Rose put the teapot, cup and saucer, a small jug of milk and two packets of sugar then a small wrapped biscuit she'd got a large box of and put it on the saucer then carried the tray across, picking up a spoon.
"Here you go then," she said cheerfully as she had to smile at him squinting at his phone. She wondered if he had the same design of specs as the Doctor used to have.
She placed the tray on the table, making him look up.
"What's this?" he asked, indicating to the biscuit.
"With compliments, every customer who just orders a drink gets one."
"Trying to impress?"
He was going to say 'bribe' but two people still had their heads buried in their phones and he wondered if she put a time limit on their usage or if it cut off after a certain time. He wasn't intending being there long enough to find out but if it was going to take her five minutes or so to bring his tray every time, he just might.
Rose kept the smile on her face, blimey, he was nothing like the Doctor, she would have no trouble distinguishing the two of them, that was certain.
"I'm just trying to get people to come back, I'm not the only place around here. Having fun on your phone?"
"Looking for a place to rent."
"Oh, I can give you the name of the rental agency I'm with, if that helps?"
"It would but I wanted to find out about the chalet by the river, the blue one."
"Yeah, it looks nice but it was occupied when I asked, I've got a cottage nearby."
He thought of asking if it was one over the other side of the car park but he didn't want her to think he'd been watching her. She told him the name of the agency then went to clear up after a young woman and a man left, Rose hoping they had disconnected from the internet but Jake had insisted she set the range to a minimum, after telling her how to do it over the phone.
Alec found the chalet, seeing it was already vacant and that there was a nightly and weekly rate, did anyone actually stay for just one night? Plus it was per person but there was only him and who would actually check? He decided to finish his tea, which was better than what passed for it in the station and thought it would be worthwhile riling the blonde by coming in every day.
If she thought he was there to keep everyone in line, she'd be less likely to flirt with him, well that was his theory anyway, which was about to be disproved as she came back and sat opposite him.
"Found it?" she asked, wondering why he hadn't touched the biscuit.
"Yes, I will go and ask about it, I need to be on my own for a while, I'm in one of the hotels. The tea was quite good, to say it was local."
"Yeah, I'm trying to use local supplies, well except for the coffee. Not a biscuit lover?"
"No, thanks anyway. You may not want to bother next time."
"So, I passed your test then?"
"Which one? That you make a decent pot of tea or there seem to be no troublemakers around?"
"Both?" she smiled as he put the cup back and she wondered if he was going to leave her to clear up but he didn't. Rose knew he'd been married, Pete had done a quick check on him but she'd not taken much notice, well not when she'd had the project closed down to find the Doctor.
He put his phone away and Rose saw he had a pair of rimless specs in his jacket pocket, wondering why he'd not bothered to use them.
"So, I'll maybe see you tomorrow then?"
"Aye, maybe and take my advice about the sign eh?"
"Yeah, I'll check up, my stepfather sorted everything out, he didn't say anything about signs."
"Did he know you were ordering one?" Alec mused as he got up and retrieved his coat from the back of the chair.
"Ah, good point, I'll have to ask him that too. Do I have to call you inspector?"
"Not if you don't want to, you don't have to call me anything."
He then remembered the conversation about names he'd had at the Miller house, before he'd suspected who the killer was.
"So, you're Rose I take it?"
"Yeah, that's me. See ya then?"
He nodded and went to the door, recalling the last time he'd been in the now totally different shop to when it was the newsagents and him telling Jack Marshall to lock his doors and go home. He called a cab to take him back up to the High Street, he knew he shouldn't try and walk all that way, uphill and got out outside the hotel. Just his luck Becca Fisher was writing on the board outside, he hoped she had permission as well.
"Hi, you're off work early."
"Not working, not until tomorrow. I may as well tell you now, I'm looking to move out by the weekend, costs."
"Yeah, sorry but the press have left, it was just a peace offering but bookings are taking off again. Oh, a letter came for you after you left, I'll just get it for you."
He knew what it was, the dreaded 'urgent action required' for him to phone the hospital and make an appointment. Well he wasn't in that much of a hurry, not now but since the case was over, what did he have to lose? His daughter had been upset when she'd listened with Tess, who was more annoyed than anything else he'd never told her. He had argued it would have made no difference if he had, she would have still left him.
He got his letter and put it in his pocket then walked back out to the rental agency a few doors down, just past the opticians, which reminded him he must stop being so vain and wear his own instead of screwing his face up to read his phone screen. Just an hour later, having rung the personnel department at the station, he was arranging to pick up the keys for the chalet on Thursday afternoon, pleased he wouldn't be required to contribute towards the costs.
Rose had a steady day and Chloe arrived just before four to help clean up.
