Chapter One Hundred and One

"I don't want to," Amy said firmly.

Grant followed his wife around the kitchen.

"If you'd just talk to her..." he pleaded.

She whirled around to face him, annoyed.

"I don't know what happened between you and Charlie," she snapped. "How can I tell this Ruby girl that you didn't do what she's accusing you of?"

"Because you know me!" Grant insisted. "You know I'm not capable of that kind of thing!"

"Do I?" Amy challenged.

As far as she was concerned, he had always been a good man but thinking back, there had definitely been some difficult moments in their past. She tried not to let them cloud her vision and make her think badly of him but the nagging doubts were there.

"Amy, this is our family," he said. "This is our life. Do you really want everything to be wrecked by some tart from my past? And that's all she is, you know. She's a manipulative, promiscuous bitch."


Joey and Charlie woke reluctantly in their comfortable hotel bed. It had been a long and wonderful night of reconnecting. They'd made love over and over again for the first time in a few weeks and it had been amazing. Today, the plan was to stop off and visit Ross in the care home, have dinner with him and Morag and then drive back to the Bay where Charlie was armed with statements about what Grant Bledcoe was capable of.


Grant and Amy drove into Summer Bay together once they had dropped the kids off at school. She had reluctantly agreed to talk to Ruby for him and try and convince her that Grant was a good man and could be trusted. She wasn't entirely happy about it. She didn't see that it would do any good and was sure that the sooner they forgot about Ruby and focussed on their own family and their own lives again, the better.


Charlie and Joey made themselves known to the nurse in charge of the care home where Detective Ross Buckton now resided.

"He's in his room," the nurse said. "Go on in."

Holding hands, Charlie and Joey thanked her and wound themselves down the corridor. They had visited a couple of times and Charlie felt a little guilty that she wasn't around more. Her Dad was so vulnerable now and originally, she'd wanted to take care of him herself. But she was sure he was in the best place for him now and Morag came and went regularly.

"Hi, Dad," Charlie greeted.

Her father was sitting on the balcony of his room drinking a cup of tea. Her turned and smiled, standing up to give both his girls a hug.

"What a pleasant surprise!" he said. "What are you doing here?"

"We came to spend a night in the city," Charlie said. "And thought we'd stop by on our way home."

He beamed at them.

"Did you get up to anything exciting?" he asked, leading them to the chairs outside.

"Just some sightseeing," Charlie said.

"Oh, it's so good to see you," he said. "I've missed you. How's everything? How's Ruby?"


Ruby felt unwell at lunch time so she convinced Mr Bartlett to let her go home. She'd only been indoors for a few minutes when there was a knock on the door. Hauling herself off the couch she opened up and was stunned to see Amy Bledcoe standing there.

"I wanted to talk to you about my husband," she said.

"I don't want to talk about him," Ruby said, beginning to shut the door. "Or to you."

"Please?" Amy said desperately.


A couple of hours later, Charlie and Joey headed back to the car. It had been nice to see Charlie's father. He'd struggled with his memory several times but otherwise seemed to be on top form. He'd chatted away about the home and how lovely the nurses were and he'd been encouraged to hear that Charlie and Ruby were really making an effort. They'd decided not to tell him that Grant was around and in their lives again. Charlie hadn't wanted to stress him out and she hoped that Morag would have the sense not to share anything when they told her. Charlie started the engine.

"Are you feeling okay?" Joey asked, strapping herself in.

"Yeah, I feel pretty positive actually," Charlie said with a smile. "Dad's doing well, Ruby and I are back on speaking terms, at least in part and now it looks like Claire and Claudia will help me press charges against Grant. And of course, I'm dating the hottest girl in the world. Life doesn't feel so bad right about now!"

Joey giggled and blushed at the compliment. She reached out to hold Charlie's hand.

"Have I mentioned lately that I love you?" she asked.

"Just a little," Charlie grinned back. "Have I mentioned that I feel the same?"


"I know you don't want to believe that this woman... Charlie... your mother is a liar but I know my husband," Amy said, getting right the point.

She purposely chose to ignore the times that she'd slept with him not quite as willingly as he liked to believe.

