Ace stared straight ahead.
This wasn't the first time he'd been to the police station. Tonight he'd already put up with some lunatic named Officer Brown yelling at him, spitting on him, threatening him and finally smacking him around a bit but still he stared straight ahead.
He hoped he'd injured that bastard Mongoose enough to keep him in the hospital a few days. Pity the pigs had shown up when they had or he might have had the opportunity to finish him off.
Eventually he was allowed to leave.
He was exhausted and he was sure he had bruised a few ribs when he was hit by that baseball bat but he had more pressing things on his mind. Lighting a cigarette he started walking in the way of the Stratford residence. His car still presumably with Eyeball.
He arrived at Laura's house to find her delicate form asleep on the couch. He had never seen her sleep before, she look so vulnerable. She had always been this timid, helpless little thing, it was one of the things he found so attractive about her but now it intensified. He imagined himself against her now, how he could make her completely his and she would succumb to him willingly.
He noticed with a start that Caroline was watching him watch her daughter.
"What happened last night?" she asked firmly.
For one of the rare times in his life Ace decided to be honest with an adult.
"I got into a fight," he stated simply, betraying no emotion.
"It seems you wouldn't be the only one," she replied just as coolly with a raised eyebrow.
Ace remembered that Caroline worked at the hospital so naturally she would have seen that bucket of filth showing up in the ambulance. Then he realised if Caroline was there and Vince was not here, than Laura had been alone all night.
He'd butcher Vince when he found him.
"Your friend told me what happened," Caroline explained as she watched the emotions play out on Ace's face with amusement, "I was home last night."
With some relief, Ace went over to sit next to Laura who was still sleeping soundly. He winced slightly as he lowered himself. Caroline smiled inwardly, Ace clearly had some injuries he wasn't telling about but she decided not to inquire. She remembered how proud Laura's father had been and how he never liked to fuss over injuries.
"Laura was in quite a state, I've never seen her so upset," Caroline started again the firmness in her tone returning.
The hardness returned to Ace's eyes. He should have been with her last night.
"Except for yesterday morning," she continued solemnly, "I know what that monster tried to do to my daughter," she inhaled a shaky breath before continuing, "I want to keep her safe from all of this, I hate how easily it's all happened. But I know I can't."
Caroline sat down across from Ace so they were now eye to eye.
"I know what people say about you in this town," she said frankly, "I also couldn't care less. I know you watch out for my daughter. I trust you'll take care of her."
Ace was taken aback. Everybody other parent in Castle Rock was afraid of him or hated him and here one was saying she trusted him.
"Don't make me regret saying that," she warned.
"Now," she said as she rose toward the kitchen, "let me get you some breakfast."