Out of Time (Nine Minutes #2) (5 page)

Chapter Seven

2000

In the car
outside the strip mall, Ginny dried her eyes with the last of the tissues she’d found in her glove compartment. She needed to clean up before going to pick up Jason.

She got out of her car and headed for the yogurt shop at the end of the mall. Without looking at anyone, she headed straight for the ladies room and locked the door behind her, almost gagging at the overwhelming scent of lavender air freshener. The mirror showed her eyes were still red and swollen, and her nose was starting to run again. She unwound some toilet paper and blew her nose, then splashed cold water on her face. She had already cried off all of her makeup. Thoughts of Grizz, Tommy, the kids, everything, all swirled around her. She didn’t know how long she stood there, bent over the sink, taking in large gulps of lavender air.

Someone jiggled the door. “Be out in a sec,” she said flatly.

She used a paper towel to dry her face, then headed back out to her car without making eye contact with anyone in the store.

Less than ten minutes later, she pulled up to Max’s house and beeped her horn. She could’ve gone inside to get Jason. She liked Max’s mother. Denise Reynolds was genuinely sweet, but Ginny just didn’t have it in her to make small talk. Besides, she couldn’t trust herself not to fall apart. She needed to talk to someone.
Carter
. She would call Carter when she got home.

Sarah Jo wouldn’t have been a good option. Ginny knew how much Jo loved Tommy. Jo and Tommy had a special history, and even though Carter had become close to both Ginny and Tommy over the years, she could be counted on to be more loyal to Ginny.

Did Sarah Jo know? Ginny’s heart pounded. Oh no. She couldn’t even bear to think about that. No. She wouldn’t jump to conclusions.

Just then, the front door of Max’s house swung open and a miniature version of Tommy bounded out, calling over his shoulder, “Later, dude.”

She stared at her son. The son that Tommy had suggested they name after Grizz. Now she knew why. Grizz was actually Jason’s grandfather. Her head started spinning. This is not happening.

Something nagged at her as she watched Jason approach the car. When they made eye contact, he broke into a wide grin. Her heart swelled with love for him. He looked just like his father. She had a déjà vu moment of a memory she couldn’t place. She’d had it before, but could never conjure up a specific incident. Was it something she remembered about Tommy at this age? No. It couldn’t have been. She didn’t know Tommy when he was this young.

It was something else, but for the life of her, she couldn’t remember what it was.

“Hi, Mom!” Jason tossed his bag into the back seat and climbed into the front passenger seat.

Ginny smiled at him, leaning over the console for a hug. He was such an affectionate child. Just like his father. She kissed his forehead as he started to buckle his seatbelt.

“How was your stay with the Reynolds? Did you have fun with Max?” she asked as she backed out of the driveway.

Max’s mother had come out to the front porch and waved. Ginny beeped the horn twice in acknowledgement as she drove off.

“Yeah, a lot of fun. Mrs. Reynolds made homemade ice cream last night! Can we do that some time? It was really good.”

“Yeah, sure, I guess.”

“Mrs. Reynolds told me to tell you all my clothes in my bag are clean. She did laundry last night. She didn’t want me to go home with dirty clothes.” Before Ginny could comment, he added, “I got to help Polly wash her car this morning after church.”

Ginny glanced at her son. “You
got
to help her?” she asked, laughing.

“Yeah, she said I was the best washer!” he replied excitedly. “And an even better drier!”

“I’m sure you are, honey. I’m sure you are.” Ginny smiled to herself. Max had two older sisters, Sarah and Pollyanna. Jason had been in love with both of them since he was eight. He could never decide which one he loved more. Of course, they were way too old for Jason. Polly was a senior in high school and Sarah was in college. She was sure both girls loved Jason like a little brother. More than likely, they found him as annoying as a little brother, as well. But they were nice girls. Always sweet to him. She appreciated that.

She wished Mimi were nicer to Jason, she thought as she drove the short trip back to the house. It wasn’t that Mimi wasn’t nice. She just wasn’t interested in her little brother. Ginny couldn’t explain it. It was something she had discussed more than once with Tommy. Mimi was never outright mean to Jason, but she wasn’t a loving older sister. At least not anymore. Call it mother’s intuition, but to Ginny, it sometimes seemed as if Mimi was incapable of feelings. Ginny couldn’t put her finger on it. And to make matters worse, Tommy couldn’t see it, always saying she was imagining things. Once he’d even told her she was too paranoid about Mimi being Grizz’s biological daughter.

