Granny Grace peered closely at Dylan's face, 'Naah, you don't even look like you shave; Polly did that to you," she exclaimed.

Dylan shot back, defensively, "I do shave, been shaving for a year, since I was fifteen. Granted only once a week, but I wanted to look fresh for meeting you," he said, looking indignant, but hurt.

Granny Grace sat down and shouted at the guy, busy behind the serving counter, "Milky tea, two sugars for me, and whatever the nippers want they can order themselves."

Dylan was busy feeling his face, so I took the lead, "Two coffees please, white, no sugar," I shouted.

###

Our hot drinks arrived and we sipped them under a definite cloak of awkwardness. All three of us remained silent and I could detect a kind of friction between Granny Grace and Dylan that bothered me. A thought occurred to me and I spat it out, "Do you two know each other?"

Dylan answered first, "I've never met her before, in my life."

Grace fixed her eyes on Dylan, "First time I've had the pleasure of meeting this young man," she said.

A silence continued and I broke it with, "Any developments on the Paddock Field mess? I'd really like to help Carla, if we can."

Granny Grace took a glug of tea, her gnarled hand swiping her mouth, "Carla's safe and sound in police custody, for the moment." She drained her cup, then slammed it back on the table, "Right now, we're not safe." She leaned into Dylan, "And in order to improve our safety and quash this evil, we first need to deal with Polly, whether you like it or not." She leaned back and addressed me, "I'm his and Polly's legal guardian; he's known about me since his mum was murdered and his dad put away. But this is the first time he's met me, ain't it, Dylan?"

Dylan lifted his head, his eyes melty and moist with emotion. Granny Grace reacted by patting his shoulder, "You didn't expect me to be an old bird, did ya?"

Dylan stared at the table and shook his head in a 'no' gesture.

Granny Grace changed her tone; her voice had newfound warmth, "Are you disappointed that I'm old?" She asked.

He looked at Granny Grace and I noticed his bottom lip quivering, "Of course not," he managed to say before he was interrupted by a flood of tears. Grace rubbed his back, like a mother would a baby after a feed, "Go on there, good lad, let it all out, you have a good cry. God knows you need it," she said, continuing with her soothing back rub.

I remained respectfully quiet. I didn't feel the need to ask questions as I was beginning to piece together the story from what I was witnessing. I'd asked Dylan who looked after himself and Polly and he'd said, "I do. But we have a benefactor who provides for us financially and looks after our legal affairs." He'd shrugged his shoulders and said, "I don't know who it is, and that's the way I like it. I don't want them interfering in our lives.

And now here I was, with Dylan, as his benefactor and guardian revealed herself to him.

I grabbed a handful of napkins from the counter and slid them under Dylan's bowed head. He blew his nose with one and swabbed his tear-swollen eyes with another, "Thanks," he said, looking embarrassed.

Granny Grace, took her hand from his back, "Come on, let's go and get this over with, no point in lingering any longer," she said.

Her words prompted more tears from Dylan, but he managed to halt them and say, "I don't want them to take her away."

###

We walked in silence to Petal Road. The lack of communication made me feel apprehensive, yet I still felt it would be inappropriate to ask questions.

At the front door, Dylan paused and said, "If she lashes out, let me handle her, alright?"

Granny Grace just pointed to the door, "Open up, we're going in. We deal with whatever happens when it happens."

I felt my heart rate quicken as we entered the familiar hallway. Grace's hand caressed the aged brown bloodstains splattered on the walls and muttered, "God bless that poor young mother."

Dylan ushered us through the first door on the right, into a light and airy, empty room. He opened the large bay window and he had us both stand next to it. He pointed to the large open space, "Escape, if you have to."

Walking to the door he shouted, "Polly, please can you come down and into the front room."

After what seemed like an age, the heavy thud of a plodding footfall was heard above us. Looking up I saw the ceiling vibrate and the light fixing wave in the wake of the fierce footsteps.

