"Chelle," Lia began, "Have you thought anymore about, you know, Peter and-"
"Lia, honestly I know you want to prove your mum's innocence and I get why you might think that but without any evidence, the whole idea doesn't stand a chance," Michelle explained standing in the doorway of Lia's bedroom.
"But you agree that its strange right, the way Tracy said that they got rid of me and mum, and that Peter suddenly got shipped off to rehab," Lia asked.
"I understand where your coming from, I do, but its all just circumstantial, its barely that sweetie," Michelle tried to explain.
"Well you said the only reason they think mum's got anything to do with it is coincidence," Lia continued.
"I know its a bit weird, but we can't assume they tried to kill someone and cover it up based on a few words and the already alcoholic man going to rehab," Michelle laminated as Lia rolled her eyes.
"I'm going out," Lia huffed moving Michelle out of the way.
"Lia, wait a second," Michelle replied walking after her down the stairs.
"I'm meeting Maisie," Lia answered as Michelle grabbed her shoulder to stop the teenager.
"I know your struggling darling, what about if I book in to see your mum next week?" Michelle asked as Lia sighed.
"Yeah sure, cause going to see my mum in prison when she's innocent'll fix all my problems, won't it," Lia sniped before turning around and walking out of the door, through the pub.
"Lia," Michelle called after her before she sighed and shook her head.
"What's up with you?" Maisie asked as Lia crossed the road to join her, close to the bus stop.
"Just Chelle," Lia sighed as Maisie raised her eyebrow for her friend to continue, "Its just with mum being away, I've just got this suspicion that whoever attacked Tina is much closer to home."
"Go on," Maisie encouraged as Lia sighed and pulled her friend to take a seat on the bench.
"Okay, but you'll need to stay quite about it," Lia nodded as she began to whisper, "I just think its a bit suspicious that only a couple days after Tina's attack Peter is suddenly shipped off to rehab, plus Tracy was arguing with Chelle and she said 'I'm glad we got rid of you and your mum', I mean why did she say we?"
"So what are you thinking?" Maisie asked.
"What if Peter was the one to attack Tina and told Tracy for some reason, so then she packed him off to rehab to cover for him," Lia suggested.
"Well yeah, I get where your coming from but its a bit," Maisie began, "... far fetched?"
"No I know, that's what Chelle said," Lia agreed, they sat in silence for a moment before Lia gasped, "But it wouldn't be if we got proof."
"What do you mean proof? How are we gonna get that?" Maisie questioned.
"Follow me," Lia announced jumping of the bench and beginning to walk towards the ginnel.
"Lia," Maisie called following after her.
"Do you really think this is the best idea?" Maisie asked as she watched her friend peer through the window of the Barlow's.
"Well Chelle said we had no proof, so I just need to find some don't I," Lia turned to her friend, "Rob has took Tracy out and I can't see Peter, Ken or Dierdre. So I recon the house is empty..."
"So we're about to break into your mum's ex-husband's house on a hunch?" Maisie asked speeling out to Lia how mental the idea sounded.
"We aren't breaking in if we use the spare key that's under that gnome," Lia smirked as Maisie raised her eyebrows.
"Right so what about if Ken or Dierdre or Peter even, are all upstairs and they come down and see us?" Maisie questioned.
"What all three of them are upstairs at the same time?" Lia retorted before sighing, "Look if you don't wanna come then fair enough, but if this means there is a way of getting my mum back I'm not just gonna walk away."
"What kind of friend would I be if I let you do this on your own," Maisie rolled her eyes as Lia smiled gratefully, "Even if I do think it's mental.
"Love you too Mais," Lia grinned as she bent down to lift the spare key from underneath the gnome statue.
Lia unlocked the back door and pushed it open, allowing Maisie to follow her in before closing the door.
"Right so what are we actually looking for?" Maisie asked.
"Well they never found the weapon, so maybe start with that," Lia replied, "Come on we'll look upstairs in Tracy's bedroom, Rob said Peter's sleeping on the couch so its hardly like he's got a bedroom to stash it in."
"What if we don't find anything Lia?" Maisie continued.
"Well at least we'll have looked," Lia answered as they got to the top of the stairs, "Right I'll start in the dressing table if you start in the bedside table, the quicker we look around the quicker we can go."
About 10 minutes had went by of searching before either of the girls had talked, they were both concentrated on their separate sections.
"Did you find owt?" Lia sighed as she turned to Maisie.
"Nope," Maisie shook her head.
"Right well come help me with this last set of draws then we'll go," Lia replied as Maisie shook her head and turned to help her friend.
"What are you doing," Rob's voice echoed through the room as the two girls quickly stood up and spun around to face the man.
"I know this looks bad," Lia started.
"Correct," Rob interrupted.
"Rob I was just trying to find something," Lia huffed.
"Right come on, both of yous out before anyone comes back," Rob directed as the girls looked to each other before walking out the room.
"What were you looking for?" Rob asked as they walked down the stairs.
"Right don't go mad, but I've had an idea that maybe it were Peter that attacked Tina and if so maybe he asked Tracy for help and that's why they packed him off to rehab," Lia explained as Rob raised his eyebrow.
