Out of Time (Nine Minutes #2) (6 page)

They couldn’t hear the conversation, but they could tell Curtis spoke first. They watched as he leaned over her pitcher of lemonade and quickly poured a bag of dirt in it.

All three boys starting laughing.

The muscles in Grizz’s jaw tightened and he looked away. “I can make sure she’s fed and has a bike to ride to the store, but this is one thing I can’t get involved in.”

Grunt was staring out over the dashboard as Grizz spoke. Finally, he turned back to Grizz, smiling broadly. “Doesn’t look like she needs you to get involved.”

Grizz glanced back over at the lemonade stand and laughed out loud.

Gwinny had dumped her pitcher of muddied lemonade right on Curtis Armstrong’s head.

Grizz and Grunt watched in amusement as a humiliated Curtis and his friends rode off in the same direction from which they’d come. Gwinny quickly packed up her lemonade stand and went into the house. Grizz kept an eye on the lawn guys, who didn’t seem to notice what had happened.

Finally, it was time to go.

They silently pulled out of the driveway and slowly drove down the block. They had passed about ten homes when Grunt ordered, “Stop!”

Grizz jammed on the brakes, and before he could stop him, Grunt jumped out of the car. Grizz watched as he ran back toward a house they had just passed. Grizz started to back up and follow him, but then stopped when he realized what Grunt was doing. Grunt ran halfway across someone’s yard, removed a pocket knife from his back pocket and, in the span of ten seconds, had expertly punctured the tires of three bicycles left lying on the lawn. Then, he trotted back to the car, got in without a word, and slammed the door.

Grizz looked at him and nodded.
The kid was learning.

After a couple of miles, Grizz finally asked, “You wanna tell me about the money?”

Grunt looked over at him. “I didn’t steal it.”

“I didn’t ask if you stole it. Where’d you get it?”

“I earned it.”

“How’d you earn it?”

“When Doc came last month to sew up Chip’s arm, he gave me ten dollars for being a good helper.”

“That was a helluva lot more money than ten dollars,” Grizz said, giving him a sidelong glance.

“It’s sixty dollars,” Grunt replied, and before Grizz could say anything else, “The rest of it’s hidden in a good place.”

“The rest of it?”

“Yeah, I have four hundred and sixty-two. I just keep the sixty on me in case I need it. Like today. I could’ve bought you a cup of lemonade.”

“I could’ve bought my own damn lemonade. How the heck did you get all that money?”

Grunt gave a hint of a smile. “I won it playing poker.”

This surprised Grizz. He knew some of his crew had a weekly poker game in one of the rooms. He’d never really bothered with it and hadn’t noticed Grunt had been playing.

“Who taught you?”

“Nobody. I taught myself. I was helping Moe get the guys their beers and stuff and I just started watching real close. I figured it out.”

“Who the hell is Moe?”

“You sure do cuss a lot,” Grunt remarked, then added, “It’s Misty. Sometimes I call her Moe.” And before Grizz could ask, he added, “Some of the new people call her Moe. Someone asked her once what her name was, and she made an M kind of sound, but she couldn’t say Misty. So I guess the guy thought she said Moe.”

“So it’s Moe now,” Grizz said matter-of-factly.

“I asked her if she liked it and she nodded ‘yes.’ She wanted a new name to start over,” Grunt told him thoughtfully. “She writes me notes a lot.”

He looked at his lap.

Grizz didn’t say anything for a while. He wondered what the kid thought of what he did to Misty, or Moe, or whatever she called herself now. Was the boy judging him? He started to wonder if he cared, but was instantly reminded of the earlier conversation.

“So you taught yourself to play poker and won a ton of money. Does Blue know you’re playing poker with the guys?”

“Yeah, he knows. He told me it was okay, but he said I had to be careful with my money. Having some is a big responsibility and it might make some of the guys mad. He even said that some of them might be mad enough to try and steal it back from me so I had to learn how to protect what was mine.”

Grizz glanced at him. “He’s right. You being Blue’s brother might scare some of them off, but that’s a lot of cash, kid, and someone might just be gutsy enough to try and get it back from you.”

“I know. That’s why I hid most of it. I picked a really good place where nobody would look.”

The conversation was starting to amuse Grizz. “So, where’d you stash it? The freezer? The A/C vent?” He paused. “The floor?”

“No way,” Grunt said emphatically. “I had to pick a place where they’d be scared to look.”

“Ah,” Grizz said. “The swamp. I’ll tell you what. You better be super careful out there. You go out there burying your money and you better be watching your surroundings. An alligator could snap you up and disappear in seconds.”

Grunt looked over at him. “It’s not hidden in the swamp. I told you, Blue told me to pick a scary place.” He paused before adding, “I hid it in
your
room.”

