Beautiful Girls

by Gary S. Griffin

  “This tough stuff never ends.”

  “I know, hang in there, baby.”

  Then, Edie said, “Oh, I almost forgot. I called a cleanup company and a contractor. I’m having them do work on the mansion’s garage apartment. The cleanup people arrive tomorrow. They’re not maids. These guys specialize in difficult conditions like this. They also do work after fires and floods; that kind of stuff.”

  “That’s good. You were busy today.”

  “Not that busy. I’m already getting cabin fever, Stevie.”

  “Yeah, I understand. Look, I know it’s premature, but I want to think about our wedding. We need to do that right away. Now that I know you’re pregnant, I don’t stop thinking about it. We need to get married, baby.”

  “That’s my fiancé.”

  “Edie, I’m serous. I want to do the right thing right away.”

  “I know, I was just kidding. I do, too. I just don’t know about a big wedding. Can we do something small, maybe just you, me and Tawny?”

  “That’s a good idea. My family will be disappointed, but they’ll understand.”

  “Are you sure?”

  I said, “Yes, I think so. Why don’t I tell them we’ll come back to Delaware very soon? We could have a party there and invite my family and friends.”

  “I like that idea, Stevie.”

  “OK, well, that’s a plan. It could be a while before we head east. We have so many loose ends to resolve here.”

  “For sure.”

  As we talked, I looked at the fireplace in front of me. I looked at the fireplace tools and saw the poker. It hit me all at once. I remembered the climax of our first adventure in 1995. It happened right here, in front of this fireplace. Then, the memories flooded back of my actions and regrets since that day. This was the first time and place where my actions led to the death of someone, even if I acted in self-defense. This poker was my weapon and defense against Kathy Reese’s long knife. I shuddered.

  From a distant place, I heard my name, twice. I couldn’t respond. It was Edie’s voice, saying my name repeatedly.

  As my anxiety reached a peak, I somehow came back to that room, that space. I reluctantly broke my focus, and said to Edie, “I’m here.”

  “What’s wrong, Stevie?”

  “I looking at the fireplace and had a flashback to Kathy Reese. I, I― ”

  “Oh, Stevie, I understand. It hits me too, from time to time.”

  I whispered, “I’m sorry, Edie. I didn’t mean to bring it up.”

  “No, don’t be sorry. You saved my life and Andi’s. I can never thank you enough.”

  “We were lucky; somehow, I don’t know how I did it, really. I just acted.”

  “You were incredible.”

  The mantel clock reached the top of the hour and began to chime twelve times. I welcomed the distraction.

  “I’m always here for you, Stevie.”

  “Thank you, Edie. I’m OK. Baby, I’ll wrap up for now. Look, I’ll call you at 9 AM, when I’m on the road. I should be heading to Phoenix by then.”

  “OK, Stevie, I love you.”

  “I love you, too. Give Tawny a hug and kiss for me.”

  “I will.”

  “Good night, Edie.”

  “Good night, Stevie.”

  I hung up.

  ***

  Friday, October 22, 2004

  I left the cabin at 7:30 in the morning. Over the course of the night I thought of other questions for Sister Carrie. I didn’t like the idea of getting a later start on my trip, but felt the stop was worth it. I drove down the winding mountain road to Tucson and worked my way through rush hour traffic. I pulled into the Cactus City Kitchen before 9 AM. Breakfast clean up was under way. I was directed to the kitchen. Sister Carrie was speaking to two cooks when she turned and saw my male escort and me. She recognized me and guessed my reason for being there.

  “Good morning, Mr. Garrett, how are you this sunny day?”

  “I’m fine, Sister, may I have just a few more minutes of your time?”

  “I’m terribly busy, Mr. Garrett.”

  I repeated her key word in my reply, “It’s terribly important.”

  She smiled at me and said, “A few minutes…”

  She directed me to the same table in the dining room as the day before.

  “So, what’s so terribly important, Mr. Garrett?”

