Chapter Ten

The following day, Charlie drove Joey back to her house in order to collect some of her things. Joey had volunteered to stay with her in order to see her through the trauma of what Angelo had done. Charlie was desperately grateful and she couldn't seem to stop saying thank you.

"It's just here on the left," Joey said.

Charlie nodded and pulled up.

"Thanks for the lift," Joey said.

"You're thanking me?" Charlie asked incredulously. "After everything you've done for me, the least I can do is..."

"I haven't really done anything," Joey said modestly.

"Joey, you saved my life," Charlie pointed out.

Joey smiled and squeezed her friend's hand. She climbed out of the car and then turned back to Charlie.

"Are you coming in?" she asked.

"Yes!" Watson burst out when she hung up the phone from the lab.

Charlie's test results had finally come back and the evidence was damning. Angelo had definitely had sex with her that night and judging by the medical report, it had not been consensual. The lab had also confirmed that the skin cells found beneath Charlie's finger nails also belonged to Angelo. Why would she have scratched him like that if he hadn't been hurting her? Why would Charlie have bruises on her thighs? Why would she have declared to the world that he had raped her if none of it was true? She phoned head office and made an appointment to see the Sergeant there. She couldn't race ahead of herself. If this was going to be done properly, it had to be done with care. There was no point rushing in but Watson was certain that by the end of the day, Angelo would be getting his just desserts.

Charlie and Joey headed back to Summer Bay at lunch time. Charlie had been impressed with Joey's little apartment. It was a ground floor flat and very pretty. She kept it very neat and tidy, although Charlie hadn't really expected anything less. She'd been a domestic goddess when she'd lived at Charlie, Leah, Ruby and VJ's place. It was nice to see her doing well for herself. After everything she had been through, both with Robbo and herself, Charlie thought she deserved only good things to happen to her. She was a good person and she deserved the best in life.

"How about we stop off for some food at the Diner on the way back?" Joey suggested. "My treat."

Charlie shook her head and gripped the wheel. The Diner was the last place she wanted to go. That was there the gossips and Angelo's biggest supporters hung out. Like Colleen. And Ruby. She sighed at the thought and wondered if Watson had come up with anything that could help yet.

"Oh, come on..." Joey coaxed.

"I can't," Charlie protested.

Realising how stressed she was becoming, Joey put a gentle hand on her thigh.

"Hey, it's okay," she said softly. "It was just a suggestion. It's fine. I'll cook when we get back."

Charlie nodded and brushed a few tears away, wondering when she had turned into such a cry baby. When I was raped by a man who was meant to love me, she thought bitterly.

"I could park outside if you want," she said. "You could go in and grab something. I can wait in the car."

"Are you sure that's okay?" Joey asked.

Charlie nodded.

"Then it sounds like a good plan to me."

Ruby sat in the Diner nursing a milkshake. She hadn't seen Charlie for a week now and she missed her terrible. She felt so torn over everything. Part of her was certain that Charlie wouldn't lie about something like that, especially after what had happened with Grant and also what happened between Joey and Robbo. Rape was a particularly sensitive subject for Charlie. Also, she was a cop. She knew the problems of people who wasted their time. And why would she say such a thing anyway if it wasn't true? But then... how could Angelo be a rapist? He was a Sergeant and although he had made mistakes in the past, he'd fully redeemed himself now. People loved and trusted him again. And Charlie had been a huge part of that. People hadn't reacted so well when the two of them first got together but over time, they'd been accepted as a couple. Even Martha saw the good in Angelo. How could he be a bad guy? He'd protected Charlie during everything with Grant. He'd been horrified by what Ruby's biological father was capable of. And he loved her. Everybody knew he loved her. Every time they broke up, Angelo had been a mess. He'd nursed his broken heart over lots of beer at the Surf Club with good old Alf for company. He'd been so lost without her. Why would he hurt her like that? It made so sense. Ruby was nothing short of bewildered.

Watson marched back to the station with the Sergeant from Head Office in tow. After a long meeting, they had reached a decision that Watson was more than happy with. She knocked and entered Angelo and Charlie's office but was disappointed to find it empty. Sighing, she wondered what to do next.

"I think for the sake of the station we should wait," the Sergeant told her. "Let's keep this as quiet as we can."

Watson nodded, although she knew that she'd like nothing more than to humiliate the man who had abused her friend.

It felt strange to be back in the Diner after so long but Joey headed up to the counter to make her order.

"Hello, love!" Irene exclaimed, recognising her.

"Hi," Joey replied.

From the corner, Ruby looked up and stared at the back of Joey's head, trying to figure out if it really was her mother's ex-girlfriend.

"How are you?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty good," Irene said. "And you? What brings you back here?"

"Just thought I'd stop by and see a few people," Joey said.

She did not want to get involved in discussing Charlie, who, by all accounts had been demonised since Angelo had attacked her.

"Well, what can I get you then?" Irene asked.

Joey picked up the menu on the counter and looked through it, noting the things that were different and the things that were the same. She placed her order for take-away and then turned when someone called her name. It was Ruby.

"What are you doing here?" Ruby asked.

Joey was a person she never thought she'd see again. Charlie had made sure of that. Joey was yet another person whose heart had been broken by her mother.

"I came to help Charlie," Joey said honestly. "She's a mess right now."

Ruby nodded and looked down.

"You know, she'd be doing a lot better if she had your love."

Ruby looked up sharply.

"I do love her," she said defensively.

"Then why are you calling her a liar?" Ruby asked. "How can you accuse her of that?"

