A/N: Thanks everyone for reading and commenting. Real life has been busy, so sorry for the later than usual update. To make up for it, the chapter is on the longer side. Alec is busy detecting... hope you enjoy DI Hardy. Amongst others we meet Lisa's mother who I always felt was oddly absent in the show. Happy 4th to all the US readers!

CHAPTER 6

Hardy wasn't sure if he had hit the right tone in the briefing, pep talks were not exactly his forte. Everything he had said came straight from his heart. Baxter seemed to think he did a decent job, so that was reassuring. He hurried to his office and closed the door. He didn't trust his abilities to hide his emotions for the task ahead and he didn't want any witnesses.

He sat down behind his desk and stared at the file in front of him. He pulled it closer without opening it. He dreaded having to review the autopsy report in detail, reading the formal language that would deny humanity to the victim, turning it into an object. And then there were all the photographs. More images to blend with the already ever present ghost of Pippa Gillespie.

He balled his hands into fists and took a deep breath. He opened the file with one swift motion before he could lose courage. The pictures of the body were right on top of the report. The nausea was immediate and he had to cover his mouth with his hand, gagging, desperately trying to hold back the bile. He sucked in air through his nose and was able to settle down. His fingers were trembling when he moved the photographs to the side. He didn't turn them over though. If he wanted to solve this case, he needed to be able to face his demons and not run away. He began reading the preliminary report. The plain but familiar language helped to regain his professional detachment, and once he reached the end, he was calm.

The report didn't add more to what Thompson had talked about in the meeting. They would have to wait for the final. One thing seemed clear though, the child did not drown. He felt an odd sense of relief over the fact, not sure if it was related to his own recent experience in the water. He shook off the looming panic of the memory and got up to grab his coat. It was time to go and talk to the families.

SOCO was already back at the house. As soon as Hardy stepped through the door, he was accosted by Ricky Gillespie.

"What the hell do you think you people are doing here? Haven't you harassed as enough already? Cate is beside herself." He was blocking Hardy's way, feet planted firmly on the ground, arms crossed, wearing a scowl on his face.

Hardy's voice was level, not without sympathy. "Ricky, I need to talk to you and your wife. We have some news to share. Is there anywhere we can sit?"

Ricky paled. His body lost the tension, his square shoulders dropping. A man expecting the worst, Hardy thought. Or already knowing what was to come. Something in Hardy resented the last notion, however just because he was the father didn't exclude him from being a suspect. Not yet. Ricky had led him into the living room where Cate was slumped on the sofa. There was another glass of wine in front of her. It wasn't even noon yet. Hardy couldn't help but feel sorry for her.

Tess who was overseeing the site had joined him and he was grateful to have her there. Together they would be able to see more. They sat down opposite of the family. Hardy braced himself for what was to come. He had done this many times, and it shouldn't be any different. But it was.

"We found the body of a teenaged girl that we believe is Pippa's." There was no way one could make that message less jarring, less traumatizing.

Cate's hands went to her mouth, only a whimper escaping her. Ricky stiffened and put an arm around his wife. His face grew even paler. He swallowed hard.

"What makes you think it's Pippa?" His voice was rough.

"The physical characteristics, hair, clothes, age… they all match Pippa. The final identification by the forensics team is still pending, but we are sure it's her. I'm very sorry."

"Can we see her?" Cate was barely audible.

Hardy tensed up and he could tell Tess was doing the same next to him. How was he going to explain to this mother that her beautiful child wasn't anything like she used to be anymore?

"Cate, I don't think it's a good idea." He was trying to buy time. It didn't work.

"Why not? Are you lot hiding something?" Ricky was immediately on the offense again.

"No, we're not. I…," he caught himself in time not to reveal the gruesome circumstances of Pippa's discovery. "We found her in the river, Ricky. The water was not kind to her body and it might be best to remember her as she was."

Hardy knew this was rather blunt, but what else was he going to say. There was no pretty way to put it. His gaze flicked over to Tess. Her face was pulled into a frown, a clear sign she didn't approve of his choice of words.

Cate's quivering question broke the tension. "Did she drown then? Was it an accident?" Tears were flowing down her cheeks and her body was shaking.

