"I don't believe you," Charlie said, but her voice wavered. "I have people who love me and they will never stop looking for me."

"Yes you do have people who love you, but those people are now grieving your untimely demise," the masked figure said. It really was horrible, Charlie thought, just how soulless the voice sounded from behind the mask. "I was even at your funeral earlier, so you see, there will be no one coming for you." With that, the masked figure laughed and left the room, the sound of the door locking sending a stab of pain through Charlie's heart.

"It has to be a lie," she murmured to herself but without conviction. It terrified her to think she'd never be found and knowing her loved-ones were grieving her supposed death only added to the despair she was already feeling. Charlie fell to the ground in defeat, tears streaming down her face. "How did this happen," she sobbed into the darkness. The last thing she remembered was visiting Joey and the next thing she knew, she had woken up here, in this darkened little room that was likely to become her final resting place. "Oh god, somebody please help me."

Since returning to the station after the funeral, Watson had spent her time going over all the photos from the investigation so far, including those of the crime scene and what they'd taken of Joey and as she went through them, there was something tugging at the back of her mind that she couldn't quite put her finger on.

"About bloody time these reports came in," Holmes said, interrupting Watson's train of thought as she passed Watson a copy of the reports. "You'd think that with a cop dead, they would have put a rush on the labs," she muttered.

"They probably wanted to be as thorough as possible so as not to miss anything."

"Yeah, you're right, but I hated the waiting."

"They don't really tell us anything we didn't already know or suspect," Watson said after both she and Holmes had read the reports.

"It does confirm that it was a burn mark on Joey's shoes and given the shoes also match the type and size of print found at the murder scene, we should have enough now for us to get a full search warrant on Joey's place to look for anything we might have missed during our earlier cursory search."

Watson looked at another of the reports. "Nothing was found on the clothes from the washing machine, but no real surprise there considering the amount of bleach that was used."

"And the tox screen on Charlie is negative," Holmes murmured. "But then Dr Walker did say during the autopsy that any drugs would have likely have left her system by then." She flipped to another page. "DNA on the necklace is Joey's."

"Was it really necessary to get the DNA, because Joey had already admitted that it was her necklace?"

"Like I told them, I was just covering the bases and it would be rather embarrassing if it turned out to be someone else's blood." Not that she ever expected that to be the case, still, she didn't want to give Morag the slightest reason to cast doubt on anything. "And it will help us with getting the search warrant."

"So Joey's back to being our number one suspect?"

Joey let herself into the house. She'd turned down Roo's offer of a meal, preferring a little solitude after a hugely emotional day. She did miss having Ruby around though, but she couldn't blame her for wanting to be as far away from the Bay as she could get.

Taking a beer from the fridge, she headed to the bathroom to start running the bath. A good long soak sounded wonderful right then.

"She never really stopped being number one," Holmes replied. "I'm not discounting our other potential suspects, but the evidence we have so far, like the shoes and necklace, places Joey at the scene."

"Shoes like hers but not necessarily hers," Watson pointed out.

"What, are you the defence now?"

"No, I'm just looking at this from Morag's perspective and she has already given a viable excuse for the footprints being at the scene when we first interviewed Joey and it's going to be hard to prove the necklace came off during the murder and not earlier in the day like Morag has already suggested."

"True and I'm sure Bellingham is going to have very logical explanations for every piece of evidence we find, but with confirmation of the burn mark and smoky odour on the shoes and the fact Joey couldn't even explain how her shoes got into that state, then that should help the prosecutor counter any of Bellingham's claims," Holmes said. "Plus, if there is enough evidence stacked against Joey, then that will also make it harder for the defence to counter."

Watson glanced at another report. "No other evidence was found in the car, but it's been confirmed that the fire started on our victim and that it was extinguished before it could spread too far."

"Do they know what type of extinguisher was used?"

"The type you'd usually have around the home and that can be found in a lot of stores."

"Check the shops, see who has purchased extinguishers in the past couple of months." Holmes shrugged, "Maybe we'll get lucky and there won't be many to follow up on."

