Alanna: I understand but how did you know that he was my dad?
Adrian: I saw you with him.
Alanna: Of course,
Adrian: Alanna are you happy.
Alanna: I could be happier.
Adrian: What would make you happier?
Alanna: You being here,
Adrian: I wish I could be there with you, but if I did then I would have no company left.
Alanna: Is there more to you not being here than just that, your business needs you?
Adrian: Alanna, you miss nothing do you?
Alanna: So there is another reason?
Adrian: I am trying to keep away from you, so that the Marshalls do not find you.
Alanna: Who are the Marshalls?
Adrian: They are the family of the person I killed and they are the people that have been following you.
Alanna: So it is a revenge thing.
Adrian: Yes, Alanna I took away their loved one and they have been waiting my whole life for me to have someone for them to do the same to me.
Alanna: Are you finally telling me what happened?
Adrian: If you want to know and are sure, you can handle it.
Alanna: Yes, please tell me.
Adrian: The person I killed was David Marshall.
Adrian: One cold winter night when I was twelve, Alice had gone out late and the house was freezing. She had not paid the bills in over three months, so we did not have any electric. Around ten, I went to bed because I knew that she and David would be home soon, he would only start about the cold, and he would most likely take it out on me. I had a small candle, next to the mattress on the floor I was lying on and I heard them when they came in. They were very loud but something felt different that night, Alice was screaming louder than she ever did. I could hear things being broken and slams as if something was falling. I heard David say that he was going to kill Alice, if she did not pay him for the drugs he had supplied to her. I could hear more struggles in Alice’s voice, so I took the candle and went down stairs. When I did I saw blood everywhere, Alice was covered the floor and the walls were dripping in blood. Even the fridge was covered, David must have opened the fridge door and slam Alice’s head against it. I saw David on top of Alice he was choking her she was blue in the face and she had not long left. He never heard me come in behind him, I went over to him and he turned and saw me. He immediately took one hand off Alice and started hitting me with the other. His hands were full of blood and now the blood was all over me. I managed to get away from him and he started to choke Alice again, with no other choice and Alice almost dead, I took a knife that was lying on the kitchen counter and without hesitation, I plunged it into the back of David. He fell back instantly and died shortly after. Alice managed to get up and she slapped me round the face about ten times. Then she just left me there, a scared twelve year old that had just killed someone to save her life. I ran over to the woman who lived next door and told her everything that had happened. She immediately called the police. When they came, they knew what had occurred and that I had acted in self-defense of my Mother. I had nowhere to go but into care. My father left me and my Mother now did the same. The police were aware of David’s family and they placed me in police protection. The next few years of my life were hell, I only knew what it was like to have a family at the age of fourteen when Mr Jenkins came and got me. Alanna I hope that you can understand all this, if you feel you need time then that is fine.
Alanna: I do not need any time I understand why you did it. It was not your fault and you should not feel guilty for what you did. I am glad that I now know what really happened.
Adrian: Are you sure you do not feel different about me now,
Alanna: No, I only love you more.
Adrian: You are the most astonishing person I have ever known. It is as if no matter what I tell you about me you never question it.
Alanna: You thought you were bad, how could you feel that way?
Adrian: I never knew that I was capable of that. I scared myself it was not me and for years and still to this day, I feel like I am a bad person.
Alanna: No a bad person, would just have let Alice die.
Adrian: Even though I hated her for the way she treated me, I could not let him kill her, she was the only person I had and I did not want to lose her.
Alanna: It is only natural to feel that way.
Adrian: Now Alanna about you and your safety
Alanna: David’s family wants to kill me.
Adrian: It pains me to think it but yes, it is they.
Alanna: Why are they after revenge after all this time?
Adrian: The Marshalls are a high crime family and they need to show that they live with a balance.
Alanna: What does that mean?
Adrian: It means Alanna, that they always get there revenge. Just like revenge has been sought out on them.
Alanna: So they are used to this kind of thing.
Adrian: Alanna the only way for me to explain this to you is by this, if a member of their family killed someone, they would expect one of their own to be executed in revenge. To show that there is a balance, they must seek out the person who killed David. Their loved one and do the same to them and that is what puts you, in danger.