Gritty

by Colleen Baxter Sullivan

  “Man, I am just having a smoke. What’s your problem?”

  “Did you sleep here last night?” I asked.

  “Yes of course I did.”

  “Your bed does not look like it has been slept in.”

  “I can make a bed, you know,” he said with an insulting glare. “I got up early and needed a smoke.”

  “Come inside and have a cup of coffee with me. Surely Lexus will still have something for you to eat. I want to talk.”

  “Look Mr. Garwood, I appreciate all that you have done for me. But I must be on my way. I don’t take favors from strangers. The occasional loose change or so, but this is a little more than a hand out.”

  “Alright, but will you please come in and have a coffee with me.” He got up obligingly and we made our way back into the kitchen. Lexus unquestioningly poured us coffee. She placed a plate of sweet rolls in front of us. Gritty dived in. You could tell he was really hungry.

  I waited until he had finished and then began my so called interrogation. I noticed that he had shaved and cleaned up a bit. He looked presentable and rather handsome. I could not shake this feeling of knowing him from somewhere.

  “We never did finish our conversation the other day. I was getting to know you and unfortunately we were rudely interrupted.”

  “I’m sorry about that,” he answered. “If the others thought that I was getting friendly with people, I would lose my place.”

  “What place?” I questioned.

  “Even though we live on the streets, we respect one another’s space. We watch out for each other. No one is allowed to snoop or invade that space, especially strangers. I had to act like you were a bother. Man, I am sorry about that.”

  “I figured that’s what happened. Can we please continue now?”

  “What do you want to know? And to be very blunt Adam, what the hell business is it of yours?” he said with a disdainful glare.

  “Actually, it is none of my business. I am wanting to help. Gritty, you have a story and obviously you do not belong on the streets… like I said, I want to help.”

  “Okay, what do you want to know? Are you doing a story for some paper or something?”

  “No, not at all! I want to know who you are and why are you living like this? You obviously have an education. I can tell by the way you speak. Were your parents British? I detect a bit of an accent.”

  “British!” He laughed. “Anything but.”

  I continued. “I know these streets. I am a private investigator with a degree in law. I have been helping people in this area for a long time.”

  “You can stop there,” he said. “Who hired you? You were hired by them, weren’t you?” Gritty started to get very anxious and immediately got up to leave. Lexus quickly came to the rescue.

  “Sit down. You can trust Adam. He is trying to help, that’s all! He has helped me in the past. How do you think a person like myself is able to own a place like this? Adam has assisted many of the people in this area. If he says he wants to help you, then he does! Now sit down while I pour you another cup.”

  Gritty sheepishly obeyed. Lexus had a certain authority in her voice that not many would ignore. At first I was annoyed she was listening into our conversation, but now I was very grateful.

  “I don’t have any money. You won’t be able to help me. The reason I am in this predicament is because I could not afford a good lawyer. They have all the means to afford the best.”

  “You keep saying ‘they’. Who are ‘they’?” I questioned.

  “You don’t want to get mixed up with them. I have been hiding a long time. If they knew where I was, for sure that would be the end of me.” Gritty started to sweat profusely. “They took everything from me, all my personal belongings, my friends and family. They took my life!”

  “Okay, calm down! You have to be honest and tell me everything. I will try my best to help you. We will work out the payment later. Let’s just start from the beginning. Tell me!”

  “Do you mind if I smoke?” I looked over and Lexus nodded in agreement.

  “Sure, if that helps.”

  * * * *

  “You wouldn’t believe where my life was five years ago. I owned a house in Hampstead. I drove an Audi. I had the best designer suits and I could afford the latest gadgets money could buy. I travelled the world and enjoyed the fruits of life. But most of all, I had a great life with friends and family. And then it ended abruptly.” The expression that came over Gritty’s face was pitiful, but the look that came over Lexus’ was even more unsettling. I can’t imagine losing all that and could not wait to hear the rest of his story. My curiosity was getting the better of me and it took all my composure not to hurry him along. I had to win his trust.

  He continued. “I worked for a company called Invor Research.”

  “Oh, I’ve heard of them. They work hand in hand with pharmaceutical companies.”

  “Yes, that’s right. Invor takes on a lot of contract work. They have laboratories in both Canada and the United States. They are responsible for the testing of many of the drugs that are distributed in these countries. They are associated with Health Products and Food Branch (HPFB) of Health Canada. Invor works with the physicians, chemists, pharmacologists and statisticians, and sometimes with outside sources to assess the safety and quality of these drugs. They compile information for drug approval for consumer buying. Invor is independent and unbiased. They are only the middleman and hand over this information. It is basically a research centre limited to research in the area of the components of these drugs, components meaning distributional sources.”

  I almost fell off my chair when he said that. Here was a homeless bum who had worked for one of the largest companies in North America. “What was your capacity at Invor?”

