* Recording starts *

Norma: Hello, you must be Kendra?

Kendra: Yes, mrs. Michaels. So lovely to meet you.

Norma: Please, have a seat. You come highly recommended, so consider this a formality.

Kendra: Thank you, I’m very happy to hear that.

Norma: Do you mind if I record the interview? I have a terrible memory, you see.

Kendra: No, not all, mrs. Michaels, go right ahead.

Norma: Bless you, child. My Roderick can be a handful, you know. But he’s such a sweetheart.

Kendra: I’m sure he is.

Norma: But after everything that happened, he is in dire need of some stability.

Kendra: Oh, I’m all about stability, mrs. Michaels. Um, if you don’t mind me asking…

Norma: Yes? And please, call me Norma.

Kendra: Yes, of course, Norma. You mentioned that something happened to Roderick? May I ask what?

Norma: Oh, all that. Silly old thing, really. He was kidnapped about two years ago. Snatched right from daycare. In broad daylight.

Kendra: Oh, I’m so sorry. That must have been horrible.

Norma: It was a challenging time, but we got through it.

Kendra: Did they catch them? Um, the kidnappers?

Norma: They came close a few times, but they kept moving him around. For all I know they’re still out there.

Kendra: Oh, god, I’m really sorry I brought it up.

Norma: Don’t worry your pretty little head dear, I don’t think we’ll ever hear from them again.

Kendra: How can you be so sure?

Norma: They never got what they wanted, did they? I refused to pay the ransom demand. You cannot reward such atrocious behaviour.

Kendra: Um, wow, that’s a...um, very interesting approach. How long was he, um, gone for?

Norma: He was restored after three months.

Kendra: Three months? He was with them for three whole months? Surely he must have seen something that could point the police in the right direction?

Norma: No, that’s the first thing they sent.

Kendra: I’m sorry, I don’t follow…

Norma: The eyes were the first parts of him they sent.

*Silence*

Kendra: I’m not sure I fully understand...They sent you...pieces...of Roderick?

Norma: Quite. Clearly, after such trauma, you can appreciate the need for stability.

Kendra: Um, yes, definitely, I mean…Jesus, how long did it go on for?

Norma: What do you mean?

Kendra: I mean, um, you know, how many...pieces did they send before they let him go?

Norma: Oh, I think you’re getting the wrong idea. Here, let me show you instead.

* Audible footsteps *

Norma: Roderick? Meet your new nanny, Kendra. Kendra, this is my sweet Roderick.

* Muffled shriek *

Norma: Do you see now? They never stopped sending him to me.

Kendra: Ohmygodohmygodohmygod...

Norma: Silly of them, wasn’t it? All I had to do was reassemble him. Didn’t cost me a dime.

* Audible thump *

Kendra: Jesus fucking christ.

Norma: Parts of him keep falling off though. Stability, Kendra.

* Retching noises *

Norma: He needs stability.

* Recording stops *