Chapter 3

"There is uproar about the shortening of his sentence. Damian Winters was charged six years ago for the rape of a teenage girl…"

Roy Dallas peered over the top of his newspaper, watching the television screen with silent anger darkening his emerald eyes. The news reporter was delivering her story in front of a group of people who were holding signs and shouting about something. A lot of them looked quite angry, and Roy suddenly wished he was there with them.

"Emily…" Roy suddenly said, directing his voice to the kitchen, where his wife was busy washing the dishes. After a few moments, she answered his call by appearing in the living room, drying her hands on a small patterned tea towel. As soon as she saw the look on her husband's face, she stopped where she was.

"What is it?" she asked, her voice shaking slightly.

He didn't answer for a moment and folded the newspaper, placing it neatly on his lap, before looking back at his wife.

"I think you'd better phone Kizzy and tell her to come and stay with us for a while." His tone of voice was so serious that Emily didn't hesitate in moving towards their phone and dialling her daughter's number. She let it ring and began to worry as each one went unanswered. When it reached the end and the answering machine was activated, she hung up and tried again. At the end of her second try, she turned to her husband with wet eyes.

"What is it? Why won't she answer?"

As Roy solemnly pointed at the TV, where Damian's picture was now being shown, Emily made a noise like a wounded animal and quickly turned back to the phone.

"Her mobile. I'm gonna try that."

However, before Emily could try and dial Kizzy's mobile number, the phone began to ring. Believing it was her daughter, phoning to apologise for not answering, Emily picked up the phone and held it to her ear.

"Hello? Kizzy?" She asked. There was silence on the other end before she heard a male voice.

"She's not there?" He sounded concerned. "It's the police. I advised her to go to your house and she said she'd be there within the hour…"

At this point, Emily broke down into tears and held the phone limply, sobbing. Roy quickly took the phone from her hands.

"Hello? This is Roy Dallas."

"Mr. Dallas. My name is Chris Rowe and I phoned your daughter's house an hour ago to advice her to go to your house. I take it you and your wife have seen the news…?"

Roy glanced at his wife who had managed to control her sobs and was now on her mobile phone, trying frantically to get hold of her daughter.

"Yes, we have Mr. Rowe, and we would like our daughter and grand daughter safely under our roof as soon as possible."

"I understand, Mr. Dallas. I'm about to set out in my patrol car and-"

"KIZZY!" Emily suddenly cried into her mobile. "Where are you?!"

"I think my wife has managed to get through to her."

"Let me know where she is and I'll go and collect her." Mr. Rowe said, sounding rather relieved.

"Emily, ask Kizzy to name the street she's on. Mr. Rowe will go and get her."

"Did you catch that honey?" Emily was silent for a moment, straining to hear what her daughter was saying. After a moment, she spoke again, this time sounding quite angry. "He what? Are you alright?"

She listened for a little longer before turning to Roy. "Primrose Street… and Damian was at her house. He tried to attack her."

Roy tightened his grip on the phone and began to speak into it, repeating what his wife had told him. "Primose Street." He suddenly realised that Kizzy had gone far off the route to their house… had she been chased or something? "And Damian attacked her at her house, which is why she isn't here yet."

"I'll send back up to her house, but I bet he's long gone by now… tell Kizzy to stay where she is, I'll be there soon."

Chris hung up and Roy put the phone down, looking at his wife. "Tell her to stay there."

"Kizzy, honey, I know you're upset, but find somewhere nearby to park up. That policeman is going to come and get you. Is Bryony alright?"

Roy moved towards the television, watching the crowd as they protested against the shortening of the rapist's sentence. One side of Roy was thanking the protesters; however, another side of him knew they couldn't do anything. Damian was already free, and was already terrorising Kizzy and her daughter… his daughter…

What would he do if he found out about Bryony? Perhaps it would do him some good to look at the consequences of his…- Pfft. Yeah right.

With an angry sigh, Roy brought his fist down onto the coffee table, causing immense pain to run up his arm. Emily gasped and shook her head, still on the phone to her daughter.

"Oh, no honey. It was just your father."

Roy looked up at his wife, on the brink of tears. As soon as Emily saw the pain on his face, she handed the phone to him. When Roy put the phone to his ear and heard his daughter in tears, he gave the phone back to Emily and stormed towards the front door.

"Where are you going Roy?" Emily called after him. Roy answered her without looking back.

"I'm going to find him, and I'm going to kill him."

Before Emily could protest and tell her husband to wait for the police, he threw open the front door and reeled backwards when he saw who stood there.

"Roy-boy! How nice to see you." Damian hissed.