The footfall gave way to a slow, methodical thump on the wooden staircase as Polly descended.

My breathing increased, and I defensively edged back toward the open window frame. I heard her pause at the foot of the stairs. Dylan reached out his hand and walked back into the room, "It's alright Polly, come on in," he said. I noted the tension in his body.

My eye was diverted downwards, a bare foot slid into the room. Dylan's voice lowered and his words were gently encouraging, "That's it, come on in Polly."

When I saw her, I actually gasped out loud.

She was quite literally breath-taking.

The most stunning fourteen-year-old girl I'd ever seen.

The sunlight that streamed in through the open window, made the pale blue of her eyes dazzle. And her small, angelic looking face was framed by a halo of cascading golden tinged curls. Dressed in a flowing white dress, she had another worldly, ethereal quality to her.

In my head I'd envisioned Polly as a big, snarlingly violent, claw-scratching harridan; so her angelic looks were almost a shock.

Granny Grace broke the silence, "Ain't she pretty as a picture," she said.

In an instant Polly's face darkened and she lunged at Grace, "I'm not a picture, I'm a person," she shouted. Dylan grabbed her, encircling her in his arms and pinning them by her side. He held her with great strength, yet I also saw the tender caring in his grip.

A man's voice from behind made me yelp, "We'll administer a mild sedative in the ambulance, she'll be absolutely fine." I turned to see two ambulance men by the window, their vehicle parked outside, on Petal Road.

###

Granny Grace and I watched from the open window as they grappled with a kicking and screaming Polly, "I should've known I'd put my foot in it."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"She's on the autistic spectrum, quite severely so. She takes things literally, so when I said 'pretty as a picture' she thought I was saying she really was a picture. She reacts violently when she don't understand things, as you've witnessed."

I watched the distress on Dylan's face soften a little as they eventually got Polly into the ambulance and closed the door. He looked around, and when he saw the street was empty, he kissed his fingers and touched the ambulance. My heart ached at the absolute and unconditional love in what he thought was a private gesture.

###

Back in the caff, Granny Grace reassured Dylan, "It's only a temporary measure, they'll take really good care of her, they're there to help her not hinder her." She lifted up his chin and looked at the cut on his cheek, "And besides, you need a break. Looking after a teenager with such severe autism is a big burden to have on your young shoulders."

Despite his upset, I did see signs of relief on Dylan's face, "I love the bones of my little sister, I'm the only one who knows how to handle her," he said, wistfully.

Granny Grace banged her stick on the floor, "No. She's now in the hands of professionals, people who have years of experience in helping people on the autistic spectrum. And besides, you can visit her regularly," she reassured.

She banged her stick again, "Now listen up you two." She leaned into the table and indicated we do the same. "Polly's being taken into care for a reason; we need your full attention in the coming weeks, Dylan."

He nodded, "I know, I guessed this had all been arranged, especially when Benita told me you were going to meet dad," he said.

"Oh, I meet your dad regularly." Said Granny Grace, she looked over her shoulder, then leaned in again, lowering her voice, "And right now we need him. We three can't handle this on our own, we need your fathers insight and help."

Dylan answered with a matter of fact whisper, "But we have to go it alone, dad's locked up in a secure asylum, we don't have a choice."

Granny Grace rolled her eyes, "Put your faith in this old timer young man. My visits to your dad have not been in vain. No, on the contrary, I've given him the talk and tools for his great escape." She smiled her toothless smile, a smile that I was becoming increasingly endeared to.

Dylan lit up at the thought of seeing his dad again, but his light soon dimmed, "His escape might be possible, but the first place the police will come to, will be Petal Road," he said, worried.

