Well… you got a bit of a sneak peek when we posted the prompt list a few weeks ago. But now December is almost here, and it’s time to really get going with the Ficmas event.
The prompt for Saturday is snowball fight. If you want some slightly different directions to take it, maybe there’s a planet that has an annual, massive snowball fight. Or a Snowball Fight War. Or Snowballs of Mass Destruction.
Or maybe they’re somewhere for Christmas that doesn’t have snow, and Rose or the Doctor are missing snowball fights so they find a way to do a mock snowball fight. (Nerf balls, beach balls, etc.)
And of course, it’s a prompt that lends itself to kid fic very nicely.
And on Tumblr, you can tag 31 Days of Ficmas. (Please do tag doctorroseprompts as well. Finding things in our activity in December is impossible.)
Twelve x Rose month:
You didn’t think we’d forget, did you? Any and all Twelve/Rose fic will be welcome in December. We’ll bring back some of the fun prompts from before, with perhaps a few new ones.
Am I allowed to say that I‘m a bit proud of this one? 😅 David Tennant drawing Nr. 6: More Doctor Who . This time the Tenth Doctor with Rose Tyler. I really had a lot of fun with this and I LOVE how the effects on his jacket turned out! ❤️
A/N: Thanks for your patience. Because life happened, and also because I completely reworked the chapter it’s getting out later than I’d hoped. Thanks to @rose–nebula for all your help.
While Hardy was busy in Liverpool, Ellie was in charge of finding Kevin Lawry. He wasn’t staying in his flat, and a call into the construction company had proven fruitless. “He ain’t called in,”. Dale Ellis, the foreman, growled. “I redid the schedule and everythin’ since we can’t touch Briar Cliff, and when I do get us some work, he’s nowhere to be found.”
Ellie assigned Lawry to Jonas, much to Harford’s dismay. It seemed as though the junior detective felt she was being shunted aside. Harford opened her mouth, presumably to argue, but Ellie didn’t give her a chance to speak. “I talked to Hardy before he left, and you didn’t seem very eager to follow the leads he gave you. You keep up with those robberies, why don’tcha?”
Meeting Rose for lunch from the fish and chips truck that was now parked just a few blocks from the station, Ellie recounted the dispute with Harford, telling her, “I hate bein’ that way with people, I really do. Especially with another female detective. But she’s being such a fuckwit about it….”
Rose choked out a laugh around her soda. “I enjoy the way you just tell it like it is, Ellie,” Rose commented. “I’m gonna be straight with you. I’m looking into Lily myself. I can get some research done from my cottage. I’ll let you know if I find anything important.”
Ellie chuckled and shook her head. “I can’t keep you from checkin’, I suppose. And I do appreciate it. Don’t you dare tell Hardy I said that. Now….I need to go talk to Beth. She’s been gone all morning. I wanted to see her first thing, but I couldn’t.”
“I’ve been keeping an eye on the news outlets and Twitter. So far, nothin’s gotten out about Joe.”
“It’s just a matter of time, though,” Ellie sighed, gathering her trash and rising from the bench. “Hardy texted just as he was about to go in with Joe. I suppose he’s questioning him now.” Rose stood up and opened her arms, offering the only comfort she knew how to give. Ellie paused, then hesitantly leaned in for a brief hug. “Thanks for what you’ve done so far,” Ellie murmured. She cleared her throat, then stepped back. “Off to check in with Beth.” She offered a tentative smile and tossed her lunch in the bin. She gave a small wave and walked away.
Rose waved. Looking around, she noticed a woman coming in her direction. It took a second for her to recognize Genevieve Burton heading straight for her. She mentally braced herself for a confrontation with Moira’s sister.
“You’re still in town,” Genevieve said, without preamble. “Thought you were fired.”
Rose pressed her lips together and nodded. “I feel like there’s still a job to do.”
Genevieve then completely shocked Rose by telling her, “So do I. That’s why I want to hire you. I don’t want Dad to know, because I think he’s involved. I don’t think he intended for Moira to die but…”. Her voice broke. “He hated Lily.”
“C’mon. Sit down with me.” Rose indicated the bench. Genevieve sat, and Rose faced her. “Why aren’t you going to the police with this?”
“Because I trust you. I remember that you were always nice when our families visited,” Genevieve murmured. Louder she added, “Because you can investigate without my parents finding out. I trust you to keep it quiet.”
Rose raised her eyebrow. They had been at some of the same social events in the past, but Rose could barely remember ever really interacting with Genevieve. “I can. But you know I have to tell Hardy and Miller everything, if it helps them solve the case. If your dad is involved, the detectives will have to know.”
“Yes….but maybe not right away. I’ll pay you over what Dad was paying.”
Rose shook her head. “The money isn’t an issue, Ms. Burton. If you have something information that has a bearing on the case, just tell me.”
“Just call me Gen, okay? All my friends do. She smiled, and Rose found herself smiling back. “I’m really sorry that my father treated you as he did.”
“He’s in mourning. I get it. But…you say he’s involved somehow. What do you mean by that?”
Gen sighed and stared at the cliff looming behind them. Finally she spoke. “He…hated Lily. Not because Moira had fallen in love. Not at all. Lily worked for a rival tech company. Cybus. Have you heard of it?”
Rose racked her brain. She vaguely remembered Mickey interviewing with them at one point. “They specialize in speakers and Bluetooth tech, don’t they?”
“Yeah. Dad’s company is also working on similar tech. “So….he got it in his head that Lily was getting corporate secrets from Moira. He didn’t want them together.”
“In rehab?” Rose asked incredulously. “So…Lily and Moira knew each other before rehab?”
Gen shrugged. “I don’t know when they met.”
“Okay….what are you trying to tell me, Gen? Because my mind has jumped to Marshall wanting Lily dead for this. Please tell me I’m daft.” Rose’s mind was whirling with the possibilities. She had socialized with this family. Gen and Moira’s dad was a wanker, but she couldn’t imagine him ordering a murder like a mafia don. Gen didn’t ease the dread churning her stomach, shrugging at Rose’s suggestion.
“I thought you would want to know my father could be involved. I can’t be certain, but Dad certainly hated Lily. We all could see it.”
Rose stared at Gen, who’d been tearing up just moments before. Moira’s sister sat calmly, not breaking eye contact. “You know I’m going to have to go to DI Hardy with this information,” she stated flatly. “What do you know? Do you have proof that Lily was using Moira to steal corporate secrets?” Rose’s mind was reeling with the implications.
Gen frowned. “You don’t believe me.”
“I’m keepin’ an open mind. The more information I have, the faster we can get results. I’m just gobsmacked, Gen. You’re hittin’ me with a major revelation here.”
Gen stood up and bit out, “I just thought you’d want to know. If you don’t want to work for us, fine, but I thought you’d be the best option for finding out what really happened to Moira because you’re already involved. And our families are friends.”
Rose hopped up. “I want to find out what happened to Moira. But the police will have to know this. You’ll get called in to give evidence, and so will your dad.”
