Now & Grim: A Grimlock Family Short

by Amanda M. Lee

  “There he is.” I let loose a relieved sigh when I caught sight of Dad cutting his way through the crowd. He looked a bit out of place in his expensive suit – Aisling really should’ve told him to dress down – but he clearly didn’t care about the curious looks he drew as he moved toward us. “Thanks for coming, Dad.”

  Dad nodded as he glanced between faces, his gaze ultimately falling on a fuming Aisling. “What’s your problem?”

  “Griffin thinks I’m a girl.”

  “I see.” Whether Dad really did see or not, I couldn’t say. The fond smile he shot Aisling told me she was indeed going to end up being his favorite for the evening – she almost always was – so I opted to pretend I didn’t notice in the hope Aisling would forget our bet. “Do you want to tell me what’s going on here? I wasn’t sure I understood what Aisling said over the phone. I just heard that I needed to come and bring a scepter.”

  “We’ve had an incident,” Griffin explained, taking charge of the conversation. He related the evening’s events – being sure to leave out Aisling’s complaining and drinking – and wrapped up the story with jerk of his chin. “The cops are over there questioning people. They told us not to leave until they finished asking questions.”

  “I see.” Dad stroked his chin. “What do you think happened?”

  “I don’t know.” Griffin was clearly used to giving reports, so he kept his emotions out of the retelling even as he rubbed soothing circles over Aisling’s back. He was trying to lull her, which I found interesting. “Maya is talking to the guy who stabbed him. He seems truly a wreck.”

  “That could be guilt,” Dad noted. “Maybe he planned it and now feels terrible because he can’t take it back.”

  “I’m not sure that’s likely,” I interjected. “Changing out the weapons was clearly done on purpose. If you planned to kill someone, would you put the murder weapon in your own hand? I think it’s far more likely someone else switched out the weapons and then let that guy do the dirty work.”

  “I agree,” Griffin said. “While I can’t completely rule out the guy with the sword, he seems legitimately devastated. And there have to be better ways to kill someone.”

  “Okay, so what can you tell me about the victim?” Dad sounded like a television private investigator – a Columbo of sorts, but with way better suits – and he was fully focused on the problem at hand.

  “His name is Tim Graham,” Griffin volunteered. “I got that from the detectives I briefed. I know that he’s a Ferndale resident and he’s thirty-five. That’s all I’ve got.”

  “That’s a start.” Dad pulled out his iPad and sat at a nearby picnic table. “Let’s see what we have here.” He furrowed his brow as he studied the screen. “I don’t see a Tim Graham on any list today. Not our lists; not other family lists. He’s simply not there.”

  “Is that normal?” Griffin asked, sitting across from Dad and making room for Aisling so he could keep her close. She’d been largely silent since Dad’s arrival, for which I was thankful.

  “Not at all,” Dad replied. “I can’t remember the last time anything like this happened.”

  “I’m not going to pretend to understand all of this – so bear with me – but how do you guys get lists when a lot of deaths are spur-of-the-moment things?” Griffin asked. “I mean … if a person doesn’t make up his or her mind until the split second before it happens, how do you even know there’s going to be a murder?”

  “Fate knows,” I answered. “You can’t hide from fate.”

  Griffin shifted his eyes to me. “You believe in fate?”

  I nodded without hesitation. “Don’t you?”

  “I’ve really never given it much thought.”

  I extended a finger in Aisling’s direction. “Really? You don’t think it was fate that you met Aisling when you did?”

  “I … .” Griffin worked his jaw as he stared at my sister. “I guess that’s a fair enough argument. I’ve never really thought about it before. I can’t imagine going through life without her, so I guess I choose to believe that we were fated to be together.”

  “And fated to give me multiple ulcers,” Dad grumbled, causing me to smile.

  “It might seem random for the individual who decides to commit the murder … or drive drunk and cause an accident … or trip and fall and hit his head … but the universe has a way of working itself out,” I supplied. “There’s a certain magic in everything, including death.”