"We are treating her death as suspicious." The police euphemism for 'your loved one was murdered'. Hardy never liked the phrase but it was part of standard procedure and allowed for not revealing too many facts before being able to question the family.

"You mean she was killed?" Cate was bordering on hysteria.

"We are still waiting for the final autopsy report, but it's a strong possibility." Hardy had to put all effort in keeping his own voice level. Watching this mother wailing over the death of her child was probably one of the toughest moments of his career. He ignored the sudden irregularity of his heart beat, trying to surreptitiously take in some calming breaths.

"We will have to go through your house again to see if we find any further evidence. If there is anything you can think of even it doesn't seem to be relevant, please let us know immediately." Hardy was relying on routine to settle him down. It helped somewhat.

"How long has she been…?" Cate couldn't bring herself to say the word.

"We believe she probably died the night she disappeared. But as I said, we are still waiting for the final report. We will keep you updated when we find out more."

Hardy paused, taking in the parents again. Cate was now crying silently, clearly broken by the news. Ricky was harder to read. There was anger and also sorrow, but it didn't seem as raw and fresh as Cate's. He would have to ask Tess about her impression.

"If you don't mind, I would like to take a look at her room." He didn't really need their permission, but felt more comfortable to ask about this invasion of their privacy.

Cate just nodded, eyes unfocused, wet with tears.

"Do what you have to do. It's upstairs to the left." Ricky was trying to be matter of fact.

Hardy stood up quickly and left them behind, relieved that he could move on. He made it almost out of the room before a sudden bout of lightheadedness had him stop. He carefully placed his hand on the door handle to steady himself without drawing too much attention to it. His other hand was feeling for his pills in his coat pocket. He grasped the packet tightly, cutting his palm with the sharp plastic. The pain helped to clear his head. By the time he slowly made his way upstairs he felt better.

He put on gloves and booties to cover his shoes. SOCO had already fine combed the room when the girls went missing. All he wanted was to get an impression about who Pippa had been. Before entering, he let his eyes trail over the walls, bed, desk, dresser, and shelves. It could have been Daisy's room. There were posters of some teenage pop idol he had no clue who it was. The bed and window was decorated with lights. The walls were painted a pretty shade of violet. A few clothing items were lying around but otherwise Pippa had been a neat girl. Much neater than Daisy. He berated himself for once again drawing parallels to his daughter but it was an easy path for his thoughts to follow.

He stepped into the room, making a slow sweep around. He picked up random items, looked at them, placed them back. A photo of Pippa caught his eye. She was smiling widely into the camera, wearing a silver pendant. He remembered the mother telling him that Pippa had been wearing that pendant on the day she disappeared. It had not been listed with her belongings. Where was it?

He put the picture back and sat on her bed. He placed his hand on her pillow. On a whim he slid it under. He found a thick notebook with a lock. A diary.

"If it helps you to find the killer, you can break it open. I don't know where she keeps the key."

He looked up. Cate was leaning against the door frame. Her eyes were puffy and her face stained with tears and makeup, but she had stopped crying. She looked small and lonely against the light coming in from behind her. Hardy's throat was closing with tears he couldn't allow himself to show. This mother relied on him and trusted him to find the murderer of her child. He swallowed hard.

He stood up and took a step closer. "Thank you. We will treat it with respect."

She nodded. "Will you find who did this?" Her voice was low and hollow.

He looked into her puffy, sad eyes. His heart was overflowing with emotions and he gave in. "I promised you we would find her and we did, even if it was too late to save her. I want to promise you that we will find the killer, but I can't. What I can do though is assure you that I will not rest until I have laid my hands on whoever did this. Pippa will not be forgotten and I swear I will do anything to get you justice."

Their gazes met. She held his for a few heart beats, and then looked down. "Justice won't bring her back." And she left him standing alone in the room.

Hardy had to leave the house. The dreariness was threatening to overwhelm him. He decided to walk the streets of the estate to clear his head before coming back to once again question the Gillespies over their movements on the day of the murder.

