Kirsty entered the house nervously, pausing as the entire family turned their attentions to her. A broad grin spread over Max's face, but Jade was the first to rush across the room and throw her arms around her sister. At least they didn't hate her, that was a start. But then there was Dani. Kirsty froze as she saw Dani standing awkwarly at the end of the room. Even Max didn't come up with a daft comment, sensing the tension. After a moment of silence Dani spoke.
"Kirst... I know about... him... Dad told me"
Kirsty nodded in acknowledgement, finding it a strain to even look her in the eye.
"I never meant for it to happen - "
"I never meant for it to happen - "
Dani smiled weakly
"Never mind, the main thing is you're safe"
It was the truth. For those days that Kirsty had been in danger Kane had barely crossed her mind. Kirsty's safety had come first. She embraced her sister, pulling her into a tight hug, keen to break the atmosphere between them. A couple of tears escaped Kirsty. Dani was being so calm about it. Maybe she'd just had time to adjust. As the sisters parted, Rhys approached her, moving to hug her, to welcome Kirsty back. He had been goinjg out of his mind ever since she disappeared. She backed away.
"Don't bother Dad"
After all he had done to the family he was expecting everything would be alright again. Unbelievable.
"Yeah... I heard Kane told you about... you know"
He nodded, meaning the arrangement between he and Kane. He didn't know how much she knew, whether she knew about him giving Kane money or if she only knew that they had been in contact all those months.
"Yeah, I know"
She looked at him stonily.
"Is he not coming in?"
Kirsty frowned. That was a first.
"Looking forward to seeing him are you?"
Rhys shook his head, exasperated. Of course not. He didn't like the guy, all he had done was tolerate him. It had been for the best at the time. And now they were back home there was no reason for them to have anything to do with Kane Phillips. And from what it looked like, he and Kirsty were on the rocks. Maybe now he would leave them alone.
"So how's Mum?"
The house seemed cold without her there. She blamed her father for that as well. If he hadn't run off and left them they wouldn't be in such a mess.
"Better than she has been lately... Flynn's been a great help"
..............................
Kane watched as the car burst into flames. He had chosen an abandoned piece of land a mile or so out of the Bay to dispose of the car. He couldn't risk dumping it. Not with all the DNA and fingerprint checking they could do now. The flames hit the fuel tank and the car was gutted. Taking a last look at the burning wreck he turned, making his way back to the road, preparing for the walk. He only hoped his Aunt would still be awake. And that she'd let him stay.
..............................
CARAVAN
Rhys settled down into his bed. Kirsty had blown her top when he had suggested moving back into the house, and Jade had been less than pleased. Dani had been indifferent, and Max had been the only enthusiastic family member. But the majority won and he headed back to the van for another night, this time safe in the knowledge that his family were safe.
..............................
Kane approached the house, freezing as he saw a large 'For Sale' sign up outside. Rose had no intention of moving anywhere when he had last spoken to her, so what was going on. He stepped up to the window. Most of the house had been cleared out, with few boxes remaining.
"Hey!"
He swung around. He recognised the man as being one of Rose's neighbours. Wilfred, or something like that. His Aunt hadn't been close to her neighbours. Her family background hadn't exactly made her popular.
"I'm looking for Rose"
"You a relative?"
He looked the younger man up and down. He recalled Rose having a young lad staying with her. Some relative or other.
"Her nephew... she didn't say she was leaving..."
"She passed away a couple of weeks ago"
Kane looked at him, stunned into silence. He couldn't believe he hadn't been around. What if she had needed him? He'd just gone waltzing off into the sunset in pursuit of a dream without a thought for her. He'd just assumed she'd manage like she had done all her life. And he hadn't known a thing about it. No one had thought to try and get in touch. Not that he'd even left a contact address anyway.
"Oh..."
He looked back up at the house. It suddenly seemed so desolate. The flowers in the window boxes had died off without their constant attention and the windows were bare, having lost their decorative net curtains and the quaint glass ornaments and flowers that had sat on the downstairs window sills.
"So who owns the house?"
He had nowhere to go now, no one to turn to. Of course, he could always return to their room at Sylvia's, if he was welcome, but that would entail getting there without cash. But at least he'd have his own car at his disposal once he reached there, that was if Rhys hadn't decided to seize control of that in his absence.
