29. Chapter 29
Chapter 29
Ginny
The school week ended. I thought that was going to be my good news for the weekend, but Joker surprised me with another trip to the cabin. This time, I didn’t mind him taking my clothes off. And other than the t-shirt I would put on, I haven’t really worn clothes. And I’m good with that.
It was a relaxing weekend, one that didn’t involve any students talking shit about Lucas, or baseball team members giving me the side eye, or Keith being a creeper in the hallways. It was filled with my music on the back deck, good food, and enough sex that I have to worry I’ll go back and walk funny. Not complaining about that at all, just so you know.
The plan was to stay out here for a few more days, but Joker got a call from his boss, Daniel, this morning. There was an emergency in a small town less than an hour north. A mother and her infant. Joker looked so upset when he got off the phone, I told him he had to go. He didn’t think they’d be all day, but they had to help them pack what they could. Aiden came to get him on their way, so I’d have his truck if I needed to run to town for anything. The kitchen is still pretty stocked, but I strip all the sheets and gather the dirty towels and put them in the wash. I did some light dusting and set up the portable crib I found in the closet of one of the bedrooms.
Joker doesn’t talk a lot about this side of his job often because it can be delicate and I know he feels personally responsible for the families that travel through and stay here. He sees it as part of his job, but I know better. He does this because of his own past. He always says he was lucky in landing with Annie, that his life could have gone a completely different direction, and I agree.
After I’ve cleaned and moved the wash over to the dryer, I take my cello out on the back deck and play. There’s no one to complain I’m too loud, and I can mess up and no one’s here to call me on it. I can just play. This is what I miss from when I was younger. I could let the music take me away. While I play, my mind wanders. I don’t know what the future holds, but one part I see very clearly is Joker at my side. Being with him feels so different than any man—or boy—I’ve ever known. It certainly doesn’t feel like it did with Keith. I didn’t love him. I was settling because the fear of being alone was terrifying it at the time. Until it wasn’t and I didn’t know how to get out of it. I didn’t want to disappoint anyone. Little did I know they were all just waiting for me to cut my losses.
And I know I sound like a cliché—“He’s not like the others.”—but he really isn’t. I’ve never had someone care about my feelings so much. Never been treated so kindly. And touch I’ve never known was possible. I didn’t like to be touched, not really, until Joker showed me that it was about my pleasure and not just his. When he’s not around, it feels like a part of me is missing. When Keith would go out of town for whatever meeting or conference he deemed super important, I celebrated at having time to myself. I never missed him, that was for sure. That should tell me everything I need to know, right?
I don’t know how long I’ve been out here lost in the thoughts and my music, but when the phone rings, it startles me. I try to get it before it stops, but I’m too late, and I see I’ve missed more than one call. It’s from a number I don’t recognize, but when I listen to the message, it’s from Roger, and I call it immediately back.
“Ginny,” he answers, relief in his voice.
“What’s wrong? Is Aubrey alright?”
“What? Oh, yeah, she’s fine.”
“But there’s something wrong,” I state. There’s no question that he wouldn’t be calling me if everything were just fine.
After a pause that worries me, he finally speaks. “Something happened at the school.”
“What happened? There isn’t supposed to be anyone there.”
“One of my guys called me and said we needed to keep an eye on something, and we watched it happen.”
“Roger? What happened?”
“Your classroom—” he cuts himself off.
“What about my classroom?”
“Well, sweetheart, it’s been destroyed.”
“Destroyed? How?” I ask in disbelief. He’s fucking with me. He has to be.
“Everything’s been wrecked. Desks, chairs,” he pauses and I can hear him audibly swallow, “instruments.”
“The instruments were destroyed?” I quietly ask, needing him to say it again.
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you call the cops?”
“I wanted to tell you first. This just happened, Ginny. And you need to know who it was.”
“Keith?”
“No. Kids.”
“How many?”
“There were at least four of them. They all looked the same when everything started to go flying. I haven’t asked Aubrey who they are yet, but—”
“They look like kids who could be on the baseball team?” I finish for him.
“They were wearing jerseys.”
“Fuck,” I whisper. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”
“What do you want me to do? I’ll need to call it in, eventually. You know that, right?”
“I need to see it for myself first. Can you let me do that?”
“Are you alone?”
“At this very moment, I am, yes.”
“I don’t think you should go alone. Where’s Joker?”
I look at the time, trying to figure out how much longer until he returns. “He’s out of town on a job, but should be back soon.”
“Is there anyone else you can call?”
“Yeah, yeah, I’ll call someone. But I need to see it with my own eyes before anyone comes in and starts touching things. You understand, right?”
“I understand. We’ll try to keep an eye on things, too. Please be careful.”
I quickly pack up my cello and put it in the backseat of the truck and pull out of the big area in front of the cabin and head toward the driveway. My first call is to Dad.