“Can’t we keep it between us, at least for a bit?”
Rose groaned, “No!” She ran her hand through her hair, frustrated. Gen turned on her heel. “I don’t know what the hell you’re playin’ at, Gen.”
Gen whirled around. “I’m not playing at anything, Rose. I want you to check this out without police interference. That’s all. You don’t want to.”
“It’s not that I don’t want to. Believe me, I do. But I’m not leaving Hardy and Miller out of the loop if you have a serious suspicion that your father had something to do with this. Come back to my cottage, and we’ll talk about it. There’s too many ears out here. We need to be more discrete.”
Genevieve stared at Rose. “Fine,” she said, nodding. “Lead the way.”
During the short walk Rose wondered just what the hell had happened, and how the case could have taken such a turn. All along the way to the chalet Genevieve dominated the conversation, chattering about Moira and her as small children, about how Moira demanded all the attention even as a small child. Gen laughed it off, as if it was something she looked back on with amusement.
Rose, still mostly gobsmacked, listened as they arrived at her chalet. Genevieve’s demeanor was strange. She’d started out the conversation seemingly upset and now she was chattering away about childhood memories. She reminded herself, everyone grieves in their own way. Maybe I’m the first person who’s listened. She could recall a time, after shutting down around her parents and Mickey, a random stranger’s kindness had had her opening up and spilling her grief about John.
It just felt…strange, somehow.
Once in the house, Rose indicated that Genevieve should sit down. “Lemme just open this. It’s stiflin’ in here,” Rose told her as she unlocked and opened the window over the desk. A gust of wind blew in, ruffling some papers she had under a paperweight snow globe showing a ship being tossed about at sea.
“I guess your home office has to be fairly portable,” Genevieve said. “I’ve always wondered what it would be like to be a private detective. Love detective stories. You’re not on your own though, not like in the Cormoran Strike novels. You’re…corporate, I suppose.”
“I suppose,” Rose allowed. She wondered where Genevieve was going with this line of questioning.
“Is it as exciting as it is in the books?” Genevieve appeared to be serious. Rose didn’t suspect that she was making fun of her job.
“Not quite. It’s a lot of tedious research, actually. I’ve gone to Monaco on a missing persons case, so I guess that’s as close to exciting as it gets. I ended up drinking in a casino bar with the woman whose fiancé I was trying to find.” Rose sat down on the sofa. “Now. You say that Lily Sommers worked for Cybus Industries?”
“Well, yes, I’ve already told you that.”
“Just tryin’ to keep things straight in my head,” Rose said with a smile. “And that Moira was being used by her. That’s why your father hated her.”
“Let’s face it. In Daddy’s eyes, nobody would be good enough for his daughter, man or woman. When it looked like they were serious about each other, he checked into Lily’s background.”
Rose’s brow furrowed. “Did he have Torchwood look into her? I don’t remember Dad saying that we’d worked for Marshall before, though. I think Dad would’ve said something. But maybe if he did, there’d be records of a previous investigation. That would save a lot of time.”
Genevieve shook her head emphatically, frowning. “ No. He didn’t use Torchwood. There wouldn’t be any records.” She crossed her arms and stared out of the window.
Blimey, she’s a high maintenance informant, Rose though, frustrated. Although I probably have the easy job. I’m not having to confront Joe Miller. Or breaking bad news to Beth Latimer. “Did he use another agency, then?” Rose asked, curious as to why Gen would shut that idea down so completely. “It’s fine if he did. It won’t hurt Dad’s feelings or anything.” She smiled at Gen, hoping to smooth over the awkwardness.
Genevieve expelled a huffy breath, and revealed, “My father has his own spies at Cybus.”
Once again, Rose was gobsmacked. She didn’t know many of the inner workings of Vitex. As far as she knew, her father didn’t have spies in other drink companies. But she didn’t know this for sure. The thought of actual corporate intrigue of this nature was foreign to her. “Your father had spies, spying on the other spies. Okay. So, do you know who they are? Is it documented somewhere that Moira was giving secrets to Lily?”
“You’re laughing at me, aren’t you. Not out loud, but you are. You think this is all ridiculous.” Genevieve spoke calmly, barely speaking above a murmur. Rose could hear the anger in her tone, however, and she struggled to keep her own temper.
“M’not laughin’ at you, Genevieve. It’s just…bogglin’ my mind.”
Genevieve stood, running her fingers through her hair. Pacing back and forth between Rose’s desk and the sofa, she spat, “I feel like I’m under suspicion here, Rose. I don’t appreciate it.”
“I have to ask questions, Gen. How else will I get any information? I need to know if what you’re tellin’ me is a fact or a suspicion. I’m not judgin’ you. You’ve dropped a bombshell, and I’m surprised. That’s all there is to it!”
The angry woman stopped pacing, staring at the desk, her head bowed. Rose had no idea what to do. “I’ve obviously made a mistake,” Genevieve muttered. Rose was shocked when she whirled around, glaring. For a brief moment she was frightened of the woman in her cottage. “I’ve made a mistake,” Gen repeated, pushing past Rose to burst through the front door.
Rose went after her. Genevieve’s exit was ruined by the postman she nearly slammed into as she tried to run away. She managed to knock a large mailer out of the postal worker’s hand. Moira’s distraught sister paused long enough to see him stumble and pick up the envelope.
“Genevieve!” Rose yelled. “Blimey, I’m so sorry. I don’t know what just happened. Are you okay?”
The postman nodded. “At least she wasn’t an angry dog,” he chuckled. “Suppose this is yours.” He handed her the large envelope and walked away.
“Thank you!” Rose called. Noting the return address was Jeannine Brewer’s, she realized the envelope Moira had hoped would solve her mystery had finally arrived in Broadchurch.
She wrestled her phone out of her pocket as she walked back inside. Placing the envelope on the desk, she dialled Hardy. She knew chances were nonexistent that she’d actually get to talk to him, but she was still disappointed when his voicemail immediately picked up. Groaning, Rose listened to his outgoing message, then she spoke. “Hi, Rose here. I know you’ve had quite an afternoon. So have I. Please call back when you can. The envelope Moira attempted to mail arrived, and Genevieve Burton came over, dumped a major revelation on me, and then left. I’m calling Ellie, too.”
****
In her office at the counseling center, Beth sat behind her desk, staring, pale and shocked, at Ellie.
“I….I don’t know what to think,” Beth Latimer muttered shakily to Ellie. “Paul would have a field day with me wishin’ Mark had just finished him off in Liverpool. We’re all gettin’ our heads on straight again and here bloody Joe Miller comes back like some evil out of a horror movie, and hurts another child. And you tell me he might be involved in that poor woman’s murder, too? How fucking dare he.” Beth clenched her fists tightly, struggling not to raise her voice. “I sound so selfish, but dammit, we were gettin’ on with our lives!”
