"Any news?" Liz asked as she rested her hand on Michelle's shoulder who was painfully leaning on the bar staring at her phone.
"Last I heard her solicitor was there but that's it," Michelle explained.
It had been a few hours since Carla's arrest, Michelle had tried to keep in control of the situation as best a possible for the sake of Lia and Rob for that matter. Lia was just silent, Rob had took her into the back while Michelle contacted Carla's solicitor however the teen soon kicked him out saying she just wanted to be on her own. Michelle had sent him off to the flat after his second pint once the police had finished searching it to collect some of Lia's stuff, mainly just so he wasn't just hanging around getting drunk and causing more issues than needed.
"Surely its good news that the police left without saying if they'd found anything," Liz replied as Michelle whipped her head round.
"Well of course they wouldn't find anything! Carla is innocent!" Michelle snapped.
"No, no I know that love, I was just trying to be positive," Liz defended.
"No I know, sorry Liz I didn't mean to snap," Michelle sighed, "Anyway I don't think they'd tell us if they did anyway."
"Have you checked on Lia anymore?" Liz diverted from the subject.
"Not really, last time I went it she was just sat in silence with the tele on, but she wasn't really watching it," Michelle answered looking at Liz with sympathy in her eyes.
"Bless her, as if the pair of them needed anymore stress on top of everything else," Liz sympathised as Michelle nodded.
"So Mrs Barlow," The detective began pressing play on the interview recorder, "After taking your fingerprints last time we have since compared them to the fingerprints found on Tina McIntyres clothing and they have been seen as a match. Do you have any reasoning for that?"
"Yes, like I told you many times before, I pushed Tina but when we were inside the flat. I did not push her on the balcony or anywhere outside for that matter," Carla sighed.
"Okay so if that did happen like you say, how did a piece of your hair find its way onto the balcony," The detective continued.
"I don't know," Carla huffed, "Listen isn't this your job to find this out, I have answered all your questions before, have you actually got anything else or are you just hoping I'll crack under the pressure if you keep bringing me in?"
"We are getting onto that Mrs Barlow, we just wanted to recap to make sure we had everything correct," The detective commented, " A few days ago we visited Tracy Barlow to get her accounts of what happened on the night of Tina McIntyre's attack, you claim Tracy saw you coming out of Tina's flat after your argument and saw you walk back in the direction of your flat. However Miss Barlow claimed not to see you, in fact she claimed to have seen no one. Can you explain that?"
"Well she must of made a mistake cause I definitely saw her," Carla protested, "Listen Tracy can be a twisted cow sometimes and for some reason she does not like me, she's probably just said that as a way to humour her twisted personality."
"Even so, this means that it is her word against yours and therefore leaving you without anyone seeing you exit Tina's flat at the time you claim," The detective replied before being interrupted by knocking at the door and leaving the room as Carla huffed and threw her head down on the table.
The detective went outside and began to talk to another officer, they're lips could barely been read through the glass pane in the door however their expressions told most of the story, the detective collected a bag from the officer before nodding and walking back into the room.
The detective dropped the bag onto the table before speaking, "Our team has just finished conducting a search on your flat to which we found this strapped to the back of the radiator in your living room, can you explain what this is?"
"It's Tina's bracelet," Carla screwed her face up looking into the bag, "I got it her a few days before I found out about the affair, as a thank you for being so good with Simon and Peter's drinking."
"Can you explain what it was doing strapped to the back of your radiator?" The detective questioned.
"I don't know, I gave it Tina when she came to collect Simon to drop him at school," Carla explained.
"And now it has been found in your possession, with what looks to be blood on it," The detective mused pointing to the red stain that was reflecting through the bag.
"I don't know what that was doing there but it has nothing to with me, okay, I gave that to Tina and I didn't see it again," Carla explained.
"Okay we will pause the interview there while I take the evidence for testing," The detective concluded pressing stop on the recorder, "Thank you Mrs Barlow."
"Wait!" Carla exclaimed as the detective began to walk out the room, "I really need to make a phone call, I need to make sure my daughter is okay."
"That's not possible at the moment Mrs Barlow, however we can allow your solicitor to call and make sure your arrangements are sorted, however you cannot speak to anyone at this moment in time," The detective finalised and walked out of the door as Carla huffed loudly in frustration.
