He looked away then. “I heard what you told Leslie in the interview. You painted your mother as a barefoot, happy-go-lucky hippie who loved life and had a carefree and easy nature.” He shook his head. “The truth is, you wore rose-colored glasses or your memory has conformed to what it wishes your life was with her. She was a conniving, manipulative bitch who treated you like shit. That’s the truth, no matter how you may want to remember it.”
This took Ginny aback, but if she was going to be honest—and she was the one who’d been telling Tommy it was time for the truth—he was right. Vince and Delia. She hadn’t thought about them in years. She hadn’t thought about them at all until a few months ago when Leslie asked her about her childhood.
She let all she’d heard sink in. It hit her then that Tommy could’ve just told her about Grizz being his father, held back on the other things. But he hadn’t. He’d gone further, told her more. So much more. Grizz being Tommy’s father was the only secret Leslie had alluded to. Leslie didn’t know the other things. About Grizz’s real childhood. About Delia knowing where she was all those years. Tommy didn’t have to share those things, but he did.
Maybe he really had planned on telling her some things she didn’t know. Maybe he was telling the truth.
She pursed her lips. So Delia knew where she was. Knew that Grizz took her. And didn’t do a single thing about it. Why would this surprise her?
Actually, it didn’t. It was typical Delia.
Chapter Forty-Four
May 10, 1975
Five Days Before the Abduction
It had been a long day. Grizz leaned on the sink and studied his reflection in the mirror. He’d just shaved off his beard. The skin looked pale beneath it. He would give it a try.
Other than a little sunburn on his nose and forehead, he didn’t look as tired as he felt. He’d just gotten back from the west coast of Florida and a meeting with his friend, Anthony. Anthony Bear and Grizz had been friends since their younger days of stealing and selling specialty auto parts. They’d spent some time in jail together, too. Anthony was the leader of his own crew on the west coast. His crowd was housed just past the Alley exit. Grizz and Anthony met regularly to discuss their dealings. Their so-called businesses were managed separately, but they were friends and easily traded stories and experiences that could help the other. Not to mention the occasional business deal.
Grizz hadn’t seen Ginny in more than two months. His timing was off each time he’d tried to check up on her. He’d found he was looking after her more now that she was a teenager. He liked watching out for her. He liked taking care of her, too, even if she didn’t know he was doing it. He splashed cold water on his face.
Several loud motorcycles were pulling up to the front of the motel, interrupting his thoughts. Running his wet hands through his hair, he walked out to the pit. He checked in with Blue.
Then, without telling anyone where he was going, he left. Less than forty minutes later, he pulled up at Guido’s and went inside.
“Hey man, what’s up big guy?” Guido asked from his sofa. Guido had been laying down reading the paper when Grizz arrived. A cigarette had burned itself out in an ashtray on the coffee table. Three beer cans, presumably empty, were next to it. Grizz hadn’t knocked, just let himself in, but Guido seemed unfazed. Technically, it was Grizz’s house.
“Have you seen Ginny? I keep missing her. Is she home now?” Grizz asked.
“She isn’t home now, but I’m sure she’s okay. She’s been tutoring some kid.” Guido sat up. “I could hear her telling her mom about it and, of course, all her mother wanted to know was if she was getting paid for it, which I don’t think she is.”
“What kid?” Grizz stood above him.
“Um, I don’t know. He’s been coming around. Picked her up for school a couple of days. He’s been driving her home, too. He picked her up about eleven this morning. They looked like they were going to the beach.” Guido’s voice grew small, like he’d realized he’d made a mistake. “Uh, you know, like every other teenager in Fort Lauderdale with a license. He hasn’t brought her home yet.”
The muscle in Grizz’s jaw clenched. It was obvious Guido could tell Grizz didn’t like this new development and that Grizz was probably pissed off that Guido hadn’t said something earlier. It was a Saturday. Kids do what kids do on Saturdays. What was with this guy and his obsession with the girl next door? The underage girl next door.
Grizz tried to control his temper. He didn’t know why he was so mad, but he was. He subconsciously reached for his beard and was caught by surprise when he grabbed his freshly-shaven chin instead. He looked around the small living room. With the exception of some newspapers scattered on the coffee table and the beer cans, the room was tidy. The furniture was minimal but comfortable. The house smelled like cigarettes and perspiration. The windows were open, letting in a warm breeze in the waning afternoon. It was starting to get dark. He’d wait.
He sat in an overstuffed chair that faced the front window and stayed like that for what seemed like forever, but was only about thirty minutes. He made Guido turn off the television and wouldn’t let him turn on any lights. They talked in low voices, about business and nonsense, when finally they heard a vehicle pull up.
Grizz stood and went to the window, off to the side. He was certain he couldn’t be seen. The hands at his sides clenched into tight fists.
It was a jeep. It had pulled up into Ginny’s driveway and parked itself behind Delia’s old car in the carport. There were no lights on in the house. Her parents must be getting drunk at Smitty’s. He listened as Ginny and the guy got out of the jeep and walked up to her front porch.
