to a family with young children. The yard was dominated by a monstrous, brightly colored fort, complete with swings and slide, and bicycles, balls and toys of all types were scattered everywhere. Ashley McGrath was seated at a miniature picnic table, holding a small, sleeping puppy in her lap. Her face was expressionless as she gently stroked the puppy, staring absently into the distance.
“Ashley? Remember me?” Slazak asked in as gentle a voice as he could muster.
She turned and looked at him calmly for a second or two, then looked away. She nodded.
“I’d like to ask you a few questions about last night, okay?”
Ashley continued staring straight ahead and said nothing.
“It’s okay, Ashley. He’s a policeman,” said Tammy, trying to be encouraging. “He’s here to help. You can talk to him.”
Ashley bowed her head and looked at the sleeping puppy.
Slazak pulled a lawn chair alongside the little girl and leaned toward her. “Ashley, do you remember what happened last night? Do you think you can tell me about it?”
The girl nodded slowly.
“Did you see what made your daddy crash?”
She nodded again.
“Tell him, Ashley,” Tammy urged.
“We were going to get Bully. Another car came right at us, really fast,” the young girl replied in a soft monotone voice.
“Then what happened?”
“Daddy tried to get out of the way, but we crashed into the tree. My tummy hurt from the seat belt. My glasses fell off.”
“What happened next?”
“Daddy was hurt. His head was all bloody, and he didn’t answer when I talked to him,” she said in a faraway voice. “Then the man came and looked in the window.”
“The policeman?” Slazak asked.
“No,” Ashley replied. “Another man came before the policeman. He looked at Daddy, and he talked to me.”
“Are you sure it wasn’t one of the policemen, Ashley?”
Ashley nodded, still staring straight ahead as if in a trance, while stroking the little bulldog.
“Do you remember what he said?” Slazak asked.
“He said he would get help for Daddy.”
“Do you remember what he looked like?”
Ashley looked down at the puppy and did not respond.
Slazak leaned in closer to the little girl. “Ashley, this is really important, okay? Do you remember what the man looked like?”
Her lower lip began to quiver as tears welled up in her eyes. Slazak didn’t know whether she felt bad because she was unable to answer his question or whether his questioning had caused the child to relive the terrible event. He touched her gently on the knee. “That’s all right, Ashley. You’ve been very helpful. Just one more question, okay?”
She nodded.
“Is there anything else you think I should know about last night?”
She turned and looked at him through tear-filled eyes, then looked down again. “It’s my fault,” she said in a voice that was barely audible.
“What?” Slazak asked, startled by the comment.
“It’s my fault,” she said again, her voice quavering. “I couldn’t find Mr. Growl, and I made us late. If I hadn’t made us late, we wouldn’t have been there when the other car was.” She began sniffling. A tear fell on the little puppy’s back, and she quickly wiped it off.
Tammy stepped between them, knelt in front of the child, and wrapped her in a tight embrace. “Oh, Ashley,” she said through her own tears. “Don’t ever think that way! It wasn’t your fault at all. It was just an accident.”
She looked reproachfully at Slazak, who took that as a sign that it was time to leave.
“That’s right, kid,” Slazak said softly, struggling to keep his own emotions in check. “It’s not your fault.” He stood up, unsure what to say or do next. “I’ll be leaving now,” he said, directing his comment to the babysitter. “I can find my way out,” he said awkwardly when the babysitter failed to respond. “Bye, Ashley.”
CHAPTER 9
D anny Moran sat alone in his study. The room had always felt warm and comfortable to
“Ashley? Remember me?” Slazak asked in as gentle a voice as he could muster.
She turned and looked at him calmly for a second or two, then looked away. She nodded.
“I’d like to ask you a few questions about last night, okay?”
Ashley continued staring straight ahead and said nothing.
“It’s okay, Ashley. He’s a policeman,” said Tammy, trying to be encouraging. “He’s here to help. You can talk to him.”
Ashley bowed her head and looked at the sleeping puppy.
Slazak pulled a lawn chair alongside the little girl and leaned toward her. “Ashley, do you remember what happened last night? Do you think you can tell me about it?”
The girl nodded slowly.
“Did you see what made your daddy crash?”
She nodded again.
“Tell him, Ashley,” Tammy urged.
“We were going to get Bully. Another car came right at us, really fast,” the young girl replied in a soft monotone voice.
“Then what happened?”
“Daddy tried to get out of the way, but we crashed into the tree. My tummy hurt from the seat belt. My glasses fell off.”
“What happened next?”
“Daddy was hurt. His head was all bloody, and he didn’t answer when I talked to him,” she said in a faraway voice. “Then the man came and looked in the window.”
“The policeman?” Slazak asked.
“No,” Ashley replied. “Another man came before the policeman. He looked at Daddy, and he talked to me.”
“Are you sure it wasn’t one of the policemen, Ashley?”
Ashley nodded, still staring straight ahead as if in a trance, while stroking the little bulldog.
“Do you remember what he said?” Slazak asked.
“He said he would get help for Daddy.”
“Do you remember what he looked like?”
Ashley looked down at the puppy and did not respond.
Slazak leaned in closer to the little girl. “Ashley, this is really important, okay? Do you remember what the man looked like?”
Her lower lip began to quiver as tears welled up in her eyes. Slazak didn’t know whether she felt bad because she was unable to answer his question or whether his questioning had caused the child to relive the terrible event. He touched her gently on the knee. “That’s all right, Ashley. You’ve been very helpful. Just one more question, okay?”
She nodded.
“Is there anything else you think I should know about last night?”
She turned and looked at him through tear-filled eyes, then looked down again. “It’s my fault,” she said in a voice that was barely audible.
“What?” Slazak asked, startled by the comment.
“It’s my fault,” she said again, her voice quavering. “I couldn’t find Mr. Growl, and I made us late. If I hadn’t made us late, we wouldn’t have been there when the other car was.” She began sniffling. A tear fell on the little puppy’s back, and she quickly wiped it off.
Tammy stepped between them, knelt in front of the child, and wrapped her in a tight embrace. “Oh, Ashley,” she said through her own tears. “Don’t ever think that way! It wasn’t your fault at all. It was just an accident.”
She looked reproachfully at Slazak, who took that as a sign that it was time to leave.
“That’s right, kid,” Slazak said softly, struggling to keep his own emotions in check. “It’s not your fault.” He stood up, unsure what to say or do next. “I’ll be leaving now,” he said, directing his comment to the babysitter. “I can find my way out,” he said awkwardly when the babysitter failed to respond. “Bye, Ashley.”
CHAPTER 9
D anny Moran sat alone in his study. The room had always felt warm and comfortable to
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