Gritty

by Colleen Baxter Sullivan

  “And his mother. What happened to Gritty’s mother?”

  “She jumped off the Champlain Bridge when he was in his teens.”

  “Was her name Arlette Baton? I remember a French Montreal actress jumping off a bridge. It was in La Presse. I was young but my mother talked about her. It was all over the news. She was a huge French soap opera actress.”

  “Yes, that was her! She was very successful in the Montreal scene. And when she died, her son was well taken care of.”

  “Her son meaning Gritty?”

  “Yes.”

  “I can see now why you say he might have inherited this disorder or perhaps he inherited her acting talent. Poor guy, what a shit poor life!”

  “It’s not that shit poor!” he said standing at the door.

  I knew this could go either way. He might be mad at Lex for talking about him or he might feel validated at receiving so much attention. I looked his way but could not figure out what he was thinking from his weird stance. He was crossed legged standing up. One leg was horizontally bent over the other at the knee, touching the door frame to secure his body. It really seemed a strange way to posture himself but then again, he was a strange man. He then entered the room as if taking a casual walk down the boulevard. He went to the stove and poured himself a cup of coffee.

  He played the fanatic to perfection. The fear that he was manifesting surmounted. Although he did not move; I was frightened by what this ticking time bomb might do next. There was not a hint of terror from his movements and his face was free from expression, his guise did not betray him but it was there, crazy was in his eyes. He slowly approached the table and reached for the cream. He spoke softly and meticulously pronouncing each word to perfection, rather in a dramatic tone. The depth of his voice came deep from within almost giving one the impression of a regurgitating sound, reaching deeply inside and rather than bringing up food he brought forth words. “That’s the way I like it, not too dark, thick and creamy, caramel in colour. Do you have anything sweet to go with this?” he said in a sinister tone, directing his stare towards Lexus. His eyes were demonic, not blinking, fired up with rage, but he did not budge. The tension was immeasurable. My heart was racing.

  Lexus got up and started to head toward the pantry and as she passed him, he reached out and grabbed her arm. It was too late. I wasn’t fast enough. I jerked forward but the power of his look froze me in place. I could not move.

  The sound of her face being slammed against the table was a sound that I would never forget. He held her down and pulled out a knife. The blade was threatening as he held it to her throat. “Please,” I begged in her defense. I felt useless; I did not know how to save her. I felt I was dreaming… this couldn’t be real!

  “Stay back or else I will hurt her. You stupid bitch! How dare you paint this picture of me when I need him to help me solve my case! You have done more harm than good. What were you thinking?” He pulled her head back and her eyes were motionless. I thought she was dead.

  I wanted him to let her go. I felt that if I talked, it might calm him down. I soon realized he was very calm and it was me who was a ball of fear. I said the only response that I could think of to try and take his attention away from hurting Lexus anymore. “I will still help you Gritty. This is just a misunderstanding that I am sure we can solve,” I said trying to distract him and deflect the situation.

  Lexus remained still, no sound or movement. I could see a trickle of blood forming at the base of her mouth. “Lex are you okay?” I knew that if I moved forward, her life might be in jeopardy. She managed to let out a small sound letting me know she was alright. I have never felt more relieved.

  The sound of the shot nearly caused me to faint. Gritty screamed out in pain. He fell to the floor moaning as he held his foot. Lexus’ first reaction was to go to him. But I looked at her in disbelief. She stopped and turned her attention in another direction.

  Peter was standing there, gun hanging by his side. It was probably the only time that she put Peter’s needs first.

  Chapter Twelve

  “I can’t stop shaking. Please give me a hug and make that terrible image of Lexus go away.” Richard reached for me and held me for the longest time.

  “I know. But at least the doctors said she will be fine, no permanent damage. Thank God that Peter was there or else who knows what might have happened.”

  “Lexus was lucky that she had a license for that gun. She told Peter where it was and to use it only in emergencies. He perhaps is not as dumb as they think he is.”

  “What do you think will happen now? Obviously, once Gritty is released from the hospital with a clean bill of health, they will press charges. You do think that Lexus will press charges, don’t you?”

  “With her, I am not sure of anything. I only wish that the bullet was aimed at his heart. The kid was smart but a lousy shooter. Probably the first time he ever used a gun.”

  “Adam you have to be non-judgemental in our line of business, neutral to the end. How will you ever defend him if you have already tried and prosecuted him?”

  “Are you crazy? Defend him is the last thing I will do. I am officially off this case. I’m done. That piece of shit can rot in hell for all I care!”

  “No you’re not giving up this case; we are in too deep.”

  “What case anyway? Gritty versus Invor or Lexus versus Gritty and so on and so on. What started out to be pretty straight forward is ass-backward now. We both know that this was only a figment of Gritty’s imagination. He never had a cure for any disease. He was not qualified and never worked in that area. Pointe finale! We are chasing a pipe drea… no fame or fortune with this case my friend. Richard, don’t you get it. There is no case, period!”