He passed by the adjacent house and saw somebody behind the curtains. The elusive neighbors were finally home. He changed his mind. Questioning somebody might actually clear his head better than meandering around and brooding. He went up to their door, ringing the bell. At first there was no answer, but when he knocked and identified himself as police, a tall, built man opened the door.

Holding up his ID badge, Hardy greeted him. "I'm DI Alec Hardy with the South Mercia Police. I was wondering, if I could ask you a few questions regarding your landlord's family?"

"Did you find Pippa?" No greeting, no introduction. Hardy tried not to frown at the abruptness.

Interesting. He felt intrigued. He squinted at his notebook, looking for the name he had scribbled down somewhere.

"Are you Lee Ashworth?" He didn't answer the man's question about Pippa.

"Yes." Lee didn't make any motion to let him in, nor did he attempt to make conversation.

Hardy was getting impatient. He decided not to beat around the bush. "Where were you on the evening and night of April 14th?"

"Why do you want to know?" Lee had stepped outside, closing the door to his house behind him.

"You obviously know that Pippa and her cousin are missing. We're just looking into who might have been around to have noticed anything on the night the girls disappeared." Hardy kept his voice level, not indicating any further interest than routine.

"Somebody already came and asked that question. Why would you come back? Shouldn't you know that, being the boss of this lot?"

Hardy was surprised. Ashworth must have recognized him from his picture in the newspaper. Bloody journalists. He was briefly distracted by the thought of the looming press statement. He pulled himself together, not letting Ashworth of the hook.

"You didn't answer my question, Mr. Ashworth. Where were you that night?" Hardy's face was impassive.

"I was at home. My wife was here too. All night. You can ask her, if you don't believe me." Ashworth was positively defensive, no doubt. Tess had picked up on the same odd emphasis on them being together that evening and here it was again.

"Is she home? Your wife?" Hardy's gut feeling told him there was something off about the man in front of him. He tried not to get too excited though, knowing better than that. A murder investigation was not based on someone's emotional response but on facts and evidence. Still, it didn't sit right with him.

"No, she isn't." Another tight-lipped answer.

"Will she be back later? I'd like to talk to her as well."

"If you must. Claire's at work. She won't be home before the evening." There was a defiant undertone in Ashworth's voice.

Hardy's brain put a few more puzzle pieces in place – the unidentified fingerprints, the Ashworths driving Pippa around, Claire and Pippa playing hair dresser together, they had a key to the house.

"We'll also send somebody around to do your and your wife's fingerprints." And before Ashworth could say anything, he added, "Elimination prints. For all people who had frequent access to the Gillespies' house." There was no room for discussion in his voice. This was his show and he wasn't going to let somebody else run it. He would get a warrant for DNA sample's as well.

"I'm sorry for all the ruckus that our team is causing. I hope with the thin walls you haven't been too disturbed." Hardy was trying to make it sound as innocent and apologetic as he could.

"Ya, it's been quite noisy, can hear you lot talking all the time." Ashworth had no idea that he just confirmed Hardy's suspicion that if he and his wife indeed had been home and if there was anything going on the Gillespies' house they should have heard it. He was pleased with himself. He went on to probe.

"As you were here all night on the 14th, did you hear or see anything out of the ordinary?" Hardy gave him a piercing stare.

Lee shook his head. "No. It was dead quiet all night."

"That's interesting, Mr. Ashworth. Considering how easy it is to hear stuff through these walls, one might think you would have at least heard the two girls talking or making some noise."

Their eyes locked. Ashworth was the first to look away.

"I might have some more questions later. Don't leave town, would you. Have a good day." He turned and walked away without looking back, a pleased grin on his face.

Hardy let Tess take the lead in the conversation with the parents. They painstakingly went over all the movements of that day again. Where they had been, when they came home, when Lisa arrived, when they went to the wedding. They stated they had been together at the party the whole time. A solid alibi for both of them.

"So, you never split up the whole evening at the wedding? Not even to talk to different people?" Tess was probing them.

Ricky's answer came quick and sharp. "No. We basically stuck together. Didn't like a lot of the people there, so I wasn't really interested in chatting. I went to get drinks for Cate a few times and to the bathroom, but otherwise we were hanging out. Cate was…" he hesitated for a moment, looking at his wife who was listening with a blank expression. "She was enjoying herself, if you know what I mean." He gave a sly smile.

