“Is she okay?” he asked once they were inside. “Was she crying or anything?”
Moe looked up at him with an odd expression on her face and nodded. Shit. Which question was she answering? He grabbed a piece of notebook paper and a pencil, handing it to Moe.
“Let’s start over. Is she okay?”
Moe nodded yes.
“Please don’t make me ask you, Moe. Just tell me what’s going on inside number four.”
Moe wrote, “Seems okay. Not crying. Not afraid of him.”
He was relieved. “Good. What else?”
Moe retrieved something from her pocket. It was a wallet. She laid it on his bed and wrote something else on the paper. “Have to burn it.”
He looked at her without saying anything for almost a full minute. “Will you keep it? Will you hide it? Will you do that for me, Moe?”
She nodded again.
He took the paper she had been writing on and crumpled it up. He would take it out to the pit and toss it in the fire.
He left Moe standing in his room. He ignored the whistles and lewd catcalls concerning his and Moe’s time together. Assholes.
If he’d taken even a moment to stop and look back at Moe before he left the room, he would have seen an expression on her face he’d never seen before. The look of a woman who loved someone that could never be hers. Moe had the look of a woman who had just realized the man she loved was in love with someone else.
It was the look of despair.
Grunt was jolted back to the present by a loud commotion outside. He got up and went to his window. He shook his head as he watched the scene. Typical. Looked like some guys had lured a young couple back to the motel and were tormenting them. Grizz commanded the dogs to be quiet but was ignoring what was going on just a few feet away from him. He was talking to Chico, who was probably setting up some kind of delivery. It didn’t matter. Whatever it was, it was certainly illegal.
Just then, Grunt noticed movement to the left. Kit. She was walking purposefully toward Grizz. She said something to him, which Grunt couldn’t hear. Grizz replied to her, but apparently it didn’t satisfy her because she didn’t go away. He saw Grizz nod to Chico, and Chico said something to one of the other guys.
Grunt saw her flinch when the couple was executed. She turned around and started back toward number four. He could see her face clearly. She was upset, but trying to control it.
Good. This would work out for him. He wouldn’t have to come up with a plan to lure Kit away from Grizz. Grizz’s ruthlessness would push her away. He would wait.
He needed some time, anyway. He would graduate college. He would make something of himself and be able to offer her a life away from this band of criminals. It would just take some time.
He had time. He would let Grizz continue to show her what a bastard he truly was.
Chess was Grunt’s game, and he was the best. This wasn’t chess, but it would be the most serious game he’d ever played in his life. Each move would have to be painstakingly calculated.
He smiled as he watched Grizz striding towards number four. The game was on, and Grunt hadn’t lost one yet.
He remembered how he’d almost messed up last year. It was the night he took Kit to Jan and Blue’s for Thanksgiving. He’d fucked up and told her how he felt about her. There was a pause in their conversation and he quickly reminded himself that he needed to be patient. Having a relationship with her then would’ve been impossible. He had to keep following Sarah Jo’s advice. Jo had told him to wait and that’s what he’d been doing. He didn’t have a plan then, but he really wouldn’t have needed one, anyway. He would just make sure Grizz always looked like a rat bastard in front of Kit. She would see the horrible things that Grizz did, and Grunt would make sure that he was there to comfort her.
He was so lost in thought he hadn’t realized Kit had just walked right past his window. She hadn’t seen him because she was looking straight ahead, as if on a mission.
Grunt watched her walk around the side of the motel. Maybe she was getting ready to jog, maybe blow off some steam. She had her purse with her, though. She wouldn’t need her purse to jog around the motel.
A minute later, he saw her Trans-Am emerge from the right side of the motel and peel out as she gunned it at the entrance to State Road 84. What was she doing? She wasn’t supposed to go anywhere alone.
There was no way Grizz knew about her leaving. He had given her strict driving rules when he’d presented her with a brand new car for her sixteenth birthday. She was without a doubt defying a direct order. Grunt’s brain went into overdrive. Was she going to the police? Was she taking a drive to calm down? Would she seek out Sarah Jo? She had just seen something horrible. What would a girl like her do after seeing two people get murdered? Should he go after her?
No, not yet. He took a calming breath as it dawned on him. He didn’t need to go after her. Yes. He knew exactly where she was going. He wanted to see how Grizz would react when he realized she’d left. He would wait.
**********
For his part, Grizz had left Kit standing in the small living room after she’d confronted him about what Chico’s guy did to the couple that had been lured back to the motel.
“I’m taking a shower,” he called out over his shoulder as he headed for the bathroom.
He stripped off his clothes and climbed in, letting the hot water soak into his shoulders as he closed his eyes and thought about Kit. Thought about what she’d just seen. Dammit. Why didn’t he think before nodding at Chico? He didn’t think about it because he didn’t care. Not about that couple, anyway.
Kit was the only thing that mattered, and he didn’t think far enough ahead to predict how Chico would respond to his nod to “take care of this.” He’d never had to worry about it before. Worst of all, he didn’t know how to respond to her when she confronted him. He was a cold, heartless bastard. He wasn’t used to caring what someone thought.
