GABRIELLE TROUGHTON
Morning.
KRISTA MATTHEWS
Good morning to you, I didn't catch your name last night. It was all... a blur.
GABRIELLE TROUGHTON
I'm Gabrielle Troughton.
The front door opens again. OLIVER TROUGHTON (40s), a man whose ordinary appearance as a real estate agent belies a coiled intensity, emerges holding a piece of toast thick with jam. He's dressed for work in a shirt and trousers but hasn't put his jacket or tie on yet.
OLIVER TROUGHTON
Any post our Gabby.
GABRIELLE TROUGHTON
(Smiling at Krista)
This is my dad, Oliver.
(To Oliver)
Just bills and a flyer for pizza. I left them on the side. I'm off to meet Chloe, see you later.
Gabrielle gives her dad a quick peck on the cheek and heads down the path.
KRISTA MATTHEWS
(A small, weak smile)
You're having a right good go at that jam on toast.
OLIVER TROUGHTON
(Takes a large bite)
A real estate agent needs everything to keep his strength up. So I'm guessing there was no post of any interest.
GABRIELLE TROUGHTON
(Calling from down the street)
No!
OLIVER TROUGHTON
(Chuckles softly)
I'm only asking my diamond. She's a good kid.
(He looks at Krista, his expression shifting from paternal to serious)
I remember when I rescued you from the ravenous... dog... in Carshalton. A nasty business. And I've got an idea to bring your kidnappers down. For good.
Krista visibly flinches at the word "kidnappers." She hugs herself tighter, the mug of tea trembling in her hands.
KRISTA MATTHEWS
They are ruthless, Mr Troughton. Benjamin and Emily... they're not just criminals, they're monsters. They enjoy it. The fear. I don't think you realise what kind of danger you're in. Just by having me here.
OLIVER TROUGHTON
(Finishes his toast, wiping his fingers on a napkin)
You've never seen a man from Wimbledon with an axe to grind. They've seen Oliver Troughton, the friendly estate agent. They haven't even seen the worst of me. Not by a long shot. Come in, get out the cold breeze.
He gestures her back inside. They step into the hallway. The house is warm and lived-in. KATHY TROUGHTON (40s), Oliver's wife, is in the living room, tidying up. She has a worried look on her face.
KATHY TROUGHTON
Oliver, please. Don't go making plans. Don't try and murder anyone. You almost got put in prison for what you did to Justin Rutherford. We can't go through that again.
OLIVER TROUGHTON
(His voice drops, low and cold)
He needed to know. It's a simple rule. Anyone who messed with my woman would feel the full force of me. Justin learned that. And the same will happen when her kidnappers come eye to eye with me. They think they hold all the cards. They don't know the game I play.
KRISTA MATTHEWS
(Voice cracking)
But I don't want this to blow up in my face. I... I can't go back to them. I want to stay. I feel safe here.
OLIVER TROUGHTON
And you will. I promise you that.
(He frowns, thinking)
When we got you out of there, with Caleb... it was a rush. But I grabbed some things. Your things. I kept some things of yours. I need to find them. I swear I've seen them in the car.
KRISTA MATTHEWS
(Her eyes widen with a sliver of hope)
My bag? The brown leather one?
OLIVER TROUGHTON
No, smaller. Look, I won't rest until I do. But first. You need to understand something. So you stop being scared of them, and start feeling safe with me.
He ushers her into the living room. Kathy sighs, knowing what's coming, and busies herself in the adjoining kitchen, within earshot but not part of the conversation.
OLIVER TROUGHTON
(He sits opposite Krista)
You said I don't realise the danger. Krista, I live in it. It's my natural habitat. People hear my accent now, it's a bit of a mix, isn't it? A bit of Carlisle I've picked up over the years. But my mum's side, the Howards, they're from Dagenham. Proper East End. My lot, the Troughtons, we're from Wimbledon. And people hear Wimbledon, they think tennis, strawberries and cream. They don't think about the council estates. They don't think about the grit. They underestimate you. And that's a powerful weapon.
KRISTA MATTHEWS
I don't understand.
OLIVER TROUGHTON
You see me, you see a bloke who sells three-bed semis. But I've got a list. A very short one. Only two names on it. And I wouldn't mind one bit adding Benjamin and Emily Miller to it.
