Chapter Eight

Josh had just been out catching up with Amy and Michaela for the first time since arriving back and had been expecting Rhys to be back home by the time he'd got in. Suzanne was sat on the couch reading the paper and looked round as she heard the door creek open.

"Where's Rhys?" He asked as soon as he got in the door, partly relieved that he didn't appear to be in sight. Hanging out with his old friends had cheered him up a lot, he'd never realised quite how much he'd been missing them.

"Still with Jacqui, I presume. He hasn't rushed back so that must be a good sign."

"Think I'd prefer it if she kept away from him," Josh admitted with a sigh.

"Just leave him be, he loves her." She paused for a second. "So how are Amy and Michaela then?"

"Yeah, they're good. Found out Ste's gay, who'd have thought it? One of Amy's boyfriends once thought he and I were a couple, bit worrying now I look back at it," Josh replied light-heartedly with a short laugh at the end of his sentence.

"Oh yeah, I can see that actually. Surprised he only just realised. Guess all that fighting with him over Amy was for nothing," she said as Josh sat down next to her on the sofa. He was silent for a while before he turned to her to speak again.

"You know Ruby, Duncan's sister? She came wondering up to me wanting to know all of this stuff about Gilly. It was the weirdest thing."

"Well what kind of stuff?" Suzanne asked, intrigued.

"What I thought of him, what Rhys thought of him, if the police had any leads on the case. She went on about how sharing a house with him was scary, because she was scared he was gonna suddenly jump out and rape her or something. She was well over-dramatic. She went on for ages just talking about it, she talks a bloody lot, worse than Dunc she was."

"If she's anything like Duncan then it does not surprise me," Suzanne replied with a smile.

"Yeah, true that. She was probably just being unbelievably nosy." Even if Suzanne hadn't thought anything of it, Josh found it a little suspicious. Mainly because of the tone she was speaking in and her body language, something wasn't right. But then, she did live with the guy for a while.

*****
Rhys had spent hours with Jacqui. Just spending time sat there with her, cuddling up to her, talking. They hadn't spoken much about Gilly or any of the events currently surrounding them but it was a start and it had put a brief smile on Rhys' face. On his walk home, Darren caught his eye as he walked past 'Mobs' and called him over.

"Oi, Rhys! Heard your mum and bro are back in the village. They brought the twins?" Darren asked in his usual cheeky voice. It seemed Gilly's death hadn't affected him in the slightest.

"Nah she ent mate," Rhys replied as he jumped over and stood by the counter, crossing his arms. "Thought they'd be a bit of a distraction."

"Well I coulda looked after them, couldn't I?"

"Yeah, I'm sure that's all Frankie and Jack want right now."

"Would be a good distraction, w'unt it," Darren laughed. He was being so joyful, yet the man who's wife was his sister, the man who recently lived in his house had just been murdered. For a short while, hearing Darren made Rhys realise how he must've sounded to the others.

"D'ya not care about what 'appened to Gilly then or somit?" Rhys asked, a hard edge to his words.

"P'raps he 'ad it comin' ay? Scared Nancy shitless living in that house with him," he admitted with a quick shrug of the shoulders.

"He was so good to Steph. He married her knowing she was gonna die. Who else could do that, ay?" Rhys replied, a little dreamily, defending Gilly for the first time in months. He began thinking about what happened during that time, Gilly had certainly been a bigger man than he could ever be. Although a year ago he'd never have imagined that he'd be able to be there for someone like he had been for Jacqui.

"Make your mind up princess. Thought ya 'ated the guy," Darren said back.

"Yeah, well I do, don't I," Rhys quickly replied without thinking about it. "Dint really deserve death though, did 'e?" He needed an answer to his question, he still couldn't work out what it was. At that moment, Cheryl flew clumsily up to them, interrupting their conversation.

"Cheryl!" Darren beamed. "Want a smoothy? I'll give ya a two for one offer if ya both want one. 3 quid? Great deal, ay?" Cheryl flashed a serious look at him, surprised by his up-beat attitude.

"Is he for real?" She asked, turning to Rhys whilst gesturing to Darren. Rhys nodded hesitantly without saying anything. He hadn't seen Cheryl since he'd run out on her. He didn't want anymore ideas put into his head that made him think Jacqui was some sort of murdering psycho.

"I'll take that as a no then…" Darren replied, slurring his words. Cheryl turned back to look at him, giving him another harsh stare. Darren made a pretend scared-looking face before cracking up laughing.

"Do you not give a damn about poor Gilly?" Cheryl asked him, a little angrily but trying to stay calm.

"I've already 'ad that convo with 'im Chez. Answer's no." Rhys butted in before Darren had chance to answer.

