Rose was finding her way around the town, loving the fact her apartment had a sea view and thought Mickey had chosen well though how he and the Doctor had arranged everything, she had no idea unless the new Doctor had just arranged things at the last minute, it had sounded like it but she was thankful none the less.
Alec had settled into the hotel the following Wednesday, well as best he could and reported to his new chief, thankful his old friend had filled in all the medical paperwork that he'd completed an exam prior to his departure from Sandbrook but he knew he'd never had passed it in a million years. His medication was getting in short supply and he'd have to call his friend to send some more or come down for a visit, preferably late at night when there was no-one around.
Why he'd let himself be transferred by the sea, he'd no idea but staying in a hotel wasn't for him and he knew he'd be out within the week so the day after he'd arrived, he took a walk along the harbour and spied a blue chalet by the side of the river and wondered how much it would cost to rent and where he needed to apply. Getting back to his new office, he typed in the description and was surprised to see it was a local rental company but it was booked for the next two weeks. He made a note of the agent's details and meant to call in and put his name down for it, as punishment, he told himself, well everyone else was punishing him anyway.
Rose found the larger supermarket on the main road, being tempted to walk up but had to call for a taxi with all her shopping and unknown to her, Claire was also stocking up, getting herself sorted hoping she would still see Alec, he wasn't that far away, he'd have no excuse really. She wished he'd got her somewhere nearer the sea, why couldn't he have got her a cottage or something in the town he was transferring to, didn't he want to be seen with her?
She'd tried and failed, several times to trap him, even when he'd gone to the hospital with her when Lee had been in custody, all he'd done was try to comfort her, she'd no-one else to turn to, she couldn't even go to Cate because the woman believed Lee had killed Pippa, which had been true but her neighbour didn't know that. Then Alec had suspected she knew more than she'd been letting on and she'd let him talk her into saying it was all Lee's idea to get rid of Pippa and she'd changed her story twice, Alec had been clever enough to know her first story wasn't true, little did he know the second one had been equally untrue.
There was no way she would ever tell him what really happened that night and she'd played a major part in it all, along with the girl's father and uncle of Lisa. If Lee hadn't been stupid enough to lose control of himself, she wouldn't be in all this mess in the first place. Wherever Lee was, he deserved everything he'd got so far but now he was after her, to get his revenge on her telling Hardy's now ex wife he'd killed Pippa and knew where Lisa was though where Ricky had taken her that night, she'd no idea, he'd never said.
All she had to do was keep her head down, start a new job, albeit working for someone else but she'd been told another new hairdresser was starting at the same time and she'd been worried she would have some competition but there had been another vacancy created, luckily as one staff member had just discovered she was expecting.
On their first day at 'Turning Heads' hair salon, Rose and Claire were introduced to the other staff and each other, Rose taking an instant liking to Claire because she reminded her of the serving girl, Gwyneth, back in the 1800's and she could have sworn the woman must be a descendent and also a relative of Gwen Cooper's and meant to ask Claire the first chance she got, well not about if she'd a distant relative who had the gift of sight.
They both went for their lunch at the same time and went into a nearby caf on their first day.
"So Claire, do you live here then?" Rose asked her, munching on a sandwich.
"No, I live just outside the town, got a little cottage down there. You?"
"Yeah, just down on the seafront, I'd had enough of living in London. Me and my mum came down here before and I remembered I liked it so I thought I'd come back."
"I lived in another town before I came here, had some bother so here I am."
"Well, it's none of my business so I won't poke my nose in then?"
"Right, we'll get on just fine then," Claire smiled. "You got a boyfriend?"
"Me? No, not for a while, my last one got married after we finally split up, we'd been on and off for years."
At least that was true in this world and there was no way she was mentioning the other world and it would just make things complicated if she said she'd been going steady for three years then they'd had a row and she'd left him.
"I've got no-one now, my husband went off somewhere, a friend helped me relocate down here," Claire told her.
"We should go out sometimes then, pick up a couple of blokes?"
"Yeah, that would be good, that's a great idea, take our minds off it."
The two woman had different days off but agreed they would meet on Saturday night and have a few and see if there were any men on holiday they fancied after Rose said it would be better if they didn't pick up any of the locals. They were now into their second week but on the Friday morning, the town was in turmoil. Claire was late for work because the bus had been diverted and all they heard on the radio was that there was a police incident on Harbour Cliff Beach and Claire hadn't seen anything, having to get off the bus and make her way up into the town.
At lunch time, Rose tried to get more details of what had happened.
