Oh my goodness thank you all SO much for the kind reviews! I'm so glad you're enjoying this little fic. I was on a roll and I couldn't leave it where it was. I think this is heading in a happier direction...eventually! Hope you enjoy!
** As a very kind guest reviewer pointed out...I screwed up my timeline and so I had to go back and edit this. I am truly appreciative for you noticing my mistake and reminding me so I could fix it! Thank you so, so much! :) I even made myself a note to go back and check the timing and I still posted it before checking myself. Sorry about that! I hate to edit something after I've already posted it but I had to.
CHAPTER 10
Once home, Charles deposited Elsie on the sofa in the care of Beryl and Izzy while he and Thomas went to the kitchen on the guise of getting everyone something to drink so they could also talk.
"We need to release a statement to the press as quickly as possible. I'll draw it up as soon as I leave here and send you a copy to approve." Thomas said quietly.
"You don't need my approval. Send it out. I trust you and so does Elsie." Charles replied, grabbing a bottle of whiskey as Thomas put on the kettle.
"She can't have that with her pills." Thomas commented, nodding at the bottle in Charles' hand.
"Who says it's for her?" he chuckled, pouring some into his teacup. "How much trauma can one woman take before she breaks?" he whispered, taking a sip of the dark liquid.
"Our Elsie's one of the strongest people I know. She may let it get to her at first, but she gets on top of things really quick. She's never down for long. She'll get her fire back soon and when she does, woe be unto anyone who gets in her way." Thomas said seriously, placing the fresh pot of tea onto a tray along with more cups and cream and sugar.
"That sounds ominous." Charles replied quietly.
Thomas paused in the doorway. "She trusts you. You've got nothing to worry about." he winked. He walked over and sat the tray on the coffee table and poured a cup for Elsie, handing it to her. "I've got to run Els but I'll be in touch soon as I hear anything else. You behave yourself and get some rest alright?"
"Thomas, thank you. I cannot imagine getting through that today without your help." she said, reaching out and squeezing his arm.
"It's what I'm here for love." He leaned down and kissed her cheek. "Rest." She nodded and he turned to leave. "I'd recommend not watching the news tonight but I know you will so I won't bother saying it." he said, as he left.
Elsie turned to Charles. "Don't even think about it. I AM watching it tonight." she said firmly. He noticed a bit of a spark in her eyes he hadn't seen before and apparently Beryl noticed it too because she commented.
"Careful now. I see that fire in your belly starting to burn." she chuckled, shaking her head at her friend.
"Don't you start with me now Beryl." she laughed. "I was overcome earlier, but I've got my feet back under me now and I am seething. I'm...furious! And I will not let that...woman get the better of me. She is going down hard!" she spat out angrily, slapping the sofa pillow next to her and causing Charles to jump. The women all laughed at Charles' incredulous expression.
"Oh you're in for it now Charles." Izzy grinned. "You're gonna get a glimpse of the Scottish dragon as her best. Careful not to get singed."
"Izzy! You make me out to be terrible!" Elsie protested, tossing a pillow in her direction.
"A force to be reckoned with, and for good reason." Izzy replied, smiling. "You are as strong a woman as I have ever known and this will not get the best of you. And...we will all be here to make sure of it!" She said, picking up her tea and downing the rest. "Now, Beryl and I will leave you to rest." Elsie started to protest but Izzy held up her hand to stop her. "You don't have to go to bed and sleep...just rest your mind love. Put all this mess in a box and shut the lid for a while. Watch a silly movie, play a game, sit out there and watch that gorgeous sunset."
Elsie nodded. "Alright, thank you both for being there for me today. I love you both so, so much!" she said, hugging each of them.
"Good night love. Call if you need us." Beryl said as they left.
"Well." she said as the door shut behind them.
"Well indeed." Charles replied, taking her now empty cup and placing it on the tray. "What would you like to do?"
"Can we just talk for a few minutes? I want to tell you all about what happened today and get it off my mind. Then I can truly try and forget about it for a little while."