  “Then why did they let him go after all those years? That alone is discrimination. Invor is hiding something. I’ll bet my life on it. We just have to find out what!”

  “Well even if they are, the plaintiff is in lockup.”

  “Not if we convince Lexus not to press charges.”

  “Fuck Richard, he almost killer her. He is being charged for attempted murder.”

  “Only if proven!”

  I’m happy that the phone rang. I was dumbfounded with Richard’s take on this situation. He skipped over the obvious matters at hand and went right for the reward. His only concern was fame and he did not care about what had just happened to Lexus. Crimes against women have always been my utmost concern and I could not deal with his insensitive attitude. I would let him think it over and hopefully he would regain his senses.

  * * * *

  “Lexus how are you? I know, it looked awful. When I see blood, I automatically assume the worse. So you are better? That’s good. Wow, I’m happy that he is okay. It took a lot for him to get the gun. It might cause flashbacks and in his condition, he might have bad dreams or become very quiet. I know you will. Do you want us to come over, chicken soup or something like that? Well, I am happy to hear you laughing again. I am really sick over it all.

  “What? Are you kidding me? That can’t be possible. It looked so real. Okay get some rest and I will come by tomorrow. Bye-bye.”

  “What was that all about?” asked Richard.

  “You’re not going believe it. You might have your hope validated by the release of Gritty. I don’t think Lex is going to press charges. Apparently it was not a real knife; it was one of those make believe ones that are used in stage props. Now, Lex feels that he was not trying to harm her and he must be set free.”

  “You’re kidding of course! Slamming her head against a table, in my estimation, is cause for feeling that someone just might be wanting to harm you. What’s with that woman?”

  “Yeah, I know, but she loves her man. Women like that are selfless; they feel deserving of the punishment and only want to make everyone around them happy. And that is the case with Lexus. No one, man nor woman h
as the right to even lay a finger on someone else, whether it be warranted or not! I see many of my cases where the woman gets the rough end of the deal. Try to tell them; no, they wait until it is too late or death comes first. Their fate is inevitable.”

  “You think that she will let him be released?”

  Before I could answer, the phone rang again. It was Marc from the precinct.

  “Slow down Marc. Wow, she what? And what about Peter and the gun?” I listened as he told me the story and when I hung up the receiver I felt exhausted. I felt defeated.

  I repeated the story to Richard. “Lexus called Marc and said she would go by the precinct today and sign a paper not to press charges. Gritty is still at the General being treated for a non-life threatening foot wound. He is under arrest with a guard stationed outside his door.”

  “I don’t think that he will be going anywhere in his condition.”

  “And Peter will not be charged with anything because of his mental state and he was only acting in self defense. There will be some kind of conditions set forth as to the gun being locked up and no access given to Peter. In his mental state it could be dangerous.”

  Richard did not say much but comforted and listened intently to me as I rambled on with dismay. I had no other option than to drop the case. I did not want to talk to Lexus; I felt that she betrayed me. The minute that I got off the phone with her, she called Marc. She knew at that time that her decision was made but she did not share it with me. I could not understand her thought process or her lack of gratitude for all the effort I put into this case. I had put aside some very good prospects of paying customers, all for her and my belief in Gritty.

  It was over and I would move on. I could not imagine a life without Lexus in it. I had to remember that my perception of what she was and what I needed from her in the realization of what I wanted her to be, was completely based on untruths. I did not want the memories to become only bitter disappointments. I had to freeze them in time and not dwell too much on what transpired these last few months. She never told me about her relationship with Gritty or that he fathered her son or for that matter, that she even had a child. I had to come to terms with whether leaving things out was in fact a form of lying. Silence can be hidden lies yet to be revealed.

  I also had to come to terms with the fact that I did not own Lex; I was not family. Tomorrow I would go into the office and try to clean up the mess that I left behind. I would concentrate on building my business.

  I hated Lexus.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Routine was healing. I set the alarm and got up to the sound of Canada Geese flying overhead. It seemed too soon for them to be migrating south. It was late August. Usually they waited for the ground to freeze over before beginning their journey. I looked up at the sky in disbelief and sure enough the V-shape was evident. Was that my sign? Was that the universe telling me to move on? Canada Geese are loyal by nature; devoted to their partners. They only mate with one, unless the other dies. I constantly looked for signs as to what to do, so I took this to be my sign. The honking prevailed and I knew with it came a satisfaction that I was making the right decision. I took the V-shape as a symbol of victory. It was time to move onward and the loyalty that the geese gave to one another, validated my reasoning not to be brought into this web of lies. I hoped that no one was looking as I honked out in unison with my feathered friends.

  I showered and was soon on my way. I felt refreshed as I stepped onto the street. Oh that smell: fresh buns being baked, scents of perked coffee, the smell of fumes from buses revving up and clearing their pipes from the previous day. But most of all the sights and sounds of the people. I loved the movement; workers steadying coffee in hand as they reached down and retrieved the morning paper, the sound of children whimpering as they defied their mothers in an attempt to be dragged about with two feet skimming the surface. It never changed, children hated to get up, especially for school or daycare. And then there were our four-legged friends being rushed along for a hurried morning walk, no lingering to smell and then sensing that they would be abandoned until their masters returned home that night. And the next day it would start all over again. I wanted to inhale all of it.

