Chapter Seventy-Three

Charlie woke early on Monday morning. Extracting herself from Joey's sleeping form, she put on her robe and headed into the bathroom to get showered. She was back in the room and changing into her uniform when Joey blinked open her eyes.

"You're going to work?" Joey asked.

"Yeah," Charlie said brusquely. "I've got a shift at nine."

"But... Are you sure you're able?"

Joey couldn't help but feel worried. Charlie didn't seem right at all.

"Yes. I'm fine. She's gone and I just need to get on with things. There's no point hanging around worrying about her. I need to get back to normal."

"Charlie..."

The police officer knelt on the bed and kissed Joey quickly.

"What would you like for breakfast?" she asked.

***

Ruby woke up in the room that had housed her and Geoff for the night. She was aware of him sleeping peacefully on his back on her right. She listened to him breathe and gazed up at the ceiling, wondering yet again how she had come to be living in the city with her best friend's brother. Only a few days ago, she had been fine. She and Charlie had been as close as ever and she had been secure at home with her, Joey, Leah and VJ. Now she didn't even know who she was.

***

"Okay, that's me off," Charlie said when she finished the last of her coffee. "If you're planning on going into work I could give you a lift."

"Oh yeah, great, thanks," Joey said.

She remained unconvinced that Charlie was even half as fine as she was making herself out to be but there didn't appear to be any reasoning with her. They put their dishes in the sink, ready to wash up when they got home and headed out the door together. Driving in silence, Charlie dropped Joey down at the docks. She kissed her goodbye without her usual emotion. Uncertainly, Joey climbed out of the car and headed towards the trawler. Charlie sighed heavily as she watched her go. Winding down the window, she called her back. Joey turned and trotted back to the car.

"I love you," Charlie said, kissing her again with more enthusiasm.

"I love you too," Joey replied. "Call me if you need me, okay? Maybe we could have lunch together?"

"That'd be good."

***

Angelo had gone to work early and was knee deep in paperwork as he attempted to re-evaluate everything in his case. He was under a lot of pressure from command as they became irritated with how long the whole thing was taking. But what did they expect? He couldn't bring his suspect down in a week or two. This was long haul job and it required care and paying a lot of attention to detail. He had given himself a firm talking to the previous night about letting Charlie go. She didn't love him, she wasn't attracted to him and right now she didn't even like him. He had tried to apologise several times but she wasn't interested so now, he just had to get on with it.

"Hey, Charlie," Watson said behind him. "Surprised to see you here."

"Well, it's my shift so..."

"Do you want a coffee?" Watson offered.

"That'd be great, thanks."

Angelo turned quickly, his heart lurching when he saw her.

"Hi," he tried.

She ignored him and headed straight into her office. He sighed and returned to his work.

***

Joey kept her phone on loud. It was unlikely that she would get any reception out on the water but she wanted to make sure she'd hear it ring just in case Charlie needed her. She seemed so different this morning, almost hostile, right until she'd said goodbye properly. Something didn't feel right and it was sending Joey's mind into overdrive. She had a horrible feeling that she was about to be shut out of all Charlie's feelings and it made her desperately worried.

***

Ruby and Geoff were seated at the breakfast table together. Geoff poured juice into both their glasses.

"So, what's the plan for today?" he asked.

"I have no idea," Ruby admitted.

"Did you want to go and see your aunt?"

"Not yet. I'm not ready. Maybe we could just wander round, see what we come across."

Geoff nodded in agreement.

"Sounds good," he said.

They ate in silence.

"Do you um... do you think you'll call Charlie today and let her know that you're safe?" Geoff asked.

"Nope," Ruby replied quickly. "I presume Annie or Irene will tell her anyway so it doesn't matter."

"Okay," Geoff said. "Whatever you want."

She smiled gratefully and they continued eating their meal together.

***

Charlie looked at the clock. It was almost lunch time and while she hadn't been so keen this morning, now she was looking forward to having lunch with Joey. She'd been so determined when she'd woken up, to shut down her feelings and treat things as if they were business as usual. But it was harder than it looked and she kept thinking about Joey's expression and the way she had responded, as if she was worried and hurt. Charlie certainly didn't want to hurt her. But she didn't know how to do things a different way. Her entire life had been spent ignoring traumas and just getting on with things. But then, that's how she'd got into this mess in the first place. If she hadn't run away from her problems instead of dealing with them head on, she might have been able to keep Ruby instead of losing her after sixteen years.

