to your advantage, if you can lend me some money?"
Ellie had known she was going to regret it but if it got Joe off, what did she have to lose? So she had got her cheque book out and tried to settle Fred, who was half asleep after asking Lucy to call and get some food for Tom.
"What's going on Mum?" Tom had asked her.
"Just a mix up Tom, don't worry about it. Stay off school on Monday, I'm going to try to get us out of here, we'll book a caravan down the coast, they have a swimming pool there."
"Did dad do something wrong?" Tom had wanted to know.
"The police got it wrong and Rose helped them so DI Hardy believes her. You know I said they had got engaged?"
"Yeah Mum but Rose wouldn't do that, would she?" Tom wanted to know.
"I didn't think she would but if it closes the case, who knows?"
So as Lucy was handed a cheque for the amount she'd asked for, Olly was making a fuss over Fred, who was still half asleep and Ellie then had stood in the middle of the field between her house and the Latimer house, seeing flashing lights outside her own.
Chloe had been over, not believing what they had been told but Beth hadn't had it all sink in yet so she went to join Ellie.
"What are you doing here?" Beth had asked her as it was getting dark.
"Whatever Hardy told you, it wasn't Joe," Ellie still insisted.
"How can you be so sure Ellie?" Beth had asked her.
"He wants someone to blame, Joe would never hurt your Danny."
"Ellie, Danny sneaked out of the house in the middle of the night," Beth had reminded her. "He could have only been meeting someone he knew. Hardy said he and Joe had been meeting for a while."
"What? We were away, remember?" Ellie had asked her.
"Before you went away. Mark wanted more information and called Hardy's DC, he said Joe admitted it."
"That's not true and you know it Beth," Ellie had insisted. "They just want it to be."
"Stay away from us Ellie, I'm warning you," Beth had told her. "They have someone for killing my Danny, it's up to them to decide if it was Joe or not, you're bound to be on his side."
So Ellie had gone off to voice her displeasure at Rose and Hardy and now, she was standing in front of her ex boss in the station's reception area.
"What do you want Miller? For me to say I made a mistake?" Alec was asking her.
"Yes, you have made a mistake. I want to see my husband."
"That's against procedure and you know it," Alec reminded her, wanting to get down to grilling Joe again and get some more answers.
"What am I going to do, there are cameras everywhere," Ellie replied. "I know he's innocent and I'm going to prove it."
"Leave it Miller, go back to your boys. He'll be questioned again and we will get to the truth. A solicitor will be present."
"You mean you'll get the truth as you want it to be?" Ellie accused him, aware Bob was listening. "I bet you've already got everyone believing it was Joe?"
"Miller, what do you want me to say? Joe started to admit it and we have enough proof to charge him. He'll be held on remand, pending a hearing. If he admits it, he'll be spared a trial. Does he really want to face one and drag you into it?" Alec asked her.
"I don't care, a jury will believe him and that you got it wrong because you're going on the word of your girlfriend."
"Miller, this is not about Rose, not entirely. Ask your nephew about him, when he was bothering Joe about being called out to accidents."
"What? Don't be daft, he wouldn't turn on his nephew. What's Rose been telling you?"
"It doesn't matter Miller, we have the driver of the other car from that incident and I have people finding other witnesses as to how Joe has a temper. Miller, he hid it from you, I don't know why but you never saw that side of him but others, including Rose did. Danny was strangled in a temper, Joe knew him and they had been meeting. Those are the facts, like them or not."
"Well I don't like them, it's all circumstantial so far," Ellie replied.
"No, it's not. We found clear evidence he was communicating with Danny by text and email, we found Danny's missing phone with your husband's prints on it, in his drawer containing his personal items. What more evidence do you need?" he asked her. "I have to go, I can't tell you any more Miller."
He got Joe taken to the interview room again and waited for Daniels, who wasn't happy working yet another Saturday.
"Did DS Miller just leave?" Daniels asked Alec.
"Yes, she still doesn't believe it's her husband we have in custody. Have you found those other witnesses yet?"
"I passed it on Sir, I thought it was urgent and you'd be needing me here. It doesn't matter about keeping it quiet now, does it Sir?"
Alec thought he was beginning to like the DC even more. Joe was led in and the handcuffs released, the solicitor having just arrived.
"Right, no messing around this time Joe," Alec told him sternly. "You are being charged with the death by strangulation of Danny Latimer on the 12th of July this year and in addition with causing a disturbance, traffic violations and threatening an ex colleague. So, start talking and if I get a no comment out of you, you will be charged with impeding the investigation. When did you start meeting with Danny then?"
