Chapter Twenty One

An hour later, Charlie was back in uniform and sitting with Watson across the desk from Joey in an interview room. The poor girl looked like she might combust with anxiety at any moment. She twisted her fingers together on the table top, unable to tear her gaze away from Charlie's blue eyes.

"So, are you happy with all of that?" Charlie asked seriously.

Joey shrugged.

"It's not exactly a trip to Disneyworld but I can deal," Joey said. "If it means stopping this guy. I don't want anyone else to get hurt. Especially if you're right and it's my fault."

"I didn't say that," Charlie said quickly, putting a compassionate hand on Joey's.

Watson silently observed their interaction. She couldn't help but wonder if there was more to her colleague's relationship with their witness than met the eye. But she decided quickly that it wasn't her place to comment. She also couldn't blame Charlie if she was attracted to Joey – the girl was the hottest person Watson had ever seen in her life. If she was the kind of person to pay for sex then Joey would probably be earning a small fortune from her.

"It's what you meant though," Joey said sadly.

"No," Charlie said, retaining contact. "I think the person committing these murders may well want something from you. But it's his responsibility for what's happened. It's his fault. You're not to blame for anything, Joey. And I think you're really brave to come forward and offer to help us with the case."

"Well, I get free room and board," Joey remarked, eager to play things down. "And I am kind of homeless now."

She glanced between the two officers.

"Thanks for that, by the way, girls."

Charlie tried not to laugh. She withdrew her hand and kept her expression serious.

"We'll put you up in a safe house until the investigation is complete," she said. "It'll be ready for you first thing in the morning. An officer will come and collect you from wherever you're staying tonight and we'll explain the next step of the plan."

"Do you actually know what the plan is?" Joey asked.

"Well, we're hoping you'll be able to help us lure the killer out," Charlie said.

"So, I'm bait?"

Charlie half smiled.

"I wouldn't put it quite like that," she said.

"You have a habit of putting every awkward phrase together very carefully, Sergeant Buckton," Joey remarked.

"What can I say?" Charlie chuckled. "I have a way with words."

She smiled again. Joey studied her mouth, remembering their kiss for several long moments. The likelihood of anything like that happening again was minimal, she was sure, but she was most definitely thrilled to have had such an experience. She couldn't understand why that awful man, Angelo, walked around in a strop all day when he got to go home with Charlie each night. Joey thought he really should consider himself lucky.

"So, do you have somewhere to stay tonight?" Charlie ventured.

"You know I haven't," Joey replied.

"I thought maybe you'd be able to find a hostel or something," Charlie said. "An officer can take you there."

"Because dragging all my luggage across town would be such a hassle?" Joey smirked.

Charlie managed another smile. Joey definitely had a very strange effect on her. It wasn't something she could completely explain and she seemed to be spending a lot of time trying to forget all about the dream she'd had the other night.

"Okay, interview terminated at 18:01," she said, clicking off the tape recorder.

She turned back to face Joey.

"Let us take you somewhere," she requested.

"Look, couldn't you just arrest me or something?" Joey asked.

Charlie and Watson both stared at her in shock.

"Then I could just stay in a cell," Joey explained. "I don't really want to go and stay in some communal room with fuck knows who."

"Um..." Charlie faltered.

"Please?" Joey begged. "I'm here anyway. I'm sure you've got a spare cell. It makes sense."

"You actually want to spend the night in a police cell?" Watson asked incredulously.

"I've slept in worse places," Joey replied.

Charlie hesitated and then stood up. Gesturing for Watson to follow her, she told Joey to hang around and wait for them.

Once Charlie and Watson had left the interview room, Joey sat back in her chair and sighed. She twiddled her fingers and looked absently around the blank room. She couldn't help but wonder how she had ended up in this position. Granted, her life wasn't the kind of thing a person dreamt about but at least she'd felt moderately in control. Now everything was spiralling away from her a breakneck speed. She was lost and confused and didn't know quite where to turn. And she was unnerved that Charlie was her beacon of light in the darkness.

"No way," Detective Robert Robertson barked down the phone.

Charlie had phoned her superior in the city to see if it would be acceptable to have Joey sleep on her sofa for the night while they set up the safe house.

"Please, Sir," she begged. "We need to keep her onside. She's doing a massive favour for us and I fully believe that she could be the key to solving these homicides. She has nobody to trust and nowhere to turn. But I feel like I'm starting to get through to her, to build a relationship. I think she'd feel safe at my place."

She heard the Detective sigh on the other end of the line.

"This is completely unorthodox," he said.

"I know," Charlie replied.

"But okay," he agreed. "She can stay with you for one night and then we'll get her into the safe house. I'll be down to the station first thing in the morning so I can be more hands on with this investigation. Be ready for me."

"I will," Charlie promised. "Thank you."

Hanging up the phone, Charlie walked into the reception area where Angelo was just walking through the front door in order to start his shift. He paused and glared at her, still angry about their altercation earlier in the day.

"Could I have a word, please?" Charlie asked.

He nodded and reluctantly followed her into her office where she shut the door behind them.

"Joey doesn't have anywhere to stay tonight," she began.

"So?"

"So, I was wondering if it would be okay to have her stay with us."

Angelo looked appalled. He stood up quickly and approached the door.

"I'm surprised you even bothered to ask me," he said bitterly. "Do whatever the hell you like, Charlie. We both know you will anyway."

Half an hour later, Charlie returned to the interview room where Joey was sitting with Watson and having a cup of hot chocolate.

"I've sorted out some accommodation for you tonight," the Sergeant explained, sitting across the table from Joey.

"Not a hostel?" Joey asked worriedly.

"Not a hostel," Charlie confirmed. "How would you feel about crashing on my couch for the night?"

Joey looked stunned. She stared at Charlie for several moments before she managed to find her voice.

"Why... why would you do that?" she asked. "I mean, what do you want in return...?"

"Nothing," Charlie said. "But you're helping us with our investigation and I think we need to help you too. You don't want to be in a hostel, I don't want to arrest you, and I've been granted permission from my superiors to have you stay."

"What about your dickhead boyfriend?" Joey asked.

Watson snorted. Charlie tried not to smile.

"He said it's okay," she said. "Albeit, not quite as nicely as I wanted him to."

"And your daughter?" Joey asked worriedly. "Why would you want a hooker to be around your daughter?"

"Joey, you're not a bad person," Charlie said sincerely.

"I'm a criminal," Joey reminded her.

"Yeah, well, I think these things are on a scale," Charlie told her. "Just because you break the law on a regular basis, it doesn't mean anyone has to demonise you."

A small smile twitched at the corner of Joey's mouth.

"Your boyfriend doesn't think like that," she pointed out. "I believe he called me a disease ridden whore."

Charlie sighed and apologised. Joey merely shrugged. She liked Charlie but she knew she had to approach with caution.

"That's not what I think," Charlie told her gently. "So, what do you say?"

"Are you sure your daughter won't mind?" Joey asked. "I don't want to upset her."

"I already called and she's eager to cook dinner for all of us when we get home," Charlie said. "And as an extra bonus, I get to work from home tonight."

She grinned.

"Cop turned babysitter?" Joey smirked.

"Something like that!"

Joey sighed and chewed her lip for a moment. She met Charlie's gaze and smiled.

"I'm in," she said. "Thank you."

Next time… Joey spends the night on Charlie, Angelo and Ruby's sofa…