Watson nodded and made another note, before turning back to the pages in front of her. "The accelerant used was petrol you'd get from any petrol station."

"Damn." The smoke and chemicals from the extinguisher had masked the odour on the charred remains during the autopsy somewhat, but Holmes had been hoping for something less common than everyday petrol because it would have helped to narrow down the search for the source. Unfortunately, petrol tended to be the most common form of accelerant used in arsons because it was so assessable, same with the extinguisher used. "Why can't a murder be exotic so as to make it easier for us to prove only one or two people could have had access to the tools used?" she complained lightly.

Watson smiled briefly.

"Oh well," Holmes said, getting to her feet. "I think it's time to get that warrant for Joey's place and while we're there, we check to see if she has a fire extinguisher."

Sipping her beer, Joey relaxed in the water. It had been the worst week of her life and she doubted things would be getting any easier as long as the investigation was on going, but she was determined to not let it overtake her life, especially when she was in her own home. She still couldn't be bothered fighting for her job just yet as she didn't think she'd be able to cope with the continued whispers behind her back and constant attention, but she wanted everything else to return to normal.

"It will never be completely like normal though," she thought sadly, because Charlie was gone forever. Joey took a long slug of her beer and closed her eyes. Charlie had been the love of her life and she doubted she'd ever get over losing her. Unbidden, a new image of strong arms and kind eyes popped into her head and she shook it furiously from her mind, resenting the intrusion. "I miss Charlie and I'm lonely, that's all it is," she told herself and desperately hoped that was all it was, because that image was the last person she should be thinking of. Only problem was, she needed to cooperate with the police and so she couldn't avoid her. She had a brief thought that she preferred the earlier numbness she'd had since learning of Charlie's death, than what she was feeling now. "Be strong Joey," she spoke aloud.

Joey had just finished drying herself when there was a knock on the door. Quickly throwing on some clothes, she went to answer the door.

Her heart dropped when she saw the Detectives and two other officers standing there. "Can't whatever this is about wait until tomorrow?"

"I'm sorry Miss Collins, but we have a warrant to search your house," Holmes stated firmly.

"I need to call my lawyer."

"The warrant is in order."

"That's for my lawyer to decide."

"We'll wait right here then," Holmes said.

Fifteen minutes later, Morag had pulled up and after some scowling and consultation with Joey, the Detectives and two Constables had been let into the house.

"Do you have a fire extinguisher?" Holmes asked.

"In the kitchen," Joey answered.

Holmes looked at Watson, who nodded and headed straight to the kitchen.

"Is this really necessary Detective?" Morag said when the two other officers started to look around the room.

"Perhaps if your client could explain the burn mark on her shoes and everything else, we wouldn't need to be here."

"I told you before, I don't remember," Joey said.

"Very convenient that," Holmes murmured loud enough for them all to hear.

"My counc,"

Morag cut her off with a sharp shake of her head. "Not now," she whispered to Joey.

"Where exactly in the kitchen is the extinguisher?" Watson called out from the kitchen.

Joey walked in and pointed. "It is right," her arm dropped uselessly to her side as she realised she was pointing to an empty spot. "It should be right there."

"Well it's not now," Holmes said. "Check the cupboards," she ordered Watson and then sent Avery and Hogan searching the rest of the house and outside.

After some crashing and banging through cupboards and drawers, Watson still hadn't found the missing extinguisher. Squatting in front of the sink, she looked in the cupboard beneath. "Holmes."

Her partner rushed over and with her gloved hands, Holmes reached in and picked up the item that had gotten Watson's attention. Holmes stood and turned to Joey and Morag and held it up for them to see.

"Detective, I have a jerry can of my own at my place," said Morag. "Perhaps you'd like to arrest me too?"

"That depends, are you in the habit of leaving an empty jerry can hidden behind other household items at the back of your sink cupboard, instead of in the shed or car where most people tend to keep their jerry cans of petrol?"

"I've never seen that can before," Joey replied.

"Of course you haven't," Holmes muttered sarcastically.

