Chapter 26

There is no way she's taking any blame for this.

Paige slammed the apartment door shut, seething at the possibility of Henry being involved in Ronnie's death. A huge part of her understood his loyalty to Juliet, but if this was something obvious, it would only come back to bite them all. If the police believed for one second that Juliet's assault at the bar was linked to Ronnie's death, Paige and Juliet would surely be held accountable. Regardless of whether they knew anything about it or not, life wasn't that simple.

She eyed the clock in the kitchen. Henry was due here any moment now. Paige wanted answers; she needed to know exactly what was going on, and then she could breathe a sigh of relief…knowing Juliet was going to be safe now. Cara was just a sheep in all of this. Without being told to do what she did, she likely wouldn't have done it. This was all on Ronnie—Paige was almost certain of that.

As her phone pinged in her pocket, there was a knock at the door. She would tackle the text message waiting for her. It would be Juliet.

Any sign of H yet?

Paige smiled. Juliet had never been this impatient before.

I think he's at the door right now. Call you when I know more.

She crossed the room, yanking the door open before she had time to consider what questions to ask. Henry smiled back at her, his jacket already folded over his arm. "Hi, Paige."

"Don't ‘Hi, Paige' me. Get inside before I throttle you!" Paige dragged Henry over the threshold and closed the door quickly. "What's going on?"

He turned to Paige from the middle of the room. "You know, I thought you would be happy knowing that bastard is gone."

"I am. Of course I am. But I need you to tell me you had nothing to do with it. Juliet needs to know that." Paige ran a hand through her hair, resting back against the nearest wall. Maybe she should have eaten something substantial before this conversation. She was beginning to feel a bit woozy. "Please tell me you didn't make this happen."

"Not technically." Henry shrugged as he lowered himself to the couch. "I think you and Juliet forget the sorts of people I know. A lot of them are capable of doing the most hideous things."

Paige held up a hand. "Yeah, I don't need to know what kind of friends you have. I really don't."

"Just…sit down for a minute, okay?" Henry eyed the couch facing him, a pleading look in his eyes. "I can explain. Or I'll try to, at least."

Okay, Paige could do that. Henry had been amazing when it came to being there for both Paige and Juliet; she could afford him the time he needed to explain things. Juliet would be fine for a few hours alone. It meant she could rest before Hannah and Caz turned up to visit. Paige took a seat, not quite relaxed just yet. "Go on…"

"I know you're probably worried about any comeback, but there won't be any, Paige. I'd never do anything if I thought you or Juliet could get tied up in it." Henry spoke sincerely. "Now, we know the police are working towards the motive being Cara's connection to Ron, but he's burned so many people that anyone could have ended his life last night."

"So, it wasn't you?"

"I have no access to prison, so it couldn't have been me." Henry almost smirked at that, but Paige gave him a look that warned him against it. "There's a guy inside. Pete Bennett. I've known Pete for a long time. He used to date my sister, Keira, when we were all much younger. Juliet probably knows of him, but that's about all."

Paige nodded, waiting for more information.

"Pete grew up in a children's home when we were kids. He had a sister, Linda, but no other family to speak of. That's how he met our Keira. She was good friends with Linda back then." Henry rubbed at the stubble across his jaw. "When Linda had her first and only child, Lee, Pete was beside himself. God, he loves that lad something wicked. I've never known such a close bond between an uncle and a nephew. To be honest, I think he probably treated him more like a son." Henry smiled as he shook his head. "Ron managed to get his claws into Lee when he was a teen. Had him working drug runs. Then he got him onto the drugs. And not just the weed or that sort of stuff…but the hard drugs. Heroin, to be exact. Lee has never been the same since and has been revived on the street more than once over the last few years. Overdoses, suicide attempts."

God, that was sad. This Ron guy was truly a bastard. If Paige hadn't already been glad that he was dead, she certainly was now. "That's…awful."

"Anyway, Pete heard that Ron had been transferred closer to home. He was originally banged up down south. He'd been trying to get to Ron for a few years, but then Ron went down for heading one of the biggest drug gangs in Europe and Pete didn't have any sort of access to him."

"R-right." Paige wasn't convinced that Henry had nothing to do with this. Not yet.

"When he found out that Ron was much more local to the area, he got himself into trouble—which isn't hard—and was remanded to the same prison as him. That part was sheer luck, I swear to you, but yeah…Pete Bennett is responsible for Ron's death."

"Who told him that Ron had been transferred up here?" Paige frowned. "I'd like to shake their hand. What a bastard and waste of oxygen he was."

Henry rose to his feet and looked down at Paige. He held out his hand, his head cocked. "You're welcome."

Paige narrowed her eyes as she stood and met Henry's gaze. Was he winding her up, or had he really told this Pete guy where Ron was? "You told him?"

