by Deryck Jason
CHAPTER 58
The police arrived just in time to hear a gunshot. No sooner had they got out their car and into Hallcombe’s parking lot did they hear one single shot. That was all they heard that day.
CHAPTER 59
MacNamee had his eyes closed for quite some time. He wondered if he was dead. He wondered if he was about to see some sort of light. But he wasn’t and he didn’t. He opened his eyes. Basket was simply slumped on top of him, motionless. With great hesitation, MacNamee lifted its head to see its eyes. And then there they were, black as night, plastic, inanimate. He stared at the eyes for a long moment in shock when his cellphone burst into song, startling him.
“Hello?”
MacNamee answered the phone as a reaction without realizing his face was covered in blood. He painfully got to his feet and walked to the water cooler while talking.
“Hello Greg? It’s Bryce. I have something to tell you.”
MacNamee listened as one of his colleagues explained what happened in Hallcombes. MacNamee was splashing cold water on his face when Bryce told him Crass was dead. His grief turned to shock when he was told it was Frieda who killed him.
“I should have seen it coming”
MacNamee was stunned. Just when he thought nothing could be more unbelievable than killer dolls he gets this news.
“Frieda?”
“Yeah, Frieda.”
Bryce was just as shocked as MacNamee; no-one saw it coming. No-one cared enough to notice.
Taking Jessica by the hand, MacNamee finally left the station. The sun was about to come up and he wondered what his next move should be. He knew he had to let the rest of the Staunton police department know it was all over but for now he simply enjoyed the quiet. He sat outside in the warm air and Jessica skipped around the parking lot. He watched her with a smile. He knew she must be traumatized, probably experiencing some kind of mental disorder. Witnessing so much brutality at such a young age had to have affected her. In his mind he refrained from diagnosing her with a host of potential mental illnesses. Instead he watched her, on some level envious that she could just be that happy after what happened. He hoped she stayed that way forever. MacNamee’s life was well and truly over as he knew it; the once happy, dedicated psychiatrist would most likely never go back to Hallcombes again. He sat outside as the sun tried to shine, unwilling to look towards the future. He was living there, in that moment. And that was where he wanted to stay.
CHAPTER 60
“This is your new home sweetie.”
Mrs. Finnigan showed the child into the main hall. Little Jessica looked around, her brain tried to make sense of her new life with her new family. Mr. Finnigan came in with her suitcase.
“Why don’t you go upstairs and see your room dear, it’s the first door on the left” Mr. Finnigan said before kneeling beside her and whispering
“It’s the one with all the toys”
Jessica sauntered up the stairs as Mrs. Finnigan watched. She looked so pretty in her little purple dress.
“Poor dear’s been through so much”
The old lady spoke quietly as her husband put his arm around her.
“Yeah. But she’s here now; she’ll have a better life. I’ll give her some time to settle in before I take this up to her.”
Mr. Finnigan put the suitcase down by the staircase.
“Well” said Mrs. Finnigan “She shouldn’t be too long, supper’s almost ready. I’ll not have the child starving to death on her first night.”
“As if you would let that happen.”
Jessica’s room was beautiful with lots of toys and colors, it was extremely girly. She ambled around the room looking at the different toys and the dolls in particular. There were four baby dolls, all dressed in different colored onesies but they didn’t appeal to her. With a sigh she went and sat on the bed. As she looked around, she was completely neutral to the bounty presented to her.
“Hello Jessica”
A voice from inside the room did not startle her. She looked up, unafraid, to see a sharply dressed man whose name she did not know standing in front of her. “The Eye” stepped forward.
“I like your new room.”
“Thanks”
“It does need a little something though. I can tell you’re not impressed with the dollies you have in here. Am I right?”
Jessica nodded
“Ah-hah I knew it! I know what little girls want. So I brought you a present. Are you ready?”
Jessica nodded
“The Eye” stepped aside to reveal Betsy standing behind him. For the first time in a long time Jessica smiled. She ran over and picked Betsy up. Hugging her tight she took her back and sat on the bed. “The Eye” smiled fondly.
“Aww isn’t that cute. She missed you too you know, she talked about you a lot.”
Jessica was focused on the doll, fixing her dress and hair to the way she liked it. “The Eye” put a hand to his mouth and spoke to Jessica like he was telling a rude joke.
“She told me you were a naughty girl” Jessica didn’t looked up as the man continued “Did you enjoy it?”
After a pause, when Jessica was finished fixing Betsy’s dress she answered the man.
“Did I enjoy what?”
“That grumpy ol’ Sheriff. Did you enjoy it?”
Jessica shrugged her shoulders, giving “The Eye” all the answer he needed.
“Betsy is yours now sweetheart; no-one will ever bother you when she’s around. Just remember to let her have a little of her own fun from time to time all right?”
Jessica nodded, fully understanding the man’s request. Mr. Finnigan’s voice caused “The Eye” to step back.
“Remember…fun!”
“The Eye” quietly disappeared as Mr. Finnigan entered the room to bring her down.
“Hey sweetheart, supper’s ready. Where did you find her?
“I didn’t. She found me.”
Mr. Finnigan was puzzled but thought nothing of it. So many kids had passed through their house and left so many dolls behind, he never kept track. He led her out the room.
“Mrs. Finnigan made pasta. Do you like pasta?”
“Yeah”
“That’s a good girl. Pasta will make you big and strong. Then after dinner we’ll introduce you to the other kids. We’re all going to play a little game. Would you like that?”
“I dunno. Can Betsy play?”
The End