"Please don't be Angelo's parents," murmured Charlie as she opened the door.

"I can't do it Charlie," Watson said as she brushed right past her cousin. "I can't be accused of murder again," she ranted. "I just can't go through all that innuendo and hell that I went through with mum again."

Charlie stepped in front of her and held her by the shoulders. "Georgie, calm down."

"How can I be calm when I know they're going to be coming after me for Angelo's murder," she snapped. She shook her head, angry at herself when she saw Ruby and Joey were also there and realised how she was coming across. "I'm sorry for barging in and going off like that," Watson murmured.

"It's ok Georgie," Joey said. "We're all feeling the strain of this news."

For all her anger, Watson wasn't so blinded by her hatred of Angelo to not see how this might affect Joey. He had been her husband and friend at one time. "Sorry for your loss," she said.

Her words were lacking in conviction, but Joey understood the sentiment was there, at least for her. "Thanks."

"Have you even spoken to Robertson about this?" Charlie asked her.

"Not yet," Watson said, turning her attention back to her cousin. "I'm surprised they didn't come running to my door the moment they saw it was Angelo's body. I heard you were at the scene," she said. "Did Robertson say anything about what happened?"

"Basically butt out because I'm a suspect," replied Charlie.

"So nothing about me?"

Charlie had known this conversation was coming, she just wished she'd had more time to prepare for it. "Robertson did make mention of your assault on Angelo."

"Fuck," muttered Watson and she dropped into one of the seats, her head in her hands. "I can't believe I have fucked up this badly yet again."

"From what Robertson said, it wasn't your fault," Charlie told her. "Angelo was provoking you."

"Yeah, provoking me into a reaction and like the useless bitch that I am, I walked right into it." Her tone, like her words, was full of self-loathing.

"Don't you dare talk about yourself like that," Charlie ordered her. "You are not a useless bitch."

"It's how I feel," she mumbled. "You and Gina can argue with me all you like about how punching Angelo is understandable after what he did, but it doesn't change what I did or how I feel," she said. "Because right now, I feel like a complete failure."

"You spoke to Gina about punching Angelo?" She'd been annoyed that her cousin hadn't told her about the encounter, but she was pleased she'd at least spoken to someone about it, instead of letting it fester in silence.

"Last night."

"What time?"

"With my luck," she drawled. "It won't be when it could have given me an alibi."

"Georgie, what time," Charlie asked again.

"Around midnight."

"Shit," murmured Charlie.

"Not good, huh?"

"Angelo was last seen at 11 and if he died shortly after that."

"Then I'd have had time to bump him off, get home and come up with a story about not being able to sleep and needing to talk to someone," Watson concluded. "Hell, they could even make out that the real reason I was upset, was because I'd just committed murder and was panicking." Sometimes she hated being a cop, because with all the shit she'd seen in her career, it was easy for her mind to slide into worse case scenarios and to step into the shoes of the investigating officers and know what they were likely thinking. If she'd been investigating this case, she'd have someone with her history at the top of the suspect list as well. "Fucking hell," she murmured softly. "So chances are, I'm not going to have an alibi for the time of the murder."

"Until we have confirmation on an actual time of death, then all I can say to that, is," Charlie said with a wry smile. "Welcome to the suspects with no alibi club."

"You too?"

She nodded.

"And me," Joey said.

"Man, we all seriously have no luck," said Watson.

"You're all innocent though," Ruby said. "And that Robertson guy will prove it."

"Without alibis, the only likely way any of us get cleared is for Robertson to find the real killer," Watson pointed out.

"I'm sure he will do just that," Charlie assured them. Seeing the state her cousin was currently in and knowing things were only going to be getting more stressful for all them, especially Georgie, Charlie reached an immediate decision. "Georgie, the three of us were just discussing what a media circus this is likely to end up being for all of us," she said. "So perhaps under the circumstances, you and Jay should move in with us."

"That's a great idea," Ruby said.

"It only needs to be for a couple of days till we all get our bearings," Charlie said. "Or longer if you need it."

