Tess had been held back by Dave on her way out.
"Not so fast Tess," Dave had told her as he hurried to catch up with her. "Ignoring me today?"
"You were late," Tess used the excuse. "Besides, I needed to know what's been going on, why Peters had been locked up by Alec all night."
Dave had laughed, raising his hand to lean on the wall just where Tess was now standing.
"Come on Tess," Dave laughed. "He must have caught Alec with his little blonde DC."
"Shut up Dave," Tess didn't need reminding. "Can't you ask some of your mates what happened?" she then wanted to know.
"I suppose I can try?" Dave mused, a big grin on his face that made Tess frown at him.
She thought he was enjoying this a bit too much.
"See, I was right all along," Dave had then told her. "They must have got caught and Peters was trying to get DC Tyler for himself."
"Well the idiot got himself locked up, didn't he?" Tess reminded him. "A bit stupid of him if he didn't back off if Alec threatened him. Now I can't find out anything else about what Alec and Tyler get up to."
"Never mind Tess, did you really want any more proof?" Dave had laughed.
"Alec can deny it all he wants," Tess huffed, trying to dodge Dave's arm.
"I can tell him about us if you want?" Dave tried to look serious.
Tess would have slapped his face there and then but someone came out of the canteen. Dave just did a mock salute and gestured for Tess to go in front of him, Tess now even more riled at being reminded she'd been right all along about her husband.
Should she go straight to Alec's office and have it out with him or wait until they got home? Leaving it would only give Alec more time to come up with more excuses but in the office would attract everyone's attention. Just as she got back to the office, she saw Rose leaving Alec's office but Alec himself wasn't there.
Rose had just gone back to her desk when she got the message to join Alec. Tess was even more annoyed the way Rose had spoken to her and thought to herself that she wished Tyler wasn't Alec's DC and had to take orders from herself.
Should she start on Tyler's friends, she then wondered.
Rose and Alec were called to the chiefs office, Alec remaining standing then leaning against the wall. He thought Rose found that amusing as well, did she think all his habits were amusing? Well if she did, it was more than Tess had done, all she had done was either told him not to slouch, straighten his tie, fasten his top shirt button or tidy himself up.
The chief looked up from the statements he'd been reading.
"Rose, you did everything you could to discourage Sergeant Peters," the chief told her. "Do you want to press charges against him?"
Rose looked up at Alec.
"What'll happen if I do? Will there be an inquiry?" Rose wanted to know.
"He'll be brought before professional standards," the chief replied. "Since he harassed you and clearly wasn't going to let you go even when warned, he'll be disciplined anyway and at the very least be suspended and not allowed on traffic duty again."
"I should think so," Alec replied, standing up straight.
Did Rose smile to herself when he did that as well, he wondered. Why did it matter to him all of a sudden?
"I should take some of the responsibility for Rose being down there on her own," Alec then added. "Tess was keeping me talking, I told Rose to go ahead."
Rose didn't remember it quite like that but he was only trying to avoid making things worse.
"I was with a friend," Rose reminded him.
"If Tess had not delayed me, the sergeant would not have gone seeking you out," Alec replied.
"Don't blame yourself Alec," the chief told him. "Peters should not have been trying to force himself on Rose in the first place. What made him do so all of a sudden is strange though."
"Well I never encouraged him," Rose insisted.
"No-one's saying you did," the chief reminded her. "Maybe it was just all the warnings he'd been given?"
"I had to take the complaints against him seriously," Alec told the chief.
"Of course you did," the chief agreed. "I'll see what he has to say for himself but I strongly suggest you make a formal complaint Rose, not only for your own sake but for the others he's harassed."
"I'll see she does," Alec replied as Rose got up.
He gestured for her to go first and as he did so, the chief stopped him.
"Anything else you want to tell me Alec?" the chief asked as he raised his eyebrows. "For example if Tess has anything to do with this?"
To the chief, Tess was the root cause of most things in the station. She had succeeded in keeping anyone from working with her husband, until Rose Tyler had come along. Then it seemed to him that was when all the problems started.
From what he'd seen and heard about Rose, she was a force to be reckoned with. Not even Tess had put her off and she was doing a good job.
Alec thought he could easily drag Tess into this, things couldn't get any worse between them. Then he'd be sleeping in the spare room permanently.
"She may have," Alec admitted.
"In what way?' the chief asked, being used to the two of them.
He thought he'd solved the problem by letting Rose work with Alec but it had brought out the worst in Tess. Whatever had triggered Tess's hostility was clearly more deeply rooted than Rose's arrival. It seemed to him that Tess just wanted someone to blame and Rose had been it.
"You really want to know?" Alec wondered if the chief was being serious. "You know what Tess was like before Rose arrived, Tess is just annoyed she did not get someone else in the office to control."
"Then maybe it's my fault for taking Rose on and putting her with you?" the chief wondered.
"She would have just done it with anyone else," Alec reminded him.
"True," the chief agreed. "At least Tess hasn't come complaining to me every chance she gets," he then smiled.
"No, she takes it out on me," Alec half joked.
"Sorry Alec," the chief sympathised. "So, back to my question, was Tess somehow involved in what happened last night?'