  I handed her the envelope containing the letter and the bible cutting. She read them slowly.

  She then said, “This is odd.”

  “It is. That’s why I’m here. I’ve talked to Edie and we think Rob relates to this story. He thinks he’s Nabal, an evil man who will be punished.”

  She looked at me and then looked up at the sky lights and paused. Then, she said, “Oh, I don’t know. You’re speculating.”

  “True, we are, but we feel we need to find him, before more hurt is done.”

  “OK. So, what do you want from me?”

  “Did Rob ever talk about being punished by life, by God?”

  Sister Carrie said, “Not to me. Like I said yesterday, he believed life never worked out for him, because of sins that changed his life.”

  “Do you mean Sid Gabriel’s death?”

  “No, it was something before that.”

  I said, “Yes, that’s what I think, too. Do you know what happened?”

  “I don’t know for sure.”

  “OK, but, back to the bible story. This 25th chapter from 1 Samuel is a story of vengeance, vengeance that David wanted to take on Nabal. But, Abigail stopped David from doing it. We see parallels with us, with Rob and Edie and me. I’m hunting Rob, but like I said yesterday, Edie has made me promise to try everything I can to not hurt Rob when I find him.”

  “Yes.”

  “Do you see what I’m saying about the parallels of the bible story with real life?”

  “To some extent, but what do you want me to say?”

  “I don’t know. What do think the end game is here? Rob knows we’re hunting him.”

  “I guess it’s like you said, he knows you won’t hurt him. Other than that, I agree, he’s a desperate person. The hurts from years ago caused him to snap. I didn’t see this coming.”

  “I have an idea what it might be, but I think time will show us. How long have you known Rob?”

  “We went to high school together.”

  “You did?”

  “Yes, here in Tucson.”

  “Were you close?”

  “He took me to the Prom, and we dated a few months after we graduated until we broke up and then started dating my cousin, Sandra.”

  “That was his wife, Edie’s mother, correct?”

  “Yes.”

  “Have you been close to Rob ever since?”

  “No. We were out of touch for years. Then, he reached out to me while he was in prison.”

  “Did you respond to him?”

  “Yes, yes I did. We wrote each other and I visited him a few times. I spoke at his parole hearing, and I offered him this job when he got out. He accepted.”

  “I see. Thank you for your time, Sister.”

  I left her staring at me and then up at the sky lights.

  Long Drive

  A long drive alone is a test. It’s a test of your concentration. It’s a test for your reflexes. It tests your body.

  I have a few simple, yet effective rules when I drive above the speed limit. Rule One – never be the fastest driver on the road. Rule Two – obey all other driving laws. Rule Three – don’t tailgate. Rule Four – drive smart with road and weather conditions.

  I followed my rules during the long drive from Tucson to Las Vegas. It took me less time than the eight and a half hours both Lomita and Edie told me it would.

  ***

  I called Edie after I cleared the morning traffic north of Tucson. Speaking to her helped me. Hearing her feminine voice, learning her concerns, discussing our plans, all connected me to my real life.

  “So,
tell me again, what are you going to do with my father when you find him?”

  I said, “Like I said, ideally, I’d like to speak to him. If that’s not possible, then I want him to be taken alive, unharmed by the Las Vegas Police.

  “OK. When will you go to the Liquid Lounge?”

  “I’m driving straight to it now.”

  “If you are able to talk to him, I want to do so, too.”

  “Well, sure, let’s see how it goes.”

  “We could drive up to Las Vegas and meet him there.”

  “True, but it would be a difficult thing for Tawny to see him again.”

  “Oh, that’s true, what was I thinking?”

  “Edie, don’t beat yourself up. We both want to know why he did what he did. It’s possible that we’ll never know.”

  “I think you’re right.”

  I asked, “So, what else is up?”

  “Not much. I need to keep busy, to do something. Fortunately, I have some ideas.”

  “What are they?”