“I know, and I’m so sorry. I wanted you to know before the news got wind of it. Just hope, that maybe this time, Joe will get what he deserves.” Ellie didn’t quite believe her own words, but she hoped her friend would find some solace in them.
Beth laughed bitterly. “I’ll believe it when I see it. Have you talked to Mark yet? He’s in Chiswick now. Got a job there with a plumbing company. He’s doin’ better. Or was, anyways.”
“I haven’t called him yet. I wanted to talk to you.”
“I’ll do it. You’ve got enough going on. I’ll call Chloe first, though, before Twitter gets ahold of this. I appreciate you telling me before social media blares it everywhere.” Beth stared at her phone, and Ellie could practically feel her dread.
Before Ellie could speak again, her phone began to ring. She saw Rose Tyler’s name on the screen. She declined the call, wanting to focus her attention on Beth.
“You take that call. Maybe it’ll be some news that gets this nightmare over quicker,” Beth said.
Ellie’s phone dinged, and she glanced at the screen. Ellie, call me back ASAP. Major development. Hardy’s not available.
“Go on. And if you see Joe….If you talk to him, tell him I hope he rots in prison.”
Ellie nodded in agreement.
****
After four hours spent in Liverpool, Hardy had to concede it was time to go back to Broadchurch. Joe had actually spoken the truth about Mike’s lack of presence in his flat. A preliminary search had yielded no more information about Miller’s lodger.
Joe was held on charges of inappropriate contact with a minor. “He still won’t leave any time soon. He’s also officially under suspicion for the Burton girl’s murder. Even if he didn’t do it, he’s got some sort of connection,” Gilland reminded Hardy at the train station.
“He was already tried and acquitted for Danny Latimer, but maybe he’ll be convicted and sent away for this new charge. Whatever happens, I won’t be rid of him for a very long time, I reckon,” Hardy sighed. He said his goodbyes to Gilland, who promised to keep him up to date on everything, and then he settled in for another long ride home.
His phone had been buzzing constantly since he left Joe’s flat in the hands of the local crime scene investigators. He’d had no time to check it, so when he settled into his train seat he discovered numerous calls and texts from both Ellie and Rose. It seemed as though Broadchurch had been a bit chaotic while he was confronting Joe.
He called Ellie first, and she filled him in on what Rose had told her. “Corporate spies? Seriously? That sounds like a really horseshit story. We’ll have to bring the Burtons back in, I reckon. Ugh.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “This case is like tryin’ to hold corks under water. You think you have them all submerged and another one pops up.”
“Like corks, huh? That’s eloquent. What did Joe have to say?”
“He puts the blame squarely on Mike Lawry. Says Lawry was his lodger, and stole his phone. Not only that- he claims Mike used his email to threaten Moira.”
“Nothin’s ever his fault, m’not surprised. Is he still in the nick?”
“He is,” Hardy conformed. Ellie brought him up to date on her meeting with Beth. He listened, wincing at Ellie’s description of her friend’s reaction to the bad news.
“Coulda been worse, I suppose. But if the news gets out, at least they’ll know beforehand,” Ellie sighed.
“You did the best you could do,” Hardy reassured her. “Okay. Jonas stays on Lily Sommers, but now he gets in touch with…what was it?”
“Cybus,” she reminded him.
“Did you track down Kevin?”
“We’re workin’ on it.”
Hardy frowned. “Well, you gotta work harder.”
“What happened to you did the best you could do?” Ellie snarked.
“You did your best on that particular thing, and now we have to do more. I’ll be back around nine.”
“You’ll be in the office, then?” Ellie asked. He could hear the resignation in her voice.
“Where else would I be?” After saying his goodbyes to Ellie, he dialed Rose. “It’s Hardy. What’s going on with Genevieve Burton?”
“Have you talked to Ellie already? I don’t want to waste time going over the same territory,” Rose answered. He heard the exhaustion in her voice. At the same time, he appreciated her no-nonsense attitude.
“I talked to her. So, do you believe her? Ellie told me what she said, but you saw how she acted.”
There was a pause. He imagined Rose considering the possibilities. “She was all over the place. I guess that’s the best way to put it. When she came to me she seemed upset. Makes sense, she’s in mourning. Then it was like…she was guilting me into helping her out.”
“Guilting you?”
“Maybe flattering me into working for her would be a better way of putting it. She even offered to pay me more. I think she made it pretty clear she was paying for my silence as well as my detective services. She didn’t want me to talk to you or her parents, right away at least.”
“What did you agree to do, then?” Hardy asked.
“I’ve texted you at least five times since I talked to her, so I think you know I planned to contact you no matter what she demanded. Especially when she hit me with the corporate spy revelation.”
“What do you think about that?”
He heard Rose take a deep breath. “I know it happens. I don’t know if my dad does it, or if he’d even tell me if he did. Marshall seems the type to do it, but it doesn’t quite fit with what we know from what Moira told Jeannine. She made it seem as though she met Lily in rehab. I think, from what Genevieve told me, they had to have known each other before that. I don’t know. It just feels weird. I walked her to my house and the whole time she was chattering away about Moira demanding all the attention as children, and then asked me questions about what it’s like to be a detective. And when she thought I didn’t believe her, she got really angry with me and left.”
Hardy took off his glasses, staring out at the scenery moving past, thinking of what Rose had revealed.
“You still there, Hardy?”
“Yeah. Has Genevieve always been unpredictable? When we interviewed her, she told us that she fought with Moira and basically dared her to investigate Lily’s death. ”
“Really? She didn’t mention that to me at all. I barely know her. At first, I chalked it up to her grieving Moira. I’ve been there and I still have my moments when I’m a mess. The longer she talked, the more uneasy I got. She basically accused her dad of putting a hit out on Lily Sommers. That is not the Marshall Burton my parents and I know.”
“Yeah, but how well do you really know the family?”
“I think, well enough to doubt that Marshall wouldn’t want his daughter’s friend dead!” He could hear the frustration in her voice.
Hardy sighed, remembering a similar conversation with Miller a few years prior. He found himself giving her the same advice. “People are unknowable. Remember, Miller had no idea of what Joe was up to with Danny, and she lived with him. You barely know the Burtons. We can’t discount the idea until we prove it isn’t true.”
“Then why would Marshall hire me to find Moira? That’s a big risk for him, if I happened to find out he was involved in his daughter’s death,” Rose argued.
“Remember, when he hired you, he thought you were bringing her home safe. Maybe Moira was never meant to die. Maybe the whole scenario in the hut was meant to scare her off of her own investigation and it went horribly wrong.” There was a silence as both Hardy and Rose let that thought sink in. Finally he spoke again. “I’ve got one of my detectives looking into it, at any rate. And Ellie will be bringing in the Burtons for another chat. Have you turned that envelope over to the station yet?”
Rose expelled a huffy breath. “I’m taking it over soon.”
“Gone through it a few times, have you?”
“Three or four. What if Moira hid some clue in it that we haven’t found yet? You’ll get it later today.”
Hardy found himself smirking at her. “After you’re done with it, then?”
