Mickey was still trying to find out what station this bloke worked at but had to go to work himself so he'd have to continue later. Jackie was sitting with her phone in her hand, debating whether to call Rose and see if she was ok, it wasn't like them to just fall out like that. Despite Rose admitting what she had been doing for the past two years, it wasn't something they should fall out over. She could still tell people that Rose was a dancer, just not exactly which type but she was surprised Rose had even gone in for that sort of thing. She thought she would leave it until later.
Alec was still fuming at his humiliation even after lunch. He'd avoided the break room, going out for a sandwich and eating it in his office. Everyone was staring at him and laughing at his outburst. To think he had trusted Rose with his secret and she still had his key and was probably making dinner for him. He felt used, of course she wasn't interested in him but why take him to meet her mother? Why have her ex show up? Maybe he should at least give her the chance to explain that to him, why she had kept up the pretence this long.
Of course she couldn't get a serious boyfriend, anyone in their right mind would run a mile if they knew what she did and he'd let her believe he was ok with it. Well he was far from ok with it, he hated the fact of her standing there and men leering at her but he had been just as guilty when he had been there. Why had she agreed to see him if she hadn't been put up to it? Those DS's must have been the night before to set it all up with her and she had seized the opportunity to get herself a boyfriend out of it. Either that or she would tell him tonight it was all over and just leave.
He had been better with her, made himself look and feel younger and he'd actually bought some jeans because she said he looked sexy in them. He even felt better in himself, wasn't getting as irritated, well apart from this morning and he had thought that was justified, he'd even defended her until he realised they'd fooled him. He wasn't going to apologise though, not for what they had done. He would confront Rose and if she denied it, he'd just say he was busy with work and wanted to be alone.
She had just been either playing a good part or she had got caught up in things and was now taking advantage of it. He finished early and thought about maybe seeing if he could return the suit, he wouldn't be needing it, he'd never wear it without Rose being with him and now it was a joke. His mind was full of questions, after all, he asked them all day for a living. He was about to leave when the chief pulled him up.
"My office Alec."
He knew it was about his outburst this morning or the fact the case had gone stale. If it was neither of them, it was the fact he was going to get warned about his serious misjudgement in his choice of girlfriends.
The chief closed the door. "I heard about your little altercation this morning, try to keep squabbles to your own time but that's not why I called you in. We have a lead and I want you on it right now. Our main suspect sold a car that we've just been alerted to and the garage are holding it for us to search it. It only came in an hour ago but they checked the database and it came up as a police interest so they just called. I want you and your team over and collect any evidence, especially if the missing necklace is there. Take your team and take DS Hardy with you, she was working just as hard as you lot before she moved to the other division."
"What? Now? Everyone's about to finish. Do I have to take Tess with me? You know she and I divorced a while back."
"She's just as much a part of this case as everyone else. Get your team together and get out to this address." He handed Alec a piece of paper with the address of the garage. "If you find anything, bring it directly back here, you're in charge so it's your responsibility."
Alec reluctantly went back out and gathered his team, who were not happy to be putting in some overtime. He picked up his desk phone and called his ex wife and they were soon on their way, joining the forensic team. On his arrival, now after 6pm, he gave the go ahead for the forensic leader to start the search after getting the co-operation of the garage owner and they soon discovered a pendant in the glove compartment of the car. It was put into an evidence bag and labelled, being handed to Alec.
"Right, I'll take this back to HQ, you lot can go now."
He still hadn't called Rose, who by now must have started making dinner and he really wasn't in the mood to eat or face her and have to confront her motives. He received a message. 'Dinner is on and I have a surprise for you. Rose. xx'
Yeah, she had a surprise alright, what had she been hiding from him? The fact that he wasn't the only man she had danced for in her apartment or someone else's? The fact his so called 'mates' had set him up and she had played along. He sent a message back saying he was on his way, not mentioning he was going to get his key back and tell her just to go. How could he be with her now? She had been good in putting on a show for him and maybe she had actually enjoyed playing the part but it would be over soon anyway, when she got tired of him and he would rather end it on his terms.
