Broadchurch: Blast From The Past

Chapter 3

TW: foul language

Alec called Daisy in the car and informed her that she would have guests for the day.Then he picked up Tom and Fred Miller. Daisy let them in, and immediately hugged her dad.

"Oh, sweetie, it's all right," Alec told her automatically. "This is just a precaution."

"If it was a precaution, you wouldn't be here," Daisy pointed out.

He sighed and held her at arm's length. "I couldn't focus if I wasn't sure you were safe. You can all look after each other. Keep the doors and windows locked. Don't answer the door if it's not me or Miller."

"What should I tell Mum if she calls?"

"That's up to you. She'll want to come get you, and if you want to go, I understand. Just don't leave these boys alone in my house."

"I won't."

"I love you." Alec kissed her on the forehead, and addressed the Millers. "Boys,be good. Don't leave the house. Don't do anything stupid. Your mum will come get you tonight."

He re-locked the door and left. It went against his every instinct to leave the kids alone—especially with the shenanigans they were known to get into—but Alec knew the best thing he could do was solve this case so everything could get back to normal.

Normal. Right.

He stopped by the grocery store for supplies: teabags, coffee, milk, sugar, Red Bull for the younger staff, butter, and a couple loaves of bread. It seemed an incongruous mix, but caffeine and carbs had gotten the team through many an all-nighter. Unfortunately for Alec, the store was across the street from the offices of the Broadchurch Echo, and the ShitMobile was unmistakable. Maggie Radcliffe came out and waved. Alec nodded back, his hands full of bags. If she wanted to talk, she could come to him.

Which she did, of course. "Is it true?"

"It's possible,"he answered carefully.

"Is there anything I can do?"

"Keep an eye out, stay safe and for God's sake keep a leash on Olly. Take his phone, unplug his computer, whatever it takes. If he or anyone else leaks this, there'll be hell to pay."

"I understand,"Maggie said. "He's mellowed a bit lately."

"He'd better," Alec responded savagely. "I'm sick of him ballsing up my investigations."

"You have my word that if he leaks anything, he'll be out on his ass."

"I'll hold you to that."

"You won't have to," she swore. "Be safe, and good luck, petal."

He climbed into the ShitMobile. "You as well."

"Will do." Maggie raised her voice over the sounds of the engine. "Maybe if you solve this case you'll get a bonus so you can buy a new car!"

Alec rolled down the window just enough to give her the middle finger as he drove away. Maggie couldn't help but smile.

Alec dumped the grocery sacks on the kitchenette counter—he'd bought them, someone else could put them away—and called the team together for an update. Someone had started the Murder Board but it was still nearly blank, only the barest details available:

OPERATION ICEMAN

SIO: DI Alec Hardy

VICTIM: 

AGE: 

HEIGHT: 1.65 meters

TIME OF DEATH: 

LOCATION: Briar Cliff 

"Operation Iceman," Alec read aloud. "Hilarious. I brought food, what do you people have?"

"We got hold of the owner of the caravan park," Nish reported. "He'll have the CCTV footage to us by tomorrow at the latest."

"That's not good enough!"

"Said his server's down. Caravan 3 is vacant, no signs of anyone living in it."

"How close did you look?" Alec asked.

"Jameson broke the door down."

"Blimey," Alec muttered, not sure if he should be angry or proud. "Anything on door-to-door?"

Ellie jumped in."Someone saw an unfamiliar car at the bottom of Briar Cliff around midnight but they're not sure what kind of car. Someone also saw a dog running loose, but they admit that it might have been a fox or a coyote."

"A fox or a--"Alec broke off, frowning. "Wait, there aren't any coyotes in Europe!"

"Exactly."

"God's sake! Anything from pathology?"

"No ID yet,"answered one of the longtime team members, a woman named Charlotte. "They'll call your personal number when they get results."

"Does anyone have anything useful?" Alec bellowed.

Dead silence.

"Bollocks.  Everyone, back to work. I don't want to spend my Christmas chasing a murderer." His accent made the last word sound absolutely ominous.

The desk sergeant appeared. "Detective Hardy? Someone to see you."

"I'm busy!"

"He said it was urgent."

"God sake,"Alec muttered, and followed him downstairs.

Nigel Carter was waiting in the lobby.

"What are you doing here?" Alec asked bluntly.

Nigel held out an open envelope. "This was in my mailbox."

The paper inside had only a sketched paw print and the words I'm back. Alec stared at the note, then at Nigel. "When did you get this?"

"Yesterday."

"Yesterday?" Alec exploded. "Why the fuck didn't you say anything?"

"I didn't know what it was," Nigel insisted pathetically. "I thought it was a prank, then Ellie called."

"Why didn't you tell her about it?"

"I didn't think of it."

"Well, you bloody well should have done! Go home, lock your doors, and for God's Sake call us if you see anything." Alec pointed to the door. "Go! Now!"

Nigel scurried off, and Alec took the lift back upstairs, grumbling all the while. His mobile rang as he arrived on the third floor; it was Ellie, telling him to meet her at the pathology office. There was new information afoot. He gave the letter to Bob with orders to run it to SOCO, and left the way he'd came.

 1. I'm no longer adding 'discussion of murder' trigger warnings. I'll add others, but assume they're talking about murder.