He heard Rose’s chuckle. “Exactly. I like how we’re not even pretending that I’m not snooping around now.”
“We might not be pretending anymore…but I’m still not thrilled. Be careful.”
“I am being careful,” she protested. “Did Joe tell you anything of value?”
“He blamed it all on Mike Lawry. We’re trying to locate his brother to find him. Kevin’s not at his flat and he didn’t show up for work.”
“Did you ever check out the address Moira left behind? 1103 Bay Close? That was Mike and Kevin’s childhood home. Maybe Kevin’s lurking about around there. He was fond of the neighbor lady, Rita Holland. She’s in the house to the left, as you’re lookin’ at the Lawry house. Also, his mum is in a care home in Sheffield, but she didn’t specify which one.”
Hardy raised his eyebrow. “No, I hadn’t heard that.” He shifted in his seat, frowning. Here he was, stuck on a train, and the case was escalating exponentially. Mentally urging the train to move faster, he muttered, “Fuck.”
“Pardon?” He could hear a slight tone of amusement in Rose’s voice.
“Frustrated,” he growled. “I won’t be back until around nine, and then I’ll be goin’ straight to the office. I’ll have to let you go and contact Ellie again. Such a joy, runnin’ an investigation from the slowest movin’ train in bloody England.” He paused his rant long enough to add, “Thanks for all the information, by the way. It’s appreciated.” He winced at his awkwardness.
Rose chuckled. “You appreciate me stirrin’ the pot?”
“Suppose someone has to,” Hardy allowed. They said their goodbyes and rang off then. He checked his phone battery, mumbling, “Runnin’ an investigation on forty-nine percent.”
****
The sacrifice of Hardy’s mobile battery power was worth it. A call to Ellie resulted in a check of 1103 Bay Close, and the discovery that someone had indeed been staying there, having gained entry through a back window. Ellie spoke to Rita Holland, who was very confused about why the police would want to talk to Kevin, who was always so sweet to her. Ellie was able to convince her it was to Kevin’s benefit that they find him and discover who was staying in the empty house. Hoping what she had told the kind lady was the truth, Ellie and Harford picked Kevin up at his favorite pub on the outskirts of Weymouth.
*****
Ellie had barely uttered Mike’s name when his brother interrupted her question.
“I don’t know where he is,” Kevin declared, as he sat nervously in the interview room. “I haven’t seen him in months. We don’t get along.”
Ellie raised her eyebrow. “But you’ve heard from him, right? We’ve been told that Mike was the one who texted you about the hammer.”
“I told you already. I don’t know who did that. It was an unfamiliar number.”
Ellie crossed her arms, glaring at the young man sitting across from her. Barely resisting the urge to bark “horseshit” as Hardy would have, she bit out, “Well, apparently the phone belonged to Joe Miller.”
“I ain’t seen him in years. If it was from his phone I wouldn’t have recognized the number.”
“But you’d leave a hammer in a remote location because a text from an unfamiliar number told you to. Kevin, just cut to the chase. You know where your brother is. We need to ask him some questions. Is he hiding out in your old house?”
Kevin looked away. He chewed at his thumbnail, and his fringe was damp with sweat. A poker face, he does not have, Ellie thought. The man’s breath hitched.
“I broke in.”
Harford leaned toward him. “What?”
“Why the hell would you do that?” Ellie blurted. “Don’t even tell me you were nostalgic for the old homeplace.” Kevin shrugged. “Stop lying.”
“M’not lyin’. I took the screen off the window and opened it. That’s how I got in.”
“It’s how somebody got in. I doubt that it was you,” Harford countered.
“Where’s Mike?” Ellie demanded.
Kevin ran his hand through his hair nervously, making him look even more frazzled and unkempt. “I don’t know. Okay….I lied about opening up the house. Mike did that.”
Ellie asked, “Why would he need to break into that house, Kevin? He could stay with you at your flat.”
“I told him he wasn’t welcome at my place.” Kevin answered.
Ellie rolled her eyes. “But you would leave the hammer for him on Briar Cliff,” Ellie reminded him.
“I did what he asked because I don’t want to deal with him. If I do what he wants then he leaves me alone,” Kevin murmured shakily. Tears filled his eyes.
In that moment, Ellie’s heart went out to him. He really wasn’t much older than Tom. When she spoke again, her voice was gentle. “Is Mike threatening you? You look terrified.”
Kevin shook his head. “He’s not threatening me.”
Ellie glanced at Katie, and she was fairly sure both of them were thinking the same thing. “Who is he threatening, then?” Ellie murmured. “We can protect you, and whoever else needs it.”
Kevin sat, stony faced.
Katie asked, “Where is Mike, Kevin? Is he in Broadchurch?”
“I don’t think he is in town anymore. Can I go? I honestly don’t know where he is.”
The interview went downhill from there. Kevin refused to answer any further questions. After a while, he was released with a warning to stay in Broadchurch, and a plea to come to them if he saw Mike.
****
Rose looked over the envelope another time before giving up and walking it to the police department. It was a warm, pleasant day with a cooling breeze blowing in off the water, so Rose took a route that passed by Bay Close. The SOCO officers were still swarming the place. She scanned the yard, looking to see if Ellie was there. A small crowd of onlookers were milling about, speculating on the reason for the visit. “Wonder if it’s about the robberies,” she overheard a person ask her friend.
“Are you kiddin’? The police are useless ‘round here. They probably don’t care that the businesses are bein’ robbed left and right…”
Rose bristled at that, not wanting Hardy and Miller’s work to be dismissed so rudely.. “Reckon they’re doin’ the best they can with all that’s on their plates,” she murmured audibly enough for the commenter to turn around and glare at her. She ignored them, looking past the crowd to see a young man lurking by some shrubbery in Rita Holland’s yard. She pushed by the rude onlookers and made her way through the crowd to Kevin Lawry. He looked as though he wanted to disappear. “Hi,” Rose smiled. Maybe I can stir the pot a bit more, she thought. Kevin turned and walked away. “Kevin! Hey! Just wanted to talk for a second….”
Kevin whirled around, his eyes blazing. “M’not talkin’ to the police. I’m done.”
“I’m not the police. I’m Rose Tyler, by the way,” she told him, as she jogged towards him. She caught up to him by Mrs. Holland’s front walk.
His eyes narrowed. “You were here before, talkin’ to Mrs. Holland. I saw you.”
Rose’s heart gave a little lurch with the revelation that he’d seen her. “Oh, really? Nice lady, that Mrs. Holland. She likes you. Not so much your brother, though.”
“Why were you talkin’ to her? If you’re not the police, why are you nosin’ into my business?”
“I’m helping out a friend. He’s looking for Mike.”
Kevin laughed bitterly. “Yeah, well, he might not want to do that.”
“Why not? He just has a couple of things he needs to ask him. If you know where Mike is, you could really help him out,” Rose told him.
