Chapter Five Hundred and Fifty Seven

Charlie and Watson arrived at the Surf Club and confirmed that yes, indeed a window had been smashed. John had called the station urgently to tell them that the building had been vandalised and he was certain it was the River Boys.

"What makes you think it was the River Boys?" Charlie asked.

"Well this sort of thing didn't happen before they showed up here!" he ranted.

Charlie sighed, asking Watson to take some pictures.

"Go ahead and get it repaired, John," she told him. "And we'll try and get to the bottom of what happened. Can we look at your CCTV?"

"I'll go and find it for you," he said. "Give me some time? I need to call the insurers."

Nodding, Charlie walked away with Watson. She glanced up at her own restaurant, relieved that at least nothing had happened up there. She felt selfish about it but she didn't think Joey could take any more stress. She spotted Brax up ahead.

"Morning," she said. "Do you or any of your boys know anything about that?"

Brax looked round her at the smashed window.

"Nothing to do with us, Sergeant," he said. "Why?"

"Just asking," Charlie said. "For now."

"Are you just asking everyone?" he queried.

"Only people with a history of trashing buildings," Charlie said. "I'm still repairing mine. And losing money every single day."

"Well if you want, I'm pretty sure I could do you a great deal on some booze when you do open up," Brax offered.

Charlie shook her head and laughed in disbelief.

"Over my dead body," she said.


Joey pulled open the door and was pleased to see Leah standing there.

"I brought coffee and croissants," her friend said. "And I really need to vent."

Joey smiled. She had half expected her to show up after everything Ruby had told her the night before. And if she was being completely honest, she was quite keen to hear the details.

"Come on in," she said, welcoming Leah inside.

"You will never guess what's happened," Leah said.

"Elijah came back to Australia with a wife and kid?" Joey suggested.

Leah paused.

"Right," she realised. "Ruby."

The friends sat down.

"So, how are you feeling?"

"I have no idea," Leah said. "He told me that it's not a real marriage."

"Is it to help the boy?" Joey asked.

Leah looked confused again. Nobody had told Ruby that.

"It wasn't hard to work out," Joey said. "Ruby said that the little boy was poorly and had an assessment with Sid this morning. Suddenly Elijah's married this woman we've never heard of before? I mean, come on?"

Leah sighed.

"I guess when you put it like that," she said. "Anyway, he tried to kiss me! He's married to Grace, this genuinely lovely woman and he tried to kiss me!"

"Well, maybe she's just in it for the kid?"

"I don't know," Leah said. "I don't know what she knows or how she feels. And I've just had to take VJ round to see Elijah before school because he's all upset that he has a whole new family. He feels like he doesn't love him anymore."

Joey felt sad for him. She loved VJ and she hated the idea of him feeling so upset.

"Is he okay now?"

"I think so," Leah said. "But he's been much more attached to Elijah than any other guy I've dated. We both really thought this was the real thing."

"Maybe it still is?" Joey suggested hopefully.

"I really don't know," Leah sighed.

Joey sighed too. Leah studied her face and suddenly realised how tired she looked.

"How are you doing anyway?" she asked. "How's your wrist?"

"Oh, I'm okay," she said dismissively.

Leah peered closer.

"Are you sure?" she asked. "You don't seem right."

Joey plastered a smile on her face.

"I'm fine," she lied. "I'm fine."


Charlie and Watson had reviewed the CCTV footage and the window had accidentally been put out by a bunch of kids messing around. They had then panicked and run off. There had been no River Boys in sight. Tracking the kids down would be a logistical nightmare and largely pointless and appeasing John was almost impossible. Once again, Charlie felt like she was stuck between a rock and a hard place. She felt like she may as well just get a sleeping bag and lie down there.


Leah had dragged Joey out for a walk where she could get some fresh air.

"I just don't know what it is," Joey admitted as they walked along the beach together. "I've been feeling so strung out. I feel so anxious all the time. I don't feel… normal."

"I'm so sorry, Joey," Leah said. "I've been rambling on about Elijah all this time and I had no idea how much you were struggling."

"It's not your fault," Joey said.

"I guess we're all just so used to you being the strong one that sorts out all our problems that it's easy to miss it when you're not okay," Leah said. "But it's no excuse and I'm sorry."

Joey assured her that she had nothing to apologise for.

"I've been doing everything I can to hide it," she said.

She paused when she spotted Charlie talking to Brax outside the Surf Club. He seemed to be leaning too close to her. Something about it made her feel desperately uncomfortable. She almost felt paranoid. She could tell from the look on his face that he fancied her girlfriend. And she didn't like it one bit.


"Afternoon, Sergeant."

Charlie froze when she heard what was becoming a familiar greeting. She turned around and wondered, not for the first time why Darryl Braxton never seemed to put any clothes on. He smirked at her as if they shared some kind of secret.

"Did you find out who trashed the Surf Club?" he asked.
"Kids," she said.

"None of mine then?" he said, stepping up a little too close to her.

"No."

"So… you got it wrong," he concluded. "Again."

She stepped back.

"I didn't accuse anyone," she said. "I asked the question that the proprietor asked. And only because I happened to bump into you."

He leaned in a little.

"You bump into me a lot, you know," he said.

"Because you keep hanging around here like a bad smell," she snapped back.

"I've never had any complaints about how I smell," he countered.

She rolled her eyes and tried to walk past. He stopped her.

"So… you own the place up there?" he asked.

"The one you and your boys trashed," she said. "Yes."

