"Lia come on," Carla moaned holding the front door open.
"I'm not going," Lia answered slamming her bedroom door.
"Really," Carla sighed shutting the front door and walking over to her daughter's bedroom and knocking on the door, "Lia open up."
"I'm not going," Lia protested throwing the door open.
"Why?" Carla exclaimed, "You went yesterday."
"Yeah but I'm not today,"Lia sighed, "I'm not dealing with them bitches all day again today."
"Lia," Carla warned, tilting her head to the side, "What's been happening?"
"Just girls," Lia huffed, "They're constantly talking about me like I can't hear them or something, I wanna smack 'em all."
"Why didn't you say?" Carla asked, "What are they saying?"
"Cause I didn't want you to worry for no reason, it doesn't upset me or anything it's just annoying," Lia replied.
"What are they talking about?" Carla asked.
Lia sighed and stayed silent for a moment before replying, "The affair."
"Babe," Carla half smiled bringing her daughter into a hug, "I'm so sorry."
"Don't be!" Lia exclaimed, "This is why I didn't say anything, you always blame yourself and it's not your fault!"
"I know but I just feel awful," Carla explained.
"Well don't," Lia nodded powerfully, "Now move out I'm gonna get changed."
"You don't have to, I'll talk to the school-"
"No you won't," Lia shook her head, "I'd rather listen to Abbie bitch on for the next year than you ring the school mum."
"Bit dramatic," Carla laughed slightly as Lia joined in.
"You go to work mum, I'll lock up, Maisie's gonna meet me at the bus stop," Lia replied.
"Promise you'll actually go," Carla smirked.
"Hand on heart," Lia smiled blowing her mum a kiss as she shut the door.
The midday sun beat through the factory windows as the machinists continued to work, gossiping in between as Carla came out of the office.
"Do you lot do anything other than gossip," Carla asked picking up Fiz's finished work and admiring the stiches.
"I have been telling them Ms Connor," Sally emphasised.
"Oh course you have," Beth rolled her eyes.
"Cause you would never talk about anyone else," Sean smirked.
"Alright guys," Carla interrupted, "We are well and truly hitting target today so I thought I'd be nice and let you have an extended lunch, if anyone's up for it?"
"This is why your my favourite, Ms Connor," Sean grinned as the workforce began to get up from their machines.
"Oh I thought you would say that Sean," Carla sang as she watched them move.
"Mrs Barlow?" A voice questioned from the door as it swung shut.
Carla turned round to reveal the detectives and sighed before answering, "Can I help you."
"Your presence is needed down the station," The detective replied, "We need a few questions answering."
"Brilliant," Carla muttered scratching the top of her head and sighing, she picked the keys up from the side and threw them to Sally, "Right okay, Sal you lock up, I want you all back at your machines by 1."
The factory went quite as they nodded and Carla walked into her office got her bag and started to walk out.
"Ms Connor," Fiz called, "Do you want me to call Rob?"
"Or Chelle?" Sean added.
"No your alright, ta, I won't be long," Carla dismissed with a short smile before turning back to the detectives, "Right come on then."
The police car sped out of the cobbles as the factory workers dispersed out of Underworld, as Sally locked the doors and split off from the rest. Not long after Michelle was stood outside of Dev's talking to Eileen when a shout was heard across the street.
"Michelle!" Rob shouted coming out of the Barlow's and running up the street.
"Oh well that sounds good," Eileen smirked sarcastically as Michelle scoffed.
"Doesn't it just," Michelle answered before waving bye, "See you later Eileen."
"See you," She smiled walking off.
"What's wrong?" Michelle asked.
"Where's Carla?" Rob asked, "Why she not answering her phone?"
"I don't know, what's up like?" Michelle asked.
"I've just had the school on the phone," Rob explained.
"Why's the school ringing you," Michelle questioned.
"Well they rang Peter, but he'd left his phone in the house. They said Carla hadn't been answering," Rob answered.
"What's happened with Lia?" Michelle said putting her hand to her head.
"She nicked off from school and they don't know where she'd gone," Rob sighed.
"Your joking?" Michelle laminated before sighing, "Right lets go and get Carla, she'll be at the factory."
They both nodded and walked over to the factory pushing the door open, to reveal the machinists working tirelessly at their machines the odd glance between them.
"What's going on in here?" Rob asked confused.
"Where's Carla?" Michelle questioned.
"She went off with the police about an hour ago," Sean explained.
"What?" Michelle exclaimed, "Why didn't she say anything?"
"She said not to bother ringing you, sorry," Fiz explained.
"No its fine," Rob dismissed, "Yous carry on with this order, she'll be back soon, come on we're gonna have to find Lia."
Michelle nodded saying her goodbyes to the factory workers before leaving with Rob and pulling her phone out. She began to ring her niece as they walked out onto the cobbles, the phone reaching voicemail.
"Lia, darling, we know your not in school, we're not mad just let us know where you are," Michelle said into the phone before hanging up and sighing.
"You quite literally couldn't write this," Rob huffed rubbing his forehead.
"Right I'll get the car, should we start in town?" Michelle asked.
"Yeah," Rob nodded following the woman.
"So Mrs Barlow," The detective started, "We just need a few questions answering."
"Okay," Carla nodded leaning back on her chair.
"Looking at your previous interview, you visited Miss Mcintyre twice, correct?" The detective checked.
"Aha," Carla nodded.
"On the second occasion, you physically attacked Miss Mcintyre by hitting her and then attempting to strangle her, correct?" The detective asked.
"No, I didn't attempt to strangle her, it was an argument, it just got out of hand," Carla explained.