Ten minutes later, the missing extinguisher which Avery had found buried at the bottom of Joey's wheelie bin outside, had joined the jerry can in an evidence bag.

"Garbage day was four days ago, why didn't you put the bin out for collection?" Morag whispered to Joey.

"It was only partly full then, so I didn't bother," Joey said. "Morag, I never used that extinguisher or put it in the bin, hell, with everything else going on, I hadn't even noticed that it was missing."

"I believe you."

"You do?"

Morag nodded. "Someone is doing a hell of a job of setting you up Joey, of that I'm convinced."

Holmes cleared her throat to get their attention. "I'd like for Joey to answer some questions down at the station."

"It's ok Joey, the Detectives are just trying to scare you," Morag told her.

"It's working," Joey said, hating being in this interview room again.

"They have nothing more than they did before."

"Except for the extinguisher and jerry can."

"Don't worry about those," Morag said as the detectives joined them in the room.

An hour into the interview, Joey felt tired. Most of the questions had been the same as she'd been asked the first time she'd been questioned and her answers hadn't changed; she didn't know because she couldn't remember, only this time, she had been a little more confident in her denials, especially when asked a new question, like about the jerry can and extinguisher.

"There is no way you can link that jerry can to the arson," Morag said confidently. "Every car, lawn mower, jerry can and whatever else uses or carries petrol in this town would have the same petrol in it, because it all comes from the same place."

"Admittedly, on its own, the jerry can isn't that compelling, evidence wise, but add the empty fire extinguisher to the equation," Holmes shook her head. "Even you can see that it doesn't look good for your client, especially as her fingerprints were on it."

"Joey never denied owning a fire extinguisher, so her fingerprints being on the one found at her place is hardly surprising and you didn't find her fingerprints on the jerry can."

"Only because they were too smudged to get a clear print," countered Holmes. "Your client can't explain the presence of the jerry can, just like she can't explain why the fire extinguisher is empty."

"Joey, when you moved into the house, it was already furnished, wasn't it?" Morag asked her.

"Yes."

"Then that jerry can could easily have been left by the previous tenant and therefore could have been in that cupboard for ages," Morag pointed out. "And since it took some effort for Det. Watson to find it behind all that other stuff, you can hardly blame Joey for never seeing it before today."

Holmes rolled her eyes at Morag's reasoning. "And the empty fire extinguisher? Or is using that and then putting it in the bin just another thing Joey has forgotten doing or perhaps it emptied itself and put itself in the bin," Holmes said sarcastically. "Petrol and a fire extinguisher were used during the murder of your client's lover and she just happens to have an empty jerry can and extinguisher lying around the house."

"They're common household items you'd find in most houses." Morag sat back with a smile. "It's not enough and you know it, otherwise you'd have already charged my client. Your search warrant turned up nothing else, and all you have are theories and evidence that you desperately want to fit those theories. You don't even have a motive unless you're willing to believe a character like Darryl Braxton and let's face it, it's kind of hard to take the word of a man who cheated on the victim with her best friend." Morag got to her feet and Joey followed her up. "This whole interview was clearly an attempt to intimidate my client into admitting to something she hasn't even done." Morag glared at Holmes. "My client is innocent and I suggest you stop harassing her or I might be forced to lodge a complaint with your superiors."

"We're just doing our job."

"Not very well," Morag said snidely. "Come on Joey, we're leaving."

"Why didn't you let me tell them about Rachel believing my memory loss was a side effect of being drugged?" Joey said as they made their way out of the station.

"I don't want to play all our cards just yet and I think it best that you have more counselling sessions behind you than just the two so far," Morag said. "It will give Rachel's opinion more credence if she's spent more time with you."

"I suppose so."

"There is another thing, Joey. I want you to get the locks changed on your house, because someone had to have been inside to get your extinguisher and quite possibly put that jerry can there."

Joey shivered at the idea that her home had been invaded. "That can didn't come with the furniture," she said.