Alec knew the chief was being serious. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to tell him some of it, to cover both himself and Rose?
"I think that Tess has been trying to get Peters to spy on myself and Rose when we go out and come back. You do know she thinks something is going on between myself and Rose," he then raised his eyebrows.
The chief let out a laugh and closed the folders on his desk.
"Why doesn't that surprise me Alec?" the chief replied. "I don't want to know about it, I take anything Tess does as getting back at you."
"Are you interviewing Peters?" Alec changed the subject.
"Shortly. It's best if you leave it to me Alec," the chief replied. "I take it that in exchange for so-called spying on you, the sergeant wanted something in return?"
"Yes, a chance to hold me back and leave Rose down there on her own," Alec told him.
"So you think last night, Tess was holding you up on purpose?" the chief wanted to be certain. "What had he given her in return, I wonder?"
"Anything she wanted to hear," Alec replied. "He was clearly making something up to get her co-operation."
"I gathered that," the chief smiled. "It will be interesting to know what made them decide to do something about it last night."
"It bothers me that Peters was so easily taken in by Tess," Alec admitted. "What did she really promise him or was it the other way around? Was Tess so determined to find me cheating on her?"
"Maybe?" the chief wondered. "Unless she's covering something up?"
"You don't know how close a guess that is," Alec agreed. "Rose and her friends are convinced Tess is acting strangely with Dave Harris."
"Seriously?" the chief laughed again. "More like Dave Harris is leading her on. You know his reputation for being the station's Romeo?"
"Don't I just?" Alec replied. "I'll let you get on with interviewing Peters then."
"Yes, get it over with," the chief agreed. "It's a sorry day when an officer attacks another. Thankfully it rarely happens."
He picked up his desk phone and instructed the duty officer to bring Peters to his office. Alec went off to find Rose but when she wasn't in the canteen, he sent her a message.
'I'm at my desk' Rose replied, wanting to add where do ya think I am? 'Tess is watching me'.
He just sent the reply 'Don't tell her I am on my way back'.
It was just about break time so she got up to make some coffee, passing by her friends' desks.
"Hey Rose," Jo called out to her, closing the open window on her screen.
They caught Tess's eye, making her scowl. She thought it a pity she couldn't say anything, since a few others started doing the same.
"You okay?" Jo asked her, putting her arm in Rose's.
"Yeah, suppose so?" Rose told her friend. "Wish it would all be over with, I might have to make a formal complaint."
"You do that Rose, don't let him get away with it," Kate told her as she caught up.
"I'm not gonna but I'll leave it up to the chief, he's on my side," Rose replied, getting a paper cup and putting it under the coffee dispenser.
She pressed the button for latte and waited, then went to one of the desks her friends used.
"Come on Rose, how did it go with your interview?" Trish wanted to know as she joined Rose.
"Okay but I didn't like the way the DI was enjoying himself too much."
Trish just laughed as the others joined them.
Tess was dying to know what the four of them were talking about but she bet most of it was about her. She saw Alec was still missing but even if he came back, he'd just shout at her if she said anything. She knew he'd be even more annoyed and he'd probably told the chief he thought she was involved. Why did that stupid sergeant have to go after Tyler?
Was he trying to impress her, since she'd complained to him about Alec and his DC? Well she'd not told him to go about attacking the blonde, had she? That was entirely his own fault for getting caught. Unless of course, Tyler had set herself as a target to get Alec to go and rescue her? Why was she doubting, of course she had, to get sympathy from Alec and then the whole station, plus throwing off any idea they were sneaking around.
"Wow, that's awful Rose," Jo was telling her as she quickly told them more of what had happened. "I always said that sergeant was creepy."
"Yeah, I heard of a few women he tried to hassle," Trish agreed. "Glad I don't have a car! Sorry Kate."
"I'm usually the only one down there," Kate replied. "Rose, I'm really sorry I left you on your own."
"Forget it Kate, it wasn't your fault," Rose assured her.
It was just then when Alec sent her a text. She excused herself and went back to her desk, asking Alec where he was. When he said he had been looking for her, he called her back.
"Are ya gonna see what the sergeant has to say for himself?" Rose wanted to know.
"He's just being escorted to the chief's office," Alec replied as he heard footsteps down the corridor. "What do you bet he tries to get himself out of it?"
"He can try," Rose replied quietly. "I'm not gonna let him off the hook, that's for sure. Tess is looking over at me, she was the last one back from lunch today."
"Was she now?" Alec was interested. "I saw Dave Harris as I was leaving the canteen. He must have kept Tess back. Then come downstairs and wait here to see the chief," he suggested.
Alec already knew he was right. Why had he not known for certain that Tess was messing around with Harris? That was why she was being so aggressive and insisting it was he who was having an affair with Rose. Maybe he should play her at her own game, really get Rose to act like it was true? Just inside the station and when Rose picked him up and dropped him at home.
He'd have to let Daisy in on it, get her to agree not to tell her mother. Rose had made her way downstairs, finding Alec sitting and waiting for her.
"Is the sergeant with the chief?" Rose wanted to know as she sat beside Alec.