"Charlie?"

Watson poked her head around the door looking concerned.

"We've got a situation," she said. "Rachel and Tony Holden's baby has gone missing."

Charlie leapt to her feet in order to take charge.

***

Joey was seated at the Diner waiting for Charlie when her phone beeped. She opened the message and her soul was flooded with disappointment when she read that Charlie had a situation to deal with and couldn't make lunch. She sighed and toyed with the menu, wondering whether to stay or go. She also couldn't help but wonder if Charlie was just avoiding her. She felt guilty about accusing her but things had been so strange that morning that she couldn't be sure. She looked up, ready to leave when she spotted and despondent looking Aden enter.

"Aden!" she called, waving him over.

He ambled across the room and sat down opposite her.

"You have perfect timing," she said.

"I do?"

"I'm buying you lunch," she announced.

He did his best to smile but everything felt like such an effort now that Belle was gone. Joey's heart went out to him and she held his hand across the table. Irene appeared to take their order.

"Sorry to have kept you so long, love," she said to Joey.

"That's fine," Joey replied sweetly.

"Oh and I meant to call Charlie earlier but I didn't get time," Irene added. "Geoff called us from the city and said he and Ruby had arrived safely but that they didn't know how long they'd be staying. So, it's kind of good news. At least they're safe."

Joey nodded and thanked her.

"I'll let Charlie know," she said.

She and Aden placed their lunch orders and Joey sent Charlie a text to pass on Irene's message.

***

Charlie paused when her phone beeped. She fought tears of relief and grief as Joey passed on a message that Ruby and Geoff had arrived safely in the city but that nobody was sure when they would be coming home. Gathering her senses together, she closed her phone and returned her attention to Rachel and Tony as they relayed all their information about their suspicions over her complaining patient abducting their child.

"But you didn't see anything?" Charlie checked.

"No, we weren't there. Hugo and Martha were looking after him for the day. Charlie, please, you've got to go out and find him," Rachel said tearfully.

She was awash with guilt for getting frustrated with her son and she thought of all things she would have done differently had she known what was about to happen. Namely, she would have looked after him herself rather than give him to people who had proved themselves irresponsible.

"We will," Charlie said calmly. "We've got a couple of cars patrolling but if he has been taken then I need to have every ounce of information so that we can come up with a proper plan to track him and his kidnapper down."

"Then you need to talk to Hugo and Martha," Tony said. "They know more than we do."

Charlie nodded and told them to wait while she spoke to the others.

***

"Why don't we make this a regular thing?" Joey suggested as she and Aden tucked into their food.

"You don't need to baby-sit me," he replied.

"Who says I am? I just want to hang out with my best friend."

He raised his eyebrows sceptically.

"Don't you need to focus on Charlie?" he asked. "I heard what happened."

"I get the feeling that Charlie's going to be working all the hours God sends while Ruby's away. She's a wreck."

Aden nodded, feeling sad for them both. It was a tragic situation.

"So, will you be my lunch date for the next forever?" Joey asked cheekily.

"Sounds good," he agreed.

Joey was one of the loveliest people he'd ever known and she always cheered him, even at a time like this when he hated life and everything about it.

***

Angelo approached Charlie and offered to help.

"Don't you have your own tasks to do?" she snapped.

"Well, yeah but I can help with this. Everyone should be helping with this. We're talking about a missing child here, Charlie."

She glared at him.

"I think I know enough about missing children right about now, Angelo," she said darkly. "I don't need you to ram home the point."

He held up his hands in defeat and apologised.

"There aren't enough apologies in the world for everything you've done," she told him.

"Charlie..."

"But yeah, you can help by patrolling," she interrupted. "The more people out looking for Harry, the better."

Her phone rang and she answered it quickly.

"Charlie Buckton," she said by way of greeting.

