Chapter One Hundred and Thirty Eight

Charlie woke nestled tightly in Joey's embrace. Last night, she didn't think she'd ever been so emotional before, let alone during sex. She'd cried and clung onto Joey, wishing she could keep her safe forever. Although she knew that even if Joey was charged, it would be a while before she lost her, the mere thought of it happening, destroyed her. She'd needed to be close to her, to let her know how much she loved her, to creep inside her soul somehow and fuse their hearts together. Although she was aware of the time and although she needed to get up, Charlie remained exactly where she was, wrapped up in Joey's arms. She never wanted to leave.


A couple of hours later, Charlie reluctantly arrived at work. Robertson and Angelo were both already there. She eyed the Detective with hostility and then asked Angelo to see her in her office. He followed immediately and shut the door behind them.

"I'll help you with your case," she said.

Angelo looked elated.

"I'll help to a lesser degree until I know what's happening with Joey," she said, her voice wobbling a little. "If... if something bad is going to happen with her, I don't want to waste any time I might have left with her."

Angelo sat down, looking compassionate.

"Do you think she's going to jail?" he asked.

"I hope not," Charlie said. "But it's always a risk."

She closed her eyes, wondering if she was ever going to stop feeling on the verge of tears.

"So I want to spend every moment with her that I can and then... then I'll help. But I'll do what I can in the meantime."

He nodded.

"Listen, Charlie, I know this is hard for you," he said. "But if you ever want to talk, I'm here for you."

"Thanks. I don't."

He tried not to let his heckles rise at how abruptly she shut him down.

"And if the worst happens, I'll be here for you too."

Charlie merely nodded and switched her computer on. He studied her one last time, trying not to hope that if Joey ended up in jail, the two of them might break up. If Joey was going down for murder then she was facing at least fifteen years. That was a long time away from a loved one. He wondered if perhaps Charlie would need some comfort during that time. He knew he would be happy to provide if he could.


Joey stopped off at the Diner to collect some coffees for herself, Geoff and Aden. It had been a long night and she was still very tired. It had been hard to see Charlie breaking her heart over what the future might hold but it had been good for both of them to let go and if they couldn't exactly talk about it, they could at least connect and share their feelings in other ways. It had meant just as much. Spotting Martha up ahead, Joey called her name.

"Hey," the barmaid said unhappily.

"Are you okay after yesterday?" Joey asked.

Martha sighed heavily.

"Yeah," she said, not sounding very convincing. "A bit humiliated but I'll get over it. And hopefully it will all die down soon. I'm stepping down for the campaign."

"What? You shouldn't let John Palmer scare you away," Joey told her.

"What can I do?" Martha asked. "He's completely undermined me. Nobody in their right mind would take me seriously now."

"I would," Joey said. "I'd see you as someone who's lived a bit. Someone who's no afraid of who she is. Someone who's taken everything that's happened to her and grown from it."

Martha smiled at her.

"You think?"

Joey nodded and told her that if she ran, she'd have her vote.

"How do I tackle the posters though?" she asked.

"I don't know," Joey said. "Turn it into something to help your campaign. Like... um... 'Martha: Nothing to Hide' or something like that."

Martha grinned.

"You honestly think that's a good idea?" she asked.

"I do," Joey said.

Martha hurried forward and hugged her, suddenly full of life again.

"I will," she said. "Thanks, Joey."

Glad to have been useful, Joey headed down to the trawler to start work while Martha pulled out her phone to tell Hugo all about the latest brainwave.


Xavier was at his locker when Detective Robertson waltzed through the school doors and approached him.

"You're in a good mood," he commented.

Xavier just shrugged, trying to look cooler than he felt. He'd been on edge over this whole alibi lie and he just wanted it to be over. When he had agreed, he had hoped that it would be something that might bond him and Ruby again, bring them closer. But it seemed like his girlfriend was just going to continue to push him away, no matter how much he put his neck on the line for her and her family.

"Have you got a heavy burden to carry?" Robertson asked.

"Not particularly," Xavier replied, aware that people were looking at him.

"Look, I know you're lying about Charlie's alibi," the older man told him. "And I will prove it. But it would make both our lives a hell of a lot easier if you did the work for me and just came clean."

