CHAPTER 45

Rafe entered the interrogation room at the station house and went to Hope, whispering something in her ear. Her fine eyebrows rose as she turned sharply to him, mouthing, 'really?'

Rafe nodded grimly.

Hope looked across the sullen looking man, whose handcuffed hands were resting on the old office table. 'Your boss is dead, Augustus.' They'd taken his fingerprints and run them in the computer, hence revealing his full name and record; several arrests for vicious assault, burglary and manslaughter.

Gus started, staring at her wide-eyed and furious. 'You lie.'

Hope returned his look with a cold one of her own. 'I never have time to play games with criminals. Once again... Vivian's dead, so you don't have anyone to protect now.'

Filled with grief and rage, Gus started up, but Rafe roughly pushed him back down again.

'We advise you to save yourself a lot of trouble and tell us where you buried Dr. Manning.' he said harshly, hating the sight of Gus with all his might; unable to believe one human being would actually commit such an act on another. Neither did Hope; when Maggie had told her how Carly had been buried the first time, it hadn't seemed real to her. This time, the very thought made her shudder and feel sick.

Gus compressed his lips stubbornly. The two detectives wouldn't even give him a moment to mourn. He couldn't believe Madam was gone... no doubt she was gunned down while resisting arrest. He knew her very well, indomitable to the end. He was going to miss her terribly; already he missed her terribly.

Irritated, Hope slammed her hand on the table. 'Come on, out with it! Where is Carly Manning now? We know now you were acting on Vivian's orders, including poisoning Olivia. You're going to face even more serious charges if you don't spill your guts now!'

Gus still betrayed no signs of emotion.

'Will you answer the bloody question!' Rafe snarled, having an excruciating need to smash his fist into the man's face.

Gus's mouth twisted with scorn as he looked at Hope. 'You are such a hypocrite... the biggest hypocrite I've ever met! Like you aren't pleased that the woman who stole your husband isn't finally out of the way! Like you aren't sorry the murdering bastard she used to get him isn't dead!'

'Rafe, no!' Hope snapped as Rafe grabbed Gus by the neck, shaking him like a rat. She shoved Rafe away from him. 'Leave him alone!'

'I struck a nerve didn't I, Mrs Brady?' Gus taunted, not cowed one bit. 'I'm telling the truth, aren't I, I'm telling the truth...'

Hope felt her face going red, with fury. 'Shut up!' she snarled. 'You just shut up now!'

'Do whatever you want to me; I have absolutely nothing to lose.' Gus sneered, his dark eyes glinting maliciously. 'That whore can stay where she is and rot! And you can all go to hell!'

'Wayne...' Hope said, struggling to contain herself. 'Get him away from me before I kill him myself. Bo or Roman can question him when he gets back; just get him out of my sight now!'

The uniformed officer standing by the door came up and roughly pulled Gus to his feet. Gus smirked at Hope and Rafe as he was led out.

'Damn it!' Rafe raged. 'How the hell are we going to get Carly out of that casket now, every second counts!'

'If you can come up with a better way of getting that cretin to talk, share it!' Hope shouted back. 'And stop acting like it's my fault!'

'You might have showed a little more professionalism by not letting him get to you like that,' Rafe said irritably. 'As a trained and experienced cop, you should know better! If Carly winds up dead from asphyxiation, who you think Bo and Olivia will hold accountable... YOU!'

If there was anything Hope most hated was being told she was in the wrong and she was angry because Rafe was right; clever manoeuvring on her part would have made Gus spill his guts about Carly's whereabouts but instead she'd allowed herself to be provoked by a malicious insinuation and embarrassing herself in front of a criminal in the bargain.

'Alright, I made a mistake.' She said, through gritted teeth. 'And I will fix it, excuse me.'

Walking round Rafe, she left the room. Rafe Hernandez shook his head in disgust. Anyone who couldn't separate his personal and professional life really had no business being a police officer. And a perfect example was Hope Williams Brady.

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'She actually shot herself?' Olivia said disbelievingly, staring after the ambulance conveying Vivian's body away to the morgue.

'I'd say good riddance and then some,' was Brady's opinion. Phillip nodded in agreement.

'But did she tell you where Carly is?' asked Kayla, anxiously.

Bo shook his head, his arm round Olivia's shoulders.

'Well then... the only person who can tell us is that man who tried to kill Olivia at the hospital, he's bound to know. The officers you assigned to guard the entrance heard the shooting and took him away to the station after disarming him.'

'I just hope Rafe and Hope will be able to get it out of him soon enough,' Patch said grimly. 'We can't afford to wait one second; Carly could be running out of oxygen as we speak...'

'Patch!' Roman barked furiously. Max swore under his breath.

Patch realised his mistake on seeing the look on his niece's face. 'Oh, hell...'

'What are you not telling me?' Olivia whispered, clutching at her father.

'Calm down,' Bo held her.

'Dad, what are you not telling me?' Olivia repeated, her voice shaking. Phillip and Brady looked confused and Kayla shook her head, praying what she suspected was wrong.

Bo took a deep breath, knowing very well he couldn't lie. 'Kitten... please don't freak out...'

'Where is my mother, Dad?' Olivia's hoarse voice was fierce. 'Where is she?'

'All we know, is that she's... she's... Vivian had her buried somewhere...'

Kayla, Phillip and Brady made exclamations of sheer horror.

'Buried?' Olivia gasped. 'BURIED?'

'Kitten!' Bo gripped her tightly, 'Look at me... no, look at me!' He held her face between his hands, forcing her to meet his blazing eyes.

'Remember... you promised to trust me, remember that?'

Hand pressed to her mouth, Olivia's eyes filled with tears but she nodded.

'We'll get her back... I'll get her back, alive and well.' he vowed. 'Whatever it takes, I swear it.'

Shivering in the coat Nathan had insisted she borrow, Olivia pressed her face against Bo's chest; praying her mother was not already dead.

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'It is going to work, Carly,' Isabella assured her. 'As long as you keep at it, Bo's going to find you before you know it.'

'I've heard of this thing but never thought I'll actually try it,' Carly replied. 'It seems like such a long shot.'

'Far from it, this is as old as the world itself. You do this Carly and you'll realize just how deeply you and Bo are connected. Believe it or not,

your symbolic wedding in Mexico made this possible. A man and woman searching for a union and part of the cosmic universe through such a wedding... become spiritual partners.'

'We actually are?' Carly gasped in wonder. 'In the actual sense?'

'Yes, Carly. Now it's time you tested it. Right now.'

'You're not leaving me, are you?' Carly asked in sudden fear. 'Please Izzy B; don't go, please don't go...'

'There's nothing to be afraid of, honey.' Isabella said gently. 'As long as you stay calm and follow my instructions, Bo will find you. Trust me and trust the love you have for each other. Love is the strongest force there is.' Leaning closer she smiled wider, face radiant. 'Always remember... I love you, Carly.'

'I love you too, Izzy.' Carly whispered.

Isabella vanished and it was dark again.