Chapter Five Hundred and Thirty
Charlie and Joey were up early the next morning, knocking on the front door of Summer Bay House to welcome Alf back home. Romeo opened the front door, half undressed and looking sleepy.
"Morning," he said, rubbing his eyes.
"Did we wake you?" Joey asked.
"Yeah…" he said, yawning.
"It is nine o'clock," Joey pointed out.
"I am in high school," he retorted. "Still."
They followed him to the kitchen where he began making drinks.
"Is Alf still asleep?"
"Um… I don't know," he said. "He's normally an early riser but…"
He walked to the back door and smiled. Alf was sat outside with Morag, enjoying the morning sunshine. He opened the door and poked his head out.
"Alf, you have guests," he said.
Romeo gestured for Charlie and Joey to head outside, promising to bring them their drinks. Joey led the way. Charlie stood back, smiling sadly to herself as Joey hurled herself into her father figure's arms. She hugged him tightly, not wanting to let go. Eventually, Charlie took her turn.
"It's so good to see you, Alf," Joey said, sitting down. "We've all missed you so much."
"We really have," Charlie said.
Alf reached out and placed a gently hand on Charlie's arm.
"I am so sorry about your father, Charlie," he said sincerely. "He was a good man."
Morag looked down sadly.
"Thank you," Charlie said equally as sadly. "He was."
Irene paused between her bedroom and the kitchen, to find Will asleep on the sofa, bottles scattered on the living room floor. He was snoring heavily. Overcome with fury, she snatched the cushion from beneath his head and hit him with it. He yelped, sitting up very quickly.
"What? What's going on?"
He blinked at her.
"What did you do that for?"
"Do you have any idea what it does to me to have you passing out drunk on my sofa?" she snapped. "After the hell I've been through in my life? Knowing how badly alcohol can destroy someone? I don't want to see you throwing your life away – and your daughter's life away – and for what?"
She stormed back into her bedroom and slammed the door.
"Now, it's quite obvious that Will has lied to the police," Morag said.
She, Alf, Charlie, Joey and Romeo were all sat on the patio with coffees. Alf grimaced.
"Absolutely obvious," Charlie agreed. "I've read his statement. It's full of holes. I just can't quite find a way to tear them open."
"But why?" Alf asked. "He's such a good friend of mine. Why would he do that to me?"
"Well, there is an obvious answer," Morag said.
She was obviously pulling no punches this morning.
"You think he killed Penn?" Alf asked.
The question obviously upset him just to ask it.
"I think we have to accept it as a strong possibility."
He held his head in his hands. Joey put her hand on his back in order to comfort him.
"And I think it's our best line of defence," Morag continued. "To suggest another perpetrator. Make the case look unstable."
She looked apologetically at Charlie.
"Hey," Charlie said, holding her hands up. "That's the exact same thing Watson and I have been doing from the start. We've always had our suspicions about Will. And don't even get us started about Robertson."
Morag and Alf both grimaced.
"So what happens now?" Romeo asked quietly, feeling like he was listening in on a meeting he shouldn't be at.
"Well, I'll work at constructing Alf's defence for trial," Morag said.
"And I'll try and find any evidence I possibly can against Will," Charlie said. "Officially of course."
"And Alf, you just try and get back to normal, okay?" Joey said.
Alf nodded.
"At least I know I can when I've got my family around me," he said. "I really do appreciate you all."
At home, Leah and VJ were having breakfast together.
"I heard that Robert had come back to town," the young boy mentioned as casually as he could.
"Yes, you know that Alf has been away?" Leah said tactfully. "He had to go to court yesterday and Robert came back for that."
"Is he sticking around?"
"I don't know," Leah admitted. "I haven't really spoken to him."
"Are you going to speak to him?" VJ wanted to know.
"I wasn't planning to," Leah told him. "He hurt a lot of people last time he was here."
"So you and he aren't going to get together? You don't love him?" VJ asked.
Leah reached out and held his hand.
"No," Leah assured him. "I don't love him and I don't plan to get into a relationship with him."
VJ nodded.
"Do you have any more questions?"
Her son shrugged. She waited.
"I just… I find him confusing," he admitted. "He's really nice to you and he's really nice to me but nobody else likes him. Not even Charlie and Joey and they like everyone. And I really value their opinion and I know you do too."
