Alec was equally annoyed at the sergeant, how did the man think he was going to get away with this?
"You should know I have told someone in the office if they don't hear from me," Alec tried to bluff, looking at his watch. "In another few minutes, the garage will be swarming with uniformed officers."
The sergeant let out a nervous laugh.
"Nice try Hardy," the man replied, looking around.
"He won't be kidding," Rose played along with Alec's bluff.
"Seriously?" the sergeant replied.
Alec was wondering why no-one else had ventured down yet, then when he saw the time, he knew it wouldn't be long before those out on routine patrols would be coming back in to sign off and the next shift would be getting ready. He just had to keep the man talking or risk making a sudden move and hopefully, Rose would be able to get free.
Rose suddenly had an idea of her own as Alec was deciding what else to do. If she could quietly unlock the passenger door, she might be able to surprise the sergeant by distracting him so Alec could get nearer. She guessed there was only one way of finding out but Alec would have to be fast.
"You may as well give up now," Alec warned the sergeant. "You know you are finished now?"
"I'll say I was provoked," the sergeant replied, glancing at Rose, who was debating if Alec would guess what she was up to. "I'll say she was teasing me by playing hard to get and she invited me into her car, then when I tried to get her to move over, you came along and she thought you'd get jealous."
Rose had to suppress a laugh at the idea.
"Yeah. Like they're likely to believe that story," Rose told him.
"Shut up," she was told.
"Huh," Rose replied, looking towards Alec, who couldn't help but smile.
He hadn't realised that Tess was so petty that she'd go that far in setting Rose up to be cornered by the traffic sergeant. If what the man had just said was partly true, then he needed to confront Tess when he got home and ask her if she really knew how far the sergeant would go.
Well what did Tess think the sergeant was going to do? Ask Rose out on a date? Now though, it was getting out of hand and it had to end, sooner rather than later, Alec thought.
"Just let her out of the car," Alec asked again.
"Then what?" the sergeant wanted to know. "You arrest me? I don't think so. I have a better idea. You walk away and me and Rose here can shall I say, discuss things?"
"You have to be joking," Rose laughed. "Do ya think I'm letting ya in the car?"
"That's not going to happen," Alec told the sergeant.
"It will and you know it Hardy," the sergeant replied.
Alec hoped the man hadn't realised what time it was. The first of the patrol cars should be coming in any minute now and when they did, the drivers would be coming down this end so that those coming on duty could get away quickly once they'd been briefed.
"Ya can forget it, I'm not discussing anything with you," Rose objected.
Who was he kidding, she had thought. She glanced at the door locking button on the dashboard and moved her other arm slightly while her captor was talking to Alec. She looked towards Alec, who she thought looked like he'd moved forward slightly.
Alec had taken a few steps while the sergeant hadn't noticed and he was sure he could cover the remainder of the distance if Rose kept on talking. So he nodded slightly towards her, they had got on fairly well as a team and he knew she had learned a lot in the short time she had been here.
"You won't have a choice," she was then told by the sergeant. "Now open the door and you Hardy, don't try anything, I'll be locking the doors behind me. Now move over," he told poor Rose.
He can't be serious, Rose thought out loud but hoping she wouldn't be heard. Then she thought if she was seen going towards the door button, he'd be watching and think he'd won and Alec should be able to knock the baton out of the man's other hand and grab them both and arrest him.
Well that was a plan, Rose thought to herself this time. Once free to move, she would slide over to the passenger seat and get out. She had a good mind to go around the other side of the car and slap the creep's face for thinking she'd give in so easily. She was a Tyler, no-one messed with the Tyler women.
Alec had to admire how Rose was taking this so far and he knew he couldn't let her down.
"I said open the doors, now," Rose was reminded, making her jump. "Or do I have to force the window down further and drag you out of there?"
That was it, Alec was already losing the little patience he had and this was the final straw. He wasn't just going to stand by and see anything happening to Rose. Tess was in so much trouble for this when he got home, just let her try to deny it. She had certainly delayed him from following Rose, just long enough for the sergeant to gain an advantage.
Rose slowly reached out to the door button, trying to free herself and pretending she couldn't reach while she was being held.
"Stop stalling," she was warned as he didn't release the grip on her. "Stop pretending you can't reach."
"Well I can't reach," Rose protested.
"Just get on with it," she was told as the sergeant glanced at her.
It was just long enough for Alec to dash over to the car as he shouted for Rose to stop as her hand reached out. He was dreading that he wouldn't be able to stop the sergeant from getting into the car once the door was released and that he'd be threatened with the baton the man was still hold onto.
Rose's hand hovered over the button but she heard Alec telling her to stop. That surprised the sergeant enough for Rose to get free and she ducked her head down as Alec reached the man and wrestled the baton out of his hand, the object falling to the ground.
"You are under arrest for threatening behaviour and attempted assault on a police officer," Alec warned the sergeant while getting the handcuffs out of his pocket.
Rose got out of the other door and went around to join Alec, just about to slap the man's face for what he'd tried to do.
"Rose, you can do the honours," Alec smiled as the handcuffs snapped into place.
"With pleasure," Rose smiled back. "Can I slap his face first?"