"So you were looking for evidence in Tracy's makeup draw," Rob laminated as Lia nodded slowly, "Does Michelle know about this?"
"Maybe," Lia scratched her head.
"Right come on, lets get yous out of her," Rob sighed as he guided them out the back door and shut the door behind them.
"You go home Mais, I'll deal with this," Lia smiled as Maisie smiled back.
"Are you sure?" Maisie asked as Lia nodded before turning to Rob.
"Yeah I'll be fine, plus I've got the best uncle in the world, right, uncle Rob?" Lia grimaced slightly.
"Aha," Rob mumbled as Lia pulled a face at Maisie as she left.
"I thought you were taking Tracy out?" Lia asked.
"Yeah well Trace forgot her purse so I suggested I'd go back to get it while she finds us somewhere for lunch," Rob explained, "Good job it was me and not her who came back."
"There you are," Michelle announced as she closed the lid of the bin in the Rovers back yard, "Where you been?"
"Rooting through Tracy's drawers," Rob cut in before Lia as she rolled her eyes.
"What?" Michelle quizzed.
"You make that sound so bad," Lia rolled her eyes before turning to Michelle, "You said we needed evidence so I was finding it."
"So you gave her the idea," Rob looked to Michelle.
"Woah, no not at all," Michelle raised her eyebrows, "I said that it wouldn't hold up without evidence, I didn't say go looking in houses for evidence."
"Breaking in to houses," Rob cut in.
"It's not breaking in if you know where the spare key is," Lia correct as Michelle looked to the teen disapprovingly, "Fine, okay I'm sorry, I just thought if we find something it may help mum."
The two adults sighed sympathetically but Liz popped her head out before they could say anything, "There you are Lia, I'm taking Amy out for some ice cream, do you wanna come with us?"
Lia looked to Michelle as Liz continued, "Your never too old for ice cream..."
"Go on then," Michelle rolled her eyes with a slight smile, "Keep you out of trouble for an hour."
"Thanks Chelle, love you," Lia grinned as she went to walk out with Liz.
"Erm..." Rob said clearing his throat to get his niece attention.
"I love you too uncle Rob," Lia sang sarcastically with a grin before closing the back door.
"Thanks for bringing her back," Michelle thanked Rob.
"Well let's just all be grateful that it was me and not Tracy," Rob replied as Michelle smirked slightly.
"What yous doing anyway?" Michelle asked.
"I've just took her out for the day, save having to watch Peter mope around the house for another day in a row," Rob explained as Michelle nodded.
"Well enjoy your day out while I'm grafting," Michelle quipped.
"I wouldn't call pouring pints grafting," Rob retorted as Michelle hit his arm playfully.
"Oi you," Michelle warned rolling her eyes before she walked back inside.
Rob turned around and went to head out of the back gate as his phone began to ring.
"Hello"
"Hello, can I speak to Mr Donovan"
"Speaking"
"I am a guard from the prison that your sister is currently residing at. I have been instructed to inform you that Carla is on the way to hospital after falling down a set of stairs."
"What … is she okay? Is the baby okay?"
"All I know so far is that she had extreme pain in her abdomen and signs of bleeding"
"Right what hospital is she going to? Weatherfield General?"
"Yes, the ambulance left a few minutes ago"
"Right, okay"
Rob hung up the phone and ran back through the gate and into the pub through the back door.
"Michelle!" Rob called for her attention.
"What's happened?" Michelle asked turning from her conversation with Sean, sensing the emergency.
"It's Carla she's fell down the stairs, she's in an ambulance on the way to the hospital," Rob explained as both Eva and Sean, who were also listening to the conversation, gasped, "We need to get down there."
"Right, yeah, erm," Michelle fretted as Sean spun around to Sean.
"It's fine you go, I'll tell Steve," Sean told her as she nodded.
"Yeah, sorry, okay," Michelle tried to answer.
"I've got Eva if it gets too much," Sean nodded.
"Thanks," Michelle smiled slightly turning to Rob, "Right we need to go, come on."
As Michelle and Rob had arrived at the hospital, Carla was being pushed through the corridors the guards following the bed. Both Michelle and Rob had tried to follow her through however they were stopped by the nurses and directed to the waiting room. It had been about 30 minutes since they had arrived at the hospital and both Michelle and Rob had barely spoke since they got there.
"Do you have to keep doing that," Michelle asked.
"What?" Rob replied pulling a face.
"Bouncing your leg, your making me nervous," Michelle answered.
"It's called anxiety Michelle," Rob quipped back, "How long does it take?"
"They'll just be running tests," Michelle tried to answer reasonably.
"I'm gonna go and see what's taking so long," Rob announced getting up from his chair and walking off along the corridor.
Michelle sighed deeply as she got up and walked along to the coffee machine.
"Oh Michelle," Gail smiled as Michelle turned round, "News must of spread fast, you've got here quick."
"News?" Michelle tilted her head to side with confusion.
"About Tina being awake," Gail replied with smile before walking off around the corner leaving Michelle shocked.