But he cared what Kit thought. He would talk to her. He would be kinder, gentler. Maybe he should get her away from the motel. Set her up somewhere else. He would think about it.
He got out of the shower and dried off. After wrapping the towel around himself, he headed out to the small living room where he’d left her ten minutes earlier.
But she wasn’t there. He peeked out the curtain. She wasn’t in the pit and she wasn’t jogging around the parking lot as was her habit.
She probably went to find Grunt. He would get dressed and go get her.
He left number four and noticed Grunt was in one of the lawn chairs in the pit, his legs stretched out. Maybe he’d left Kit in his room to listen to records or something. Even though she had her own stereo, she might just be angry enough with Grizz to lock herself in Grunt’s room and ignore him. It wouldn’t have been the first time she’d stayed away. He smiled when he remembered how mad she’d been when he gave her a new car for her birthday, how she’d stayed away from him for a few days when he’d refused to let her and Sarah Jo drive around in it together.
He adored her. He didn’t want her to be hurt by the things she saw at the motel, and it dawned on him that he hadn’t really done a good job of shielding her from this lifestyle. What had he told her earlier? If you don’t like what goes on out there, then stay inside.
He was a bastard. She was not a typical “old lady” and never would be. And truthfully, that’s what he liked about her. No. That wasn’t entirely accurate. That’s what he loved about her. He knew he could have avoided having her see the executions earlier that day, but even after a year at the motel, he still wasn’t used to having her around. He wasn’t used to caring so damn much.
He banged on Grunt’s door once before flinging it open. But it was empty. He was surprised that she wasn’t there.
His mouth was still open to say something when another thought occurred to him. It sent a wave of heat up his spine.
No way. She wouldn’t leave. She wouldn’t defy him.
He found hims
elf striding quickly to the office side of the motel. He was getting ready to break into a run when Chicky came out of one of the units. He almost mowed her down. She was talking to him, but he didn’t hear her. He was on the other side of the office now and stopped dead in his tracks.
Kit’s car was gone.
Grunt watched from the pit. He saw Grizz brush past Chicky so quickly it almost knocked her over. He had only seen Grizz lose his cool one time, and that was the night that Guido came to the motel to tell them Johnny Tillman had tried to rape Ginny. Grunt could tell by Grizz’s stride that he was more than a little upset. Maybe even panicked. Grunt knew it would be worse when Grizz discovered that Kit’s car was gone.
He waited.
A split second later, Grizz came barreling back around the side of the office. He got to the pit; only Grunt and a few other people remained. Chico and his men had already left.
“Did you see Kit leave?” Grizz looked at each face, including Grunt’s. Everyone shook their head no, including Grunt.
Grunt couldn’t help himself. “Leave? Why would Kit leave?”
Grizz didn’t answer. His jaw tightened, and his fists were clenched as his arms dangled at his side. He was trying to control his emotions.
“Everyone rides. Find her.”
“What do we do when we find her?” Monster asked. “You want us to bring her back? I don’t know if we could get her back here without causing attention, you know?”
“No, don’t go near her.” Grizz’s face was shadowed. “Page me from a pay phone and wait. I’ll call you and you can tell me where you last saw her.”
“Should we go east or head west towards the Alley?” another person asked.
This question caught Grizz by surprise. It hadn’t occurred to him that Kit might head over the Alley. But why would she? She didn’t know anyone over there. Kit hadn’t made any friends that he knew of at the little church he took her to every week. Then again, he never went inside with her, so how would he know?
Just to be sure, Grizz would call his friend, Anthony, and have him post one of his guys at the Alligator Alley exit.
“What the fuck are you all waiting for? Go! Now!” he yelled.
The men who were still sitting jumped to attention and everyone started heading for their bikes.
“I’ll take my car,” Grunt said as he casually walked past Grizz.
Yep, he knew exactly where she would be, and if Grizz cared half as much for her as Grunt did, he would know too.
Chapter Twenty-Three
1950s, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
It had been four days since that rotten bastard had taken off with everything he owned.
Somehow, he’d made his way to the downtown area, had been sleeping behind businesses and eating out of dumpsters. He had been racking his brain trying to figure out how he was going to survive with only the clothes on his back. He was big for his age and could try to get a job, but it wasn’t likely that he’d be hired looking and smelling like he did. He just needed to figure out a way to get his hands on some cash so he could get himself cleaned up and have a decent meal. Maybe then he could think clearer.
He thought about stealing the money. He could mug someone or even break into a business at night and raid the register, but he realized that the fear of getting caught and being connected to his family’s disappearance scared him more than being hungry. He’d been hungry before. He’d figure this out.
He was walking along the sidewalk and looking down when he collided with someone.
“Stupid son-of-a-bitch. Why don’t you watch where you’re going, you stupid ass?”
He realized he’d knocked over an old man who had been carrying his packages out of the post office. He was trying to get himself up and still cussing when the boy extended his hand and pulled him to his feet.
“Sorry, mister. Didn’t see you. Can I help you carry your stuff to your car?”