Alec tried to look serious.
"Be careful," he told her. "We don't want a counter accusation, do we?"
"It would be worth it," Rose replied. "You have the right to remain silent," Rose began to tell the sergeant his rights.
Just as she finished, still annoyed she hadn't slapped him, cars began to drive into the garage and she saw officers looking towards them. As the cars stopped, several officers got out and walked towards the three of them.
"Sir, what's going on here?" one sergeant asked Alec.
"The traffic sergeant here was threatening DC Tyler and trying to gain access to her car to assault her," Alec put on a serious face, since he'd smiled all the way through the arrest Rose had made, a little on the rough side on Rose's part but he had let it slide.
"Yeah, I just arrested him," Rose was pleased with herself. "Can ya take him upstairs to book him for me?"
"We certainly can," the other sergeant smiled back. "He's been harassing some of the female officers but we had no proof, until now."
"Well book him and lock him up, I'll deal with him in the morning," Alec told the other sergeant, who had handed the traffic sergeant over to one of the others and was being led away.
"I'll just deny it, remember what I said," the traffic sergeant shouted behind him to Alec.
"Ya have to be joking," Rose shouted back, getting a warning glance from Alec.
"If you ask me, he should have been caught a long time ago," she was told by the remaining sergeant. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, honestly," Rose told him, looking at Alec, who had picked the baton up off the floor, having put on a plastic glove he had in his pocket.
Rose had often wondered how he got so much out of his pockets, were they bigger on the inside or something?
"What about your statements," the remaining sergeant asked Alec.
"We will give them in the morning," Alec replied. "DC Tyler has been through enough for now. I was delayed at joining her and the traffic sergeant took advantage of her being on her own and everyone else had left."
"Yeah, he took me by surprise while I was waiting," Rose agreed, not wanting to say Alec had phoned her with a warning to be careful.
She knew for certain now that Tess had delayed Alec on purpose.
"Right you are, I'll let the custody sergeant know to detain the offender until morning," the sergeant told Alec. "Should I arrange a car to take DC Tyler home Sir?'
"No, I will take her," Alec replied.
"Then I should remind you not to discuss what happened," the sergeant smiled as Rose went to get in the passenger side of their car.
"I know," Alec told him. "I will make sure she is alright before I leave her."
Alec got in the driver's side, putting the seatbelt on and indicating for Rose to do the same as she seemed in a trance.
"Okay, let's get you home eh?" he told her. "I am surprised your mother has not phoned to find out where you are," he then smiled, remembering how Jackie had been at the pub the other Sunday when Tess was stopping Rose from leaving the ladies room.
"Yeah, so am I," Rose smiled at the thought. "How did ya guess?"
"Seriously?" Alec raised his eyebrows as he drove off. "Having met her?"
Rose had to laugh. "Yeah. How could I forget that? Some introduction that was."
"Indeed," Alec agreed as he stopped at the top of the ramp and set the satnav for Rose's apartment.
He had to smile that she'd set it as 'Home'. Rose stayed quiet on the way back, slumped slightly in her seat but it wasn't really surprising, Alec thought as he half watched her. Then, she suddenly spoke up as the car turned into the road where she lived.
"I don't know what I'd have done if he'd managed to get in the car before ya got there."
"Well, I would have been there sooner," Alec replied, trying to find which driveway her block of apartments was in as the satnav told him his destination was on the left.
"Next one," Rose pointed to hers. "Sorry."
"I do not suppose you need further directions," Alec mused as he indicated to where Rose pointed.
"Mum will think ya keeping me working late," Rose smiled as he pulled into the parking space she indicated was hers.
"You tell her I keep you working late?" Alec teased her.
"I was just kidding," Rose smiled as she took the seatbelt off. "Thank Tess for me when ya get home will ya?'
"Rose, I cannot apologise enough for my delay," Alec turned towards her. "I will be having words with her when I get home, don't worry. Do you know she actually came out and accused us of having an affair?"
"Ya never mentioned it," Rose replied. "Something kinda stopped ya."
"Yes, I know. I should have done something about him before it got to that stage," Alec admitted.
"How were ya to know what he'd do?" Rose asked him.
"Rose, we know Tess has been talking to him," Alec reminded her. "I never expected it to go that far. As for her accusing me of having an affair with you, it proves we are right about her and Dave Harris. Why else would she try to shift the blame?"
"Yeah, she must be feeling guilty about it," Rose had to agree. "Did ya ask her about it?"
"When I did, she told me not to put the blame on her," Alec replied. "I should let you get home."
"Yeah. Thanks again for the rescue," Rose smiled.
She then leaned over and kissed his cheek, Alec taken slightly by surprise, considering the accusations going around between himself and Tess. He absent-mindedly put his hand on her arm and Rose put her chin on his shoulder.
"Sure you will be okay?" Alec then asked her.
"Yeah, sorry," Rose told him.
"It's fine, it was bound to have affected you. Try not to tell your mother too much until you give your statement in the morning," he reminded her.
"I'll think of something," Rose assured him, moving away. "Hey, good thing I don't wear lipstick at work," she joked as she brushed the shoulder of his jacket with her hand. "We don't want Tess finding any evidence to use against ya."