Cate scoffed. "I was pissed, why not be frank. I had a few too many. That's why Ricky stayed close. Can't leave the drunk wife alone." She sounded bitter.

Hardy was watching them intently. They sat close to each other, Cate's hand resting on Ricky's knee. He had moved his arm away from where it had been resting around her shoulders when they started talking about the wedding. For a split second Hardy wondered if they were telling the truth. But then why would they lie? Why would anyone lie when faced with the murder of their own child? Unless they're involved in it. Hardy cringed at the thought. He didn't want to believe that to be possible. He knew better though. Nobody could be trusted until they were eliminated as a subject.

He leaned forward and posed his own question. "Your neighbors, the Ashworths… do they come to your house often?"

Ricky nodded. "Ya, they do. We often do things together on the weekends… dinner, BBQ, those kinda things."

"Would Pippa or Lisa be there as well?"

Again a confirmation. "Ya, suppose so. Pippa liked them a lot. She…," Ricky trailed off, eyes glittering, trying to find his composure. Hardy waited patiently, but Ricky didn't continue.

"You were saying, she liked them a lot. What sort of things would she do with them?" Hardy followed up on Ricky's abandoned words.

It was Cate who filled it. "She was fond of Lee, liked to hang around him, go for walks together with him and Lisa, or to the movies, that sort of thing. I guess, lately she also started spending time with Claire, the hairdresser business… Pippa liked that." She shrugged her shoulders. The change in tone when Cate mentioned Claire didn't escape Hardy's attention.

Hardy glanced over at Tess. She looked at him and there was a 'no' in her eyes, indicating that she for now didn't have any further questions.

He moved in his chair, plucking his glasses of his nose, scratching his eye brow. He didn't want to discuss the next topic, but there was no way around it. "We will be making a statement to the press as part of the standard procedures. We will ask them to respect your privacy but you should get ready for them to show up at your door step. Our advice is to not talk to them, but in the end it's your choice. Our family liaison officer will stay with you to keep you updated and help you if the press should get more invasive. Do you have any questions at this point?"

It was an empty phrase. Hardy despised the hollowness of the formalities that needed to be exchanged. How could they not have questions? And he didn't have answers. Not yet, he told himself.

They both shook their heads, faces blank. Hardy and Tess bid their farewells and walked outside.

"I met Lee Ashworth. Had an interesting conversation. Send somebody over there to do elimination prints. Also, ask them for DNA samples, would you please? If they don't volunteer, get a warrant. They've been in the house often enough for us to have grounds to get one."

Tess raised her eyebrows. "And what are you going to do, boss?"

"Ach, seriously, Tess? We've been through this, you do your job and I do mine," Hardy snapped back at her. "I'm going to talk to Lisa Newbery's mother and then have the pleasure of making the press statement. You wanna do that? Because I'd be happy to leave that to you." He glared at her and she just looked away.

"Thought so. I'll see you tonight then." He left without any further word from her, disgruntled over their squabble and her petty feelings of jealously over his position as her boss. It wasn't the first time this had come up and it wouldn't be the last. He hoped by the time they would both get home, things would cool off.

He nibbled on the sandwich that Daisy had made for him while driving back to the station. He wasn't sure if it was the case and the related pressure, the medications or the now ever present fatigue, but he sure didn't feel like eating anything. His lack of appetite made it hard to remember to take care of himself. If it wasn't for Daisy's reminder this morning, he probably would have forgotten all about lunch. He washed down his pills with some cold tea, ignoring the tightness in his chest. He had remembered to make an appointment with Dr. Abbott for next week though. He was hoping that maybe by then the case would have progressed enough and he could turn his attention back to his own problems. For now, that would have to wait.

Back in his office, he checked in with forensics to see if there was any useful new information. His frustration only grew when he learned that the rain probably had ruined all their chances of finding anything of significance. He collected DS Thompson to come to interview Marilyn Newbery, Lisa's mother, with him. Thompson had at least spoken with the woman and might make it easier to start a conversation.

