Joey tosses her pen onto the desk, unable to concentrate. Having spent a restless night going over and over again how she could have slipped up so badly in front of Charlie, the only conclusion Joey was able to reach was that she had allowed Charlie to get under her guard. "Fuck, fuck, fuck," she mutters, rubbing her temples as she feels a headache coming on.
"Well that's a nice welcome back," Graves jokes.
"I'm not in the mood," glaring at her friend.
"Maybe this will cheer you up." Graves walks around the desk, giving Joey a hug and a big smooching kiss on the cheek, "That's from Harley."
"Yuck Graves," Joey complains, wiping her cheek.
"Hey, I was just doing what I was told. You know how hard it is to say no to her when she looks at you with those big, adorable, brown eyes."
"She certainly has that look down," Joey says fondly, thoughts of her daughter bringing a smile to her face.
"She's missing you like crazy Joey."
"If I thought it was safe, I'd bring her here."
"But we both know why you can't have her here."
"Yeah, she's the perfect target."
"Brett was an even bigger prick than usual."
"I don't want to know about it Graves."
Graves really looks at her friend for the first time since she entered the office, surprised by how snappy she was. "What's got your tits in a twist?"
Joey sighs, leaning back in her chair to stare at the ceiling. "I fucked up."
"You fucked up?"
Joey ignores Graves' amused tone, "I let slip to Charlie about Harley."
"So it's Charlie now?" Graves asks, surprised by Joey slipping up like that and the use of the Sergeant's first name. "Man, I take Sid back to the city and I miss the big changes."
"There's no big changes, we just decided to drop the formalities and get to know each other a little better."
"Get to know as in," Graves eyes widen, "Oh fuck, you went on a date with her."
"Don't be ridiculous," Joey says, unwilling to admit that there may have been more to the night. "Last night we just decided to have drinks and then dinner together."
"That sounds like a date."
"It wasn't a date. We'd just interviewed May and Charlie looked like she needed to talk so I accepted when she asked."
"She asked you out on a date?"
"Would you stop calling it a fucking date!" Joey snaps.
"Whoa, testy aren't we?" Never having seen Joey so rattled before, Graves' mind races with possibilities.
"We're working together, I'm spending time with her daughter," Joey says, realising how lame it sounded, "Look, it was just time to bury the hatchet ok?"
"Fine. So how is May?"
"She's talking, so that's one positive, but she couldn't tell us anything new."
"Damn. What about Cruze?"
"No sign of him in his usual haunts but I'm pretty sure Rosetta knows where he is."
"You think he's protecting him even after what Cruze did to his step-kid?"
"Rosetta's a selfish prick who sees Ruby as a hindrance who monopolises her mother's time, time she should be devoting to stroking his ego."
"Ruby really isn't a fan of her dear old step-dad is she?" Graves chuckles, "She sounds a lot like you."
"She's really dreading the day that her mum marries him."
"We should recruit that kid, she's one of the few people in this town who hasn't fallen for his charms."
"Too bad Charlie can't see him the same way."
Graves hides her grin as her suspicions grow. "Well, when we arrest his sorry arse, she'll have to see him the way we do, provided that we can actually ever prove anything against him."
"We will. He and Martha will screw up and when they do, we'll be right there waiting with the cuffs. Now, you were saying something about Brett being a prick?"
"I thought you didn't want to know about it."
"I'm already in a bad mood, so you can't make it worse."
"I don't know about that," she mutters under her breath as she looks at the way Joey was gripping the pencil. "When I stopped by to see Harley, Brett refused to let me see her."
"He what!" Joey blurts out, furious that he'd do such a thing.
"He said he didn't want me around her."
"I'll fucking kill him."
"Joey, he's never going to be happy that your daughter is surrounded by cops."
"There's not a whole lot I can do about that, because I have no intention of quitting."
"Anyway, I obviously did manage to see Harley, but only because like her mum, she's not big on following orders. She bolted out to see me as soon as she heard me at the door, much to Brett's disgust."
Snapping the pencil in half, Joey tosses the pieces on to the desk, "Fuck, I so don't need his shit right now."
About to knock on Joey's door, Charlie pauses when she hears them talking about Joey's husband. Feeling guilty for listen in and even guiltier for having feelings for a married woman, Charlie feels strangely pleased to learn that there might be problems in her marriage. Realising they'd finished talking, Charlie knocks.
"Yes," comes the grumpy voice on the other side.
Charlie enters and is just about to say something when Watson rushes into the room. "Charlie, we just got a report of a boat drifting out at sea."
"Are they sure it's drifting?"
"The boat was reported by the pilot of a plane on a training flight; he couldn't see anyone on deck and he saw what he thought was blood on the deck."
"How does he know it's blood?"
"Because the pilot is part of the crime scene investigation team and has seen plenty of pools of blood. He called it in straight away and the harbour master hasn't been able to reach the boat by radio."
"Ok, Angelo's near the docks, so radio him and have him get the police launch ready; we'll meet him there."
"Sure thing Charlie."
"I'll come with you," Joey says, grabbing her jacket.
"You don't need to."
"I want to, besides, it's been a while since I was last on a boat."
"What about you Graves, are you coming too?" Charlie asks, alarmed when Graves suddenly turns green.
Joey chuckles, "Excuse my friend there, she gets seasick at the mere mention of boats."
"Yeah, if it's all the same, I'd rather stay where the ground beneath my feet doesn't move."
Charlie shrugs, "Oh well, your loss."
Graves groans, "Oh god, don't tell me you like boats too?"
"I have a little yacht I take out sometimes."
