Crashing Waves

4

"So, where are you staying?" Ellie said, looking back as I hopped in the back of Hardy's car.

"Oh, the Traders." I glanced at Hardy who had his eyes in the rear view mirror, looking back at the road as I glanced at him.

"Oh, yes Becca Fisher runs it." I nod, letting out a small laugh.

"Yeah. She can talk for Australia." Ellie let out a bellow, making Hardy flinch.

"Miller, I'm driving." Ellie looked at him before back at me and rolled her eyes, making me shake my head at him.

"Yes, I know, Sir." I looked out the side of the car as we took multiple turns, Hardy swinging his car quite a bit as his indicator sounded again and we pulled over.

"Jesus, someone did not like their windows." I commented, making Hardy look at me.

"Do not make comments like that inside." He scolded, making me raise my hands.

"Sorry." I apologised, walking behind with Ellie as Hardy marched towards the house where uniform had taped up.

"Jesus." I couldn't help but say it, making them both look at me before stepping into the house.
It was a mess, the home had been completely ransacked.

"Miller, go talk to the home owner. Walker you're with me." Miller shrugged and went off towards what I presumed was the kitchen, leaving grumpy pants and I alone.

"Is this normal around here?" I asked, looking around at the broken glass and the ripped up books. "I mean Ellie said you had break ins, but-"

"No." He said, getting gloves out of his pocket and handing a pair to me. "See if there is anything major missing." I scoffed, like we would notice if anything was missing, the place was a bomb site.

Walking into a room, I didn't even know where to begin. Who would even do something like this?

"Walker?" Hardy all but shouted, making me stand up and go back out into the hall.

"What?" I asked, walking into the room.

"Why is a picture of you here?" He asked, handing me a half burnt picture of me and another person.

"That's-" looking at the photo, I couldn't believe it.

"Walker, why is this in a robbed house." Just then, uniform and Ellie walked in.

"Sir Mrs. Edgeworth says that she was staying in Manchester with her children for a week, and got back this morning to this." She started to ramble but noticed the picture I was holding. "Oh my god, Alice that's you." Ellie spewed out the obvious, making me turn to her.

"I need to, I need to go." Handing the picture to Ellie I pushed past the officers, making my way down the stairs and out on to the street, noticing a footpath sign that looked like it lead to a field.

"Walker!" Hardy shouted, jogging after me.

"I'm sorry, I should never have come here." I shook my head, speeding up.

"What the hell is going on?" He asked, catching me up and blocking my path. "You realise because there's a photo of you in the house it makes you a suspect." He said, making me look into his eyes, seeing his chest rise and fall heavily.

"I arrived in town last night, Alec. I checked in at the Traders, went to the Kings Arms and then you took me back to my room, and for all I know spent the night with me." I tried to continue walking, but he grabbed my arm.

"Alice Walker you are under arrest for the suspicion of breaking and entering." He twisted my arms around my back, connecting the cuffs together.

"I just told you where I was!" I said, trying to struggle out of his grip.

"You have the right to remain silent and anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law, do you understand?"

"I didn't rob that place." I spat through gritted teeth, why was he doing this?

"Tell me what a photo of you was doing in that house." He said, his hand on my back as he lead me back towards the house.
I couldn't tell him. I didn't know these people, for all I know they'd let him come after me.

"No." I answered, lowering my head.

"My god sir what are you doing!" Ellie came out as Hardy handed me to uniform.

"I've arrested her on suspicion of breaking and entering." He said, curt, taking his gloves off before coming back over to me.
"Put her in interview room one. We'll be there shortly." The officer guided me into the car, shutting the door. I couldn't tell him, why was he pushing!

Ellie had a go at him, Hardy not paying any attention as he continued to stare at me, out of breath. He knew I was hiding something.

***

"DI Alec Hardy interviewing Alice Walker, May 29th at twelve thirty one." He brought his attention back to me, sliding a photo in plastic wrapping to me.
"Showing suspect item one, a scorched photo of herself and an unidentified subject." He recorded for the tape, making me sigh. "No attorney?"

"I didn't rob that place. You were with me last night." I shook my head, crossing my arms.

"From eleven. That leaves five hours-"

"I was in the Kings Arms with two guys called Mark and Nige. They say they run a local plumbing company." I said, staring at him.

Suddenly he stood up, walking towards the entrance to the room. "Tell Miller to check Mark Latimer and Nigel as alibi's for Alice Walker." He told an officer outside the room before returning to his seat. "We'll know if you're lying."

"I'm not. Look I understand why you suspect me, but I had nothing to do with this." Glancing back at the photo, my heat beat quickened.
"And I'm not telling you about that on tape." Hardy sighed, shaking his head before pressing the button.
"Interview terminated twelve forty." Pressing the button he stood up.
"Come on then." Puzzled, I followed him out of the room, down the hall and out of the station, towards the harbour.
"Why was that picture of you there." He asked again, stopping and sitting on a bench that faced away from the cliffs I had only seen pictures of.

"The guy I'm in the picture with, he's my ex, of sorts." I mumbled, joining him. "Only he doesn't know that we're not together anymore." I laughed, sitting back in the bench and flailing my arms. "I sound like a damn teen drama." I looked at him, his stoic expression almost calming as he nodded. "The reason I transferred here was because I needed to get away from him. I didn't have time to sort anything, and luckily enough there was an opening here. I thought he wouldn't check here, I guess I was wrong." I looked out at the overcast sky and the rough waves, the sound of the sea calming me.

"Witness protection." Hardy said those two words.

"You and I both know it's not as simple as that." Looking at him I stood up, pacing. "He's dangerous, Hardy. More dangerous than you and Ellie's small town knows." Alec stood up, walking off.

"Come with me." Was all he said, walking back into town.
Following him for some way, I noticed as he began to slow down that we had come to a small house near a river.
"You can stay here with me." Furrowing my eyebrows I shook my head.

"Staying with you won't make a difference."

"I want you to make a formal statement to the police about him. Ellie will take it, and I can be there if you want to. But that is the condition. You should have gone to the police about this." Turning around he headed back around he harbour to the police station.

"I can't tell the police." I said, stopping.

"Yes you can, and you will. Miller and I have dealt with people like him before. And you are more than qualified to know that you should have gone to the police." Hardy turned around, his harsh tone hitting home. I couldn't argue because I knew he was right.