  “I often forget you’re the great intellect of your family,” Griffin teased.

  “I heard that,” Dad grumbled. “I’m the great intellect of this family. Ask anyone.”

  “It’s definitely not me,” Aisling announced. “I wouldn’t want to be the big brain, because that means everyone would come to me for answers … and nobody wants that.”

  Dad chuckled and I smiled.

  “They wouldn’t,” I agreed. “If you were the family’s resident advice giver we’d be in deep trouble once a month when the PMS monster attacked.”

  Aisling giggled, genuinely amused. “You’ve got that right.”

  “Don’t talk about that,” Dad warned. “You know how I feel when you talk about things like that.”

  “Yes, Grimlock Rule Number 63,” Aisling intoned. “Mention of bodily functions is limited to saying, ‘I have to go to the bathroom,’ when exiting a room.”

  Griffin’s grin was so wide it threatened to swallow his entire face. “I really want to see these Grimlock rules at some point.”

  “They’re private,” Dad said, hitting his screen pad with his finger before lifting his eyes. “I’ve notified the home office of what happened. They’re as baffled as we are. They want us to absorb the soul and then write a report.”

  Aisling’s hand shot into the air. “Not it!”

  I scowled as Dad took a moment to study her face. “Are you drunk?”

  “I can’t believe you’re just noticing,” I said. “She’s been drunk since you got here. She slammed three beers once she learned you were coming.”

  “Bud Light,” Aisling offered helpfully.

  “And why did you do that?” Dad didn’t appear particularly perturbed. “Were you afraid I would yell at you?”

  Aisling shook her head. “Nope. In fact, Cillian and I have a bet to see which one of us is your favorite tonight. I say it’s me.”

  “Even though you’re drunk?”

  Aisling nodded. “I’m not drunk. I’m pleasantly tipsy.”

  “And that’s exactly why you’re cut off,” Griffin said. “I’m not spending the entire day tomorrow nursing your hangover. I want to spend time together doing something fun, so if I see you try to sneak a drink we’re going to have a big fight.”

  “Well, I’m fine with that,” Aisling said mildly. “I happen to enjoy making up. You have a really great mouth and it makes the making-up process so much fun.”

  Griffin’s cheeks flooded with color as Dad scowled.

  “Thank you, baby.” Griffin awkwardly patted her shoulder as he steadfastly avoided Dad’s gaze. “So, where do you want to start looking for this soul? He was on the stage until a few minutes ago. And then he just disappeared. Er, well, at least that’s what these two say, because I can’t see him.”

  Dad wasn’t ready to shift into work mode. “As long as you say things like that, Aisling, you’ll never be my favorite. Cillian is definitely my favorite tonight.”

  I smirked as I held out my hand. “You owe me twenty bucks.”

  Rather than resting a crisp bill in my palm, Aisling slapped away my hand. “I’m not paying you. He’s only pretending that I’m not his favorite because of the PMS and naked Griffin talk. For the record, I meant Griffin’s mouth was great because I like to kiss it, Dad. I wasn’t talking about anything dirty.”

  Dad’s expression was hard to read, but I sensed a bit of mayhem rippling beneath his cool surface. “Thank you, Aisling. I needed that clarified.”

  I didn’t bother to hide my snicker. “She h
as a certain way about her, doesn’t she?”

  “She does, and it’s not a way I’m very fond of.” Dad squared his shoulders. “So, I think we should break into teams. I’ll need help recognizing the soul, so I’ll go with Cillian. Griffin, you take Aisling with you. I know you can’t see the soul, but Aisling should be able to recognize him even though she’s drunk.”

  “I’m not drunk,” Aisling countered. “I’m tipsy. Tipsy! There’s a difference.”

  Dad glanced around to see if anyone was staring thanks to Aisling’s big mouth. “Get some water in her while you’re at it, Griffin,” he barked.

  Griffin was used to my father’s shifting moods, so he didn’t as much as blink when Dad started doing his best impression of the Hulk. “I’ll get her some water. Just … don’t yell at her.”