“So,” the boy was saying, “So…one night this week…do you wanna go out?”
Ginny cocked her head. “Like on a date?”
“Yeah, a date. If that’s what you want to call it. We could even go out tonight, if you want to. I can go home and shower and come back for you.”
She smiled. “So, a date if that’s what I want to call it. So if I don’t call it a date, then it’s like two friends hanging out?” She walked to her front door and fidgeted in her beach bag for the key. It still wasn’t completely dark out, but the waning light was making it difficult to see in her bag. She had to feel around for it.
“Well, no, not like friends.”
She found her key and inserted it in the dead bolt, but turned around to look at him. “Not a date. Not friends. You’re confusing me, Matthew,” she teased, tilting her head to one side as she looked up at him.
“Gin, you have to know that I like you.”
“I know I’ve been tutoring you and spending time with you and your family. They’re really great.” Ugh. That sounded so stupid, she thought to herself. She looked at the ground shyly. She didn’t know what else to say.
Truth be told, she wasn’t good at reading signals. And she certainly wasn’t good at trading banter with a boy she might be interested in. She’d focused for so long on her grades, getting an education, and getting out of this house that she never let herself have any fun. She’d spent the day at the beach with him without incident. He was a perfect gentleman. They chatted about school as they strolled along the shore. They had come upon a volleyball game in progress and were asked to join in, which they did. When one of the guys she had just met started showing an interest, Matthew interrupted that it was time to get back to their things that they’d left on the beach. That was the first hint that she had that he might like her as more than a friend and tutor.
She enjoyed her time with Matthew. He was a quick learner and probably didn’t really even need help. He just had a hard time concentrating. She guessed that was a drawback to being popular. Matthew Rockman was the school’s star running back. Football season was obviously over, but he was too busy socializing to focus on the things that really mattered. Like his grades and future.
She couldn’t help it, though. She liked him. He made her laugh and laughter was something that was seri
ously missing from her life.
“Yes. Yes, I would like to go out with you, but not until Friday. I don’t go out on school nights and I already have plans for tonight.”
What she didn’t tell him was that her plans for tonight included vacuuming and laundry. Spending the day at the beach had cost her valuable chore time. And she was a little embarrassed to admit she really didn’t go out any nights. She was pretty much a loner and had preferred it that way.
Until now.
“Call it a date, call it a friendship. Call it whatever you want,” she said shyly.
Matthew stepped in closer to her and took her face in his hands. He bent lower to kiss her softly on her lips. It was a sweet kiss. No big make-out session, but it had an effect she didn’t expect. She liked it. She slipped her arms around his waist and pulled him a little closer to her. The kiss started to deepen when headlights broke the spell. There was a loud noise from somewhere, but it was lost in the sound of the rickety van engine as it pulled onto the swale in front of the house.
“Vince and Delia are home,” she said as he pulled back from her.
“Do you want me to ask your father if I can take you out?” Matthew’s voice was sincere.
“Not necessary. They won’t care.”
Guido had started to panic. He’d been watching from behind Grizz as the boy walked Ginny to her door. He was too short to see over Grizz’s shoulder, so he looked around the massive biker to see what was happening. Even though Ginny and her friend weren’t talking loudly, they could still be heard. The night was quiet, the houses were close together, and Guido’s windows were always open. That’s how he heard most of the conversations going on in the homes on each side of his own.
He sensed Grizz’s body tensing when the boy asked her out. The air was so thick with Grizz’s anger it could’ve be cut with a knife. Guido flinched when the boy kissed her and Grizz punched the wall. He didn’t know if Grizz was going to do anything else. He didn’t know why Grizz was so angry. Thank goodness Vince and Delia pulled up when they did.
Matthew left. The family next door was now in their home. Lights were turning on and snippets of conversation could be heard. Without saying a word, Grizz let himself out the front door, got in his car and left.
Guido finally turned on a living room light and sighed. There was a gigantic hole punched in the drywall between the front door and the window. Dammit. He would have to get that fixed.
Chapter Forty-Five
May 12, 1975
Three Days Before the Abduction
Grizz pulled up to the little store on Andrews Avenue. He could tell by the outside décor that it probably specialized in girly, novelty items. At least that was what the owner thought was being sold. But Grizz knew Ginny’s mother was using it as a front to sell her pot. He didn’t really give a shit. That’s not what he was here for.
Seeing Ginny kiss that boy had really unnerved him. He’d been right in thinking she was maturing. She looked even more like a woman in the arms of a man. Or rather, a boy. His jaw muscles tightened just thinking about how difficult it had been that night at Guido’s. If Ginny’s parents hadn’t pulled in when they did, there was no telling what he might’ve done. He fell asleep Saturday night dreaming of pounding the kid’s face into a shapeless sack and he didn’t know why.
He opened the door and had to duck below the tinkling chimes. He immediately was hit with the overpowering scent of incense. It hung in the air like a blanket. He also knew it was burning to mask the smell of weed. So, she was smoking weed on the job. Of course she was. He looked around but didn’t see her, so he headed for the counter at the back of the store.
