by Beth Flynn
“Okay, so some girls changed their hair. So what?”
Jo raised a brow at Kit, who was watching Grizz. “You honestly don’t know, do you?”
“Know what? What are you talking about?”
“I can see why they love you. Why he loves you.” Jo caught herself quickly. “I can see why Grizz loves you. You are so innocent about some things. You obviously don’t get it.”
Kit huffed out a breath. “Don’t get what, Sarah Jo? What don’t I get?”
“That every woman out there is trying to be you.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
2000
“Yes, I convinced you to go back to the motel,” Tommy told Ginny. He couldn’t meet her eyes. “I admit it. I was being selfish. I knew if you went to the police, I would lose you. I would forfeit my education. I don’t know, maybe I shouldn’t have convinced you to go back. I mean, I probably would’ve been able to get back on track after a couple of years, but I didn’t think it would take that long to be with you. My plan was for you to see how awful and rotten Grizz was, and then want to leave him. And I did that, Ginny. I’m sorry. I did it just the one time.”
“What time?” She studied his face. “What did you do, Tommy?”
“It was a chess game for me, Ginny. I was planning and scheming to make sure you would see Grizz do something awful.” He paused, then in the quietest voice he could muster, “That time at the docks.”
She gasped and put her hand to her mouth. “The docks—that time I pulled up and saw Grizz and Blue dump two bodies in the water? You’re the one who made sure I went there? Saw that?”
He blew out a long breath. “Yes, I set it up. I set you up. I knew Grizz and Blue were going there to deal with two punks who’d hijacked a dealer’s boat full of cocaine. I knew what would happen to them.”
“I cannot believe I’m hearing this. Do you remember how upset I was?” She paced the kitchen now. “I can’t even remember now what made me go there, but I never suspected it was you. If Grizz had suspected it, he probably would have hurt you. Maybe even killed you.”
“I remember how upset you were because you came to me.” He folded his arms, remembering the look on her face then, the shadows beneath her eyes. “When I saw what I had done to you, how badly it hurt you, I stopped all the game-playing. Not to mention, if they’d been caught and you’d have been there, it would’ve implicated you too. I can’t believe I put you in that kind of situation.” She just stared at him. She crossed her arms, perched now on a stool at the breakfast bar. “Gin, I could’ve continued to trick you and him, but I didn’t. I realized I couldn’t hurt you like that, I couldn’t expose you to more danger. I loved you.”
He stared at her, but she didn’t say a word. Just kept looking at him like he was a stranger. His words barreled out now; he couldn’t stop them. “I guess after that it became about protecting you. Protecting your heart from knowing the awful things he did, and protecting you physically from being put in those situations. It was the opposite of what I’d started out to do.”
“And I guess you want credit for that? You protected me? Gee, not sure how much I should believe.” Her tone was laced with sarcasm. “Aren’t you the same man who accused me of sticking my head in the sand because I didn’t want to know what he did, and yet you’re telling me your plan was to make sure I did know about it?” She held up a hand as he started to speak. “And before you jump in and tell me what a rotten person he was, let me remind you that other than tossing Willow on her back and backhanding her, the nod to Chico that time in the pit, dumping those bodies at the docks—thank you for that, by the way—and him beating up those kids who spit on me at the warehouse, I never saw Grizz do anything. I was with him for ten years, Tommy. Ten years. And I never witnessed anything beyond what I’ve just told you.”
His eyes flashed. “And because you didn’t see it, it wasn’t happening?” His voice was starting to rise now. “Okay, so you don’t believe me. Look, Gin, I never thought it would take ten years to finally be with you. I don’t know. Maybe you would have left him sooner, but there were still a lot of things I just had to keep from you. Things that would have torn you up inside. I knew you already struggled with guilt over his criminal activities.”
She stood and started to walk toward him. Arms crossed and chin raised, she gave him the coldest look possible. “One thing. Tell me one thing you hid from me, other than what I’ve discovered in the last couple of hours, which might’ve persuaded me to leave him. Not that I’m even certain leaving Grizz would’ve ever been an option as far as he was concerned.”
“If I thought you wanted to leave him, maybe I would’ve done something that could’ve gotten him arrested before Jan blew the whistle. But quite frankly, you seemed happy in your little silver-lined cocoon.”
“Are you saying you’re the reason Grizz got arrested?” Her voice was practically a scream.
“No!” Tommy was quick to add. “I’m not saying that at all. I had nothing to do with his arrest. But when it finally did happen, I was glad, Gin. I felt like I had run out of time. Have you listened to anything I said? I waited for ten years while you were with him!”
“So answer my question. What things did Grizz do that you hid from me?”
Tommy sighed heavily. “Ginny, for once I’m telling you to stick your head in the sand. You don’t want to know.”
“And I’m telling you that I don’t like the accusation that that’s what I’ve done for twenty-five years. Tell me!”
“Fine. If that’s how you want it, I’ll tell you. Do you remember when you asked me how Willow and Darryl died?”
“Yes, of course I remember. It was horrible. It was torture for them.”