Chapter Nine

2000

Tommy looked up
when he realized someone was talking to him. It was Mimi. She was standing in the doorway of his office. He didn’t hear her come in. The thought occurred that maybe she’d been home this whole time. Had she heard their fight? Did she know?

“So is it okay? Can I go?” she was asking Tommy. She didn’t look like she’d heard anything.

“Sorry, hon, I didn’t hear what you asked me. Go where?”

“To Courtney’s. She invited me over to hang out by the pool. She said I could stay for Sunday dinner and movie night. Can I go?”

“Yeah, sure.” He blinked, tried to shake the fog from his head. “Do you need me to drive you?”

“Nope. I’m walking down to Lindsay’s. She’s invited, too and can drive us both. She can bring me home later.” Lindsay was Mimi’s friend and a year older. She had a license and use of her mother’s minivan whenever she wanted.

“Ten-thirty.”

“Ten-thirty? C’mon, Dad, it’s summer,” she wheedled. “There’s no school tomorrow. Midnight. Pleeeaaase?”

Tommy was too distracted to argue with her. If Lindsay’s parents didn’t have a problem with their daughter being out that late, he could give in, too. Giving in, he realized, was something he’d been doing more and more lately.

“Yeah, sure, honey. But not one minute later.”

“You’re the best.” She beamed from the doorway of the den.

Tommy didn’t even hear her leave. He was too lost in thought over what had happened between him and Ginny.

Mimi, meanwhile, walked down the tree-lined street. She passed Lindsay’s house and took note of the missing minivan.
Good, they’re still out of town like Lindsay said. Thanks, Linds.
She continued on her way, glancing around occasionally. She didn’t see anyone she knew. It was a lazy Sunday and most people weren’t outside in the Florida heat. They were inside their air-conditioned homes enjoying a cold one while watching sports on their oversized TVs.

She heard a couple of kids’ voices and splashing as she passed houses with swimming pools. She smelled chlorine and fresh cut grass in spite of the fact that there was nobody out mowing their lawn. A loud humming was coming from somewhere. Probably a beehive tucked up under someone’s mailbox, she thought to herself as she confidently made her way down the street.

She noticed a small car approaching and casually looked at the sidewalk as she took quick note of the driver in her peripheral vision. It was a woman and she was squinting at the mailboxes.
She must be looking for an address
, Mimi thought. She didn’t pay any attention to Mimi and they passed each other without notice or incident.

Mimi quickened her pace. She rounded the corner at the end of her block. She spotted him immediately and started jogging toward him. When she got to him, he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her close, kissing her hard.

“Let’s go, baby,” he said as he handed her a helmet.

She jumped on the back of his motorcycle and they sped off.

Chapter Ten
1969

It was a
few weeks after the lemonade incident when Blue told Grizz, “There’s gonna be some business at the motel today. Can you find someone to take the kid out? Get him outta here for a while?”

“What business?” Grizz frowned at him.

“Slash” was all Blue said.

Grizz nodded. He knew Slash had been sharing gang secrets with a woman he was seeing from a rival gang. Grizz planned on making an example out of him. He didn’t realize Blue was having him brought to the motel today. Blue went on to explain that he’d put the word out and they were expecting a big crowd and were going to put on a little show of what would happen to someone who defied the gang. Worse yet, someone who defied Grizz.

“Didn’t know it was today. I’ll handle it,” he told Blue. “You can take the kid somewhere.”

“No, if you don’t mind, I want to handle it myself, Grizz. If I’m going to earn the kind of respect you have, I need to show them I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty, or in this case, bloody.”

Grizz thought about it for a minute. “They already respect you, Blue. But fine, I have business at the bar with Mavis. I’ll take him with me.”

Blue nodded.

“And don’t kill him,” Grizz added. “Just make him wish he was dead.”

An hour later, Grizz and Grunt pulled up to The Red Crab on Grizz’s motorcycle. Grizz purposely took his bike so he didn’t have to answer a million questions. The few times he’d taken Grunt on outings it always felt like an official interrogation. The kid’s brain and mouth were non-stop. He was too smart for his own good.

This would be the second time Grunt would meet Mavis. Grizz had taken Grunt with him once to Mavis’s house to pick up some paperwork. It was when Grunt first came to live at the motel. Mavis had been recovering from minor foot surgery and had been working from her home during that time. She’d stared at the little boy that day with horror. Grunt was still extremely underweight at the time and it was obvious he had been a mistreated child. Grizz quickly explained to her that the kid was Blue’s younger brother and had been abused at home. Blue stole him away from his family. Mavis had nodded with understanding. She didn’t ask questions. She didn’t pry. She accepted what Grizz told her and never addressed it again. That’s why he liked her so much.

The realization that he actually liked someone surprised him as he was brought back to the present by Grunt’s voice.

“Is this the bar we came to the first night?”