  Dad was flummoxed. “I don’t understand why you’re not yelling at her. Why did you let her get drunk while waiting for me? You knew we’d have a job to do.”

  Griffin shrugged. “Because she needed it.”

  “Why?” Dad knit his eyebrows. “What did you do that was so bad she had to drink herself into a stupor to feel better?”

  “Why do you always assume I’ve done something?” Griffin refused to back down. “I know you don’t want to believe this, but I’m a good boyfriend. I’m good to her.”

  “I didn’t say you weren’t.”

  “You kind of did,” I interjected. “Besides, he’s telling the truth. He’s been good with her. I’m not sure why she decided to drink, but I think it had something to do with the dead guy.”

  My explanation did little to appease Dad. “Your sister has been around dead people since she was a child. In fact, she saw souls much earlier than she should have thanks to the fact that I was often a lax babysitter.”

  “Yeah, I remember the mayor who had the Halloween room off the dining room,” Aisling noted. She seemed a bit steadier, which I was thankful for. “Now that I look back as an adult, I don’t think that was a Halloween room despite the Indiana Jones whip.”

  “Don’t ever bring that up again,” Dad ordered. “You promised me you’d forget about that.”

  “And you promised me I could have a puppy just as soon as I was old enough to take care of it,” Aisling fired back. “Did I ever get that puppy?”

  “No, and I think your answer is in the question,” Dad said. “You never got a puppy because you weren’t mature enough to take care of it … and I’m allergic.”

  Aisling and I snorted in unison.

  “You’re not allergic,” I shot back. “That’s something you made up because we all wanted a puppy and you couldn’t come up with a believable reason why we couldn’t work together to take care of a dog.”

  Dad averted his gaze. “I think you’re remembering things wrong.”

  “I’m not that drunk.” Aisling scratched at her cheek. “I still want a puppy.” She turned her eyes to Griffin. “Can we get a puppy?”

  Griffin bobbed his head without hesitation. “Just as soon as your mother and wraiths aren’t potential threats to a pet. I don’t think either one of us will be able to live with it if we get a puppy and it ends up dead.”

  “Huh. I never thought of that.” Aisling looked morose. “I kind of want to cry.”

  “You’re drunk.” Griffin hopped to his feet and pulled her with him. “We’re getting a lot of water into you and walking. That should burn off the alcohol. You didn’t drink enough to lose the whole night.”

  “We could fix that.” Aisling batted her eyelashes and smiled.

  “Ugh. I hate being father to a girl,” Dad complained.

  “Would you have been happier if she never came along?” I asked, already knowing the answer.

  Dad shook his head. “I would’ve been happier if she’d stayed little all her life. I was perfectly fine when the only boy in her life other than family members was Jerry.”

  “Well, you’ll live.” Griffin wasn’t in the mood to wax poetic about how things were better before his arrival. “I’m not going anywhere except to the food truck to fill her with water and sugar. After that we’ll start walking around. If we see the dead guy – or stumble across anything we think you should know – we’ll text you.”

  Dad nodded as he turned serious. “That sounds like the only plan we have. Let’s get this done.”

  5

  Five

  Dad and I agreed to take the east side of the park, leaving Aisling and Griffin to scour the west. I didn’t miss the fact that Griffin prodded Aisling toward a food truck first, his head bent so he could whisper to her. She smiled at whatever he said. I figured it was probably dirty, so I pushed it out of my mind. I was still frowning when I turned and found Dad watching me.

  “What?”

  “Don’t worry about Aisling.” Dad’s tone was measured as he cast a look toward his daughter and her boyfriend. “She’ll be fine.”

  “I’m not worried about her,” I clarified. “I’m just … doesn’t it ever bother you?”

  “What?”

  “The fact that you know they’re … you know … doing stuff.”

  Dad’s lips curved down. “I try not to think about it.”

  “How can you miss it? I mean his hand is on her butt. In public. That’s the type of stuff you warned her about when she was a teenager.”