“Gin, you are subconsciously afraid that Mimi is too much like Grizz,” he’d said. “I told you more than once that Grizz wasn’t born that way. Grizz had a horrible childhood. Mimi didn’t inherit Grizz’s inability to care about people. It was something he turned off as a result of his abuse. Stop thinking about it.”

But she couldn’t help it. She knew about Grizz’s childhood. He’d told her a little bit about it when she was pregnant that first time and they were still living at the motel. It was a neglectful childhood, not abusive. But Ginny had been neglected as a child, too, and she didn’t murder people.

Mimi hadn’t always been that way. Something had changed in Mimi a couple of years ago, almost as if a switch had been flipped. Mimi went from being a sweet, thoughtful child to a distant and detached one. Ginny wanted to have her daughter talk to someone, but everyone insisted that Mimi was just being a typical teenager.

Jason chattered non-stop the entire ride home. Ginny felt a little guilty for blocking him out, but her mind was elsewhere. She hoped Tommy would be gone when she got home. She didn’t think she would be able to face him.

“Mom? Mom? How come you won’t answer me?”

Ginny gave Jason a sidelong glance. “Sorry, sweetie. Did you ask me something?”

“Yeah, I asked if you thought Dad had the strap on my helmet fixed. He promised before you guys went out of town that we could take a ride on his motorcycle when I got home today.”

Before she could even answer him, Jason continued, “Where were you guys the last couple of days?”

“I don’t know about your helmet, but if your father told you he had it fixed, then I’m sure he had it fixed. And you know where we were. We told you we went to see an old friend before he left town.”

“That’s not what Corbin said.” And before Ginny could respond, he blurted, “Corbin said you and Dad went to see some guy get fried.”

Chapter Eight

1969

Grunt had been
living at the motel for a couple of months when Grizz said to him one day, “C’mon, kid. Let’s go for a ride.”

“On your motorcycle?” Grunt asked excitedly.

“No, we’ll take one of the cars.”

“Okay, let me check on something real quick.” Grunt hurried off.

Grizz shook his head. He watched as the boy went into Misty’s room. Why the kid gave a damn about Misty was beyond Grizz’s understanding. Enough time had passed. She had healed and was fine. Grunt could be a mystery.

Grizz headed toward the cars he kept parked on the far side of the office. He wouldn’t be taking his red convertible Mustang. With its loud engine and shiny chrome wheels, he’d stick out like a sore thumb. He wouldn’t take the Cadillac either. Just a little too classy for where he was going. Might get noticed. He settled on the average-looking four-door sedan. He didn’t say anything when Grunt climbed in the passenger seat.

“Where are we going?” Grunt asked.

“To check on a friend’s daughter.”

Grizz then turned on the radio at almost full volume. The kid was a talker and he just wasn’t in the mood for conversation. A couple of miles before they reached their destination, Grizz glanced over at the kid. Grunt. That was his new name and it was starting to stick. He turned the radio volume down.

“Friend of mine died a few years back. Left behind a daughter. Her mom and stepdad aren’t real stable. Kind of neglect her. I made a promise before he died that I would step in when I could and just keep an eye on things. Make sure she’s being taken care of.”

Grunt didn’t say anything at first. Grizz could tell that he was thinking. Finally, he said, “What do her mom and stepdad think about you checking on their daughter?”

This surprised Grizz. The kid was perceptive.

“They don’t know. And it’s not something I can do myself. Besides, when the hell would I have time?” He glanced over at Grunt. “Mavis keeps an eye on her for me. Just tells me when she thinks I need to do something. That’s why we’re checking on her today.”

Mavis was an older woman who did the bookkeeping for the couple of bars Grizz owned. They were his only legitimate businesses and the older woman had grown on Grizz. Mavis was rail thin and overly tanned. She had short cropped bleached blonde hair and the kind of gravelly voice that came with sixty years of chain-smoking. Grizz had realized early on that Mavis could be trusted and was only too eager to take on the role of Gwinny’s guardian angel. A widow with no children and no family, she had worked at a convenience store near The Red Crab. Grizz used
to go in all the time to buy cigarettes. He didn’t remember exactly how the friendship started. Probably Mavis first engaged him in small talk, knowing her. Later, he found out through casual conversation that she’d run an accounting business with her husband before they retired. Her talents were being wasted behind a cash register. Offering Mavis a job was one of the best decisions he’d ever made. She used the office at The Red Crab and was dearly loved by even the roughest characters.