Tess was talking to him. "Alec, I said I can take that back to HQ, I'm going that way and you live in the other direction don't you?"
He snapped back to reality. There was no need for him to go out of his way and he realised she had got his address from the divorce papers. "Yes, ok, you take it back and don't lose it, it's crucial to the case, we have him now, once it's been examined."
"What do you take me for Alec? I'm not a rookie you know."
The woman took the evidence bag from Alec and got into her car, putting it in the glove box and drove off. Little did Alec know that was the last any of them would see of the evidence. Everyone had just about left, leaving Alec to drag himself back to his car and go face Rose, who he thought he may have actually been able to make a life with, if he could persuade her to change her profession. He had even toyed with the idea of offering to look after her until she found another job and he'd only known her for a few days but the weekend had been intense and he'd enjoyed their day out and waking up on Sunday morning with her.
He could have easily got used to waking up with her every morning. He set off to drive home and let himself in. Rose had put dinner on a low heat to keep warm and was anxiously making herself look alluring to him. She had chosen a floral dress with a low neckline that showed her shape off, bought some sexy new underwear and she had looked in the mirror a dozen times in the last ten minutes after getting Alec's text. She heard the door open and jumped away from the bathroom mirror and into the hallway.
"Hi Alec, how was your day?"
She put her arms around his neck and went to kiss him but he pulled her arms away and put his keys down and took his jacket off. Rose thought he wanted to take it off so she could unfasten his shirt buttons and then snog the life out of him but he just went into the kitchen and drew a glass of water and took two pills out of a blister pack. She thought he must have had a bad day. She didn't know he was preparing himself for the showdown of the decade. She went up to him as he sat at the kitchen table and standing behind him, put her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek, then down the side of his neck. He wriggled free. Why was she still doing this? Should he just come out and ask her or tell her he knew her game and tell her to leave?
Rose sensed there was something wrong as she went to the stove to get dinner out.
"Leave it Rose, I'm not hungry. I want to ask you something. Whose idea was it?"
Rose sat down opposite him. "What? Whose idea was what Alec? What are you talking about?"
"Don't play games Rose, I've had enough today. Just tell me who it was who put you up to this?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about Alec. Put me up to what?"
Alec got up and paced the kitchen. He was tired and he was hungry but he was in no mood to eat or play games.
"Was it Jenkins, or was it Smith or even Hughes? Which one Rose, who put you up to letting me backstage last Thursday night and getting you to take me home with you? Did you have your fun and decide I was too good a thing to let go and you decided to string me along? Come on Rose, admit it, it was no coincidence you just happened to let me backstage when you never see anyone and then took me back and had sex with me, even though I told you there was something wrong with me. I trusted you Rose, why didn't you just have the one night with me and that was it? Did you feel sorry for me or was it the fact you can't get a boyfriend because of what you do so you took advantage of me?"
Rose was stunned to say the very least. What had brought this on? Had one of the men who Alec had said took him to the club for his birthday said something to him or hinted it had been a set-up? How could he think such a thing? She looked at Alec, who was now leaning on the back of the chair and not looking directly at her.
"Well you could at least deny it, or is it all true?"
Tears were forming in her eyes. "Alec, how can you even think such a thing? Why have you even brought this up? I let you take me home because I liked the look of you and you looked sad on your birthday, that's why I wanted you to stay but in the club, I was willing to take a chance with you."
"So it just happened that was the night you were going to break your own rules and let me take you home? I don't think so Rose, I know someone put you up to it so just admit it."
"I'm not admitting anything that's not true Alec." Rose looked up at him. He was looking older again, all the new youthfulness was going out of him and he was back to his old self.