"Of course." he said, leaning over and kissing her temple, then pulling her over to lean on him.
With her head against his chest she recounted all that had transpired once she and Thomas had disappeared behind the doors at the police station. She told him how she was wheeled into a room in front of a camera and told to hold a sign in front of her as they took a mug shot. Then they wheeled her over to a machine where she was digitally fingerprinted. "No ink stains" she said, wiggling her fingers. After that she was wheeled into an office where a detective sat behind a large desk. He confirmed her identity, her address, phone and such and then he began asking her questions. He asked her if she'd sent a few different text messages he was reading from a transcript. She confirmed she had sent them in reply to Joe's previous texts. She told him she would be glad to describe the context in which they were sent. The detective told her it wasn't necessary, that she'd have that chance at a later date and that he was just confirming details. She told him that once the detective seemed to be satisfied with the information she'd given him, he read her the charges against her and asked her if she understood them. At this point she broke down and cried again, Charles holding her close and comforting her.
"And what were the charges Elsie?" he asked hesitantly.
She sniffled and sat back up. "Conspiracy to commit murder and premeditated murder." she whispered, a sob catching in her throat. "I...even if I hated him, which I didn't, I could never, ever kill someone Charles. Never." she choked out in a squeaky voice.
He held her even tighter. "Shhh, of course you couldn't. I know that. We all do." he sighed heavily. His heart was literally breaking for her. His stomach was in knots. "Listen, I'm going to get in touch with Alice and see if she'll meet with me...tonight if possible." Elsie sat back up suddenly, her eyes wide.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?! What if...what if it makes things worse?!"
"How can it be worse right now?" he asked softly.
Elsie swallowed hard and nodded. 'You're right...but I don't have to like it. Charles, be careful. Meet her in a public place where there are lots of witnesses. We don't want her accusing you of anything and no one around to prove her wrong."
"Good point." he said, leaning down and kissing her forehead. "Now, have you got it all out? Anything else you want to say?"
She shook her head. "No. Time to put the lid on this horrid, black box and stick it on the shelf for the rest of the day...well, at least until the news comes on." she grimaced.
"Ok milady, let me see if I can text Alice and ask her to meet me at the pub we used to go to. Then how about I take you down by the lake?"
Elsie smiled. "Can I get there in this thing?" she asked, pointing to her wheelchair.
"Oh yes, I had a path put in for Mum. No problem."
Later as they sat by the water on a bench, soft little waves lapping at the shore as the sun sank into a deep, orange, rippled pool, Charles kissed her deeply, solidly, and when he pulled back a bit he spoke against her lips, holding her there. "Elsie Hughes, I have fallen hopelessly in love with you."
She let out a small gasp at first, then looked deeply into his chocolate brown eyes. "Oh Charles...you sweet, sweet man...I'm in love with you too." she replied through smiling lips, fresh tears slipping down her cheeks. They kissed again, deeper, languidly, until they had to break apart to breath.
"We should get back up to the house." he said quietly. "I'm truly enjoying this and to be honest I don't want to stop but I fear if I don't stop now…" his voice trailed off as he looked at her. The setting sun glinting off the red tones in her long hair was mesmerizing.
"I understand...and for the record, I feel the same. I don't want this to ever end but...we should go back up to the house. You need to leave soon if you're going to meet Alice."
He stood up, lifting her as if she was light as a feather and sat her down gently into the wheelchair. "Once this is over I don't ever want to hear that woman's name again." he said lowly.
"Nor I." Elsie agreed.
"Are you certain you'll be ok here alone until I get back?" Charles asked again as he put on his jacket.
"Yes! I'm certain! I've got my chick flick ready to play, a funny one, not sad. I've got my glass of wine, these lovely chocolate chip cookies you made me, a soft blanket, my pillow, my phone. What more could I need...besides you of course." she winked.
