Angelo is being extremely grim in this story at the moment, isn't he? I'm afraid it will be a good few chapters before anyone works out who killed Grant but I hope you will enjoy the twists and turns along the way. I had the killer planned out a long time ago! For now, Morag is kicking arse and Angelo is being a pervert. Enjoy! Love, IJKS xxx

Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Eight

Angelo arrived back in Summer Bay in the early hours of the morning. He'd opted not to stay the whole night at the hotel even though he had paid for it and he had driven 'Charlie' back to the haunt he had picked her up from the night before. It was the first time he'd done something like that, although it hadn't been the first time he'd seen Charlie and Joey together through the bedroom window. He wasn't entirely sure what he hoped to achieve each time, what he was meant to feel or get out of it. And he knew that if he got caught, that really would be the end for his friendship with Charlie. Part of him knew that his feelings for her had become obsessive. She was on his mind night and day and any day where he got to see her or spend time with her, was a good one. His world revolved around two things only – Charlie and his secret work mission. He existed for nothing else.


At nine o'clock in the morning, a suited and booted Morag arrived at the police station on Charlie and Joey's behalf. The investigation was going too slowly and there was a distinct lack of communication. Charlie and Joey were obviously too anxious about the whole thing, too frightened to ask questions in case they got answers they didn't like. So Morag had agreed to be their spokeswoman, their protector, their lawyer. And she was determined to get some answers.

"Where's Detective Robertson?" Morag asked Watson when she found her at the reception desk.

The younger woman looked unsure and then pointed towards Charlie's office. She obviously wasn't using it at the moment so Robertson had eagerly taken it over. Watson wouldn't vocalise it but it had seriously pissed her off. The whole thing made her angry. There was no doubt in her mind that Charlie couldn't have committed murder, even after what that monster had done to her when she was still just a child.

"Thank you," Morag said.

She headed into the office without knocking.


Joey kissed Charlie goodbye and headed into work. It was strange how their roles had reversed. At least for brief periods, Joey had been the one out of work. Having Charlie playing housewife was odd and she knew it was making her miserable. However, she couldn't help but feel that the break, even though it was stressful, was doing Charlie some good. The Senior Constable gave her heart and soul to her job and sometimes, Joey felt like her girlfriend didn't get as much return as she deserved. She knew only too well just how much it meant to have a police officer as caring as Charlie, taking care of them. As far as Joey was concerned, Charlie had saved her life multiple times and she didn't think she would ever stop feeling grateful. All she hoped was that she gave enough back to her in their relationship. She did her best to be loving, thoughtful and attentive and she was proud that, judging by the things Charlie said and did, she made her happy. She stepped onto the trawler and paused in order to send her a text telling her that she loved her.


"All I want to know is where we stand with this investigation," Morag said.

She'd taken a seat, although Robertson hadn't offered it and now she was fixing him with her iciest stare, although if she had intended to unnerve him, she had clearly failed. He sat back in his chair – in Charlie's chair – and looked as cocky as ever.

"Well, we're still gathering evidence at the moment," he said. "To be honest, there's not that much to go on."

"Which means you're accusing my clients unnecessarily," Morag pointed out.

"It's not like I've charged them, Battleship," he said.

It was a nickname he had coined when he'd first met her. She didn't particularly care for it but she didn't have the inclination to object.

"Well, you're going to need to do something soon," Morag said. "Leaving them in suspense like this isn't fair. If you can't charge them because of a lack of evidence then Charlie shouldn't have to languish at home. She should be kept away from the case but at least be allowed to return to work."

"I would have thought she'd appreciate some time off," Robertson said. "Every time I see her she looks tired and washed out."

"How on earth do you expect her to be?" Morag snapped. "She's being accused of a murder she didn't commit and her job, work that she's dedicated her whole life to, has been taken away from her. And in the meantime, there is a man working at this very station who deserves to be rotting in jail himself!"

She pictured Angelo and immediately grew more irate. While many of the locals appeared to feel able to forgive and forget, Morag was not so willing.

"Constable Rosetta's freedom or incarceration isn't my jurisdiction," Robertson said evenly.

"No but I'd suggest it was reasonable that he could be a suspect in this murder case too," Morag said. "Why hasn't he been suspended as well?"

Robertson folded his arms across his chest, interested to listen to anything Morag had to say about the errant Constable. He'd waited around outside the hotel for a good couple of hours the night before but had given up before Angelo and his 'friend' had left. He wondered how often he engaged in that kind of activity – both with the prostitute and spying on Charlie and Joey. The Detective was in turmoil over whether he ought to warn the girls about what was happening. But he didn't know them well enough to know how they would react and if it would impede his investigation. At the end of the day, Charlie, Joey or somebody close to them had murdered a man in cold blood on the beach and Robertson's priority was to find out who and bring them to justice.

"Do you think he's responsible for the murder?" he asked.

Morag matched his stance.

"I think he should be included in the list of suspects," she said. "It's not exactly a shot in the dark to think it might be him."

"Because he's killed before?"

"And lied about it. And he spoke at his victim's funeral. And he comforted his victim's widow," she added.

She wanted the Detective to know exactly what kind of man they were dealing with.

"What do you think on his relationship with Charlie?" Robertson asked.

"I'm worried," Morag admitted.

He waited for her to elaborate.

"The girls are trying to ignore it... well, Charlie is. For all her years as a cop, catching criminals and dealing with the scum of the earth, she can be pretty naive. But Joey has voiced her concerns about the way Angelo looks at Charlie, and how often."

Robertson nodded.

"Do you honestly think he would have killed for her?" he asked.

"I can't say it hasn't crossed my mind," Morag admitted. "But I don't feel qualified to say more than that at the moment."


Morag went for dinner with Charlie and Joey. Leah was working and the girls had volunteered to look after VJ. Ruby had gone round for a girlie night with Annie and Nicole. The teenager was torn over her conflicting feelings for Xavier and Geoff and it appeared that her friends weren't in dissimilar situations. Nicole had slept with Liam many months ago and now that he was back in the Bay, she was uncomfortable to realise that she still had feelings for him, despite how he had treated her and how much Aden hated him. And while Jai had made it more than a little obvious that he still had feelings for Annie, she had developed what she hoped was a mutual crush on Romeo.

"Do you think he might let me come back to work?" Charlie asked hopefully. "If I promise not to interfere with the investigation?"

"He didn't say so exactly but I hope I've done some good in suggesting it," Morag said. "And I hope I've expanded his range of suspects."

Charlie looked confused.

"Do you mean Angelo?" Joey asked.

Morag nodded. She didn't want to influence anyone so seriously on the matter but if she had been told that either Charlie, Joey or Angelo had committed the murder, there was no doubt as to who it would be.

"He seems fairly concerned about Angelo's conduct anyway," Morag said. "I'd be surprised if he wasn't already keeping an eye on him."


Later that night, Angelo approached Charlie and Joey's house. He wasn't sure if he was disappointed or elated that they just climbed into bed and cuddled. Perhaps with all the stress of the situation they were in, their sex life would dwindle and then they wouldn't be so sickeningly close and in love. He wasn't sure he even believed in lesbian sex anyway. Wasn't it just extended foreplay? How could you have actual sex without a man and the specific part he would bring to the table? However, even he couldn't deny the passion Charlie and Joey appeared to have for each other. He just preferred to dismiss it and pretend it wasn't real. He jumped when he heard a noise. Anxious over being caught out, Angelo spun around and searched the dark. Believing he could make a shape out in the distance, Angelo approached. He was surprised when he came face to face with Detective Robertson.