Chapter Three Hundred and Thirty
Martha was a little startled when her granddad arrived at the house and demanded to speak privately with Hugo.
"What's this about?" she asked, letting him in.
"What do you think it's about, Martha?" he replied.
There was something in his tone that worried her somewhat. She was terrified that he was going to send Hugo away.
"Great," Charlie said.
"What?" Angelo asked eagerly, leaning forward in his chair on the other side of his boss's desk.
She had called him into her office so that she could try and make some progress with their case at last. The arrival of the men Joey had seen, who might be prepared to hurt Martha or the rest of Hugo's family in a bid to get to him, had fortunately proved reason enough to kick start proceedings.
"We've got two weeks to make this work," Charlie said. "We're going to have to work absolutely flat out but at least we've got a place to start now. We've got to track these thugs down, as well as Hugo. We're entitled to keep up surveillance and they're sending a Detective over from the city to help us."
Angelo pulled a face. He didn't really want yet another person who outranked him to come and take over the case. He found it hard enough with Charlie and at least he liked her.
"You don't think it will be Robertson, do you?" he asked. "Because I really don't want to deal with his smart arse remarks for a week."
"It'll be whoever it'll be," Charlie said curtly. "And I'm bringing Watson in on this too."
"What?" Angelo almost yelled. "No…"
"She's a good officer and she'll be useful," Charlie insisted. "Plus, last time we dealt with all this crap, she helped to safe my life while you were busy drink driving and getting captured."
Angelo glared at her.
"So, no arguments," she said, unfazed.
Martha cried in the kitchen as she eavesdropped on Alf and Hugo's conversation.
"You have to stop being a coward and face up to your mistakes," Alf said firmly.
"I know," Hugo said. "That's why I'm leaving…"
"No!" Alf interrupted. "Do you really think that poor girl in there could handle that?"
"I…"
"You've caused nothing but trouble from the moment you moved here the first time," Alf said. "So why don't you man the hell up and face what you've done? You need to go to the police and hand yourself in. You need to work with them to bring the rest of your little gang down and you need to serve your time. Then you need to hope Martha waits for you."
"I can't just…"
"There are people out there who are after you," Alf said darkly.
"Don't you think I know that?" Hugo snapped.
"Joey's seen them," Alf interrupted.
"Excuse me?"
"She warned me as subtly as she could this morning," the older man stated. "The longer you stay here, hiding and behaving like a coward, the more danger you're putting your loved ones in. And they're not going to stop being in danger if you run off again. It's too late, Hugo. You did the awful things you did and now you have to face up to them. And I swear, if you haven't handed yourself in within the next week, I'm giving you up myself."
Romeo stormed back out of the house as soon as he could. He was utterly mortified and in a terrible mood. After bailing on him the night before, Jill had chosen to start drinking again first thing in the morning. Then, in her wisdom, she had wobbled all the way to school and tried to take him out of class. Half the class had laughed at him and the only thing he had seen in the others' eyes was pity. It was humiliating to say the least and he and Miles had had to drag her back home.
Watson stared between Charlie and Angelo rather incredulously.
"Hugo Austin is alive?" she asked for the third time.
"Yes," Charlie said.
"And you two knew about this from the start?" Watson demanded rather angrily.
"No," Charlie said quickly. "I found out recently. You know when I disappeared to spend the weekend with my Dad?"
Watson nodded slowly.
"Well, that was because I couldn't handle the fact that the guy who nearly killed me…"
She glared at Angelo who glared right back.
"Can I remind you that I'm not the person who nearly killed you?" he demanded.
"No, you just faked the death of the fucker who did!" Watson snapped.
Angelo rolled his eyes and groaned, wondering if anyone was going to give him a break any time soon.
"Anyway," Charlie said, moving the conversation on. "That's what the situation is now. We have a fortnight to get all of this wrapped up, protect Hugo's family and hopefully bring him to justice. I know it's a difficult situation but I'd really appreciate it if you'd come on board."