“I need to know if you can meet me at the school,” I ask as soon as he answers.
“One of my students’ dads runs the security monitoring company for the school and just called me and said my classroom is destroyed. I need you to meet me at the school?”
“Where’s Harrison?”
“Working. He’s out of town. Should be back soon.”
“Shit,” he says under his breath. “Honey, I can’t get away right now. I’m about to go in front of a judge. Can you wait for him?”
“No. Dad, I need to see it, and I can’t wait.”
“Call your brother. And call me back, I’ll meet you as soon as I can.”
“I will.”
“Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
I hang up with Dad and call Davis, waking him up. He grumbles a greeting about someone better be dead. Oh, someone’s dead when I figure out who the fuck destroyed my classroom.
“Roger called and said someone destroyed my classroom and I need you to meet me at the school. Dad can’t go, he’s in court. I need you.”
“I have the baby, but I’ll get us ready.”
“Where’s Trish?”
“She’s meeting her editor over in Rockton.”
“I don’t think you should bring Aaron. Is Lucas or Harper home?”
“They are out with Zach, Owen’s with them.”
“Shit.”
“Call Ranger, and I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“Fine.”
“Call me back and let me know what’s going on.”
I hang up and call Ranger, who thankfully answers on the first ring.
“What’s going on?”
“What are you doing right now?”
“I’m in the middle of inking someone’s back. Why?”
“Roger called and said someone destroyed my classroom and I need you to meet me at the school, please.” Is the ‘please’ a touch desperate? Maybe. Do I care? Nope.
“Shit. How close are you?”
“Probably twenty minutes.”
“Fuck. I need like an hour. Can’t just walk away from this right now.”
“I understand. What’s Elle doing?”
“She’s meeting with a client.”
“Of course she is,” I can’t help the irritation in my voice.
“I’ll be there as soon as I can, call Tiny.”
“Yeah, thanks.”
I hang up on him and call Tiny. I hear the sounds of tools in the background. This doesn’t sound good, either.
“Hello?” he answers. “What’s wrong?”
“Roger called and said someone destroyed my classroom and I need to go see the damage. I need to take pictures and document it before anyone else gets in there.”
“Aww, shit, Gin. I’m in Rockton. I’ll leave now. I can be there in forty-five.”
“I don’t think I can wait. I need to see it. Where’s Lottie?”
“She got called in for an emergency at the clinic. Car accident and she’s operating on Mrs. Cooper’s lab.”
“Shit, that sucks.”
“Where’s Joker?”
“He got called in for an emergency and hasn’t made it back to town.”
“Can you wait for me? I’ll be there in forty if I speed.” I hear the engine of his truck fire up.
“I don’t think I can wait. I feel like this is something I have to do, and the sooner the better.”
“Have you tried everyone else?”
“Dad’s in court, Davis has Aaron, Elle’s with a client, Ranger’s in the middle of inking someone, you and Trish are both in Rockton, and Lottie’s at the clinic. Yep, that’s everyone.”
“What about your teacher friends?” I hear his truck accelerate as he speeds up.
“They are all out of town. I think Linda and Quinn are in Diamond Cove and Paula is in Baltimore for fall break. Last chance for a vacation before Christmas.”
“Fuck. Okay, just try to hang on for someone to get there if you can. You can’t go in there half-cocked in case something’s going on. You need to calm down.”
“Did you really just tell me to calm down?”
“Wrong terminology! Can you take a breath for me?”
I do as he asks, blowing a big breath out. It helps a little, but I’m so keyed up, I’m not sure anything could stop this.
“Better?”
“Not really.”
He chuckles. “Can you wait for me?”
“No. I have to go. Please understand that I have to see this with my own two eyes. I have to be there before anything else happens. I need you to understand.” I hear my voice quivering, the emotion taking over.
“Your cello was there, wasn’t it?” he asks gently.
“One of them. My Eastman.”
“I’m so sorry, Gin.”
“It’s not your fault, but I have to go.”
“I understand, but be careful.”
“I will.”
“And call Joker and let him know?”
“He’s my next call.”
I hang up with Tiny and call Joker. He answers on the first ring.
“You know, everybody answers on the first ring, but nobody is actually available,” I say, not even waiting for him to say hello.
“What’s wrong?”
“My classroom has been destroyed. Roger called. Everything is gone.”
“Oh, Beautiful, I’m so sorry.”
“I have to go.”
“How far away are you?”
“Five minutes. How close are you?
“I’m twenty minutes away. I need you to wait for me.”
“How are you so close?”
“We finished faster than I thought. Daniel has the family in his SUV. I’m riding with Aiden. We’ve already adjusted course and are heading directly to you. Ginny, I need you to wait for me.”
“Joker, please understand that I don’t think I can.”
“Virginia.”
