"Ok Joey, what was that all about?" Graves asks as they complete their chat with O'Malley later that afternoon. "I thought you told Buckton that there was no reason to interview him."
"No, she said that, I just agreed she was probably right, not that I wouldn't talk to him."
"Man, you sure to like stepping on toes."
"If they've got nothing to hide, they shouldn't fear talking to us."
"It's not as simple as that Joey and you know it. Even if they have done nothing wrong, just talking to us can have a negative impact on their careers."
"If they're good, honest officers, a little hiccup like this won't stall their careers and O'Malley is hardly a good, honest cop."
"You hope," Graves mutters. "So what were you hoping to find out from O'Malley, because we learnt nothing that we didn't already know."
"I didn't really expect to find out anything new."
"Joey!"
"Look Graves, we already know that a few years ago O'Malley had a gambling problem, that he was in debt and then that debt disappeared virtually overnight."
"Ok, so someone paid of his debt for his services. Unless Rosetta has a fortune stashed away somewhere, he wasn't the one who paid off O'Malley's debts."
"What if the debt was owed to Rosetta or whoever he is working with?"
"It's possible I suppose. They get people into debt, offer them a way out and before they know it, they've done one favour too many and there is no way out."
"Welsh never gave up any names, but he admitted that he only got mixed up in it all when someone caught him having sex with an underage girl. Now, he claimed he never knew the girl was underage at the time and the fact that there just happened to be a camera set up to catch the act, leads me to believe he had no idea she was underage, especially when he then got this." Joey pulls the photo she received earlier out and shows it to Graves. "Welsh received this, along with her student id. The girl could easily be mistaken for at least 18."
"How old is she?" Graves asks.
"14."
"You're kidding!" Looking at the photo again, "Where is the girl?"
"No idea. She's a runaway who was reported missing two months before this photo was taken."
"I hate to say it Joey, but she doesn't look drugged or anything in this picture."
"No and unless they've used other means to control her, she looks every bit the willing participant." Joey covers the photo up, feeling sickened by the image. "Whether she is willing or not, it doesn't change the fact that she's underage and so anyone having sex with her is guilty of rape and I intend to make whoever is behind this pay."
"You really think Rosetta and Buckton are tied up in all this, I mean this girl is around the same age as Buckton's daughter."
"I think most of the crimes are tied together, largely because of the links to officers from this station, but it's possible that some of them aren't aware of all the activities that the people they work for are involved in and if they're in a similar situation to what Welsh found himself in, they may feel that they have no choice but to stay silent."
"After the way Rosetta behaved in the interview, I wouldn't put it past him being involved in child prostitution, but not Buckton."
"I'd have to agree with you on that," Joey says somewhat reluctantly. "I can see her covering for her fiancé on some crimes, but not that; even she would be disgusted by that."
"If Buckton is activity involved in Moreland's death, did she do it for love or because they have something on her?"
"My guess would be love. She started sleeping with Rosetta before he was even cleared of Holden's death, so either she gets off on fucking the crims or she's so blinded by love that she's willing to sacrifice everything for a man she sees as some Prince Charming."
"And what if the only crime she is guilty of is being unable to see Rosetta for what he really is?" Graves asks, still curious as to why Joey seemed to have such a problem with the Sergeant.
Joey takes her time to answer. "Even if it turns out she's committed no crime herself, as the senior officer of this station, she has allowed this to happen on her watch and that makes her partly responsible."
"That's a bit harsh Joey. Holden's death and a lot of the suspected crimes happened before she became Sergeant and the senior officer."
"She's negligent Graves. Rosetta killed another officer and even if it was deemed an accident, as the more senior officer, she shouldn't have started a relationship with him. And if she wasn't engaged to him, do you really think she would be defending him so vehemently or been so ready to believe his version of events with Belle Jeffries? Come on Graves, do you think for one minute that he's actually faithful to her, even though she truly believes that he is?"
"I've known men like him; there's no way that he's a one woman man." Graves groans despondently, "This case would be so much easier if we could prove to Buckton that he's a liar and a cheat."
"Even that may not be enough to convince her and maybe I am being a little rough on her, but I'm not going to sit back and let her keep the blindfold on, not when other people's lives could be at risk."
"But what are we going to do Joey, we have no way of proving anything at the moment and O'Malley stuck to his story, that he and Rosetta were on duty when Moreland was killed, so Rosetta still has an alibi."
"Yeah, but we know O'Malley is lying. He couldn't look us in the eye the entire time he was talking to us and I just so happened to have turned the AC on high in here; it's like 10 degrees and he was sweating like crazy."
"Now that he's gone, could you turn it off; I'm bloody freezing sitting here in a light shirt."
Hitting the button on the remote, Joey turns the AC off. "Look at it this way Graves, we may not be able to prove anything right now, but now that O'Malley knows we suspect him of lying about Rosetta's alibi, he's either going to go running to Rosetta, or he's not going to say anything, but whatever he does, Rosetta's going to be worried."
"I just hope it doesn't end up with O'Malley dead."
"So do I."
"Charlie, what's got you so pissed off," Georgina asks her friend when Charlie slams the drawer of the filing cabinet, "Or do I even need to ask."
Charlie leans against the cabinet as she regards her friend. "Georgina, you've been here for nearly two years, but you've hardly ever mentioned having a sister and she's never visited."
"I usually go and stay with her."
"What's her husband like, I mean he must have the patience of a saint to put up with her."
"Charlie, you're my friend, but Joey's my sister. I don't want to get in the middle."
"You're right, I'm sorry."
"Are you ok?"
