Fin sat at the kitchen table. She linked her fingers so Sergeant Hadley couldn't see her hands shake.

"So, Fin. Tell me again. Did Beau Hawkins force you to go with him?"

"No. I already told you."

"I know, but you have to tell me again. Then I'll believe you."

Fin took a deep breath and then let it out. "He was kind to me. He tried to pay for my petrol when Mr Russell wouldn't give me credit, and he bought me a hamburger. Cody never said I owed him. He wouldn't do that."

"It's Beau, Fin. His name is Beau. I need you to call him that." Roy watched her wipe a tear away with the back of her hand as she nodded.

"It's hard to remember when I know him as Cody." She dragged in another breath of air. "He wanted to keep me safe. Co... Beau said I shouldn't let Dad talk to me how he did."

"I'm a new man," Findlay implored. "I won't do it again."

Fin looked into the pleading eyes of her father. "And you're not to hit me, Dad. I won't let you do that anymore and I'm not taking you into Snakes or doing all the work. Co... Beau always helped me. We did the work together."

A mournful cry escaped Fin's mouth. She hung her head and wrapped her arms around her body. "He was good to me," she gasped, "and he saved me from the Gallos. They tried to rape me again. Beau hit them."

A giggle replaced her tears. "He's strong." Fin wiped her face and sighed. "At first I was scared because I thought he'd do it to me but he didn't. He followed me home and said I should go with him and be safe from the Gallos. I said Dad had a gun but Co... Beau said that didn't make any difference because they got to me after the gun and would again because Findlay wouldn't be able to protect me because he was a drunk."

Fin squeezed her lips together and looked across the table at her father. "It's true, Dad. You are."

"I know. I know, Fin. I'm sorry. So sorry I let you down." Findlay's face contorted as he tried not to weep. "I let your mother down too."

"You need to tell me about my mother." More tears rolled down Fin's face, she wiped them away and whispered, "You never told me."

Roy watched the father and daughter. That son of a bitch Beau Hawkins had done what no local had the guts to do. He'd given Findlay Hamilton the biggest wakeup call of his life and set him on the right road. He said, "I'm sorry but I need you to finish telling me about Beau."

Fin brought her eyes back to Sergeant Hadley and nodded. "He didn't make me do it. I let him. He taught me to read."

Hadley lifted his eyebrows and grinned. "He did that?"

"Yes." Fin's face lit up. "I'm still not very good but read more now." Her smile broadened. "And he taught me how to swim." She turned to Findlay, her face beaming. "I can do dog paddle now, Dad."

Through his tears, Findlay said, "It should have been me to do that."

Fin took hold of his hand. "Cody says he's going to teach me to do breaststroke but you can do that if you want." She blushed, looked at Roy and said, "I mean Beau." Then she focused back on her father. "You can do that if you want, Dad."

"I'd like that a lot, Fi."

"What happened next, Fin?" Roy hated to break up the moment but needed this to be finished so he could either charge Beau Hawkins or let him go. From what he witnessed his heart and head wanted to give the bastard a reward instead of punishment.

"He said he loved me." She gulped and flicked her eyes to the window, and then back again. "I love him. If we made a baby Co... Beau said he would keep us safe and buy me some lacy underwear." Fin blushed. "I don't have any but Beau said it was okay because a lot of people don't have underwear."

Roy smiled. The poor kid. Her naivety was still obvious but she was no longer timid. In Roy's mind, Beau Hawkins was the best thing to ever happen to this girl. "He sounds like he treated you well, Fin."

"Yes, he wanted to be my friend." Determination flashed across Fin's face. She sat straighter. "I've never had a friend before. We fought. Friends do that sometimes. That was all. It was a fight. I snooped into his private things; he got angry with me and locked himself in the shed. Yesterday I woke and he was standing in the room yelling like a wounded bull. It scared me but he didn't rape me."

Fin looked over at Roy with a puzzled expression on her face. "I don't know why he's saying he did, Sargent Hadley. All I know is that he locked himself in the shed for four days and when he woke me, he didn't seem to know where he was. I skinned my knees and banged my legs and bum because I slipped in the mud. I was confused because Cody kept saying he wasn't Cody." Fin sighed and took a breath. "He was telling the truth, he isn't Cody." She paused then continued, "He put me in the car and drove me home. That's why I wasn't dressed right and that's all that happened."