  “Tawny should be in school. I plan to call her principal today, explain what’s happened and see if her teachers could get her books and assignments together. Then, we could take a day trip to L.A. next week to pick up the work. While we’re there we could stop by the mansion and get other clothes and things.”

  I said, “Those are good ideas.”

  “Tawny will really start falling behind in her work, and I’d guess the teachers will try to help.”

  “I’m sure they will. Look, let me know when you get it arranged. I’ll call Lieutenant Lomita and arrange for a police officer to be at the mansion while you’re there.”

  “OK. You know, Stevie, when I was thinking of Tawny and school, I thought of the big picture.”

  “You usually do.”

  She said, “Well, so do you. Look, here’s the thing. Tawny doesn’t have any parents now. The schools may not want to deal with me; you know; I’m not her parent. We need to do something, soon, I think. I mean, Lomita and the police know what we’re doing to protect her and they think its right. This is all temporary. Soon or later, my father will be captured or whatever. Then, real life will set in. We need, she needs, something done for real.”

  “Yeah, you’re right. But, we need to get through what I’m doing, first.”

  “I know, but it brings up the big question.”

  “What big question?”

  “Are we really going to adopt Tawny?”

  “Yes, we are, aren’t we?”

  “Well, I thought so, but I guess I need, or needed you to say it. I thought a lot about it. I definitely want to. She’s got no one else. Bambi was an only child. So was Sid. Troy is dead. She only has us.”

  Edie was getting emotional.

  “No, you’re right, baby.”

  “To adopt her, we need to be married, or being married would be the best thing to do to help, I think.”

  “Now, you’re sounding like me about getting married sooner than later.”

  “Oh, Stevie, we’ll get married as soon as possible anyway, but this makes it even more urgent. Still, I’m worried.”

  “Why?”

  “We’re not family. I know we’re the closest thing to real family, but we’re not blood relatives, and I don’t know how the state of California will look at us.”

  “That’s true, but we can only try.”

  Edie said, “That’s what I want to do, try. I think it helps that we’re about to have a family.”

  “I think you’re right.”

  “But, we don’t own a home. I mean, not in California, and I don’t know if moving to Delaware, at least right away, is a good idea with the adoption.”

  I said, “You have been thinking a lot about this.”

  “I have. My mind thinks about Tawny all the time, when I’m not thinking about us and our baby, that is.”

  “Yeah, me, too. I think a big factor will be Tawny’s desires. Does she really want to live with us?”

  Edie answered, “I think she does. I haven’t asked her directly, but when she isn’t talking about her mother, she talks about me and her going back home as soon as we can. She includes me in all those talks of home, like I’m a part of it.”

  “You are part of it, of her home and her life, and you have been for nine years. She knows it and I know it, and you know it too.”

  She said, “I needed to hear you say that.”

  “Oh, Big Sister. I understand.”

  Edie began to cry. “She still calls me that.”

  “Of course she does, and you always call her Little Sister. She wants you to.”

  “And, Tawny calls you Big Brother.”

  “I know, and I like it.”

  “Oh, man, Stevie, this is hard. As you say, we’ll get through it.”

  “We are getting through it. So, you want to pursue the adoption soon?”

  “Yes, very soon. I plan to call Bambi’s attorney, well, I guess its Tawny’s attorney now and tell him our plan. I don’t know if he can represent us, but I can ask him for a referral if he can’t.”

  “That sounds like a plan.”

  “Oh, Stevie, I miss you so much, already.”

  “I miss you, too.”

  “I’m glad I have things to do. Call me when you get to Vegas.”

  I drove on. I listened to all four of the indie rock CD’s I took from the cabin. The highway headed north into Nevada. The road rose gradually through the desert. I called Jimmie Spiare, my investigator back in Philadelphia, and gave him a summary of my trip so far. He was the first startled person I spoke to. My cousin, Hannah, was the second. I gave her my tentative plans for our smaller, low key wedding.

  She said, “I understand, Stevie, but why do all these things happen to you?”