"I understand what you mean," Leah said. "I find the situation confusing too. So I think the best thing to do is treat him as a friend but not a close one."
Charlie and Joey had left Alf and Morag at home, dropping Romeo at the beach to go surfing. Then they had gone for a walk.
"I think it's time to head back to work," Charlie mused.
"Really?" Joey said. "The funeral was only yesterday, Charlie…"
"I know but we've been out of a routine for a while now, what with Dad moving in and then getting sick and now he's died. I just… I think it would be better for me to get back into the swing of things rather than just moping."
"Are you sure you're not just pushing down how you feel?" Joey worried.
Charlie turned to her, holding her hands and looking into her eyes.
"I promise I won't bottle anything up," she said sincerely. "I promise I won't stop talking to you."
Joey smiled, feeling genuinely reassured. They kissed.
"I'll call the station then and speak to them," Charlie decided.
"Sounds like a plan to me," Joey agreed.
They continued walking.
Will was in a foul mood by the time Irene re-emerged from her room. He hadn't got showered or dressed, nor had he bothered to tidy up the mess he had made of the lounge. It was like he was completely deaf to everything she was trying to tell him and blind to every sacrifice she had made. Just the sight of him on the sofa, glaring at her like she was the one with the problem was enough to make her lose her temper.
Later that day, Ruby had taken herself off to visit Claire at work. However, Claire was becoming more and more aware that her friend wasn't always coming just to see her. She had caught her gazing at Romeo on more than one occasion. She knew that the two of them were studying together in preparation for their final year of high school, something that Romeo was very anxious to pass this time around. But Claire wondered if there was a little more to it as far as Ruby was concerned. She had never hoped more than now that she was wrong. Romeo was firmly committed to Indi and they made a wonderful couple. If Ruby attempted to get in the way of that, then at least one person, probably more were going to get hurt.
"Hi!" Ruby called when her parents walked into the restaurant. "I wasn't expecting to see you here."
"We're customers today," Joey explained.
She asked Claire for her favourite four seater table, a compromise for her favourite two seater.
"Of course," Claire said. "Reserved."
She led the way, pulling chairs out and offering them drinks. Ruby watched for a moment before turning her attention back to Romeo.
"Who are they having lunch with?" she wondered.
"Alf and Morag," he said. "A welcome home thing."
"Never invited me," she remarked.
"Is it really your thing?" he chuckled.
"Not really but it's nice to be asked!"
He laughed.
"Well, you'll have to put up with Claire and I instead," he said.
"I think I can live with that," she conceded.
His eyes brightened as he waved at Indi, welcoming her to the bar. Ruby sighed quietly.
It had taken quite a while just for Alf and Morag to get to the table. In fact, it had taken quite a while for them to get from the car to the building, through the Surf Club and up into the restaurant, let alone across the restaurant to the table. Everyone was desperate to welcome Alf home. He was happy to receive so much love and affection from his friends, people he considered to be family. And he was touched that Charlie and Joey had dropped everything to have a special welcome home lunch with him.
However, he couldn't relax. He was upset with Will and he had a nagging feeling in the back of his mind that all of this was temporary; it was fragile. His trial was only weeks away and if Robertson and the Prosecution Service had their way, he would be serving the next fifteen years of his life behind bars for a crime he had not committed. And particularly at his age, fifteen years was a long time. It could possibly be the rest of his life. He wasn't getting any younger.
Will was on the beach, fists clenched and tears in the corners of his eyes. He tried to tell himself it was the wind. However, it was not. He'd had his second argument of the day with Irene, prompting him to storm out of the house. Irene had been his lone supporter through everything. If she was to turn against him, what was he going to do? He would lose everything.
"I'm really touched with this lunch, girls," Alf said sincerely.
"Well, we've all missed you so much," Charlie said.
"We're so happy to have you home," Joey told him equally as sincerely. "Life in Summer Bay just hasn't been the same without you."
"I've missed you all too," Alf said. "Every single day."
If he was being honest, he had been a little anxious about walking out in public. The last time he had been outside, he had been dragged into a police car and carted off to jail. He had been utterly humiliated. But everyone had been so kind, so welcoming and so happy to see him. They had made him feel like his absence had left a hole in their little town and he couldn't even describe how much that meant to him. He also couldn't begin to explain how awful his time in jail had been. He didn't even want to think about it.
