The Dollmaker (17 page)

Nettle glanced down at Dave in the dark. “Do yourself a favor. Stay out of New Orleans and stay out of my business. Next time it won’t turn out so good for you.”

And then they were gone. Pain twisted inside Dave’s gut and he rolled over to vomit in the mud. When he was finished, he lay weak and trembling on his side. It was all he could do to keep from blacking out.

A moment later, Marsilius knelt beside him in the mud. “How bad you hurt, son?”

“I’ll live,” Dave muttered. “Thanks to you.”

“That head’s gonna need some stitches.”

“I don’t think it’s as bad as it looks.” Dave struggled to sit up. “I’ll clean it up when I get home, see how it looks.”

“Don’t talk crazy, son, they laid you open good. I’m taking you to the hospital. Can you walk or do I need to back the truck down here?”

“I can walk.”

His uncle helped him to his feet. “You sure? You’re staggering around like you been on a three-day drunk.”

“I’m fine,” Dave said, a split second before he passed out cold.

By the time they left the hospital, the sky had already started to lighten in the east. They’d waited hours to see a doctor. It was Saturday night and the end of a three-week rotation for some of the workers on the offshore oil rigs, so the emergency room had been packed with guys fresh in from the platforms and ready to party.

Dave had sat holding a towel to his head as he filled out the paperwork, and every time Marsilius went to ask how much longer it would be, the heavyset nurse behind the desk would glower and tell him they would just have to wait their turn like everybody else.

Finally, Dave had been taken to a cubicle and treated by a freckle-faced intern who looked barely old enough to vote. The gash on Dave’s head took several stitches, but he didn’t have any broken bones or ribs, and once the doctor had him patched up, he signed Dave’s release papers because they were short on beds. That suited Dave fine. He wouldn’t have stayed, anyway. He hated hospitals. Something about the smell, he decided as he walked outside.

He rolled down the window in Marsilius’s truck and tipped his head back so the air rushed over his face. Clouds scuttled across the eastern sky where the sun hovered just below the horizon.

As Marsilius turned down the dusty road to home, he cut Dave a glance. “You ready to tell me what happened earlier?”

“I thought it was pretty obvious that I got my ass kicked.” Dave watched out the window as distant heat lightning shimmered just above the treetops.

“You know what I mean. Who were those guys?”

“Just forget about it, okay? The less you know, the better off you’ll be.”

“Yeah, well, here’s the thing. After the potshots I took over their heads, I have a feeling those bastards may not be feeling too kindly toward me. I’d at least like to know who I need to be on the lookout for.”

“I guess you’ve got a point,” Dave said. “The big guy is NOPD. His name is Clive Nettle.”

Marsilius turned to look at him. “A cop? Shit fire, Dave, what are you mixed up in?”

Dave ignored the question. “The scrawny one is an ex-con named Bobby Ray Taubin. I think there was a third one, but I never got a look at him. Bobby Ray works for JoJo Barone. Evidently, he also does some side jobs for Nettle.”

“What do they want with you?”

“I guess they don’t like some of the questions I’ve been asking. Or more to the point, they don’t like the answers I got from JoJo Barone.”

“When did you go see JoJo?”

“Yesterday. He told me that Clive Nettle killed Renee Savaria at a private party he arranged, and the whole thing was covered up by some of the other cops who were there that night.”

“Do you believe him?”

“If I didn’t before, I do after tonight.”

His uncle let out a long breath. “What the hell are you going to do with that information?”

Dave frowned into the darkness. “I don’t know yet. Look for the other cops who were involved, for one thing.”

“You can’t go this alone, son, you’ll need somebody watching your back.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ve got that part covered.”

“Sure as hell didn’t look that way to me. This is dangerous shit, Dave. You gotta bring somebody else in on this fast. Somebody you can trust.”

“Yeah, well, that’s the problem. JoJo said those parties were attended by some pretty heavy-duty brass. I don’t know how far up this thing goes.”

“What about the D.A.?”

Dave had thought of that, but going to Lee Elliot would be a tricky business, considering his involvement with Angelette. Dave still hadn’t figured out her angle yet, and until he did, he wasn’t about to put much faith in anyone she was that closely associated with.

“What makes you think I could even get in to see Lee Elliot?”