“I told you to never mention that night again,” Grizz said in a low voice.

“I know that. I just wanted to see if I remembered right. Are we going in? Are we going to get to eat here? Do you know if there’s a pinball machine in there? How about a pool table?”

Grizz didn’t answer him. It was going to be a long day.

As they opened the door, their senses were attacked by the ferocious stench of stale cigarettes and a grease-laden grill. Grunt waved his hand in front of his face as if to chase away the smell.

“It really stinks in here,” he said to no one in particular.

“White Room” by Cream was blaring on the jukebox. As Grunt’s eyes adjusted to the dim light, they widened.

“Hey, the girls in here aren’t wearing any shirts!” He elbowed Grizz. “Where are their shirts? Why aren’t they wearing shirts?”

Grizz looked down at the boy, tried not to smile. “Is this your first time seeing tits?”

Grunt didn’t answer, he just stared as he followed Grizz back to a small office. Mavis was sitting at a desk and smiled when Grizz walked in. She stood up and went to give Grunt a hug after she noticed him behind Grizz.

“Well, hello, young man. You have certainly filled out some since I saw you last. And you got a haircut. It looks nice. You still going by Runt?”

Grunt looked at Mavis shyly. “Everybody called me Runt at first. Then Grown-up Runt, but that was too long. So now it’s just Grunt. It’s my own special name. Everybody has a special name at the motel.” Before Mavis could comment, he added, “Did you know the girls out there aren’t wearing any shirts? You’re probably the only girl in here wearing a shirt. How come you’re wearing a shirt and they’re not?”

Grizz looked at Mavis and said, “I’ll let you handle this one. I’ll be back in a minute. Kid, you hungry?”

“Yeah. Can I get a hamburger? Wait, no, a cheeseburger and a soda. Oh! And French fries, too.”

“Sure, I’ll be back in a little while with it. You stay here with Mavis until I come back.”

“Okay, Grizz,” Grunt said.

When Grunt turned back to look at Mavis, something nagged at her. She thought he seemed familiar, but she couldn’t grab hold of a memory. Maybe she was remembering the first time she saw him when she was working from home that day, and Grizz dropped in with him. He looked different now. Healthy and strong, even if he was short for his age. But when she gave it more thought, she remembered she’d had this same feeling the first time she had met him, too. She frowned, then decided to dismiss it. With all of the children at the school, it was very possible he looked similar to one of them, that was all.

Giving him a kind look, she asked, “So, I take it this is the first time you’ve seen female breasts?”

She knew it wasn’t any of her business, but she thought Grizz was wrong to not give any thought to the fact that this child was probably being exposed to things that were too mature for him. Maybe she could gently and tactfully explain some things to him.

“They’re not breasts,” Grunt said matter-of-factly. “They’re tits.”

Before Mavis could reply, something caught his attention in the office. “What is that? Is that some kind of game?” he asked, pointing to the top of one of the filing cabinets.

Mavis turned around and saw he was pointing to her chess set. “That’s a game called chess,” she answered him. She was secretly glad their topic had turned from breasts to chess.

“Whose game is it?” Grunt asked inquisitively as he walked over to the filing cabinet and stood on his tiptoes to get a better look.

“It’s my game,” Mavis answered, smiling at the memories. “I played with my husband every night before he passed away. When I found out Grizz played, I brought it here so we could play occasionally. And thanks for asking. I need to remind him that it’s his move.”

“Can I learn to play chess? Can you teach me to play it?”

“Sure, I’ll teach you.”

He sat down in a chair across from her desk and reached behind him. He whipped out a small notebook. Then he took a pen that was behind his ear and looked up at her. Mavis hadn’t noticed the pen until he retrieved it.

“What have you got there?” she asked.

“It’s my learning notebook. Okay, tell me the rules and I’ll write them down. I write everything in my learning notebook. That way, I remember to study it later.”

Mavis smiled warmly. She liked this child. She really liked this child.

Grizz returned ten minutes later with Grunt’s lunch order. Grunt was writing in his notebook. Mavis looked up and told Grizz before he could ask, “He’s writing down everything he thinks he needs to know about chess. Why don’t you take this set back with you and play with him? You don’t bring him here enough for me to play with him.”

Grizz didn’t say anything, he just nodded. Maybe it would be a good idea to play chess with the kid. If he found something else to occupy him other than poker, Grizz wouldn’t have to worry about the guys getting pissed off that the kid was winning all their money. Yes, maybe chess would be a good distraction from poker.

Mavis stood up and took the food from Grizz’s hands.

“Grunt, honey, why don’t you sit over here in the corner and have a picnic on the floor? We’ll bring the chess set over and you can familiarize yourself with the pieces.”

