Every Secret Thing Page #4

---

All right.

We can keep her.

Can I hold her now?

She likes to be bounced.

It calms her.

I know about babies.

My mom's a teacher.

When do I get to hold her?

She doesn't like

to be passed around.

That's right, little girl.

Mommy's here.

"Daddy's" going to get you

some food.

Just the pudding,

that's all I can get.

Go make her a bed.

Are you sure we can leave her?

We have to go home.

We'll be back tomorrow.

We promise.

So Alice lied.

She was there.

Let me ask you something.

Why pudding?

I could never figure that out.

If you could buy pudding,

you could buy baby food.

We couldn't buy anything.

I just took those

from my dad's truck.

It was full of them.

They made her sick, though.

I'm pretty sure.

What's wrong with her?

Why won't she eat it?

- It's pudding.

- She can't take bites.

Come on, girl.

It's just getting

all over her mouth.

Eat the pudding, please.

Eat the pudding.

- Please.

- What do we do, Ronnie?

Eat the pudding.

Why didn't you

take her to a doctor?

We knew we would

get into trouble.

We saw the stuff on the news

about her being missing

and Alice said

that bringing her back

would only make it worse.

That's why you did what you did?

Alice said she'd

put all of the blame on me if I didn't.

I think she's really sick.

Maybe dying.

We should just take her back.

Or call someone

and tell them where she is.

You can't call someone.

They'll take you to jail.

You did this, Ronnie.

Not me.

Alice's mom was my friend.

Not Alice.

She didn't like that.

Can I ask you one more thing?

Okay.

How'd the jack-in-the-box

get there?

I put it there.

Ronnie.

Ronnie!

I think she was glad

to be found.

Something's not right here.

We need to get their files.

See what happened

when they were away.

You go make some more.

Make some more.

And I'll feed you

when you make it, okay?

- Okay.

- I'll be over there in a second.

- Are you comfortable?

- Yeah.

I know that couch is real old.

We were shopping for a new one

when it happened.

You can't blame yourself.

- How can you not?

- I don't know.

My daughter was

with her babysitter.

Then it wasn't your fault.

- If I hadn't been working...

- Well, you had to work.

No. Not really.

I chose to.

Well...

I told the police I only

looked away for a second.

But it was longer.

It was a lot longer

than a second.

This is not your fault.

We just... we never think

that this will happen to us.

You from TV?

I'm visiting.

Cynthia here lost a child.

She came here for a visit,

to help me.

- Is your child still lost?

- Devlin.

I'm just asking

if her child lost, if she gonna help us.

My first child is dead.

So how is that supposed

to make Maveen feel better?

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

Rosalind.

Let's go. Come on, Roz.

Toy down, let's go.

It's time to go.

Put the toy down, let's go.

Come on.

Let's clean it up.

My bad, I ain't...

I ain't mean it like that.

- I'm sorry for your loss.

- Thank you.

She can't take that toy.

That's Brittany's.

Sorry.

Okay, let's go.

You always sleep like that?

Some things are easier

if you can sleep through them.

Can I go now?

You said I wasn't under arrest.

- You're up.

- Yeah.

Have you seen this little girl?

She's cute.

She looks like Alice.

Like Alice?

How? How does a biracial

three-year-old

with dark hair

look like Alice Manning?

I don't know.

I don't know why I said that.

It just popped out.

When was the last time

you saw her, Ronnie?

- Alice.

- I don't see Alice.

If you want

to rule yourself out,

then maybe you can

give us a blood sample?

You want me

to give you my blood?

If you didn't do it,

you can prove it.

- No.

- Then you can go.

It's simple,

we just prick your finger.

No. No.

Ronnie.

Help us.

Help yourself.

Nobody cuts me.

Yes, ma'am.

But what I need you to understand

is that we need

those files here... today.

Yeah, hold on.

All the files from County

were sent upstate.

What? Why?

Apparently,

they ran out of room.

Just get them.

Tell them, "Get them."

They're saying there are

like, 20 years' worth of files.

They can get someone

to help us with them,

but they're not guaranteeing

they will be complete.

This is Detective Nancy Porter.

Let me be clear.

A child is missing.

A three-year-old...

for two days,

and I want to find her

while she's still alive,

and you are going to help me.

You're gonna find your files,

and when you send them,

they will be complete.

Do your job.

Umph.

"My mom always says,

'Never give up.'

But it feels like

she's given up on me.

Sometimes I wonder,

'What did I do

to make her not like me?'

Maybe it's my dad.

She says he was

the 'biggest mistake of her life.'

She says he was fat, too.

When she looks at me,

does she see him?

When I was younger,

I thought if I did everything right,

I would fit in

with all the other girls,

but I don't think

she even notices me trying.

She wishes

she had a different daughter.

I'm gonna love my baby so much.

I'll let her eat

whatever she wants,

wear whatever she wants,

play with whoever she wants.

I'm gonna be

the best mom ever."

Know where I was

when Olivia Barnes got murdered?

Eating lasagna.

She'd been missing 72 hours.

Brittany Lyttle's been gone 48.

- Hi, Helen.

- Ronnie.

I was wondering when you

were gonna come by and visit me.

Come here!

My girl!

Ronnie Fuller.

As damaged as that girl is,

I wouldn't put anything past her.

I checked on Alice's story

about Arby's.

Girl on duty

doesn't remember her.

You grew up so pretty.

I knew you would!

You don't need all that makeup.

And obviously,

you still bite your nails.

Don't you know when people see

your bitten-down nails,

they know how nervous you are?

Where's Alice?

I don't know.

You know she goes walking?

I was coming home

from work the other day...

I drove past the pool

and I saw her.

You know, at the country club?

Just watching people.

Made me sad.

Mind if I join you?

I guess walking

is pretty good for you.

Is this the route

you usually take?

What do you want?

I don't know where she is.

Who, Alice?

Ronnie.

We spoke to Ronnie Fuller.

She was very helpful.

What did she say?

Did she lie about me again?

Did she tell you

how she stole my jack-in-the-box?

She put it there on purpose

so I would get caught, too.

But I wasn't there

when she killed that baby.

But I still went to Schechter.

Now you're trying to make

this other thing

look like it's my fault.

Well, what is your fault, Alice?

Is anything ever your fault?

What about you?

Do you ever wonder

what would have happened

if maybe you had found

the baby sooner?

Maybe you could have saved her.

Maybe if you had walked

just a little bit faster,

she would still be alive.

Did you ever think about that?

I want to be alone.

Am I under arrest or anything?

Do you remember the honeysuckle?

Remember that time I tried to make

honeysuckle soda

and sell it from a stand

like lemonade?

I do.

I sure do.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes