Sinister Page #3

Wow. Do you know what? This is like

one of them FBI profile offices.

You got a map with pictures

connected with yarn and everything.

Deputy. I need you to step outside.

This is my private office. I'm serious.

- Just wait outside.

- Mr Oswalt. listen.

You know there's a page in your books

where you always say nice things about

all the people that helped you out?

- The acknowledgements?

- Yeah. well...

Yeah. and in each one there's always

like a line that says, you know.

"I couldn't have done this

without the tireless efforts

of Deputy So And So

from the local police department."

Right.

Well. you know. I could be like...

you know, your Deputy So And So,

you know, if you don't already have one.

Yeah, there are a few things

you could do for me, actually.

- Really?

- Yeah. this could be perfect.

- Do you have a notepad?

- Um...

- Yes.

- All right. Do you need a pen?

Yes.

I need the street address of a crime.

In 1998, St Louis.

A family was stabbed to death.

They had their throats cut.

It was a pretty ugly affair.

I also need any details you can get me

on another murder.

parked inside their own car,

in their own garage.

- What city?

- I don't know.

All I have is the year

and the method of execution.

You think that the two cases are related?

- No, no. I'm just doing research.

- OK. I can definitely get this for you.

I gotta wait till the sheriff

leaves the office, but I will get it.

Thank you very much, Deputy So And So.

- I'm sorry.

- For what?

I was angry at Trevor today

and I took it out on you.

No, don't be sorry.

I know the move's been hard for you.

- I'm trying, Ell. I really am.

- I know.

I just want you here with me

that's all.

I've always been with you.

And I'm with you now.

Pleased to have Ellison Oswalt

on our programme.

His new book is called Kentucky Blood.

- Good to have you on.

- Thanks for having me. A real pleasure

Man. I got into this.

This is pretty graphic stuff

So let me start by asking

why you spend so much time

investigating such grisly crime?

Fame and money? No. I'm just kidding

The honest answer Is that I'm really

driven by a sense of injustice.

When I think about the awful things

that happened to these people

and that those responsible were never

even identified, let alone caught...

I mean. I knew when I started on

this particular case

that I might stumble on a few things

that maybe somebody overlooked.

Might? No. you in fact did

uncover some additional information

that the cops had overlooked

Well look. First off, there are a lot

of good police officers out there

and I don't wanna in any way

disparage what they do, right?

But in police work getting something

wrong means ruining people's lives

Good crime writing can set things right

So, ultimately, what feels better?

Seeing justice done or seeing

your book. Kentucky Blood.

Number one on the New York Times

bestseller list?

The justice without question

I'd rather cut my hands off than

write a book for fame or money.

- Are you making Daddy his coffee?

- Yes.

Can I help? I wanna bring it to him.

Sure, honey, but we have

to make it just right.

He's very particular about his coffee.

- Brought you your coffee, Daddy.

- Thank you, sweetheart.

- Yeah hello.

- Hey. Mr Oswalt

Hey, Deputy So And So.

I'm sorry to get back to you

so late in the day.

I couldn't make the call from

the office. You know the sheriff

- Yeah, I understand.

- But I got what you asked about.

There was a Martinez family

in Sacramento, California,

that died in their garage in 1979.

Their car was set on fire.

One of their sons. Nine years old.

They never found him.

- Do you have the street address?

- It's 8224 Billington. Sacramento.

And what about St Louis?

The address of the house where

the Miller murders occurred is

That is excellent. 29...

Wait, did you say 2976, like 29-76?

Yeah. Does that mean something to you?

No. no it doesn't. No.

Thank you. Thank you Deputy.

Before the Stevensons moved here.

They lived where the

Miller family murders happened?

Holy sh*t.

Ashley?

Trevor?

My God. Is he OK?

I found him outside.

We have to put a lock on his door.

It's way worse than it was.

I'll call the doctor in the morning.

You stay with him. I

left something outside.

Good dog. Good dog.

I don't wanna hurt you.

I just wanna get my bat...

so if you come at me,

I can bash your head in, OK?

That's fine. You keep it.

- You OK?

- Yeah, I'm fine, fine.

Trevor's too old to

still be having these.

He was supposed to

have outgrown them by now.

- He's all right. He's OK.

- Just stop.

- Stop what?

- Drop the book.

We can pack up. Get out of town

and never look back.

Why? Cause he's having

some night terrors?

It's more than that.

He's never been this bad.

- You've never been this bad.

- What are you talking about?

You've been at this book less than

a week and you're already a mess.

You never crack into the whisky

this early and this often.

- You're saying I'm a drunk?

- No.

I'm saying there's something

you aren't telling me,

something that's eating you up, and it

seems to be getting to Trevor as well.

- Something different this time.

- Yeah. You wanna know what it is?

- How much do you wanna know?

- I wanna know why you're different.

I'm different because I've never

been onto something this big before.

Do you remember how it was

when I was writing Kentucky?

- I remember.

- This is much bigger than that! Much!

I am talking about a

potentially important work here.

I'm talking about a mega hit.

This could be my In Colour Blood.

A movie deal talk show circuit. Right?

A national book award.

More money than we could...

We could live wherever we wanted to.

- I don't care about any of that.

- You do. Everybody does.

- Im just...

- This is my shot. Tracy.

You're just what?

- I'm just worried about you.

- Well don't be. Nothing is wrong.

Then why did you come in

white as a ghost?

Because I saw a dog. OK?

- A dog?

- A very big dog, like Cujo big.

I mean, I'd never seen him before.

He's like...

- Did you get rid of him?

- Yeah, he's gone.

Listen, I just need

a little more time. OK?

I promise it's worth it.

Every minute that we're here, we're

a minute closer to that happy ending

that we always dreamed of.

We're almost there.

OK?

- Deputy.

- Mr Oswalt, these came in this morning.

I had a few of the pertinent files

pulled for you and had them faxed over.

- Really?

- Yeah.

- Thanks.

- No problem.

Do you think I could come in

for a second?

Yeah. Sure.

- Thanks.

- Come on, just here.

Look, I...

I know what you must think of me.

Some small-town deputy that's starstruck

with the famous writer.

- But I'm not some local moron.

- I didn't say you were a... you know.

I have a degree in criminology.

I've taken my fair share

of forensic science courses.

I also know a series of connected

murders when I see one, Mr Oswalt.

- Look...

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