A few hours later the door finally opened grabbing Carla's attention as the detective walked in shortly followed by Carla's solicitor.
"Did you speak to Michelle, is Lia okay?" Carla questioned as her solicitor gave her a sharp nod as the detective coughed to get their attention.
"Interview resumed at 18:14 on June 6th 2014, present is Carla Barlow, Pauline Mansell and Detective Cross," The detective introduced pressing play on the recorder once more.
"Look I don't know how the bracelet got there, I've wracked my brain and the only thing I can think is that I'm being set up. I mean I must be!" Carla protested.
"Well we have got the results back from the bracelet and traces of Tina McIntyre's blood was found on the bracelet," The detective explained, "Therefore we have reason to believe that you are lying about how this bracelet became to be in your possession."
"I'm being set up, I mean I must be!" Carla continued.
"Mrs Barlow-"
"But instead you lot are sat here wasting your time with me instead of finding whoever is setting me up and therefore whoever actually attacked Tina!" Carla exclaimed.
"Mrs Barlow, I need you to follow me downstairs to our charging desk," The detective explained standing up.
"You what," Carla scoffed in disbelief.
"Carla Barlow we are charging you with the attempted murder of Tina McIntyre," The detective laminated as Carla pushed her chair back with force and stood up.
"No! No! This is a mistake, I did not attack Tina!" Carla protested.
"Carla, you have to go with them," Pauline whispered calmly to her as another officer came into the room and placed his hand under Carla's arm.
"Please, just listen to me," Carla begged her voice breaking.
"This way Mrs Barlow," The detective walked out of the room as the officer followed guiding Carla.
"Tell Lia I love her," Carla cried to her solicitor as she was taken out the room, as her solicitor nodded.
After the rush had calmed down at Rovers Michelle had said goodbye to Rob as he left to go back to the Barlow's with Tracy and then told Liz she was going to go and check on her niece.
"Hey sweetheart," Michelle gave Lia a short smile as the teen looked over to her as she walked through the door, she was still in the same position as she was when Michelle had looked in on her hours ago.
Michelle walked over to the sofa and sat next to her, she moved her nieces body to form around her as she embraced Lia's tight hug, they sat in silence for a few moments until Lia spoke, "Did you know octopuses have 3 hearts?"
"What?" Michelle whispered arching her eyebrow.
"It's the only thing I've actually took from this program, its been on for hours," Lia explained.
"Talk to me darling," Michelle stated.
"I'm just scared," Lia explained, "Like I don't even feel like I can cry anymore."
Michelle could tell she had been crying but didn't want to draw any attention to it, "I know baby, listen why don't I go out and get us a takeaway while we wait for your mum?"
"Can I come with you?" Lia asked, whispering slightly, "I don't want to be on my own anymore."
"Of course," Michelle sighed kissing the top of her head as her phone rang, "Let me get this we'll go in two minutes."
"Pauline?" Michelle went to walk out until Lia pulled her arm to stop her.
"If its about mum, I wanna know Chelle," Lia told her as Michelle nodded and turned back to the phone call.
"Sorry Pauline, go on, what's happened"
"I'm really sorry Michelle but Carla's been charged with attempted murder."
"What?"
"They found bracelet taped to the back of radiator that belonged to Tina with her blood on it when they searched the flat. I think that and Tracy changing her alibi was the final nail in the coffin"
There was a moment of silence for a moment until Michelle finally answered.
"Okay, thanks for letting us know Pauline"
Michelle ended the call and looked at her phone in shock for a moment before slowly turning to face Lia.
"She's not coming home, is she?" Lia whispered as a tear rolled down her face.
Michelle didn't speak, she didn't have any words she just shook her head and immediately embraced her niece as the teen began to hysterically sob into Michelle's shoulder.
The station was cold and surprisingly quite as the officer walked Carla along to her cell and opened the door open for her to walk in. She slowly walked into the cell and sat down on the hard bench and looked up to the officer.
"What happens now?" Carla whispered.
"Wait here until we can get the transport to move you to the prison," The officer answered as a lump caught in Carla's throat.
The officer slammed the cell door shut with a loud bang and Carla could hear her footsteps walk away.
"Please wake up Tina," Carla whispered as she looked up to floor a tear dripping onto the cold floor.
A/N: I can't thank you enough for all your support, I love reading your reviews, please keep reviewing I'd love to hear your thoughts!
L xx