Life after regeneration

Chapter 11

Thankfully, the press didn't know which caravan they were staying at so they both went out together after a quick breakfast, cutting through between the camp shop and the swimming pool and going around the back of the station.  All the phones in the reception area were ringing, the desk sergeant was barking orders for any officers to grab a phone and he was trying to hand a bunch of messages to Alec.

"You need to get yourself organised up there Sir," he told Alec as Rose took the pieces of paper from the man.

Ellie was waiting for them.  "Before you say anything, I'm not responsible for what my nephew reports on."

"About what?  The facts about Mark Latimer having an affair or the fact Rose and I chose to show up holding hands?"

"Both?"

Rose went to make him some tea as he went in his office and slammed the door, making everyone look up from answering the phones.  Despite extra staff being brought in, phones were constantly ringing, most of them were asking about how the senior case officer was with the Vitex heiress and was he still fit to be leading the enquiry and others saying they passed Danny on his skateboard that night and thought it was a bit late for him to be out on his own. 

Rose was getting more worried about him but tonight, they would be in London and if he didn't change his mind, he'd agree to the pacemaker if the odds were in his favour and it would be all over by tomorrow afternoon.  They were planning on coming back late on Sunday night and Rose was determined she wasn't coming back without him, whether he'd got the pacemaker or not, preferably with.  He looked up as Rose put his drink on the desk and she kissed his cheek.

"You ok Alec?"

"I'll be fine love and we are still going up to London tonight.  Call Miller for me will you?"

She did as he asked and Ellie stood in front of his desk.

"Sit down Miller.  I'm going away this weekend, you're in charge until I get back."

"What?  Have you seen it out there?  It's crazy.  Where are your people Rose?"

"Working, where do ya think?  I've got two extra teams working with CSU and two teams going around where Danny did his paper round and the route he took to the harbour but we know he ended up at the hut, how did he get from the harbour all the way up there without being seen?"

"There are no cameras on the Esplanade, he could have doubled back and walked up over the cliff pathway."

"In the dark?" Rose asked. 

"There was a full moon that night, so I've been told."

"You don't know for certain?" Rose asked her.

"I was out cold by eight, I'd just got back from a long flight, I took sleeping pills."

"So, just like Beth, you can't say your husband was at home that night?" Rose asked innocently.