I know it's not the extra update of 'Freshers' you requested but I hope you like it all the same. Love, IJKS xxx
Chapter Thirty Six
Joey sat somewhat awkwardly in Charlie's lounge while her bodyguard broke up with her boyfriend. She tried to ignore the sounds of shouting as Charlie told Angelo exactly what she thought of him and he tried to convince her not to throw out all his stuff onto the street.
"How the hell can you take her word against mine?" Angelo said, hovering anxiously behind Charlie as she slung his clothes into bin liners.
"Because I know she wouldn't lie to me," Charlie replied.
She elbowed him out of the way and set to work on emptying his underwear into the bags.
"So, you're taking some slut's word over mine?" he demanded.
She whirled around, her eyes blazing in a way he had never seen before.
"Tell me that you didn't have sex with her," she said. "Tell me right now."
"I didn't…" Angelo faltered.
He sighed heavily and sank down on the end of the bed with his face in his hands.
"It wasn't like that," he protested. "Charlie…"
She finished rooting through his drawers and stormed into the bathroom to get rid of his things from there.
"Charlie, it wasn't like that!" he insisted as he followed her.
"What was it like then?" she asked, concentrating on her task.
"You and I hadn't been together in weeks," he said. "I was weak and she was there and…"
Charlie whirled back round to face him.
"We might not have done it for a while when you screwed her the first time," she said. "You know, in that back alley on some dirty night after hours. But what about the last two nights? You finished forcing her to fuck you and then you demanded it from me."
"I didn't force her!"
"Yes, you did!" Charlie snapped. "She told me exactly what happened and you damn well forced her!"
Anger boiled over as she thought about the way he had treated the woman she cared so much about. She thrust his toothbrush firmly against his chest and pushed him out of the way. He winced and followed her back into the hall where she tied up the bags and dragged them out the front door.
"Charlie, would you just listen to me…?"
"I'll listen to you when you're giving your defence statement after I report you to Robertson," Charlie informed him.
He reached out and tried to take her hands but she jerked away.
"Why are you letting that bitch get into your head?" he asked urgently.
"She's not a bitch," Charlie said. "She's an amazing woman who's had a really shit life. This was our chance to help her find a way to walk away from everything she's been subjected to all these years. And you just took advantage of her. You're absolutely disgusting. I hate you."
He tried to object but she pushed him through the front door, slamming it in his face. Sighing heavily and suddenly feeling like all her energy had been drained from her body, Charlie sank onto the floor, her back against the wall. She ignored Angelo's knocks, having already taken his key from him and closed her eyes.
"Charlie?" said a meek voice.
Charlie looked up to find Joey hovering beside her looking anxious.
"Charlie, I'm so sorry," she said.
The police officer managed a smile and shook her head.
"You have nothing to be sorry for," she assured her.
Opening her arms, she gestured for Joey to join her on the floor. Joey came to sit with her, enjoying the warmth of her hug. They held each other for a long time.
In the afternoon, Charlie took Joey to the police station to make a statement about both Angelo and Watson's behaviour.
"I'm genuinely sorry for what they did," Robertson said gravely.
Joey nodded, not quite able to find her voice.
"Who should we put in their places, Charlie?" he asked. "Obviously they can't work this case anymore. For starters, I'm suspending them. And that's before we even think about criminal charges."
Charlie nodded.
"To be honest, at this point in time, I don't trust anyone," she admitted. "I'd say I'd go on twenty four hour duty but I can't just abandon my daughter."
She sighed heavily, not quite sure what to do next. Robertson nodded thoughtfully.
"What about Avery?" he suggested. "He's on shift today, he's been working on the case with us and he seems like a decent guy."
Charlie looked hesitant.
"What do you think, Joey?" she asked.
The younger woman shrugged.
"I don't mind," she said.
Charlie was struck by how empty she sounded.
"Look, let Avery take her for now," Robertson said. "You've got to be getting home to meet your daughter, don't you?"