Krista stares at him, her fear momentarily replaced by profound confusion.
KRISTA MATTHEWS
A list?
OLIVER TROUGHTON
(His eyes are flat, devoid of emotion)
The list of people I've killed. The first was a lad called Denny Fulton. We were in Primary School. He was a bully. Proper nasty piece of work. He was tormenting my little brother, Barney, every single day. Pushing him about, stealing his dinner money. Then one afternoon, he cornered my best friend, Phoebe Hartnell, behind the bike sheds. Pulled her hair, made her cry. I saw it. And something in my head... just... snapped.
He pauses, remembering. Krista is frozen, barely breathing.
OLIVER TROUGHTON (CONT'D)
I waited for him after school. He laughed when he saw me. Called me a scrawny git. I didn't say a word. I just knocked him down. And when he was on the pavement, I curb-stomped his head. Broke his skull. He died in hospital two days later. They called it a tragic accident. Boys fighting. No one ever knew it was me. I was nine years old.
The silence in the room is heavy and suffocating. Kathy stops moving in the kitchen.
KRISTA MATTHEWS
(Whispering)
Oh my God...
OLIVER TROUGHTON
The second was a man named Trent West. This was years later. I was engaged to my now ex-wife, Lucy. Trent was a local dealer, always sniffing around. One night, he came to our flat, looking for money I supposedly owed him. I wasn't there. Lucy was. He... made sexual advances. Got aggressive. She fought him off, but he terrified her. Almost raped her. She called me, hysterical.
He clenches and unclenches his fists, a muscle twitching in his jaw.
OLIVER TROUGHTON (CONT'D)
I didn't go looking for him with a bat. That's messy. That's stupid. I'm not stupid. I knew he was a user. A heavy one. I knew his supplier. I paid a visit. Bought his entire stash of heroin for the week. Then I went to a chemist. Got what I needed. Cooked up a new batch. A very, very bad batch. I left it on his doorstep in a little package, with a note that said 'On the house'. He overdosed that night. They called it another tragic misadventure. A junkie getting what he deserved.
He leans forward, his voice a low, confidential growl.
OLIVER TROUGHTON (CONT'D)
Two people, Krista. One to protect my brother and my friend. The other to protect the woman I loved. Now, you tell me. Do you think I'm scared of a pair of bullies like Benjamin and Emily Miller? They put their hands on you. They took you. To me, that's the same as pushing my brother in the dirt or cornering Lucy in our flat. They've earned a place on my list. And I am more than happy to give it to them.
Krista looks at him. The man who sells houses, who eats jam on toast, who kisses his daughter goodbye. She sees the monster beneath, and for the first time since she was taken, a wave of profound, terrifying relief washes over her. She's not a victim anymore. She's under the protection of something far more dangerous than what's hunting her.
KRISTA MATTHEWS
(Her voice is steadier now)
I'm relying on you. Find those things. My phone was in there. It has... recordings. Of them.
OLIVER TROUGHTON
(A slow, cold smile spreads across his face)
Recordings? Oh, that's even better. That's a safety net. I like safety nets. But I prefer my way. It's more permanent. I'll go and check the car now.
He stands up, all business again. He grabs his suit jacket from the back of a chair.
KATHY TROUGHTON
(From the kitchen doorway, her voice strained)
Ollie. Just... find the phone first. Please. For me.
OLIVER TROUGHTON
(He walks to her, kisses her forehead)
Don't you worry, Kath. I've always got our family's best interests at heart. Always.
He walks out the front door, leaving Krista and Kathy in the charged silence of the house. Krista looks down at her hands. They've stopped shaking. The silence stretches, thick and uncomfortable. Kathy takes a slow, deep breath, turning to face Krista. Her expression is a mixture of apology and deep-seated weariness.
KATHY TROUGHTON
I'm sorry. About... him. He gets like that. It's not right, the way he talks about it, so cold. But he doesn't see it as murder. He sees it as... balancing the books.
KRISTA MATTHEWS
(Her voice is a near-whisper, still looking at the spot Oliver just vacated)
He... he really meant it. Every word.
KATHY TROUGHTON
(Comes further into the room, sits in an armchair opposite Krista)
He did. That's the terrifying part. And the reassuring part, I suppose. He's not a monster, Krista. Not really. He's a guard dog. A very, very loyal one. But you have to know that if you hurt his family, he won't just bark. He'll rip your throat out.