The house was old and maybe a little run down, but the small front yard was neat and had a big patch of tulips brightening up the gray colors of the walls and door. They rang the bell and after a few moments a woman maybe in her late thirties, early forties opened. She had a conventionally pretty face, graying blond hair, and maybe a little bit more weight on her than what people would consider full figured. Her eyes were blue and sad.

Thompson and Hardy showed their ID badges. Hardy let his DS do the introductions as he had talked to her on the phone. She barely looked at the IDs and asked them to come in. They sat down in her kitchen which was old fashioned, clean but not scrubbed, only equipped with essential appliances.

She was busying herself with making tea, when she asked without looking at them. "Any news from my daughter? Or little Pippa?" There was only the slightest quiver in her voice.

"Ms. Newbery, I'm sorry to inform you that we have found what we believe is Pippa's body yesterday." Thompson sounded like a robot when he gave her the horrid news.

Her movements stopped, frozen over pouring water in the tea pot. "Where did you find her?"

Thompson glanced briefly at Hardy, who nodded and gave him the go ahead to reveal the information. "She was found in the river," Thompson stated without any emotions.

Hardy noticed the shiver that ran over Marilyn Newbery's shoulders. He blinked away Pippa's image and involved himself in the conversation.

"We haven't found any traces of Lisa being there. We are still searching the area thoroughly, but nothing so far. You haven't heard anything from her since that phone call on Saturday?" Hardy softly asked.

Marilyn shook her head. Her reaction was so different from the Gillespies' hysteria and anger. She finally had turned around, wiping some silent tears of her cheek. She sat down next to Hardy at the kitchen table, clasping her hands.

"The poor, poor girl. Did she drown?" Her question was full of sorrow and compassion.

Hardy looked at her face, lines of old heartache deepened by the sadness of Pippa's death. Lisa looked like her mother, just a younger happier version. Hardy couldn't quite explain why this woman in front of him touched him more than Cate or Ricky, maybe it was her quiet grief or the realization that life probably hadn't always been nice to her.

He gently answered, "No. We believe she was murdered and left in the river."

Thompson gave him a surprised look, not expecting him to be so open before they even had an opportunity to question her further. He didn't know himself why, but it felt like the right thing to do. She nodded silently, eyes darkening.

"I hope she didn't suffer too much. Lisa was so fond of her." She stared at her hands.

"Ms. Newbery, could you clarify for us your whereabouts for the time from last Saturday to now?"

Thompson was proving once again Hardy's opinion of him being oblivious of the moods of people he was talking to. Sure, they had to ask the question, but learning more about Pippa's and Lisa's relationship, about Lisa herself would be imperative to the case. He suppressed the impatient urge to tap his fingers on the table. Marilyn was thrown off, and the moment was gone. Hardy's frustration with his DS was rising. He made a mental note to tell him next time to be quiet and let him do the talking.

"I was visiting my cousin in Bristol. She's been ill and I was helping the family. I left on Friday night. Couldn't come back earlier, my cousin really needed me. She's had surgery on Monday." She sounded apologetic.

Before Thompson could ask about the name and contact information of the cousin, something he was sure to do next, Hardy tried to steer the conversation back to the two girls. "You said, Lisa was fond of Pippa. Did they spend much time together? There was quite an age difference, no?"

Marilyn's lips curled up in a small smile. "Lisa adored Pippa. She never had any siblings, so Pippa took that spot in her heart. And Pippa was such a lively girl, they always had fun things they were doing together. It was much more than babysitting, Lisa enjoyed spending time with her, showing her things. Especially lately as Pippa was becoming more of a teenager. They shared secrets and…," she trailed off. The tears were back.

Hardy swallowed hard. "I'm so sorry," he muttered, Scottish accent thick with genuine empathy.

She nodded and padded his arm that was resting on the table. "Thank you." She sucked in a deep breath and the tears slowed down.

"Do you need to look at Lisa's things?"

"Aye. We will send over a team. It might be a little intrusive," Hardy apologized in advance.

"It's alright. Whatever helps you find her and whoever did this." And after a few heart beats she added, "What kind of a monster would leave a child in the river?"

