Ace was silently fuming as he drove back into town, who'd have thought Lachance Jr would have the balls to pull a gun on him. He was anxious to get back to Laura, more and more he was feeling that last nights break in had more to do with her than her possessions. He was confident that she'd be fine at her friends house or even with her mother at the hospital.
As he parked out the front of the hospital he looked around just in case Laura was waiting outside. Figuring she must be inside Ace wondered in casually.
He asked after Mrs Stanford but before he could get a reply the lady in question appeared before him.
"Oh goodness you've heard," Caroline cried out as she rushed over to him.
"She's not in too awful shape considering but she's still a bit banged up. She's been asking for you, she'll be so happy you're here?" she prattled on.
Ace tried to comprehend what she was saying. All he understood was that Laura had been hurt. He followed Caroline to the nurses lounge where Laura sat. Her hands and knees had band aids on them which didn't look too serious but her hair was matted by congealed blood and her lip had been cut and looked swollen. Her cheek had been bruised by the slap but the worst thing he saw was the anguished look in her eyes.
"I'm sorry," she sobbed as soon as her mother had left them alone. "I know you told me not to go anywhere alone today.."
Ace sat down beside her, enveloping her in his arms. She could feel him shaking with rage.
"Who did this to you?" he asked, his voice unnervingly calm.
She pressed up against him tightly as another sob escaped from her lips.
"It was that Mongoose bastard wasn't it."
She nodded vigorously.
"What did he do to you?"
"He pulled me into his car and drove me away," she stammered, "but I escaped out the window."
Ace stroked her hair softly.
"How did he hurt you?"
"He tried to kiss me," she whispered, briefly touching her swollen lip, "but I wouldn't let him and he tried to touch me," she absent mindedly pulled down at her skirts. "When I called out for you he slapped me, I wanted you so much," she began sobbing again.
Ace was seething.
"Laura," he said slowly not wanting to ask but needing to know the truth, "did he force himself on you?"
"No," she replied, knowing what he was asking, "but he tried."
Denny Lachance drove across town to Peter's house as soon as he was sure Laura was ok.
"Hey Denny, wanna shoot some hoops?" Peter asked as Denny came up the driveway.
"You better get out of here man," Denny said ignoring his request.
"What are you on about Lachance."
"I mean Ace will kill you when he finds you."
"Are you talking about Laura and I? We just had a little date this afternoon, if Merrill can't deal with the fact she'd rather be my girlfriend he can go blow himself."
"What a pile of bullshit," Denny said heatedly. "I found Laura outside my house today looking like she'd been hit by a truck, she said you attacked her."
"It was probably Merrill," Peter snorted.
"My brother tells me he saw Ace this afternoon down Back Harlow Road, so you can just save it you lying sack of shit, you're lucky I don't kill you myself for what you tried to do to that girl."
"She deserves better than that hoodlum," Peter snarled, "she just doesn't realise it yet. She'll come around, she loves me."
"You're unhinged," Denny spat, wondering how he never noticed how messed up this guy was before.