Chapter Three Hundred and Thirty Four
"Okay, Mr… Smith," Miles said uncertainly. "Here's the key to van seven."
The dangerous looking stranger nodded and accepted the key. He handed over cash for the rental of the caravan and then stalked back out into the park. In his bag was a gun and photographs of Hugo, Xavier, Gina and Martha. He was in town for one thing only and nothing was going to get in his way.
Having dropped Joey at the bait shop, Charlie stopped for coffee on her way to the police station. In the Diner, she bumped into Liam.
"Hi," she said rather awkwardly. "I was hoping to run into you. Could we have a chat?"
Liam looked a little hesitant, knowing exactly what her 'chat' would be about.
"Sure," he said.
They sat at the nearest empty table.
"Look, Ruby told me what happened yesterday," Charlie ventured.
Liam nodded uncertainly.
"I think I already know what the answer is, but Xavier's wrong, isn't he? There's nothing going on between you and Rubes?"
"Of course not!" Liam said quickly, shaking his head. "I'd never do something like that. She's lovely and I really enjoy working with her but she's too young and she's a student. There's no way I'd go there. I swear, Charlie."
The police officer nodded.
"I believe you," she said. "I just felt I had to check."
Liam nodded in understanding.
"Of course you did," he said. "You're her Mum. I'd be horrified if you didn't want to make sure your daughter was okay. But I really haven't and wouldn't do anything. And not just because you and Joey would beat me to within an inch of my life!"
He laughed nervously. Charlie grinned and patted him on the arm.
"Thanks, Liam," she said. "And please, look out of her?"
"I will."
"And let me know if there's anything I should know."
"I promise."
She stood up to leave but he called her back.
"I'd never do anything to mess up my professional partnership with her," he said. "I've never felt so inspired to write as I do when I'm working with her. She's brought a lot of healing into my life. There was a time when I didn't think I could be a musician unless I was high or something. But she's taught me that I'm better than that. I'd hate to lose her because some kid thinks the worst of me."
Ruby found Xavier at school and pulled him into an empty classroom.
"Why are you trying to destroy my partnership with Liam?" she demanded, getting right to the point.
"Because I don't like being taken for a fool," Xavier replied. "Especially not twice!"
"What are you talking about?" Ruby asked, exasperated.
"You strung me along when you fell in love with Geoff," Xavier told her. "You hurt me and you messed with my head. You broke my heart, Ruby."
Ruby looked and felt guilty but she covered it with indignation.
"It's a bit late to start punishing me for that, isn't it?" she said. "We've been back together for quite a while now!"
"Yeah, and now I'm seeing you do the same thing again with a different guy!"
"This is nothing like what happened with Geoff!" Ruby insisted. "I know I hurt you and I know I did the wrong thing then. But I'm not now. I swear! Liam is my music partner. It's not more than that."
"I've seen the way you swoon all over him, Ruby," Xavier said adamantly. "I know the signs. And even if he isn't into you, you're definitely into him."
"I'm not!"
"Of course you are!"
Furious, Ruby stepped forward.
"Well, if I'm such a terrible girlfriend, you'd better be careful I'm not so bad as to spill some of your secrets," she warned.
Without waiting for a response, she stormed back out of the room.
Killer settled himself in his caravan and then drove across town to the farm he believed that Hugo was holed up in with his girlfriend. It was going to be a long day but he was adamant that he was going to achieve exactly what he set out to do.
At the bait shop, which was unusually quiet, Joey sat at the counter and sketched plans for the restaurant. Justin had made her want to press forward rather quicker. He had quizzed her rather too much about why she hadn't got started yet and she was eager to get some more ideas down on paper, while she figured out where and how she was actually going to turn them into something real.
Xavier skipped school and hurried over to the farm. In his panic, he didn't even notice the car parked outside the property, in which Killer was keeping watch. In the car, Killer matched Xavier to his photograph, selecting him to be his first hostage. If Hugo wasn't going to brave the world then Killer was going to have to force his hand.
At lunch time, with Charlie working all the hours God sent, Joey headed over to the Diner to get lunch by herself. Her plan was to get a takeaway and go and enjoy the beach. She worked on it every day but actually getting to sit on the sand and listen properly to the waves she loved so much would be a treat.
"Look, it's not your fault that Ruby has a crush on you!" Nicole said rather too loudly.
Joey spun round to see the pretty blonde looking rather panicked as she sat with Liam who looked utterly horrified.
"Ruby has a crush on me?" he asked rather anxiously.
Feeling a stroke of 'protective parent' wash over her, Joey approached.
"What's going on with Ruby?" she asked, not caring about interrupting.
"Um…"
"Ruby has a crush on me?" Liam repeated incredulously.
Nicole sighed, knowing there was no way she could backtrack now. Ruby was going to kill her.
"You really didn't notice?" she asked. "I mean, it's been so obvious."
She looked at Joey for confirmation but Ruby's second mother kept her face blank. Joining them at the table, she tried to read Liam's expression.
"She said she didn't," he managed. "I mean…"
He rubbed his temples in a state of stress.
"I really thought Xavier had just got his wires crossed."
"Well, he has… sort of," Joey ventured. "Because you're not interested in her that way. Are you?"
"Of course not!" Liam said desperately. "I already told Charlie this morning…"
Joey nodded.