Hardy's and her gaze met. There was no need for words, just mutual understanding over the horror.

"We will find them, I promise you," Hardy quietly said while still looking in her eyes.

They got up and Hardy indicated to Thompson to get SOCO to the house. He went ahead to make the call, while Hardy trailed behind.

"Did you find her?" Marilyn asked quietly. Hardy stopped dead in his tracks. He had no idea how she could have known.

To his surprise he didn't hesitate with his answer. "Aye. I found her. Carried her out of the river."

She walked around him and looked up, her eyes dark again. "That must have been rather horrifying." She put her hand on his arm again. "Thank you for not leaving her in there."

Hardy couldn't say anything. She smiled and let go of him. Just when she turned away, she asked barely audible, "Do you think it was Lisa's fault? Not paying enough attention?"

He swallowed, still trying to compose himself. He made every effort to be truthful. "I can't know yet, but I would like to believe the answer is no."

She nodded, staring at the floor. "Thanks for being honest with me. I don't need false hopes, had enough of that in my life."

She left him at the door, a lonely figure walking back to her kitchen. Hardy's heart was heavy and he didn't say a word to Thompson on their way back to the station.

Baxter caught him as soon as they were back.

"Hardy, we have to chat about the press statement. What's your plan with that?"

Baxter was comfortably sitting on the sofa in Hardy's office, legs crossed, arm draped over the back of the sofa. Looking way to casual for Hardy's taste. Something was up. Hardy plopped on his chair, tired from a day of talking to people. He leaned back on his chair and squinted at his boss. He was in no mood to play games with the vultures from the press.

"Care to explain why you're so involved in a simple press statement?" Hardy sighed. He wasn't trying to be confrontational but he realized it had sounded very much so.

"I heard a rumor that this Karen White woman is drumming up the journalists including the local TV news." Baxter was scrutinizing his finger nails, eye brows raised, and eventually he looked Hardy straight in the eyes. "Are you up for that? This town isn't exactly used to finding murdered children in the river. I can't have you space out like you did the last time. Do you understand?" Baxter's tone was still rather casual, but nonetheless dead serious.

Hardy groaned. He hated the press. And he felt extremely uncomfortable in front of TV cameras. There hadn't been many occasions he actually had to do this, but it came with the job.

Baxter frowned and sat up straight, all nonchalance gone. "Your reaction is not exactly inspiring confidence in me. If you want to I can do but it's not really my job to be the spokesperson. I'll be there but you as the SIO should be the one talking."

Hardy snorted. "I'll deal with it. 'S not like it's the first time."

"Right, but it's your first child murder case, Hardy. That's a different ball game, especially in a town like this." Baxter didn't let Hardy look away, pinning him down with his piercing blue-gray eyes.

"Did you go through my personnel file to figure that out?" Hardy questioned, rather defensively. He felt vulnerable, as if a weakness was exposed.

"Indeed I did." Baxter calmly replied. He sighed. "Listen, Hardy. I'm not after you, no need to get all worked up. I'm just doing my job, making sure that I know everything I need to. I trust you, otherwise I wouldn't let you lead this investigation. I know you're the best person for it and that you would be the first to tell me if you're not up for it."

Hardy couldn't look at him. The guilt of not telling his friend and boss that he had serious health problem was almost winning over Pippa's haunting image. Two days ago he could maybe have confessed but not now, not after pulling the lifeless body of a twelve year old girl out of the river. Not after he had promised to the families to find whoever did this. He couldn't let them down. He chose to ignore the fact that his health might be the one thing preventing him from actually accomplishing what he had vowed.

He stood up, straightening his tie and the lapels of his suit jacket. "It's time to go. Who's driving this time?"

Baxter grinned. "I'm not getting in a car with you behind the wheel. I've heard stories. Thompson was rather animate about it."

Hardy let out a snort. "Didn't know you were as faint of heart as DS Thompson. He's quite a wimp, if I may say." He snatched up his coat, swinging it on half way out the door already. He pulled out his car keys, jingling them over his head. "Are you coming or what?" he yelled and stormed off to the elevator.