“Let me ask you this,” he said, looking at her. “Johnny Tillman was slowly cut to pieces for attempting to rape you. Do you honestly think Grizz calmly walked Darryl and Willow down into the empty pool and simply let them die of exposure? Keep in mind that Darryl tortured you for over two hours, and Willow is the one who planned it.”
“W-well, that’s what you told me happened. I never asked Grizz because I asked you. And that’s what you said.”
“Yes, Ginny. That’s what I said. I held it back from you because even though I loved you and wanted to be with you, I couldn’t stand the thought of you having the image of what he really did to Darryl and Willow stuck in your head forever. You had enough guilt over their deaths. And yes, they did die in that pool. But not from exposure.” He looked down. “I can tell you with certainty they were both begging for death long before they actually died.”
They were both quiet a long moment.
“Tell me,” she whispered.
“You know he was obsessed with it, right? Grizz never believed it was a lucky coincidence that Darryl came to the motel that night.”
Ginny just stared at him.
“Grizz believed for a long time it was an inside job. That someone knew he wouldn’t be there that night. Whoever set it up knew Moe habitually let the dogs sleep with her. Someone knew you’d be alone that night, Gin.”
He told her almost everything then.
What Tommy didn’t tell Ginny was that it wasn’t just something Grizz had suspected. It was true. Grizz had gotten a name out of Willow. With her dying breath, Willow swore it was a woman named Wendy who’d tipped her off. The woman had a Southern accent and only communicated with Willow by telephone. Willow said Wendy had a contact at the motel, but Willow swore she didn’t know who it was.
There wasn’t any Wendy they could connect to the motel.
Worse yet, Darryl hadn’t even finished the job. He was supposed to have killed Ginny that night. He thought he had when he’d beaten her unconscious.
No. Ginny didn’t have to know all of that.
What she knew was bad enough. Shaking, Ginny made her way to one of the kitchen chairs at the opposite side of the table. She yanked it out and sat down, looking into her hands resting loosely in her lap. She couldn’t focus. She was
stunned. Her stomach was churning.
“You’re right, Tommy,” she whispered. “I wouldn’t have wanted to know.” She paused before adding, “But maybe I should have. I don’t know.” She buried her face in her hands. “This is all so unexpected.”
He jumped up and went to her. Kneeling in front of her, he took her hands in his. “It’s okay, sweetheart. I’m so sorry. I’m just so sorry. I never did see how you knowing all of this would matter.” He held her close, stroking her back as she sobbed. “It’s always been about protecting you, Gin. That’s all it’s ever been about. Please don’t leave me, Ginny. I couldn’t bear to be without you. Please don’t leave.”
What he didn’t add was that as much as his need to protect her all these years was true, he also had good reason for talking about it now. He still didn’t want to tell her certain things, but he knew he had to.
When she pulled back to look at him, she saw he had tears in his eyes.
With a very real ache in her heart, she gathered her strength. “I love you, Tommy. But I still have to leave. I just need some space. You have to understand that. This is too much of a shock, and the kids will be fine. We’ll tell them I’m staying with Carter to keep her company and help with the animals while Bill is out of town. I’ve done it before. They’ll never suspect that I’ve left for another reason.”
She paused. “When we do have some time together—” She trailed off, then collected herself. “Everything. I want to know everything. From the beginning. I want you to tell me every single thing, Tommy. Even if it’ll be difficult for me to hear.”
“I will, Gin.” His voice sounded dead, empty. “I will.”
“And I need you tell me what you talked about when you went to see him before the execution.”
He had intended on doing just that before he was blindsided by Leslie’s comment.
Tommy nodded and started to reply when he was interrupted by Jason’s voice.
“Moooommmmm! Daaaaaddd! Can you come here? I have a surprise for you!”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
1978
She had already managed to contact Willow. It was a little time-consuming, but she knew the type of place Willow would be staying. After six hotels, she finally hit pay dirt.
“The super skinny blonde with the mouth on her?” asked the guy who answered the phone.
“Yeah, that’s her. Is she there? Is she staying there?”
“Nah, kicked her out for not paying. I think she’s at a place on 5th or something. I don’t know. I know she picks up most of her johns at The Speckled Egg.”
“Is that a motel?” She added a seductive tone to her voice, drawing out the Southern accent.
“No. It’s a bar. You’ll probably find her there, or find someone who knows her. If you do find her sorry ass, tell her she owes Mick fifty-five bucks, the lazy no-good piece of shit.”
She got a message to Willow to call a certain pay phone on a specific day at a specific time. The message said it concerned Grizz.
And of course that phone rang at exactly the time she was told to call. Willow was only too eager to help Wendy with her plan.
Moe would be a little more difficult, as she couldn’t talk on the phone. But Wendy had a plan for that, too.
She watched as Moe got out of her little black VW and walked into the post office. She approached the car and dropped an envelope through the open window onto the driver’s seat. Then she darted to her car, got in and drove away before Moe came back out.
