Chapter One Hundred and Eighty One
The following morning, Charlie, Joey, Ruby, Leah and VJ were all having breakfast together. Charlie had barely slept and was due to start work again at ten. Ruby was grumpy about having to go to school, especially as Leah had decided to keep VJ at home until things were sorted with his 'friends'. With no job, Joey had volunteered to babysit so that Leah didn't have to take any time off from work.
"I've got a meeting with the Principal at lunchtime though," the Diner owner said. "And Miles told the kids off so hopefully things will be better soon. Isn't that right, Veej?"
The little boy nodded without commitment.
"What are you guys going to do today?" Ruby asked, trying to bring him into the conversation.
He shrugged.
"I'm going to teach him how to sail," Joey said brightly, patting VJ on the shoulder.
He managed a smile, gazing at Joey adoringly.
"Oh, really?" Leah enthused. "That's fantastic."
"Yeah, Alf said we could rent the Blaxland," Joey explained.
Charlie grinned at her. They had definitely had some fun times on that boat.
By lunch time, Joey and VJ had set sail and were having a lovely time. He was relaxing more than he had in a long time and Joey always had fun with him. They had bonded from day one and she was glad to be able to take his mind off his troubles now. And having fun with him was also helping to distract her from her own unemployment. She didn't like having nothing to do but helping Leah with VJ made her feel useful.
Charlie was pondering going to lunch with Watson when they were called to the hospital. Someone had been beaten up and was in a bad way. Hopping into the car with her colleague, she raced over to see what was going on. Tony was in the corridor looking stressed.
"Hey," he said, standing up when he spotted them. "Are you here for Miles?"
"Miles?"
"He was beaten up," Tony explained. "Rach and I found him on the beach."
Horrified, Charlie caught the attention of a nurse and asked if she could see the victim.
Growing hungry, Joey had steered the boat back to the marina. VJ had picked up the steering really well and he seemed to have taken in a lot of the information she'd given him about sailing.
"Can we do this again sometime?" he asked as they walked back towards the Diner.
"Absolutely," Joey promised. "Oh, and I have this for you."
She dug around in her pocket and presented him with a 'number one sailor' badge she'd made the night before. He grinned proudly and let her pin it to his t-shirt.
"Was I really good?" VJ asked hopefully.
"You were awesome," Joey said, putting her arm around him.
"I think it was that Ian Radcliffe guy," Miles said.
Charlie stood by his hospital bed, trying not to cringe at the obviously painful injuries to her friend. He'd all but had his head kicked in and there were no defensive wounds. He'd been hit from behind and taken by surprise. He'd had no opportunity to fight back.
"Who's Ian Radcliffe?" Charlie asked, pulling out her notepad and preparing to follow up any lead she had.
"He's the father of that Riley kid," Miles explained. "The one who's being bullying VJ."
Charlie nodded.
"I took Leah round to talk to him last night."
"Yeah, she said," Charlie said. "And she said that he dismissed you."
Miles nodded and then winced.
"You think it's connected then?" Charlie asked gently.
"I can't think of anyone else who'd do this," Miles told her.
She touched him gently on the shoulder and promised him that she'd figure it out.
"Call us if you need anything, okay?" she instructed.
"I will," Miles said, still wincing.
"Take care."
Joey and VJ had just arrived in the Diner when Joey's phone rang. It was Charlie. Joey greeted her warmly.
"Hey, are you okay?" Charlie asked worriedly.
"I'm fine," Joey replied. "You?"
"Yeah, I'm okay. Miles was attacked though."
"What?"
"He's in hospital."
"Is he okay?"
"He will be. But he thinks it might have been connected to VJ being bullied," Charlie explained urgently. "We're about to go round and interview the father. But be aware, okay? Obviously you're involved in this because you're looking after VJ. Don't take any risks or anything."
"I won't," Joey replied.
"Promise?"
The concern in her voice was evident. Joey smiled, touched that she'd thought immediately of her.
"I promise. Stay safe, okay?"
"And you."
They hung up. VJ immediately asked if there was something wrong.
"Um..." Joey said uncertainly.
She was relieved when her charge suddenly declared he needed the bathroom. As soon as he was gone, Joey waved Leah over to tell her what had happened.
In uniform, Charlie and Watson knocked on the Radcliffe front door.
"Can I help you?" Ian asked curtly when he opened up.
"We just wanted to ask you a few questions if you have the time," Charlie said, taking the lead.
"Well, I'm pretty busy," the man lied.
He didn't really want to spend any longer than he had to talking to police officers.
"Then we'll have to insist," Charlie said firmly.
Sighing heavily, he let them in.
It had been a long day and Nicole was glad to have finished school – hopefully for good. She'd had her last exam and Liam had been waiting for her at the gates of Summer Bay High with flowers to say how proud he was of her. They walked into the Diner hand in hand and found Aden sitting with Joey at a table.
"You look pleased with yourself!" Joey commented.
Nicole and Liam sat down. Aden forced a smile.
"I've finished my exams! Yay!" Nicole grinned.
"Oh, well done, Nic," Joey said. "You're free!"
"At last!" Nicole laughed. "I never thought I'd get there."
"Now you just have to pass," Aden tried to joke.
Mostly he just sounded bitter. Joey shot him her sternest look and he apologised, asking how she was going to celebrate.
"Well, I think I'm going to go to the beach with my friends," Nicole said. "Just for a bit though."
She gazed lovingly at Liam who said that they were going to celebrate together later.
"I'll make sure I'm out," Aden said, pulling a face.
"Joey," said a small voice.
The former deckhand turned to find VJ hovering beside her. He'd gone over to the Surf Club to play on the pinball machine for a little while but now he looked upset.
"What's up?" Joey asked kindly.
"Did something happen to Miles?"
Nicole looked suddenly panicked.
"What?" she said. "What happened to Miles?"
"He got beaten up," VJ said unhappily.
"Um... yeah," Joey admitted. "Charlie said he's okay but..."
"It was Riley and his friends," VJ announced.
"How do you...?"
"They found me at the Surf Club and threatened to do the same thing to me."
Joey reached out and hugged him, promising that they would never get the chance. Unhappily, VJ explained that he'd seen them again the day before, after Joey had taken him away from them and Miles had interfered. They'd promised him that he and Miles were on their hit list.
"I should have said," he added, looking close to tears. "Then Miles might have seen them coming."
Joey continued to hold him, waving Leah over to help.
Charlie was back at the station, trying to puzzle out what had happened to Miles. Whoever it was that had attacked him, she refused to let them get away with it. Miles was her friend. He was a good man and he had already been through hell this year. Her phone rang.
"Joey, are you okay?" she answered.
"I'm fine," Joey assured her. "But I think it might have been Riley and his mates instead of his Dad that attacked Miles."
Next time... Nicole reconnects with Aden but falls out with Liam, things go rapidly wrong for Miles and Charlie and Joey meet Watson's new girlfriend...