"Charlie, it's your Dad," Ross said through the phone line. "I was wondering if we could meet up."

"I'm really busy right now, Dad," she told him. "I'll call you later."

She hung up, not really intending to call him at all. She didn't feel able to be around him right now. Every time she saw him, she thought back to the way he'd let her down at a child. When she'd turned to him at the time of the rape he'd talked her out of pressing charges against Grant and it had made her feel like the whole thing was her fault. Angelo had remained rooted to the spot, watching her.

"Are you patrolling or what?" she snapped.

He nodded and hurried out the door.

***

Geoff and Ruby headed back to the bed and breakfast. Worried that Charlie might be trying to find her, Ruby was intent on keeping moving and she didn't want to stay in the same place for too long.

"Rubes, are you ever going to forgive her?" Geoff asked anxiously.

"I don't know," Ruby admitted.

"You know she loves you though, don't you?"

"I don't know anything," Ruby said, pausing in her packing and sinking down onto the bed. "I mean, how does she love me? Like a sister? Like a mother? Like both? This situation is so messed up and I feel so confused. Part of me is aching to go back and be with her. She's been through this massive trauma that I never ever knew about. I remember the way Joey was after she was raped... she was so broken. And to think that Charlie had gone through that... it breaks my heart if I actually allow myself to think about it. But then after it happened, there was sixteen years of lies. I don't know who I am. My relationship with all my family isn't what it should have been or what it used to be. It's all so... screwed."

She sighed and Geoff came to sit beside her. He put his arm around her shoulders and she leant against him.

"I thought I knew who I was and where I came from. Now, it turns out that my life was created through an act of violence... through one of the worst things a person might ever have to go through. Charlie's my mother. She gave birth to me. And I don't even know who my Dad is. She said he was her boyfriend... some guy at school. But every time I look in the mirror now, I don't recognise myself. What parts of me are from him? Am I like him? Does it make me a bad person to come from that?"

"No!" Geoff said quickly. "Of course it doesn't make you a bad person, Ruby. You're wonderful."

"But half of my parentage is evil, as far as I'm concerned," Ruby said sadly. "I mean, you'd have to be evil to do that to someone, wouldn't you? And I keep thinking... did Charlie ever try to get rid of me? Did she hate me that much that she gave me away to her parents and spent the next sixteen years living a lie? I thought I knew everything about her. I was stunned when she told me she was in love with Joey because it was such a big thing not to know but then this... this is so much bigger. She feels like a stranger to me now. And I hate it because throughout my whole life, Charlie's been my constant. She's been the person who was always there for me. She loved me, she took care of me. She's my best friend. But now I've lost her."

Geoff held Ruby a little closer and opted not to comment on the tears that were now landing on his lap. He kissed the top of her head as she cried softly.

"In a few short days," she continued. "I've lost my best friend and my sister and I've gained a mother I never knew or wanted."

***

Joey finished work and attempted to call Charlie on the way home. She hadn't responded to her text message or picked up her phone when Joey had called on her way back to the trawler. Remembering the state she had been in since all this started, she couldn't help but worry. They were meant to be leaving at seven this evening to go to rehearsals. The play was scheduled to start at the end of the week and Joey didn't even know if Charlie wanted to go ahead or not. Hanging up and shoving her mobile back into her pocket, Joey forced herself to accept that Charlie either wouldn't or couldn't talk to her. She continued to walk home in defeat.

***

By quarter to seven, Charlie had worked over an hour and half's overtime and she and her team were nowhere near finding baby Harry. Charlie had delicately explained that there was no evidence that this angry couple had snatched him and she said they would now have to look down other avenues.

"I'll have people working on it tonight and I'll be back in the morning to..."

"You're leaving?" Rachel asked in alarm.

"My shift finished at five," Charlie explained.

"But you can't leave!" Rachel said desperately. "You have to stay until you find him. I don't trust anyone like I trust you."

"Rachel, she's not a machine," Tony said. "She can't work twenty-four-seven."

"I know but..."

"I will be back first thing in the morning and I'll be on call all night if any of my colleagues come up with something," Charlie promised. "We'll find him. It's just going to take a little more time than we thought. But we will get him back. He's not gone."