"So, how did things go at home? Have you decided on a funeral date yet?" Rose asked her.
"Yeah, Friday at eleven, up at the church. You're welcome to come, if you want?"
"Yeah, I'd like to pay my respects, I'd probably close anyway, I was going to on Wednesday but I can wait."
"Thanks, I'll tell mum. I was glad to get out, she and gran were going on about what flowers to order. They settled on blue and white in the shape of his name, with a football."
"Aw, that's nice. What were his favourite?"
"Sunflowers."
Rose made a note to go get some on her way there, if she could locate the church.
The next morning, Alec decided to get to the coffee shop around eleven, then go claim his desk back for an hour. Rose was serving someone when he walked in so he waited his turn. She had called Pete last night and asked about the sign, him telling her he would sort it out and to leave it where it was for now.
"I can't believe he told me off about the sign Dad," Rose laughed after she told him of her first meeting with Alec.
"He was just doing his job but I heard he may be out of the police."
"Really? Why, what's he done?"
"I can't say, it's only a rumour, you should get him to tell you."
"Yeah, like he's gonna admit anything to me. He doesn't even seem to know who I am."
"You are joking," Pete laughed, thinking Alec Hardy must be the only man in the country who didn't know who Rose was. "Are you going to tell him then?"
"Nope, he's a detective, let him work it out."
Rose greeted Alec as she turned to him. "Good morning to you then, do you want the same as yesterday, minus the biscuit? You could have just sat down you know, I'd have brought it over to you."
"That will do fine, I don't expect any special treatment. Been busy?"
"Steady. Why don't you go sit down then and I'll bring it over to you? Anything instead of the biscuit?"
He shook his head and took a two pound coin out of his pocket and placed it in her hand. She had a charity box for spare change chained to the counter that someone on Saturday had asked if they could leave so giving him his five pence change, he put it in the box. He went to find a table, leaving Rose wondering if she should act like Pete had not told her anything about him, maybe he was just going to move on and not decided yet, what else could it be?
As she gathered everything onto the tray, she picked up a packet of shortbread and put it next to the milk then walked to his table.
"There you go. I thought you may like to try the shortbread, no-one's said if it's any good yet."
"So you thought you would get me to try it?"
"You'd give me your honest opinion. My stepfather's asking about the sign."
"Good, then I'll be interested to see where you finally place it."
Rose smiled and went to clear the next table then after she'd put everything in the dishwasher, she saw him on his phone again and went to join him. Alec was trying to figure out how to make the video call. He gave in and fished his specs out of his pocket and put them on, Rose smiling at him and thinking he looked cute.
She noticed he'd opened the shortbread and one piece was missing. "So is it any good then?" she indicated to the rest of it.
"So-so I suppose. Did you want something?"
Rose looked around. There were only three other people in besides him who didn't seen to want any attention.
"Did you ask about the chalet?"
"Yes, I get the keys in a few days." He decided he was being rude and put his phone down. "I was trying to see how to make a video call."
"Oh, it's easy, even my mum can do it and that's saying something. You should have seen her when we had a video recorder."
Alec could just imagine it. "Well I am not amused with it, the person I tried calling last night said I was not technically minded and gave up."
Rose smiled. "You have to have your camera on."
"Really? I never thought of that," he replied dryly. "I suppose it makes a difference then?"
Rose let out a laugh, getting a look from a couple a few tables away.
"Well yeah, you have to start the program then select who you're calling from your call list."
"I have not got a call list."
"There you go then, add the person from your phonebook to your call list. It's easier if they call you, you just have to accept it."
Alec thought that with Daisy's call allowance, Tess probably didn't allow her to make video calls.
"Do ya want me to show you?"
"No thanks, the person won't be around at this time."
Rose thought it was probably his girlfriend or a work colleague then and if it was his girlfriend, she should stop flirting with him but he was encouraging her.
"Well just remember what I told you then. Are you going to the boy's funeral?"
"Yes, it will be expected of me since I was the one to arrest the killer."
"Chloe asked if I wanted to go and being new in town and a shop owner, I thought I'd pay my respects to her family. I don't know where the church is though, is it easy to find?"
"The one on the hill across the bay, you can't miss it, St Bede's."
Rose thought it would be just like her to be the only one not to find it and turn up late. Then she had an idea.
"Maybe I could give you a ride and you can show me where it is then?"
It was a good way to find out if he was going with anyone but maybe if he had a girlfriend, she didn't live in the town, which would explain why he as trying to video call.
"When is it anyway?" he asked, taking off his specs and putting them away.
"Friday at eleven. If you're moving just nearby, I could call for you at half past ten?"
"Maybe, I would not want to put you to any trouble though."