Alec just nodded, not knowing what to say. He'd thought more of what action to take regarding Tess, Rose may go with it to a certain point but he couldn't get her too involved. There was her mother to consider to start with, then her friends here at the station. To be honest, it was her mother he was more worried about after seeing Jackie Tyler go for Tess.
Rose leaned forward, her hands under her.
"I hope he's gettin' a roasting from the chief in there," she grinned.
"Let us hope so," Alec agreed. "Did Tess have anything to say?"
"Not much," Rose told him. "Geez, why is this takin' so long?"
"These things do take time," Alec reminded her. "The chief has to hear all sides."
"It's like being in court," Rose joked. "Waiting for the jury to return their verdict."
"Indeed," Alec nodded his agreement. "Let us hope this does not come to that."
"Geez, I hope not either, my mum will go spare. She'd be in the front row," Rose replied.
"No doubt," Alec could only imagine. "Tess may side with Peters though."
"She would?" Rose realised. "Geez, I hope this gets settled here then."
The chief's door opened just down the corridor and the two officers waiting outside took custody of Peters again. Inside, the chief had said Peters could be released on police bail on the condition he stayed away from the station and in particular, Rose herself.
"So I can go?" Peters had asked, not getting chance to plead his case as he'd planned by blackmailing the DI into dropping the charges brought against him.
The chief had stopped him before anything could be said.
"Bear in mind that if you approach DC Tyler, you'll be locked up again, understand?" the chief wanted to make sure. "The female officers should be able to feel safe inside the station and that includes the parking garage. This is not the first complaint against you."
"Hardy took it too seriously," Peters insisted. "I was only being friendly."
"Maybe at first but your current actions resulted in a senior officer being disobeyed. DI Hardy had every right to detain you. You'll be suspended until all things have been considered, including if DC Tyler wants to bring charges against you."
That had knocked the smug look from the sergeant's face. As the other officers led Peters towards where Rose and Alec were sitting, Alec stared at the man and Rose tried to look away. Alec was daring the man to say something but Peters just went past silently.
Alec got up and gestured for Rose to go in front of him, wondering what the chief had decided.
"Have you suspended Peters?" Alec wanted to know.
"Yes and if I decide to let him back, trust me, he won't be placed in the parking garage again. He'll be lucky to ever get back there. Rose, do you want to bring separate charges against him?"
"Should I?" she then wondered. "I mean it wasn't just me who complained about him."
"Yes, you should," Alec told her. "Not only for yourself."
"He's right," the chief agreed. "Let me know the names of the female officers who complained about him Alec, then leave it with me."
As Rose and Alec left the chief's office, he told Rose she had done the right thing.
"I hope so," Rose told Alec as they walked back to the lift area. "Any chance of not going back to work?" she grinned at him pressing the lift button several times. "It won't arrive any faster ya know?"
Alec wished she didn't have an answer to everything.
"Wait down here if you wish, I will go finish off in my office, he suggested. "Don't go waiting in the garage on your own in future."
Just thinking about it made Rose shiver. Alec noticed as the lift arrived and touched her shoulder. Rose went to sit and wait for him, getting her phone out.
"Hey Mum, are ya home?" Rose asked when Jackie said hello.
"Yeah, been shopping, there are some good shops around here ya know? Are ya still at work or out somewhere?"
"Still at the station but I'll be home a bit earlier today," Rose told her. "Been all day writing reports and stuff and seeing the chief. Had my interview this morning, had to get a smart-ass DI on the case but his DS was nice, she was on my side."
"Well I hope it goes okay sweetheart," her mother told her. "See ya soon then? Why don't ya invite ya boss up for a cuppa?"
"Well, I don't know Mum?" Rose was somewhat surprised as her mother didn't usually like any of her male colleagues, well at her last station anyway.
"I was only being polite," Jackie reminded her. "He's your boss and he stuck up for ya, that says something about him."
"I'll ask him but he'll probably say no," Rose told her. "See ya soon then?"
Alec had gone back to his office, finally, knowing everyone would wonder where Rose was. It didn't take long for Tess to get up and join him as he closed his computer down and she appeared in front of him.
"So, where's Tyler?" Tess wanted to know. "What's happened about Peters?"
"Seriously?" Alec asked her. "He should have thought about his actions, before going after Rose."
"Oh come on Alec," Tess replied. "Don't tell me she's completely innocent."
"What is it with you Tess?" Alec wanted to know. "You encouraged him."
"In what way?" Tess replied. "I did no such thing Alec."
"You were getting information from him, did you tell him you would delay me so Rose was down there on her own eh?" Alec challenged her.
"How can you even think such a thing?" Tess pretended to be hurt.
"It does not take much working out," Alec replied. "Was Peters blackmailing you? Did he see you and Dave Harris down there?"
"What?" Tess looked at him, all the office watching what was going on when Rose didn't return.
Kate was whispering to her friends.
"Geez, I bet that's about Rose," she was telling them.
"Yeah, poor Rose again," Trish agreed. "Don't get me wrong but if she's not careful, that time she said she was going to lead Tess on about something going on between her at the boss will spread like wildfire. Then what will happen?"