  “I don’t know, Hannah.”

  “Be careful.”

  Wet Bar

  Approaching Las Vegas at sunset is an incredible site. As the last color left the autumn sky, I came out of the dark desert. Sin City appeared as a beacon of light and color and tall buildings. It reminded me of Lite Brite, a toy I had as a child. I can’t think of another view that would be as contrasting as Las Vegas at night compared to the surrounding dark desolation.

  The massive buildings loomed larger and larger with each mile; a shiny pyramid with a beam of light aiming straight up to the sky, the New York skyline, the Eiffel Tower, a blue and red castle, large hotels and neon lights of every color. I had pushed the Mustang hard all the way, so I slowed as I approached The Strip. It was dark when I parked at 6:30 PM.

  Liquid was a bar and restaurant with an open-air pool. Yet, that hardly describes the setting. From the outside the bar looked like an enclosed building. The stucco walls surrounded the entrance’s dark smoked-glass doors. A blond wearing a gold, sleeveless mini-dress stood behind a podium. A bouncer in black slacks and a t-shirt was nearby eyeing me as much as I eyed the hostess. I quickly learned how things went in Las Vegas’ lounges.

  “No, I don’t have a reservation,” I said to the hostess.

  “Oh, let me see what I can do,” she said to me.

  She spun around on her four-inch heels and disappeared inside the dark doors.

  The bouncer coughed and continued his stare-down. No one else was outside. The parking lot had few cars. The bar had to be nearly empty.

  Miss Mini-Dress reappeared two minutes later and said, “I was able to find a table near the bar.”

  I said, “Thank you.”

  I waited. The bouncer coughed again and looked at me, then at the hostess and back to me again.

  OK, I got the message. I pulled out my wallet and handed Miss Mini-Dress a ten dollar bill.

  She smiled and said, “Follow me.”

  After walking down a short, wood-paneled hall, the bar opened up about fifty yards to my right and left. The space was dominated by a large main pool and two smaller side pools. The pools were surrounded by a multitude of chaise lounge chairs and dozens of day beds. The water in the pools
glowed blue from underwater lights.

  There were also two bars that flanked the near side of the pools. About twenty tables filled the space between the bars and the water. Ten flat-screen TV’s showing a play-off baseball game were suspended from the ceilings over the bar and dining areas. I wasn’t sure if the TV audio was on or off because some sort of techno dance music drowned out most sounds.

  It was a slow night. Not counting the waitresses and bar tenders, there were six other people in Liquid. I hoped that would be to my advantage as I looked for a sign of Rob Nealy. I had no idea what the next clue would be.

  I turned and found the first sign. This had to be the correct place. A redhead approached me. She was my waitress. Her shoulder-length, bobbed hair sported long bangs. She had freckles, a long straight nose, large wide-spaced eyes and full lips.

  She handed me the menu and said, “Hello, welcome to Liquid. My name is Melody. I’ll be your waitress. May I get you a drink?”

  Two minutes later Melody brought me my vodka tonic. I had decided on my approach.

  “Are you ready to order?”

  I answered, “I’m waiting for someone. He told me to meet him here. I thought he’d be here by now.”

  “Oh, shall I give you more time?”

  “Well, let’s give him a few more minutes.”

  “OK.”

  She shifted her weight. Melody was a beautiful woman. She was in her early twenties. She stood five feet four inches tall and wore the same gold mini-dress as the hostess and the other waitress. She had bright green eyes and a warm smile. She had a shapely chest, a thin waist and smaller hips. I looked too long and Melody noticed. When we resumed eye contact she was smiling. I guess she took my stares as a compliment because she turned to her left to show me her profile.

  Then, she said, “Why don’t I give you some time to look at…”

  She paused one beat before adding “…the menu.”

  “OK, I will. You’re kind and beautiful, Melody.”

  Her smile widened. “Thank you…”

  “Stevie, I’m Stevie Garrett.”

  I put my hand out and she shook it.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Stevie.”