For B Row 19. Thanks for the follow and the favourite. Love, IJKS xxx
Chapter Five Hundred and Thirty Eight
Charlie tried not to feel anxious as she walked along the edge of the unfamiliar road. It didn't have a pavement and the wind rustling through the dark trees beside her was making her jumpy. She cursed how reliant she and the whole world had become on phones. She thought she had pretty good orienteering skills but she also liked a SatNav these days. Still, without landmarks, all she could do right now was hope she was walking in the right direction. Thankfully, she had been paying attention during her ride with Will, as he had sped away from their meeting point.
"Constable Watson."
"Hi, Watson, it's Joey."
Watson sat down. The usually friendly voice sounded worried. Urgent.
"Jo, what's up?" the police officer asked.
"Are you at work?" Joey asked. "Is Charlie still there?"
"I am," Watson said. "But Charlie left a while ago. Isn't she home?"
"No," Joey said. "I've been calling her. Ruby has too. She said she'd be home for dinner but we haven't heard anything from her. It's not like her, Watson."
"I'm on it," Watson promised. "I'll go look for her. I'm finishing now anyway."
Joey thanked her profusely. Hanging up, Watson called Charlie but as she expected, the call didn't connect. She grabbed her stuff and hurried out of the station without saying goodbye to anyone. Jumping into her car, she drove out into the night hoping that she would be able to find her friend.
Charlie was already shattered from her long day. Her head was full of everything Will had said and she felt torn between whether he was genuinely telling her the truth now or whether this was just another lie to cover up his own murderous secret. But she couldn't let herself think about it. She had to find her way back to a road she recognised so that she could get home. She knew that Joey would be worried about her.
Watson drove around anxiously, with no real destination in mind. She didn't have the first idea as to where to look for Charlie. But she was desperate to find her friend. It was completely out of character for her to just disappear like this. She gave herself one hour to find her and after that, she would call out a proper team.
She turned right and drove down a long dark road, wondering what on earth her friend would be doing out here. She just hoped she wasn't hurt or in trouble.
"Where is she, Joey?" Ruby asked urgently.
All thoughts of homework were done as she and Joey fretted about what had happened to Charlie. Her mother was the first person to tell her off if she didn't check in and let her know where she was at all times so it was completely out of character for her not to keep in touch.
"I don't know, Rubes," Joey said, trying not to show how worried she was. "But I'm sure she'll be home soon and we'll have been worried for nothing."
Charlie paused when she heard the sound of a car behind her. She turned around, squinting in the glare of the headlights approaching her. For a second, she panicked in case it was Will returning for her. But then she smiled, recognising the car. It was Watson, her most reliable friend.
"Fancy seeing you in a place like this," the police officer said through the open window.
"You have no idea," Charlie groaned.
"Get in," Watson instructed. "Your girlfriend is very worried."
Charlie jumped into the passenger seat. She sank back against the seat, strapping herself in as Watson drove off.
"Home?"
"No," Charlie said. "We need to find Will urgently. I think he's running away with Lily. She's not well."
"Right," Watson said, immediately in cop mode. "But you need to call Joey. She's beside herself. Why didn't you call?"
"He took my phone. And my gun," Charlie explained.
"Shit, Charlie," Watson said. "What happened to you? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Charlie said. "He didn't hurt me. Just… left me."
Watson handed her phone over. Charlie took it gratefully and typed in the passcode that Watson recited.
"Watson?" Joey squeaked worriedly.
"Jo, it's me, Charlie."
"Charlie!" Joey exclaimed. "Charlie, are you okay?"
"I'm fine, I'm fine," Charlie promised. "I'm sorry I worried you."
"What happened?"
"I met up with Will," Charlie explained. "He took my phone and left me in the middle of nowhere. But I promise I'm fine. Watson and I are going to try and track him down now. So I'm probably going to be late home. Even later. I'm sorry."
"It's okay," Joey said. "As long as you're really okay."
She had lots and lots of questions but she was satisfied that as long as Charlie had been rescued by Watson, she was alright.
"I am. I promise. I'll call you as soon as I can."
"I love you."
"I love you too."
She chuckled as she heard Ruby yelling in that background that she loved her as well.
"Love you, Ruby!" she called.
She hung up and turned to Watson.
"So, what the hell happened?" her colleague asked.
Irene was sat at the table, staring at the hurried note Will had left for her, informing without explanation that he had left and taken Lily with him. He apologised but offered no reason. All she could do was read the rushed note over and over again, feeling like her blood was frozen in her veins.