"It's no trouble, it will save me getting lost. You finished with your tray?"
Alec nodded and sat back to allow her to move the tray.
"This places seems a lot for one person to take on," he remarked, getting up to put his coat on.
"It's not that bad, everything's locked up when I'm busy."
"Good, I would hate to have to warn you of the dangers of working alone."
"Got that from my stepfather already, thanks. See you tomorrow then and let me know if you manage to make that call."
Alec nodded and walked to the door, turning back to see Rose carry the tray towards the counter. Did she think he was trying to video call a girlfriend? That thought amused him as he wondered how long he should let her keep on thinking that. That morning though as he'd made his way there, he had actually been looking forward to it and as he left, he debated taking her up on the offer of a ride up to the church but why had she suggested it if she had got the impression he had a girlfriend?
Maybe she was just trying to find out, should he just string her along? No, he'd been on his own far too long and a young blonde was actually showing an interest in him, she wouldn't wait that long, not someone like her. Maybe he would just wind her up the next day and see how far she was willing to take the flirting she'd been doing with him.
When Alec had left, Rose was wondering if he would take her up on the offer of a ride to the church or would he think she was chatting him up? She had found it easy to flirt with him at first, despite being a little annoyed he had been the one sent to spy on her. He was cute wearing his specs, just like the Doctor had been but there the resemblance ended.
Alec Hardy was nothing like the Doctor, apart from the looks and there did seem something about him, maybe Pete knew and didn't want to tell her to save her blurting it out in front of him, which would put him off for good. Now though, there was a distinct possibility he already had a girlfriend and if he refused the ride on Friday, then she'd know and back off.
Alec went into the station, getting a funny look from the officer on duty and a frosty reception from those in the squad room, who thought they'd got rid of him. He looked at Ellie Miller's empty desk, her name still on it and various personal belongings now in a small cardboard box, for her to collect, if she ever bothered. He noticed a family photo and could understand how quickly families could be broken up through no fault of their own but Joe Miller had broken this one up, to start a 'relationship' with an eleven year old boy, how sick was that?
Alec went into his office, closing the door and was just going through the pile of folders on his desk relating to the Latimer case that the chief had told someone to place there when his phone rang. It was Ellie.
"Miller? Are you coming back then?"
"No, I just wanted you to know I'm sorry for my behaviour the other night."
"You were upset, it's understandable, no need to apologise."
"I think I may have been caught on the CCTV on my way out, despite you steering me down the stairs to the side door, sorry."
"Forget it, after what happened, who is going to bother checking tapes?"
"They don't use tapes these days Hardy," she laughed.
"Stop it Miller. I'm having enough trouble trying to video call my daughter."
"I'd like to see that, maybe you should take lessons?"
Alec thought he would take the bait. "I've already had an offer I will have you know," he scoffed, sitting back in his chair.
"Where are you? Did you get put on medical?"
"I did but the chief let me back for an hour or so a day but she made me do something in return."
"Oh, that sounds interesting, do tell," Ellie laughed.
"A new coffee shop opened where the newsagents used to be and the council thinks it will bring trouble, since it offers free internet access."
"Oh, do you mean that red shutter was put there for a reason?"
"Well they would hardly put one up on an empty shop, would they? Someone from out of town opened it and the chief sent me down to make sure no kids were hanging around."
"Ha, you got a babysitting job?"
"Not exactly, the tea is quite good but a bit over-priced though at least it's served in a white ceramic teapot and you get a free biscuit."
Ellie laughed again, she needed cheering up after what she had been through and Tom had gone off with Olly and not come back.
"Maybe the new owners were trying to impress you, if they knew who you are."
"She knows who I am, there's just a young blonde running the place but I saw Chloe Latimer working there last Saturday."
"Oh, well she needs to get out but I'd best stay away, under the circumstances."
"Aye, I'll be going to the funeral, it's on Friday morning."
"I know, Olly told me, he's taking Tom. I can get him to pick you up if you want?"
"No, I've already been offered a ride."
"Really? Don't tell me Jenkinson is going?"
"No, the new owner of the coffee shop, her name is Rose, apparently and she's taken a liking to me, even gave me a packet of shortbread to try when I was in earlier."
"She was trying to impress you! Is there something wrong with her?"
"Thanks for that. No, she thinks I have a girlfriend."
"What gave her that impression?"
"When she offered to help me make a video call – I never told her it was to my daughter."
"You let her think that, then there's something wrong with you."
"Quite probably but the thing is, she knew who I was and still wants to flirt with me."
That was the funniest thing Ellie Miller had heard since he'd arrived in the town and stolen her job. Good luck to her – whoever she was, she was going to need it but did she know he was seriously ill? Ellie doubted it somehow.