And so many years later than this story is set, gay marriage is legal! Hurrah! (this comment will make sense when you read the chapter). Love, IJKS xxx
Chapter Five Hundred and Twenty
It was the night before Prince Vittorio and Bianca Scott's wedding and the bride to be was sat in her lounge with her mother and her friends, Irene, Charlie, Joey, Leah, Kerri and Watson. Her sister had stormed off into her bedroom. Having resigned from her role as bridesmaid and refused to support the wedding, she was not prepared to be part of any wedding celebrations, although her mother was refusing to let her be absent from the day itself.
"So, are you all set for the big day?" Leah asked.
"Of course she is!" Joanna interrupted before her daughter could even answer.
Charlie and Joey exchanged quiet glances. They didn't think Bianca was 'all set' at all.
"Yep," Bianca said through what looked like it might be a grimace. "All set."
Robertson didn't care if he was taking advantage of Watson and Charlie being busy for the evening. He gathered there was a wedding tomorrow, one that Leah had not invited him to be her plus one for. In fact, Leah didn't appear to be speaking to him at all right now. Ever since their failed lunch date where Roo and Charlie had pretty much thrown him out of the Diner, Leah hadn't communicated with him except for a text message to say that she didn't think they should see each other anymore. He was angry and he was hurt, not to mention disappointed that she would let public opinion dictate her feelings. He had thought better of her than that.
But right now, that wasn't his priority. Right now, his priority was Will Smith and getting as much use out of him as his possibly could.
"You okay, mate?" Angelo asked.
Will was sat at the bar but he had barely touched his drink. He wasn't in the mood. He had only really come out because Bianca was having what could only really be described as another hen night and he couldn't deal with that many annoying women in the house, especially as two of them were police officers, both of whom he was pretty sure believed he had something to do with the death of Penn Graham.
"Yeah," he said. "Just… you know when you feel like your life's down the toilet?"
"Yep," Angelo said. "I've been there."
"You have? You seem pretty sorted to me."
"Well, I'll take that as a compliment," Angelo said with a grin. "But trust me, this isn't how I intended my life to turn out. A few years ago, I was a cop with a promising career. Then… one mistake. Well, a few but one significant one and everything went wrong. Now I'm working behind a bar. Everyone in this town knows every bad thing I've ever done. No girlfriend or prospect of a girlfriend either."
He shrugged.
"But I'm better off now than I was before and tomorrow is another day and all that," he said cheerfully. "There were times when I never thought I'd survive. But I did and I've got hope for the future. And I know you're struggling with the breakup of your marriage and everything but time will heal. It will get better. You'll meet someone else. And you've got Lily to live for."
Will sighed heavily. She was the only thing keeping him going.
"I've just made so many mistakes…"
"Can't be worse than the mistake I made and I'm still here."
"How bad was your mistake?"
"I killed one of my best friends," Angelo told him honestly.
Will stared at him.
"By accident," Angelo added quickly. "And in the line of duty. But that doesn't make him any less dead. A friend. A colleague. A son. A husband. A person. A good man. And he's gone. And I'm still here. And sometimes I don't know why. But I am here. And I'm trying to make the best of things. I'm trying to make my life worth living because otherwise, what was the point?"
Will nodded thoughtfully.
"You're a good Dad to Lily," Angelo continued. "Or at least you can be. And you're a good mate – so far!"
He grinned, making Will laugh.
"You'll find full time work and you'll meet someone to help you heal after your break up," he told him. "Although if you end up in a relationship before me, I will not be happy."
Will smirked at him.
"But you will move on and you will be happy," Angelo said certainly. "These things… they just take time."
"So, is marriage on the cards for any of you ladies any times soon?" Joanna asked. "I mean, not that half of you can actually get married."
She looked pointedly at Charlie, Joey, Kerri and Watson.
"Mum!" Bianca snapped, horrified.
She apologised to her friends for her mother's outdated opinions.
"Not an opinion," Joanna corrected. "A statement of fact. They can't get married. Not legally. I didn't say whether I agreed with it or not."
"And do you agree with it, Joanna?" Irene asked.
She just couldn't help herself. Joanna faltered.
"Well, I think it'll be a long way off before same sex partnerships will be legally recognised here," she said. "I mean, I know they've done it for a while in other countries but not here."
"That's not actually what I asked," Irene persisted. "I asked whether you agreed with same sex marriage."
"I don't mind a little ceremony or whatever," Joanna said. "I'm not homophobic. But I don't think we should be calling it marriage. I think that's…"
"Between a man and a woman!" Charlie, Joey, Watson and Kerri finished rather sarcastically, prompting Bianca to burst out laughing.
She wished she had time to photograph the shocked look on her mother's face.
"I am entitled to my opinion and you're entitled to yours," Joanna said hotly.
"Except the difference is that our opinion doesn't infringe on your rights," Joey remarked.
"Well, what is your opinion, Irene?" Joanna asked. "Being of a similar age to me? Older, obviously. Maybe it's a generational thing."
"I don't think you can blame your age, Joanna," Irene said easily. "I'm older, obviously."
Charlie supressed a smirk.
"And I don't feel anything like you do. I believe that marriage is between two consenting adults who love each other regardless of their gender. I for one cannot wait to attend Charlie and Joey's wedding and Kerri and Watson's wedding, should I have the honour of being invited."
Both couples confirmed that she would be invited. She thanked them.
"And I'm pretty sure I know people even older than me who feel exactly as I do," Irene added. "So in conclusion, I think you're on your own."
Robertson jumped out of his car the moment he saw Will exit the building. The younger man grimaced when he saw him and attempted to walk in the opposite direction but Robertson was quick to catch up with him.