"I knew it wouldn't take much. That man has so many enemies that it was only a matter of time before someone wiped him off this earth." Henry stepped around Paige and moved towards the door. "Now we just have to find Cara. I'd like to see her put away for what she did to Juliet."

"Still nothing? You can't find anyone who may know where she is?"

Henry sighed. "Nothing, Paige. It's like she's a ghost."

Where the fuck was Cara? She couldn't have just vanished into thin air. She may have been good at deceiving Paige and Juliet, but she wasn't that good. "Do we think maybe she's using a different name? Or that Cara isn't even her real name to begin with?" Paige knew all about that. When she moved here and met Juliet, she had given a false surname. Only Paige's reasons for doing that were entirely different from Cara's. "Do we even know if she lives in Liverpool?"

"She does, and her name is Cara Swinson. I've already checked all of that." Henry ran a hand down his face. "She's gone to ground. Someone will be hiding her. And the second she resurfaces, I'll know about it. I promise you."

"Just…nothing illegal, Henry. I want to look her in the eye when she's sentenced in court. Please?"

"You have my word, Paige. The police can handle this one…once I find her."

That satisfied Paige for the time being. She couldn't change Pete Bennett's actions, nor did she particularly want to, but she could focus on getting Juliet back to full health. It was the only thing that mattered in all of this. Juliet.

"I'll head off. I'm thinking I'll lay low for a few days. The less I'm seen at the hospital, the less likely the police are to ask any other questions."

Paige nodded, understanding exactly what Henry was saying. "Yeah, good call."

"But if either of you need anything, I'm always close by. You know the drill."

Paige watched Henry leave, relaxing as the door closed behind him, and nothing other than silence enveloped her. God, they would need a serious holiday when all of this was over. Preferably somewhere with very little access to the outside world.

"God, that feels so nice." Juliet tilted her head up, the sun warming her face where she sat in one of the gardens within the hospital grounds. "Thank you for thinking of this. I was beginning to go stir crazy in that room."

Paige put the brake on the wheelchair she had brought Juliet down here in and took a seat on the bench next to Juliet. She was moving better, but walking long distances wasn't recommended. "Just thought you could get out for some fresh air." Paige looked over her shoulder, checking how close PC Ramsey was to them. "And you know, so we could talk."

Juliet was desperate to know what had happened to Ronnie Delehedy. Henry had to be involved somehow, it was too coincidental, but she hoped he at least wasn't directly involved. "I don't know if it's a good idea while we're not alone."

"Thankfully, I can talk quietly, and you have very good hearing." Paige leant in and kissed Juliet's cheek. She lingered, placing her hand over Juliet's. "Henry tipped someone off who was already looking for Ronnie. Seems he has plenty of enemies on the outside as well as inside."

Juliet nodded. "Oh, he does. A lot ."

"So, like, he didn't actually do anything that would tie him to it; he just put the word out."

Juliet had thought as much. While she didn't particularly like what Henry had done—she didn't want him to get into trouble—Juliet would admit that she already felt far more at ease knowing Ronnie was gone. "Did he say who?"

"He did, but I can't remember the name, babe. I'm sure Henry will fill you in once you're out of here and back at home."

Juliet looked out at the trees surrounding them, the tulips and rose bushes that had recently bloomed. This was exactly what she needed today. Something peaceful and calming. Somewhere she could breathe without feeling as though her every move was being monitored. If it wasn't nurses coming in to check her dressing or her vitals, it was her doctor checking in to see how Juliet was feeling. She appreciated everything they had done for her, she owed her life to them, but she was ready to be at home the moment it was possible.

As Juliet turned her head to Paige, entwining their fingers in her lap, she smiled. "Thank you for everything you've done for me lately. It can't have been easy."

"It's my job to be here for you, babe. No thanks needed."

Juliet lowered her head to Paige's shoulder, feeling tremendously loved. "I know, but after the things I said to you when I woke up, this could have been entirely different. I could have been sitting here alone, wondering what the hell I'd done to us."

Paige kissed the top of Juliet's head. "I understood what you were saying in some way. Don't think that I didn't. You woke up after someone tried to kill you, not knowing what the hell was going on. Maybe I should have stopped that initial conversation before it got started. You weren't in the right frame of mind for it." Juliet felt Paige smile against her hair. "But everything turned out the way it was supposed to. That's all I'm focusing on. All I care about is your safety. Nothing else matters."

Juliet appreciated Paige's love and support. Though, she knew it always would have been this way. There hadn't been a single moment when Juliet considered Paige's loyalty, and she doubted that was something she would ever have to consider in the future.

"Juliet?"