"He'd never hurt anyone."

"Charlie wouldn't cry rape," Ruby insisted. "She... her girlfriend, Joey... she was raped a few months ago. Charlie helped her through it. She looked after her. She took care of her. There is no way that she would lie about something like that."

Amy sighed and twisted her hands in her lap.

"Maybe she's not lying exactly," she suggested.

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked curiously.

"Grant is a... a persuasive kind of guy," his wife ventured. "Maybe he convinced Charlie that she wanted to sleep with him before she was ready to. I mean, they were really young. They were younger than you are now."

Ruby nodded.

"Maybe afterwards, she felt bad about it and convinced herself that she hadn't consented?"

"He said he hurt her," Ruby said.

Amy swallowed. It was so difficult to think of her husband that way. It was painful.

"I just... I know my husband. He is a kind, loving man. He's a wonderful husband and a loving father. He would never abuse someone the way your Mum is insisting."


Charlie and Joey arrived home together. They dumped their stuff in their room and then curled up on the couch together, tired from their drive. As they kissed, Charlie's tummy growled loudly, making them laugh.

"I told you that you should have eaten when we stopped off," Joey said a little triumphantly.

"I wasn't hungry then!" Charlie said with a pout.

Joey kissed her.

"Let's get you some grub," she said.

"Why don't we go to the Diner for dinner?" Charlie suggested, not really wanting to cook.

Joey readily agreed and they headed back out of the house as quickly as they had come in.

"Maybe we could stop off at Ruby's on the way?" Charlie suggested. "She should be back from school right about now. We could take her out with us."

"You really are feeling positive!" Joey commented.

It had been a while since Charlie had felt confident around her daughter.

"Yeah," Charlie said, slipping her arm happily around Joey's waist. "I am."


Once Amy had made her somewhat impassioned speech, Ruby had reluctantly let Grant in and now the three of them were talking together. The more they spoke, the keener Ruby was to believe that no rape had taken place, although she felt utterly bewildered over the whole thing. She froze when there was a knock at the door.

"One second," she said, standing up and heading over to the door.

"Hey, Rubes, we just wondering if..."

Charlie trailed off when she saw Grant and his wife sitting on the couch.

"What the hell is he doing here?" the police officer demanded.

Grant stood up.

"I'm entitled to see my daughter..." he said.

"Did I not make myself clear the other day?" Charlie yelled.

"What happened the other day?" Ruby asked, glancing between them.

"Your mother threatened to kill me," Grant informed her, looking smug.

"Charlie!" Ruby gasped.

"If you don't get the hell away from my daughter..." Charlie warned.

Grant folded his arms.

"What exactly are you going to do, Charlie?" he asked.

"I think we need to leave," Amy said, tugging on her husband's arm.

"How can you be married to a monster like him?" Charlie asked her as they walked past her.

She leapt out of the way in order for Grant not to touch her and was annoyed to find herself trembling. She hated that he was having that kind of effect on her. In the car, Joey looked up in horror when she saw Grant and a woman coming out of Ruby's house. Immediately, she leapt out of the car and hurried over to Charlie.

"Don't worry," Grant said. "She's all yours. Ruby, I'll catch you later, okay?"

Ruby nodded, mute.

"No, you fucking won't," Charlie warned.

"Yes, I fucking will," Grant replied.

They watched them climb into the car and drive off. Charlie turned back to Ruby with tears in her eyes. Suddenly her good mood was destroyed.

"What were they doing here?" Charlie asked.

"They just wanted to talk."

"About what?"

"I think I know what happened between you," Ruby ventured.

"He raped me," Charlie said firmly.

Joey took hold of her girlfriend's hand, afraid of what was coming and how Charlie would react to it.

"He convinced you to have sex before you were ready," Ruby said. "And through no fault of your own, you interpreted it as rape."

She didn't look like she had the strength of her convictions but there was hope evident in her heart. Charlie swallowed. She stared at the teenager she loved so much, the girl she lived and would die for. Without another word, she turned and hurried back to the car. Joey chased after her and climbed in too, having barely got her seatbelt on before Charlie sped away.