Just then, his phone rang. He answered it in a gruff voice. "Hardy. What? What do you mean the evidence has been stolen? Her car got broken in to? Where the hell was she? She was supposed to go straight back to HQ. What do you mean she stopped off somewhere? Oh for crying out loud, what is wrong with you people? Yes, go out and send forensics to dust her car and I'll be there when you send a car for me, I'm not driving out there. Have a car here in ten minutes and tell her to stay there and she had better have a damn good reason why she left her car unattended."
Alec ended the call and picked up his jacket. "I have to go out, turn off dinner and go home Rose, I'll get my key from you tomorrow. I don't think we have any more to say about what happened. I wouldn't want you to be under the illusion you're fooling me any longer."
Rose couldn't get up. Alec turned off the oven and walked to the door. "Lock up when you go, leave my key with your doorman and I'll collect it."
"Alec, I don't know what I'm supposed to have done but whatever you think, I'm not guilty. I don't know any of those names you mentioned and I really didn't intend to play games with you, well not those kind of games. Please believe me Alec. At least come round later or I can wait here for you and we can talk."
"What's to talk about Rose? The fact that you've fooled me for the last few days?"
"No Alec, the fact I do care about you despite what you think."
She got up and went into the bedroom and threw her clothes back in the bag she had brought with her then took his key out of her jacket pocket. She went back into the hallway and put the key on the hallstand. Alec had the door opened, ready to leave and turned out the hall light and allowed her to go first. He didn't see the tears streaming down her face. She didn't even know what she was supposed to be guilty of.
Downstairs, Alec got into a waiting police car and Rose called for a cab and cried all the way home. She let herself in and nodded to Nigel when he got up to call the lift for her.
"Good evening Miss Tyler, are you ok?"
Rose shook her head, she was far from ok. "Nigel, if Mr Hardy comes around, will you let him in?"
"Of course I will Miss Tyler. Are you sure you're alright?"
The lift arrived and she went up to her apartment, flung open the bedroom door and sank onto her bed, the same bed she had made love with Alec on not that long ago. What had he been accusing her of? She had let Alec do all the talking, he'd been furious with her for some reason and no wonder he had taken his pills. She knew he needed them but she had never seen him actually take them. She was hungry but was too upset to make something to eat and she had left the food in Alec's oven.
She got up and went into the kitchen and found a tin of chunky soup and warmed it up. It was now 7.30 and she wondered what Alec had been so angry over the phone about. She had only heard one side of the conversation and it sounded like it had to do with the case he was so badly trying to finish so he could get help with his health. Who was going to look after him now? She picked up her phone and sent her last message to him. 'I'm sorry if you think I've done something but for what it's worth, look after yourself Alec because I do care about you. Rose.'
Alec still hadn't calmed down as the squad car drove him to where Tess had said she was. How could she have been so stupid? Most importantly, why had she even stopped at that hotel, it was nowhere near the station, it was on the outskirts of town. He knew he should never have trusted her to take back vital evidence, now it was all over, the search of the car had been completed and there was nothing else to tie their main suspect to the case who was now going to walk free.
He chewed Tess out in front of everyone when he arrived and asked why she had stopped there although he suspected she was still seeing the man she'd had an affair with while they had still be married. She'd asked for the divorce and he thought she wanted to re-marry but it was months ago now. Now they had lost a case and a killer was going to walk free because that had been their last hope.
He got back in the squad car, it was almost nine, they had waited for a breakdown truck to take her car back to HQ and forensics had been over it, no fingerprints and they surmised it had been kids wearing gloves since she had also been stupid enough to forget her purse and had realised too late and gone back to see the car window smashed and everything gone. The thieves had been quick and must have been watching her.
The message tone had gone on his phone, no doubt from Rose. He wasn't going to bother reading it just yet, he needed to calm down first and was glad he'd taken those pills earlier although he hadn't taken them in front of her before. Why worry now? She still knew his secret but who would believe her, an exotic dancer? Really, what had he been thinking, contemplating having something permanent with her and then there was her ex suddenly showing up like that, after all that time.
