"The Truth Hurts"
Thanks for your reveiws again - love to hear your thoughts - especially on where I might possibly be taking this murder mystery!
AuthorW - CJ's strength might just pull them through this mess together...
JSCO81 - I have a feeling you'll be griped for a while with what I have coming up...
Funkyshaz57 - No you're not thick at all. If I made it this obvious how this storyline would pan out at this point they'd be no point to keep writing lol! Don't expect answers anytime soon...but there could be a couple hints along the way...
AJ-1978 - I think this murder mystery has Cluedo beat - jk lol!
Oniz197 - No don't throw your computer! Then you can't keep up with updates and keeping more addicted lol! Thanks for the compliments - here's a botte of chill pills to get you through this chapter.
Filibuster44 - How did you...way to spoil the ending Fili! That's just plain mean lol!
Til next time keep those suggestions on the murderer coming and look out for clues...they are there...hidden very deep within the story...
Chapter Thirty-Six
Detective Robert Robertson frowned sadly, "Well that's quite the tale. So do you want to explain to me what Grant did to you Ms. Collins?" Joey stared at him frightened, so Charlie wrapped her arm around Joey's shoulders, pulling her in close and kissing her forehead, then Charlie turned to the Detective, "All I recall is trying desperately to find her, but I was still shaken up by him attacking me with the stun gun and I kept nearly fainting again. Ruby wanted to take me to the hospital, but I refused to go anywhere until I knew Joey was safe. I couldn't cope knowing if I went to the hospital Joey would still be out there all alone with...him. All I could think about what finding her and taking her home so I could apologise for taking actions into my own hand and kidnapping him. It's my fault...if I hadn't...Grant wouldn't have taken her. I think it was about half hour after he took her that we found Joey in the bush...alone...battered and bruised and it looked like Grant had..."
Joey and Charlie both burst into a small flood of tears. Detective Robert Robertson interrupted them, whispering lightly, "We need to know what Grant did to you Joey. Did he rape you?" Joey's breathing increased rapidly, as Charlie leant their foreheads together, "Please Jo...you need to tell us...I've been too afraid to ask you this question since I found you 'cause I couldn't bare it if he...please tell me he didn't do that to you."
"He didn't," Joey finally answered croakily, "He...um tried but...he didn't. I couldn't fight him off, but I think he got really scared right before he...and he backed away. I think he realized if he did it they'd be no way he'd get away with it this time." Charlie breathed a huge sigh of relief, wishing that she'd had the courage to ask Joey right after it happened but being too afraid of the state Joey could go into if she had to relive the memory of what Grant had done. Joey continued, "So after he dragged me away from the cabin and tried to...he hit me over the head a couple times and kicked me in the side before I fell unconscious. Then all I recall is waking up when you and Ruby were dragging me to your car and you helped place me in the back seat. I remember hearing your argument with Ruby on the way to the hospital. I distinctly remember you saying to Ruby that you needed to tell everyone what you'd done, and Ruby refusing to let you. I guess she didn't want to lose you huh?"
"And what happened next?" Detective Robert Robertson pushed. Joey shrugged, "I guess the next thing I remember is waking up in hospital the following night. I'd been unconscious for nearly a day, and I woke up pretty dazed and confused about how I got there. Charlie was sleeping next to my bed, and she woke up shortly when Rachel came to check on me and found me awake. Rachel started talking about my accident falling down the stairs...so I guess Ruby won that argument. My memory was hazy but I knew that wasn't what happened.
Charlie told me later that night what had really happened while we were alone, and that they had lied to Rachel as my injuries seemed consistent with a fall...Aden was happy to cover even though he didn't know why. If Rachel didn't believe us...she didn't let on. As Charlie informed me of everything I got my own memories back of what Grant did when he took me away from Charlie. I ah...I then lied to Charlie about getting my memories back...I told her I didn't remember anything. But over the last couple weeks with Grant gone and my nightmares becoming apparent...I opened up and told her about how he bashed me."
Morag frowned sadly after hearing what Joey had being through, but while she was still shocked and unsure on how to react to Charlie's confession, she was afraid of what this could do to her step-daughters career and life. Detective Robert Robertson spent a minute writing down some notes, while the girls both stared on impatiently, but then tensed as he finally looked back up at them, his expression not giving anything away, "So Ms. Collins...you lied to Charlie about getting your memories back...why? Needed to wait until you were sure Mr. Bledcoe had left town...afraid that your girlfriend would make a repeat performance to avenge your attack?"
"What?! No of course not," Joey claimed, "It wasn't like that at all. I knew Charlie would never do that kind of thing again. She doesn't have it in her...look she's been beating herself up about what she did this whole time. Even though she was pushed into taking some kind of action, Charlie knows it was a mistake. I just...wanted to forget it ever happened. I just...needed to be strong enough to deal with this on my own." "If that's your story," Detective Robert Robertson commented, "Because the way I see it...if you Ms. Buckton were...willing to kidnap and torture Mr. Bledcoe just because he wouldn't leave your daughter alone...what are you capable of if you...assumed he had raped your girlfriend? Is that why you couldn't bring yourself to ask her if that's what happened? Terrified that confirmation of that would send you into a murderous rampage?"