“Yeah.” The old man dusted off the seat of his pants and pointed to a car. “That one’s mine.”
He watched as the kid effortlessly scooped up the dropped boxes and easily strode to his car. He hobbled over and unlocked the trunk. The boy put the boxes in the trunk and slammed it shut.
“Anything else I can do for you, mister?”
Just then, the old man caught a whiff of him. “Holy shit, you stink, kid. Don’t your parents let you take a bath? Maybe you oughta go jump in a fountain or something.”
The boy didn’t say anything, just looked at the ground.
“What’s your story, kid?” the old man asked with a suspicious gleam in his eye.
“No story. Just looking for work to help out my family.” The boy looked up and met the old man’s gaze.
The old man was startled by the kid’s bright green eyes. They were intelligent eyes and the old man knew that they held a secret.
He knew because he had secrets of his own.
**********
Two months earlier: The Glades Motel
The old man had just come out of unit seven. He’d had one visitor to the motel that week and they had just left. He didn’t have any employees, so it was up to him to clean up the room. He didn’t have to. He had other rooms that were clean, but he considered himself a bit fussy, and having one dirty room would’ve bothered him.
He didn’t get many visitors out here. He’d made a bad business decision on a friend’s tip years ago that a highway would be coming through to connect the two Florida coasts. His friend had told him that being the first motel out there would make him a fortune. What it had made him was a lonely and bitter old man who’d wasted his life and savings waiting for a highway that hadn’t been built yet. When he did get a visitor, it was usually somebody who’d gotten lost in the middle of the night and would rent a room with the intention of starting fresh in the morning.
He had his back to the open door and was busy vacuuming when a voice startled him. He turned around and noticed a very well dressed man with a suitcase in one hand and a large bag in the other.
“I saw the vacancy sign. Can I get a room?”
The old man hadn’t heard the car pull up because of the vacuum.
“Sure can. This one just became ready. How long you staying?” he asked his new guest.
“Don’t know, yet. Any place out here to get food?” the smartly dressed man asked.
The old man told him the closest restaurant was miles away and back toward the beach. He quickly added, “I got plenty of food, though. I’d be glad to share my meals with you. You hungry now? I can get you a sandwich. Was fixing to get myself one as soon as I was done here.”
He looked at the man hopefully. He’d lost more than one visitor because of the remoteness of his motel. He’d learned to offer a homemade meal as a way to keep them from leaving to look for a more convenient place to stay.
He really didn’t mind. He had to feed himself anyway. He was getting old, though, and it was harder to fix a little fancier meal for a guest than he would’ve fixed for just himself. Hopefully, this guy wouldn’t mind a sandwich and a beer.
Truth be told, the old man didn’t really need guests. He had no debt and his living expenses were minimal. He had just enough saved to help with the bills when guests were too few and far between.
“Sure. A sandwich sounds good,” the man told him.
The old man pulled his vacuum cleaner out on to the sidewalk and told the new guest to make himself comfortable.
“I’ll get you some clean towels and some food. You can come sign the register later.”
“Can you bring me the towels now? I could use a shower and I’ll come find you so I can register and take you up on that sandwich.”
He had already delivered the towels and was now making his new guest a sandwich. The guy seemed nice. He hoped he would stay longer than one night, but it was doubtful. They’d made some small talk when he brought back the fresh towels. He was an insurance salesman and spent most of his days on the road. Had a wife and two daughters. He d
idn’t get to spend much time with them because his job kept him on the road, but the more insurance he sold, the bigger his commissions.
He decided to surprise his guest by having a cold beer and the sandwich waiting for him when he got out of the shower. He grabbed his ring of master keys and made his way down the walkway. He knocked and when there was no answer he figured his guest must still be in the bathroom. Good.
He let himself in the room and set the food and beer down on the dresser. He started to walk out when the large bag on the bed caught his attention. It was one of those big bags that a soldier might use, made of a heavy tan canvas-type material with one long zipper down the middle. Whatever was in it was causing the bag to bulge out as if it had been filled to capacity. He didn’t know why, but it struck him as an odd piece of luggage for the insurance salesman to have with him.
His curiosity got the best of him and he found himself unzipping it. His eyes widened when he realized what was inside.
It was filled to the brim with neat stacks of tightly clad money. A gun was laying on top.
“You shouldn’t have come back in here.”
The old man flinched when he realized his guest had come out of the bathroom. He was standing at the door holding a towel around his waist with one hand. Steam from the bathroom slowly floated out into the air and added an almost sinister effect to the scene.
“What did you do? Rob a bank?”
“You should’ve minded your own business, old man.” He dropped the towel and made a quick lunge toward the bag. He was going for his gun.
With reflexes that he didn’t even know he had, the old man reached for the gun, aimed, and fired.
It took him forever to load up the body and all of his guest’s personal belongings into the man’s car. He was old and had been a chain smoker since he was ten. The task was daunting, and the only thing that drove him to finish the task was the fear of another guest showing up and catching him. That probably wasn’t a real fear, but with his luck, it’d be a bunch of coppers getting lost on their way to a convention.