"You have a yacht?" Joey says, immediately interested.
"Just a small one. A friend of mine left it to me when she had to move overseas."
"She just gave you a yacht?" Joey asks, a little jealous that she had one.
"She didn't need it anymore and she couldn't be bothered waiting around to sell it."
"So she just gave you a yacht?" Joey repeats "That is so unfair."
Charlie smiles, pleased that they seemed to have something else in common. "If it makes you feel any better, I'll take you out on it one day."
"You've got a deal," grinning back at her.
Graves watches their interaction with interest, especially at how comfortable they seemed with each other. "Well, well," she murmurs softly as Joey and Charlie leave the office, talking animatedly about boats.
Pulling up at the docks, they find Angelo leaning against his squad car, his hands in his pockets. "Sorry Charlie, we're not going anywhere, the police launch is out of commission."
"Someone could be hurt Angelo, we need to get out there."
Angelo shrugs, "The engine's shot and won't be ready for a day or two."
"Can't we just take another boat out," Joey suggests, thinking it was awfully convenient that the launch was disabled.
"Do you see anyone about Detective?" Angelo waves his hand around the deserted docks. "Everyone is out on the water."
"What about that boat?" Joey points to the one in the distance that was heading back to the docks.
Squinting, Angelo curses silently. "That's Austin's."
"Well, it's a boat isn't it, which is what we need."
"I'm not getting on a boat with that fag Austin."
"Fine, then stay behind and mind the cars then, Constable."
"No," Angelo says petulantly.
Joey looks at Charlie, who sighs in annoyance at his behaviour. "Angelo, we're going out there and as you don't want to come with us, you can stay here."
"I'm not babysitting the cars," he protests.
"I want you to interview the workers here and see what you can find out about...Watson, what's the boat called?"
"The Maru."
"Did you get that Angelo?"
"I'm not deaf Charlie."
"No, you're just dumb," Joey says so softly only her sister could hear her. Digging her elbow into her side, Watson warns her to behave.
"Hello ladies, to what do I owe the pleasure of such beautiful company?" Hugo flirts outrageously with them as he jumps onto the dock.
"Still full of yourself Hugo."
"Still as charming as ever Joey and you Watson, as lovely as ever to see you and you Charlie, we really should get to know each other better."
"Are you sure he's gay," Charlie mutters to Joey.
"If you've seen him around Shannon, you wouldn't need to ask that." Joey nods towards Angelo, "I think he's just doing it to piss off your fiancé."
Charlie glances at Angelo who was glaring at Hugo with a thunderous expression. "God, I wish they'd get over themselves," Charlie says, turning her attention back to Hugo. "We need you to take us out to a boat that's apparently adrift."
"Give me time to fill up and I'll be happy to take you out." Hugo saunters past Angelo, winking, "Tough luck Rosey, I guess I have them all to myself."
Angelo fumes as the women board his boat, Hugo waving at him as he steers them out to sea. "You're a dead man Austin," Angelo says, dreaming up the most painful way to make him pay.
Not trusting Hugo all that much, Watson sticks near him while Charlie and Joey sit at the back, enjoying the wind in their hair and the smell of the sea.
"God I've missed this," taking in a deep breath.
"Yeah, there's nothing like it," Charlie agrees.
"Were you serious about taking me out on your yacht?"
"Of course." Charlie reaches over, her hand pausing near Joey's face when she flinches. "You have something on your face," Charlie says, feeling guilty that she had made Joey that wary of her touch.
"Sorry," Joey smiles weakly, "Reflex."
"I never meant to slap you that day."
"Let's just forget it ever happened."
Charlie sighs, having a feeling it wasn't going to be that easy, at least not for Joey. Charlie pulls out a tissue, holding it up. "Do you mind?"
"No." Joey manages not to flinch as Charlie gently wipes it away.
"It's just a bit of grease."
"Thanks," Joey says, her heart still racing from Charlie's touch.
Charlie looks around them in disgust. "We'll all be covered in something by the time we get off this dump."
"I hope your yachts in a bit better shape."
Grateful for the diversion, Charlie smiles, "I'll have you know, it's immaculate."
"Sergeant, the boat's just up ahead," Hugo calls out.
"Is there any sign of anyone?" Charlie asks as she and Joey rejoin them.
"No and they still haven't answered radio hails, so I'd say it's definitely adrift."
Drawing alongside the other boat, Watson ties Hugo's boat to the Maru. "Hello," Charlie calls out. "I don't think there's anyone aboard."
"Try below deck," Hugo says as he follows them aboard.
"Hugo, stay on your boat," Charlie instructs him. "Watson, have a look below deck?"
"Sure Charlie."
"What do you think happened Charlie?"
"I don't know Joey, but I don't like it."
One look at Watson's face when she comes back up on deck tells them that it wasn't good.
"There's 7 people below," Watson says sadly, "They're all dead."
"Shit."
"Charlie, they weren't part of the crew."
"Are you sure?"
"I found them in a compartment which looks like it's usually hidden. They're all female and none look older than 15."
"Oh god," grateful when she feels Joey's hand take hers and squeeze it in support. "How did they die?"
"I don't know, I didn't see any obvious signs injury."
"So where's the crew then?" Joey asks, reluctantly removing her hand from Charlie's as she starts to look around.
"There's blood over here," Hugo calls out from the other end of the boat.
"I told you to stay behind," Charlie fumes, stopping short when she sees the pool of blood at Hugo's feet. "What the hell is going on?"
Joey looks at the amount of blood, "I don't know, but it's no wonder they could see this from the plane."
"We have more victims."