“Harrison.”
“Baby, I know how important this is, but please, wait for me.”
“Don’t you understand I can’t? What if they come back and make it disappear? I have to do this. I’m sorry. Please forgive me.”
I hang up on him as the first tear falls. I know he’s going to be mad at me, but why can’t anyone understand? I know the smart thing is to wait. What’s five or ten more minutes? Logically, I know this. I’ve seen enough horror movies to know you don’t walk into an empty building or a dark basement. But this is real life. This is my life. I need to see it, like a physical thing pushing on my body to go into the building. I have to see it now.
I screech into the parking lot, taking note that there are no other cars. Of course, there shouldn’t be any cars, everyone’s gone for break. I have a key to a side entrance and prop the door open for Joker.
Ginny : Side door propped open for you. I have to go in.
Joker : Please wait.
I ignore his plea and slowly walk down the hall, my heart beating out of my chest. I can’t have another panic attack right now, damnit. I turn the corner and see my door hanging open. It’s actually crooked, like they tried to pull it off its hinges. Who the fuck has the strength to do this? And why?
I stop at the entrance to my classroom, and Roger was right. It’s completely destroyed. Everything is in pieces. All the instruments, the piano included. All the chairs, the music stands. Even the fucking cabinets against the walls. I pull my phone out and take pictures. I’m not even sure I could find the pieces of my cello in this mess. I see pegs for violins and violas. Bow hair is strewn across the room. Strings still attached to some of the body pieces stick out of the pile like hands trying to claw out of the ground. On the wall, posters have been torn down and shredded and somebody scribbled whore . Fucking genius, so inventive. I turn the camera on my phone on and take video and pictures. I find a spot near the door that’s clear enough where I won’t touch most of the remnants of my classroom, and I sink down onto my ass, pulling my knees in. Trying to take up as small of a space as possible.
When I hear footsteps in the hallway, I’m positive it’s friend, not foe. “Joker?” I ask, turning my face to the door.
It’s not Joker.
“You did this,” I quietly state to the man standing in the doorway.
Smirking, he shakes his head with mock sympathy. “I did nothing, Virginia.”
“You set those boys up to destroy my classroom.”
“If only you could prove that, Virginia.” The way he says Virginia makes my skin crawl.
“I know you did it.”
He shrugs, like it’s no big deal. “It doesn’t matter what you think you know. It only matters what the people of this town hear.”
“Fuck off,” I tell him, my voice stronger. “Why did you set those boys up to ruin their lives just to get back at me?”
“Because I don’t get my hands dirty.” His calm mask finally slips a little. “And you think this is about you? I’ve been getting prime pussy since our wedding day.”
“I don’t understand. Then why?”
“Well, that would be part of your problem. You’ve always been just a little stupid, haven’t you? Only good enough to spread your legs with a piece of wood and entertain the masses.”
And the Keith I walked away from is back. The mask is completely gone. Belittling me, my passion, my love, my music. All to make himself feel better by making sure I knew I was beneath him at all times. And here we are on uneven ground, me sitting below him while he physically stands over me.
“I don’t think I’m stupid. I think you’re just an asshole. An abusive, manipulative asshole.”
“And you’re nothing but a fucking cunt,” he snarls at me.
“You’re not going to get away with this.”
“I’ve already gotten away with it.”
“How do you figure?”
He leans in closer, and I tilt back as far as I can without falling over. “Because I know how to delete security footage, too.” His smile makes me wonder what he might have seen, but now’s not the time. “And the last two hours? They just didn’t happen.”
As much as I want to tell him he’s wrong, that Roger already has the footage, I hold my tongue.
“How are you going to explain all of this?” I wave my hand around the room.
“That’s easy. And also the fun part.” His eyes shine with excitement. And that terrifies me.
I raise a brow at him to continue, which he’s all too happy to do.
“See, your blood is going to be all over this room.” He smiles a too wide, too toothy grin that makes my skin crawl. “You went crazy and destroyed everything because of the guilt you’ve been feeling, taking your own life in the process.”
“Why am I killing myself?” I ask him, knowing I need to stall so Joker can get here.
“Well, you realized that the greatest mistake of your life was walking away from me and when you tried to get me back, I turned you down.”
“And absolutely no one is going to believe that.”
“You don’t get to walk away from me without my fucking permission!” he yells, making me jump. “And people with a broken heart do crazy things, like destroy what’s around them.”
“Again, not a single person is going to believe that bullshit.”
“I can’t help that you no longer have the will to live without me,” he persists.
“Well, that’s kind of pathetic. You could at least come up with something better.”
“I don’t need to come up with something better,” he replies. “Because it doesn’t matter.”
“What doesn’t matter?”
“At the end of the day, you don’t matter. You’ve been nothing but a pain in my ass since I met you. You were so fucking desperate for a little bit of love that you bent over backwards to make yourself what I wanted. But then you got too high on your horse and started questioning me. I don’t like being questioned.”