"Are you serious?"

Charlie nodded to her. Too often in the past, she hadn't been there for her cousin, either physically or emotionally, but never again. She'd made a start after Martha's accident, yet this time, she was determined to go further if necessary, to ensure her cousin's emotional wellbeing was looked after. "Georgie, we're all going to be under intense scrutiny by both the police and media and there's safety in numbers," she explained. "Besides, I think we could all do with the extra support we can give to each other."

"I don't know," Watson murmured hesitantly.

"With Martha in hospital, you are already dealing with so much," Charlie said. "Let us help out and ease the burden on your shoulders."

"Yeah," added Ruby.

"Are you two going to gang up on me now?"

"Yes," they said together, then Charlie spoke again. "Georgie, we'd feel a lot better if you and Jay were here with us during this."

"Jay is already picking up that things aren't alright with me," she said. Watson sighed and looked away from them. "If I move in, it's for Jay's sake, as much as mine."

"That's fine," Charlie said. Her cousin may continue to doubt herself, yet she would always put her son's wellbeing first and that made her a great mum, as far as Charlie was concerned. "Where is Jay now?"

"Roo took him to see his mum." She wished she was with Martha as well, but she couldn't lay her fears on her. At least not until she had calmed down some more, because the last thing she wanted to do, was to upset Martha by acting all crazy.

"Ruby, how about you and I go and do some grocery shopping," suggested Joey. "Before the vultures descend upon us and make leaving our house an unpleasant experience."

Ruby looked at Joey, then her sister and cousin. Guessing Joey's main intention was to give the two officers time alone, Ruby nodded to Joey. "You guys want anything?" she asked them. "Some kid food for Jay?"

"There's plenty back at my place," Watson said. "I'll just bring some of it around when I go home and pack some bags for us."

"Ok," Joey said. "We won't be long."

"I'm not going to pretend I ever liked the guy or that I'm sorry that the bastard is dead, because I'm not," Watson said to her cousin the moment they were alone. "He made my life hell and nearly stole from me the two most important people in my life. I hated him Charlie and I'm glad he's dead."

"I can certainly understand that," replied Charlie. "Just a word of advice though," she said. "Tone down the vehemence in your voice when you speak about him and I'd probably avoid repeating that you're glad he's dead to anyone else."

"Bit late for that, Charlie," she said. "I've made no secret of my feelings toward him in the past, and just yesterday, I gave Robertson a perfect demonstration of that."

"You realise that he's going to have to report the incident now, so as to explain the bruise found on Angelo's face," Charlie informed her cousin. "But Robertson is going to be fighting in your corner Georgie and once he's done, I doubt anything will come of it, other than it is filed away and forgotten."

"It happened Charlie, so maybe I should suffer the consequences."

"You don't deserve the consequences."

"I assaulted a senior officer."

"Under intense provocation," Charlie reminded her. "You may feel like that's not enough justification for your actions, but it does go to show the state of mind he pressured you into. That can help if this has to go further, which I doubt it will." She was relying on Robertson's belief here, but it was all she had to go by to comfort her cousin right now.

"Somehow, punching Angelo seems the least of my concerns in the current scheme of things," she murmured, since they could now come at her for his murder. Watson shook her head. "Honestly Charlie, I don't care about my job right now," she said. "All I care about is staying free so I can be with Martha and our boy."

"You will be free to do just that," Charlie assured her. "Maybe we should contact Morag and get some advice on how to handle this." She'd dealt with plenty of lawyers throughout her career, but she had a feeling being on the other side was going to be a very different experience and she didn't want to make the mistake of thinking she knew how to deal with it all on her own.

"Martha will probably suggest the same thing when I talk to her," Watson said. "That's going to be a fun talk," she muttered. "Hey Martha, I punched Angelo yesterday and now he's dead," she added sarcastically.

"Georgie, why didn't you tell me about the incident with Angelo yesterday?"