“Maybe you couldn’t, but Claire’s sister could.”

Dave’s laugh was bitter. “You’re joking, right? Charlotte LeBlanc despises the ground I walk on. No way she’d hear me out.”

“Then maybe you better get out of town and lie low for a while. I have a friend in Houston who owns a garage. He’d put you to work, no questions asked.”

“I’m not running away. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I did that. But I’d feel a whole lot better if you’d head on down to Houston. I don’t want to see anything happen to you, old man. You’re the only family I got left.”

Marsilius downshifted as he turned a curve. “I can take care of myself. You’re the one I’m worried about. This ain’t over, Dave. They’ll be back, and next time I might not be around to pull your ass out of the wringer.”

“They won’t come back right away. They know I’ll be ready for them now. They’ll wait until they think they can catch me by surprise again.”

“You seem pretty sure about that.”

Dave shrugged. “It’s what I’d do.”

“I hope you’re right, son. I truly do.”

They were both silent after that, and Marsilius didn’t speak again until he pulled into Dave’s drive and cut the engine. He offered to come in, but Dave wasn’t up for any more company, and he wanted to be alone so that he could try and figure out what his next move would be.

Inside the house, he went from room to room, securing doors and windows, but he knew the effort was futile. The glass in the back door had been broken so that someone could reach in and turn the lock. Dave wouldn’t be able to get the window fixed until the next day, and he was too tired to even board up the opening for now.

He hoped what he told Marsilius held true, that Nettle wouldn’t come for him again right away. But just in case, he placed his.38 on the sink while he showered, and slipped it underneath his pillow when he went to bed.

Then he lay on his back for a long time, staring at the ceiling as he thought about Claire. And Ruby.

He closed his eyes and tried to sleep. He was bone-deep weary, but he still couldn’t rest. After a while, he got up and walked over to the window. He heard one of the rocking chairs on his front porch creak, but he wasn’t alarmed. He knew who was down there.

He listened, heard the sound again as Marsilius shifted his weight to accommodate his bad knee. Dave stared out the window for a few minutes longer, then went downstairs to make coffee.

“‘Y
ou are my sunshine, my only sunshine…’”

The song penetrated the child’s dreams, and Maddy’s eyes slowly opened. “Mama?”

“Wake up, sleepyhead! Did you forget what today is?”

The child’s gaze darted warily around the room. “Where’s Father?”

Mama’s smile was tender. “He’s gone, darling. He won’t be back until tomorrow. We have the day all to ourselves, and I’ve planned such wonderful surprises for you. Look!” She pointed to the end of the bed, where a pink ruffled dress hung from the wooden bedpost.

“Is it mine?” Maddy asked in awe.

“Yes, of course it’s yours! Now go have your bath and I’ll help you get dressed. Then you can open one of your presents.”

The child hurried from the room and came back a few minutes later, all scrubbed and sweet smelling from the bath, blond hair curling in damp ringlets behind tiny ears.

The dress slid over thin shoulders and then Mama
turned Maddy toward the mirror. “See there! Are you not the prettiest little girl in the whole wide world?” She gave the child a brief hug. “Do you like the dress, Maddy? Does it make you happy?”

“Yes, Mama. But what if—”

She silenced the child’s fear with a fingertip. “None of that now. It’s your birthday. Nothing but happy thoughts today.”

Maddy stared at the reflection in the mirror. The child staring back
was
pretty. Maddy couldn’t help smiling. “I love you, Mama.”

“I love you, too, my sweet. Now come with me. It’s time to open one of your presents.”

Maddy followed Mama into the large hallway and down the curving stairway that led into a spacious foyer. To the left of the staircase was the front parlor, decorated with heavy antiques and ornate wallpaper that looked like velvet. Normally, Maddy wasn’t allowed to even set foot in the parlor, but today Mama had decorated the gloomy room with balloons and streamers, and the French doors stood wide open to allow in sunshine. Maddy stood gazing around. The room seemed so different today without Father brooding from his easy chair.

The table from Maddy’s playroom had been brought down and laid with tiny porcelain dishes. A bowl of camellias rested in the center of the table and the scent hung heavy and sweet on the warm air.