Hardy made it to the school in a record time. He only noted Baxter flinch once. His boss climbed out of his car, muttering under his breath about abuse of power and how he should have him arrested. Hardy grinned, enjoying the brief moment of levity until he spotted the news truck.

For fuck's sake. Of course, now that it involved a dead child and not only a missing one, the vultures would descend like there was no tomorrow.

He walked into the school gym and held his breath. It was packed. With community members and the press alike. He wondered how much had already leaked out. His fingers tingled and there was a tugging in his chest. He turned around.

"Just going to the restroom," he mumbled. He couldn't get there fast enough, the anxiety of a possible attack making things worse. He hid in a stall and swallowed down his regular and the extra pills, not really thinking about if that was a good idea or not.

Once back in the gym, he took his spot next to Baxter. He squinted into the harsh lights of the TV cameras. To his surprise Pippa's parents were in the audience. Baxter went through the motion of introducing everybody and then turning it over to Hardy.

This time, he was ready.

"Yesterday afternoon, the dead body of a teenaged girl was found in the river Sandbrook. We believe it to be one of the missing girls, Pippa Gillespie. We are currently conducting a thorough investigation of the circumstances of the death. We are also still looking for Lisa Newbery," Hardy delivered his words with a measured and steady voice.

He paused and braced himself for the onslaught of the questions.

"Did she drown? Or was she murdered?" a young reporter asked.

"We are treating her death as suspicious. I cannot give you any further information at this point." There were moments when standard language came in handy.

"Do you have any suspects?" The question came from the same man. Hardy sighed inwardly at the moron. If Hardy didn't even want to confirm that is was murder, why would he discuss suspects?

"I cannot comment on this question as it would compromise the investigation." His voice was level enough although he could tell his temper was rising. And so could Baxter next to him. His boss moved slightly in his chair and that was all the reminder Hardy needed to pull himself together.

Before anybody else could speak, Hardy continued. "We would like to ask the public and the press to respect the privacy of the families. This is a time of grief and extraordinary distress and we should all be mindful of the fact." His gaze trailed over the crowd until he found the Gillespies. Cate's face was blank and expressionless, whereas Ricky seemed fuming, face red and angry looking eyes.

Hardy caught sight of Karen White. She was following his every move and her eyes were darting back and forth between him and the Gillespies. They finally rested on him. She stood up.

"DI Hardy, how are you feeling the investigation has been going so far now that predictions came true that the girls were murdered?" she smugly asked. Hardy had to put up all effort not to roll his eyes at the despicable woman.

"First, we have not stated that anybody was murdered. We are treating Pippa's death as suspicious. And secondly we have found only one body so far. Lisa Newbery is still missing." He wanted to add antagonizing words about getting facts straight so badly but he knew better than that.

Her smug smile did not disappear. "It's there any truth to the rumor that one member of your team pulled the body out of the river by himself and almost drowned in the process? And if so, isn't that against all procedure?"

Hardy's heart skipped a few beats and instead of speeding up as he would have expected it slowed down, slower and slower until he could feel the pauses between beats. He had no idea if this was due to the double dose of medication or part of his arrhythmia, but whatever it was it made him see Karen White double which was a nauseating sight to say the least. He balled his hands into a fist, deliberately poking his palms with his nails. He took in a deep breath and the sensation of his heart stopping eased up.

He cleared his throat. "The circumstances of the recovery of the body are part of the ongoing investigation and as such I'm not able to discuss any details," he managed to say with only the slightest of quiver in his voice. He could hear Baxter letting out a breath that he'd been holding.

"You never answered my question about how you're feeling the investigation is going?" She was relentless.

Hardy relaxed. Those were the questions he could answer without thinking too much. The formal language had been drilled into him since he had joined the force.

"This investigation is being conducting by a dedicated team of police officers who are working around the clock to apprehend the guilty party. We are securing evidence and following leads as appropriate."

His words were just as empty as all the other euphemism and standard comments, but here is served its purpose. He was under no illusion though that Karen White would buy it.

Sure enough, she was still talking. "So, you're basically saying that you have no clue and are just looking into everything until you maybe find something?"