  “I was basically in charge of operations working with the stats but primarily the head chemist. Anything that left the lab came through me for approval. I worked hard at my job and was compensated well for my knowledge. I was greatly respected… or so I thought.”

  “What happened? You go from that to this!”

  “We were in the final stages of development for a cure of a disease that would have made a profound difference in the medical industry. I stumbled on this unapproved cure and handed over my review. Feeling very proud and waiting for a positive response seemed a long time coming. I questioned the absence of their reply, which seemed a long time coming, not knowing it would be the beginning of my demise.”

  “But Gritty, you would think that with this breakthrough in the medical field they would be very excited with your findings.”

  “Yes, you would think so! You must remember how much money is being handed over by consumers for needless drugs… keeping the public alive with optimistic dreams of a cure. They keep coming back with their money in order to purchase these pills. The big word here is money… pharmaceutical industry… money grabbing aristocrats that live off people’s health problems with a hope for a better life… anticipating a cure.”

  “So you are saying you found a cure and were stopped in your tracks because of greed.” I looked over at Lexus and realized she was crying. I chose to ignore, not wanting to embarrass her.

  “Yes, they don’t want cures! They want you to keep buying their pills. Don’t you get it? I was a threat to them, so they tried to eliminate me. They tried to kill me. I lost everything.”

  “They can’t do that! It is illegal! Didn’t you try going to the authorities?”

  “Of course I did. Who are they going to believe, some disabled chemist with a cleft hand or the people in power at Invor. They built a case against me that made me look like the insane professor. I was lost at how to deal with this. People who at first were rooting for me and supporting my work, my colleagues and friends, soon joined forces with the enemy. To this day I don’t know who got to them or what was said.”

>   “Obviously they were frightened of recriminations if they sided with you. They were either paid off or were threatened with their lives. Same old story… big corporation against little man. I want to help you.” I kept thinking to myself that this could be the case. This could be the big one that I was looking for.

  “I don’t mean to be disrespectful but a gay lawyer or private investigator, living in the Plateau, is definitely not a match for Invor. Just leave it alone!”

  “So, you are going to live in a box the rest of your life. You are going to hide from this!” I asked, getting more frustrated by the moment. “What do you have to lose?”

  “If that is what it takes then I will. I have no choice. These people mean business. They took my life away from me.”

  “You mentioned family. Were you married? Do you have children?”

  “Yes, I had a wife. We were married for 25 years. She knew too much information. I told her everything. They knew that and made me pay for it.”

  “Where is she now?”

  Tears filled his eyes. He looked up as if realizing what he was about to say determined his condition, his present state. It explained his bleak situation and uncertain and dire future. Lexus reached out as his body started shaking with the memory.

  “They killed her,” he sobbed.

  I knew then that nothing could stop me from taking on this case. Richard would have to know about it and I, once again, was putting our lives at risk. This appalling injustice would have to be vindicated. I couldn’t believe that Gritty could not find help. I could only surmise that he was alone and had nowhere to turn. I was furious with this story. Once calmed down Gritty looked in my direction and I put my arm around his shoulder.

  “I will take on your case. Not just for you, but for all those misled people with families wanting answers to their life threatening illnesses.”

  “And you can stay here as long as needed,” whispered Lexus looking on knowingly. She seemed more protective of him rather than eager for me to solve the case. Her reaction was very puzzling. I felt that she knew more than she was letting on. Please don’t lie to me Lexus, anyone but you. I need you more than ever now.

  “It might put you both in danger. These people have thugs that work for them and I mean there is no stopping their violence.”

  “Don’t worry about me; I have handled the worst kind of danger. Gritty, you mentioned your wife. What happened to her? I’m sorry, I have to ask.”

  “It was never proven but she fell in front of an oncoming vehicle. She would never have done that. Sandra was paranoid about traffic. Even when she stood at a curb, she stood four feet back. I know her. She was pushed. I lost it at that point and yes, I did seem insane with my actions. I wanted to kill someone. That is another story for another day.”

  I listened intently and I am sure my expressions spoke volumes as to what had to be done. Once I composed myself, I said, “I have to go now, but Lexus are you sure he can stay here?”

  “Of course he can,” she answered.

  I hugged them both and was on my way.

  Chapter Four

  I returned to my office but found it extremely hard to concentrate. What did I do? Taking on another case, especially one of this nature was suicidal. I poured myself a bourbon which was totally out of character. It was early afternoon and I knew I had to make a game plan. First, dealing with Richard was not going to be easy. He would never understand. I answered a few emails and typed in the word Invor Research. Just as Gritty said, they were widely recognized for their research and work within the pharmaceutical industry. They were revered as a company for setting high ethical standards and working harmoniously with partner companies. Yeah, right! What about running down a woman and covering up their tracks! Some ethics!