"I've got your back," Watson assured her.
When Alf departed, Martha sat down with Hugo and held his hands.
"I want to go on the run with you," she blurted out.
Hugo just stared at her.
"Excuse me?" he said.
"I want to sell the farm and go on the run with you," she repeated.
"No!" Hugo said. "No! You can't do that. I'm the criminal. I'm the one who made all the mistakes. I'm not going to drag you into my mess, Martha."
"I'm already in your mess," Martha pointed out.
He stood up and began to pace. Martha stood too, watching him anxiously.
"I don't even know what I'm doing now," he said. "Let alone you. I mean, you heard Alf, didn't you? He wants me to hand myself into the police."
"I don't want you to," Martha said. "You'll be put behind bars for years. I mean, I doubt everyone has the luck of Angelo. Not everyone gets away with murder."
Hugo was halted by how bitter she sounded and couldn't quite figure out if it was aimed at him or the cop who had tried so hard to bring him down. She moved forward and took both his hands in hers, gazing into his eyes.
"I love you," she said sincerely. "I know what you've done and I know how bad it is. But I also know that you've changed. I already tried and failed to live without you once. I can't do it again. I can't, Hugo. I want to be with you. Please? Let's just get out of here and start all over again, somewhere nobody knows us. Please?"
"Hey, what's wrong?" Joey asked worried when Romeo approached the bait shop looking like he was either about to cry or punch the hell out of something.
"I'll give you one guess," he said, sinking onto the step outside, suddenly drained of energy.
Joey moved to sit beside him.
"Your Mum?" she said.
"She showed up drunk at school," he said. "I'm so fucking embarrassed. Sorry, embarrassed."
Joey managed a weak, sympathetic smile and put her arm around his broad shoulders.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart," she said gently.
He rubbed his face and looked at her properly.
"Any chance of another sailing lesson soon?" he asked hopefully.
"Sure," Joey said. "How about Sunday?"
After their discussion, weeks ago, about ways to distract him from hurting over Annie, Joey had been spending a few hours a week teaching Romeo to sail. Alf had let them use the Blaxland free of charge and the teenager was very much proving to be a natural.
"Perfect," he replied. "Thank you."
Charlie and Angelo headed over to the farm to see one more time, if, without a search warrant or too much pressure, they could get Martha to open up and admit that Hugo was staying with her. If only he would come quietly, all their problems could be solved. He could help them track down the thugs that were after him and the case could finally be wrapped up. Granted, it would inevitably mean jail time for him but Charlie for one thought he thoroughly deserved it.
"That's the car!" she said urgently.
"Where?" Angelo said, craning his neck to see where she was pointing.
The same car Charlie and Joey had seen the previous day was speeding away from the farm. Angelo was about to give chase when Charlie spotted a fire on Martha's property. Forcing himself to make a quick decision, he jerked into the drive. Jack had already died and Martha had already been caused so much pain. The last thing Angelo needed on his conscience was something to happen to her as well.
After school, Romeo headed back out to the bait shop to see Joey. He was in a better mood and wanted to share it with her. He didn't want her to think that he only showed up when something bad happened.
"You look perkier," she commented, hopping off another boat that Alf had asked her to fix for a client.
She was apparently developing quite the reputation among the local boat owners.
"I'm going to give Mum another chance," he said.
Joey smiled and cleaned her hands on a cloth.
"Good," she said. "What made you decide that?"
It had only been a few hours ago that the boy had admitted he'd told Jill to get the hell out of town and never darken his door again.
"I had a chat with John and he told me that one of his biggest regrets is not having more time and patience for his Dad," Romeo explained. "He was a drunk too and he died before John had the chance to make peace with him. And I just know I'd feel awful if I missed my chance, you know? It's bad enough if she stuffs things up but I want to be able to walk away from this situation and know I did everything I could to make things work."
Joey smiled again and patted him affectionately on the arm. She could relate only too well with losing a parent before she was ready.
