Thank you to everyone who continues reading and reviewing all these stories! Love, IJKS xxx

Chapter One Hundred and Forty Six

Ross sat in front of Robertson in the interview room. Morag was the only person who had been allowed in the room with him but Watson had escorted Charlie, Ruby and Joey into the next room to watch and listen through the mirrored glass. Charlie sat in the middle, holding onto both Ruby and Joey's hands as they listened to Ross make his confession.

"So, you say you murdered Grant Bledcoe," Robertson began.

Ross nodded gravely.

"He'd stormed back into my Charlie's life," he explained. "And he wasn't going to leave. He threatened her and he was destroying my little girl all over again. He'd damaged her relationship with Ruby and... I just wanted to protect my girls. All three of them."

In the other room, Charlie squeezed Joey's hand. Tears rolled down all three of their faces as they listened to Ross explain that he had snapped and stormed back to Summer Bay to confront the man who had raped his daughter.

"I didn't protect my baby when I should have," the retired Detective said. "I let her down. She's lived a life of secrets and shame all this time and that's my fault. I should have supported her more and I should have sought justice for her. So that night, I just... I just snapped."


An hour and a half later, it was all over. Ross had been arrested and formally charged with Grant's murder and Morag was acting as his lawyer. Robertson had dropped the charges against Charlie and Joey, although Ruby was still in trouble for her lies. He was hopeful, as was Watson, that she would be let off or just get community service. He'd also told them that with the mitigating circumstances, Ross would hopefully get a lighter sentence. But for now, they had to go through the motions.

"I'll have an officer escort you back to the home," Robertson said. "And we can transfer the case to the city. I don't think bail is going to be a problem. Prison definitely isn't the safest or most appropriate place for you right now."

Ross nodded. Robertson called Angelo over and asked him to be the police escort. He nodded and got his keys. Ruby flung herself into Ross's arms, hugging him and crying. Charlie took her turn and they clung on tightly.

"I'm so sorry my darling girl," Ross said tearfully.

Charlie swallowed and stroked his face, feeling increasingly broken.

"Joey, I'm sorry for the night you spent in jail," Ross said. "Please forgive me."

"There's nothing to forgive," Joey said without hesitation.

Ross hugged her. Then Charlie, Joey and Ruby watched Angelo, Ross and Morag walk away.


Later, having said goodnight to Ruby, Charlie and Joey headed to their bedroom. The atmosphere was strange and everything felt so surreal. One minute they had both been potentially facing life in jail and now, they'd been found not guilty but Ross had taken their place. Charlie sank onto the bed with her day clothes on. She closed her eyes and wasn't sure whether to try and hold onto or erase the image of the look in her father's eyes. Joey moved onto the bed beside her. In silence, they held each other and cried.


Ruby lay in bed, her mind a whirl of confusion. She tried and failed to sleep. Picking up her phone, she called the one person she felt she could count on.


Xavier sneaked out of the house and went for a walk. It was the early hours of the morning but he felt safe in Summer Bay. He hadn't been able to sleep and he needed to clear his head. Where did he and Ruby stand now? Would Charlie and Joey go to jail? Would they all hate him forever? Would he continue to hate himself?


Geoff had jolted awake when his phone had rung and he'd hastily pulled some clothes on in order to meet Ruby down at the beach. Now, sitting side by side on the sand, his mind was reeling as his friend explained everything that had happened that night. Xavier had caved under pressure and they'd both had to admit they were lying about the alibi. Geoff had been sceptical about that whole story from the start but he couldn't blame her for trying to help her mother. But Ross had confessed to murder and been charged. Charlie and Joey were free to live their lives but Ruby and Ross would be paying for their individual crimes.

"So, that's about the size of it," the teenage girl concluded.

Geoff put his arm around her and held her close.

"How are you dealing with it all?" he asked.

"Well, it's three in the morning and I'm sitting on the beach pouring my heart out to you," she said. "So, not so well, I guess. Charlie couldn't even speak."