Not just that, but Mavis was also more than happy to insinuate herself into Gwinny’s life. She managed to get a part-time job at Gwinny’s elementary school, as the cashier in the cafeteria line, and was loved by all of the children. It was one way she could keep an eye on the little girl and strike up an occasional conversation with her without being obvious. Mavis looked forward to the days she got to work at the cafeteria. She loved not just Gwinny, but all of the kids. Except for one. She was having a hard time warming up to the school bully. As she said, that Curtis Armstrong was a troublemaker.

Grunt gave Grizz a questioning glance. “How do you check on her without anybody knowing it?”

“I thought it would be hard, but the sad truth is, this little girl is so alone nobody has ever noticed me. And I think I’m kind of noticeable. But the few times Mavis told me something was up and I’ve had to see for myself, I’ve been able to stay in the background.” He didn’t know why, but he felt prompted to continue. “Mavis told me one day that something was wrong. She suspected that Gwinny wasn’t being fed much at home. She was getting her free school lunch, but kept asking for seconds to take with her.”

Grunt looked at him. “Her name is Gwinny?”

“Yeah. Her name is Gwinny.” He paused reflectively, subconsciously tugging on his beard before continuing. “Gwinny walks up to the convenience store once a day, like clockwork. One day after Mavis told me her concern, I decided to just hang out there, lay low, see if I could figure out what was going on. That day I saw her go into the store with a brown bag. She came out still holding the same bag and she looked upset. I went in after she left, and the lady behind the counter looked upset, too. I asked her if something was wrong. She said she felt awful because the little girl who’d just left was trying to sell some of her personal things to buy food.”

“Why didn’t her parents feed her?”

“I thought they did, but I guess they were gone so much, they ate at the bar they hung out at and would forget to make sure she had food.” Grizz gripped the steering wheel. “It really pissed me off. It bothered the clerk at the store, too, because she told me she was a working mother and didn’t even have a dollar to give her. And to make matters worse, the little money Gwinny did have, she used to buy her mom cigarettes.”

“So what did you do? Did you help?” Grunt’s eyes were wide.

“Yeah.” Grizz shrugged. “I got Mavis to start leaving a bag of groceries on their doorstep here and there. One time I left a bag by the door myself when I knew nobody was around.”

This shocked Grunt. He couldn’t imagine Grizz grocery shopping. Grizz must have read his mind and gave Grunt a half smile. “I had the girls get some extra stuff when they went shopping. I was just the deliveryman. And I only did it once when Mavis couldn’t.”

“Are we delivering groceries today?” Grunt asked as he turned around and eyed the back seat. He didn’t see anything.

“No, Mavis said things have gotten better since then.”

“So she looks like she’s getting fed?”

“Yeah, I guess so. I haven’t actually seen her in over two years. But I’m sure Mavis would’ve told me. Besides, she’s older now and I guess she makes sure she gets money from her parents. Mavis said she used to walk to the grocery store because it’s cheaper. But it’s a lot farther away than the convenience store.” Grizz looked at Grunt a little sheepishly before he told him, “I bought her a bicycle. Left it when nobody was around. I guess her parents think the neighbors must be helping out. They honestly don’t seem to give a shit.”

Grunt smiled up at Grizz. “You bought her a bike or you got someone else to buy her a bike?”

“Mavis picked it out. What the hell would I know about a girl’s bicycle? Mavis outdid herself. It was purple with a sparkly banana seat and tassels on the handlebars. The whole nine yards,” he laughed.

What Grizz didn’t tell Grunt was that it never occurred to him that Gwinny had nobody to teach her how to ride it. Mavis mentioned her skinned knees and elbows a few weeks after he left the bike. But she eventually got the hang of it and was able to fit a small grocery bag in the basket. He was glad she was using it. He still couldn’t believe her parents let her ride that far to the grocery store on her own. She was still only nine.

Grunt interrupted his thoughts. “Your friend would be happy to know you’re looking out for his daughter.”

Grizz didn’t answer him and wouldn’t meet his eyes. The kid seemed just perceptive enough to detect that he was lying. Gwinny wasn’t the daughter of a friend who’d died. She was just a little girl who’d offered him a kindness once and he was trying to anonymously return the favor the best way he knew how. He never did use the bandages she’d handed him that day outside of the convenience store, but he’d kept them. They meant something to him.