"Because I was embarrassed that I'd let my emotions get the better of me," she said. "Yet again. I don't like being angry Charlie, but sometimes, it feels like a permanent state for me to be in and I hate it."

Once, she had put her cousin's attitude down to being nothing more than a hot head, yet now, Charlie really was starting to better understand the constant battles her cousin was fighting. Both within herself and with others and just how much it took out of her to keep her cool as often as she did. It would be so easy for her to lash out given all the shit she'd had to endure throughout her life, yet she didn't and she was coming to admire her cousin in a way she'd never expected to. Georgie really was a contradiction at times and one well worth unravelling. It was no wonder Martha was so enraptured with her.

"If anyone has a reason to be angry, it's you Georgie."

"Yeah maybe but it's not a nice feeling to have," she said. "Martha keeps telling me to let it go, along with my past, yet as much as I try, I can't."

"When are you next going to see Martha?"

"Before work," she replied. "I'd rather not dump even more shit on her lap while she's lying in a hospital bed, but I can't go a day without seeing her and the minute she sees me, she's going to know something is very wrong and get it all out of me anyway, so I might as well just tell her right from the start."

"Wish I had her talent for getting you to open up so easily," Charlie said.

"Even with her, I haven't always been able to open up, not the way I know Martha wants me too," admitted Watson. "I hope one day I can." She put her head in her hands again as she sighed heavily. "I'm not sure if I can get through this Charlie, even with your help," she said. "I am just so tired and worn down by it all."

Charlie rested her hand on her cousin's shoulders. "You'll get through this," Charlie confidently stated. "We all will. Oh and Georgie."

"Yeah?"

"You are not a complete failure and while you are under this roof, I won't have you putting yourself down."

"I can't help it."

"Try," she said. "Because I hate hearing you talk like that."

Watson shrugged, lacking the fight right now. "God, we're a pair, aren't we," she said instead. "Lesbian cop cousins who are suspects in killing the same man. The press really is going to have a field day with us."

"Too right."

"I'm the cop with a sordid past who hooked up with her dead partner's wife," she murmured. "My past, mum's murder and recent problems with Angelo is going to be just the type of juicy goss the media craves."

"And I'm the conniving harlot living with the victim's wife and sitting in the victim's office with his rank now mine," Charlie said. "It's a bit like a pissing contest as to who has the bigger motive in the eyes of the media," she joked.

"Think this would be one of the few times I'd win against you."

"Oh I don't know," drawled Charlie. "I think the intrigue of a broken marriage and lesbian lovers trumps all."

Despite herself, Watson chuckled. "Yeah, it just might."

"Well, you were right about her name not being Shannon," Graves said as she and Robertson walked down the hallway toward the woman's hotel room. Before coming up stairs, they'd taken a moment to speak to the hotel manager and after some haggling, they'd managed to get the woman's name from him. "Care to take a guess as to why she chose my girlfriend's name for when she was banging Angelo, because I'm certainly ruling out that it is all just some big coincidence now."

"Oh, I agree," replied Robertson. "Sharing the same hair colouring with your Shannon, then her choice of that particular name seems very deliberate and in light of Angelo's murder, her use of an alias with him makes me somewhat more suspicious as to her motives," he said. "And given her proximity to your room and her association with Angelo, I'd almost go back to my original hypothesis that she was our watcher and was working for him. Yet with the recent revelations, I'm now no longer certain as to whom her real target was," he admitted. "Angelo or us."

"Perhaps both," Graves said. "She seemed to have placed herself in a position to keep an eye on both sides."

"Then is it about the accident investigation or something we're not yet aware of?"

"I guess it could depend on how long she's been in the Bay for." Graves stopped in her tracks, snapped her phone open and called down to the front desk. After a brief discussion, she hung up. "Gypsy Nash booked in a few days before the accident, but later requested a room change," she told him. "That room change happened the evening of the accident."

"Curious," he murmured. "Perhaps Miss Nash might be kind enough to tell us as to what brought her to Summer Bay in the first place and what has kept her here," he said.