Grace cackled, "Good God, do yer think we're stupid, course they will. And when they do, you'll flash em your big innocent eyes." She drained her tea, "I've got him a nice flat, a new name and identity, all kosher and above board. If he escapes tonight, he'll be moving into Paddock field, next door to that poor abused kid, Clara who's currently in the slammer. When she gets out, we need yer dad to keep his eye on her, cos they're likely to chop her up in the name of Juju, and we can't have that happen to the poor soul," she said.

Grace yawned, making no attempt to cover her huge gummy mouth, "I need a nap." She wiped her watering eyes and leaned in, "Now listen up you two, I want your eyes and ears peeled on these streets. Monitor and record anything suspicious: missing cat and dog posters, missing kids or adult ads in the local papers..."

...I cut in, "Why?"

She rolled her eyes and shook her head, "Christ almighty sweetheart, do I have to spell it out to ya?" She made a cutting gesture across her neck, "Killing, or sacrifice as they call it, in the name of him down there." She said, banging her stick on the floor, again. She focussed on me, "The very thing I think your dad succumbed to, while he was trying to find the truth."

The bluntness of her words made me jolt, and Dylan reacted by putting his hand on my knee and steering the conversation away from my dad, "I've already started that database, I've not had chance to show it to Benita, yet," he said.

Grace stood up, "Well go and do that. Petal Road's all yours now, and Polly's being taken care of. We've got to take care of the evil. You got me?" She asked, giving us both a cheeky wink.

Dylan smiled, "I got ya." He stood up, "There's just one thing I need to ask before you go?"

"What's that darling?" She asked, looking surprised.

Dylan looked sheepish and asked shyly, "Can I have a hug?" She threw her arms out, "Come here darling." She enveloped him in a tight embrace and held onto him, only letting go when she felt his tears abate.

###

The light was beginning to fade as Dylan walked me home, he was quiet and reflective, "Are you ok?" I asked. He shrugged his shoulders, "Isn't your mum going on her first date with your teacher, tonight?" He asked.

I laughed, "Dylan, why are you reminding me of that? I'd put that image out of my head."

He stopped, "Can you stay with me, tonight, at Petal Road? I've never stayed in the house on my own. I'm not scared, just lonely, without Polly."

My heart wanted to say yes, but my head knew my mother would never allow me stay over night at a guy's house, "I don't think my mum will let me, Dylan."

Dylan looked forlorn, "She don't need to know, sneak out when she leaves for her date, then sneak back home early in the morning," he said, with a hopeful face. When I didn't answer, he quietly said, "Please?"

###

Mum was on the couch painting her toenails, her hair wrapped up in massive rollers. When she sat up, I saw she was wearing one of those electronic tummy toners, "Mum, you wasted money on that crap? They don't work. Diet and exercise is the only way to get a flat stomach. Besides, you don't even have a belly," I said.

She chuckled, "Oh leave me alone daughter, it was just a little treat to myself," she said, standing up and adjusting the settings on the ab device.

She pointed to clothes laid out on the table, "What do I go for, the wrap dress, or jeans and t-shirt?" She asked.

"Go casual, jeans and t-shirt."

"Agreed, the dress is probably too glamorous for a first date." I winced at the words 'first date' but mum didn't notice.

She grabbed the chosen clothes, "I made your favourite: tuna pasta bake, you'll just need to heat it up." She unclasped the ab device, switched it off and threw it on the couch, "Don't wait up for me, I'll probably be late home." She rubbed her stomach, "I've got butterflies, I'm so nervous," she said.

Inwardly I smiled at the thought this scenario should probably be the other way round.

Mum was about to leave the room to get ready when she turned back, "By the way, keep your ears and eyes open for Missy," she said.

"What, next doors cat?"

Her expression dropped, "Yes, they're really upset, it's gone missing, been gone for over two days now."

###

I lay on my bed, unable to sleep. The little cut on the palm of my hand, caused by the threatening pharmacy lady, was distracting me with its increasing itch.

After an hour I got up and rearranged my pillows to make it look like I was still in the bed.

Then I ventured out into the cold night air, en-route to Petal Road...