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 had made a business decision long ago to let their respective gangs believe there was hostility between their leaders. They used the fabricated rivalry to their advantage. One being, they were able to ferret out moles and gauge loyalty within their own groups. The two friends secretly met on a regular basis to discuss their dealings. They didn't know how long they'd be able to keep up the charade, but it worked for now.
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 seriously 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.