Grunt shoved his notebook in the back of his pants and put his pen behind his ear. He stood up and carefully lifted the chess set off the high filing cabinet and walked it over to the corner where Mavis had set up his picnic. She had even laid down a spare tablecloth to use as a blanket. He’d never had a picnic before.

After settling him in, she went back to her desk. Grizz sat in the chair that Grunt had just deserted and they discussed business: tax issues, payroll, expenses. When they were finished, Mavis looked around Grizz to see if Grunt was still occupied. She wasn’t sure if Grizz would want Grunt to hear the other thing she wanted to discuss.

In almost a whisper, she said, “I want to talk about Gwinny.” She nodded toward Grunt to let Grizz know that she was being considerate of the fact that “young ears” were in the room.

Grizz turned around and stared at the boy. He looked like he was immersed in his new game. “It’s okay. What’s up?”

“Summer is what’s up. School is almost out. I’m not sure how I can keep a watch on her for you when I won’t see her for a couple of months.”

Mavis knew that Grizz hadn’t thought about summer, but he never had to in the past. Mavis purposely made it a point to accidentally run into Gwinny at the convenience store over the last couple of summers. She concocted a story that she lived close by, which she didn’t. It was actually a few miles out of her way to go there, but she really had become fond of the little girl and was concerned about her well-being. Truth be told, there was more than one child at Gwinny’s school that could have benefited from her watchful eye. She wondered if Grizz’s friend was watching down from heaven with a grateful sigh of relief that his daughter had some human guardian angels.

Grizz scratched his chin and tugged absentmindedly on his long beard. Before he could reply, she added, “That convenience store. Why don’t I get a part time job there? Maybe that would help.”

“I couldn’t ask you to do that, Mavis,” he said. “You’ve already gone above and beyond.”

“Look,” she answered. “I don’t mind it, really. I hadn’t realized how lonely I was until you asked me to keep an eye on her. I mean, yeah, I’ve come to love the regulars here at the bar, but I’ve never had the chance to have a child in my life. Truthfully, I love all of the children at that school. Well, most of them,” she added with a knowing smile.

“That’s a long time to be on your feet every day. At least here you get to sit. At the cafeteria, too. You have a chair at the register, right?”

“Yes, and I can have a chair behind the register at the convenience store, too. I do have experience, so I can’t imagine the owners having a problem with me sitting behind the counter off and on. Really, I’d like to try it. But remember, we don’t even know if Mindy’s is hiring part-time.”

“They’ll hire you,” Grizz added. “Convenience stores are always turning over employees.” Before Mavis could comment, Grizz asked, “Why now, Mavis? She seemed okay last summer without you having to take on a summer job to keep an eye on her.”

“That’s the other thing I wanted to talk to you about,” she said quietly.

“What? What is it?” Grizz sat up.

“I know she’s only nine, but she’s a mature child, Grizz. I didn’t even notice until I heard that brat Curtis Armstrong say something.”

“Say something about what?”

Mavis looked at him and gestured toward her own chest. She nodded at him as if she expected him to understand what she was trying to say.

“What? What are you talking about?”

She rolled her eyes. “Boobies, Grizz. She looks like she’s starting to develop. Not a lot, but noticeable enough for that little shit, Curtis, to say something. I’ve heard him commenting to his friends. And she’s started wearing a sweatshirt. It’s ninety degrees outside and she’s wearing a
sweatshirt
. She’s trying to cover them up.”

“Are you kidding me? She’s only nine. Isn’t that early?”

“You’re asking me? I didn’t get mine until I was—um, actually, I still don’t have ‘em—but yeah. She might be young, but children develop at different ages. She’s what? A year younger than him?” she asked nodding over at Grunt, who still seemed involved in his food and the game. “And she’s definitely taller. I just think maybe it’s time for some training bras. I can’t see that ditzy mother of hers taking her to get any, either. I’ve seen that woman just a few times and I’m pretty certain she doesn’t even own a bra.”

Grizz looked uncomfortable at the idea. “So what are you going to do? Wait until she comes in to buy her mom’s smokes and say, ‘Oh, by the way, Gwinny, I found these training bras and thought you might like them?’” He made a face. “And what the hell is a training bra?”

“Stop being a smart ass. A training bra is just a little starter bra. I was thinking of going down to the thrift shop and picking up some used clothes that I know would fit her. I could toss some bras in with the clothes and then tell her my neighbor’s granddaughter left some of her things here while she was visiting, and my neighbor asked if I knew any little girls they might fit.”

Grizz leaned back and sighed. This Gwinny thing was getting to him. He’d never once considered what he would do as she got older. He guessed he naively assumed that she would stay a sweet, little girl who needed someone to keep an eye on things. He never imagined he’d be dealing with bullies and bras. He dragged a hand through his hair, letting out a long sigh.

“Yeah,” he said finally, “get the job for the summer. Get the bras. I trust you to handle it and let me know if I’m needed.”