"Really Rose, I saw nothing, the road was closed off and the bus was being diverted. I wonder what happened?"
Just then, Olly Stevens came in the caf and saw the two woman, ignoring Claire and making a bee-line for Rose.
"Hello ladies, I've not see you two around, are you on holiday?"
"Nope, we work here and we've been coming in here since last Monday, where have you been?" Rose asked him, noticing his press badge and being thankful she was a nobody in this world but if he dug too deeply he'd see her name on the list of the missing but returned after the Cybermen incident.
"Oh well, it was worth a try. You wanted to know what was going on down by the harbour, have you not heard?"
"No, that's why we were talking," Claire informed him, debating whether to bother Alec and find out from him what was going on.
"They found someone on the beach early this morning, a young boy. I think I know who it is but I've got the lead detectives on my back for releasing the name and one of them is my aunt, the other a new grumpy Scottish detective and trust me, my aunt's got plenty to complain about, she should have got a promotion."
Claire stifled a giggle, Alec was up to his neck in it then. Should she let on?
They went back to work but just before they left for the day, Alec appeared on TV and Rose thought she was seeing things how could there be another who looked like the Doctor and her James?
Claire was asking Rose if they were going out the following night but she really wasn't in the mood now.
"No, let's leave it yeah? Seems a bit odd now, going out looking for blokes, the town won't be taking the news very well, if he was a local boy."
"Yeah, I suppose you're right Rose, we'll leave it this week then? Why don't you come down to my place on Sunday afternoon, we can have a chat and find a local pub down there, I'll tell you what bus to get though you have to walk from the main road."
"We'll do that then?"
Alec had not had a good day, this was about all he needed, he was supposed to be here to stay out of trouble as his new boss had already kindly reminded him and his new DS was being a sore loser over him getting her job, though he'd expected her to be upset then get over it and Ellie Miller did not look like she was going to get over it in a hurry, if ever. Plus the local reporter was her nephew, whom he'd already had a run-in with earlier and he'd chewed her out over that, it had been a great start.
His phone rang as he was leaving for the press conference it was Claire.
"Alec, what's going on? What happened to that boy?"
"Like I could tell you any more than has been reported? What do you want Claire?"
"Why don't you come down and see me Alec?"
"I'm busy, that's why. Maybe at the weekend, if I have some time, I'm not making any promises though."
Claire had forgotten she'd invited Rose down and just said, "Fine then."
Before leaving work on Saturday, Rose wishing she'd not taken on a full-time job now, Claire handed her a piece of paper with her address on and the times of the buses.
"You'll have to get a taxi home though, the last bus that goes through Broadchurch is at six."
"Well if I've had a drink, I'll be just as well, won't I?" Rose grinned back, taking the address.
Rose made her way to the bus stop the next day, thinking that if it didn't turn up, she'd just get a taxi and tell Claire the bus had missed but it arrived more or less on time but Olly had seen Rose standing in the bus shelter, playing with her phone and was tempted to go talk to her. Rose didn't have any contacts in her phone though apart from Claire and the salon, she'd been unable to get Mickey's but she didn't think Martha would appreciate his ex looking him up anyway.
Claire let her in and made some lunch for the two of them, Rose saying she should go up to her next weekend and they'd take it in turns, since they didn't know anyone else around here. Claire was very careful not to tell her new friend where she'd been living or who her husband was, she'd been kept out of the media thanks to Alec but Lee had been plastered all over the news on his acquittal.
They were about to take a walk down to the beach just after four then go find a pub when there was a knock on the door, Claire forgetting Alec had said he'd try and call in. Now she'd have to admit to Rose that he was the friend who had helped her move here and hope he'd keep quiet about why she was there but it wasn't likely he'd want everyone to know since it was supposed to be between the two of them.
"Alec, I'd forgotten you were coming."
"You asked me Claire, how could you forget? Are you going to keep me standing here all afternoon?"
"Oh, sorry, come in, I have company, a woman I work with."
She led him into the sitting room, Rose already recognising his Scottish voice from the TV the other day and wishing she'd stayed at home. All she needed was a reminder of two men now that she'd lost, even though James was her own fault. Had he followed her here and disguised himself as a detective? Why would he do that?
Alec looked straight at Rose, who had got up.
"Alec, this is Rose. Rose this is Alec Hardy, the friend who helped me move here."
"Hi, nice to meet you Alec, I saw you on TV."
"So did everyone else. A pleasure to meet you Rose. Have you been working there for long?"
"No, I started the same day as Claire, funnily enough, we became friends with us both knowing no-one here but now I know she already knew someone."
