Thank you to everyone for your reviews and well wishes. I'm on a new course of drug treatment now, which will get more intensive over the last six months. But I am generally feeling more positive about things. I hope you enjoy the chapter. I can't believe we're on the cusp of chapter 300! Love, IJKS xxx

Chapter Two Hundred and Ninety Nine

"Okay, thanks, Leah," Joey said into the phone. "We'll let Alf know."

She hung up and informed Charlie that Leah and Elijah had found Miles and that although he had been rambling about horses and cows, he seemed to be okay.

"Horses and cows?" Charlie queried.

Joey shrugged.

"Just because I pass the message on, doesn't mean I understand it," she said.


The following morning, after another bad dream, Charlie very reluctantly went to work. At the bait shop, Joey was particularly distracted and made sure she kept her phone within hearing distance at all times in case her girlfriend needed to get in touch.


"I don't know what you're talking about," Xavier denied.

In the living room at home with Gina and Martha, he had been informed that Hugo's money had been found.

"Xavier, just tell the truth," Martha said.

She sounded tired, almost like she had given up on life and all it entailed.

"I don't..."

"I have the evidence right here in my hand!" Gina interrupted angrily, waving the box in his face.

"I..." Xavier faltered.

He glanced between his mother and the woman that might one day have become his sister in law.

"Is it drug money?" Gina demanded.

"No!" Xavier said, offended. "You know I'm not like that anymore."

"Well maybe bad behaviour runs in families," Gina said sourly.

"Xave, if you don't tell her the truth then I will," Martha warned. "It's too late to try and lie."

Xavier sighed heavily, trying to figure out how explain.


"Is everything okay?" Watson asked. "You don't seem like yourself."

She studied Charlie's face, full of concern. She seemed pale and sad and lost.

"I'm fine," Charlie lied. "I just need to get away for a bit."

"You're going away?" Angelo interjected, appearing as if from nowhere.

"Just for a few days to visit my Dad," Charlie told him.

"He was just here," Angelo pointed out.

"What, is there a limit as to how much time I can spend with my own father?" Charlie snapped.

Watson's concern grew. Not a lot of people had patience with Angelo at the best of times but Charlie had at least always tried. Without speaking, Angelo stormed off. Charlie buried her head in her hands, leaning against the reception desk.

"Charlie?" Watson asked, gently touching her friends shoulder. "Is there anything I can do? What's wrong?"

Charlie straightened up.

"Honestly, I don't actually know where to start," she said. "But as soon as I have the words, you'll be the woman I talk to."

They smiled affectionately at each other.

"I hope your time off helps," Watson said sincerely. "And remember that you can call me any time."


Gina stared at her son.

"Hugo left you all this cash?" she said. "And you haven't said anything to anyone?"

Xavier shook his head.

"I mean, a few people found out but..."

"Which people?" Gina asked.

"Romeo. Ruby. Martha."

"But you didn't see fit to tell me?"

"What would you have said and done, Mum?" Xavier asked.

"I would have made you hand it into the police!" Gina informed him. "It's illegal cash, Xavier. You can't just hide it in a locker and hope for the best."

She turned to Martha, who looked guilty as she fiddled with a ring on her necklace.

"Why didn't you say anything about this?"

"It was up to Xavier to tell you," Martha said. "It wasn't my place to interfere."

Gina stood up and began to pace, shaking her head in disbelief. She was terrified of her youngest son following the same path as her eldest.


"I just don't know what to do with him at the moment," Leah sighed.

She, Elijah, Charlie and Joey were spending lunch time together, all fretting about Miles.

"What's with the farmyard animals?" Charlie asked.

Leah shrugged.

"He said that we had to stay away from horses and cows," Elijah explained.

He looked just as bewildered as his girlfriend did.

"Is he still seeing Michael?" Charlie asked.

Michael had been her counsellor also and she knew that he was helpful. Unfortunately, she was privately fretting that she might have to start counselling again. She'd believed that she was free of everything Hugo had put her through but right now, she felt like she was back to square one.

"I think so," Leah said.

Spotting Rachel entering the Diner, she waved her over.

"This looks serious," the Doctor remarked.

"Miles," Leah said by way of explanation. "You don't know if he's continuing treatment, do you?"

"I don't know," Rachel said. "I haven't really seen him. At the moment I'm just squabbling with Tony."

"What about?" Leah chuckled.

"This stupid boxing match he's set up with John," Rachel said. "But anyway, what's going on with Miles?"


At lunch time, Xavier took Ruby aside to tell her about being found out by Gina.

"Maybe she's right," Ruby ventured when Xavier posed the idea of going to the police. "I mean, you could do it as informally as possible. I know Charlie would be happy to sit down with you and work through it."

"But Hugo wanted me to do something good with the money," Xavier said. "What will happen to it if I hand it in?"

"I don't know," Ruby said. "Charlie and Joey are going to the city for the weekend but when they get back, you could talk it through."

Xavier remained unconvinced.

"I know Hugo was trying to do something good before he died but... he's handed me a burden. Noting more than that," he sighed.


Angelo knocked tentatively on Charlie's office door.

"Come in," she said.

He watched her visibly deflate when she saw him. Once upon a time, they had been friends. Even over the last year, when he'd known Joey hated him, Charlie had always been the forgiving one, the one who wanted to see the best in him. But between the Martha incident and now the truth about Hugo spilling out, he felt like he had lost her for good.

"Can we talk?" he asked hesitantly, shutting the door behind him.

"If we must," Charlie replied.

He perched on the edge of the chair in front of her desk.

"About Hu..."

"I don't want to talk about him," Charlie said, cutting him off.

"But, Charlie..."

"I don't want to talk about it," Charlie repeated. "He's alive and you're looking after him or whatever. I think it's wrong and absolutely immoral. I also feel betrayed by my own colleagues and the organisation I've pledged my life to, considering that I could have died by his hand."

"Charlie, I need you to understand..." Angelo tried.

"I don't understand," Charlie told him. "And I have no desire to have it explained to me."

"But..."

"I don't care, Angelo!" Charlie snapped. "I have literally just got my life together after everything that happened at New Year. I don't want to get involved in whatever dirty little deal you've cooked up this time."

"It wasn't my choice, Charlie," Angelo said. "I didn't make the decision to let him off. I worked absolutely tirelessly to put him behind bars, if you remember. But I had to do what I was told."

Charlie merely shrugged.

"Please don't hold me responsible for all of this," Angelo begged. "It's not my fault."

"Look, I don't care who's to blame," Charlie said tiredly. "I just want to get to the end of my shift and then take myself away to spend time with my family. Hopefully when I get back, my head will feel a little clearer. That's the best I can say."

Angelo nodded unhappily and turned to leave without another word.


Next time... Charlie and Joey spend the weekend with Ross and Morag, Charlie makes a decision and Morag finds out about Hugo...