"And your business partner… Is she your partner, partner?" he asked. "That's the story that's going round. That you play for the other team."

"Why would I tell you anything about my personal life?"

"Why would you keep it a secret?"

"It's not a secret," Charlie said. "But I'm not about to have a personal conversation with a River Boy. Now, if you'll let me past…"

She firmly moved past him and continued on her way.

"Charlie!"

The Sergeant turned. She smiled, delighted to see her partner out and about with Leah. She stopped to let them catch up, hugging Joey tightly.

"What are you guys up to?"

"Leah took me out for a walk," Joey said.

"You make it sound like you're a puppy!" Leah laughed. "You just needed a break and some fresh air, that's all."

Charlie was silently grateful. She caught hold of Joey's hand as they walked along.

"Is that Brax guy causing trouble?" Joey asked worriedly.

"Oh, just confirming that none of his thugs smashed the Surf Club window," Charlie said. "But every time I have to talk to him, he seems to want to interrogate me."

"About what?" Joey asked.

Charlie shrugged.

"I don't know," she said honestly. "He seems to enjoy irritating me. I think it's a power thing. I think it's like a dog pissing on a post – he's trying to make his mark on Summer Bay, claim it as his own."

"Hang on," Leah interrupted. "Does that make you the post?"

Charlie snorted. She felt Joey relax a little. She continued to feel worried about her. She had opened up a lot more recently but she knew there was still more going on than she was saying.


Colleen arrived home that evening in a bad mood. She was sick and tired of that gang constantly hanging around. Wherever anybody turned, there they were. Didn't any of them have jobs to go to? How did they even pay for their constant supply of beer? They hung around the Diner, the beach and some of them were even invading the caravan park now. She couldn't relax for their noise. It wasn't fair.

She had had a frightening incident with three of them, one in particular, on her way home and it had really shaken her up. She had phoned the police, not for the first time in the past few weeks but neither Charlie nor Watson had been there and she didn't especially rate many of the other officers these days. It was hit and miss as to who picked up the phone whether they were useful or not. She had been told that the complaint had been logged and someone would come out to speak to her.

She wouldn't hold her breath.


Charlie arrived home and immediately panicked. Joey was leaning against the kitchen table, doubled over, fighting for breath.

"Joey!" she said desperately. "Joey, what's happening?"

"I'm… okay…" Joey managed.

She sank onto the floor, leaning back against the kitchen counter, touching her fingers to her temples, desperately trying to catch her breath. Charlie knelt in front her, her hands resting on her knees. She deliberately breathed slowly, in and then out, hoping that Joey would catch hold of the rhythm. Joey reached out and held her hand, slowly beginning to breathe with her. It took a while but her breathing calmed down. They didn't speak for several minutes. Joey felt sick and dizzy, not to mention embarrassed.

"So…" Charlie ventured. "How long has this been going on?"

"Since… Well, you know."

Charlie nodded.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked.

"I was embarrassed," Joey admitted.

"Joey, why would you be embarrassed to talk to me about anything?" Charlie wondered. "Everything we've been through together… everything we've loved and supported each other through… Why would this be something you'd keep from me?"

Joey closed her eyes.

"I just… I feel like a failure," she said. "I feel weak."

Tears crept out. Charlie moved to sit beside her on the floor.

"You're neither of those things," she said. "Remember when I was suffering with nightmares? Remember how bad they were?"

Joey half laughed. She definitely remembered how bad they were.

"Did you think I was weak?" Charlie asked. "Was I a failure to let trauma affect me?"

"Of course not!" Joey said quickly.

"Then why is this different?"

"Because your nightmares were about…"

"Rape," Charlie said firmly. "Call it what it is. What happened at the restaurant isn't about what happened at the restaurant. It isn't even about what happened to you at school. It's about Robbo."

"But I dealt with that, Charlie!" Joey said desperately.

"It's not the kind of thing you just deal with once and put into a box and never look at again, Joey," Charlie said kindly but seriously. "There are going to be triggers throughout both our lives. And this is obviously one of them. But you have to stop hiding away from it and face it head on or you're not going to be okay again."

She cuddled her girlfriend closer and kissed her nose, making Joey smile.

"And I need you to be okay again, Jo," she said. "Please."

Joey buried her head against Charlie's shoulder, holding her close.

"I just feel so stupid," she said.

"Well… get over it," Charlie said bluntly.

Joey looked up sharply.

"The only stupid thing you're doing is not accepting that it's okay to feel how you feel," Charlie explained in a gentler tone. "It's perfectly okay not to be okay. You don't have to be strong all the time. You don't have to be perfect. But you do have to accept how you feel and you do have to stop ignoring it. Stop pretending that things are fine. Start being honest. With me and yourself."

Joey sighed heavily and snuggled into her again.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"Please don't be sorry," Charlie said. "Please just be kind to yourself. Please let me love you and look after you the way you've always looked after me and Ruby."


It was the middle of the night when Colleen woke up with a jolt. She sat up quickly in bed, trying to work out what the noise was and what was going on. Then she realised that it wasn't just her that had jolted. The whole caravan was jolting. The caravan was moving!

She leapt out of bed, nearly falling over as she peered out of the window. She banged on the window but it was no use.

Nobody could hear her. Nobody wanted to hear her.

She shrank back into the bed and stayed her, terrified for her safety.


Next time… Brax dishes out his own brand of justice, Charlie and Joey prepare to relaunch Bucktons' and Angelo makes a big mistake…