The Devil's Dolls Page #2

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"Happy Birthday, Chloe Bear"

banner on the mantle.

Presents and cake..

I remember this bastard's

birthday every year.

I forgot my own daughter's.

Anyway.

Amy woke up when I walked in.

We just stared at each other.

Neither one of us said anything.

Guess that's when we knew

it was over.

God, I f***ed it up.

-Yeah, you did.

-Here, really?

-Just do it.

- Wouldn't you feel more

comfortable buying this?

- Hey,

I've gotta do the hard part.

-Are you sure?

-I'm three weeks late.

What is it, babe?

-It's a lot to take in.

-It's gonna be okay.

-That'll be $9.94.

Son? $9.94.

Cash or charge, son?

Hey, are you alright?

-Mom, can I have my blanket?

-Of course.

-I miss daddy.

-Come on, Buddy.

-There you go.

-What's wrong, mommy?

-Nothing, baby.

Hey, do you know

who became a professional

jewelry designer today?

You did.

When you sell something,

that makes you a professional.

I am so proud of you.

You know, Aunt Becca says

she's gonna wear hers every day.

You know, maybe you and I

should be business partners.

-Can I be the boss?

-Yes, you can be the boss.

And guess what?

I have a present for you.

Guess who bought the very last

Chloe William's original today?

-I wanna wear it.

- Not while you are sleeping,

baby. It's dangerous. Sorry.

I have an idea.

Give me your wrist.

Mm-hmm.

I love you, baby.

-I love you.

- Sweet dreams.

-Hey, over here.

- You gonna tell me

why we're suddenly on top

of the batting order again?

This isn't our case, Darce.

-Just watch.

The kid's name

is Conner Heffler.

And the clerk's Tommy Logan.

Kid goes off camera for a second

to get a pregnancy test

for his girlfriend

who is waiting in the car.

-And where's she at now?

- I had a uniform

take her back to the station.

He goes to pay..

-Why, he tweaking?

- Running a tox screen now.

Girlfriend came up clean.

Same as the car.

Swears Heffler was, too.

-Jesus.

F***.

You gonna tell me

what this has to do with me?

-Just look.

Comes the store owner.

That's...

This has to do with you.

How the hell

did that kid do that?

Henry's calling card

wasn't public record.

It was redacted

from all reports, all photos

specifically so some nut job

doesn't go out and play copycat.

-Where there's a will..

- So what is he, just some

highly resourceful

psycho kid lookin'

to go out in the spotlight?

- Probably.

- Bullshit.

-You don't believe that.

If you did,

you wouldn't be here.

You'd be off doing whatever

it is you do these days

'cause I've stopped

trying to figure it out.

- What the hell

do you want from me?

-I want you to say it.

Tell me the first thing

that came into your mind

when you saw

what that kid drew in there.

Oh, come on, Matt.

The brutality

of that attack, the rage.

That and the mark.

You're really gonna tell me

that's just some

half-ass interpretation

of Henry's MO?

Why are you still standing here?

-Because it was perfect.

-What was that?

She's not in here!

- Alright, I'm gonna

check the other room.

-Chloe?

I can't find her.

- She's not in this room either.

-Chloe!

God, where is she?

-Oh, my God.

-Where is Chloe?

Chloe.

-Hey, hey, Amy, Amy.

-Oh, my God.

Chloe?

Are you in here?

- Chloe?

- Honey?

-Chloe!

Oh, my God.

I'm calling an ambulance.

- What have we got?

- Juvenile female,

eight years old

hypertensive, unresponsive.

Respiration erratic.

She's an epileptic.

- Then?

Mother reports

a regular course of Topamax.

150 milligrams.

Last dose 7 PM.

-Area 1 is open.

- Oh, wait.

You guys can't go in.

She's in really good hands.

I promise

to let you know something

as soon as I possibly can,

alright?

- Why don't you come over here?

There is room to wait. Okay?

- We'll be fine.

That's okay.

-Ms. Bayer? Trisha?

I'm Detective Williams.

Matt.

Believe me, we wanna find out

why this happened

as bad as you, so...

Is it okay if I ask you

a couple of questions?

You and Conner aren't from here.

Why were you in town?

-School's out.

Driving home to Florida,

Pensacola.

Stopped on our way through.

- School is where?

- Iowa.

-Hawkeyes?

You and Connor ever

take any drugs?

-No. Conner never...

And I'm pregnant.

I mean, I think I am.

That's why Conner,

he went into the store.

- It's okay.

Have some water.

How did Conner

know the store clerk?

-He didn't.

- Trisha, the way

he attacked that man

there had to be

something personal.

-No. Never.

We've never even

been here before.

- Have you ever heard the name

Henry Leonard Bale?

-The serial killer?

- Is it possible Conner

would had contact with him?

-What? No!

Of course, not.

Never.

- Maybe followed the case?

Took a special interest?

-No.

Not at all.

Why?

- Have you ever seen

this symbol before?

-What is that?

What is that?

Oh, my God.

- This officer is gonna take

really good care of you.

- You didn't have

to show her the picture.

-Nope.

- You just wanted

to see her reaction.

-Yeah.

-She doesn't know sh*t.

-Nope.

Where is she?

-They sedated her.

- I don't understand.

The... the dog?

I wanna see her.

-She's in there.

-I should leave.

- Ethan.

- No, he's her father.

- And you're my fiancee.

Stay with me.

- Hello, detective.

I'm Dr. Wells.

- What is this?

- We don't know yet.

- She's an eight-year-old girl

for Christ's sakes.

Did you hear what she did?

-I can't explain that.

-What can you explain?

- The blood we took shows

extremely elevated

stress hormone levels consistent

with an epileptic seizure.

- She's had seizures before.

Nothing like this.

- The nature of seizures

is unpredictable, detective.

Especially in children.

Now, you said she had another

intense episode earlier today?

- Yeah.

- What?

- It was over in a minute.

Like always.

I handled it. She was fine.

You wanna talk about how many

times I've had to handle this

on my own

in the last couple of years?

- Hey. Nobody did

anything wrong.

What's important is that

we're taking care of her now.

-What's next?

- Well, the standard protocols

have failed to lower her pulse

or her blood pressure

as much as I'd like to see.

But she'll level out.

The best thing is to keep her

sedated and let her get a rest.

-Thank you, doctor.

-Ethan.

I can't bring her back

to the house like that.

- No, no, I'll take care of it.

-I am so sorry.

- I'll be back as soon as I can.

It's okay.

-It's okay, baby.

Daddy's here.

-Hey.

It's gonna go great.

They wouldn't have called you

again if they didn't want you.

- I'll believe that

when they offer me the job.

- And then we'll have

a celebration dinner.

-Hopefully.

-It's a good luck charm.

Chloe would want you

to have that.

-How is she doin'?

-She's fine.

She's a tough kid.

I'm gonna go up there later

and bring them some food.

-Oh, sh*t.

It's Thursday.

I gotta pay Big Al.

- Like we can afford this.

- Hey.

Everything's gonna be okay.

We'll get through this.

- Hey, Bec.

- Hey.

- She's asleep right now.

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