Again, she said, "I don't know why he's saying he raped me because he didn't and no one can make me say he did."

Roy held up his hands. "Okay, Fin. I believe you." He said, "Beau wants to see you."

"No Way! That bastard is not coming anywhere near here. I have a restra..."

"Findlay! Stop. I know alright. He won't be coming here but he's asked to see Fin. If she's willing, I'll take her into the station with me."

"She's not going!"

"Not your decision, Findlay!"

"I have rights as her fath..."

Roy held up his hand again. "Not any more. She's twenty. No longer a child and can make up her mind. Haven't you learnt anything from all this, Findlay?"

Findlay opened his mouth and shut it again. He nodded his head. "I've just got her back. I've got myself back. I don't want to lose her again. I need to prove to Fin that I do love her. He's going to take that chance away from me."

"Well, if you love her, Findlay, that's the sacrifice you have to make. This young couple need to work out their differences no matter what you or I think. You have to let Fin make this decision on her own, Findlay. Think back to when you and Sarah fell in love. If someone tried to come between you, how would that have made you feel?"

"Fuck, Hadley, stop being a prick."

"Not meaning to be, Findlay, just pointing out the truth." Roy took a breath. "So, Fin. Are you willing to speak to Beau Hawkins?"

"No." Fin shook her head. She knew she loved Beau but he'd lied to her. He'd acted like someone else until her father had punched him. Fin wondered what had happened to change him. She had questions but she wasn't ready to see him. Not yet. He needed to know she wasn't going to forgive him yet. No more would she be disrespected by him, her father or anyone. "I don't want to see him."

Her answer stunned Roy who said, "Do you want a restraining order against him?"

Fin let out a small puff of breath. "What's a restraining order?"

"It's a legal document that says he's not allowed to come anywhere near you. If he does, we can arrest him." Roy watched her think about this.

She shook her head. "I don't want one against him but can you make one so the Gallos won't come near me?"

"I can do that, Fin." Roy studied her face. "Do you want to make a complaint against them?"

"I would but I'm not stupid. I know if I do that, Dad will get into trouble too." Fin looked from one man to the other. "Everyone knows what happened and Dad was the one person who did anything. I know he could get into big trouble for what he did. If I make the complaint, that will have to be brought up. It's all done now. Beau paid them back when they tried the second time so I want them to leave me alone. I want them to go away and leave me and Dad alone."

Fin's hands shook at the thought of the Gallos. "They are evil men and one day they'll hurt another girl in this town. Can you make them go away?"

"I'm sorry, Fin I can't do that but you know what?" He grinned. "I can make their life here very uncomfortable."

While Beau waited at the police station with Ben Stone his leg shook. He clasped the mug of coffee between his hands.

Ben chuckled and nudged his head. "You look like someone waiting to be hung."

"What if she won't talk to me?"

"Not much you can do about it." Ben took a deep breath. "You should sort out your life and work forward from there."

Beau nodded and took a mouthful of coffee. The door swung open. He stood.

Roy Hadley walked through it and shook his head. "I'm sorry, Beau. She doesn't want to see you. However, she has stuck to her story. She says you didn't rape her but locked yourself away and came into the house roaring like a banshee. You dragged her into the car and drove her home." Roy paused, then said, "I think she needs some time and you need to speak to someone in mental health. Doc Green thinks you blacked out and you only think you raped Fin. From what she's saying I think that is what happened."

Beau slumped in the chair, let out his breath and nodded.

"Give her some time to sort out her life." Roy patted him on the back. "Findlay's the best I've seen him in ten years. He's going to take care of her. I think she wants to give him a chance to prove he can."

Roy put Beau's set of keys on the desk. "No charges are being laid against you. You're free to go but..." Roy went to his desk and lifted a document. "You have to be back in Adelaide in a week. This is a warrant. You have to present yourself to Detective Glen Pavardy by Friday 11th. He's got some questions to do with your disappearance." Roy sighed and shook his head. "A lot of police time has been wasted looking for you, Beau, so do the right thing. Don't make us come after you."

Beau took the letter and nodded. "Thanks. Thanks for everything." 

Fin rejecting Beau. Now that is a surprise but I'm proud of her.

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