Watson made her way toward the Braxton restaurant. She'd told Holmes she'd take the time off to relax and she had done that, but since her father had been busy in meetings until this evening, she'd had to fill her time in another way and after walking along the beach, enjoying a quiet coffee and cream bun, her arm was feeling a whole better and she felt refreshed and raring to go for tomorrow. Only she didn't want to wait that long. She still had some time before she met up with her father for tea, so she decided to check in with Brax. Asking a couple of questions wasn't going to strain herself and she didn't want to keep putting this off.

Walking around the corner, she suddenly found herself with a woman in her arms. "Whoa there," Watson said, her hands on Joey's arms to help steady her after Joey had all but crashed into her in her haste. It wasn't the first time she'd caught Joey like this and she quipped, "We really have to stop meeting like this."

"Sorry," Joey stammered and stepped back from Watson, putting some distance between them. It was unnerving the way Watson always seemed to be there lately. Of course, she expected to see Watson at times, since she was part of the investigation, yet she rarely saw Holmes unless it was related to interrogating her over something and twice now in two days, they'd unexpectedly met up. And twice now, she'd ended up in this woman's arms.

"You ok?" Watson asked. Joey was fidgeting, wouldn't meet her eyes and had obviously been in a hurry.

Joey shrugged in reply. She was trying not to look too hard at Watson dressed as she was. Sure, she'd seen her around town in the past dressed in casuals, but she'd become so used to seeing her in professional attire during her latest visit, that seeing her now in skinny blue jeans, tight red t-shirt and leather jacket was playing with her mind.

"Joey, something is obviously wrong," she said. Her eyes caught movement over Joey's shoulder and recognising the retreating figure, she put two and two together. "Did Brax do or say something to you?"

Joey shrugged again.

"Joey, if he's threatened you or done something wrong, I need to know."

"It wasn't really a threat," she finally muttered. "It was just his usual ranting, you killed Charlie, you need to pay, Charlie was mine, mine, mine," she mimicked in Brax's tough guy voice. "Even accused me of killing Jack as well."

Watson's eyes narrowed and Joey saw a flash of anger and annoyance there. "Wait here," she told Joey before striding after Brax.

"Braxton," Watson called out and Brax halted. He turned slowly to face her, a smile of welcome on his face.

"Good evening Detective," he said as if both of them were just out for a leisurely stroll. "What can I do for you?"

"You can tell me what that was all about with Joey just then," she demanded.

"I was just being a concerned citizen worried about the type of people who are roaming free right now," he said smugly.

"You were told to keep out of it and not take justice into your own hands."

"I said a few things to her, that's all," he replied.

"More like you were harassing her," she said.

"I love Charlie and Jack was a mate and that bitch killed them," he said, his anger getting the better of him.

"Joey is not the only person of interest in these cases."

"She's the killer though."

"Are you in possession of evidence or information to support this claim?"

"Well, err no," he stammered. "I just know she's guilty, that's all."

"Oh well then, if you believe it, then I'd better go and arrest her," she said extremely sarcastically.

"Just do your job," he ordered her.

"I am doing my job and if I find out that you've been harassing suspects, witnesses or anyone at all involved in the investigations, I won't hesitate to charge you with obstructing a police investigation."

"I'm not the only person who thinks she's a murdering bitch and wants her put away, so why don't you go and harass them?"

"Because you're the one who is here right now," she replied. She eyed him with a fierce gaze, before asking him, "Made any late night anonymous calls recently?" She saw with satisfaction a flicker of guilt that he hadn't been quick enough to hide.

"Sorry Detective," he said, "But I honestly have no idea what you're talking about."

"I'm talking about some coward who makes a late night threatening call to a woman."

"I ain't no coward and I don't threaten women," he said.

"Nah, you just harass them instead," she said. She took a step toward him. "Consider this a friendly word of advice and don't go getting any ideas about making the wrong kind of calls."

