Did they mean on October 28 at 8PM in the garden ... ? I've read lots of French and never heard time referred to as "balles". Or -- I've got it? -- do they mean he took eight bullets (balles)?
That's the only way it makes much sense to me - I had to reach for the dictionary on that one ;)
balle
Nom féminin
(a) (Sport) ball; ~ de tennis tennis ball; lancer la ~ to serve; renvoyer la ~ to return the ball (à qn, to sb); (fig) to answer back (à qn, to sb); jouer à la ~ to play ball; faire quelques ~s to have a warm-up, have a knock-up; (fig) prendre la ~ au bond to jump at the chance; (fig) la ~ est dans votre champ the ball's in your court
(b) bullet; ~ plastique/traçante plastic/tracer bullet; ~ de fusil rifle bullet; ~ perdue/morte stray/spent bullet; à l'épreuve des ~s bulletproof; les trous que les ~s ont fait dans le mur the bulletholes in the wall; (Vulg) trou de ~ arsehole (Vulg)
(c) chaff, husk of wheat; (Slang) peau de ~ sod-all, damn-all
(d) bale of hay, cotton
(e) (Slang) franc; t'as pas dix ~s? (said by a friend) have you got a quid on you?; (said by a tramp) have you got any spare change?, can you spare any change?