She jumped when there was a knock at the door. She knew who it was, instantly. The police. Dragging herself to her feet, she opened the door, relieved that at least it was Charlie and Watson and not Robertson.
"He's not here," she said, letting them in.
"We know," Watson said, taking the lead.
Charlie had been through quite enough tonight.
"Any idea where he is?"
Irene picked up the note and handed it over.
"That's all I know," she said.
Watson read it and handed it over to Charlie.
Within ten minutes, Charlie and Watson had sent out a police search party looking for Will and Lily. They had explained as far as they could to Irene, begging her to contact them if he should return to the house and leaving her on trust that she would do the right thing if he did, for Lily's sake if nothing else.
Once they had set off to help join the search for Will, Irene sank onto the sofa, overwhelmed with what had happened. She had so many questions that she couldn't answer. Why had Will run away? And what was he thinking, dragging an unwell child out into the night? How could he have abandoned Charlie like that, leaving her in danger?
She tried to call him over and over again but each time, it went straight to voicemail. Will and all the trust she had ever had in him was long gone. She picked up the phone again and tried to call Alf instead, aware that she had an apology to make. As she predicted, he did not pick up.
Charlie and Watson arrived back at the police station just in time to witness a huge argument between Morag and Robertson.
"Should we intervene?" Watson asked.
"Nope," Charlie said. "I think Morag's doing a great job."
They hung back, listening to Morag berating the Detective for his unfair treatment of her brother.
"I want these charges dropped immediately!" Morag shouted.
"That will have to be put to the court, I'm afraid," Robertson said, not budging.
"Your central evidence is based on a statement that Will Smith has now told one of your police officers is a lie!" Morag barked.
"Well, there's no actual evidence to back that up," Robertson said.
Charlie stepped forward.
"Well, there's my statement that that's what he told me," she pointed out.
"Convenient," Robertson said. "Considering you've been trying to let Alf Stewart off the hook since the start."
"Are you calling me a liar?" Charlie demanded.
"I'm not the one calling anyone a liar, Sergeant," Robertson said, holding his hands up. "But this is all becoming rather aggressive and confrontational. Why don't we just take it down a notch and calm down?"
"Fine," Charlie said, putting a gentle hand on Morag's back. "But let's just make it clear. You got it wrong and you have lost your case against Alf. Will lied. And we're about to prove it. Morag, let us take you home. The team will carry on searching for Will, okay?"
"Okay," Morag said. "I need to update Alf anyway."
"Charlie, I think you ought to go home too," Watson said, as they walked out of the building. "You've worked a whole shift plus what happened tonight. You need to get some rest and be back, ready for tomorrow. I can report your gun stolen and put in a request for a replacement. You'll just need to sign it off."
"Watson's right," Morag agreed. "Go home, Charlie."
"Fine," Charlie reluctantly agreed. "Thank you. But I'll be back in first thing. Can you take me to my car?"
Back inside the station, Robertson was privately beginning to regret the approach he had taken to the investigation. What if he had got it wrong from the start?
When Charlie finally arrived home, Joey flung herself into her arms.
"Charlie, I was so worried!" she whispered.
"I'm fine," Charlie whispered back, kissing her. "But why are we whispering?"
Joey pointed to Ruby, asleep on the sofa, covered over by a blanket. Charlie smiled affectionately at her, shaking her head. She moved to crouch beside her daughter, stroking her hair.
"Hey, sweetheart," she said.
Ruby woke up suddenly.
"Charlie!" she said urgently, looking around.
"I'm here," Charlie said. "I'm here."
"Oh, Charlie, we were so worried," Ruby fretted.
"I'm fine, I promise," Charlie said. "Not even a scratch."
Ruby reached out and hugged.
"You look exhausted," Charlie said. "Go to bed, okay?"
"But…"
"Go to bed," Charlie ordered.
Ruby hugged her again and then reluctantly took herself off to her room. When they were alone, Joey hugged Charlie tightly, kissing her lips.
"Are you sure you're okay, sweetheart?" she checked.
"I promise," Charlie said.
"I was beside myself," Joey said. "Argh! The perils of being in a relationship with a cop!"
Charlie laughed.
"But remember I'm a cop who can look after herself," Charlie said seriously.
"I know but… Charlie, what happened out there?"
"It's a long story," Charlie said. "And to be honest, all I want to do is hold you and fall asleep. Is that okay?"
Joey kissed her and led her to bedroom, flicking lights off as they went.
Next time… The police make a potential breakthrough in the Penn Graham case, three's a crowd in Liam and Bianca's tent and Ruby spends more time with Romeo…