"You mean aside from feeling like I've been run over by a truck after dealing with your sister?" She complains as she takes her seat behind the desk.
"I did warn you about her."
"Yeah you did. I suppose it's my own fault, I'm the one who asked her why Grant was contacted, I should have left it at that, but instead, I let her lead me exactly where she wanted me; reopening Jack's death."
"She is rather good at that, especially keeping you off balance."
"No kidding. One minute she's pissing me off about one thing and then before I knew it, she's on about something else and then she went and talked to O'Malley when I thought we'd agreed it was unnecessary." Charlie looks out the window, trying to regather her thoughts. "She's relentless Georgina, I don't know if I can survive this without committing an act of violence against her."
Chuckling a little at that, Watson can offer her little relief. "I wish I could tell you it will get easier, but as long as you're a suspect, she's going to hammer away at you."
"If I wasn't her target, I could almost admire her, but..." Charlie lets her voice trail off.
"Charlie, it's not just my sister causing you problems, is it?"
"Angelo and I had a disagreement last night, we've sorted it out now, but I just hate it when we fight."
"All couples fight Charlie."
"It's not just that, Georgina. With everything that's been happening, I'm wondering if I made a mistake accepting the promotion to Sergeant."
"Charlie, give it time, you're still finding your feet."
"That's not what I'm concerned about." Charlie sighs in frustration, "Before, I was still senior to Angelo, but now that I'm his boss, I'm finding it harder to keep things separate and now we're both under so much pressure with the investigation, I'm scared it will become too much and I'll lose him."
"Why would you lose him Charlie?"
"Because he wants a baby and I want to wait, especially now that I have the extra responsibility of being in charge here. He told me this morning that he's happy to wait, but I know he just said that to make me happy; he wants a child so badly."
"Tell him to give birth to it himself," her words bringing a smile to Charlie's face.
"Georgina, am I being unreasonable wanting to put off having more kids for a few years?"
"Of course you're not. Charlie, it's your body, you're the one who's going to have to make all the adjustments while you're pregnant, both with your body and at work; all Angelo has to do is strut around like a peacock bragging about how he knocked you up." Charlie chuckles at the image. "Charlie, if you're not ready, don't give in to him, because it's rather hard for you to change your mind once the deed has been done."
Charlie stares at the top of her desk for moment, taking a deep breath. "To tell you the truth Georgina, I really don't know if I do want another child."
"Hadn't you better sort that out before you marry him, especially if he wants kids and you don't," Watson pauses for a moment, "or is it that you just don't want to have kids with Angelo?"
"You've never really liked Angelo, have you?" Charlie asks her friend.
"It's not a matter of disliking him, Charlie, I just find him overbearing and rather insensitive at times."
"He really is charming and kind and I want to make him happy, but I don't know if I can do this, even for him."
"Then you have a problem Charlie."
"I know and with this investigation hanging over our heads, I feel like there's something coming between us; I love him, I really do, but I...I just don't know where I am at the moment."
"Charlie, are you having doubts about Angelo?"
"Of course not!" Charlie vehemently denies such a thing, "I know him Georgina, he was devastated by Jack's death and he never wants to experience that pain again, so I know he had nothing to do with Trevor's death."
"You still need to talk to him Charlie, let him know that you're having doubts about having more children."
"I don't want to lose him," she says weakly.
"Then give into him and give him what he wants; a baby." Watson moves around to her, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. "If he loves you as much as you think he does, then he won't abandon you because you're having doubts about having kids."
"Thanks Georgina, you're a good friend," Charlie offers her a grateful smile. "Or do you prefer Georgie now."
"I hate Georgie, that's why my sister calls me that and now she's got Graves doing it just to be doubly annoying."
"You really do love her, don't you?"
"Yeah, I do. Charlie, I know you're innocent and soon Joey will too, until then, my best advice is, don't talk to her alone."
"Don't worry, after my first two torture sessions, I'll definitely be on my guard with her."
"Then good luck," Watson says as she leaves Charlie to ponder her doubts, "because you're going to need it," she mutters softly, closing the door.
Ruby jumps when she hears the front door slam. "Jesus mum."
"Sorry Ruby."
"What's wrong?"
"Detective bloody Collins is what's wrong; she makes my blood boil."
"I've never seen you act like this with anyone before."
"That's because I've never met anyone like her; she truly is the most disagreeable person I've had the misfortune to meet."
Charlie slumps onto the couch, head in her hands.
"Mum, she doesn't really believe you're guilty does she?"
"I'm afraid she does."
Ruby puts a comforting arm across her shoulders.
"Then she's an idiot."
"Thanks Rubes."
"So where's Angelo, I thought he'd be here offering support?"
"He's still on duty until later tonight."
"How about a mother/daughter night then, we haven't done that for awhile."
"I don't want to bring you down with my mood Ruby."
"Come on mum, since Angelo moved in, we haven't really had much time with just the two of us."
"I'm sorry about that Ruby, I never meant to lose our mother/daughter times."
"I get it, he's your fiancé and you want to be with him."
"And you're my daughter. Ruby, you are the most important person in my life and I'm sorry if you don't always feel that from me." Charlie hugs her daughter, "If you're happy to put up with my mood, why don't we go out and catch a movie."
"Any movie I want?"
"Any movie you want, as long as it's not R rated."
"Deal. Let's go."
"Ruby, I'd like to change out of my uniform first."
"Then hurry up mum, we might have time to catch two movies."
Seeing the happiness on her daughter's face is enough to lift some of the sombre mood from Charlie's shoulders as she goes to shower and change before heading out for a girl's night out with her daughter.