The Pledge Page #4

- Thanks for coming in.

Nice place.

You didn't tell me

you were a cop!

- Ex-cop.

- Once a cop....

I'm retired.

What I wanted to tell you was

that Floyd Cage called.

The fellow with the gas station.

He says he wants to talk to you.

I see they're biting.

You bet. Sure does look like it.

You can use the phone

up in the front cabin here.

Thank you.

Floyd, Jerry signed all the papers.

You're ready to go.

I sure appreciate it.

You've done a good job.

Good luck.

When we get a number down in Arizona,

we'll give you a call.

I'm going to Arizona!

Call if you forget something...

...or want to know where something is,

or whatever....

- Good luck to you.

- Thank you.

I hope you'll be happy here...

...cause you're never gonna be able

to sell it for what you paid.

Thank you, I'll do my best.

Is this working or what?

I have to get a key.

I'll be right with you, thank you.

- I'll be right with you.

- Thank you.

What can I get you?

Just a beer, thanks.

You the cop

who bought the gas station?

I'm retired from

the police department.

And you bought Floyd's station?

I did.

That's a strange thing to do.

You must be an angler.

- How'd you guess?

- Nothing else to do around here.

Yeah.

Sorry about that.

These things only work half the time.

Sign right there for me,

if you would.

That's for you.

Thank you and...

- ...here's your receipt.

- Thank you, sir. Have a good day.

All right, 10 regular.

Nice wagon. Sticks out around here,

doesn't it?

Never thought about it.

Just know to get them black,

don't show dirt as much.

Ten it is. Thanks for stopping by.

Whenever a good child dies...

...an angel of God

comes down from Heaven...

...and takes the dead child

in his arms.

And spreads out

his great white wings...

...and flies with her...

...over all the places

that she loved in her life.

And what do you feel

is represented here?

Well, the porcupine giant:

Ginny told her friends...

...that she'd meet with

a giant in the forest...

...and that he gave her

little porcupines.

- What do you mean?

- You see these-

What do you mean by "porcupines"?

I don't know exactly...

...those are the words of

a 7-year-old girl.

Ginny's friends. Friend, sorry.

And this is in the imagination of a

You could be right. But...

...on the other hand,

the car is very well depicted...

- ...and the giant is-

- Giants are imaginary.

Yes?

A tall, heavyset man could appear...

...to be a giant to a little girl.

And the Indian man, was he a tall man?

Not a giant. But tall, yes.

Why did you bring this to me,

Mr. Black?

Sorry?

Why did you bring this to me,

Mr. Black?

I need to know who I'm looking for.

I'm like a layman

looking at an x-ray.

I don't know how to read it.

I need help interpreting it.

This drawing can tell you

nothing about...

...the murderer. It only tells you

about the child who drew it.

Without more information, I don't

think I can be of any value to you.

Humor me, doc.

Consider this a working hypothesis

and assume for the moment...

...that this is a drawing

of the murderer.

Well.

Your giant certainly looks

tall, massive...

...very imposing.

If this depicts the relationship

between the giant and the girl...

...then these things

you call "porcupines"...

...appear to be gifts

that she's accepting.

That's implying a trust.

Was the girl in Monash

killed the same way?

Exactly the same.

Do the victims resemble one another?

Yes, a lot.

What were the time intervals

between the murders?

The Monash County case was

eight years ago.

The little girl missing, three.

And Ginny was just....

Just last winter.

So the intervals are getting shorter.

If that's the case, then yes,

you could-

Remember, this is a hypothetical case.

But yes, you could expect

another incident within...

...a matter of months.

Maybe a year,

if the opportunity arose.

But this could just be a product...

...of a 7-year-old child's

imagination.

Right.

You came to me for help.

- Yes.

- Mind if I ask you some questions?

Shoot.

You recently retired, right?

Yes.

Have you always been a chainsmoker?

Impossible.

There can't be such a devil.

- You always been a chainsmoker?

- Yes, there are such devils.

Recent. Recent.

- Do you swear...

- Are you still sexually active?

...by your soul's salvation...

Are you still sexually active?

Are you still sexually active?

- Yes, by my soul's salvation...

- Does that embarrass you?

Experienced any....

Have you experienced

any sudden fevers, perspiration?

- No.

- Get ahold of yourself, Jerry!

Or voices.

Do you hear voices?

- I kill the girl. I kill the girl.

- No, goddamn it! No!

- Lucky West's prescription is

that with the predatory fish...

...your best bet's live bait.

Here you see Kwan Lee,

who's gone from worms...

...to the little fishies.

Where are those pancakes?

- Don't forget your orange juice, baby.

- Can I get a touchup, please?

- Thanks, doll.

- I could use a little fresh-up too.

Boy. Nice picture.

Thank you.

Aren't you gonna finish

your orange juice?

Mommy.

Hi, officer. It's okay, honey,

he's a friend.

Pack up, 'cause the bus is coming.

Any coffee?

Yes, please.

What name would a pretty little

girl like you have?

Chrissy.

That's a nice name.

Okay, love bug, this is it.

Come on, let's go.

Bye. Can I have a hug?

Have a good day.

- Beautiful little girl.

- Thank you.

How old is she?

She'll be 8 next month.

First day of school's always a biggie.

- Oh, I forgot your coffee.

- Thank you.

Thank you very much.

- There you go.

- Thank you.

- Want some breakfast?

- Yeah.

I'd like bacon and eggs and-

- How do you like your eggs?

- Over easy. And rye toast.

- Okay.

- I got a question for you.

Fire away.

Where would an old bachelor like me

find some used furniture?

Nothing too fancy, you know.

A couch, dinette set...

...something between not-too-expensive

and poverty-stricken range.

My range.

There's a flea market up-

You go right up Old Pass Road.

Go north about 25 miles up here...

...and you're gonna hit a T-junction.

It's gonna fork into two roads,

two dirt roads. There's no sign-

Do you like shopping?

- Mommy, can I have a balloon?

- Yeah.

- What color?

- Here, I got it.

Orange.

- Orange. There you go.

- Well, you got pink.

- That's okay.

- Pink? I like pink too.

- Thank you.

- Thank you very much.

I'm looking for Formica here.

- It wipes easy.

- That won't be a problem.

- What about this one right here?

- It gives a room a very warm feeling.

- This one's oak veneer.

- Veneer, huh?

- I can take $5 off the top.

- What would that bring the total to?

Where's Chrissy?

- Chrissy?

- Where is she?

- She was just right here.

- Chrissy!

I'll come back.

Chrissy!

Chrissy!

She's on the swing.

- Bye.

- Chrissy!

- Don't leave me like that.

- Mommy, that girl gave this to me.

Isn't it cute?

- What is it?

- A boot cleaner...

...in the shape of a porcupine.

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