lifeline

8.

Florence stood in an entirely alien room, watching Price pace the lengths. Ghost had taken her to their house, for the very first time, so she could talk to Price. She was under the pretence that they were simply looking out for her rather than secret agents investigating her.

Price came to a jarring halt before he stood before her. He knew very little of the situation and didn't like being kept in the dark. He placed a reassuring hand on Florence's arm as he guided her over to the sofa where he promptly took a seat next to her.

"We need you to tell us everything." Price racked his brain for a second, trying to think of something to say that wouldn't arouse suspicion. "After the men in the park we just- we want to keep you safe Flo. You're a well loved young lady in this town and... and I can't help feeling like this is more than a coincidence." The latter part wasn't entirely fabricated. He knew the men and the arrival of her seemingly estranged brother were linked... he just didn't know how.

Florence felt Ghost's gaze shift onto her and she squirmed uncomfortably in her chair.  Even years later, she found it hard to recount certain aspects of her childhood. With a sigh, she relaxed her body and started.

"Arthur is three years older than me and we always knew he had... issues. For as long as I can remember, he displayed sick, sadistic fantasies. It started with a bird. I must've been... five? six? Anyway, I found an injured bird in our back garden and carried it inside, announcing to the family I was going to nurse it back to health. Our mother had worked as a vet so she knew how we should look after it. Two days later, I walked into the room and there was Arthur, squeezing the pulp of my bird. He said... he said he liked seeing their eyes bulge out, how it made them look human as they realised they were near the end." A shudder ran down Florence's spine, "Then it turned to torment. He'd set things up in a way that got people injured. He sawed through one of the legs of a stool that our mother often stood on to fix lightbulbs and the next time she used it, she fell off and broke her leg."

Ghost exchanged a glance with Price.

"He didn't do anything to me for a while... well that's a lie he did but it was more mental torment you know? One day I just woke up feeling like I was drowning... I found out later he'd waterboarded me in my sleep and it only escalated from there. It didn't take long for our parents to get him a place in a facility where they could properly look after him but the damage was already done. I haven't spoken to him since I was 17 and he almost killed me. I just, I don't know how he has guts to show up here when everyone knows what he's done."

Price gently placed one arm on each of her shoulders, turning her to face him, "Florence, answer me honestly. Do you feel safe with him in your house?"

She blinked for a moment, thinking back to the pure terror she felt when he showed up to her house. He was a diagnosed psychopath, he could mimic how love sounds and plead for her forgiveness but he'd never feel any of that. It was as though he was an actor, reading from a script. A poor actor at that.

She shook her head gently. "I don't know what to do..." She groaned as she slid her face into her hands, "I thought i'd moved on from him... it's been seven years since I last saw him for goodness sake!" She threw her hands up in defeat.

"Here's what you're going to do," Price murmured as he faced her. "You're going to message Arthur and say you're going away for a few days. I will go back to your house with you so you can pack and then you're going to camp out here for a few days." He held his hand up as Florence began to protest, "We will speak to your work... like you said, everyone knows what he did i'm sure they'll understand."

Florence felt the muscles in her body relax as the words left his mouth. Truth be told, she was terrified of Arthur but she'd never let another person know just how scared of him she really was.

-

"Are you joking?" Gaz asked as he stared at Ghost in shock. Price had left with Florence to pack up a bag so she could stay round for a few days.

Ghost shook his head, "Unfortunately not."

"How are we supposed to survey her if she's poking around in what we're doing?" He sighed and flopped down into an arm chair. Gaz didn't like the idea of her being around.

"Listen, maybe it's a good thing... if she knows something she might accidentally let it slip when she's here!" Soap butted in as he tried to keep the conversation light.

Ghost nodded in silent agreement. He hated the thought of her being in their house and around them constantly but he knew it might help their investigation. He pinched the bridge of his nose as he walked over to a cabinet and popped a couple of paracetamol out of the packet. He'd had a pounding headache for days and the stress of today wasn't helping it.

"Look, as long as Ghost can keep his cool and not frighten her off, it'll be fine."