She shook her head.

"This whole thing is my fault."

Geoff hugged her a little tighter.

"It's not," he said. "You handled things the only way you know how. If anyone is to blame for this whole awful mess, it's Grant. Don't ever forget that, okay?"


Angelo had deposited Ross and Morag back at the home and then taken the paperwork to the local police station there. He was glad that Charlie was no longer a suspect, although Joey's redemption had put a spanner in the works. With all that had been going on, it looked like she and Charlie would pull even closer together now. But he was grateful for the time he would be able to spend with his ex as they investigated Hugo and the human trafficking ring. Now, having left Ross and Morag in the city, Angelo was driving aimlessly around in circles. He'd wound his way back to the Bay but couldn't settle enough to even consider going home. Without really thinking it through, he headed over to Charlie's house.


Xavier froze when he saw Ruby and Geoff sitting on the beach together in the dark. Romantic waves lapped at the shore and he felt enraged and bitter as he watched Ruby rest her head against Geoff's broad chest. Breaking into a run, he stormed over and shouted at Geoff to keep his hands off his girlfriend. Ruby and Geoff jumped up in surprise. Xavier immediately lashed out and hit Geoff in the jaw.

"Xavier!" Ruby yelped. "What the hell are you doing?"

"What the hell am I doing?" Xavier demanded. "What am I meant to do when I see you nuzzling up to another guy?"

"At least I can depend on him," Ruby said bitterly.

"What's that meant to mean?"

Geoff clutched his face and remained silent.

"You completely messed everything up today," Ruby snapped. "You let me down!"

"And I'm glad! I've been feeling so guilty about everything but right now, I don't care. I hope Charlie and Joey both go down for murder if they did it. You put me in an awful position by making me lie and I was just an idiot to love you enough to be willing to do it!"

"Charlie and Joey didn't do anything," Ruby said angrily. "But Ross has confessed and now he, you know, the man with Alzheimer's is going down for the rest of his life!"

Xavier swallowed, a little stunned.

"Well, at least nobody innocent is going down for it," he said more quietly.

"No thanks to you," Ruby snapped.

"I did my best Ruby," Xavier said. "All I've ever tried to do is my best for you but it's never been good enough, has it? You've treated me like shit for weeks."

Ruby denied it but she knew it was true.

"I should have seen you dumping me as a relief," Xavier continued. "I've known for ages that you're into Geoff and all you've done is shut me out since you found out just how fucked up your family is. But I clung on. I tried to hold onto you because I love you so much but you're not worth it. I thought you were but I'm wrong."

He turned to walk away but she yelled his name. He turned back.

"You lied to me," she said.

His stare was unrelenting.

"You didn't lose your memory that day," Ruby said. "You lied. You manipulated me to..."

"Don't even try to play the victim, Ruby," he warned. "I hate you."


Charlie and Joey had fallen asleep in their clothes, still holding each other. Waking up slowly, they quickly got changed into their pyjamas and slipped between the sheets. They found each other's arms again and settled back down comfortable, kissing gently in the darkness.


Outside their bedroom window, Angelo walked away. He felt bitter over the way Charlie seemed to take so much comfort in Joey. She had changed completely from the woman Angelo had once known. Back then, she'd thrust herself into sex and struggled with the concept of love. She'd always been so determined to face everything on her own and he knew that had they had the chance to stay together, if they were in a relationship now, she was unlikely to turn to him in the same way. He felt sick at the way Charlie was so willing and happy to be a unit with Joey. Heading back to his car, he slumped home.


Still at work and past the point of being able to sleep, Watson finished her notes on what had taken place that evening. A copy of the incomplete file had been sent to the city with Angelo but Watson had taken on the job of completing it. Unhappily, she signed her name and closed the file. A photograph fell out. Bending to pick it up, she paused and furrowed her brow. With a sudden burst of energy, Watson flipped back through the file. When she found what she wanted and sat back and exhaled loudly.

"He lied," she realised. "He couldn't have killed him at all."