"Charlie, is there something you want to tell me?" Aden asks.
"Why do you ask?"
"Just the whole aura of happiness that is around you today, even after you had to clear Angelo of hurting Joey."
"I told you earlier, I just got up on the right side of bed."
"Right," he says it in a way that tells Charlie he wasn't satisfied with her answer. "Well anyway, while you guys were investigating Joey's assault, I've been learning a little more from our previous fire victims." Charlie leans forward in interest. "Don't get too excited, they still refuse to name names."
"I'm betting it is Brax behind this though. Despite his now apparent respectability, there are still those who remember him from his gang days and that reputation would be enough to keep the silence. So what did they say?"
"For starters, the reason why Harvey Ryan's business was in trouble was because he'd made a couple of bad investments and as a result, fell behind in paying his suppliers for stock already supplied and also on his boat repayments. It just so happens that his main supplier also owns a large chunk of his boats; CBJ Industries, have you heard of it?"
"No."
"I'm not surprised. On paper, it looks legit at first glance, except if you dig a little deeper, you find it's a dummy corporation that exists in name only."
"Shit."
"I have a friend looking into it but it could take some time following all the phoney trails to get to the real one."
Charlie sits back. "So Harvey gets behind on his payments to this so-called company and then his place goes up in smoke."
"You said the insurance money wouldn't have covered all the losses caused by the fire, but it was enough to cover the repayments to CBJ Industries."
"I still wasn't entirely convinced about this arson for hire, but it's starting to look more likely, especially as we've now cleared the names on our list of potential arson suspects, which means our arsonist is looking more and more like an outsider." Aden nods in agreement. "What did the Wilkins and Mitchells have to say?"
"Very little, until I mentioned CBJ Industries, that's when they completely shut me down."
"We really need to find a link between CBJ and Brax."
"Charlie, I know you like this Brax guy for this and I agree, he's a likely suspect and needs closer inspection, but we can't rule out the involvement of someone else."
"Yeah, I know."
"If he is involved, we will get him Charlie," Aden assures her. "And we'll get the arsonist."
"Pity we can't just look up the yellow pages for 'arsonist for hire'," Charlie says lightly.
Joey had assured Martha she'd be fine to face Angelo alone, but now, standing at the door with her soon-to-be ex on the other side, she wasn't so sure. She glanced toward to the bedroom where Martha was with the still sleeping Georgie. It wasn't too far away, she thought. "Come on Joey, you can do this, then you can be with Charlie," she tells herself. Finding the strength, she opens the door, only to be swept up in Angelo's arms, his mouth working hungrily over hers.
"Angelo," she mumbles against his lips as she tries to push him away.
Keeping his arms around her, he leans back a little. "Sorry, I just missed you last night." He moves in for another kiss and frowns when Joey turns her head and steps away from him. "What is it? I've been cleared Joey, you don't need to be scared of me, I'd never hurt you."
"I'm not scared of you Angelo, I never believed you'd hurt me but things have changed."
"Let's just go home and we can talk about things there."
Joey shakes her head. "I can't go home with you Angelo."
"I don't understand."
Closing her eyes, Joey brings up an image of Charlie telling her she was there with her. Drawing strength, she opens her eyes. "I'm leaving you Angelo."
"Don't be silly," he says, growing annoyed at her behaviour.
"I'm not being silly. I haven't been happy for a long time."
"You told me you were."
"I've just been convincing myself that I have was, but I'm not happy Angelo and I can't continue on like this."
"You can't do this Joey."
"It was an arranged marriage Angelo, we both knew going in that there was a chance it wouldn't work out."
"That explains a few things," murmurs Martha.
"What are we eavesdropping on?" whispers Georgie right in her ear.
Martha jumps, not having heard Georgie's approach. "I'm not eavesdropping, I'm keeping an eye out for Joey while she breaks it off with Angelo just in case he doesn't take it well."
"How long was I asleep for?" Georgie asks, thinking things had changed a lot while she was sleeping.
"Since last night, now shush, I'm trying to eavesdrop," she says with a grin, turning her attention back to the figures through the slightly ajar door. "And it's getting good."
"What did I miss, other than Joey ditching her loser husband?"
"It was an arranged marriage."
"Knew there had to be a reason for her to have married that jerk."
"Don't say that Joey," Angelo says in a trembling voice.
"It's true Angelo."
"So what if it was arranged, we've known each other a long time Joey and we love each other."
"It's not enough."
"Of course love is enough. I love you Joey and I can make you happy."
"I love you too Angelo."
"Then let's make this work, we'll go to counselling, do whatever is necessary to save our marriage."
Joey shakes her head sadly. "Angelo, I love you, but I'm not in love with you, I never have been."