Xavier remained silent.

"You weren't with Charlie that night, were you?" Robertson said.

Xavier continued to stay blank, willing Robertson away.

"I doubt you were even with Ruby," Robertson added. "And if you think you're being a hero by telling these lies, you're misguided. And if I find out that you've lied about the alibi and you haven't been the one to come and tell me, you might well be going to jail yourself."

Xavier looked instantly alarmed.

"So, is there anything you want to tell me?" Robertson asked.

Xavier hesitated. Then he caught sight of Ruby walking into school with Annie and Jai. He turned back to the Detective and shook his head.

"Fine," he replied. "Let's do this the hard way."

Xavier sank back against his locker and watched the suited man leave. Once he was through the door, Ruby raced up to him.

"What have you been saying?" she demanded urgently.

"Nothing!" he said.

"Xavier!"

"I haven't said anything!" the blonde boy snapped. "I've kept your dirty, little secret so why don't you just leave me alone?"

Ruby looked abashed and immediately apologised.

"I was just scared," she said.

"Me too," he replied bitterly.

They gazed at each other for a moment until Ruby's attention was caught by Gina Austin walking through the school halls looking smart.

"What's your Mum doing here?" Ruby wondered.

Xavier shoved his hands in his pockets.

"If you'd have stuck around long enough last night to listen to anything but your own voice, I would have been able to tell you that Bartlett's resigned and Mum's taken over as Principal," he said sourly, storming off towards his first class of the day.


"Have you found anything?" Charlie asked Watson urgently.

Her colleague shook her head glumly. It was a lot of responsibility to be the person Charlie trusted to find some piece of evidence to exonerate Joey.

"Can I look again?"

"I don't think that's a good idea, do you?" Robertson asked from behind her.

Charlie jumped with so much fright that she nearly lost her footing. She also looked immediately guilty, as did Watson.

"Do you think I'm an idiot, Senior?" the Detective asked.

"I wouldn't like to answer that, Sir," was Charlie's smart remark.

He looked half amused.

"I know Watson gave you the Bledcoe file the other day," he said. "And I will let it slide just this once, although it makes you and your delightful girlfriend look guilty as sin. But if I catch you trying to interfere with this case again, there will be consequences."

He shifted his glare to Watson.

"For both of you."


"What the hell is this?" John Palmer asked when he entered the Diner.

Martha stepped back and admired the poster she had put up on the wall. She'd taken his posters, rearranged them with Joey's slogan and was now officially ready to compete with John in his bid to run for the Council.

"I'm making use of what I've got," Martha said proudly.

Hugo stood behind her, keeping up the pretence that he was pleased. Secretly, he was terrified that Martha's new role would make people look too closely at them. He had so many skeletons in his closet these days that he could barely keep the door shut.


Charlie and Joey walked hand in hand into the Diner, having arranged to meet up for lunch. They paused when they saw a crowd including Martha, Hugo and John looking at a poster. Joey grinned when she saw the picture of scantily clad Martha declaring that she had nothing to hide. Charlie frowned when she saw her girlfriend's expression and dragged her over to a table. Still smiling, Joey picked up her menu. She peered over the top of it when she realised that Charlie didn't look happy.

"What?" she asked innocently.

"You just perved over a picture of one of our friends right in front of me!" Charlie accused unhappily.

"What? No, I didn't," Joey insisted.

She couldn't imagine ever being tempted by someone who wasn't Charlie. She'd already met her soul mate. She didn't need anyone else.

"I saw you," Charlie said, sounding hurt.

Joey reached for her hand, squeezing it gently.

"She used my slogan," she explained.

"Your what?"

"My slogan," Joey said, before repeating the conversation she and Martha had had that morning.

"Oh," Charlie said quietly, feeling a little embarrassed at jumping to conclusions.

Joey laughed.

"As if I would ever want anyone who isn't you," she said affectionately. "Give me some credit."

"Sorry," Charlie said, relieved that Joey was laughing instead of scowling.

Joey shook her head and tutted.

"Honestly, you don't win a gold medal and hand it back, do you?" she mused.

Charlie smiled.

"Am I the gold medal?" she asked hopefully.

Joey leant in and kissed her.

"You most certainly are," she promised.