CHAPTER 3

"Dan" Stacey spoke nodding her head in the direction of a group of lads. Dan glanced over at her.

"Want to go check it out" he asked. Stacey nodded.

"Drop me here, park up" she told him. Dan did as he was told stopping briefly to let her jump out, then continuing down the road. Stacey started walking over to the group, one of the guys looked up, Stacey frowned slightly he looked fimilar, but she didn't have time to ponder as he grabbed something before bolting off.

"Oi" Stacey shouted chasing after him. She followed him into an alley, stopping as she realized she had lost him.

"Thought it was you." Came a voice, causing Stacey to spin round and come face to face with the guy she had been chasing.

"What do you want" she asked as calmly as she could.

"Me? It was you chasing me darling" he grinned moving closer to her, causing her to back up against the wall.

"Don't think I have forgotten what you did. And you will pay for it princess and I don't care if you are a cooper, or even that your brother is a sergeant" he threatened. Stacey looked into his eyes.

"How do you know about my brother" she asked, her voice giving away her fear, she didn't care what they did to her, but to drag her brother into it was not needed.

"I know everything about you" he smirked

"Leave him out of this" Stacey warned.

"Or what?" he asked, but Stacey didn't have time to answer.

"Everything ok here" came Dan's voice. The guy stepped back, and Stacey released the breath she hadn't realized she had been holding.

"Yes sir everything is just fine. Came to see if your partner wanted any help, saw her chasing someone. I think he managed to get away" he told Dan shooting Stacey a look.

"Really? Well then there is no need for you to be here now is there?" Dan said firmly.

"I was just leaving" he assured Dan.

"Remember what I said darling" he hissed quietly at Stacey, before disappearing. Dan watched him go before turning back to Stacey.

"You ok?" he asked, concerned at the colour she had gone. Stacey didn't reply at first, she was still recovering from what had happened, the guy he had threatened her, and then brought up her brother, she couldn't work out why.

"Stace" he said again, moving closer to her, and placing a hand on her shoulder.

"What?" she snapped shaking out her thoughts, and instantly regretting snapping at him.

"You ok? Did he hurt you?" Dan questioned.

"No he didn't. I'm fine ok lets go." She assured him off and heading to the parked car.

"Stacey are you sure that you are ok" Dan asked not convinced she was clearly shaken up and he wanted to know why.

"I said I am fine ok. Now just drop it Dan" she spat. Dan sighed pulling away and heading back to the station.

"Serge" Dan called to Smithy. Smithy turned to face the young PC.

"You ok Dan?" he questioned. Dan shook his head.

"Can I talk to you a minute please" he asked. Smithy frowned but nodded.

"Sure. In here" Smithy beckoned him into the sergeant's office.

"What can I do for you?" he asked nodding his head to the seat opposite him. Dan took it.

"It's about PC smith…" Smithy was suddenly alert, something was wrong otherwise Dan wouldn't be here at that moment.

"Go on" Smithy acknowledge trying to keep his panic steady.

"Today she chased a guy on foot, I went after her after I had parked up. I found her in an alley with a lad, he said he was just helping , but I don't think that was it. She knew him serge. he scared her good and proper" Dan explained. Smithy didn't say anything, he glanced away from his PC this almost confirmed his suspicions Stacey was in some sort of trouble, what he didn't know, but he wasn't keen to let it slip any further away from him.

"Dan will you send her in here please" Smithy ordered.

"Yes serge" Dan agreed biting his lip slightly knowing that he was going to get it from his collegue for mentioning it to the sergeant, but somehow he didn't care.

"And thanks Dan. Thanks for telling me this." Smithy smiled.

"She is your sister serge. and if she is in any trouble…." Dan trailed off. Smithy just nodded as Dan left.

"You wanted me serge" Stacey walking into the room.

"Dan told me about what happened today Stace" Dale told her.

"It was nothing. Is that all" she assured him turning to head back out.

"You knew him didn't you?" Smithy spoke. Stacey stopped turning to look at him.

"I said it was nothing, so lets just drop it shall we?" Stacey said steadily, not breaking her gaze from her brother's eyes. Smithy sighed inwardly watching the barriers go up telling him that he wasn't going to be breaking them at that moment. Now he saw what his parents had meant, they were to much a like as stubborn as each other and so skilled and hiding their emotions and the truth.

"Fine. I'll see you later" Smithy said dismissing her.

"Stacey wait up" Dan called out to her.

"How dare you how dare you even say anything to Smithy about today, it's got nothing to do with him, or you I told you nothing happened" Stacey spat spinning round to face him, Dan stepped back slightly.

"I'm sorry I just thought…"

"Well you thought wrong didn't you. Just…lets get this day over with the sooner I'm away from you the better" she hissed. Dan sighed deeply following her to the car and dreading the afternoon ahead.