“No, don’t think I will,” Kevin countered, shaking his head. “You want to stay away. It’s better if you do.” He turned his back to her, climbing the two steps to Mrs. Holland’s door.
“Are you warnin’ me?”
He shrugged.
“Maybe someone should’ve warned Moira, yeah?”
Kevin looked back at Rose. “Maybe,” he agreed.
Rose walked a couple of steps towards him. She was wary, but not frightened. She’d spent her teenage years on the estate, and had been threatened by tougher people. “If you know something about what happened to Moira, you have a responsibility to tell the police. Moira’s family is in misery.”
“I can’t fix that,” Kevin scoffed.
“No, but you could make sure the person who killed Moira is off the streets, and that no one else has to go through what her parents are going through.”
Kevin came down the steps, close enough to her to make her back up. “It’s not that easy. You don’t know.”
“I didn’t say it would be easy. But it’s the right thing to do.”
Kevin pressed his lips together. His hands were shaking. “You don’t get it. I want it all to be over. Just leave him alone, and it’ll all be over.”
Rose’s eyes widened as a piece of the puzzle fell into place. “You tell yourself that a lot, don’t you. Just leave him alone, just do what he says…and it’ll all be over. Is he trying to control you? You could make it all end, I’ll bet. Just talk to the police….or talk to me. I’ll help you. Please consider it.”
“You don’t understand,” Kevin whispered. The front door opened suddenly, surprising them both.
Rita called out, “Oh, Kevin! Your friend Rose caught up with you, I see. Come on in and I’ll put the kettle on for all of us.”
“Rose is leaving,” Kevin stated flatly. He went back up the steps and into the house, nearly bowling over Mrs. Holland. The door closed firmly, leaving Rose alone in the yard.
Rose had the door open before Hardy could knock. “What’ve you got for me?” Hardy demanded, skipping the pleasantries, and the lecture he wanted to give them both for doing an unauthorized investigation.
“Here you go,” Rose said, presenting him with a print copy of the emails she’d received from Jack. “He was in Liverpool the whole time, according to the calls between his phone and Tom’s. So, that rules him out for the murder, but…..” She pointed to several lines she had highlighted. “These texts also came from Joe’s phone. So he was involved somehow.”
“So apparently he texted Kevin to leave the hammer, but for whom?” Ellie asked.
“You said Joe knew his brother. What do we know about him?” Rose spoke up
“Mike’s been out of town for years. I think he left the EMT squad not long after Joe did.”
“Who knows what he’s been up to since then?” Rose interjected, pacing back and forth as she warmed to her theory.
“Am I really needed at all? You two seem to have this well in hand,” Hardy groused. Rose stopped pacing and rolled her eyes.
“Don’t even act like you’re not glad I had Jack check this out,” she accused him.
“Her super spy friend found it out faster than we could’ve,” Ellie chimed in. “I don’t want to know how he did it, I’m just glad that he did.”
Hardy took a deep breath and said, “Okay. Then we need to check into the brother, for sure. Is there a connection between him and Lily Sommers? We’re assuming the murderer killed Moira over something she discovered about him and Lily.” He rubbed his eyes, exhausted.
Ellie added, “I feel like we’re goin’ off in so many different directions on this. All we know for sure is that sometime before Moira was killed, Kevin left the hammer on the ledge for someone to find, presumably the murderer. He was directed to do it by Joe or someone using Joe’s phone. The murderer took the boards off the window, lured Moira there, and attacked her. Or so we think.”
“Why would Joe even be involved, other than being friends with Lawry? Were they that friendly?” Rose asked.
“You mean, were they friendly enough for Joe to help out with a murder? Who knows who Joe is anymore,” Ellie snorted as she knelt down in front of a bookcase. She shifted some photo albums around. “I got rid of a lot of pictures after Joe left, but these were in one of those damned adhesive photo albums and I couldn’t get the pictures out without tearing it up….” She struggled a bit longer then produced a photo album. Sitting cross legged on the floor, she began to flip through the pages, a look of mild disgust on her face. “I hate having anything to do with him in the house….” she muttered. “Here, found it.”
She stood up, offering Rose the photo album. Rose took it, and Hardy looked over her shoulder. They gazed at a picture of several adults at a picnic table. Front and center were a younger Joe, with thinning hair, and a very pregnant Ellie. “Fred’s the bun in the oven in that picture, so it was taken right before Mike quit the EMT squad. See, he’s there,” Ellie explained. She pointed to a young man in a denim jacket and corduroys. Mike Lawry had curly hair, and a knowing smirk. His arms were crossed, and he looked as though he was in charge.
“Similar in looks to Kevin, but Kevin looks like he’d fall apart if you’d say boo to him,” Hardy observed.
“I think Kevin’s always been kinda timid. I don’t remember much about him, other than that he was quiet. Mike wasn’t. He and Joe used to debate politics when he’d come over for Sunday roasts.”
“So they must’ve been good friends,” Rose said.
“Maybe they were at one time. But they grew apart. Mike was single at the time and Joe was hanging out more with Mark and other dads by the time Mike left.”
Rose wandered away, beginning to pace again. She began to fire off questions, becoming more animated with each one.. “So they reconnected in Liverpool after he had some sort of encounter with Lily? That’s when she ended up dead and Moira came looking for him? Why did Mike leave Broadchurch, anyway?”
Hardy stood, rooted to the spot, watching Rose with a half smile on his face. Ellie caught his expression and thought, Oh. He is a goner. She smirked at him and answered Rose’s question. “I don’t know why he left Joe just came home one day, and said Mike was quitting and leaving town. I remember asking him if he wanted to have Mike over for tea before he left and Joe said he was already gone. Wasn’t long after that I was havin’ Fred, so I have no idea what happened afterwards.”
Rose seemed to not have noticed what was going on- she was deeply involved in her theory. “What if he left because he was havin’ his own drug issues? Look at ‘im, wearin’ long’ sleeves on what looks like a hot day.”
“It was,” Ellie confirmed. “I was roughly elephant sized at the time, and the weather was just intolerable.”
“So, you’re sayin’ he was hidin’ a drug problem with long sleeves on a hot day?” Hardy asked.
Rose’s eyes narrowed. “Yeah, I think I am,” she confirmed. Her hands on her hips communicated her opinion on the idea, as if she expected to be mocked by the more experienced detective.
Then Hardy shrugged. “Could be. We’ll keep it in mind. Good idea, that.”
Rose’s eyes widened in surprise. “I knew someone on the estates when I was growin’ up. He used to hide the marks on his arm that way. But we always knew. We don’t wanna get too far ahead of ourselves, though. Still have to find Joe, after all….”
Her reminder seemed to be what he needed to focus himself. “I also know someone who can help, believe it or not. He might not be a magical super spy, but he is a detective in Liverpool. He might be able to track Joe down. And then there’s my other thought.” He glanced at Ellie as he trailed off.
“What?” she asked, looking as though she dreaded the answer.