Presents wrapped in bright paper and gaily colored bows were stacked around the chair at the end of the table. Maddy clapped in excitement. “Can I open them?”

“Only one for now. You can open the rest when the
other children get here.” Mama walked over and picked up a large white box from the stack, handing it to Maddy. The package was lovely, wrapped in white paper and tied with a pink satin bow. Carefully, Maddy slipped off the ribbon and then, one by one, removed the sheets of scented tissue paper until the content of the box was revealed.

The child gasped in wonderment. The doll inside was lifelike and so beautiful! More beautiful, even, than Maddy’s reflection.

“Oh, Mama.”

She knelt on the floor, her eyes shimmering with tears. “Do you like her?”

The child could barely speak. “I love her! More than anything!”

“She looks just like you, Maddy.”

Or at least, the way Maddy would look if the blond curls had not been clipped so short. The doll had ringlets all the way down her back. But the blue eyes were the same. And the nose, the tiny heart-shaped mouth…

The doll looked exactly the way Maddy dreamed of looking.

“I had your aunt Savannah make her for you. Do you remember Savannah? You met her once, a long time ago. I sent her a picture. She had no idea it was you, of course, but I think the likeness is remarkable, don’t you?”

For an answer, Maddy hugged the doll tightly.

“She’ll have to be our secret, Maddy. You can only take her out on special occasions.”

“I know, Mama.”

“If your father…well, we won’t worry about that today, will we? Let’s get you ready for your party.”

Five little girls from the neighborhood had been invited over, and Mama had organized some games. After they were through playing, they took their places around the table. Maddy’s gaze lingered on each one of them, studying their features for a long, long time so that the memory of this day would last forever. Mama took pictures, but no photograph would ever be as vivid as Maddy’s memory.

And then someone mentioned Matthew, and Maddy’s heart started to pound in agitation. What if they found out the secret?

But Mama covered smoothly and said that Matthew would be celebrating his birthday a little later, because boys didn’t like to get all dressed up and attend tea parties. This time was just for Maddy.

The presents were opened then, and after the excitement died down, Mama served the cake, a beautiful three-layer strawberry confection with a rainbow across the top. The girls squealed in delight at the sight of the cake and then they all sang “Happy Birthday.”

Just as Maddy blew out the candles, a sound came from somewhere deep in the house. A door opened and closed.

The child’s gaze flew to Mama, whose face was frozen in fear. Her blue eyes darkened as a shadow filled the doorway.

“What do we have here?” a deep voice said calmly.

The pleasant tone didn’t fool Maddy. The child shivered in dread of what was to come.

“Well, Katherine, it seems as if you’ve outdone yourself this time. This looks like quite the celebration. I can’t help wondering why I wasn’t invited.”

Mama said nothing, but her face was so pale she looked as if she might faint.

“I think, perhaps, the party is over,” Father said, still in that same deceptive voice. “Katherine, I believe you should walk the children home. Do it now, please.”

Mama cast a glance in Maddy’s direction. It was obvious she didn’t want to leave the child alone, but she had no choice.

All too soon, she and the other children were gone, and the house fell deadly silent. Father walked slowly into the room, his gaze on Maddy.

“What is that you’re wearing?”

Maddy said nothing.

“Answer me when I speak to you!”

Fingers dug into the child’s arms as Maddy was lifted roughly from the table. “You’re an abomination and I can barely stand to look at you, but you’re still my child and I won’t shirk my responsibilities. I’ve found someone who can help you. His name is Dr. Church. I spoke to him before I left the medical convention yesterday. He’s made significant strides in cases like yours, but the treatment won’t work if your mother insists on turning you into a goddamn freak.”

As he said the last two words, he ripped the dress from Maddy’s thin shoulders and tossed it aside in disgust. Maddy’s shoes and socks came next, and then the underwear. Even at seven, Maddy hated being naked. Hated the way Father’s gaze lowered, then shifted away in disgust.

With trembling hands, Maddy tried to cover the scars from all the surgeries, but Father would have none of that. He picked up the dress and underwear and shoved the clothing in Maddy’s face. “If I ever come home and find you like this again, I will take you far, far away from here. You’ll never see your mother again, do you understand?”

Maddy nodded, hoping that it was all over. Father
didn’t seem as angry this time, maybe because it was Maddy’s birthday.

