Chapter Five

By the time they had made it to the end of the high street, away from the sounds of the pub, Alec and Anna's conversation switched from awkward to engaging.
"How long have you lived here?" asked Anna curiously.
"What do you mean? Can't you tell I've always lived here?" replied Alec, attempting some humour. Anna smiled at him and laughed. Alec smiled back. They walked on.
"I've been here about three years now, off and on." he continued.
"Just you and Daisy, right?" asked Anna hoping for a clue about his possible relationship situation.
"Yep, just the two of us."
Anna felt relieved. Maybe there was a chance here.
"Why'd you choose to come to Broadchurch?" Alec asked curiously. He'd gotten used to the place himself, even grown to like it really, but he couldn't fathom a person choosing to move here with their own freewill. This was a town you're born in and live in until you die. Generation after generation.
Anna paused for a moment before answering.
"My mum grew up here actually, in Broadchurch, before she emigrated to Australia with her family. She used to talk about it. The cliffs, the beach. I think a part of her always belonged here."
Alec glanced over at Anna. He could infer what she was saying, but let her continue.
"She passed away a couple of years ago." Anna paused again. "I was sort of at a crossroad after that. My boyfriend and I broke up, and I was a bit of a mess. I eventually decided to quit my job and travel around Europe, which I've been doing for the past couple of months. This place was always on my mind though, calling me in a way. I started looking up teaching jobs and it turns out it was pretty straightforward for me to get a job here and the nursery position at Wessex primary was advertised. It all sort of fell into place. Like it was meant to be. Like maybe I was being put here for a reason." Anna paused again. "Sorry, I know that probably sounds kind of silly." She furrowed her brow and shook her head.
God, he's going to think I'm nuts, she thought to herself.

"No, I get it." Alec replied softly. "I used to come here when I was a wee lad. With my mum and dad in the summer."
"Oh, that must have been nice."
"No, it was dreadful."
Anna looked over at Alec.
"My mum and dad were terrible together. They would argue all the time. I used to sit on the beach under the cliffs by myself."
"I'm sorry to hear that." replied Anna softly. She squeezed his arm sympathetically, catching Alec by surprise.
"Eventually I too found my way back here. First for for Daisy."
Alec couldn't believe he had just shared so much about himself in the short span of a few minutes. Somehow it just felt easy with Anna. He was also very aware that her hand was lingering on his arm. She was the first woman to touch him affectionately in a long time. It felt nice.
"What's it like being a policeman here? I don't imagine it's too stressful."
"It has its moments."

By now they had walked up the hill and along Station Road and were standing in front of Anna's house.
"How are you settling in?" he asked her, looking at the modest building with the bottle green painted door.
"Okay. It'll do for the year."
They both fell silent and stood for a moment in the soft twilight evening. The streetlights were on. A cricket chirped somewhere nearby. Alec looked at Anna. Her blue eyes, her long hair, the shape of her lips. The way she was so easy to talk to. He felt a surge of attraction to her.
She looked up at him, into his brown eyes. If she'd felt any sign that he liked her then she might have leant up to kiss him. She wondered what it would be like to suck on his pouty bottom lip. To feel his rough beard against her cheek. Her heart began to flutter. She tried to will his lips to hers telepathically.
Come to me, come to me, she beckoned in her head, but he didn't.
She cleared her throat. "Well…" she started, looking down at her feet.
If he was interested in me, this would be the perfect chance to ask me out, she thought to herself.
Alec shifted his feet, conscious of the chirping crickets and the lengthening silence between them. He felt himself growing hot.
"Okay, well, thanks for walking me home. Goodnight Alec." said Anna softly, looking up at him one last time, unable to stand the silence any longer.
"Goodnight," he replied as he watched her disappear into her house and switch on a light.
He stood in the street for a moment, staring at her door and cursing himself for languishing once again.

From her kitchen window Anna watched Alec cross the road and enter his own home.
He's an enigma, she thought to herself as she poured herself a glass of wine.
An enigma she wanted to unravel. She made her way to the dining table and moved a stack of papers and books to the side, her lesson planning for the term already underway, and flipped open her laptop.
Opening Google she typed in 'Alec Hardy Broadchurch' and hit enter. Her eyes widened at the results. 'Local Boy Found Dead on Beach,' 'Our Danny,' 'Man Charged Over Boys Murder,' 'Local Man Found Not Guilty'.
"Jesus," she muttered as she worked her way through the articles, taking a bigger sip of wine with each one.
Alec had been the lead detective on the case, Ellie had worked alongside him. Her husband had been the alleged murderer. Fred's dad. The boy who would be in her class this year. She looked at an accompanying photograph of Alec, his tired expression, the sheer cliffs behind him. Suddenly the sunny little town seemed to darken with storm clouds.
She clicked on the blue hyperlink over his name and braced herself for what else she may find. 'Major Police Failings in Sandbrook Case,' 'Worst Cop in Britain?'
She closed her laptop and poured herself another glass of wine.