"Alright. I'll text you when I get there and I'll text you when I leave." he leaning down and kissing her soundly.
"Go. Before I change my mind and keep you here." she smiled up at him.
Twenty minutes later he was seated at a table in the corner of the pub waiting on Alice. He was a little surprised she'd agreed to meet him. He sent a quick text off to Elsie to let her know he'd arrived and was waiting. She sent him back a kissy face emoji making him smile down at his phone.
"Must be a nice message. I've not seen you smile like that in a long while." Alice's distinct southern drawl cut through his daydream of Elsie.
"Alice." he said, forcing a smile. He stood and took her hand, kissing the back of it as she sat in the chair next to him.
"It's been a long time Charlie. I was very surprised to get your text message. What exactly can I...do for you, hmmm?" she purred.
"Well, I...I have something to ask you Alice. Something very important to me." he replied, clearly uncomfortable. He shivered from disgust but she took as something else.
"I can still get to you huh Charlie?" she smiled, licking her red lips. "What is this thing you want to ask of me then?"
"I heard through the grapevine that your uh...boyfriend...was killed. I'm sorry."
Her eyes flashed something between hurt and fear. "My husband...Joe was my husband." she replied quietly. "He was shot. They think his ex-wife did it."
"Yes, well that's what I wanted to talk to you about Alice. But first…" he reached over and touched the back of her hand. "Do you remember when we were dating? Do you remember how good we were together?"
She smiled then. She was still a pretty woman, tall, thin, tan, long blonde hair with soft curls. Her light blue eyes beginning to show a few crinkles at the edges. He had loved her at one time, but it was nothing like the love he felt for Elsie now. She'd been a good person, albeit a bit of a drama queen at times. In the end the fact that she could never commit to him ended their relationship for good. She was an incessant flirt. This woman in front of him now bore the unmistakable signs of drug abuse and it made him very sad. She studied him now, looking into his eyes curiously.
"I do remember how it was. We had a good time Charlie. We were very good together." she said, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to his lips before he could stop her. He leaned back quickly.
"Alice...you were always a good person deep down inside."
"Thank you Charlie, I try to be."
"Do you...still have feelings for me?" he asked, looking at her intently, leaning forward just a bit.
"I will always love you Charlie. I told you that when you left the last time." she said, looking at him sadly.
"Ah, but you see, it was you who left me. Don't you remember? I asked you to make a choice once and for all, between me and the other men you kept playing around with and you chose them."
"But you packed up and left my apartment." she argued.
"Because you gave me no choice." he said pointedly, taking a sip of his beer.
"Why did you ask me here Charlie? Do you want me back?"
"No." She looked hurt at his quick response. "I am in love with someone Alice."
"I know...I could see it on your face when I came in. The one who texted you just as I walked up?" Charles nodded, a blissful smile on his face thinking of Eslie.
She sighed heavily. "I was a fool to let you go."
"Alice I need your help." he said softly, looking at her with worry in his eyes.
"What is it? I'd do anything for you Charlie. Anything."
"You see, the woman I'm in love with...her name is...Elsie Hughes...used to be Burns...Elsie Burns."
Alice's eyes flew open wide and her mouth fell open. "You're in love with that woman?! How...how do you know her?! She...she killed Joe! She had someone shoot him...for...for the insurance money and...how Charlie?! How?!" she asked standing up and grabbing her purse from the table. A few of the other patrons glanced up at them.
"Shhh, Alice...please…" he begged, reaching up to hold her there gently. "Please, just sit down a minute and let me finish."
She shook her head at him, tears running down her face. She can still turn on the water works at the drop of a hat. He thought to himself. She sat down heavily in her chair, crossing her arms in front of her.
"She didn't do it Alice."
"How do you know that?! Did you see what she texted him?!"
"She told me a bit of it, yes."
"She told him she wished he was dead so then he'd at least be good for something. At least she'd get the life insurance, she said. She told him to never come near her again or she'd kill him with her bare hands or have someone else do it for her."