“Mark saw him not too long ago, right? Maybe he could tell us something. I don’t want to bring him in on this, but if he can tell us something…”
Ellie interjected, “No, I don’t want to involve Beth and Mark if we can help it. If Joe is a part of this clusterfuck, it’ll devastate them.”
“It’s gonna devastate them once it all hits the news, Miller.”
Ellie flopped onto her sofa, rubbing her eyes exhaustedly. “I know that, Hardy, but if we can, I wanna keep them out of it as long as possible. I’m gonna talk to Beth once we know what’s goin’ on.”
Hardy returned, “I get that you wanna protect them, Miller. I do. But if Mark can tell me what I need to know, then I’m gonna have to call him.” Before Ellie could argue back, his phone buzzed. He looked at the screen. “Well…maybe we’ll have an answer before too long. Gotta take this….” He put the phone to his ear with a curt “Hardy here,” and walked into the foyer.
Ellie groaned, covering her eyes. “This whole fuckin’ nightmare never ends for any of us. God, I don’t wanna drag Beth into this. I’m not botherin’ her about it until tomorrow morning. Let her get a peaceful night’s sleep. Might be the last one for a while. God, it’s already half two.”
Rose sat down next to her. “Almost wish I hadn’t found this out,” she muttered.
“Bollocks. Better to find it out now than have this drag on forever. It just hurts to think that it’ll set Beth’s healing back. She’s come so far since Danny died. She’s workin’ as a grief counselor now and she’s ace.”
Rose murmured, “How’s your healing? You worry so much about everyone else.”
“Worryin’ about everybody else is what keeps me sane in all this. I was shredded when we found out Joe murdered Danny. Then I hung my hopes on the thought that surely he’d go to jail and we wouldn’t have to deal with him.” Ellie took a deep breath. “And then he didn’t but he left and I was hopin’ he’d disappear from our lives.”
“Maybe he’ll disappear after we get through this,” Rose murmured.
Ellie wiped away a tear. “Not gonna hope for it. Then I won’t be disappointed.”
Hardy burst back into the room. “My contact in Liverpool came through for me. We know where Joe is. When Moira died, he was definitely in Liverpool that night because he went to the Buoy and got into a pub brawl. He was arrested, then he was let go.”
“So we have an address for him?” Rose asked.
“Better than, actually. He’s back in the nick. He’s there right now, and he’s not goin’ anywhere. I’m makin’ plans to go to Liverpool.”
“That’ll be a five hour train trip,” Rose pointed out.
“Whatever it takes,” Hardy told her. Then he turned to Ellie. “Don’t even ask to go, Miller.”
Ellie crossed her arms, scowling. “Why’s he back in the nick, Hardy?”
Hardy’s eyes shifted to Rose, then back to Ellie. “Don’t worry about that. As long as he’s there…”
“Fine then, Hardy. Rose, we’re gonna check this out, too.”
Hardy sighed heavily. “He’s…gotten into some shit.”
Ellie laughed bitterly. “Same kind of shit as before, yeah?”
He nodded. “The other pub brawler beat him up because he had been paying a bit too much attention to his teenager at a football practice. Then the boy’s mum pressed charges when she found out who he was. They booked him, then my contact let them know about our suspicions here. I’m gonna question him about the calls and emails.”
“Fuck,” Ellie swore. “He better not step foot out of that jail before you get there.”
“The detective in Liverpool will make sure he doesn’t. I’m leavin’ in the mornin’.”
“We are not bringing the Latimers into this at all, you understand, Hardy? I’ll abide by your orders to stay here, because I’ll kill him if I’m in the same room with him. But I will not bring them into this until we absolutely have to,” Ellie growled vehemently.
“We won’t. Now… I suggest we all get some sleep….” Ellie interrupted with a bitter laugh. “Or at least try to. When you go in tomorrow, you’re to get with Harford and see what she’s found out about Lily. You’re takin’ over that part of the investigation. She’s back on the robberies.”
“As of now, I assume?” Ellie interjected.
Hardy nodded. “And I’ll see you home after all,” he told Rose. “Unless you’re stayin’.”
“It’s okay, Rose. Go on home and get some sleep if you can. I won’t, but there’s no point in keepin’ you up,” Ellie said.
With their goodbyes said, Hardy and Rose left Ellie alone with her thoughts.
“I can’t imagine what she’s dealin’ with right now,” Rose murmured.
“I can. It never seems to end for Miller or Tom,” Hardy sighed. “Joe made one horrific choice and it’s resulted in consequences we could never have dreamed of.” They walked the short distance to his car in silence. He stepped ahead of her to open the door. She smiled up him.
Before she could censor herself she asked, “Do you open the car door for Ellie?” She was grateful for the darkness covering her blush.
He chuckled, surprised at her question. “No….Miller usually drives.”
“Don’t know why I even asked that. Barmy question. Thank you, by the way. For openin’ the door and seeing me back home.”
He walked around the car and smiled at her, “You’re welcome.”
They drove on in silence for a bit, then Rose asked him, “Do you ever call each other by your first names?”
“You’re full of questions,” Hardy commented.
“Just tryin’ to lighten the mood, I suppose. Sorry. Another dumb question. The exhaustion is makin’ me daft.”
“I don’t mind. No, we don’t. The one time I called her Ellie, I was breakin’ the news about Joe.”
Remembering how Ellie had reacted to Hardy revealing the news about Joe earlier, Rose nodded. “Ah. I get it.”
“As for me….I just don’ like my first name. Jus’ always preferred not to use it.”
Rose grinned, picturing a five year old running around nursery school, being called Hardy by his teachers. “Always?”
He smirked. “More or less. Never liked how it sounded comin’ from my dad or my ex-wife.”
“Oh, sorry again,” she said quietly. “So much for lightenin’ the mood.” They stared out at the dark streets of Broadchurch passing by.
Hardy took a deep breath, then asked, “So…how does the health drink heiress become a private detective?”
Rose glanced at him. He didn’t seem to be making fun of her, but she still asked, “Do you really wanna know?”
“I do,” he said sincerely. “Actually, how do you go from a council estate to heiress to private detective? Sounds like there’s an interestin’ story in there somewhere.”
Rose shrugged. “I’ll give you the quick version. My dad was always tryin’ out one scheme or another, and nothin’ was working out. My mum ended up divorcing him after he missed a job interview to pursue some daft idea. For a long time, it was just me and mum, on the estates. Oh, did I hate him. I didn’t see him at all for a couple of years, until we made peace with each other when I turned 16. I guess I forgot why I was mad at him. By then, he’d gotten some takers on Vitex and he started comin’ around more. Mum and Dad ended up remarrying when I was nineteen, believe it or not. Vitex took off and we got off the estates. They had a surprise baby, my little brother Tony.”
Hardy turned onto Rose’s road. “Still didn’t tell me how you ended up a detective.”
“I had a rough patch….erm…ran off with a bad news guy, came home, tried to finish school…failed maths…fell in love with my tutor.”
Hardy’s eyebrow raised in surprise. “Oh. Okay.”
