A Pathway of Adversity
Chapter 27
Joey loosened Charlie's shirt and patted her cheeks in hopes of bringing her back into consciousness.
"Charlie! Charlie! Come on honey..."
Charlie opened her eyes for a moment and then they closed again as the realism of the moment hit home hard.
"Oh God! Joey!" She murmured. "You should have heard what she said to me!"
"Who? Ruby?"
Charlie opened her eyes again and nodded.
"She's found out about us... About me... and she's so angry!"
Joey picked up the discarded mobile phone and put it to her ear.
"Ruby!" She yelled.
There was no response from the other end so Joey assumed Ruby had ended the call.
Joey carefully placed the phone onto the coffee table and looked back at Charlie with concern.
"Was she so brutal?"
"Well, it wasn't so much the words... it was her tone! I suppose some of the things she said were true, but when you hear your little sister dress it up in such a way which makes our relationship sound sordid and cheap... She said I was getting my kicks by 'screwing a woman'... Jo, honestly, I'm not getting kicks... I love you so much! So very much." Charlie said, pleading with Joey to believe her.
"Hey, I know that! I know you love me! Maybe she's just shocked and possibly a little disappointed in you! Its takes people differently. Did she say how she found out?"
Charlie looked sheepish for a moment.
"I'm afraid I blacked-out before she had a chance to enlighten me. Did I pass right out?"
"Not for long, but yes."
"But I never pass out!" Charlie frowned.
"Well, maybe you do when your little sister touches a tender spot!"
Charlie looked deep into Joey's sympathetic eyes but after a few moments, got to her feet.
"Well, I suppose I shall have to face the music."
"You go... Don't worry about me tonight; I'll be fine..."
"No Joey! I don't mean right now! I'll let her stew in her own poison juice for a while. She will expect me to go rushing back to sort it out... but I'm not going to! She's not gonna have me over a barrel. If she can't cope with the fact that I'm in love with you and want to be with you, then she can lump it! She's eighteen years old – She should get over herself!" Charlie yelled as her anger escalated.
Joey stroked her hair and grinned. Charlie saw the funny side of her rant, and chuckled.
"I suppose I was getting out of my pram... a bit."
"Just a bit. But I love you for it!" Joey said, kissing Charlie's very appealing lips.
Ruby sniffed and wiped her damp nose as the tears subsided. How could Charlie do this to her? What would all her friends say when they find out that her big sister – Sergeant Buckton was a Lesbian? She picked up her phone and punched in Nic's telephone number.
"Hi Nic. Can I come and see you?"
Angelo Rosetta quickly looked in his rear-view mirror as he drove past a familiar car parked outside Colleen Smart's bungalow. He certainly hadn't expected to find Hugo's car here and frowned in surprise. Swerving into an empty parking space, he jumped out of the car and locked it. Looking about, the road was quiet apart from a few birds twittering in some nearby trees. He began to walk towards the bungalow and swallowed before knocking at the door.
"Why the hell did you say that to her, you dim-wit!" Nic cried after Ruby explained her conversation with Charlie. "She's your sister, for Christ's sake! If she is a Lesbian, it's her choice and she doesn't need grief from you about it! Hell, Rubes, you're eighteen years old; don't you think it's about time you grew up?"
Ruby looked suitably embarrassed. She knew that Nic's words were true and the way she had treated Charlie was pathetic and hurtful and her guilt was growing with every passing moment.
"Why didn't she tell me before, though?" She whispered quietly.
"I'm sure she would have, Rubes, but she would've done it in her own time. After all, it's a pretty full on decision crossing over the tracks, I should think. It's hardly the sort of information she's gonna yell from every roof top, is it!"
"But she could have told me!" Ruby cried.
"What? And have you react just as you have done?"
"I wouldn't have over-reacted!"
"Rubes, you've done exactly that! You owe Charlie, big time! Not many sisters would have devoted so many years of their life to bringing you up like she has! Maybe the time was right for her to try and find herself and the life she wants now that you are an adult... If you are, that is!"
Nic eyed Ruby suspiciously as she said the word 'adult'.
"I've fucked-up big time, haven't I?" Ruby sighed.
Nic nodded her head smiling sadly at her friend.
"I think you need to see Charlie and make peace."
Ruby nodded her head and looked at her mobile phone.
"No Rubes... See her, not phone her!"
Charlie and Joey's lips parted and they breathed heavily. They had once again shared an expression of love, and with bodies and hearts sated, relaxed into each other's arms.
"I can't believe how wonderful you make me feel, Charlie. Even when our worlds are in such turmoil!"
"Our world isn't in turmoil." Charlie corrected.
Joey smiled.
"No. Our world is perfect. Our world makes life worth living."
Charlie stroked her lover's face.
"I can't believe that each time you make love to me, it feels better and better."
"I've never wanted to make it better and better for anyone else. Before, it was pretty much self indulgence, but now, I just want to make everything perfect for you." Joey smiled.
"You do." Charlie grinned.
She studied the curve of Joey's full lips and could not resist touching them with her finger tip.
"You're so perfect." She whispered.
Joey noticed the sincerity in Charlie's words and rather than shrug the complement off, accepted it silently, but showed gratitude with her eyes.
"So why did you kill Irene Roberts?"
Rosetta spat the words out at Hugo Austen as they stood nose to nose.
"What makes you think I killed her?" Hugo replied calmly.
"Because she was on to you and your dirty tricks. She could have blown this whole thing outta the water!"
"You're talking out of your arse again, Rosetta! I had nothing to do with it; I hadn't seen her in days! You'd do better to angle your accusations in another direction, buddy!"
"I'm not stupid, Austen! I know the way your mind works."
"Well, if you know so much about me, why don't you turn me into the Police?" Austen suggested, laughing.
Rosetta was taken aback by Austen's confident manner.
"One of these days I'm gonna wipe that smug smile off that unshaven face of yours!" Rosetta said through gritted teeth.
"What the hell is he doing here?" Colleen hissed menacingly as she entered the room.
The following morning, Sergeant Charlie Buckton entered the Yabbie Creek Police Station.
"What's new, Watson?"
"The forensic boys have submitted their report and have provided us with some stuff found at the scene of the crime. It's in a bag on your desk, boss." Watson replied.
"Okay. Any news on Rosetta?"
Even though her affections for Angelo Rosetta were long dead, she still prayed that he would not be mixed up in Irene Robert's murder. It would have been too much to bear, considering their long relationship. Could she have known and loved somebody, so long, without realising they had such evil capabilities?
"I followed him to Colleen Smart's, of all places!"
"Colleen Smart?" Charlie asked in wonder.
"Yeah! And guess whose car was parked in the drive way? No other than Hugo Austen!"
"Hugo Austen!" Charlie cried incredulously.
"That's what I thought. Rosetta paid Colleen a visit and was in there for about half an hour. When he came out, he looks pretty mad!"
Hugo Austen, Angelo Rosetta and Colleen Smart? This was becoming a real circus!
"Do you think they are trying to put us off the scent, boss?" Watson asked.
"Yeah! Can't think of any other reason why Austen and Rosetta would be meeting up at Colleen Smart's place!"
"Do you think they took her flowers?" Watson asked with a grin.
"More like a bunch of malice!" Charlie replied. "After all, if one or both had something to do with Irene's death, what would stop them from polishing-off Colleen too? After all, Colleen and Irene are old mates; perhaps whatever Irene knew, Colleen knew too!"
"Should we pay her a visit, Charlie?"
"Go warm-up the Copmobile!"