The Doll Collector

Chapter 14: Detective DeWitt

My heart had not stopped beating a mile a minute since reading his note. He knew my family and that shit, was not going to fly. He'd hurt enough people, he wasn't going to hurt my family, too.

I jumped into the car and hit the gas pedal, but Captain Barrera reached me through my cell phone and ordered me get on damage control. Word about Barbara's body had made it to the social media platforms before we could make even alert the family.

I begged, begged him to let me get to my family, after telling him about the note left behind by that sadistic son-of-a-bitch.

He wouldn't budge, I had to drive to Barbara Connolly's parents' home to notify them of the night's event. The clock on the dash read 1:30 a.m. Nothing ever good came at that hour. My adrenaline was wearing off and the weight of the situation was crashing down on me.

The lights were off at the Connolly home. From the looks of it, they were a well off family living in La Mirada, certainly not expecting a detective to show up and destroy their pristine world. I cut the engine as I parked right in front of their home and made my way up the driveway.

I rang the doorbell and knocked firmly on the door three times. The tension I was creating was palpable, then intensified as the Connolly's unlocked their front door and pulled it open. Their eyes were red rimmed with sleep and their hair disheveled from their pillows.

Their eyes dropped down to my badge that read DETECTIVE - LOS ANGELES POLICE

I introduced myself, lifting up the badge for them to see properly, then asked if I could come in, as I had very sensitive information.

Panic crossed their face as Mrs. Connolly invited me inside. Mr. Connolly turned on a lamp and took a seat beside his wife.

There was no easy way to tell a parent they would be burying their child soon, especially because of the actions of a serial killer.

I opened my mouth beginning with my apology, then went straight into the news. I ripped it off like a bandaid. A brief silence overcame the room. Mrs. Connolly's eyes suddenly turned redder than before, and a wail of grief escaped her lips. She collapsed into the arms of her husband. His face remained stoic but his eyes told a different story. I could see him breaking inside yet struggling to remain strong for his wife. That would change soon, he'd likely become catatonic as most of the families did when I delivered this news.

As a parent, I understood completely what they were going through. My wife and daughter could be in danger because of the same man and I couldn't be there with them.

I explained to them the circumstances of Barbara's death, as well as next steps for officially identifying her as a victim. The Connolly's weren't listening at that point, they were too consumed in their melancholic state. I apologized again and left my business card for them, promising to be available for whatever they would need.

Though it wasn't the right time to tell them, I asked them to come down to the station when they were ready, as we would be releasing a statement by 9 a.m.

The talk with families regarding the death of their loved ones, was so emotionally draining for me. Kris was the talker and sympathizer, he was always the one to do this.

As I rode back to the station, I rehearsed what I was going to say to my captain to convince him to let me shrug off my duties and let me be with my family. Upon arriving, I was met with a flood of cameras and news stations demanding answers about the mannequin at the Hollywood sign.

It was somewhere around 2:30 a.m. and the fact that the media was up and running already was even more draining. I ignored their shouts and made my way into the station. Officers were standing guard near the entrance to keep the nosy reporters outside.