  I was already taking sides and this was very unprofessional. What if Gritty was the one at fault here? It was highly possible! His judgement so far was anything but rational. After all he was living in a box. Not too smart! A man with his intelligence should or could have figured something else out, much less dramatic. I made up my mind at that moment to keep an open mind. I had to distance myself from the situation. I personally liked Gritty but this was a case, one that had to be dealt with in a professional manner. I poured myself another glass of bourbon and thanked God that I lived in walking distance from the office. I found a contact name at Invor and tomorrow I would schedule an appointment to talk with someone. There had to be more to this than what Gritty told me. It just does not make sense.

  * * * *

  “Christ you smell like a distillery. Where have you been?” asked Richard sharply. “I thought that you were working today. I dropped by the office earlier this morning and the doors were locked. You weren’t answering your cell either. What’s going on?”

  I knew I had to come clean; I started to explain. I realized that this case might take up a lot of my time and I could not keep it from Richard. It concerned him. I promised to discuss all cases with him, especially after the Lambert case. I had put our lives in danger and could well be repeating history.

  “You what? How long have you known this Gritty? You’ve been keeping this from me! I don’t get it,” said Richard in a hurtful tone.

  “He is a bum. My first encounter was nothing. I put it out of my mind the same day. It is only when he resurfaced yesterday that it got serious. I did not feel the need to worry you about it. I’m really sorry!”

  Once I apologized, Richard must have felt that he had control of the situation, because he calmed down immediately. “I must say, it is tempting. Isn’t it? This is the case that you have been looking for. Taking down the big corporation will set you up for life. Remember the O.J. Simpson case and how the Kardashian name became world renown. It was mainly because of that case. Are you going to represent him as his lawyer or do the investigative work, or both? Hey, I could help.”

  What just happened? Suddenly Richard was on my side. This was a little too easy and I knew why. He wanted to help. My worst nightmare! I had to think about it. I really needed this case and maybe the only way was to have Richard feel a part of it. I could be open and not have to keep anything from him; no more sneaking around. Hopefully he would take orders and stay out of my way. Oh, but what would I tell him about Lexus. He must not find out about her and our long lasting relationship. Could I trust Lexus and Gritty to keep this a secret? There was so much to think about. Lexus had the key to my past, a past that I did not want to share with Richard. He would never understand. It was much too late to disclose certain information to him. But how could I keep him helping me and at the same time not be aware that Gritty was living at Lexus’ place?

  “I think that we should have business cards printed in my name. Who knows when we might need them!” exclaimed Richard with excitement.

  “This is not a permanent position or anything like that. I might need your input every now and again. That’s all!” I could see his ego being deflated right before my eyes. It was cruel of me to expect him to understand and then not include him. It might become a dangerous situation and he was my husband. I owed him that much.

  “Adam, I want to help. I am bored out of my mind. My job prospects are few and far between.”

  “I know. I feel terribly responsible for taking us away from Montreal in the first place. It seemed to be a quick fix at the time. Now I look back on it all and say to myself, ‘What the hell was I thinking?’ I’m really sorry Richard. I screwed up big time. Can you ever truly forgive me?”

  “There is nothing to forgive! You were trying to protect me. If I hadn’t been such a wimp and voiced my fear constantly… we would never have moved,” replied Richard reaching out reassuringly. “What’s done is done. I think this case will put you on top. People will be lining up at your door. If we had not come back here, you would never have met Gritty. Believe me Adam, when I say, there is a reason for everything. I love you and we ar
e a great team. Remember that!”

  “Honestly Richard, I don’t know where to start with this one.”

  “Why don’t you try calling someone at Invor?”

  “I should, but what if they did murder Gritty’s wife and I rouse suspicion with my line of questioning. That might ruin the case completely. These people are smart. I have to get my information from other sources, unbeknownst to them.”

  “They are always hiring. I saw an ad this week wanting an inventory controller.”

  “So what?”

  “Adam, it’s a long shot… but what if I applied for the post and I could be the inside man. I definitely have qualifications for that job. I’m over-qualified if anything.”

  “Are you crazy? An inventory controller! I am sure you are not qualified. There must be some training involved, and what about the Sunlight?”

  “I vividly remember the requirement was a university graduate, willing to be trained for the post. What have we got to lose? The Sunlight is a joke!”

  My heart was racing with anticipation. Actually Richard had a pretty good idea, far-fetched, but it might work. Perhaps he would make a good detective!

  “Okay, give it a try. We must be very careful not to disclose our true identity. The application will ask you if you are married, and that might be a problem.”

  “How’s that?” asked Richard.

  “Firstly they will realize that you are gay. Secondly they will know that you are married to a private investigator. Don’t you think that might be a cause for concern?”

  “Adam, we can either give it a try or sit back and do nothing. I still feel it is worth a try.”

  “Alright, I won’t interfere. It will be your first assignment.”

  “What do you mean assignment?”

  “Richard, your first assignment is to get hired.”

  “I have an idea. It’s still early. Let’s go down to the Old Port and see exactly where Invor is located,” said Richard with a sheepish grin. “We can grab a bite on rue Saint Paul. It might be fun.”