Six months later... the b̵i̵t̵c̵h̵ beach again...

While the TV chirped in the background, keeping him company, Hector glanced around the apartment he'd called home for the past two years, he took everything in. The broken window still needed fixing, courtesy of his deputy Steve who'd found the need to throw a rock at it in order to 'Wake him up,' a midnight not too long ago. Grumpy Gavin had been causing a ruckus down near the bar and they'd called the police. But poor Steve was always too terrified to go at it alone with the old man.

He took in the ancient fridge and the ancient kitchen; at the cabinet whose door hung at an angle, one of its hinges long since missing. He took in the flat-screen TV, the only modern gadget, which sat on an old I-got-it-from-the-side-of-the-road cabinet. Steve had brought for him from who knows where.

He took in the small king-single bed that had seen better days, knowing he'd never sleep on it again. Thank God. Tonight, he would sleep on some random bed in a motel on his drive up to Grafton, where he'd chosen to be transferred, some eleven, twelve hours away. It wasn't exactly Sydney or even a big city, but it was a city, nonetheless; it was a move in the right direction at least, and miles away from her.

The entertainment news segment came on.

"... in a recent interview, the author of the phenomenally successful novel, A Death Like No Other, after a whirlwind case of landing on our screens as a missing person, Devi Dhungel, has revealed she is in fact back in the swing of things and working on her next story, after almost a decade of silence. Here's what she had to say when asked about the new story ..." The 9 AM reporter was replaced by a video of Devi's interview in question.

Hector busied himself with the rest of his packing, trying not to give Devi Dhungel another precious moment of his life. Not anymore.

"... all I can say is, it's set in a small country town, much like the one I was in a few months ago—albeit with my own flavours. While I was sequestered away in Mystery Cove, partly my fault, I found there is a certain charm about those small cosy settings. They have so much to offer in terms of characters who call it home ..." Devi smiled at the camera.

The reply elicited a chuckle from Hector, busy stuffing the last of his clothes in the large suitcase, atop his bed. She probably means Gavin...

"And you won't be disappearing again, soon?" the reporter jested.

"She's the queen of disappearing acts." He scoffed, without looking at the TV or her. "Ask me how I know ..." he said this, not because of the case, that's for sure.

"No. I'm not planning to disappear ever again," Devi replied.

Hector doubted it. "I can't believe you got away with it ... " he muttered, sat on the suitcase to zip it up, and regretted that he'd declined his mother's offer to lend him a bigger one.

On the nightstand sat his papers and his phone, which lit up with an incoming call, not that he noticed, too busy straining to get the damn thing closed.

Ever since the Devi debacle—which he still struggled not to think about—he'd resorted to putting his phone on silence. He didn't care to 'Give his side of the story,' to the reporters who called—how they got his private number was a mystery—though part of him knew who they could have gotten it from.

Forget about her. Forget about him too ...

He yanked at the zipper with all his might, only to have it come away in his hand, the suitcase no close to being closed. "Bloody hell!" Frustrated, he threw the broken zipper on the mattress. It bounced off the bed and landed on the floor with a clatter.

Behind him, the door flung open on its hinges and slammed against the wall with a bang. "Why're you not picking up your phone?" Steve's baritone voice pierced his ears.

Hector shook his head at the door, surprised it still seemed intact given the number of times Steve had kicked it open in the past two years. "Why would you call me from downstairs?"

"'Cause." Steve nudged his head and made a weird face, whispering, "The new boss is here."

Hector glanced at his wristwatch and swore internally. It was already past nine, and he was meant to be downstairs, handing over the station to the new appointment. "Shit. He's already here?"

Steve opened his mouth to speak but couldn't get a word in.

"Go. Keep him occupied ... Show him the station or something. I'll be down in a minute."

"Hector, it's not a h—" Steve tried again but again Hector ignored him, too busy eyeing his broken suitcase on the bed and thinking, Great, just fucking great! This is all I need right now ...

"I'll see you down there then. And by the way, check this out." Steve threw a rolled-up copy of the local newspaper on the mattress. "Your old girlfriend is so popular now, Brady says she's in talks of having her film shoot here, in Mystery Cove. Isn't that cool? We'll all be on TV."

"We won't all be on TV, and she wasn't my girlfriend." Hector picked up the copy of the Town Tattler, which he now read religiously not only to support the Moriarty family's efforts but also his friend, Brady, who until recently was calling Mystery Cove home, but no longer. He'd moved onto greener pastures too.

"Whatever you say, boss!" Steve turned to go. "You better hurry down. We don't wanna make a bad impression. Andy is fucking hot!"

Hector stared after Steve, confused—who for once wore his full uniform, hair slicked to one side, even enclosed shoes. Hot? Officer Andy Harper?

He shrugged—to each their own—shoved his phone in his pocket, gathered the paperwork for the handover from the nightstand and rushed downstairs.

"Sorry ... Constable Harper, I was just packing up ..." Hector stepped into what was once his station and stopped dead in his tracks. The new officer wasn't exactly what he'd expected these past few weeks. A female.

If his own miserable life and the impending move hadn't been distracted, he might have dug up a thing or two about the new constable taking over him.

"You're a—" He blinked, at Steve. "You didn't tell me our new officer is a—"

"Woman?" Officer Harper volunteered, not with snide but mirth. "I get that a lot."

