First Friendly Face

DNA

Okie dokie, a Broadchurch fanfiction! So, I wrote this like a year and a half ago and I put it up on fanfiction.net, it got very good reviews and quite a big number of reads, so, I'm testing it out on here! It probably won't do as good on here, cause that has been the cause so far for me but please, if you like it spread the news. I write because I love it and I really want to improve so comments and help are welcome! Thanks so much and I really hope you enjoy this! 

In a small town people always assume they know everything about everyone. They know all the people that run the shops, they know their postman and the one who makes their bread. The one they get their papers from every morning and the one who runs the local traders. They keep up to date on everything in their lives even if they don't fancy them. 

The thing is they don't know everything. People have things they tend to keep to themselves. Things they regret or are ashamed off. Sometimes they don't tell partners or other family, it's that bad. 

One week into the biggest case the small town of Broadchurch had ever seen Detective Inspector Alec Hardy sat at his desk staring at more files of that morning's reports. Eight pages full of updates on the death of Danny Laimer, an eleven year old local boy. 

Alec took a deep breath as he finished the last of the pages. He closed the booklet and leaned back in his chair. All sorts of thoughts ran through his head. Where was Mark Latimer on the night of Danny's death? Why had he lied to his partner, Beth? How had he gotten the keys to the hut if he didn't get them from Susan Wright? 

"I'm going in now. You coming?" Detective Sergeant Ellie Miller asked Alec. He leaned back up in his chair. 

"You seem tired. You don't have to come if you don't want to." She continued. 

"I'm actually going to have a chat with Jack Marshall now. See if he'll give us anything else." Alec replied. He got out of his seat and walked over to grab his coat. 

"Ok," She mumbled as she backed up to take some papers from a co-worker.

"Here are some more samples from the boat. DNA sample matching Danny's and a hair strand that was found this morning." She handed him the papers. 

"Great. See if the hair strand matches Mark's. If not just put it back in the files." Alec handed the hair sample back to Ellie. 

"I'll check it out later." He said as he pulled on his coat. 

"Ok, good luck." Ellie nodded to him as he walked out adjusting his coat. 

Alec made his way out of the office and onto Broadchurch's main road. People passed him with weary looks. He tried to ignore them as best as he could. 

"How much longer until you find out who killed him?" Some person asked him. Alec looked over his shoulder to see a young man standing with his son. Alec took a deep breath and sighed as he turned back without replying. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed the man look at his son with concern etched upon his face. Alec remembered the times he used to spend with his daughter. 

"Excuse me, sir?" Alec heard a voice behind him. He now had anger building inside of him. 

"What is it now?" He yelled as he turned to face the voice. 

It was a young girl, maybe twelve or thirteen. She had shoulder length brown hair and big brown eyes that were etched with fear. Alec looked at the child and released the tension from his shoulders. 

"Sorry to bother you sir but are you Detective Inspector Alec Hardy?" She asked again. He nodded to her. 

The girl reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a phone. 

"I found this on the road this morning." She told him as she reached out her arm to hand it to him. 

"It has a return name and address..." She trailed off. 

"Yes and who is it too?" Alec asked her as he took a step towards the phone in her hands. The girl bit her lip and streched her fist into a ball as if holding in tears. 

"Danny Latimer." She said as she looked up at him. 

Alec looked at her in disbelief. He walked up to her and she released her firm grip on the phone. He took it from her and reached into his pocket to grab a clear plastic bag. 

"Where did you get this again?" He asked her. She watched as he placed it in the bag. 

"I found it outside that corner store near the beach." She replied gaining a bit of confidence now. Alec nodded and wrote on the plastic bag. He then placed it in his pocket. The whole time he had spent in Broadchurch he had never noticed the young girl.