House of Dolls

The Discovery of Warren and Shari

Black smoke billowed in the distance as the crowd grew larger. Some patrons left to see if they could be of some assistance while others stared out the window, or from the parking lot. Many were speechless, while others were saying a silent prayer if any people were involved in such devastation.

Nathan sat at his table, listening to the sirens' wailing as they approached his house. He overheard some of the other guests conversing, each wondering what had happened. Nathan then leaned back in his chair with a cocky grin, careful not to draw attention to his enthusiasm. Nathan knew his plan had worked, and after hearing the commotion, he decided to return to his house rather than wait for the phone call informing him of his parent's death. He wanted everyone to see his outstanding performance as he mourned the loss of his parents. Nathan lingered at the restaurant for another ten minutes before starting the drive back to his house. Nathan had enough time on the way out of town to practice his answers to the questions he knew he'd have to answer.

As Nathan turned right into the Hickey Farm's long driveway, he noticed several fire engines and police cruisers. The Hickey house was engulfed in roaring flames as high as the trees, drawing the attention of people for miles around. The fire had consumed nearly all of the Hickey Farmhouse's two thousand, four hundred and seventy-six square feet. Nathan marveled at his work as he stepped out of his vehicle. As he rushed toward his home, he changed his excited expression to one of despair.

"My parents! Where are my parents!" Nathan screamed as he performed the best act of his life.

He needed to be believable, but not overly dramatic, drawing suspicion to himself. Nathan darted toward the house when he arrived as officers screamed at him to stop.

"Son, you need to stay back!" Officer Stanley yelled as he grabbed Nathan to turn him from the flames.

The heat from the blaze could be felt at the end of the driveway as the flames towered high in the sky. The roaring sound of the fire was deafening as others screamed for possible victims inside.

"My parents were in the house before I left! Someone needs to see if they made it out OK!" Nathan pleaded with the officer. Officer Stanley knew the Hickey family, as well as the whole town, had. Nathan tried to break free, but was held tight, halting his sprint. He was urged to stay back.

Nathan began to pace with his hands over his head in a sudden act of desperation. "Somebody, please help them! My parents were in there! They were home when I left!" He continued to shout.

"Nathan, come over here with me." Officer Stanley requested. Nathan then followed the officer to the side of his yard so they could continue their conversation.

"Son, you said your parents were inside?" At that point, a concerned look fell over Officer Stanley's face. He knew if anyone had been in the home, they would surely be deceased.

"Yes, my parents were in there when I left! My dad was resting on his chair, and my mom was on the couch; oh God, I hope they made it out!" Nathan retrieved his cell phone from his pocket, fumbling with the phone in his hands in an attempt to appear frantic. He dialed his parents' cell phone to give the impression that he hoped they were still alive. He couldn't make it appear as if he knew they were dead.

"Dad, it's Nathan; please call me back! The house is on fire, and I need to make sure you and mom are OK!"

Nathan began to cry in front of Officer Stanley and his entire audience, clearly frustrated by his inability to contact his parents. The roof of his childhood home collapsed just as he finished his call. Because it was an old farmhouse with its original bones, it didn't take long for the fire to spread and consume the entire structure.

The fire took hours to put out, and the farmhouse was reduced to a smoldering shell. The fire was extinguished as firefighters entered the structure to ensure Warren and Shari were safe. They entered the house and proceeded to the living room, where Nathan claimed he had last seen his parents.

One of the firefighters came out with his head down, shaking his head in disbelief, motioning for Officer Stanley to come to meet him away from Nathan. "We'll have to call the coroner; we have two deceased victims inside," the fireman told Stanley.

Officer Stanley turned to face Nathan, his heart broken by the news he had to deliver to him. As Officer Stanley approached, Nathan paced incessantly, biting his nails. "Son, come and have a seat on the hood of my car." Officer Stanley requested. Nathan followed him to his cruiser and placed himself on the edge of the hood. "Nathan," Officer Stanley placed his hand on Nathan's right shoulder, "We found two bodies inside badly burnt, and we believe they are your parents."

Nathan, using his effective acting techniques, immediately began to cry. He was aware that his reaction had to be precise. "Oh my God, this can't be true!" Nathan then collapsed to his knees in agony as Officer Stanley consoled him. His performance had been Oscar-worthy, and no one had suspected him of anything.

Shortly after Nathan learned of their deaths, the coroner arrived to remove the bodies. Both were carefully placed in black body bags before being lifted onto stretchers. Nathan dashed over to his parent's bodies as if he needed to see them. Another officer came to halt in his sprint as he extended his arm to catch Nathan, with Officer Stanley close behind. "I need to see my parents! Let me go see my parents!" Nathan was an excellent choice for the role of the bereaved son.

"Son, you can't go over there; you don't want to see them like that!" Officer Stanley yelled as he caught up to Nathan.

Nathan continued to whimper as he attempted to extend his performance. He didn't want to overdo it, but he needed it to be believable. Officer Stanley comforted him for a short while longer as he slumped to the ground. His heart broke for the young man in front of him that had just lost his whole world. He knew Nathan would eventually need a place to go and made sure Nathan had somewhere safe he could be for the remainder of the evening.

"Nathan, do you have somewhere to go for tonight? The scene is secure, and I have a fire investigator here who will be here for a while. I think it's best if you have somewhere to go for the rest of the evening. There's nothing more we can do here tonight. Is there a close relative or a friend I can call for you?" Officer Stanley looked on with sympathy as he hoped Nathan had a place to stay.

It took Nathan a few minutes to respond. He needed the look of shock to be seen on his face. He stared off into the distance as he effortlessly forced his tears. It was easy for him, and the excitement of his parent's death was what truly brought him to tears. He had to make Officer Stanley believe he was severely traumatized by what took place, so he continued to stare.

"Son?" Officer Stanley continued, "Who would you like for me to call?" he asked as he knelt beside Nathan.

Nathan, seated on the ground with his head between his legs, glanced up and muttered the name "Anna Cox."