But then his gaze lit on the doll and his handsome features contorted in rage.

He grabbed Maddy’s arms and jerked the child clean off the floor. Then he walked across the room, flung open a closet door and shoved Maddy inside.

Terrified of the dark, Maddy sat naked and trembling, arms hugged around bony knees, and waited for Mama to come home.

After a few moments, when the shaking subsided, Maddy crawled over to the door and put an eye to the keyhole. Father stood where Maddy could see him, the doll in one hand and a butcher knife in the other.

“No!” Maddy screamed.

But Father lifted the knife, anyway, and chopped off all those long, glorious curls.

When Maddy’s mother walked in and saw what he had done, she rushed over and tried to take the doll away from him. “Daniel! How could you!”

“How could
you?
” he countered. “You are to blame for this, Katherine. Can you not see the damage you’ve done?”

“You’re the one who seems bound and determined to destroy our child. And all because of your stupid arrogance and pride.” She glanced around. “Where’s Maddy? What have you done to my baby?”

“Try to calm yourself, Katherine. Maddy will soon be in good hands. As will you.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’ve found a doctor who, God willing, can turn your little freak into a normal child. He says he can help you, too.”

“No! No more doctors! When I think of the torture you’ve subjected that poor child to—”

She tried to grab his arm, but Father slung her away and she almost fell. He didn’t seem to care.

“Dr. Church understands that you are a big part of the problem, Katherine, which is why he’s agreed to treat you, as well. Of course, you’ll have to be consigned to a hospital for the length of your treatment. Otherwise, you would do everything in your power to undermine Dr. Church’s progress.”

“You can’t send me away without my consent! For God’s sake, this isn’t the Dark Ages. I have family, friends—”

“You have no one. No one who will listen to you, anyway. Who would believe the ravings of an unstable woman over that of a respected surgeon? Not to mention a very concerned and loving husband? No, I’m afraid you will not get your way this time, Katherine. But it’s for the best. It really is.”

“I won’t let you do this!”

“There’s nothing you can do to stop me. The arrangements have already been made.”

“We’ll see about that!” Mama’s footsteps sounded across the hardwood floor, but then she gasped suddenly. “Let go of me! You’re hurting me! Daniel, no…”

She screamed, and for what seemed an eternity, Maddy heard bad sounds outside the closet door. Father called Maddy terrible names as he raged, and Mama cried and begged him to stop. Then, after a while, Mama said nothing at all.

Maddy pressed an eye to the keyhole. An eye glared back from the other side. The child screamed and shrank away.

Father opened the door. There was blood on his suit and he held something up in one hand. For one terrible moment, Maddy thought that it was Mama. But it was the doll. She swung by her shorn hair from Father’s grasp. The glassy eyes were open and staring, and the tiny lips were curled into a sweet little smile.

There was blood on the floor behind Father, but Mama was nowhere to be seen.

Maddy glanced back at the doll’s tiny, sweet smile. A smile that beckoned the child into another place, a perfect place where Father could not find them.

“That’s right. Take a good long look, you little faggot, because this is all that’s left of your precious Maddy.”

And then with one swoop of the knife, he severed the doll’s head and tossed it into the child’s lap.

Maddy screamed and screamed, but no one heard. And no one came to release him from his prison.

Matthew Cypher visited his father every single day. Usually he went in the afternoon, but today he had a lot to do, so he decided to go early. He parked in the back of the Oak Glen Nursing Home and used the rear entrance, hoping that he would not run into any of the staff who might want to chitchat today.

Hurrying down the dreary corridor, he kept his eyes averted from the open doorways, and ignored the groaning misery that followed him down the hallway. The smell of antiseptic and urine hung heavy on the air, but he was used to the scent by now. He hardly even noticed it.

An old woman sat alone in a wheelchair outside her room, and as he passed by her, she reached for him with a bony hand.

“Can you help me?”

Matthew paused, annoyed. “What seems to be the problem?”

“I can’t find my room.”

He glanced at the photograph and name mounted on the door nearest her wheelchair. “Are you Mrs. Avondale?”

“How did you know?”

“Just a wild guess.” He pushed open the door. “This is your room.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, positive.”