Juliet and Paige sat forward at the sound of a voice. Paige turned and looked over her shoulder since Juliet wasn't able to, smiling. "Oh, hi." Paige eyed Juliet. "It's Detective Roache."

Juliet puffed out her cheeks when the detective crossed the garden and came to stand in front of her. Maybe if Paige helped her back into her wheelchair, the detective could take a seat. She tried to stand, but the detective stopped her. "You…stay there. This won't take long."

Juliet frowned. Did this mean they'd caught Cara? "You have her, don't you?"

"We do." Detective Roache nodded as she shoved her hands in the pockets of her overcoat. "Cara Swinson is deceased."

"W-what?" Juliet's stomach lurched. Had Henry found her and taken care of the problem? No. He promised you he wouldn't! "She's dead?"

"We received a call from several members of the public around 11 a.m. yesterday morning. Someone had gone into the dock and hadn't surfaced."

Juliet turned to Paige. "That's when you were there. You got caught up because of the emergency services."

"Yeah. I didn't know for sure what had happened, but yeah…I guess that sort of presence makes sense."

"Cara was pulled from the River Mersey at three fifteen yesterday afternoon. Formal identification has taken place, and her next of kin has been informed." Detective Roache spoke so calmly that Juliet was utterly confused. What would happen now if Cara was dead? "CCTV in the area shows that she willingly went into the water, and significant injuries to her wrists suggest that she had no intention of being caught. It appears Cara took her own life."

God. Juliet didn't know how she felt about that. While she was relieved that she was safe, Juliet couldn't help but feel terribly sorry for Cara. This had all been down to Ronnie and his influence. While Cara had been the one to bring that knife to the bar, and she had been the one to injure Juliet, this all stemmed from Ronnie. "That's…I don't know what to say."

"I do." Paige suddenly spoke up. "She's a coward. Plain and simple."

"Baby." Juliet squeezed Paige's hand.

"No. She tried to kill you, Juliet. And she's so much of a coward that she couldn't face any of us looking her in the eye from across a courtroom."

Juliet understood Paige's anger, she also believed it was warranted, but she didn't want Paige to hold onto it for too long. Anger wouldn't do anyone any favours coming out of this. "I know, but…it's over now."

"You know what? Good riddance. That's what I say." Paige scoffed as she shook her head. "I have nothing left inside of me for her. What she did to you…I almost lost you. If I had to choose, then I'm glad she's gone. However it happened, I'm glad she's out of our lives."

Assuming that Paige had finished ranting, Detective Roache offered them both a small smile. "The Crown Prosecution Service have decided that they won't be making a decision on any charges. Given the fact that the suspect is deceased, and we don't believe anyone else is involved, there will be no further action taken."

Juliet wouldn't dare mention Ronnie. If the police believed there was no connection, then she wasn't going to change their minds. Both of them were gone; what more could anyone do when it came to justice? "Okay."

"I am sorry we didn't have a greater outcome, Juliet." The detective stepped forward and handed over a business card. "I know I've already given you one, but in case you've misplaced it and have any questions…"

Juliet looked up at her. "Thank you."

"The police presence at the hospital will be pulled back, but don't hesitate to contact me if you have any concerns at all." Juliet took the detective's hand when she offered it and shook. "I hope your recovery continues to be successful."

Juliet stared as the detective shook Paige's hand, her mind going over everything she had just heard. Cara was dead. Ronnie was dead. Juliet…was safe. Had she been alone, Juliet likely would have been in a terrible state right now, but as Paige covered her hand once again, all she felt was tremendous peace.

Two years of looking over her shoulder.

Memories of lying on a floor, dying.

All of it was over from this point on.

"You okay, babe?"

Juliet turned to Paige with tears slipping down her cheeks. "I had no idea what relief would feel like."

"I know." Paige's silvery eyes gazed back lovingly at Juliet. "But I'm glad you feel that relief. It's exactly how I felt once James had been arrested."

"This means Henry is out of a job." Juliet had no idea why her mind went straight to Henry, but he had been by her side since the moment she left her career behind. "None of us will know what to do with ourselves."

"Maybe…we could employ Henry." Paige lifted a shoulder.

"Employ him to do what?"

"I don't know. Security, bringing in the beer barrels, something like that."

Juliet smiled. Paige didn't often give her feelings away, but she knew Paige thought a lot of Henry. "I'll run it by him."

Sighing, Paige fell silent, holding Juliet's hand tight. Juliet lowered her head to Paige's shoulder again and closed her eyes. She hadn't known just how much she'd needed this today. Outside, the low buzz of the bees around them, the air crisp but the sun providing a little warmth.

This was all she wanted in life. Contentment.

"You okay here, or did you want to head back up to your room?"

Juliet shifted a little closer and landed an arm across Paige's stomach. "I want to stay here for as long as we can."

"You got it, babe."