The hidden Rose

Chapter 3

They were just about to leave.

"Alec, can I just have a few minutes with my stepfather?" Rose asked.

Alec nodded. "I'll wait downstairs then we'll get your things and walk down to the place I've just rented."

Alec closed the door behind him. Well at least she was nice enough and she was someone he could have imagined chasing after if he had been well enough. The offer of getting his surgery sooner rather than later was not something he wanted to take the man up on though. He had planned to leave it until he got worse but what would his chances be then? He walked downstairs to his old office and told the chief they had finished.

"I'm going to get her things out of the car, I'll take a uniform with me to return Mr Tyler's car keys. You might have told me who she was Elaine."

"Sorry Alec, it was a precaution and I didn't really know much. I take it you're pleased that she's just your type?"

Anything that was willing to take him on was now his type, well he had some limits though.

"She's ok I suppose. What the hell am I going to do with her? Won't anyone recognise her?"

"I doubt it, there's still too much going on down here for people to actually care who your new wife is. The locals are still caught up in Danny's death and the tourists will start coming back, just to see where it happened so I doubt anyone will spot her. That was the whole idea. I know she's been in the papers a lot but I've been assured that a cover story will account as to why she's suddenly gone out of the media's eye. There's no need for you to be concerned by that, you have some explaining of your own to do."

"Don't I just? I'd best go wait downstairs for her, she was just talking to her stepfather. So you didn't know any of this?"

"Only what the chief constable told me. If you need anything, just contact me, Mr Tyler is picking up the tab on everything. We'll just send all the bills to him. I take it you found a suitable place to rent?"

"Yes, just wait until he sees how much it costs. I had to get a fully furnished holiday home but I think they were just glad someone had taken it, with things being quiet. I managed to get them down on the price for a long term period so if she leaves soon they might be a bit upset."

"She might want a car as well, I expect that will be taken care of. If you can think of anything else, just say."

"Right, I'll be out of your way then but there is just one thing. Since I'm doing this as a favour to the chief constable, can I come in for a few hours a day, just to get me out of her way? I can go over the Latimer case for you or re-open old cases."

The chief laughed. He hadn't even got started yet. "We'll see Alec, just take some time off first and have your operation."

Alec thought that was her way of saying no to him.

"Well Rose, this is it, so what do you think of him? Does he remind you of someone?" Pete asked when Alec had left the room.

Rose smiled. "I don't know what you mean Dad. Seriously, I'm over it, I have happy memories of him but to think I see him everywhere, he wouldn't hide from me if he came back, not knowingly. Was it your idea to pick him to look after me?"

"No, it wasn't, I just got told he was the best man for the job and he is. That's what you do best Rose, look after people but I'll try and make sure he gets that surgery soon, if he'll go for it. He looks stubborn."

Rose laughed. "That's what I do best, deal with stubborn people."

They hugged again then Pete went to the door. "I'll have a rental car delivered to you but I don't know where you'll be so I'll have it sent when you give them the address. I'll have them call you to confirm delivery. It may be tomorrow now. Anything else?"