"Look, I know you don't want to hear this, Joey but Angelo is a good guy," Ruby told her. "He's a nice man and he loves her. He loves her so much. He'd never hurt her."

"Well, he did," Joey replied firmly.

Ruby looked exasperated.

"Why are you so certain?" she asked.

"Why are you?" Joey countered.

"Because he loves her! He'd do anything for her! Joey, you haven't been here. You don't know what they're like together. Angelo adores her. He's always worshipped the ground she walks on."

"Maybe he does love her," Joey conceded.

Ruby tried not to look triumphant.

"Maybe he loves her to the point of obsession," Joey continued. "Have you ever thought of that? Maybe he loves her that much than when she rejected him, he couldn't bear it and made her his anyway..."

"He's not a bad guy..."

"Didn't he kill someone?" Joey asked.

Everyone was now listening. It was the second outburst in as many days.

"Shooting into the dark by accident is different to being a rapist," Ruby insisted. "He's beaten himself up every day for what happened with Jack. He's sorry. He's devastated. Charlie even had to stop him from killing himself once!"

She hadn't been supposed to but Charlie had come home and told Ruby all about the day on the cliff with Tony and Angelo. Joey offered nothing but a bitter laugh. She accepted the take away Irene presented her with and handed over her cash. Without waiting for change, Joey left. Ruby scrambled after her.

Watson and the Sergeant headed out of the station together. They had given up waiting for Angelo and despite the risk of gossip, Watson's superior had decided that they needed to go and find him.

Charlie was sitting anxiously in the front seat of her car, waiting for Joey. She looked up when she saw her saviour exit the Diner and then frowned when she saw Ruby follow. Staying seated, Charlie wounded down the window to hear them arguing but didn't approach.

"What was that look for?" Ruby asked.

"What look?" Joey asked.

"When I said about Angelo being suicidal," Ruby said. "You looked at me funny. Why?"

Joey sighed.

"You don't want to know," she said. "But all I'm going to say is that you need to wake up and decide what your priorities are going to be. Do you really want to believe in a man you've only known a few years? A man who killed someone. A man Charlie says hurt her. Or are you going to believe in the woman who has loved and adored you for your entire life? The woman that would do anything for you. She'd lay her life down, Ruby, without a second's thought. How can you turn your back on her like that?"

Both girls looked at Charlie sitting unhappily in the car. Joey turned to Ruby again.

"In a few days, maybe even by tonight, the police are going to be able to prove exactly what happened and your beloved Angelo will be arrested. Wouldn't it be nice if you made things up to Charlie before you had the same damning evidence that the whole of Summer Bay are going to presented with?"

Ruby swallowed. She looked at Charlie again and burst into tears. Taking a deep breath, she approached her mother who was looking very pale, almost grey.

"I'm sorry," the teenager managed tearfully.

Charlie cried silently and couldn't quite bring herself to look at her.

"I'm sorry," Ruby said. "I should have believed in you."

"You should have," Charlie said weakly.

"I'm sorry," Ruby said again before hurrying away.

Charlie burst into tears and Joey approached the car and climbed in. She reached out to hold her hand.

Angelo was sitting in the Surf Club, propping up the bar as usual. His shift had ended and he just hoped that Watson wouldn't do what she threatened and find something to pin on him. He'd been thinking about the whole thing constantly and if he was being honest with himself, he had started to doubt his actions. When he'd seen her, Charlie had looked terrified. Either she was mistaken and had convinced herself completely that he'd raped her or... he had. He didn't recall her saying no. But perhaps he hadn't been listening. He still thought that if she'd said no, it didn't make any sense. Why would she? He was her perfect man. She shouldn't have been turning him away in the first place. They shouldn't have even been broken up. If she hadn't dumped him for no reason before then this never would have happened.

"Sergeant Rosetta?" said a voice behind him.

He turned to see Watson and a man he vaguely recognised as being from head office standing there and looking grim.

"Yes?" he said uncertainly.

"Sergeant Rosetta, I am arresting you on suspicion of the rape of Leading Senior Constable Buckton."

"What?" Angelo bellowed, making several people turn around.

Alf froze from behind the bar and several locals including Nicole and Miles were watching.

"You are under arrest," Watson repeated as if her were stupid. "And I can assure you that no amount of sneaky deals are going to save you this time."

"This is insane!" Angelo said, climbing off his chair and looking at the handcuffs Watson was holding out.

He looked at Alf, desperate for the Summer Bay stalwart to step in.

"I didn't rape anyone," Angelo told her.

"Well, I have physical evidence that you did," Watson said, loud enough that everyone could hear her.

"She might have been raped after I said goodnight but it wasn't me!" Angelo insisted.

"Then why was your semen all over her?" Watson snapped angrily. "And why is she covered in marks and bruises consistent with a violent attack? And why did she scratch your face the way she did?"

Angelo looked at Alf whose expression had changed dramatically. Looking around, everyone seemed to now be pointing with a guilty finger.

"Like I said," Watson told him. "There's no way you're getting out of this one."

She slapped the cuffs unkindly on his wrists before dragging him out of the bar.

In the car, Charlie gathered her senses together and reluctantly disentangled herself from Joey's embrace. Looking up, she caught sight of Watson and a Sergeant dragging an angry Angelo out of the Surf Club in handcuffs.

"What the...?" she managed.

Joey looked too and silently they watched Angelo being hauled into a car. He looked up and made eye contact with Charlie for a moment before allowing Watson to push him into the backseat.