"Okay so after this 'out of hand argument' what happened?" The detective interrogated.
"I left, I went back to my flat like I said," Carla replied.
"So, there was no more arguing between you two, you didn't move out to the balcony at all," The detective mused.
"No," Carla shook her head.
"Not even to get some air, I mean arguments can get intense," The detective assumed.
"I didn't go on that balcony," Carla protested.
"Carla, are you sure about this, because a piece of your hair was found on the balcony in which Tina Mcintyre was pushed from," The detective explained.
"What," Carla squinted, sighing before shaking her head, "No listen... Yes I admit, I did hit her, I pushed her, yes, but in the flat, at no point did I even step foot on that balcony... I wouldn't push her off a balcony, I was angry I hadn't completely lost my mind. A strand of hair probably fell out on Tina's top and then fell off when she was out there. I don't know! But I wasn't out there!"
"You're getting very defensive for someone who had nothing to do with this," The detective mused.
"No don't do that, you aren't listening," Carla retorted.
"Mrs Barlow, Tina Mcintyre is currently in hospital in a coma, we are looking at attempted murder," The detective informed.
"Yes as you should be, but that is nothing to do with me," Carla emphasised.
"We would like to take your fingerprints to so some testing with," The detective ignored.
"How long is that going to take?" Carla huffed.
"Sorry have you got somewhere to be?" The detective questioned.
"Yes, my job which you tore me away from," Carla shook her head.
"A young woman's life is hanging in the balance here, we need to find out who did this to her," The detective warned.
"Right fine," Carla agreed slumping back in her chair as the detective nodded, turning off the recording machine and leaving the room.
A few hours had passed since Michelle and Rob had started looking for Lia and had returned to the Rovers with no luck.
"I should of asked Sean to cover I shouldn't be here, I should be looking for her I mean where is she?" Michelle fretted.
"Chelle she'll be fine, its Lia you know what she's like, someone's probably wound her up and she's sulked off somewhere, I'll get back out there in a minute," Rob replied.
"Yeah," Michelle sighed as Liz came and stood next to her after serving Tim, "Have you heard from Carla yet?"
Rob checked his phone again before shaking his head, "No not yet. Right I'm going to the toilet then going back out to look."
"Okay," Michelle sighed collecting his glass and rinsing it out.
"Michelle," Liz tapped her daughter in law on the shoulder to get her attention.
"Yeah," She answered turning around to see two police officers walking in.
"Michelle Connor?" One officer asked.
"Yeah, how can I help?" Michelle inquired.
"Are you the guardian of Ophelia Connor?" The officer asked.
"Yeah, erm yeah," Michelle stuttered, "She's my niece, what's happened?"
"She was found around 15 minutes ago in the Red Rec, drunk and disorderly, she was with a group of presumed friends, she was the only one who didn't run, we thought it was best to bring her home rather than the station," The officer informed.
Michelle sighed heavily, "Right okay, is she with you?"
"Yeah she's just in the car do you want to come get her?" The officer nodded as Michelle did so too looking to Liz for support.
"Sean watch the bar," Liz said putting the tea towel down in front of him and following Michelle.
The officer opened the car door to reveal the teenager slumped in the back.
"Chelle!" Lia grinned drunkenly flinging herself out of the car.
"What do you think your doing," Michelle gritted her teeth.
"Having a drink, do you want one?" The girl giggled slightly.
Michelle stared at her blankly before sighing, "I mean... Oh you know what it doesn't matter."
"I thought I best call you," Lia ignored Michelle and carried on talking, "Cause well them lot," Lia pointed to the officers round the other side of the car stumbling over her feet slightly, "They've probably nicked off with mum or Rob … again."
"Oh my god," Michelle sighed putting her hands to her head, "Right, get inside."
Liz held one hand of the teenager to help guide her while Michelle turned around to thank the officers.
"Ey!" Lia called out spinning round and stumbling over, "Don't be thanking them, all they've done is-"
"Ophelia, get inside now," Michelle gritted her teeth, taking hold of her shoulders and pushing the girl towards the pub.
"Thanks again," Liz commented to the officers as they nodded and got back in the car.
"Heyyyy," Lia grinned as she entered the pub and saw her uncle, grabbing on to him, "There's my favourite uncle!"
"Is she?"
"Hammered, yes," Michelle finished his sentence, peeling her off of Rob, "Help me get her in the back please."
"Seany," Lia sang latching on to him.
"No," Michelle stopped her and pushing her through to the back.
"Lia, what do you think your doing?" Rob asked placing her down on the sofa.
"Like I told Chelle, I was having a drink," Lia slurred.
"Why didn't you come and find us, when you left school?" Michelle asked.
"Cause I was with my friends," Lia rolled her eyes.
"Who? Maisie?" Rob questioned.
"No," Lia shook her head.
"Who then?" Michelle interrogated.
"I don't know... But they... They had good vodka," Lia nodded giggling.
"Right," Rob huffed looking to Michelle, "Has Carla been in touch?"
Michelle checked her phone before shaking her head, "No, not yet."
"Where is mum?" Lia yawned.
"The factory," Rob lied.
"Can we not tell her about this," Lia attempted to whisper, "Cause she'll only think its her fault and, and its not you know?"
"Erm yeah, yeah sure," Michelle sighed slightly sympathetically, "Darling, go to bed, go and sleep it off before your mum gets back."
"Come on I'll help you," Rob decided standing up and pulling Lia up, walking with her to the bottom of the stairs.
"I love you Chelle," Lia grinned slightly turning her head around, her eyes closing.
"I love you too," Michelle smiled slightly as her niece and Rob walked upstairs.