"Well, then you haven't done anything wrong," she said reasonably. "You just need to… to let her down gently."
"Everything is ruined," Liam sighed.
Xavier, Hugo and Martha sat round the kitchen table in a state of distress.
"Do you think she really will say something?" Martha asked fearfully.
Worried about Ruby's earlier words, Xavier had raced to the farm to discuss the situation with her and Hugo.
"I don't know," he said. "I know she's been uncomfortable keeping our secret for a while now. I think she's been pretty close to telling Charlie and Joey the truth a few times. And now that we're fighting…"
He sighed heavily and shook his head, apologising. If only he had kept a lid on his temper, they might not be in this mess. Hugo patted his hand.
"None of this is your fault," he said. "It's mine. And I think the best thing to do now is just take off. I need to leave you all in peace and safety."
"How on earth are any of us meant to feel peaceful without you?" Martha snapped. "None of us want you to leave."
"Sometimes it's not about what we want, Martha," Hugo said gravely. "Sometimes it's about doing things for the greater good."
"Hey, sweetheart," Joey said when Charlie picked up the phone.
"Hey," Charlie replied. "Did you have a nice lunch? Sorry I didn't have time to meet you."
"I had an… interesting lunch," Joey ventured.
In her office, Charlie paused.
"You haven't decided to run off with some hotter, younger lesbian who has more free time, have you?" she asked, hoping to make light of whatever situation they were in now.
"Yeah, I'll be all packed up by the time you get home," Joey giggled, shaking her head. "As if there could be such a thing as someone hotter than you!"
Charlie grinned and sank into her desk chair.
"So, what's really up?" she asked.
"I think we might need to spend the evening consoling Rubes if you could get away from work at a decent time," Joey said.
"Liam and Xavier issues?" Charlie asked.
"Yep," Joey sighed. "She and Xave had another row and then Nicole blurted out that Ruby likes Liam…"
Charlie sighed.
"Ruby doesn't know that part yet but I think it's only a matter of time," Joey said. "So, do you think you can get off work a little earlier?"
"Sure," Charlie agreed. "This case is important but my family is always going to come first."
Liam caught up with Ruby outside school. She was immediately concerned by how anxious he looked.
"Ruby, I'm really sorry but I think I'm going to have to call time on our partnership," he blurted out.
Ruby was flooded with disappointed. She forced herself not to cry.
"Wh… why?" she asked, her lip trembling a little.
"Because it's all getting too heavy for me," he said. "I don't think this Xavier thing is going to go away and until it does…"
He sighed heavily and shoved his hands in his pockets.
"I'm sorry," he said, hurrying away.
Alone, Ruby let her tears fall.
"What do you mean, you're going home?" Angelo demanded.
He followed Charlie out of her office, through reception and out into the car park.
"I mean, I'm going home," Charlie repeated, marching to her little, blue car. "It's not rocket science, Angelo."
"But we've got so much work to do!" Angelo protested, still following her.
Charlie reached her car, clutching her keys and whirled around to face him.
"We've worked all day," she said. "It's the end of my shift. I have some stuff to deal with at home."
"Fucking Joey isn't a priority!" Angelo snapped.
He regretted it as soon as he saw the look on her face.
"You have no right to comment on my personal life," she warned him. "So shut the hell up and leave me alone. If that's at all within your capability."
She got into her car and slammed the door. Angelo watched helplessly as she left.
Night was drawing in and Xavier felt restless. He hadn't gone to school all day and his conversation with Martha and Hugo had done little to calm him down. He was distraught to have lost Ruby and angry with her all at the same time. He was also terrified that his own relationship problems were going to make an already delicate situation a hell of a lot worse.
"Happy now?" he snapped when he spotted Liam up ahead.
The former rock star merely shook his head in disgust and kept on walking away.
"I hope you break her heart!" Xavier yelled. "Oh, and you can tell her from me that it's over! I never even want to look at her again! I should never have taken her back in the first place!"
Hugo and Martha were cuddled up in bed together. Both were feeling sad, as if they had been woken from a dream that had given them brief respite from their troubles. Tonight was Hugo's last night. He had said goodbye to his brother and his mother and in the morning, his plan was to escape Summer Bay forever. Martha was desperate to go with him but he refused to let her live a life on the run.
Cuddled up on the sofa, having indulged in takeaway, Charlie, Joey and Ruby were dissecting the teenager's troubles.
"Ruby?" Charlie dared. "Does… does Xavier have a point?"
"What do you mean?" Ruby snapped, although she knew exactly where her mother was going with this.
"Do you have feelings for Liam?" the police officer probed.
She braced herself for anger but was disarmed when Ruby merely flung herself against her in defeat.
"Yes," she sobbed. "I think I've fallen in love with him."
Killer drew up in his car beside Xavier. Without warning, he leapt out, grabbed the teenager and threw him onto the backseat.
"What the fuck…?" Xavier managed.
Killer punched him. He lost consciousness, completely unaware of what was to befall him.
"There's something else," Ruby sobbed. "Something I should have told you and didn't. And there's… well, there's no point keeping it a secret now. I should have said something earlier but…"
She sighed heavily. Over her head, Charlie and Joey exchanged worried glances.
"Hugo's been hiding out at the farm," Ruby admitted.
She fell into apologies and more tears.
Next time… Hugo's loved ones go missing with a race against time to save them and John sleeps with Jill…