Charlie nodded. Ruby would have finished school by now.
"Then we can work things out from there," the Detective decided.
Charlie and Joey reluctantly parted ways. Avery took Joey back to the safe house while Charlie forced herself to go home.
"What's happened?" Ruby asked immediately.
Throwing Angelo out had left rather a lot of mess and if that hadn't triggered the question than seeing the state her mother was in would have.
"I don't even know where to start," she admitted.
Ruby took her mother's hand and led her onto the couch.
"Start from the beginning," she said.
Joey hid away in her room with Bear Cat for the rest of the day. She couldn't quite process exactly how the day had gone. She felt terribly guilty for her part in Charlie's hurt and she worried that she had done wrong by telling the truth. It seemed like Charlie had lost everything now and it felt like it was all her fault. Guilt overwhelmed her. She curled up on the bed in tears.
"I think you need to be Joey's permanent guard," Ruby decided when Charlie had told her everything.
"I can't," she said. "I know you're grown up and independent and everything but I can't just abandon you."
"Well, I could always go and stay with Leah," Ruby said. "Or even Irene. I know things are kind of packed with Bianca and April living there but there would probably be room."
"I don't want to throw you out of your own home, Rubes," Charlie said. "I'm committed to my job but you're always going to come first. You know that."
"I know," Ruby said, gently touching Charlie's hand. "I know. But this is different."
Charlie nodded and sighed.
"For starters, you're trying to catch a serial killer," Ruby said. "And secondly, you're in love with Joey."
Charlie jolted. She stared at Ruby in shock.
"Excuse me?" she demanded.
"There's no shame in it, Mum," Ruby said. "And while I hope you're not about to start paying for it… it's obvious you have feelings for her."
Charlie sighed heavily and closed her eyes.
"Why do you have to be so perceptive?" she wondered.
"I'm just that awesome," Ruby replied, making her Mum chuckle.
Charlie leant over and played with Ruby's hair for a moment.
"And how did you get so grown up?" she asked wistfully.
"It happens to the best of us," she said. "But seriously, Mum, you need to finish this. You need to catch the killer, work out your feelings and then figure out the future. And I'm not about to stop you doing that just so you'll cook me dinner every day. It won't be long. I can go and crash somewhere else and all you have to do is call me each day."
Charlie nodded thoughtfully.
"Are you sure you don't mind?" she asked.
"I'm sure," she said. "You need to do this."
Having packed Ruby safely off to Leah's for what they both hoped was as short a time as possible, Charlie packed her own things and headed over to the safe house. She found Avery in the lounge, watching TV.
"She's in her room," he said, switching it off. "She's been there ever since we got back."
"Okay," Charlie said, nodding thoughtfully. "Meet you at the usual spot at nine thirty?"
"Yep," he agreed, standing up and heading back out of the apartment.
Alone, Charlie knocked tentatively on Joey's door.
"Joey, it's Charlie," she called when she didn't answer.
"Come in," was the young woman's quiet reply.
Charlie came to sit on the bed and immediately took Joey in her arms.
"I'm going to be your guard all the time," she said.
"What about Ruby?" Joey wondered.
"She's gone to stay with some friends of ours," Charlie explained. "She'll be fine there."
"But…"
"It's fine," Charlie said. "We're going to find this guy and bring him to justice. And we're going to put you back on your feet."
Joey nodded and shrugged at the same time. She couldn't help but think she was a lost cause.
"Charlie, you've sacrificed so much for me…" she said glumly.
Charlie just smiled and stroked her cheek with the back of her hand.
"I haven't been honest with you," Joey said.
She looked down, not able to meet Charlie's gaze.
"I've kept important things from you and… I'm sorry."
"What kind of things have you kept from me?" Charlie wondered rather nervously.
Joey finally looked at her.
"I know much more about the murders than I led you to believe," she admitted.
Next time… Charlie learns a lot more about the serial killer she is trying to catch…