"Imagine what Steph would have to say to that," Cheryl mouthed off into Darren's direction; she knew how much he loved his step-sister. Rhys' words and tone of voice processed in her head and she stared at him. "You have?" She asked him all of a sudden as she pulled him over to a table away from Darren. She was shocked by the way Rhys said the words; it was as if he was disagreeing with Darren.

"Cheryl, no," Rhys rejected uselessly as she pulled him along. She made him sit down opposite her and he could barely fight off someone like Cheryl. "I don't want ya putting stupid ideas into me head again, alright?" He snapped, moving his arms around as he spoke.

"I'm sorry love-about before. I was in shock. I know Jacqui wouldn't do such a thing-at least I think I do-"

"She wouldn't," Rhys stated, clearly.

"I believe you. I believe her. But I think you're lying to yourself. You're allowed to miss him."

"Maybe he dint deserve to die. But I still 'ate him. How can I 'ate someone I miss, ay? God, this is so messed up. This blimin' murdering, idiot needs to be found!"

"How's Jacqui doing? Have you heard anything else? They won't tell me nothing, stupid officers."

"Oh, don't act like ya care about 'er."

"But I do care-if it's affecting you, we're all strugglin' through," Cheryl replied with a sympathetic tone to her voice. She reached out her hand and took Rhys'. Rhys sighed loudly.

"Sorry, Chez. Keep forgettin' 'ow hard this must be for you." He took a deep breath, remembering the look he saw on his wife's face just hours ago. "Was just on me way back from Jaq's now. She's scared shitless, ent she. Cops probably still think it's 'er. Jack and Frankie obviously think the same."

"What about you, how are you?"

"Well, we're ok, but if this carried on I can't see it lastin'"

"I mean you, Rhys. Not you and her. Just you," Cheryl rephrased. "You knew him a long time, don't forget that."

"That's just it though, it ain't just me. I can't think what I would think if she weren't involved. And everyone's putting different things in me 'ead and it's just like-it's just

too much for me to get me 'ead round ent it."

"Well then, you're right, we need to find this person. Quickly."

Rhys arrived back at the flat, throwing his coat down as he walked in. He noticed him mum and Josh sat on the table in the kitchen, deep in conversation. The both immediately stopped talking as they noticed him walk in.

"Hey love, how'd it go? Did you manage to sort things out with Jacqui? Suzanne asked in a hopeful voice as Rhys walked nearer to them.

"Yeah. For now." He leaned himself against the table and crossed his arms. Josh kept quiet. Rhys looked around at him, giving him an apologetic look.

"Josh, I'm sorry, yeah. Ya were right weren't ya, as always. I love Jacqui, but Gilly shu'nt be dead."

"Of course he shouldn't. He'd done nothing wrong," Josh muttered back. He wanted more than that. As far as Josh was concerned there were only two sides. Gilly's side and Jacqui's side, and he wasn't about to let that go.

"You are y-you're impossible, Josh!" Rhys exhaled, stuttering ever so slightly before storming off into his room.

*****
Meanwhile, Carmel and Jacqui were walking along the park. The only time Jacqui would set foot outside of the house was when she had to walk Terry. He was the one thing she had that would never let her down and therefore she was beginning to rely on him. When there was no one else around, she'd talk to him, just as if she was a person. It was much easier than if he was a person though, he was almost like her own personal counsellor, just one that couldn't talk back. Unless of course you could call barking, talking. Whenever she'd go for a walk she'd often have a few people stare at her, mainly people she vaguely knew, the students of Hollyoaks in particular. It wasn't like one of those ridiculous scenarios on a soap opera where the whole village would just magically appear all at the same time and stand there staring. If that was the case, she'd never have even thought about stepping outside.

"I always love this time of year. All the pretty lights, the winter's breeze. So joyful and happy," Carmel beamed with a massive smile on her face.

"Yeah…so joyful and so very happy," Jacqui replied sarcastically, giving Carmel a fake smile.

"Oh, sorry Jaq. What I meant was-oh, well, it doesn't matter." Jacqui shook her head at Carmel acting like-well, typical Carmel-as she continued to walk side-by-side with her, saying nothing. Suddenly there was a rattling noise coming from one of the bushes besides them. Carmel immediately heard it and turned around, with Jacqui coming to a halt and looking at her as if she was mental.

"Did you hear that?" Carmel whispered.

"It was probably just a bird or sumit weren't it. C'mon Carm, need ta get Terreh 'ome for 'is dinner dunt I. He dunt like it when I give it 'im too late," Jacqui nagged. Carmel soon forgot about the noise and began to walk back off with Jacqui. Carmel had been right to want to investigate. Shortly after they'd walked away, two eyes became visible peeping through the gaps in one of the bushes. Someone had been following them.