Here is what would have been Monday's update. We're getting closer to the truth! Love, IJKS xxx
Chapter One Hundred and Forty Five
For Charlie, everything seemed to pass by in a blur. Hugo and Xavier had arrived at the station and the youngest Austin boy had admitted to Robertson and Watson that he had lied to them. Not only had he not seen Charlie on the night of the murder, but he hadn't even been with Ruby either. Since then, Ruby had been dragged to the station with Morag and Charlie sitting in on her interview. It had taken quite some time to get her to let go of her stubborn insistence that she had been telling the truth, but finally, she had broken down and confessed that she'd made the whole thing up in order to save Charlie.
"Ruby..." Charlie sighed, although she felt completely unable to be angry with her.
"I'm sorry, Charlie," Ruby said, her eyes wide and wet.
Charlie put her arm around her.
"I was trying to help."
Charlie hugged her and kissed the top of her daughter's head. Morag's mouth formed a grim line.
"What happens now?" Morag asked.
"Well, now Ruby will be charged with perverting the course of justice," Robertson said unhappily.
It was how he wanted and expected it to go. He wanted the truth. But it was shaping up to be something painful.
"What?" Charlie screeched. "No! You can't!"
Tears stung her eyes. Ruby hugged her tighter.
"He can, Charlie," Morag said. "And she could end up with a criminal record but at worst it'll be community service."
Robertson nodded.
"The person I'm worried about now is you."
Charlie froze. Robertson nodded again.
"I'm formally charging you, alongside Joanne Collins for the murder of Grant Bledcoe."
Ruby cried harder. Charlie rested her head in her hands and felt her heart sink into her feet. She pictured Joey's beautiful face feeling comforted only by the fact that they were now in it together. However, she wished with her whole heart that Joey would be freed. She didn't want her partner to go through any more than she already had.
Angelo and Ross looked up when the interview room door opened. Robertson led Morag, Charlie and Ruby out with Watson bringing up the rear. In despair, Charlie handed over her badge and gun. Angelo gazed longingly at her, his heart breaking. Hugo and Xavier slipped out into the night, not wanting to see whatever was going to happen next.
"What's happening?" Ross asked, hurrying over.
Charlie swallowed and shoved her hands in her pockets.
"Joey and I are both being charged with murder," she said, hardly able to meet his gaze.
Xavier was silent on the way home. He hated himself for caving in and he hated Hugo for forcing the issue. He also hated Ruby for putting him into that position in the first place. He wished that he had never been caught up in any of it and regretted his decision to lie about losing the memory of Ruby dumping him. If he hadn't refused to ignore the issue and accept that Ruby didn't love him anymore, then he wouldn't be in his current position. He could have broken free of the situation and then perhaps Geoff would have been the idiot willing to lie for her and her crazy family.
Joey sat in her police cell. It was frustrating not to know what on earth was going on. Watson had popped in to say that her court appearance was postponed and she had no idea whether that was a good or a bad thing. And the fact that she hadn't seen Charlie for a good few hours was unnerving. She'd been popping in regularly every moment she could but now, to Joey, she was missing. Sitting unhappily and still in her suit, Joey tried not to break.
"You can't arrest her," Ross insisted.
Morag put a gentle hand on her husband's arm but he shook her away.
"I have no choice, Detective Buckton," Roberson said gravely.
"Neither of them killed him," Ross insisted urgently, aware that everyone was looking at him.
"And how do you know that?" Roberson asked.
"Because it was me," Ross said weakly. "It was me. I did it. I killed Grant Bledcoe."