Delia took one last pull on her joint, holding it in for less time than usual. She exhaled and then picked up her cigarette. She had been in the back of the store unpacking some new merchandise. She would go out and see if this new customer needed any help.
She stopped short when she came out of the back room. Standing behind the sales counter was the biggest, scariest looking man she had ever seen, certainly not the type of person who frequented this kind of store. Lulu’s sold herbal remedies, macramé jewelry and belts, hanging planters, fragrant homemade candles and soaps. She also had her own specific clientele, but they were more of a casual crowd. This guy looked downright ominous. Maybe he was buying something for his wife.
She casually approached him and laid her cigarette in a homemade pottery ashtray on the counter. She had quit smoking cigarettes a while back and just had them on hand for when she got high at work. They masked the smell of pot in the store and on her breath. This one would eventually burn itself out. “Can I help you?” she asked with almost a touch of arrogance.
He didn’t answer. Just stared at her. His eyes were mesmerizing, almost hypnotic. She sized him up without breaking from his gaze. Big and menacing. Criminal? Maybe. She reached below the counter to see if the baseball bat she kept there was within reach. Lulu’s wasn’t in the safest neighborhood. He noticed her movement.
“You’ll leave that where it is,” he calmly stated.
“Leave what?”
“Whatever the fuck it is you’re reaching for.”
She calmly laid both hands on the counter. “Okay, so what can I help you with, Mister—?” She let it hang there, hoping he would offer a name.
He was a little surprised. He knew she was a hippie pothead. But he never expected her to be a brave one. She was stoned. Maybe that made her brave.
“You have a daughter,” he began.
“I don’t know what you’re trying—”
“I’m talking. You will shut up and listen. Got it? Don’t answer. Just nod.”
She nodded.
“You have a daughter. She’s a smart and pretty girl. She doesn’t do drugs or sleep around. She makes perfect grades. She does all your banking. Pays all your bills. Cooks, cleans, does your laundry. Even takes care of the animals that run all over your house. She’s basically in your employ for food and a room.”
This caught Delia off guard.
“You make her sound like a slave,” she said, forgetting the rule that she was supposed to just shut up and listen.
“She is a slave. I’ll make this simple. I want her.”
Delia’s eyes widened.
“Now, I don’t need your permission to take her. I can just take her and I can guarantee you that you will not go to the police. You will tell everyone who asks, including your husband, that she ran away.”
Delia didn’t know what to say to this. Who was this guy and why did he want Gin? She peered at him. “Look. I don’t know who you are and I don’t know why you want my daughter. But she’s not for sale.”
“I didn’t offer to buy her, but I find it interesting that you mentioned it.” He sneered at her.
“I didn’t offer to sell her, so—”
“So, since you mentioned it,” he spoke over her, “here’s the price. I won’t tell the cops about your stash and your little side business. I’ll even let you and Vince live. How’s that for payment?”
She was so shocked by the fact that he knew about her pot business and her husband’s name that she couldn’t answer right away.
“I—I, I love my girl.”
“Yeah, tell that to somebody who’ll actually believe it. You use her. You don’t love anybody.”
“I care about her! And how do I even know you won’t do what you said to me and Vince? I still don’t even know who the hell you are!”
He cocked his head to one side and looked at her seriously. Interesting, he thought. She’s more worried about the threat he made to her and her husband than about her daughter’s well-being. Then he remembered the circumstances that led up to the Johnny Tillman incident. Had he actually let himself believe Delia had started to give a shit about Ginny since then? No. She was still a heartless bitch.
“You don’t know. But you shouldn’t risk it. You shouldn’t cross me.” He then reached into his right pocket and took out a plastic sandwich b
ag. He plopped it on the counter.
“Or what?” she asked haughtily. “You’ll threaten me with your lunch?”
She squinted at the clear bag now lying on the counter in front of her. It looked like two shriveled and dried up worms.
“Just wanted you to see what happens when someone pisses me off. You remember Johnny Tillman? The fuck that tried to rape her?”
How did this guy know about that? “Yeah, what about him?” she asked, still staring at the sandwich bag. It must have been in the freezer. It looked like there was condensation on the inside of the bag.
Grizz leaned on the counter and got close to her face. “I know what you did that night. And I know why.”
This caught Delia off guard. She took a step back and composed herself. She couldn’t think of what to say to him so she acted like she didn’t hear his last few remarks. “Want me to ask him why I shouldn’t piss you off? I can’t. He took off.”
“You can ask him, but he won’t answer,” he replied as he picked up the baggie and tossed it at her.
She caught it with one hand. “Really, and why is that?”
“Because you’re holding his lips.”
She gasped and dropped the baggie. He turned and walked out of Lulu’s, calling over his shoulder, “If you need more proof, I keep his balls in my freezer.”
Grizz decided to stop by The Red Crab and get something to eat. He had another pressing matter to attend to, but it would be better if he handled that one after dark. He was going to find Matthew Rockman and have a little talk.
**********