Every Secret Thing Page #5

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You picked my vines bare.

But you didn't mind.

You weren't mad at all.

It was a good idea, Ronnie.

There should be

honeysuckle soda.

You have great ideas.

You always did.

You and me, we think alike.

And press your lips to mine...

Ronnie?

You got anything

you need to tell me, baby?

No.

...this is heaven.

See you.

Where were you?

Did you get a ride?

I know you get rides.

Really?

Who do you think gives me rides?

I don't know.

You tell me.

Well...

I take rides from strange men

because I'm fat and lonely

and I need attention,

so I do things to 'em...

for money.

Is it true?

You wish.

- I got a job.

- Alice, talk to me.

You got a job?

What do you mean you got a job?

I got a job

and it has nothing to do

with being fat or lonely.

Jesus, laceration

of the femoral artery.

Rushed to the ER.

Landed her on suicide watch.

What about Manning?

Yeast infection...

yeast infection.

Another yeast infection.

One, two, three,

four, five, six fights.

This Ronnie girl's

a piece of work.

She managed

to get in a fight every month.

Spent most of the last seven years

on lockdown.

I got a bladder infection

and another yeast infection.

You know what that means?

Sounds like

she was f***ing to me.

Whoa.

Get over here.

She was 15 years old.

He was an adult.

He was an employee at Schechter.

Probably seduced her once.

Couldn't have been

terribly difficult.

She's so desperate

for attention and acceptance.

I wonder why that is?

This adult, was he charged

with statutory rape?

We agreed not to press charges.

By the time she figured out

she was pregnant,

it was too late for me

to convince her to have an abortion.

Does Alice know

where her baby is?

Absolutely not.

No, no, no.

The adoption was private.

We don't discuss it.

She doesn't think about it.

How would you know that?

You're not a mother, are you?

A mother knows these things.

Where is Alice now?

Where is she?

Where does she go

when she walks?

- She doesn't tell me where she goes.

- No, Ms. Manning.

That's not gonna

work this time, I'm sorry.

There's a baby missing.

And we have reason

to believe that your daughter Alice

knows something about it.

So you can answer

our questions here,

or I can walk you down

that hall past your peers,

take you downtown,

have you answer the questions there.

She seems to spend

the bulk of her time

just hanging out

by the pool at the club.

Just watching the other kids.

It's pathetic.

They're going to catch you,

you know.

Catch me for what?

I didn't do anything.

The police think you did.

It was near where you work.

It was near where about

a thousand people work.

There is only one person

like you who works there...

A baby killer.

You have to to do this, Ronnie.

Lots of babies die all the time

of natural things,

like if they're turned wrong

in their crib.

- Just say she died like that.

- I don't want to do it.

You fed her pudding.

You can't feed a baby pudding.

You told me to.

So if Alice told you

to jump off of a building,

would you do that?

What about if she told you

to play with matches?

Would you do that?

What about if Alice told you to go

and find a bridge and leap off?

Shut up!

Your mom knows

I didn't do anything.

Stay away from her.

You don't even live

near us anymore.

You have no reason

to be hanging around.

My mom just feels sorry for you.

She likes me.

Alice Manning?

You know why I made you do it?

Because I knew

that they would take you away.

I thought they

would lock you up forever,

and I would never

have to play with you again.

Alice!

Hurry, she did it!

She just told me everything!

She took the baby!

You have to catch her,

why... hurry!

Come on, let's go.

Let's go.

- No.

- No, Alice.

We're not here for her,

we're here for you.

- I didn't do anything.

- Let's go.

You don't understand.

Ronnie did it. She just told me.

Alice, we're walking out,

or we're putting you in handcuffs.

Come on.

It's not fair.

Watch your step.

You have the wrong person.

You have to believe me.

Ronnie did this.

Alice.

Where is she, Alice?

Is she okay?

Did you hurt her?

Hello, I'm here to see

a Detective Porter.

Mrs. Manning.

If you're going to continue

to interrogate my daughter,

- I want a lawyer present.

- She has her.

She has Brittany.

Jesus.

- Did she hurt her?

- Where is she?

I have no idea.

We have been very patient

with you, Mrs. Manning.

We haven't treated you

as an accessory to this crime

or accused you

of shielding your daughter

or withholding

information we need,

but that moment is coming.

Alice doesn't confide in anyone,

least of all me.

Why does she think Brittany Lyttle

is her daughter?

First, he would stare at me.

You know, kind of flirt.

He was so cute.

I had never been

with a boy before.

I'd never kissed a boy before.

We couldn't keep

our hands off each other.

I was so excited.

But when they took him away,

it was so sudden.

It happened so quickly,

and I didn't know what to do.

My mom said I had

my whole life ahead of me.

And that she had me

when she was really young

and she didn't regret it

or anything.

You have to understand,

she became obsessed

with the topic.

"Where was her baby?

Why couldn't I raise it?

Who had adopted her?"

She wouldn't leave it alone.

She was inconsolable.

I had to tell her something.

I made up a story.

I said I'd seen her little girl...

on the west side of town.

You know, near those

lovely old Victorians?

I knew Alice would like that.

I told her that her baby

was beautiful and healthy.

She had caf-au-lait skin...

beautiful, black curly hair.

Yeah.

It was around that time

that I had seen the mother.

The mother?

You know...

Cynthia Barnes.

The mother

of the child that Alice...

She was with this little girl.

I took one look

at that girl and I knew...

that child wouldn't exist

if it weren't for Alice.

Which isn't to say

that what Alice did

can be rationalized in any way,

I mean, a girl had died,

and it was my daughter's fault.

But the fact remains,

another child lives.

And I'm not sure she would

if it weren't for Alice.

My daughter helped to bring

that little life into the world.

At least Alice

can take some comfort

from that little girl's

existence.

When I got out,

I had to find her.

I wanted her.

I didn't care what my mom said.

So I started walking.

Just looking for her.

I also told her that her child

had a little birthmark

in the shape of a heart

on her back.

I thought that was

a lovely sort of detail...

you know, that would give Alice

something that she could hold on to.

Like it was the shadow

of her own heart.

Alice loved that.

Mrs. Manning,

sit down.

Sit down,

Mrs. Manning, sit.

Stay there.

She had that skin...

the mix of my skin and his.

I couldn't believe I found her.

Brittany?

She probably jumpin'

on a bed somewhere.

When I saw her back,

there was this little heart there,

and I knew it was her.

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