"Her brother inherited apparently... haven't seen him though - just the house clearance lot"
That'd be because he was in prison serving a life sentence. He couldn't believe Rose hadn't written a will. Never would she have let his father get his hands on her property. He could say goodbye to the hope of living there again. It wasn't like his father was going to take pity on him, the son that grassed him up to the cops all those years ago. He hadn't meant to, but that police officer had promised him lots of things. She had promised he'd never have to face that sort of misery again. He should never have believed her. He wound up being put into Scott's care. Nothing had changed, it was just a younger, tougher bloke laying into him as usual. A different person who turned the key in the lock to keep him out of their flat at night. He nodded, briefly thanking the man as he shuffled away back into his own house.
Kane looked around the dark street, debating where to go. Not fancying a night in the rough as the sky was clouding over. Taking a glance around, he went round to the back of the house. He knew exactly which window he'd been on at Rose to get replaced. He spotted it, relieved that Rose hadn't updated her security since he'd left. Forcing the window open, he swung himself inside, landing with a thud on the floor of what had been Rose's lounge. Now it was little more than an empty room.
..............................
CARAVAN PARK
Morning
Kirsty woke up sweating, arms flailing around her, kicking the covers away. She received a further shock as she awoke to see Jade leaning over her.
"Kirst, are you ok"
She groaned groggily, sitting up and taking a glance at the clock.
"Hmmm... just a bad dream"
"I brought you some coffee - we've been worried about you"
She signalled towards the mug on the bedside table.
"How come?"
"You've been shouting out all night... you even had Max awake and it usually takes a freight train to wake him up"
Kirsty smiles fakely at this intended joke. She wasn't sure what was weighing so heavily on her mind. She was alive, she was safe, and she was back with a family that loved her. So why couldn't she just put everything else aside?
"Sorry... what was I saying?"
Jade replied hastily.
"You were calling out for Kane"
Kirsty scowled.
"No I wasn't"
She swung herself off the bed, wiping the sweat off her forehead. She couldn't even remember what the nightmare had been about
"Could you just leave me alone Jade!"
"Sure... but the police want to speak to you as soon as possible"
Rhys had called Carter first thing to let him know about his daughters return. It hadn't been worth bothering him the previous night.
..............................
Kane awoke to the sound of the door being smashed in. Shortly after a couple of uniformed police officers entered the room. He stood up, aware that he wasn't even meant to be there.
"Mr Phillips... I believe we've met before..."
He might have known it was one of the Phillips kids. One of the neighbours had reported seeing one of the windows forced open in Rose's old place.
"I'm arresting you for breaking and entering"
"Kirst... I know about... him... Dad told me"
Kirsty nodded in acknowledgement, finding it a strain to even look her in the eye.
"I never meant for it to happen - "
"I never meant for it to happen - "
Dani smiled weakly
"Never mind, the main thing is you're safe"
It was the truth. For those days that Kirsty had been in danger Kane had barely crossed her mind. Kirsty's safety had come first. She embraced her sister, pulling her into a tight hug, keen to break the atmosphere between them. A couple of tears escaped Kirsty. Dani was being so calm about it. Maybe she'd just had time to adjust. As the sisters parted, Rhys approached her, moving to hug her, to welcome Kirsty back. He had been goinjg out of his mind ever since she disappeared. She backed away.
"Don't bother Dad"
After all he had done to the family he was expecting everything would be alright again. Unbelievable.
"Yeah... I heard Kane told you about... you know"
He nodded, meaning the arrangement between he and Kane. He didn't know how much she knew, whether she knew about him giving Kane money or if she only knew that they had been in contact all those months.
"Yeah, I know"
She looked at him stonily.
"Is he not coming in?"
Kirsty frowned. That was a first.
"Looking forward to seeing him are you?"
Rhys shook his head, exasperated. Of course not. He didn't like the guy, all he had done was tolerate him. It had been for the best at the time. And now they were back home there was no reason for them to have anything to do with Kane Phillips. And from what it looked like, he and Kirsty were on the rocks. Maybe now he would leave them alone.
"So how's Mum?"
The house seemed cold without her there. She blamed her father for that as well. If he hadn't run off and left them they wouldn't be in such a mess.
"Better than she has been lately... Flynn's been a great help"
..............................
Kane watched as the car burst into flames. He had chosen an abandoned piece of land a mile or so out of the Bay to dispose of the car. He couldn't risk dumping it. Not with all the DNA and fingerprint checking they could do now. The flames hit the fuel tank and the car was gutted. Taking a last look at the burning wreck he turned, making his way back to the road, preparing for the walk. He only hoped his Aunt would still be awake. And that she'd let him stay.
..............................
CARAVAN
Rhys settled down into his bed. Kirsty had blown her top when he had suggested moving back into the house, and Jade had been less than pleased. Dani had been indifferent, and Max had been the only enthusiastic family member. But the majority won and he headed back to the van for another night, this time safe in the knowledge that his family were safe.
..............................
Kane approached the house, freezing as he saw a large 'For Sale' sign up outside. Rose had no intention of moving anywhere when he had last spoken to her, so what was going on. He stepped up to the window. Most of the house had been cleared out, with few boxes remaining.
"Hey!"
He swung around. He recognised the man as being one of Rose's neighbours. Wilfred, or something like that. His Aunt hadn't been close to her neighbours. Her family background hadn't exactly made her popular.
"I'm looking for Rose"
"You a relative?"
He looked the younger man up and down. He recalled Rose having a young lad staying with her. Some relative or other.
"Her nephew... she didn't say she was leaving..."
"She passed away a couple of weeks ago"
Kane looked at him, stunned into silence. He couldn't believe he hadn't been around. What if she had needed him? He'd just gone waltzing off into the sunset in pursuit of a dream without a thought for her. He'd just assumed she'd manage like she had done all her life. And he hadn't known a thing about it. No one had thought to try and get in touch. Not that he'd even left a contact address anyway.
"Oh..."
He looked back up at the house. It suddenly seemed so desolate. The flowers in the window boxes had died off without their constant attention and the windows were bare, having lost their decorative net curtains and the quaint glass ornaments and flowers that had sat on the downstairs window sills.
"So who owns the house?"
He had nowhere to go now, no one to turn to. Of course, he could always return to their room at Sylvia's, if he was welcome, but that would entail getting there without cash. But at least he'd have his own car at his disposal once he reached there, that was if Rhys hadn't decided to seize control of that in his absence.
"Her brother inherited apparently... haven't seen him though - just the house clearance lot"
That'd be because he was in prison serving a life sentence. He couldn't believe Rose hadn't written a will. Never would she have let his father get his hands on her property. He could say goodbye to the hope of living there again. It wasn't like his father was going to take pity on him, the son that grassed him up to the cops all those years ago. He hadn't meant to, but that police officer had promised him lots of things. She had promised he'd never have to face that sort of misery again. He should never have believed her. He wound up being put into Scott's care. Nothing had changed, it was just a younger, tougher bloke laying into him as usual. A different person who turned the key in the lock to keep him out of their flat at night. He nodded, briefly thanking the man as he shuffled away back into his own house.
Kane looked around the dark street, debating where to go. Not fancying a night in the rough as the sky was clouding over. Taking a glance around, he went round to the back of the house. He knew exactly which window he'd been on at Rose to get replaced. He spotted it, relieved that Rose hadn't updated her security since he'd left. Forcing the window open, he swung himself inside, landing with a thud on the floor of what had been Rose's lounge. Now it was little more than an empty room.
..............................
CARAVAN PARK
Morning
Kirsty woke up sweating, arms flailing around her, kicking the covers away. She received a further shock as she awoke to see Jade leaning over her.
"Kirst, are you ok"
She groaned groggily, sitting up and taking a glance at the clock.
"Hmmm... just a bad dream"
"I brought you some coffee - we've been worried about you"
She signalled towards the mug on the bedside table.
"How come?"
"You've been shouting out all night... you even had Max awake and it usually takes a freight train to wake him up"
Kirsty smiles fakely at this intended joke. She wasn't sure what was weighing so heavily on her mind. She was alive, she was safe, and she was back with a family that loved her. So why couldn't she just put everything else aside?
"Sorry... what was I saying?"
Jade replied hastily.
"You were calling out for Kane"
Kirsty scowled.
"No I wasn't"
She swung herself off the bed, wiping the sweat off her forehead. She couldn't even remember what the nightmare had been about
"Could you just leave me alone Jade!"
"Sure... but the police want to speak to you as soon as possible"
Rhys had called Carter first thing to let him know about his daughters return. It hadn't been worth bothering him the previous night.
..............................
Kane awoke to the sound of the door being smashed in. Shortly after a couple of uniformed police officers entered the room. He stood up, aware that he wasn't even meant to be there.
"Mr Phillips... I believe we've met before..."
He might have known it was one of the Phillips kids. One of the neighbours had reported seeing one of the windows forced open in Rose's old place.
"I'm arresting you for breaking and entering"
