"Hey, you interested in buying my car?" Angelo called out in a joking manner as he came outside to join the two Detectives.
As Angelo drew nearer, Robertson took note at how his confident swagger didn't match his bleary eyed, unshaven appearance. "The A.I.T. has narrowed down the make of car to two types," Robertson explained. "And so now we're checking all red cars of those makes in the area and seeing if any of them show signs of having been in an accident."
"Then I take it that my car matches the type you're looking for," Angelo said. He waved his hand over his car. "Well, as you can see for yourself, there's not a mark on it, not even a scratch."
"No, there isn't," replied Robertson.
"It's such a tragedy, what happened to Martha and her little boy," Angelo said in a tone that Robertson thought sounded rather false. "Martha, she seemed like a nice woman," despite her poor taste in partners, he added silently. "And I hope you catch the lowlife who left them there."
"Oh, I have every confidence that I will get him," Robertson assured him. The more Angelo spoke, the more Robertson became convinced of his involvement, despite the lack of evidence before them right now and the fact Charlie's officers hadn't yet turned up anything in regards to any red car being fixed in the past day.
"Then I won't keep you from your job," Angelo said, clearly intent on dismissing them.
"There is one other thing," Robertson said. "When was the last time you saw Bianca Scott?" he asked and had the satisfaction of seeing a reaction in Angelo's eyes, even if it was minimal and quickly covered up.
"Yesterday morning, why?"
"I was speaking to her sister earlier and she mentioned that Bianca missed breakfast with her this morning."
Angelo shrugged. "Yeah, well, sorry I can't help you with that, but it's not like I'm Bianca's keeper or anything," he said. "We're barely even acquaintances."
"You were having an affair with her."
"A mistake, one which has now left me with a lot of grovelling to do to my wife to try to save our marriage," Angelo said with a heavy sigh.
"Your marriage is well and truly dead and buried, you idiot," thought Robertson. The moment he'd seen Joey and Charlie together, it was pretty obvious to him that Angelo stood no chance of saving his marriage and in the short time he'd known Angelo, he couldn't really blame his wife for ditching him.
"If there is nothing else, I really need to be…"
"Sir," Graves called out, interrupting Angelo. "You need to look at this."
Joey nearly tripped over when she returned to work and found her father sitting at the bar, waiting for her. "Fuck," she muttered. While she had been hoping he'd one day turn up to say he'd accepted her and Charlie together, she knew it hadn't been anywhere near long enough for him to have changed his mind, so she steeled herself for the confrontation that was about to happen. "You're looking well for a dying man," she said with some bite, unwilling to forget about his lies.
"I am so sorry for that Josephine," he said. "Lying about something so serious and deceiving you so terribly, certainly wasn't one of my finest moments."
At least he had the good grace to look ashamed, she thought, but she still had no intention of letting him off the hook. "No, it wasn't. What do you want dad?"
He winced at her rather harsh tone. "I had to rush off the other day without having a chance to speak to you before I left."
"Unless it's to say you're accepting my marriage is over and you're happy that I've found happiness with Charlie, then you don't really have anything to say that I want to hear."
"You know my feelings on that matter, Josephine," he said.
"Yeah, you think I'm making a mistake, but that's your opinion, not mine."
"Angelo can give you everything you need."
"Don't you mean he can give you the grandson you've desired for so long?"
"That's not a priority right now," he said, neglecting to mention that the deal had fallen through after the board had found out the details of his deal with the Rosetta's. "I am actually here to speak to you about another family matter."
"Not more lies, I hope," Joey muttered.
"Please Josephine, can we go and talk somewhere a little more private?"
"Here is fine," she said, not giving an inch.
He glanced around, frowning at the barman who was pretending to be busy all of a sudden. Realising his daughter had no intention of moving, he began. "I'm here to tell you that you're going to be a big sister."
Joey just stared at him, not sure she'd heard him correctly. "I'm sorry?"
"May is pregnant." The news of his wife's pregnancy was about to break in the press and he was pissed because he suspected May of leaking the news, not that they could have kept it secret forever and it did give him an excuse to come and see his daughter.
"You don't seem all that excited by the news."