"Well, you never have to miss us ever again," Joey said firmly, patting his hand.
"We hope," Morag said soberly. "We have a lot of work to do to prove your innocence."
"I know," Alf said.
"But we will do it," Charlie said, wanting to be optimistic for both Alf and Joey. "You're innocent and we will find a way to prove it. You've got everyone on your side."
Alf smiled gratefully and thanked her. Joey held her hand under the table, grateful for her support.
"Oh, it's so nice to see Alf out and about," Indi said.
Ruby forced herself not to pull a face. It wasn't that she disliked Indi. In fact, she did like her a lot. She and Romeo and Claire had been rocks to her all throughout her Dad's illness and death. But she was horribly jealous of her. She hated that Romeo was in love with her and that he would never even consider looking twice at another girl so long as Indi was in the picture.
"Yeah, it is," Romeo said. "He's been pretty quiet at home but I'm pleased to see him out already. I guess if anyone is going to get him out and about it's Joey, Charlie and Morag!"
"Yeah, you've got that right!" Ruby laughed.
"Um…" Claire managed, nodding towards the entrance of the restaurant.
All four teenagers froze as Will appeared in the doorway. They were relieved when Angelo acted promptly.
"Mate, I don't think you should be up here," he said quietly, hoping not to draw any attention from Alf's table.
"I just want a drink," Will said. "I'm not going to cause any trouble."
"I think you should go somewhere else," Angelo said.
"I want a drink here!" Will snapped. "The wicked witch isn't here, is she? Her Dad died, didn't he? Surely I can have a fucking drink while she's gone even if she sacked me!"
Angelo winced. He was being way too loud.
"Joey and Charlie are here having lunch with Alf and Morag," he informed him. "So I really don't think it's appropriate for you to be here. I don't think it's appropriate for you to ever be here, okay?"
Will glared at him. Angelo shuddered at the way he looked directly into his eyes.
"I thought we were mates," he said sadly.
"Yeah, me too," Angelo said. "But then you landed one of my other mates in prison for a crime he didn't commit. And I know what that place is like and I can never forgive you for doing that to one of the kindest people on earth. So please leave."
The teenagers watched the exchange, touched by Angelo's loyalty to Alf. Then they panicked as Alf, followed hurriedly by Joey, Charlie and Morag walked swiftly over to Angelo and Will.
"I believe Angelo was telling you to leave," Alf said.
"Alf…" Will managed.
He looked heartbroken. Alf looked furious.
"Don't even speak to me," Alf said, his face growing red.
"Alf, I don't think you and Will should speak to each other," Morag said.
"But I have so much to fucking say!" Alf yelled.
Everyone was shocked. Alf was never one to lose his temper. Or swear.
"How could you?" he shouted. "All I have ever done since the moment you strode into the Bay all those years ago is look out for you. Through all the times you've gone wrong and messed up, I've been there to help you. Even when you haven't been living here, I've been on the phone. I've even sent you money when you've needed it!"
Will looked down, ashamed.
"And after all that, you're telling lies to the police about me! You're telling them that I'm some kind of monster! A murderer! Why?"
Will said nothing. Alf shoved him hard in the chest, forcing him to look up.
"Alf!" Morag warned. "This isn't the way!"
"I need to know why!" Alf said desperately.
"I don't know!" Will said equally as desperately.
"Of course you fucking know!"
"That cop was just badgering me and…"
"And you plucked some lie out of thin air?"
"I told him what he wanted to know!"
"Why?" Alf demanded. "You threw me under the bus! I mean, do you really think it's true? Do you think I could possibly ever have killed someone?"
"No!" Will said. "Of course not!"
"Then why?" Alf demanded.
Will had nothing to say. Instead, he fled. Alf watched him go, breathing hard. Joey put a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. He didn't respond for a few moments but was grateful for the support.
"Alf, you need to stay away from that man," Morag said firmly. "You need to keep a level head, especially in public. We need you to have everything going for you for this trial, alright?"
Alf nodded. He allowed Joey to hug him.
Next time… Alf struggles to contain his anger, Irene has doubts and VJ prepares for Summer Bay High…