He let himself in again and thought about the food in the oven but just made himself some toast and sat down. He picked his phone up, forgetting that Rose had sent a message, well it was probably from her. He put his glasses on and opened the message, then took his glasses off and rubbed his face. She was sorry? He had accused her of all kinds of things and despite her not arguing, maybe because she knew his condition, she hadn't even stormed out or thrown something at him or even thrown his key down in a temper.
He would think about it overnight, see how he felt in the morning. He went to bed just after ten, lying on the pillow when he had held Rose the night before. He closed his eyes but she was all he could see. Her face lighting up as he slid his fingers into her and that wicked grin, her calling his name as they came together and waking up to a mouthful of her hair and her smiling at him. Since Thursday night, they had been together and she had made him feel young again, he'd cut his hair, shaved a bit off his beard and now wore jeans just to please her.
For almost an hour he tormented himself with going over what had been implied that morning and it had hurt when Jenkins had said he could do better than an exotic dancer because he knew he couldn't. She had understood his problem and been ok with it, so what if they had put her up to it? Would they actually stoop that low, did they think that badly of him to set him with an exotic dancer? He looked at the time, it was after eleven. He should call her but she might be asleep or she may not answer her phone. He'd been a complete idiot. He got dressed, put his jacket on and got his car keys, spying the spare key where she had left it.
Rose had gone to bed, still crying and wondering if he would reply or even read her message. She didn't really expect it, he was really mad with her for something she hadn't any knowledge of and as for those men, she had never heard of let alone even seen. She tossed and turned, meaning to try sending him another message in the morning and tell him she wouldn't bother him again. Then she would call her mother and tell her she was sorry if it upset her with what she did to earn a living and try to get on with her life. She was sure of one thing, she would never meet anyone like Alec Hardy again.
It was after eleven as Rose tossed and turned, hugging the pillow where he had laid, the pillow now wet with her tears. Alec was out of his apartment and sat in his car fumbling with the keys and cursing for getting in such a state and for telling her to leave his spare key, he may just as well have just told her to get out and never come back. He was never one for being tactful yet she had still sent that message and if she had been guilty of what he had accused her of, she wouldn't say she still cared, she would have ignored him or slapped his face before she left and told him he was right.
He arrived outside her apartment block just after 11.30 and he just sat there for a few minutes. He couldn't tell her apartment from the road, some had lights on, some didn't and she may already be asleep anyway, maybe he should leave it and apologise in the morning but he knew he wouldn't sleep if he went back home. He got out of his car and rang the doorbell and he saw the man Rose had called Nigel come to answer the intercom.
"Mr Hardy, good evening Sir. Are you here to see Miss Tyler?"
"Yes, is she at home?" Stupid question, where else would she be when she wasn't working? Nice one Alec.
He half expected the man to shut the intercom off and tell him she had given instructions he wasn't to be admitted. Instead, he opened the door and Alec stepped inside.
"Can you find Miss Tyler's apartment Sir?"
Of course he could, he had stayed there the other night. Nigel called the lift for him and Alec got in when it arrived. "Have a good evening Sir."
Just as the doors were closing, Alec found his voice again. "Thank you Nigel, I certainly hope so or I'll be back down in a few minutes."
On reaching the third floor, he rang the bell to Rose's apartment and waited for the barrage of abuse she would probably throw at him for being a stupid, inconsiderate prat and tell him to get lost but as he waited, he thought there again she would know that he'd get in because Nigel recognised him and just ignore her own doorbell ringing but a few minutes later, after he was about to give up, he heard the door unlocking.
Rose heard the doorbell and knew Nigel would only let Alec in. She dried her eyes and put her robe on and found her keys. Putting the chain on and looking through, there stood Alec.
"Rose, I know it's late but I came to say I'm the one that's sorry. Can I come in?"