"Or what?" he asked smugly.

"I'll come after you," she assured him. "I'm not afraid of you Braxton and I'm not the kind of woman that will be swayed by your charm."

"That's because you're a muff diver," he said sneeringly.

"I love and respect women, something you should try some time," she fired back and his nostrils flared in anger. "Fuck with this investigation in any way again Braxton and I will come down hard on you."

He'd never really taken much notice of this woman over the years since she had been visiting the Bay, other than she was Harvey's daughter and kind of wimpy or so he thought. He was pleasantly surprised at her standing up to him like this and a little turned on by it.

"Wouldn't you prefer me coming down hard inside you over and over again," he said with a suggestive leer. "You know, that's your real problem right there and why you've really come after me," he stated. "You just haven't had a proper fuck since you ditched Angelo and now you're sexually frustrated and needing to be bent over that bench there for a real good hard pounding." He moved closer. "And you know I'm just the man to give you what you've been missing out on with women."

"Believe me," she eyed him up and down with a distasteful expression. "I'm definitely not missing out on anything."

Joey watched the encounter with interest. Brax towered over the much smaller Detective, in both height and size, yet Watson was right up there, challenging him and not taking a step back. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but Brax definitely didn't look pleased.

"Stay out of the investigation and stay away from Joey or I'll slap whatever charges I can on you," Watson told him. "You've been warned." At that, she walked away from him and she could practically feel his eyes boring into her back, but she never broke stride as she made her way back to Joey.

"You didn't need to speak to him," Joey said when Watson had returned to her side.

"He had been warned before about sticking his nose in," she said. "And besides, I was on my way to speak to him anyway."

Remembering what the Detective had said about following up on the phone call and what Brax had just said to her, Joey glanced back at him. "He's behind the call, isn't he?"

"I can't really prove it, but he's a pretty good suspect and I let him know it."

"If it was him, do you think that will stop him?"

"Not sure," Watson admitted. "Brax seems to be one of those guys who thinks he can get away with a lot."

"Because he generally does," muttered Joey. "I never saw the appeal of him, but I know Charlie once loved him and he her, but he acts like he's the only one who did love Charlie."

"In his mind, that's probably true."

"Well I loved her, whatever he may think of me." She sighed wearily. "I should be getting home."

"I'll walk you."

Joey looked at her in surprise. "Don't you have somewhere else to be?"

Watson glanced at her watch. "Dad's going to be tied up for another hour or so, so not really."

"You really don't need to walk me home."

"Under the circumstances, you shouldn't be out alone at night."

"Neither should you," Joey pointed out. "Or do you think being a cop somehow protects you?"

"Not at all," conceded Watson. "And you're right, no woman should really be walking alone at night when there is a killer on the loose."

"Are you sure you're going to be safe with me?" Joey said. "I mean, I could get you to a secluded spot and do anything I liked to you." Joey blushed as her mind suddenly flashed up something very different to murder.

Watson looked at her intently, which made Joey blush even more, fearing she'd be able to know what she was thinking. "Nah, I think I'm safe with you," Watson said.

"Why, because I have no reason to hurt you or because you're starting to think I might be innocent and incapable of such violence?"

Watson smiled at her. "We're getting into dangerous territory again and I told your sister I wouldn't talk to you alone again." Which meant she shouldn't be walking Joey home, but it didn't feel right to leave her alone after her encounter with Brax.

"Is that what Sally was talking to you about earlier?"

Watson nodded. "She's worried about you."

"I know she is, but I won't tell Sally we're talking, if you won't."

"I'll walk you home, but we should stick to discussing the flowers or something."

"Flowers are boring," Joey said as they started to walk. She glanced sideways at Watson, "So what's your opinion on the mayoral run?"

"Well, I don't really have a say in the matter since I won't be voting, but I have it on very good authority that Harvey Ryan is an outstanding guy and would continue to be a magnificent Mayor," she replied, then grinned. "Of course, I'm totally biased in that opinion."