“He and I loved to travel, and…it was two years ago that we were in Croatia. A car hit him. He saved my life but lost his.”
Hardy parked in front of Rose’s chalet. He turned to her. She was staring out of the passenger window. “M’sorry.”
“Anyways…I was drifting. My dad decided to buy Torchwood Investigations from an old school friend, Yvonne Hartman, and he told me there might be room for me there if I wanted. I took him up on it, and I did pretty well at first, believe it or not.”
Hardy smiled. “I believe it. Never said you were bad at it, I just think you’re an amateur.”
Rose rolled her eyes. “I believe that’s what they call ‘damning with faint praise.’”
“Blimey, I wasn’t insultin’ you!” Hardy interjected, his voice rising an octave in the process. “An amateur has room for growin’ and gettin’ better at what they’re doin’. You’re brilliant, even if you are in over your head.”
Rose raised an eyebrow, smirking slightly. “Still not bolsterin’ my confidence.”
“If you’re lookin’ for a cheerleader, don’t ask me to do it. Miller’d tell you that.”
“Well, you tried,” she said, patting his arm.
“The story of my life, I reckon,” he muttered, chuckling.
There was a pause, as they sat awkwardly inside the dark car. Finally, both of them said at the same time, “Well, goodnight,” then Rose burst out laughing. Hardy, who rarely burst out laughing at anything, grinned.
She opened the car door and looked back at him “Thanks for the ride, Alec Hardy. I like your name, by the way.” She quickly stepped out of the car then, and with a small wave, she hurried to the front door. He watched her unlock the door and enter the house. Once the lamp by the window flickered on, Hardy drove away.
****
Inside the chalet, Rose peeked out of the window to see Hardy’s tail lights fade into the distance. He had waited to make sure she’d gotten in safely. Shouldn’t be surprised. He’s a gentleman, like John was.
She sighed, exhausted. The duvet was still draped over her sofa, and it still seemed like the best option, albeit a bit too lumpy. Her mind was whirring with the case, and the thought of John and Hardy. It became too much to think about, and the duvet looked too cozy. She hurried to the loo to get ready for for the night, then she turned out the light and collapsed onto the sofa, burrowing under the duvet. She dozed off quickly but her sleep was unsettled.
****
It was much too late to call the solicitor again, so Ellie trudged upstairs to where her family slept. Fred was curled up under his favorite blanket, a well worn Tigger tucked under his arm. Nothing seemed to be troubling him. She could hear her dad’s snores through his bedroom door and wondered what he’d think of Joe now. A mean part of her couldn’t wait to fill him in, to prove that she was right to keep the boys away from Joe.
She peeked into Tom’s room. He was asleep on the bed with his table lamp on, his earbuds in. She left the light on for him, knowing that when he woke up in the night he often turned it on for security. Looking out the window, she could see the dark Latimer house across the way. She hoped that Beth, Chloe and Lizzie slept soundly tonight.
****
Hardy got ready for bed, set his alarm to wake him in just four hours’ time, and lay down, hoping that sleep would come. However, his hopes were in vain. Too keyed up to relax, his mind filed through the case, trying to put the case in some sort of order. His tired brain finally gave in after a while and he dozed off. Even then, there was no real rest as his dreams took him back to Sandbrook.
He walked along the banks of the rain swollen river as the skies opened up. Across the way was a little hut, much like the one on Briar Cliff, that hadn’t existed back then. Pippa and Lisa were standing too close to the river’s edge. They weren’t alone of course, because his brain was a traitor in his sleep. Rose, Daisy, and Ellie were there as well. He screamed until his voice was hoarse as the women were swept away by the water.
He jolted awake, his heart pounding as he tried to catch his breath. He held still, wondering if the machines that kept his heart beating steady would need to calm his racing pulse but after a few deep breaths, he felt calmer, his heartbeat steady. Looking at the clock, he saw that he’d only been asleep an hour. He rolled over onto his side, trying to settle in, but the image of the women stayed in his mind. It was quite a while before he dozed off again, only to be awakened by his alarm.
****
After a early morning briefing with the detectives, in which Jonas and Harford took over the robbery investigation and Ellie was instructed to lead a few detectives in the search for details on Lily Sommers, Hardy purchased a ticket and boarded the train to Liverpool. He cleared the trip with Evans only after he’d left Broadchurch.
Five hours was a long time for anyone to travel, but for Hardy it seemed interminable. He managed to sit for a good five minutes watching the scenery before he pulled out his phone and began to text Daisy.
Hi, Darlin. Just wanted to let you know that I had to go out of town on a business trip. I’ll be gone all day, and I might end up staying the night. I don’t know yet.
There was a pause, and just as he was wondering if his daughter had seen the text, she replied, Where 2?
Fighting the fatherly urge to admonish her to use actual words and sentences in her text, he answered, Liverpool.
Gonna go see the Beatles or whatever?
He chuckled. It had become a running joke of Daisy’s that Hardy had no awareness of any music that wasn’t the Beatles or the Proclaimers. Afraid I won’t have time for any magical mystery tours. Although, he did wonder if Jeannine would be at the Cavern long enough for him to talk to her some more about the case. How are you?
I’m okay. Mum is right pissed at you. She told Dave he had to stay away because you said he had to.
“Of course she did,” Hardy growled at his phone screen. Is he staying away?
Yeah.
Then it’s worth it. And I did tell her I wanted him to stay away.
Is your case almost over?
No.
Daisy responded, Stupid question. How would you know if it’s over or not?
Hardy winced and quickly typed, No, not a stupid question. But I can’t answer for sure. The case is why I’m going to Liverpool. Hopefully I can get some answers there.
Then I want to come on home.
Because he was tired of arguing the point, and also because he missed her terribly, he answered, That’s okay. Just give me time to get this figured out.
There was another pause, then she texted, OK. Two simple letters that gave no indication of her mood, or of what was going on where she was. His mother would have probably called him out for praying only when he needed something, but he sent up a prayer anyway. Help me get through this soon. And keep an eye on Daisy. Please.
He typed, See you soon, Darlin. She did not respond.
****
After two hours of traveling Hardy’s phone rang with a call from Ellie. “So far all I’ve been able to find out about Lily Sommers is that she was there in rehab at the same time as Moira. We already knew that. And there’s no evidence that Mike Lawry ever was there. We know Joe wasn’t there. I don’t know if there’s any connection. I feel like we’re throwin’ darts and missin’ the dartboard.”
Hardy heard the strain and frustration in her voice, and found himself in the awkward position of reassuring her. He was rubbish at it, in his own opinion. “I feel like there’s a link, but we’re just not seein’ it yet. Maybe it’ll be clearer once I talk to Joe.”
“It was worse being blindsided by him killin’ Danny but knowin’ he’s involved somehow with Moira’s murder is a close second.”
He wasn’t sure what to say to that, so he attempted to refocus the conversation. “What have you found out about how Lily died?”