"I'm proud of you," she said.
Having put the fire out and tried and failed to get Martha to admit she was hiding Hugo, Charlie and Angelo had returned to the station to figure out their next plan with Watson. Now, at the end of all their shifts, Charlie was eager to get away. She was meant to be collecting Joey from work to get changed and then take her and Ruby over to Leah's for their special engagement dinner.
"Charlie?" Angelo said urgently, following her out of the station.
She spun round a little nervously.
"What's up?" she asked. "Has something happened?"
"No, I uh… I just wanted to um… Look, can we be friends again?" he asked.
He sounded so pathetic that she almost felt sorry for him. Almost.
"No," she said. "We're professional colleagues and quite frankly, even that's more than enough for me. We're not friends. And we're never going to be again."
Turning back round, she headed for her car.
Romeo arrived home to a rather more sober and definitely sheepish Jill.
"You've got one more chance," he said seriously.
She turned from her position on the couch and gazed up anxiously.
"What do you mean?"
Romeo stood over her.
"You've got to quick drinking, step up and be my mother," he said. "You've got to earn my respect. And you've got one, single chance left to do it."
"I thought you wanted me to leave town," she said, still hurting from earlier.
"I did," he said. "But you're my Mum and we both owe it to ourselves to try and make our relationship work. If you want to."
"I want to," Jill confirmed. "I definitely want to."
"Look, I've got to go," Alf said quickly, backing out from behind the bar of the Surf Club, eager to make his escape.
Angelo had headed straight over to get a drink after a difficult day at work.
"You didn't answer the question," he pointed out.
"Because I don't know the answer," Alf lied.
Angelo had immediately confronted him about Hugo. Not quite capable of lying but wanting to protect his family, he had been quick to avoid the subject. Now he just hoped that Hugo would come forward and put them all out of their misery.
"We are going to be late!" Ruby bellowed.
Charlie and Joey sheepishly exited their bedroom with their hair not quite in place.
"Sorry," they mumbled guiltily.
"You two are more like horny teenagers than Xavier and I are!" the youngest Buckton complained.
"Sorry," they said again.
"We're totally ready to leave now," Charlie said brightly. "Come on! Let's go!"
Two hours later, Charlie, Joey, Ruby, Xavier, Leah, Elijah, VJ, Alf, Miles, Marilyn, Irene and Colleen had all worked their way through their starters and main courses. It was a rather bigger dinner party than Leah had first envisaged and she was a little overwhelmed, a fact which confused her somewhat, considering she ran a Diner and served many more customers than this every day.
"That was delicious," Joey said, sitting back and clutching her belly, which was far too full of food.
"Coming from you, that's a huge compliment," Leah said, as she and Elijah gathered the empty plates to take them into the kitchen.
"I'm not fussy!" Joey protested.
Charlie chuckled and held her hand.
"I think she meant that you're such a good cook," she soothed her.
"Oh," Joey blushed.
Then she grinned.
"It really was delicious," she confirmed.
"Thanks, Joey," Leah said pleasantly.
"The way to Joey's heart is through fish and seafood," Charlie explained to the rest of the table. "It's her favourite."
"And pasta is Charlie's favourite," Joey said.
"In conclusion," Ruby put in, "we eat a lot of seafood themed pasta in our house."
Everyone chuckled.
"It sounds like you two know each other inside out," Marilyn remarked.
"Are you kidding?" Ruby exclaimed. "They finish each other's sentences and everything. They know each other too well."
"No, we don't!" Charlie and Joey protested in unison.
They glanced at each other.
"Stop it!" they said. "You're not helping!"
Ruby merely snorted with laughter, her point proved. Nobody noticed the unsettled looks on Leah and Elijah's faces as they realised they barely knew anything about each other at all.
Next time… Xavier accuses Liam of having an affair with Ruby, Alf wants to come clean about his and Marilyn's trick on Colleen and Charlie and Joey plan their shopping trip…