"If we can't prove someone else deliberately put it there to set you up, then the previous tenant leaving it behind is a viable option." And since the previous occupant had died of a heart attack a month before Joey had moved in, then there was no real way to prove it hadn't belonged to him.

"I was willing to give Joey the benefit of the doubt because I knew how much she loved Charlie and I honestly believed she wasn't capable of doing that to Charlie," Jack said to Avery as they made their way to a squad car. "But now I'm not so sure, because so much is leading back to her."

"Yeah I know," Avery replied. "That fire extinguisher hadn't just been tossed into the bin, it had been deliberately hidden at the bottom." At least, that was how he saw it.

"I'm starting to think she's not as sweet and innocent as she's always made out to be," Jack said. He sighed heavily, "I wish Brax had never been dumb enough to screw Leah, because Charlie was so much better off with him than she ever was with that woman."

Avery coughed and Jack followed his eyes. "Shit," he muttered, realising Joey and Morag had been able to hear everything.

With just a look, Morag managed to make him feel small as Joey rushed away without saying anything.

Watson watched from the office window as Morag and Joey got into the car. "Morag is right," she said. "If we can't provide a solid motive, then we're going to have a hell of a hard time convincing a jury that that harmless looking woman had a reason to burn her girlfriend alive, especially when she has Battleship Bellingham fighting in her corner."

"I have to admit, I'm rather enjoying the battle with Bellingham. She's damn good at her job and she could probably sway a jury with her fanciful explanations for the evidence we have, but it's still early days in the investigation and if there's more evidence out there, we'll find it and build a case that even the great Battleship will struggle to sink." Picking up on something in her partner's demeanour, Holmes studied her for a moment. "What are you thinking?"

"That the evidence so far almost seems too easy," murmured Watson.

"You're back on the theory of her being set up?" When they'd spoken of that possibility previously, Holmes had given it some thought, but she just wasn't convinced that it was anything other than a fanciful theory.

"It's just that if you've managed to organise and stage a murder without being seen and by using fire, destroyed any physical evidence, then why would you then be so careless as to leave the necklace behind and a trail straight back to you?" Watson said. "And why not dispose of the clothes, the shoes and the jerry can along with the extinguisher? I mean, if she'd done that and put the wheelie bin out on garbage day, then chances are, all we'd have is the necklace, because the rest would have been compacted with the rest of the town's garbage, but she didn't do that and so now we have this nice little pile of evidence that is slowly growing against her."

"Maybe the planning was the easy part but implementing and then dealing with the consequences of what she'd done might have been greater than she expected and the gravity and guilt hit her hard and so she didn't realise she'd left the necklace behind and then when she gets home, she gets drunk and forgets about the shoes and clothes, either that, or she just didn't get a chance to dispose of them properly before we turned up."

The whole thing just didn't feel right to Watson and Joey's reactions had seemed so genuine. She thought back to the funeral. If the killer had been there, then any guilt or deception hadn't been obvious, so the person was a good actor, but was Joey? She just didn't know.

"There is another option," Holmes said. "Joey is guilty and has staged it to make us think she is being set up so as to throw us off."

"Except we're not really buying it."

"I'm not, but you are having doubts and that's all Joey would need to do with the jury; create doubt with just a couple of them by making them seriously consider the possibility that she could have been set up."

Watson shook her head. "None of it makes sense though. Would you really make it so obvious with the trail of evidence and the same goes for if she really is being set up, I mean, if you wanted someone else to take the blame for a murder you committed, then why would you stage it in a way that could make it seem like an obvious set up?"

"Look, maybe the killer just messed up."

"And I'm over thinking this and it's starting to give me a headache."

"It's been another long day, so we should wrap up here and head back to the hotel."

Was it just a chat about her dead lover or was there a more sinister reason for Joey Collins to once more be dragged to the police station? The police have yet to make a comment but I'll keep you informed of any new developments.

This is Belle Taylor, your voice of the Bay."

Watson glared at the clock and groaned. It was 2am, so a knock on her hotel door at this time of night wasn't a good sign.

Grabbing her robe, she opened the door to find Holmes there.

"Watson, there's been another murder."