"You can't assume that's how she would've felt," Morag interrupted, "But Charlie...you need to answer his questions..." Charlie shook her head in disgust, "It didn't send me into a murderous rampage! I didn't kill him! And before you even think for one second of asking Joey if Grant attacking her sent her into a rampage...it didn't. We're innocent. Maybe I'm guilty for the actions I took against him but we're innocent of the murder. I was too afraid of asking Joey if Grant had indeed raped her because...I'd lose her. Not in a...her-going-off-and-killing-him-way...I'd lose her because I know she couldn't deal with going through all that again after Robbo...nobody could ever get through that kind of pain twice.
So I didn't push...if that's what happened I didn't want her to get her memories back. I wanted her to forget it ever happened so I wouldn't lose her. Maybe that was selfish of me...I asked Joey to move back in with me once she got out of hospital so I could take care of her...so I could protect her and make her see that my actions that night...I could never do that to her. I knew Joey was...well I thought Joey was slowly getting her memories back through her nightmares...but it wasn't until she opened up to me the other day about him bashing her that I hoped...I was wrong about him raping her. None of this means I'd be capable of hurting him again. So when he turned back up in the Bay three days ago, I couldn't go near him...because maybe I was afraid of what I might do if he pushed me again."
"And what happened to the stun gun? Take it home with you for safe keeping," Detective Robert Robertson suddenly enquired. Charlie shook her head, "The morning after the kidnapping, while Joey was unconscious at the hospital...I snuck back to the station to place it back where I found it. Angelo caught me sneaking it into his desk drawer. He questioned what I was doing with it, and I told him to keep his mouth shut...unless he wanted me to tell all our colleagues exactly how awful I felt being with him and how I'd be happy for anyone of them to shoot me in the head if I ever thought about going back there with him. He was embarrassed but kept insisting that what we had was real between us. Told him to rack off and keep quiet about the stun gun. He didn't need to be threatened more than once. What can I say about Angelo covering for me? Sometimes it's handy to have a total git in love with you and willing to do anything for you...might as well use it to my advantage at some point."
"Well I'd better have a quick word to his superior about that," Detective Robert Robertson smiled briefly, "Now going back a little...you mentioned Grant returned to town three days before his murder, but you refused to see him. Did you have any contact with him while he was here?" Both girls nodded sadly, before Joey spoke up, "The day he died. Leah and Angelo had both spotted him in the Diner the day he returned and they came to us to inform us. Angelo wanted to...I dunno be 'the man' or whatever and order Grant to leave town. I wouldn't agree to it, but after two days of Charlie being so distraught and not letting Ruby or I out of her sight for a second...Charlie agreed to let Angelo talk to Grant."
Charlie took a deep breath before continuing, "As it turns out Angelo got a little 'push-comes-to-shove' with Grant and he turned up at the station to report him. The other constables disregarded it and didn't do anything about the report. I was at the station on shift trying to avoid the racket outside my office while I tried to sort myself several days off work. It took a lot of convincing for Joey to make me leave her at home with Rubes and go back to work. Eventually I couldn't ignore what was going on in the main office and I bumped into Grant as I walked out of my office. I tried to shake off this bad feeling I had hanging over me. He made snide comments about the kidnapping without actually giving away any details of what I'd done so Watson was very confused. Eventually he realized for once...the whole station was supporting Angelo...of all people and his report wouldn't go anywhere so he left. Last time I ever saw him alive."
Detective Robert Robertson shifted slightly, "And what about you Ms. Collins? When was the last time that you saw Mr. Bledcoe...alive that is?" "After the whole Angelo thing and Grant leaving the station, Charlie called and we thought that was finally the end of it, that he was gone for good. So Charlie finally relented again and before she got home from work I walked Ruby back to Irene's. On the way back to the house...I came across him at the beach. I refused to talk to him and continued walking. There were quite a few people down at the beach so I wasn't worried about him doing anything dangerous. He wasn't there for long.
Just made some more of his usual threats against Charlie and Ruby. I told him I wouldn't let him anywhere near them and there were so many people out there that would protect us from him. That Ruby would never believe him, Charlie and I would never forgive him, so there was nothing in this town for him. He insisted he'd find a way to get back into Ruby's good books since he charmed his way into them the first time. Then he started rambling hysterically about stealing Charlie from me, telling me he'd get her back and put her through so much more pain than she caused him. I told him he was crazy, that I'd never let that happen and then I walked away from him. He didn't follow. I never saw him again."
"Well now," Detective Robert Robertson grunted, "I think we've done enough talking this morning. You've answered all the questions I have for now. But I'm without doubt that they'll be more questions for the both of you. I'll be in touch with Battleship here to arrange any further interviews. I've still got other people I'd like to question so we'll see how that pans out." "What does this mean for us? And for...my job?" Charlie asked hesitantly.
Detective Robert Robertson sat back in his chair, placing his hands behind his head confidently, "Well I'll expect both of you to stay in town while this investigation is in progress. As for your job here...I think it's safe to say that you are most certainly going to be suspended without pay pending assessment on your actions of Mr. Bledcoe. While you might have been driven to them, your actions were reckless and dangerous and you could've killed the man. These are not the actions of a police officer. But that's not the worst part...you two still fit the profile and capability and more than anything you both have more motives than most for wanting Mr. Bledcoe dead. Whether or not it was an act done separately or together...I guess we'll find out soon enough. If I had to make a choice right now...congratulations Ms. Buckton...I'm sure you'll be pleased to know after this morning's admittance...you've just bumped yourself up to my #1 suspect for the murder of Mr. Bledcoe."