  I no sooner unlocked my office door when I heard footsteps approaching. “Hi Heather, how are you?”

  “I am more than fine. You were right about approaching the mayor’s office. He gave me a wonderful letter of recommendation and with that a few new clients. I got on to many social media sights as well. Thank you for your input on that!”

  “Great, I knew that you shouldn’t throw in the towel yet. That means you are staying?”

  “Better still, I have your rent,” she answered. “I signed a contract with Bombardier to provide catering to different places around Montreal. With the new CSeries coming out, they are really busy and need someone available to cater their business meetings around the area. It is a great opportunity for me and they gave me a hefty retainer, very generous. I was able to buy a van in order to better transport my food, fridge and all.”

  “Bombardier! That is wonderful. They are huge! Didn’t they make a private jet for Oprah and a few other movie stars?”

  “Yes I think so. Adam this is perhaps the break that I needed and I owe it all to you.”

  “You owe me nothing; you did the work. And besides, I did it for a selfish reason. You are a great tenant and I wanted you to stay.” She started to laugh and said that she was happy to see me again. She returned a few minutes later with a plate full of sandwiches. I accepted gratefully.

  The office had that stale smell of unemptied trash cans and dirty coffee mugs. I immediately opened the windows to Montreal. Thank goodness that I did not have real flowers in my flower boxes for I am sure they would have died with neglect. Everyone laughed when I displayed my plastic roses, nothing to laugh at now. I could not believe my eyes when I looked down and perched on one of the boxes was one lonely Canada goose. Impossible I thought! It left the moment that I opened the window but although the port was nearby, I still believed that this was a continuation of the destiny in store for me. Mr. Goose was just reinforcing it with his brief appearance.

  The next few weeks were busy. With the fall came many new cases. Affairs were prevalent over the summer and clients wanted no trace of their infidelity, not to be continued into the winter months. If it was me personally, I would dump the bastard or bitch. Cheat on me once and I would never go back. In many cases children were involved and families were suffering with those brief acts of lust... but for me, it was twenty or so new cases and I was reaping the benefits. Hypocritical to my beliefs, I condoned these flighty affairs when I let Lexus become part of my life. It was easy not to think about what she did for a living because all was behind closed doors. I did not have to face the fatherless child or the battered and emotionally abused wife as Lexus attended to the needs of their perpetrators. Actually I should be thanking Lexus for providing the ammunition that my cases were made of.

  * * * *

  It was the last week of October and I was just about to close up the office when I heard a knock at the door. Who the hell would be wanting to see me at this time of night? I figured it must be Heather with some news of a new client. I stopped in my tracks as I saw her. I started to feel that sickness in the pit of my stomach.

  “Lexus, what are you doing here? You might be seen or something.” I could not get over her appearance. She had lost her glow.

  I could not help but ask, “Are you sick? Come in!”

  She sat down and started to cry. I hated shit like that but coming from her, it made it even more unsettling. I was confused with my emotions. I wanted to reach out but at the same time wanted her to disappear. Don’t come into my life again and disturb the tranquility that I have regained. Stay away. Please just go!

  “What are you doing here? I thought that you made it very clear to me what your decision was. We have n
othing more to say to one another. I’m sorry Lex!”

  “Adam, I made a mistake. I should have listened to you! I was wrong!”

  “I am on my way home so you had better explain yourself and in a hurry. I don’t want to go back there again. The case is over and you must understand that. I was an emotional wreck, I really mean it; I can’t go back.”

  “That is not why I am here. Let me explain.”

  “Okay then, it had better be fast.”

  “It’s been over two months and you haven’t called. Why?”

  “What? I was done with you. The last conversation that we had, was the day after the shooting. Gritty was in the hospital and you did not know what to do.”

  “I didn’t; you are right!”

  “Less than half an hour after we talked you called Marc. It would seem that you knew exactly what to do. When you called me, your mind was already made up.”

  “I’m sorry Adam. I did it for Peter. He is the father of my child and I could not press charges. He is sick and needs help. Locking him up is not going to get him that help. I made a bad move and now I am paying for it.”

  “Is he abusing you again? If so, I don’t want to hear about it. I tried to help you once before.”

  “I did not press charges and Gritty was released into my care a week after the shooting. He was wonderful and so very apologetic. I melt when he speaks and he promised to get help, I believed him!”

  “You took him home? And what about Peter? That must have been confusing for him. You were sending him mixed messages. He protected and stood up for you against that creep.”

  “That is the worst part. In order for the case to be dropped, Peter was let off on his lack of proficiency in proper decision making. He was evaluated.”

  “By who?”

  “The courts removed him from my care and put him in a facility to be observed. It was the only way that the charges would be dropped. I had no choice.”