Happy New Year! Well, not for Joey in this chapter but I'm on chapter 183 so the chances of her being locked up for all that time are minimal. And we're only a few chapters away from revealing what actually happened to Grant. I hope you enjoy it! Love, IJKS xxx
Chapter One Hundred and Forty Three
"This is absolutely ridiculous!" Morag shouted.
Robertson had instructed Watson to lock Joy up for the night in order to await her bail hearing the following afternoon.
"Which part exactly?" he asked, unfazed.
"All of it!" Morag squawked. "She did not commit a murder! And she does not deserve to spend the night behind bars!"
"Well, right now, all the evidence is pointing towards the fact that she did indeed commit murder and if that's the case then I can't let her wander off home as if she's done nothing wrong. The last thing I need is for her to skip town or something."
"Of course she wouldn't skip town," Morag said. "You're putting my family through extra and unnecessary trauma. And what evidence?"
"A motive for starters," Robertson said. "And no alibi. You and I both know she'd do anything to protect your step-daughter."
They both glanced at Charlie who had been firmly told to stay away from the cells. She was seated on the reception chairs in her Dad's arms in tears. Angelo was sat at his desk, looking hesitant and awkward.
"I'm just doing my job," Robertson insisted.
"And I'm just doing mine," Morag snapped back.
"Joey, I'm so sorry about all of this," Watson said kindly. "I swear, if I can find any kind of evidence to get you out of here, I will. I've been working so hard and I'm sorry I haven't found anything worthwhile yet. I know it's there. I just have to figure out what it is."
Joey sat down on the uncomfortable bench and nodded. She was trying hard not to cry but she felt like her world was literally coming to an end. For all the joy she had shared with Charlie, this was fast turning out to be the worst year of her life.
"Thank you," she managed.
Watson nodded and trudged unhappily back to reception. Charlie stood up quickly when she saw her.
"Can I see her now?" she asked urgently.
Watson looked at Robertson who nodded, instructing that Charlie be escorted the whole time. Watson led Charlie round to the back of the building and Charlie's heart broke all over again when she saw the timid, huddled form of her girlfriend locked up all alone. Joey hurried forward and clung onto the bars when she saw her. They kissed as well as they could manage. Watson turned away to give them some privacy.
"It'll be okay," Joey said, gently wiping the tears from Charlie's cheeks.
They held hands through the bars. Charlie nodded, touched that Joey was trying to be strong for her.
"It will," she confirmed. "You didn't do it so you can't be held responsible. Everything is going to be okay. And I'm going to stay here all night..."
Joey shook her head.
"You need to go home," she said firmly.
"I can't leave you."
"I need you to be strong for me tomorrow, Charlie," Joey told her. "And for that, you need a good night's sleep."
"As if I'll be able to sleep!"
"You can at least try at home," Joey said.
"But we can't sleep without each other," Charlie said in a very small voice.
Joey smiled sadly at her.
"You won't be able to spend time with me tonight anyway," she said. "Go home. Get some rest. Make sure Ruby's okay."
Charlie sighed and nodded. She just about managed to kiss Joey again.
"I love you," she said. "I'm so sorry that you've been caught up in all my mess."
"I love you too," Joey replied. "And none of this is your fault."
As night drew in, Robertson retired back to his hotel. He'd stopped off at the Diner on the way in order to see Leah but word had already got round about Joey and she'd given him the cold shoulder. He was disappointed, as they'd had a lovely date the other night. But he also appreciated that Joey was her housemate and one of her closest friends. He just hoped that he could make things better in the morning. He also hoped that the real killer, whoever it was, would feel sufficiently guilty and step forward and save Joey from being sent down.
Leah left Charlie, Ruby, Ross and Morag to it when she got home from work that night. VJ was spending the night at Stella's so she had offered Charlie's father and step mother his room for the night. In the lounge, Ruby was tearful. She rested her head in Charlie's lap and was comforted by the way her mother stroked her hair. Charlie was numb, Morag was irate and Ross looked utterly lost. He sighed heavily, sinking back onto the sofa and closing his eyes. Charlie couldn't stop picturing her beautiful, perfect Joey locked away in a police cell, all alone and frightened.
Angelo sat down at the docks, drinking coffee and hoping for some kind of activity that would take him further into his somewhat dull investigation. He kept telling himself that redemption was a long haul and couldn't happen overnight. And all he hoped was that it would pay off. Looking out at the world around him, he wondered if Charlie was alright. He'd resisted trying to comfort her too much. He didn't want to be seen as predatory when Joey had only just been locked up. But if Joey was sent down, Angelo was determined to be the man that Charlie turned to. Just as with his investigation, he needed to be patient in order to get what he wanted in the end.
Joey sat huddled in a corner of her cell. Night was drawing in and she was struggling not to panic. She'd tried to sleep but woken herself – and her fellow prisoners – up with her screaming. And she found it tragic that so many months after the fact, she still couldn't sleep unless Charlie was beside her. Closing her eyes, she pictured her girlfriend's beautiful face. She tried to imagine her laugh and her smile, hear her voice and feel her arms. Sighing, she wondered if she would ever get through this at all.
"Hey," said a quiet voice.
Joey looked up to see Watson hovering in front of her cell. She stood and shuffled to the bars.
"How are you doing?"
Joey just shrugged. Each time she'd screamed, Charlie's colleague had come rushing over to check on her. She wondered if she was getting tired of it yet.
"Don't tell anyone but I brought you this," Watson said.
She unlocked the door and passed a hot chocolate through to her. Joey accepted it gratefully.
"And these," Watson added, slipping her a packet of biscuits.
"Thank you," Joey said. "How long are you on shift for?"
"I was meant to finish three hours ago," Watson admitted. "But I don't want to leave you. I've started the whole case file all over again and I'm absolutely determined to find something to prove your innocence, Joey."