Charles sat back, unsure of how to answer at first. Then leaned forward again and asked, "Alice, how often did he hit you?" Her face crumpled then and she sobbed. This was no act. He knew her well enough to know that. He moved his chair over to her and pulled her into a hug, patting her back. "Shhhh, you're safe now. He's gone and he's never going to hurt you or anyone else ever again." He pushed her back and stuck his handkerchief in her hand. "Here, dry your eyes. I know what kind of a man he was. He did the same to Elsie. Nearly killed her once. She was in hospital for days afterwards. Good riddance I say." He let her go and moved back over a bit.
She sniffled and looked up at him through tear-stained eyes, her mascara running. "He was horrible and I can't say I'm sad he's gone but...but I loved him Charlie. I really thought I'd be able to change him if...if I was just good enough, pretty enough, kept the house just the way he liked it, cooked his favorite meals...then he'd realize he loved me too and he wouldn't hurt me anymore." she said, looking down at her hands.
"Alice...he wasn't the kind of man that could love anyone but himself. Surely you understand that now?"
"I want to meet her." Alice blurted out, looking at him defiantly.
"What? You want to meet Elsie? Alice, I really don't think…"
"No! You want my help? You want me to get the police to drop the charges? Then I want to meet this woman who has stolen your heart so completely. I want to meet this woman that Joe loved enough to marry before me...and then...then I'll decide whether I want to talk to the police again or not." she stuck her chin out stubbornly and Charles sighed heavily, knowing she was not going to change her mind. "Text her. Text her right now and tell her to come down here so I can meet her or I swear I will walk out of here and you will never see me again!"
"She cannot come down here Alice...she's recovering from an severe injury. She's in a wheelchair."
Alice sniffled and looked over at him. "What kind of injury?"
"Alice, do you not watch the news? She fell off a cliff while skiing and...and I saved her."
"She's the one you saved?! I saw a bit of it on TV when it happened but I didn't realize it was Joe's ex you saved. Bloody small world isn't it?" she sniffled again.
He reached over and squeezed her head sympathetically. "Yes, well...she's got a broken leg and arm. I can't bring her down here. It'd be too much of a strain on her."
"Then I will go to her. You're not putting me off Charlie. I mean it! I'll walk away and she can rot in jail!"
"You don't mean that. I know you. You're a good person Alice." Charles replied, touching her hand again. "Please."
Alice looked down at his hand again, covering it with her own. "Take me to see her Charlie, and I'll tell the police it wasn't her." she said quietly.
Charles pulled his landrover into the driveway and put it in park then turned toward his passenger. "When we go in, I want you to wait in the foyer until I call for you."
"You told her I was coming didn't you?"
"Yes, I did. But I want to be sure she's ready. It's been a very emotional couple of days and I just want to see that she's ok before you meet her. Are we agreed?" Alice nodded.
"What's all that construction going on over there?" she asked pointing to a pile of wood and supplies on the front lawn.
"I'm having a security fence and gate put in, they must have dropped off the supplies today while we were gone. I didn't even notice it earlier." he replied.
"Why on earth do you need a security gate Charlie?" she asked bewildered.
"You really don't watch TV at all do you?" he asked, chuckling a bit.
"I'll explain another time. Just remember what I said, alright?"
"Yeh, yeh. I'll wait in the foyer...holy moly Charlie, this is a nice house! You've done well I'll say!" she said looking up at the front of the house, then following him inside.
He motioned for her to wait in the foyer and went in to find Elsie. She was still on the couch, though the blanket had been folded and the TV was now off. She looked like she'd brushed her hair and freshened up her face. "Hello love." he said, going to her and kissing her gently on the lips. "Are you sure about this?"
"Yes. I'm sure." she said, looking up into his eyes and kissing him back. "Where is she?"
"Hello." Alice said from the entryway.