That day, those bandages—it was the first time he ever remembered someone giving him something without expecting something in return.

Grunt looked up and realized they were at the end of a cul-de-sac. He hadn’t been paying attention to where they were going. Grizz was turning around. Eventually they edged slowly past a house with thick hedges along its driveway. Grizz went past it just a little, then backed far up into the driveway, hidden from sight. He cut the engine and looked at a house across the street to their left. It was two houses down from the one they were facing.

He pointed. “That’s where she lives.”

Grunt looked over the dashboard and strained to peer above the hedges that were camouflaging the car. He didn’t see her. He looked at Grizz questioningly.

“Mavis said the school bus should be dropping her off at the end of the block.”

Just then, Grizz was interrupted by a loud noise. A lawn cutting service had been unloading their gear at the house next to Gwinny’s when they first drove past. They had just started up their equipment and were now busily mowing the lawn, using an edger and trimming up some bushes. The smell of fresh cut grass mixed with gasoline from the lawn equipment wafted into the car.

Grizz continued, “I’ve never watched her house, but Mavis told me this lawn service is new. I don’t know if these guys realize she’s alone. I just want to make sure they’re not gonna cause trouble for her. She’s so vulnerable.”

Grunt looked back toward Gwinny’s house. A little girl was making her way down the street, ponytail swaying. She walked with long, deliberate strides. He gulped back his surprise as his eyes widened.

“Is that her?” he asked, as he sat up to get a better view.

Grizz didn’t answer. She made her way up to the front door and took the key from around her neck to unlock it. But Grizz wasn’t watching her. He was watching the lawn guys. Nobody seemed to pay her any attention, he thought with satisfaction.

“Are we leaving now?” Grunt asked, sounding disappointed, like he wanted to stay a little longer.

Before Grizz could answer, she barged out of the house carrying something large and heavy. They realized it was a table. They sat quietly as they watched her quickly and expertly set up a card table on the sidewalk.

Grizz was surprised by how tall she had gotten in the two years since he’d last seen her. But she looked healthy enough. She carried the card table out effortlessly.
Good
, s
he’s being taken care of. But why is she wearing a sweatshirt? It’s fucking a hundred degrees out here.
He swiped his brow, sweat trickling down his back.

She went back into the house and came out with a large sheet of construction paper. She taped it to the front of the table. In large block letters that had been neatly written, it read, “Fresh squeezed lemonade, 25 cents.”

“Can we get some?” Grunt asked.

“No, we can’t get some,” Grizz growled. He was starting to get upset. Here he was worried that the lawn guys would notice her and he was relieved when they didn’t seem to. But now, she was outside with her lemonade stand.
Calm down
.
They don’t know for sure that she doesn’t have a parent or other adult in there. She could have someone who works nights and sleeps during the day, so she would have to let herself in.

Grunt interrupted his thoughts. “If you don’t have any money, I have some,” Grunt said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out an impressive wad of cash.

“Where the hell did you get all that money from?”

“It’s mine,” Grunt answered defensively.

Before Grizz could comment further, Grunt sat up straight. “What’s she doing now?”

She had finished setting everything up and was sitting in a lawn chair when she looked over at the guys mowing the lawn and stood up. She was watching them. Then she took five paper cups from the stack and set them on the little tray she’d used to carry her supplies. She filled up each cup and proceeded toward the house next door. Grizz shook his head.
She was bringing the lawn guys lemonade! Damn!

She approached each man and offered him a cup. The first guy reached into his pocket, but she shook her head and smiled. She did this with each person, and each time they tried to pay her, she refused to take the money.

Grunt looked at Grizz, then her, then back at Grizz.

“You told me she used to barely have money to get food and now she’s giving away her lemonade?”

Grizz sighed and swiped his face with his hand. “Yeah. She’s giving away her lemonade.”

By now Gwinny had made her way back over to her table and sat down.

Just then, Grunt said excitedly, “Look, she has new customers!”

Then his excitement seemed to ebb as he squinted to get a better look.

Grizz glanced at the three boys approaching Gwinny. They were on bicycles. He stiffened. He recognized one kid. Curtis Armstrong. The boy who had bullied her the first day Grizz saw her a few years back. Curtis had grown a little. Were they friends now? Mavis never mentioned him, so maybe he left Gwinny alone. He didn’t have to wait long to find out.

Gwinny stood as the three boys approached her. They got off their bikes, letting them drop on her front lawn. Her body language told Grizz she was ready for a fight. Dammit.