"I didn't mention you Alec, I didn't think you'd want anyone to know."
Rose wondered about what exactly, was there something going on between these two? Only one way to find out.
Claire could see her friend was going to say something and ushered him into the kitchen.
"Why did you get me to come and see you Claire?"
"I was missing you Alec."
"Don't put on that act with me Claire, why invite me and your friend at the same time? Did you tell her I was your boyfriend?"
"No, of course not, what do you take me for Alec?"
"I don't know Claire but if you're playing some kind of game, then you can forget it, I'm not going to play it. I have enough with that murder going on and you should stay away from me."
"I don't believe this Alec, you get another child's murder to solve when you couldn't even convict my husband?"
"You think I knew what was going to happen eh? That I chose that place because I had an idea something was going to happen there?"
"I don't know Alec, did you?"
She thought he was going to slap her or something but he just put his hands on his hips like he always did when they were disagreeing over something, which was usually Lee or his ex wife.
"Don't be so stupid Claire, I came here to forget about what happened in Sandbrook. Did your husband follow you here?"
Claire looked livid and raised her hand but he caught it before she could strike him.
"Go on then, get out, since you didn't want to come here in the first place, I've got a real friend now, I don't need you Alec."
"Yes, so I could see, it won't last Claire and you know it, she'll find out who you are."
"Why do you think I wanted to get away from there to somewhere where no-one would know me?"
"Maybe because I mentioned I was getting a transfer?"
"Go away Alec, just leave me, I can do without you, I don't need you."
"I hope you get a good salary then, this cottage was not cheap and I'm not paying for it."
"I'll manage, thanks. You can see yourself out then."
"Fine, don't bother calling me when your husband comes looking for you."
"I won't so don't worry, go back to your murder investigation and hound some other poor woman's husband."
"Lee's guilty, we know that."
"Well blame that stupid wife of yours then, it's all her fault."
"Stop it Claire, it's done with, unless you know who took the evidence?"
Claire's heart stopped did he know and was just helping her to see if she'd slip up? Well, he was in for a long wait then. He was far too clever for Lee, after all the trouble they'd gone to, to keep out of the investigation, Lee had still been a suspect or did Alec suspect Ricky as well? If he did, he was keeping quiet about it.
Alec was looking at her. "How much have you told your friend out there?" he asked, nodding towards the door.
"She knows nothing, I can't tell her and neither can you so don't try putting her off."
"Why would I do that? If you've made a new friend, you'll be less likely to keep bothering me, won't you?"
"That's just typical of you Alec, bringing me down here and then dumping me."
"I have not dumped you, it's just not a good idea being seen together, people will get the wrong idea after you were involved with Sandbrook."
"I was never a suspect, was I Alec?"
"I never said you were, just keep your distance, that's all I'm saying."
"Are you afraid someone will find out you're keeping me in an unofficial witness protection program?"
"The less said, the better and stay away from that reporter in the town, what's his name."
"Too late, Rose and I already met him the other day, I think he fancies her, he hardly even acknowledged I was there."
"Then don't talk to him."
"I won't get chance, like I said, he went straight for Rose."
"Then maybe he's not so stupid after all, he may think you're married. You are going under Ripley?"
"Of course I am Alec, that's a bit of a stupid question."
"Right, I'm off, you are being rude to your friend, leaving her. Where's she from?"
"How would I know? London somewhere I expect, she hasn't said much, we agreed not to talk about our pasts."
"Good, keep it that way then. Don't call me unless it's urgent and I'll try and get down next Sunday, don't invite your friend at the same time."
Claire smiled. "Oh, you don't fancy her then?"
"Stop it Claire, I mean it."
Claire switched on the kettle and went to get the teabags, indicating to ask if he wanted one.
"I'll pass, I'll phone for a taxi."
"Come for a drink with us Alec, you can share a taxi back with Rose. She lives by the sea, so she told me anyway, you might see her around."
"Not if she's working all day I won't, I have no need to go into a women's hairdressers."
"I don't know about that, your beard's grown and your fringe is getting in your eyes, let me trim it for you."
"No thanks, I'll pass."
It wasn't that he didn't trust her, she would see it as something personal and that was not what he wanted to get personal with her. He'd brought her nearby for one reason only, to see if Ashworth would come after her and she'd finally tell the truth. That and see if she really was the one who broke into Tess's car but how could she have done? That would imply she knew for a fact Ashworth killed Pippa and maybe Lisa but since she'd already told him two different stories, he wouldn't be the least surprised if that's all they had been and she had helped him cover the whole thing up.