Crashing Waves

13

"Right, you can make the arrest as soon as you spot him. I want him in that interview room as soon as possible." Hardy was on a role. After five days of being in Broadchurch and somehow not fully working a single one, I was thrown amidst the chaos of a full investigation Ellie and Alec knew I shouldn't be anywhere near.

"Alec, its Tess, she says she's been trying to get hold of you." Ellie interrupts his roll, making him sigh.

"What does she want." He sounded annoyed.

"She just says that Daisy's gone in for her operation."

"Shit. Ok let me take the call." Hardy took the phone and shut the door, not noticing I was sitting on the sofa as he leant against his desk, talking towards the phone.

"You let her go in without me being there?" He sounded really mad. "Yes, of course I would have liked to be there, I'm her bloody father!" He had a daughter?

"Don't turn this around on me, I told you about my surgery. No? It doesn't matter that it's only her tonsils? Of course it does-" he stopped talking when he turned around to see I was sitting there, awkwardly looking anywhere but at him.

"Look, just tell her I love her, ok? Yes, bye Tess." He hung up, putting the phone on his desk as he sat down in the chair. "I was going to-"

"I take it that's your wife." I said, feeling disgusting once more.

"Ex. We haven't been together since Sandbrooke." I nodded, making an "ah" sound with my mouth.

"Miller!" Hardy shouted, standing up and opening his door. "I'm going for a walk, keep an eye on her." He didn't even say my name.

"Yes. How's Daisy?" Miller asked.

"Fine." He grunted, grabbing his coat before leaving.

"He never mentioned he had a daughter. Or a wife." I said, trying not to make myself sound jealous, which I wasn't.

"He doesn't tend to. They divorced because of Sandbrooke. Tess was having an affair with another of Hardy's DS's when her car got broken into by Claire. She stole the piece of evidence that was critical to them in court, and Hardy took the wrap for it. That's why his hearts all messed up." Ellie explained, helping me sort through a box of old files.

"Jesus. No wonder he developed it. It's enough to give you heart failure." I felt a pang of guilt in my heart, I had immediately jumped to the conclusion that, like my last DI, Alec had just wanted to sleep with me to get some other than his wife.

"If he took the wrap, does he still love her?" I asked, and Ellie laughed as if it was obvious.

"I thought that, too. From what he was saying in front of me I thought he was trying everything to get back together with her. But he's being friendly for his daughters sake. I thought Hardy wasn't really a person that did 'love', but you can tell when he looks at Daisy that he would give his life for her. Just like I would for Tom and Fred, really. It's weird though, if you think about it. I suppose the only time Hardy ever really shows emotions is if he cares about something." Ellie's preach made me think about how Hardy had been around me since I'd arrived in Broadchurch. In five days he had been kinder to me than anyone had in years. Him and Miller had taken me under their wings, almost with no questions asked as they proceeded to help me catch my ex.

"Why you asking, anyway? Don't tell me you like him." I laughed at her response, shaking my head.

"God no, grumpy pants? I've sworn off men for a long time." I said, laughing quietly to myself before I felt Ellie's eyes on me.

"That didn't answer my question." I stopped what I was doing, sighing.

"This can't go on record." I said, and she started smiling.

"I knew it! You've slept with him, haven't you!"

"God no!" I whispered, asking her to swing his door closed. "We've shared a bed, I was under the covers and he slept on top."

"Oh please, I've done that with him too. Come on, you must've done more." Ellie egged me on, and it was then that small town gossip entered my mind.

"I woke up from a nightmare, and he... he slept on top of the covers, with his arms over me. I woke up laying on his chest." I said, blushing as Ellie showed her toothy grin and laughed.

"You like him, don't you!" She exclaimed.

"I don't know. But even if I do you can't tell anyone. Especially as the case we're on is a massive rule breaker anyway. I shouldn't be anywhere near the police station-"

"You're out of the case, sorting through old files. And like Hardy said. You're officially staying at the Traders." Ellie grinned, pulling me into a hug. "You've both been through shit, and I think if you both actually bloody admit it, you'll find yourselves a lot happier for it."

"Happier for what." Hardy barged in, making me blush like a cherry tomato.

"For sorting your files as you go, Hardy." I quickly covered as Ellie looked at me and grinned, standing up.

"Let's have dinner at the cottage tonight." Ellie suddenly pulled out of the blue.

"What, in these?" I asked, still wearing Hardy's casual clothes.

"I'll go and get you some clothes, text me what size you are and I'll bring it around an hour before. I'll bring the food, Hardy can cook whilst we get ready. Yes?" Ellie wasn't giving us much of a choice here.

"You can cook?" I looked at Alec, seeing him look over his glasses at me and lower the file he was reading.

"Fine, dinner." I could tell he was reluctant, but at least it was the evenings entertainment. It beat sitting around watching crappy TV.

"Brilliant! I'll head off now, and see you at yours for five." Ellie shot off, not even letting Hardy know she was leaving.

"You do realise Ellie just left." I pointed out, seeing him frown as he realised.

"Better get to work on sorting those files then." I swear I saw him flash a smirk my way before engrossing himself back into his file.

***

Police officers came in and out to collect various files that I had been sorting, and it gave me a chance to see what kind of crimes they deal with up here. Ellie was right, compared to the havoc Alan was causing, apart from the Latimer case there really wasn't much in the way of major crimes happening.

"We best head back." I said, seeing the time was half four.

"Already? Blimey." Alec stretched, his yawn making me yawn also.

"Did you end up sleeping last night?" I asked, not letting on that when I woke up I looked up to his sleeping face, peaceful and not at all grumpy looking.

"More than I thought I would." He said honestly, grabbing his coat and closing the box lid of the files I was working on. Letting me leave first, he locked his office and we began walking out the building as he rung a taxi company.
"Broadchurch police station, two passengers, thank you." Hanging up he looked at me, checking I was still behind him. "You?" He asked, taking me back slightly. How in the hell am I meant to answer that?

"Yeah, once I fell asleep it was ok." I said, fiddling with my fingers as I felt my heart rate increase.
Damnit Ellie! She had made me notice it, and now that she knew, I just know she's going to make a subtle comment at this dinner, or something worse. She had an ulterior motive, I just knew it.