Kizzy fly by night.

Part 18

A nervous twitch forms in my eye, "She was my friend."

He scoffs, "Well thank God you have me back in your life if that's the caliber of friends you keep, goodness me."

Finding my courage I pull away abruptly, "And the young girl, the runaway, you killed her too didn't you?"

He yawns and raises his hand, "Guilty as charged, another low life."

He considers my words for a moment, "But I wouldn't necessarily call it killing, more like putting her out of her misery. She was wretched you know, do you know her parents' abused her?"

I look blindly around the room unsure of the emotions flooding me. A sickening mixture of disgust, fear, and disbelief dances before me while the house smiles primly. It all appears so normal. It's clean and tidy and even has family pictures on the wall. My heart lurches as I see a framed photograph of my mum holding me proudly when I was a baby.

I look at my Dad curiously. I'd been right of course. He does look very different from the man that I remembered. That day I glimpsed him at Embankment, I assumed that he had a new lady in his life. He'd gone from a grubby-looking slob to a well-dressed self-assured man. The kind I would go with many times if the price was right.

"I can see you think I've changed," he laughs, "In many ways, you could be right. You see I've abandoned something that I really should have let go of a long time ago and that's my conscience. You have no idea how liberating it is. I can do anything, be anything...and there's no one to stop me."

I stare at him blankly, in a funny sort of way I can almost understand. On the street, I feel exactly the same.

A muffled cry filters up through the floorboards. I raise an eyebrow waiting for an explanation.

"Oh yes, I nearly forgot about him."

My blood runs cold, "Who is it? Who've you got down there?"

He tries to embrace me but I pull away as realization sets in. "It's Gale, isn't it? You've got Gale." My heart is banging erratically. I place a hand over my chest then remove it not wanting any similarities between us.

He sighs and sits down dramatically crossing his legs. "If you're talking about that little poof then yes it's him. Although I must say I was a bit surprised to find out how close you both are...I mean God Melissa what were you thinking? You do know he's a raving queer?"

I swallow hard choosing my words carefully, "If you mean do I know he's gay? Yes, I'm more than aware of that."

I look him in the eye determined not to be intimidated, "Can I see him? Is he hurt?"

He wags his finger playfully, "What's the magic word?"

He opens his arms and I walk blindly into them fighting back tears, "Please Daddy."

He kisses the top of my head while stroking my hair, "Of course my darling, I would do anything for you...surely you know that?"

I agree dumbly, intent on keeping him calm.

"And while we're at it perhaps you could enlighten me as to what happened to your beautiful blonde hair?"

"I dyed it."

He nods indulgently, "Ah yes, I understand, so that you could become this Kizzy character."

A flicker of annoyance scampers across my face, "I am Kizzy."

He pinches my nose playfully, "I named you Melissa. To me, you'll always be my perfect Princess."

He looks at me softly, "But who am I to say you can't play little games?"