"Alice...please, come in and sit down." Elsie said calmly. A little too calmly for Charles' liking. It was like the calm before a bad storm...or perhaps the eyewall of a hurricane, the air having a palpable current flowing through it. Alice smiled slightly and walked over to sit across from Elsie on the other sofa.
"It's uh…" Alice stopped and let out a short laugh. "I was going to say, nice to meet you, but well...I don't think that quite fits this situation."
"No. I say not." Elsie replied tightly. "Why are you here exactly?" Elsie asked, staring at Alice coldly.
"I wanted to meet the woman who stole my Charlie boy's heart." she said, looking over at Charles and raising her eyebrow at him. "Oh...Charlie...I think you've got a bit of lipstick on your…" Alice pointing to her bottom lip and Elsie's head shot up, looking over at Charles and seeing for the first time the red lipstick on his bottom lip and chin and the tear stains on his shirt.
Elsie's gaze swung around quickly to Alice. "Get OUT! Get OUT of here now or I swear on all that is holy that I will throw you out of here MYSELF!" She yelled, trying to stand up to get to her wheelchair.
Alice's eyes went wide with fear and instant regret as Charles lept toward Elsie to keep her from falling. He caught her just as she lost her balance and swung her up into his arms as she kicked her legs and tried to push him away. "Elsie! Elsie stop this before you hurt yourself!" he called out to her trying not to drop her.
"Put me down! Put me down this instant!" she cried out furiously.
"No!" he yelled. Causing both Elsie and Alice to jump and go instantly quiet and look at him with wide eyes. "I will not put you down until you listen to me." he said in a quieter, yet still forceful voice. "Now, first of all...she kissed me...I did not kiss her. Tell her Alice...tell her the truth." Elsie glared over at the woman and she nodded her head.
"It's true. I surprised him. He didn't kiss me back."
"And…" Charles said, looking over at Alice."
"And the makeup on his shirt is from me crying. He was trying to calm me down so I wouldn't make a scene. It's my fault not his." she nearly whispered.
Charles turned back to Elsie, lifting her chin and looking her deeply in the eyes. "I love you Elsie, more than I have ever loved any woman. I would never do anything to jeopardize that. I am 100% yours and yours alone. I need you to know that. I need you to know that there is no one more important to me than you. There is no one I want to spend the rest of my life with more than you. You are the love of my life." he finished, leaning down and kissing her gently on the lips. "Now, can I put you down?" Elsie nodded, still looking up at him. He sat her down on the sofa and before he could stand back up she reached her arms around his neck and kissed him fiercely. "I love you too Charles, more than I have ever loved another man."
Charles stood back up, blushing deep red, and turned back to Alice. "Now, no more of that please."
Alice nodded. "I'm sorry...that was wrong of me and not why I came here to see you." she said swallowing hard. "I...you know I was married to Joe...I was there the night he died."
"Yes." Elsie replied curtly.
"I...I guess I just wanted to meet you out of curiosity more than anything. Joe was...he was…"
"A monster." Elsie supplied cooly.
Alice's eyes filled with tears and she looked down at her hands. Holding up her arm she pulled up her sleeve and turned her arm over to reveal the underside of her forearm. It was covered in small, round scars.
Elsie gasped, her hand flying up to her mouth. "Oh my God!" Charles quickly sat down next to Elsie. "Are those…"
"Cigarette burns. She said turning her arm over to look a them." tears running down her cheeks.
Elsie stood, trying to get over to the other sofa. Charles grabbed her and helped her hop over and sit next to Alice. She pulled up her sleeve and turned over her arm, holding it out in front of Alice. She had less scaring than Alice but the tell tale signs were still there. Alice gasped and Elsie reached over and pulled her head down to her shoulder as she sobbed. "My God. How could he get away with this again. How?" she asked, looking up at Charles. "I said it before and I'll say it again...I'm glad he's dead! I'm glad! I hope he's burning in hell for what he did!" she cried out, her sobs blending with Alice's as Charles fell to his knees in front of them, pulling them both into his arms as they cried.
TBC