"Go away!" Will snapped. "I don't want to talk to you!"
"Well, I would like to talk to you," Robertson said.
Will shrugged him off.
"I've got nothing to say!" he insisted.
"You mean you can't tell me about the apron I found in the bait shop this morning?" Robertson asked.
Will froze and then turned to him.
"What apron?" he asked slowly.
"We found an apron hidden away in the bait shop today," Robertson said. "Covered in blood. Now, there's only two people who've recently had constant access to that shop – you and Alf. So did you put the apron there or did Alf?"
"Well, it wasn't me!" Will said desperately.
He was beginning to sweat.
"So it was Alf?"
"No!"
"Well, I'll let you into a little secret, shall I?" Robertson said. "The blood on the apron came back and it belonged to two different people. One of them was Penn Graham and the other was Alf Stewart."
Will looked frantic. He didn't know what to say.
"Now, I don't think you put the apron there, Will but I do think you know how it got there," Robertson said. "And I think you want to do the right thing. So please. I know you care about Alf Stewart but a man is dead. Help me let him rest in peace."
Joanna had left the party, announcing that she suddenly didn't feel very welcome. Everyone had tried to make her stay, despite having no inclination to spend time with her. Not even Bianca particularly wanted her there. However, one person she did want there was her sister, who was still sulking in her bedroom and refusing to participate.
"Oh well," Irene said. "I'm sorry, love but I just cannot get on with your mother. I've tried but I just can't."
"Don't worry, Irene," Bianca said. "I can't either. I cannot wait till she pisses off home."
The others burst out laughing.
"Seriously," Bianca continued. "You've been more of a mother to April and I since we moved to Summer Bay than that woman has ever been."
Irene smiled and squeezed her hand. She was genuinely touched. Joey excused herself to the bathroom. Charlie watched her go, knowing exactly what she was doing and it was not using the facilities.
April was lying on her bed attempting to get ahead with her studies for the next school year. It was her final year and she was already worried about her HSC. She was trying to take this as a good opportunity to study rather than a sad moment where she couldn't enjoy her sister's celebrations.
She paused when she heard a knock on the door. She sat up and closed her laptop, unsure whether to welcome whoever it was into the room or not. The knock came again.
"Come in," she eventually said.
Joey Collins poked her head around the door.
"Hey," she said quietly. "Sorry to disturb you. I just… I think Bianca is really missing you out there."
April shrugged.
"She knows what I think," she said.
"I know. And I know you won't be bridesmaid or anything but perhaps you could just… be there? We've all got our opinions and thoughts about… things. But ultimately we just want Bianca to be happy. And right now, all that would make her happy would be to have things be good between the two of you."
She smiled.
"Just think about it? Please?"
She left the room.
Liam sat on the beach in the dark playing his guitar. He tried not to think about Bianca but it was just no use. His head was full of her. He thought about the first time he met her and how it had felt like love at first site. He thought about the night only a few days ago when he had thought she had chosen him after all and they had kissed, right here on the beach. But mostly, he was overwhelmed with pain at the thought that this time tomorrow, she would be married to another man. All his hope would be gone.
"I don't know what happened to Penn," Will insisted.
"Yes, you do!" Robertson insisted. "Will, I know you care for Alf but think about you daughter. Think about Lily. Do you really want to go to jail and leave that little girl without a father because of some misguided loyalty?"
Will looked alarmed.
"I could go to jail?" he asked, his voice catching.
"Perverting the course of justice is a very serious matter," he said. "If you're involved in covering up Penn's murder…"
"I didn't do anything!"
"But if you know something and you're withholding information…"
"I don't…"
"Will," Robertson persisted. "For the sake of your daughter, Will. You need to tell the truth. You can't lie forever. Alf did it. We know Alf did it. We can prove Alf did it. We've got the apron. With your testimony, all of this will be over. We'll stop hassling you and everyone. This will all be done, Will. You just need to tell us what happened. You just need to tell us what you know. You need to tell us what Alf did to Penn."
Will swallowed hard and looked around, tears in his eyes.
"If I tell you, it'll be over?" he said. "Done?"
"Done," Robertson said. "Tell me what happened. And you and your daughter will be safe and well and left alone."
"Okay," Will said, breaking. "I'll tell you. I saw him. I saw Alf go to the bait shop the night Penn was killed."
"And?" Robertson said, barely able to contain his excitement.
"And he had blood on his hands."
Robertson smiled kindly and patted Will on the shoulder.
"Shall I drive you to the station to make a statement?"
Will looked distraught but nodded.
Bianca looked elated when April appeared from her bedroom. Charlie smiled quietly at Joey who looked pleased that Bianca's sister had listened and decided to join them.
"So, what did I miss?" the younger girl asked, plopping down next to the bride to be.
"Oh, just Mum being homophobic," Bianca told her.
"Ugh," April said. "How embarrassing. I sincerely apologise for her behaviour and officially distance myself from her opinions."
"Don't worry," Bianca said. "I've already given a public statement."
The others laughed.
Charlie leaned into Joey and kissed her cheek.
"Well done," she whispered.
Sat across from Robertson, Will had no idea how he had ended up in this position. How had he sunk so low that he was telling the police that Alf had killed Penn? And yet, that was exactly what he was doing.
"So, that's your official statement?" Robertson asked. "You believe that Alf Stewart killed Penn Graham?"
Will was still filled with panic and shame. He hesitated for several minutes. Eventually, Robertson had to verbally nudge him.
"Yes," he burst out, rubbing his face frantically. "Yes, I believe that Alf Stewart killed Penn Graham."
Next time… It's Bianca and Vittorio's wedding day, Roo flies back to America and Will is torn up with guilt…