Angelo stares at her in disbelief. For some reason, she was lying to him, she had to be because he knew they were meant to be together. "Joey, don't do this, we can work it out and be together forever."
"I don't want that Angelo," she says as gently as possible.
"It's what your father wants," he tries another tact. "Our marriage makes your dying father happy, now you want to take his happiness away and send him to his grave."
"What a fucking low life bastard," Martha says furiously, surprising her girlfriend.
"That's not fair Angelo," Joey's guilt at ending their marriage turning to anger. "I love my father and I have done everything I can to make him happy, so don't you dare say that to me."
"You're right, I'm sorry, but why can't we make this work, at least for as long as he is with us."
"Because I can't go on like this. I'm not happy Angelo and I can't keep pretending anymore."
Angelo falls to his knees in front of her.
"Oh give me a break," Georgie rolls her eyes.
"Please Joey," he says tearfully. "Give us a chance. I love you and I can't lose you." Joey knew Angelo wouldn't take the news well because his feelings were so much stronger than hers, but this was too much, he looked absolutely shattered. Sensing her weakening, Angelo smiles inside while outside he played his part of the broken husband. "Family has always been important to the both of us Joey," he says in a quiet voice, his eyes drifting to her stomach as he imagined his child already growing there. "And we're family. Please Joey, just give me a chance to prove that I can make you happy, that we can live happily ever after."
His last words reminded her of her future, a future with the one person who had stirred her heart and emotions in a way no one else ever had and that person wasn't the man kneeling before her. "We're over Angelo," she says with more confidence than ever.
Angelo narrows his eyes at her tone. "There's someone else, isn't there?" he demands, surging to his feet. Joey takes a little step back, unnerved by the sudden venom in his voice. "It's that fucker Aden, isn't it?"
"There is nothing between me and Aden, there never has been and never will be."
"Then why are you leaving me?"
"Man, is this guy dense."
"Shhh," Martha shushes her girlfriend while agreeing with her.
"Angelo, please, our marriage is over, just accept it."
"Never." He reaches out for Joey's arm.
"Honey, you're still in your," Martha tries to warn her, a little too late as her girlfriend rushes out to confront Angelo when he grabs Joey.
"Angelo, let me go," Joey pushes him away from her.
"You heard her," Georgie says.
"Stay out of it bitch, this is a private conversation."
"In case you're forgetting, this is my house and Joey is my guest and I don't appreciate you manhandling my guest, now get out before I throw you out."
"I'd like to see you try to do that you pathetic, little cripple," he taunts her.
Joey stares at him, starting to see him in a completely new and rather unpleasant light.
"Joey, come home with me so we can talk about this."
"There's nothing to talk about. It's over Angelo, now please leave."
"You heard her," Georgie says in a strong voice.
"I told you to stay out of this."
"I haven't had much sleep lately, I'm tired, I'm cranky and I'm not a patient person Rosetta, so I'm going to ask you one more time to leave before you find out just what this pathetic little cripple can do to you."
Angelo glares at her with hate-filled eyes. Georgie half-hoped he'd try something dumb just so she'd have the pleasure of throwing him out on his arse, but she saw him take a breath and relax.
"Fine, I'll leave, but I'm not letting you go without a fight Joey," he warns, slamming the door behind him.
Martha walks to Joey's side, putting her arm around her, "Are you ok?"
"Yeah. This was never going to be easy but I'm just glad I was able to get through it and say what needed to be said," though she knew this was only the beginning. She may consider their marriage over but Angelo obviously believed there was hope and if his reaction about Aden was anything to go by, she was even more worried now how he'd take to finding out about Charlie. "I need to call my father before Angelo does and I should probably warn Aden; I don't think Angelo believed me about him and in this state, he's likely to go after him."
"It probably is a good idea to warn Aden," Georgie says.
"Thanks for the backup and I'm sorry for what he said to you."
"It's not your place to apologise for him Joey, it never was."
Joey nods slightly.
"Honey, couldn't you have dressed before confronting him though," Martha says, eyeing off her girlfriend's rather short nightshirt.
"This is our home, I'll wear what I want and just be thankful I wasn't in the nuddy." She winces when she puts too much weight on her bad leg.
Martha sighs. "Well what did you expect when you spent the best part of two days on your feet?"
"Some sympathy," Georgie replies with a pathetic pout.
"Well, it was self-inflicted," she starts to say, before melting under the puppy dog look. "But I'll run you a bath and get the massage oil."
Joey smiles after the couple as they leave her alone to make her call. She hoped she and Charlie could have the same happy and supportive relationship as they did. Dreading what she had to do, she reached for the phone.
Next chapter, Joey and Charlie's relationship is revealed in a public way.