"Rose, it is not funny," Alec tried to be serious but seeing her point. "She had better not go looking for any though."
He saw a stray blonde hair floating around as Rose moved her hand from his shoulder.
"I'll make my own way to work in the morning," Rose then offered.
"Don't do that, I will call for you," Alec insisted as Rose opened the passenger door.
"Thanks and thanks for bringing me home Alec."
Rose stood away from the car as Alec backed it out of the parking space. He gave her a wave as he put the car in the forward gear and Rose waved back. Now to face her mother, Rose thought as Alec drove off.
Rose went up to her apartment, wondering what to tell her mother.
"That boss of yours keeping ya working overtime?" Jackie laughed as she greeted Rose. "Ya should have called me."
"Mum, he wasn't keeping me working," Rose tried to tell her. "Ya know that traffic sergeant I told ya about?"
"What about him?" Jackie wanted to know. "Did he ask ya out? Thought ya didn't like him?"
"I don't Mum and no, he didn't exactly try to ask me out. I can't talk much about it but he tried to get into the car while I was waiting for Alec," Rose had to admit.
"Ya what?" Jackie stopped what she was doing and went towards Rose.
"It's okay Mum, he didn't get in, I locked the doors. Alec was on his way down and got there in time to stop the creep gettin' in. Anyway, I can't tell ya any more about it until I give a statement in the morning but I'll tell ya something, I won't have any more trouble from him."
"Why was he tryin' to get into the car?" Jackie wondered.
"What do ya think Mum?" Rose looked at her as Jackie clasped her hands over her mouth as she realised.
Jackie rushed up to her and pulled her into one of her famous hugs.
"Ya mean if ya boss hadn't got there when he did, that man would have got ya to let him in?" Jackie asked her.
"Not without a fight Mum," Rose replied as she held onto her mother.
"Well I hope they throw the book at him then," her mother replied. "So why was your boss late then?"
"I told ya about Tess, how she's always saying things," Rose reminded her. "Well we think she'd been getting gossip from the traffic sergeant and he's always complaining to her that when he tried to talk to me, Alec's always with me."
"So she delayed him so that man could talk to ya?" Jackie started to get it.
"Exactly Mum and Alec's furious about it. He called me to warn me but it was too late, that creep was already at the side of the car. Luckily I pressed the door lock but left the window open a bit but he forced it open wider. I don't know what would've happened if Alec hadn't arrived when he did."
"Knowing you, ya would've done something about it," Jackie joked.
"Too right," Rose replied when she thought about it but she still owed her boss for rescuing her.
Then, Rose realised it would be all over the station when she got there in the morning, especially if Alec was driving since he was picking her up in the morning instead of the other way around. She would never hear the end of it from her friends teasing her.
When Tess had called for Daisy, she was already in a bad mood from Dave not meeting her and then Alec walking out on her as she complained to him.
"What's wrong Mum?" Daisy asked her when she looked up from her phone.
"Nothing," Tess replied. "You could put that phone away though."
Daisy just grinned and put the phone in her school bag. Tess was home before Alec so she was surprised when he pulled up in his work car as she looked out of the living room window.
"So, what are you doing driving that for?" Tess asked him when he entered the hallway and put the keys on the dresser.
"As if you don't know," Alec replied, going into the kitchen.
"I have no idea what you're talking about Alec," Tess told him.
"Really? You thought by keeping me talking, you'd leave Rose to face that man down in the garage?" Alec asked her.
"Alec, I don't know what you're implying," Tess insisted. "You were the one calling her and dashing out, after you denied the two of you were having an affair," she then reminded him. "Don't bother denying it Alec, why else would you have run after her?" she wanted to know.
"Maybe to stop her being attacked by that traffic sergeant?" Alec retaliated.
"What? I never saw anything when I went down there Alec. I assumed the two of you had gone off somewhere to be alone," Tess scoffed.
Alec glared at her.
"No, that would normally be you going off somewhere with Dave," Alec replied, trying hard to keep his temper.
Then, they both realised Daisy was standing in the kitchen doorway.
"Mum, Dad?" Daisy looked at them. "What are you both saying? You're both having affairs? I hate the both of you."
With that, the teenager ran upstairs and slammed her bedroom door.
"Now look what you've done Alec," Tess hissed at him.
"What I've done?" Alec asked her. "Your accusations against me have no grounds, mine against yours have. You've been seen coming through the fire exit at the back of the canteen almost every lunchtime."
"Oh, so you and your blonde DC haven't been seen talking in the car or by the lifts then?" Tess told him. "You've been seen with her looking very cosy. As for what you accuse me of, I bet it's those friend's of Tyler's spreading lies."
"Tess, everyone in the canteen has seen you following Dave Harris out as soon as you have both eaten," Alec reminded her.
"Well Tyler has been seen following you out," Tess told him. "I'm not the guilty one here, you are."
"I don't think so Tess, you are using me as an excuse, to cover for yourself. You are always late home, leaving Daisy and I have had to go get her. When have I ever been late home eh?" he wanted to know. "I am going to talk to Daisy, think about it. I have more evidence than you have."