Hardy wished he would have been more antagonizing earlier on. His dislike for this person was growing by the minute. Baxter next to him was getting tense, probably just as angry as he was. He wanted to lash out so badly, but experience told him it wasn't going to help the matter.

When he continued, he didn't look at her, but straight at the cameras. "The disappearance of these two girls is a tragedy. For the families, for the town. And now that one of them has been found dead under suspicious circumstances, a lot of questions have been thrown up. The police force is here to answer those questions and not to waste their time with unfounded accusations by the press. Searching the sites for evidence, evaluating the evidence, making inquiries – all of those things need to be done carefully and given the appropriate attention. If the public wants to help, they should reach out to us with any information they think is relevant. The phone lines are open 24 hours. We are also still looking for Lisa Newbery and should not forget about that."

He paused for a moment and looked away from the cameras at the Gillespies. Cate's eyes were fixed on him, Ricky was looking out the window. He nodded ever so slightly at her and she did the same. He turned back to the cameras.

"We will find whoever did this and bring the families justice." They were quiet words, but spoken with a strong conviction born out of his need to make peace and put Pippa Gillespie's ghost to rest. He leaned back in his chair, letting out a breath he wasn't aware he had been holding.

Baxter called the press conference to an end, and Hardy was grateful for that. While people were filtering out, he lingered on his seat, the exhaustion of the long day catching up with him. His heart was still beating oddly slow considering how tense and riled up he felt. He feared he might get dizzy if he got up too fast. He wished he had let Baxter drive as he wasn't sure if he was quite up for it.

"You did a good job with this. No idea where this awful woman gets her information from, but she is certainly someone to be watched." Baxter was padding his shoulder.

He then tilted his head, looking Hardy over with a frown. Hardy tried to pull himself together not wanting a repeat performance from after the last press conference. He stood up slowly, hands resting on the table, just in case. The lightheadedness was faint and subsided quickly.

"Let's go home. I've had enough for the day," he gravelly suggested.

"Right." There was a questioning undertone in Baxter's voice. "You look spent, do you want me to drive? I can take you home and take a taxi from there to my house."

It was his friend talking, not his boss and Hardy was grateful for that. He fished out his car keys and handed them to Baxter with a silent 'Thank you'. It took him all will power not to fall asleep in the car.

They had reached his house and were standing in the driveway, waiting for Baxter's taxi to come.

"It's been a long day, ey?" Baxter struck up the conversation. Hardy just nodded.

"You worked hard on this. Time to take care of yourself." Baxter was still frowning at him.

"You know I'm shit at that, right?" Hardy tried to make it sound like a joke but couldn't quite get there.

Baxter's response was serious. "I do very well know that, Alec. And that's why I'm reminding you."

Hardy shoved his hands in his pocket, feeling awkward about the fact that he couldn't tell the truth to his friend who was clearly so concerned for his wellbeing. Neither man said another word until the ride arrived.

"I'll see you tomorrow. Eat some food and get rest." Baxter smiled at him encouragingly.

"I will, promise." Hardy finally managed to smile back, right when Baxter closed the car door.

Hardy turned around and walked up to the door. The house was dreadfully empty. He assumed Tess was still at work and Daisy was staying with a friend as neither parent could tell when they would come home. He stopped in the kitchen and grabbed a piece of toast. He still didn't have any appetite, but he forced himself to eat and drink some water. He dragged himself upstairs to the bed. He sat down briefly, leaning back on the headboard. He closed his eyes, just for a moment, wanting to catch his breath. He was out before he knew it.

When he woke up in the dark, he was still dressed, awkwardly draped over the pillow and a blanket tucked around him. Tess was deep asleep next to him. Her mouth was slightly open, her beautiful face framed by her dark hair. He peeled of his pants and dress shirt and slid under the duvet. Hardy gently stroked her head and breathed a kiss on her forehead. She didn't move and he snuggled in next to her, wrapping his arms around her soft shape, drinking in her familiar scent. The heat from her body filled his aching heart with warmth and comfort and he drifted off into a dreamless sleep. The next morning, she was gone, leaving a cold and empty space at his side.