"Sorry. I was just ... being a twat ..." Hector snapped out of his stupor and offered her his hand. "It's nice to meet you, Officer Harper, and welcome to Mystery Cove."

Meanwhile, down at the beach, another scene was unfolding. Another crowd gathered much the same as in the beginning.

"Hunter, be a doll and get Hector for us!" Old Mrs Waterford, the perpetually done-up and Lycra-clad woman, snatched the teen's arm as he ran past her on his daily one-kilometre run, courtesy of his drill sergeant father, the Postman.

"Again?" Hunter peered at the stranger standing next to the old lady. "And what do I say to him?"

"What did you say to him the last time?" the stranger asked.

"Just tell him there's someone on the beach again." Ms Vani pushed him toward the road, a wide grin on her face. "Run that way. I'm sure your dad won't mind, as long as you're running somewhere."

"You want me to lie to him?"

"It's not a lie." The stranger smiled. "We're all someone, aren't we?"

"Go. Go." Mrs Waterford added with a nudge. "Before your dad sees you and makes you run on the sand. Go, run on the asphalt. It's easier."

She wasn't wrong, and the teen wasn't exactly keen to run more on the sand, so he ran, towards the road, towards that itty-bitty police station that used to be Hector's home, but not anymore, not after today.

A few minutes later, the boy arrived at the station, breathless and banged on the door, startling the three officers huddled inside, staring at a new screen on a recently touched-up station. "There's a body ... there's a person on the beach again!"

Hector eyed the lanky teen dubiously and said to Officer Harper, "That's for you."

Hunter, doubled over, catching his breath. "No, Hector. It's for you. She's asking for you."

"Who?" Hector frowned, trying to decide if this was yet another Gavin ploy or real.

"I don't know. Never seen her before ..."

Hector exchanged a look with Steve before turning to Andy Harper again. "If you're okay, Steve can show you the rest ... I should go check this out."

On the walk down to the beach, Hector warned the kid, "If this is some kind of joke, Hunt, I swear, I'll take you all the way to Grafton with me and chuck you in my gaol there."

But as he arrived on that familiar beach, his heart beat faster. The sea was calmer today, the wind, chilly. He shivered a little, retrieving his neck a little into the collar of his coat like a turtle.

"See!" Hunter pointed as the woman came into view along with the beach. "I wasn't lying."

And there she was. Devi Dhungel. On the very beach where he'd first met her. Except this time, she wasn't broken.

She wore plain khaki trousers and a thick winter jacket. Her handbag sat by her foot, and her hands held something behind her back, something he couldn't see.

Around her, as customary in small country towns, the locals gathered to see the foreigner.

Devi smiled at him as he came near. "Hi."

"Hi." He nervously eyed the gathered crowd. "What are you doing here?"

"I ..." Devi swallowed, cheeks flushed pink. If Hector wasn't wrong, she looked nervous.

What for?

"I ..." She tried again.

"Devi." He shook his head as a gust of wind pushed her back and she nearly lost her footing. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be jet-setting around the world, doing interviews; signing movies?"

Devi ignored his jive. "You love movies so I thought I'd try the Love Actually method ..."

Love actually method?

"Here goes." Devi went down on her knees, holding a bunch of signs in front of her. The first one read: I know I've been a pain in the butt most my life.

Hector internally nodded. It was probably true.

The second card read: But you're no angel yourself.

A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. Probably also true.

Third card: Yet I can't forget you.

Fourth: Tell me no a million times, but for once ...

Five: I'm begging you (which rare for me!)

Give me a chance, Hector Martinez.

I'm done pretending.

Give me one chance.

To love you too.

Around them, a chorus of 'Awww,' broke out. Mrs Waterford and Mrs Vani clutched at their chest, a twinkle of moisture in their eyes. Even Hunter stared agog, making notes for his own future.

Hector felt a strange bevy of butterflies set loose in his stomach. "What is this?"

Devi smiled nervously and revealed the last card. Will you go out with me?

"You have some nerve ..." Hector bit down on his lips to keep the tears from flowing. "You left without a goodbye."

"And you left, even when you said you'd be there once the dust settles." Devi nodded.

Hector shook his head. "I don't belong in your world."

"The world can go eat shit. Just belong with me."

Hector looked everywhere else but at Devi. "You don't mean that."

"I'm down on my knees, aren't I?" She laughed. "The knee that was broken just a few months ago ..."

"Then get off it before you hurt yourself, you absolutely fruitcake." Hector pulled her off the sand immediately and she stumbled into his arms, secure once more.

The crowd cheered. "Awww. Go, Hector!"

A blush crept up his face, and he went to let her go, but she held on to his shirt. "So is that a yes?"

"Say yes, Hector!" their audience cried.

"Do it you daft donkey!" Even Grumpy Gavin, eager to see what was happening on the beach had ambled by. "You only get one life. Kiss her!"

Devi eyed those gathered around them and chuckled, pulling his shirt. "Give the people what they want, Hector."

"Then will you stop embarrassing me?" He scoffed half-heartedly, that smile still tugging at his lips.

"Never." She pulled him in, giving the crowd what they wanted, a kiss, right there, right on that beach.

And wasn't it just the most perfect beginning? For them.

A/N: And that is the end of Hector and Devi's tale. I hope you've had as much fun as I have. Thank you once again for reading, voting, and commenting. It's been a pleasure to bring you this fun who-dun-it. 

Would love to hear your final thoughts if you're up to sharing it with me. 🧡