“She overdosed in her newly rented flat. There’s not even evidence to suggest that anyone was with her. I don’t know how Moira ever got the idea that Lily was killed by someone else. But obviously she was onto something. So, here I go, pickin’ up another dart and hopin’ for a bullseye. I’ll be in touch if anything else comes up. And Hardy?”
“Yeah?”
“Give the bastard hell for me.”
The call disconnected. Hardy sighed, thinking how I wish I could. Still might, after all.
****
Hardy arrived at the police station for the area around the docks at lunchtime, but he had no time to eat. Theo Gilland was waiting for him. “Hardy,” he greeted, extending his hand. Theo was a good ten years older than Hardy, but gave off the impression of someone much younger, despite the difficulty of his job.
“Didn’t expect you to be here,” Hardy commented as he followed Gilland to the front desk.
“Wanted to make sure you got what you needed. He’s in no danger of getting out on bail, though.”
Hardy nodded. Disgusted to even speak it, he spat, “So. He’s gone and tried it again, eh? Another kid. The new Danny.”
“The father of the boy he took a shine to found out what was going on and who he really was and decided to beat the crap out of him at the Buoy a few nights ago. Then the parents pressed charges against him for the inappropriate contact with their son. That was last night.”
Hardy told him, “The murder in Broadchurch happened while he was getting his arse kicked, so he has an alibi for that. But we think he knows who did it.”
Gilland said grimly, “He knows you’re coming. I think he’s hoping you’ll want to cut a deal. Reduced charges for this, in exchange for information about your murder case. His most recent defender quit, by the way. Didn’t want to deal with the baggage, I guess. He just finished conferrin’ with the new one.”
Hardy pressed his lips together in a tight line, furious. He bit out, “No deal’.”
“Figured as much. Ready to get this over with?”
“Too right I am,” Hardy growled.
****
The object of Hardy’s fury sat nervously at a wooden table in the interview room. A PC stood in there with him. Theo Gilland stayed in the room as well. Joe was reminded of his rights, and the questioning began.
“Joe,” he said in greeting, grimly. It was distasteful for him to use the man’s surname, since it was so tied to Ellie’s identity in his mind. “We need to talk about a few things.”
Joe stared at him, his left eye swollen. The fight he’d been in the night Moira died had left him bruised and battered. There was a long pause as Joe glared at him.
“Mr. Miller would like to fully cooperate with all your questions,” the public defender informed them.
“Gonna get this straight, right now. There’ll be no deal in regards to the shit you’ve managed to step in here in Liverpool. No trading for information,” Hardy stated flatly.
“Understood,” the solicitor said, looking at Joe with thinly disguised disgust.
Hardy wasted no time. “There is evidence that your phone was used to text a man named Kevin Lawry. The text instructed him to leave a hammer near the crime scene, so that the boards could be removed from the windows,” Hardy said flatly.
“I don’t know anything about that,” Joe shot back. He wrung his hands nervously. “My phone went missing.
I had it out at the Buoy and someone took it.”
Hardy took a deep breath, pushing his fringe back. “What about the records that show that you made phone calls to Tom after the text was sent? That’s when Tom started to get nervous, by the way. He said you scared him.”
Joe sat, silent. His hands began to shake.
“I take it you recovered your phone, then,” Hardy prompted.
“It went missing for a while. An hour. Maybe I lost it. It wasn’t stolen. Just lost.”
Hardy crossed his arms, staring Joe down. “Really, Joe. You’re smarter than that. You really think I believe your horseshit story for a second? Did you text Kevin Lawry to leave a hammer? Answer the bloody question.”
Joe turned to the defender, who told him, “Think you probably should answer. You’ve got enough problems going on to lie about a text.”
“I thought you were defending me,” Joe growled.
“Really don’t have the patience for this. Did you text Kevin Lawry?”
Joe paused. “I didn’t. Michael, his brother…he was here with me. He stayed with me for a while. And…he took my phone. He texted his brother. He said he needed to take care of something. And that he forgot his phone.”
“Was it Moira Burton? Is that what he needed to take care of?” Hardy asked.
“It was something to do with her. I don’t know what.”
Hardy took a deep breath. “What about the emails sent from your account to Moira Burton? ScouserRed?”
Joe’s eyebrow raised. “I don’t know anything about that at all. Michael could’ve used my account, I suppose.” He shrugged, seeming genuinely surprised.
“Did he ever mention the name Lily Sommers to you? Or discussed Moira with you?” Hardy questioned.
Joe appeared agitated. “Not the first one. I’ve never heard that one before. He told me that Moira was a troublemaker, but never why. Look, he was just a lodger. We weren’t close anymore, and I don’t know what was going on in his life. He was with me at the Buoy the night my phone went missing, then he left town after that. Stiffed me on the rent, too. I’m not involved in whatever he was doing.”
Hardy wanted to comment that Joe was likely busy with his own situation, but he didn’t. “The hammer was used to take the boards off the Briar Cliff hut. Where Danny Latimer died, you know. Where Moira Burton also died. Now sit there and tell me again that you weren’t involved in whatever he was doing.”
“Remember what we discussed, Joe,” the defender spoke up.
“I didn’t have anything to do with that woman dyin’. I don’t care if I’m supposed to be cooperative so it looks better for me. Michael knew the details of Danny’s death from the news. He knew about Briar Cliff through that. Not from anything I told him. He’s tryin’ to frame me for this, isn’t he? He wants to blame me for it!”
“Then don’t let him get away with it, Joe. What aren’t you telling me?” Hardy demanded.
Joe paused, rubbing his uninjured eye. “I don’t know. He mentioned her. He introduced me to her, even. He thought she was a troublemaker. She seemed nice enough. She wanted me to invite her back to my place. I wasn’t interested.”
Hardy countered, “Why did you tell her your name was Michael Collins? You weren’t on the pull, so why lie about your name?”
“I didn’t lie. I’m considering changing my name. I need a new start.”
Hardy rolled his eyes. “Okay, then. Joe,” he said with a sardonic laugh. Joe glared at him. “We’ll need to search his flat, to see if Lawry left anything behind.”
“I can work out the details for that,” Theo spoke up.
“He didn’t leave anything behind! He was just a lodger! He took everything with him,” Joe protested. “Look. He had some sort of….dispute with Moira. When she left town, he followed her to Broadchurch. I don’t know if he wanted her dead. I don’t know why he’d want her dead. But he’s the one you wanna talk to. Not me. I might have told him about the hut being abandoned. But that’s all.”
Hardy stood up, and addressed Theo. “ I need to call my department in on this.” He stood and left the room, pulling out his phone. She answered immediately, and he imagined her sitting at her desk, watching her phone screen.
“Miller. Find Kevin Lawry and get him to tell you where his brother Michael is.”
“Joe implicated him, then?” Ellie asked.
“Yeah. Got a bit more work to do here….but Ellie, I want you in charge of interviewing Kevin. We need to question his brother and see if Joe is blowin’ smoke up our arses.”
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Fangirling over Everything 
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