“Dear Moe,” the note read. “I know how unhappy you are. I am, too. It seems that ever since Kit got to the motel, nobody ever notices you anymore. Not even Grunt. Yes, I’ve seen her. I know how much everybody loves her. Maybe we can help each other out. I don’t want her to get hurt or anything, but maybe we can use her to get what we want. To get our lives back. If you think you can help me with this, then be at the pay phone on 441 and Taft Street in Hollywood on Sunday at exactly 4 p.m. Your friend, Wendy.”
Two days later, Wendy watched from inside the convenience store as the little black car pulled up across the busy street and parked in front of the telephone booth that was situated between the pharmacy and a beauty salon. Moe had come alone.
She dialed the number. Moe picked up.
“Hi, Moe. I’m so glad you answered. I know you care about Kit and don’t want her to get hurt. I don’t want her hurt, either. I just really hate Grizz and I think the best way to get back at him is to take something away from him. You know, like how he cut out your tongue. He took something from me, too. It’ll be tit for tat. If you think you can help me, if you think we can work together without anybody having to get hurt, then press one of the numbers on the pay phone once.”
Wendy watched as Moe hesitated. Then she looked around. Wendy knew she couldn’t be seen.
“Nobody will get hurt. I just want Kit to go back home. That’s all.”
Moe lifted her hand to the face of the telephone. The beep resonated through Wendy’s end of the phone.
Wendy’s face lit with triumph. It was done. She had her inside person at the motel.
And she knew Willow would take care of the dirty work. There would be nothing to trace it back to her. She would deal with them through pay phones and a pager that she’d borrowed from a friend. He was only too glad to give up one of his father’s work beepers for a couple of extra bucks to support his drug habit. When everything was arranged, she would tell him to quietly return it to his father’s company. There were so many people who worked there that it would be impossible to make a connection.
And that was only if someone suspected it was a setup.
She had to watch Grizz. He was smart, but so was she. He kicked Willow out because of Kit. He cut out Moe’s tongue. He had taken something from her, too. Something she hadn’t been prepared to have stolen from her.
Grizz would pay for hurting them. Just like she’d told Moe, it would be tit for tat.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
2000
Tommy and Ginny looked at each other with the same expression: Horror. They’d both thought Jason was still upstairs unpacking his bag. How much, if anything, had the ten-year old actually heard?
“You’re gonna like the surprise,” Jason called out in a sing-song.
The den. His voice was coming from the den. Exchanging another glance, they headed for the den and stopped short.
There on the coffee table was Grizz’s chess set.
“I went in to dad’s office to get some paper and saw it on his desk. I wanted to help him unpack it and set it up. Are you surprised?” Jason grinned like he’d won the lottery.
Tommy saw the empty box sitting on one of the couches. “How did you carry that box in here, son? It weighed a ton.”
Jason shrugged, looking around at the packing material strewn all over the floor. “I brought the pieces in here a few at a time until the box was light enough to carry.” He added sheepishly, “I’ll clean up the mess.”
Ginny was in too much shock to know what to say. Memories washed over her, causing her to feel a little unsteady on her feet. Tommy detected it and gently took her arm, walking her to the other couch.
When she sat down, Tommy turned to address his son. “Jason, I’m glad you wanted to help. But you shouldn’t have touched something that wasn’t yours to touch.”
The boy looked crestfallen. “But Dad, I wanted to surprise you!”
“That’s not the point, Jason, and you know it.” Tommy looked angry now. “How many times have I told you that my office is off limits? You know better and you will be punished for this.”
Ginny’s heart was torn. She could tell Jason really did think he was helping and was confused as to why his parents were reacting this way.
“It’s not all there, anyway.” Jason kicked at some of the packing material. “Do you want me to pack it back up?”
“What do you mean it’s not all there?” Ginny frowned.
“The dark king is gone. Can’t pla
y without the king. Right, Dad?” Jason asked, looking up at his father.
Tommy and Ginny looked at each other. They both knew laying down your king meant you resigned the game; you were acknowledging your opponent’s win. It was an admission of defeat. Of surrender. Was Grizz sending a message from the grave? Was he admitting defeat?
Or, worse yet, was he issuing a challenge? It’s not like he’d laid the king down. He—or someone—had removed it from the game.
Did that mean anything?
Ridiculous. Tommy reminded himself he’d seen Grizz a few days before he’d been executed. They’d talked for a long time and settled things. At least he thought they had.
It was probably some idiot at the prison tasked with packing up the chess set, somebody who wanted a souvenir that had belonged to Grizz. That’s all. Nothing to worry about.
But Tommy wasn’t naive. He still had underground contacts.
He also knew Grizz had loyal members who would do anything for him. Even after the execution.
Tommy would put out some feelers to be sure. But right now, he needed to comfort and reassure his wife.
He sat next to Ginny and started to put his arm around her. Just as Tommy was about to speak, Jason jumped up. He had quickly recovered from his father’s reprimand and seemed even more excited than before.
“I almost forgot! Here’s the best part of all! Even better than the chess set.” Jason reached down and yanked something up that was sitting on the floor beneath the coffee table, hidden by the scattered packaging material. “It was at the bottom of the box.”
Ginny gasped when she saw what her son held in the air like a prize.
“This really neat jacket was in there, too! And look—the girl on the back looks just like Mimi!”
Chapter Thirty