She looks at Krista, her gaze softening with a painful recognition.
KATHY TROUGHTON (CONT'D)
That look on your face... the one that's trying to decide if you're more scared of the wolves outside or the dog in here with you. I know it. I wore it for a long time.
KRISTA MATTHEWS
(Looks up, meeting Kathy's eyes)
From... from Justin Rutherford? Oliver said... he assaulted him because of you.
KATHY TROUGHTON
(A bitter, humourless laugh escapes her lips)
'Assaulted him'. That's Ollie's version. The clean version. He put Justin in intensive care for three weeks. Broken jaw, orbital bone, three ribs. The police called it a 'frenzied attack'. Ollie called it 'a warning shot'.
(She leans forward, her hands twisting in her lap)
He did it because of what Justin did to me. And he only did what he did because... I asked him not to kill him. That was our compromise.
KRISTA MATTHEWS
I don't... I don't understand.
KATHY TROUGHTON
We were at university. In Altrincham. Justin was in my course. He was... magnetic. You know the type. Remembers everyone's name, laughs at the right jokes, always looks you right in the eye. He lulled me into this... this perfect false state of security. Walked me back to my flat, remembered I took my coffee with one sugar, listened to all my stupid dramas. He was the perfect gentleman.
KRISTA MATTHEWS
(Nods slowly, a flicker of recognition in her eyes)
The charm... I know. Benjamin was like that, at first.
KATHY TROUGHTON
Exactly. It's their greatest weapon. We were sleeping together, casually. Or so I thought. After a few weeks, he wanted the 'what are we?' talk. And I told him the truth. That I liked him, but I wasn't looking for a boyfriend. I wanted to focus on my degree, keep it simple. He smiled. Said he understood completely. No pressure. He was so reasonable about it.
She pauses, her breath hitching. The memory is clearly still raw, still present.
KATHY TROUGHTON (CONT'D)
A few nights later, he came over to 'study'. We had a couple of glasses of wine. And when I went to get my books, his face just... changed. The smile was gone. He said that if I wasn't going to be his girlfriend, I could at least be useful for one more thing. He... he wasn't asking anymore.
Tears well in Kathy's eyes, but she fights them back, her voice becoming stronger, harder.
KATHY TROUGHTON (CONT'D)
He raped me. And when he was done, he didn't just leave. That's what I couldn't get my head around. The cruelty of it. He took the cord from my dressing gown and my own scarf. He tied me to a dining chair. Blindfolded me with the scarf, gagged me with a tea towel. And then he just... sat there. For hours. I could hear him flicking through TV channels. Making a sandwich in my kitchen. He wanted me to know I was just an object in the room. Powerless.
Krista is crying now, silent tears streaming down her face for the woman opposite her.
KRISTA MATTHEWS
(Choking on the words)
How did you...
KATHY TROUGHTON
He eventually fell asleep on the sofa. The knot on my right wrist... it wasn't as tight as the other. He was arrogant. He'd tied it last. It took me what felt like an eternity, but I worked it loose. My wrists were raw, bleeding. I untied the other one, pulled the gag from my mouth. I didn't even think. I just grabbed my car keys and my purse and I ran. I drove all night. Didn't stop until I saw the sign for Scarborough. For my mum and dad's house. I walked in at six in the morning and just collapsed.
KRISTA MATTHEWS
Did you... did you call the police?
KATHY TROUGHTON
My dad did. But it was my word against his. The charming, popular boy against the 'hysterical' girl who, by her own admission, had been sleeping with him. They had a talk with him. Nothing came of it. It was after that I met Oliver. I told him everything. And he got that look in his eye. The one you saw. He found out where Justin lived, and he... balanced the books.
Kathy finally lets out a shaky breath, the story told. She reaches across the small space between them and puts her hand over Krista's. Her hand is warm, steady.
KATHY TROUGHTON (CONT'D)
What I'm trying to say, Krista, is that I know what it feels like to be made to feel small. To be made to feel like you're not a person anymore. And I know the man I married. He won't let that happen to you again. He'll find your phone. And if that's not enough... he'll do what he does. But you're not alone in this house. You have him... and you have me. And I promise you, we are not small. Not anymore.