"It's just come as a rather unexpected shock, is all." That's an understatement, he thought angrily to himself. He had been less than impressed to say the least because as much as he found his wife desirable, he'd started to tire of her incessant whining and spending of his money and now he was stuck with her. What's done is done though, so all he could hope for was that it was a boy to carry on the family name.
"Kind of ironic actually," Joey said with a hint of a smirk. "That after all your lies and scheming to get a grandkid, you end up with a newborn of your own on the way."
"I still want grandchildren one day Josephine and Angelo would make a fine father to those children." Even without the deal, he still preferred a son-in-law like Angelo over some gold digging whore who would never be able to give him grandchildren, purposely ignoring the fact that the woman had turned down a good deal of money to leave his daughter alone. He had enough hassles with May without adding another woman into the mix.
Joey snorted. "I think we have a vastly differing opinion on the type of man Angelo is." She wondered if her father's opinion of Angelo would have changed if he'd been witness to what she had seen in the diner, but somehow, she doubted it. Even though her father never really had a problem with her being bi, he'd always take someone with good breeding and a dick over anyone else for her because it always came down to her popping out little Joey's to carry on the family business, whether she wanted kids or not. Obviously he wasn't aware that even lesbians could have babies but she couldn't be bothered wasting her breath telling him just now.
"What happened Josephine, you always thought so highly of Angelo?"
"Let's just say that I've started to see a whole new side to him that I'm finding rather unpleasant," Joey said. "Dad, my marriage is over and Charlie is my future now," she informed him. "We're even living together and I've also just taken my maiden name back."
"If this is what you want, then you're doing it on your own, without anything from me or the business," he responded harshly. "We'll see how long you last without the perks you're used to."
Joey smiled at him, knowing he was expecting her to bow down to his threats, but it just showed her that once again, he really didn't know her at all. "I have Charlie, she's all I need. This is my home now dad, I've made some wonderful friends, I have a job and I'm living with an amazing woman who I plan to spend the rest of my life with." She held his eyes. "And I don't need your money to make me happy, because I'm already the happiest I've ever been."
He stared at his daughter as if he had never seen her before and he had to admit, he admired her for standing up to him; it was rare for anyone to do so, let alone the little girl who had always idolised him. At least, she used to, he thought morosely, knowing he was in danger of losing her forever. He sighed. "I'm sorry Josephine, I didn't mean to come down so strongly, I just have a lot on my mind right now and I'm not thinking clearly."
"I get that, but you need to understand, I've made my decisions and I'm not changing them, not for you, not for anyone."
"You love her that much?"
"She completes me dad."
"I need some time to process all of this Josephine."
"Fine, you know where to find me when you're ready, but dad, if you can't accept Charlie, then don't bother coming back."
He nodded. "Fair enough, but what about your sibling?"
"I'd like to be a part of his or her life but don't even think of using that to get me back under your thumb."
His chuckle surprised her. "I wish you'd followed me into the business Joey," he again surprised her by using what he had always passed off as just a childish pet name her mother had given her. "Because you'd beguile our competitors with that hidden steel you possess behind your look of innocence and compassion."
Joey smiled back, appreciating his form of compliment.
"I can't promise you that I will be able to accept your new situation or not, but I'll go home and take everything under advisement."
It sounded like they were discussing a business deal or something, Joey thought, but that was his way of dealing with so much; as if it were all a part of business. She wasn't entirely confident he'd change his mind or that he wasn't trying to manipulate her again, but who knew; maybe having another kid could make a difference to the way things were at the moment, especially if it turns out to be a boy. Having a son of his own may lessen his need for a son-in-law, at least she could hope, for her sake, but she wouldn't mind a little sister either.
"That's all I want dad, for you to at least try and if it helps, I can assure you that I am very happy with the way my life is going right now."
He wasn't ready yet to admit it aloud, but he couldn't deny she did seem a lot happier now than she had been on her wedding day to Angelo. "Well, I guess I should be going."
"Thanks for letting me know about the baby."
After an awkward silence, they hugged briefly before he left.
"You ok Joey?" Romeo asked her once her father was out the door.
"Yeah, it's just not every day you find out that you're going to be a sister."
"The little nipper is going to be lucky having you as a big sister."
"Why thank you Romeo." Joey was finding herself liking the young man more with every passing day. "I just hope I'm on better talking terms with my father when the baby is born or things could be mighty awkward during visits."