  Dad’s frown turned into a full-fledged scowl. “Must you point that out to me? I’ve developed situational blindness where your sister and Griffin are concerned. It works for me and I’m not about to stop now.”

  Even though it was a serious and confusing situation, I couldn’t stop myself from smiling. “I see. That makes sense now that you explain it. I wondered why you were so open and inviting to Griffin after you hated him on sight at the beginning.”

  “I didn’t hate him on sight,” Dad clarified as we began walking again, picking a slow pace so we could scour the faces. A displaced soul would stand out, but the crowd remained thick so we had to be careful when searching. “I recognized what he was on sight and it made me nervous. There’s a difference.”

  “And what is he?” I was honestly curious. Dad wasn’t fond of talking about Aisling’s love life. His reaction to her dating habits were markedly different than his response when we told him about a night at the bar. He always enjoyed those stories, even spurred us on. Aisling, however, had her own set of rules.

  “He’s your sister’s match,” Dad said after a beat, catching me by surprise. “They’ll be together for the long haul.”

  Griffin and Aisling had been dating for several months. I saw no signs of discord between them, but Dad was so matter of fact I could do nothing but consider the statement with fresh energy. “Huh”

  “Huh, what?”

  “I just never thought about it,” I admitted. “They’re happy, and in sync, but you’re saying you think they’ll get married and settle down. I’m not sure what to make of that because I never thought anyone would be brave enough to take on Aisling for the long haul.”

  “Griffin isn’t a bad guy.” Dad chose his words carefully. “He’s … good for her.”

  “That’s not what you said when she first brought him home.”

  “That’s because I didn’t know him.”

  “And when he broke her heart there for a few days and took a break after having sex with her?”

  Dad’s scowl was back. “He was trying to figure things out … and I don’t like talking about your sister … um … doing that.”

  I didn’t bother to hide my amusement. “What? Having sex?”

  “Yes.” Dad was firm. “Griffin needed to take a step back because he wasn’t used to our way of life. You grew up in the reaper world, so it’s easier for you to accept. Think about it from Griffin’s point of view. He didn’t know things like reapers and wraiths existed. I understand that he needed a bit of time to adjust.”

  I couldn’t argue with that, and still … . “You seem resigned to the fact that Aisling and Griffin will stay together.”<
br />
  “Why does it matter?” Dad’s eyes were curious when they shifted to me. “Don’t you like Griffin? I’ll be honest, if you don’t like him your relationship with Maya won’t work out, so maybe you should take that into consideration.”

  I balked. “I like him fine. In fact … I like him a lot.” I found I meant the words. Right after Aisling first brought Griffin home I wanted to kill him for breaking her heart. Once he returned and they made up, it was mostly smooth sailing.

  They had issues, of course. No one could date a Grimlock and not have a few issues. Griffin was even tempered, though, and he seemed to understand Aisling’s moods. Not only did he accept them, he embraced them. He was good for her. Dad was definitely right about that.

  “I’m more interested in your reaction to Griffin,” I offered, changing course. “I thought you would fight them being together until you didn’t have breath in your lungs. Instead you seem … fine … with them being together.”

  “I’m your father.”

  When he didn’t expand on the simple statement, I cocked an eyebrow. “I noticed that before I ever saw your name on my birth certificate.”

  Dad shot me a quelling look. “You’re supposed to be the good one, but even you have an acidic tongue. I have no idea what I did to deserve my lot in life.”

  “I think you liked having sex a bit too much, so you ended up with a bunch of kids,” I said pragmatically, ignoring the dirty look Dad shot me. “That wasn’t really an explanation, though. ‘I’m your father.’ What is that supposed to even mean?”

  “It is an explanation. Once you’re a father you’ll understand. As your father, I want what’s best for you. Yes, you’re all surly pains in my posterior and there are times I want to trade you to the circus for a murderous clown because I’m sure it would be easier to live with, but at the end of the day I want you to be happy more than anything else.”

  I considered his heartfelt words. “And you’re saying Griffin makes Aisling happy so you’ve decided to accept him.”