"I'm liking John Palmer for Mayor, myself."

"Nah, I highly recommend Harvey Ryan."

"But your opinion is biased," Joey smugly told her. "So I'm going the other way."

"Damn, guess its best I don't have anything to do with my dad's campaign then, if I'm only going to be turning people off him."

"Your dad does seem like a good guy though."

"He is and he's always been there for me, even the times when we lived so far apart."

"Did you ever wish you'd grown up here?"

"Yes and no. I missed not always having dad around, yet I'm a city girl at heart, maybe because I spent most of my life there, but I do enjoy coming here." She smiled wryly. "Well, usually it's a little more enjoyable when it's not work related."

"It's a hell of a job you do," Joey said. "Must be hard at times."

"It is, but it's also rewarding."

"When you catch the bad guys?"

"That and being able to help people." Watson took a deep breath in. "It's so fresh and beautiful out here at night," she said, moving the conversation along and away from any talk of her work.

"I could never live anywhere else," Joey said. "I tried it once, but had to come back." She looked at Watson. "How is your arm now?" she asked. "It's just that I noticed you still favouring it earlier at my place."

"It's better now," she replied, shaking it for her to see. "Loosened up nicely."

"I still should probably apologise for earlier though," Joey said and Watson looked at her in puzzlement. "For subjecting you to that damn awful couch," she explained. "It can't have helped with your injuries to have had to have sat on that couch, it's so uncomfortable to sit on, to fall asleep on, to even look at, but I just can't bring myself to get rid of it."

Watson's lips twitched. "I was going to say something about it the moment I sat down, but Morag probably would have taken it as some sort of ploy on my part."

Joey chuckled. "She does like to use every advantage."

"Lawyers like her make life difficult for the likes of me," Watson murmured.

"No offence, but I'm incredibly happy to have her on my side and making your life difficult."

"None taken and completely understandable." For everyone's sake, Watson hoped there was some resolution to the case within the next two weeks, because if Robertson was sent here, things could become unpleasant for everyone involved, especially any suspects and she really wasn't looking forward to having to deal with Robertson, that Hayley woman and Morag all at the same time. She also hoped they weren't pushed into doing anything they'd all regret, because it went against everything she believed in to make arrests based on public perception and demands, instead of solely on the evidence at hand.

"Well, thanks for seeing me home," Joey said when they'd reached her front door twenty minutes later.

"Just doing my civic duty, ma'am," Watson said, mimicking a tilt of a non-existent hat.

Joey chuckled, "That was a pretty corny accent."

"Too many old movies late at night."

Joey unlocked the door, but hesitated and turned back to Watson. "It's Jack's funeral tomorrow," Joey said. "We weren't exactly friends, but he was Charlie's and he was part of Roo's family, and I'd like to return the support she's shown to me since Charlie died," she explained. "It's just that I'm not sure if it would be a good idea for me to go, because of how some people may view me and I don't want to upset anyone when they're in mourning."

"You can still find a way to be supportive of Roo and her family and Jack's, even without going," Watson said. "But you should sleep on it and if it doesn't feel right tomorrow, then don't force yourself to go."

Joey nodded, happy with the advice. "You were a friend of his, weren't you?"

"I used to hang out with him at Angelo's, but that was when we were growing up and I never saw much of him in the last few years," Watson said. "Still, his death has come at such a shock."

"This whole town is in shock," murmured Joey. "Well thanks again for walking me home."

She closed the door behind her and leant against it. So much for keeping her distance, she thought. She kept telling herself that Watson was one of the people, along with Holmes, who she needed to be on her guard around, yet there were times during their walk where she had yet again forgotten that Watson was a cop and she had totally relaxed around her and because of that, she'd enjoyed her company. She glanced out the window beside the door. Watson was already well down the path. "She's a cop and investigating you," she once more reminded herself and hoped that this time, she'd remember and stick by that.