“So, you’re pissed off that I ended us and I have to die for that?”
“No, you fucking bitch, you have to die because you and your fucking Scooby Gang were getting too close to a truth I don’t want you to know. And if you’re out of the fucking picture, they’ll be too fucking sad to worry about what I’m doing.”
“But you just said you don’t do the dirty work. You’re going to kill me?”
“I thought I could make an exception this one time.”
“I still don’t understand why? What are you doing that you’re worried about my friends finding out?”
He laughs in my face. “The fact you haven’t figured that part out yet just shows how stupid you are.”
“Then fucking spell it out for me if I’m such an idiot. You’re gonna kill me anyway, right? Might as well.”
“You know I’ve seen enough to know that’s a bad idea.” He takes a few steps closer, and I put my hand up to stop him.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
“I’m gonna do whatever the fuck I feel like.”
“Tell me one thing. Why me?”
“What do you mean, why you?”
“I mean, you obviously don’t like me. It’s pretty clear you didn’t love me. So, why me? There were other women in this town. Shit, there were other women in the town next to us that’s only forty minutes away, so again, why me?”
“You were easy.”
“Easy?”
“Well, no, you made me work for the pussy, but you were easy to mold. You were easy to make what I wanted you to be. It’s a shame that you were a fat cow and I couldn’t change that about you, no matter how much I tried.”
“You know, that’s the thing. I was fat when you met me. What the fuck did you think was gonna happen? That I was just gonna magically drop forty pounds?”
“I thought you might start giving a shit about your appearance.”
“My appearance is just fine. I’m just fine. And leaving you made me realize that I didn’t need you as much as you seemed to need me.”
“Fuck you!” he yells, lunging towards me. He pulls his hand back and strikes me across the face. My head whips around from the force, but I keep my balance. “I’m going to have so much fucking fun making you bleed.”
I wipe at my face, coming away with blood on my hand. Fucker split my lip open. And, jeez, my cheek hurts. He might have hit me before, but never in the face. Never where anyone could see.
He pulls a piece of broken wood from his back pocket. It’s not very long, only about eight inches, and it’s jagged at the ends. I warily look at him, trying to figure out his game.
“Want to know what this is?” he asks, holding the wood up and inspecting it. “It’s a piece of your cello. It was the first thing that was destroyed.”
“And why do you have it?” I rasp out, my mouth having gone dry.
“We have to make it look real. How poetic if the weapon that you kill yourself with is your own instrument.”
I stare at him in horror, realizing he’s really planning to do this. This man wants to stab me to death with a broken cello!
“You know that won’t work, right?” I try to reason with him. “That wood isn’t thick enough. It’ll just break off.”
“Look around.” He motions to the room. “It’s not like I don’t have plenty of tries. There’re thousands of other pieces for me to choose from.”
“You know that those boys are going to be facing multiple felonies for what you made them do, right? My cello alone was worth almost five thousand dollars.”
He stares in shock for a moment. “You’re telling me I had access to things worth that much money the whole time we lived together?”
“That’s exactly what I’m telling you. And the instrument here? Was the least expensive one I own.”
“Motherfucker. I should have taken them with me and sold them.”
“You should have, but you’ll never get to them now.”
“I guess my consolation is that now you won’t have them either, because you’ll be dead.”
He steps closer and raises the piece of wood. I lift my hand, steady the gun in my grip, and as his eyes widen as he realizes what I have, he has enough time to take a final breath. I pull the trigger as I hear someone yelling my name. It’s a clean shot. Joker would be proud.
Joker.
That’s who was calling my name.
Keith drops to the floor as a hand reaches out and pulls the gun out of my own. Joker’s here. I’m safe. Without hesitation, he turns to Keith’s body and pulls the trigger. Once. Twice. Three times.
He drops the gun and turns to me. “Ginny, are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” I automatically reply, and even I can hear that my voice sounds dead. There’s no emotion because I can’t feel them. I’m numb. I can’t move my eyes from the body. The dead body lying in front of me. “Is he dead?” I need to verify.
“He certainly is now,” he confirms. “Ginny?”
“What?”
“Can you look at me?”
“No. I don’t think I can.”
He mutters, “Fuck,” and sits behind me, pulling me into his arms.
I let him. I think he needs this. He needs to hold me, so I’m gonna let him do that. It takes a minute to register that he’s on the phone.
“Sam, you need to come to the school right now.” Pause. “Just get here. And just you for now, okay?”
He ends that call and hits another button.
“You need to get Trish back here. Now. We’re at the school.”
I can hear Davis’s reply, having perked up at Trish’s name.
“Is Ginny okay?”
“She’s here.”
“Is she hurt?”
I feel him move around me to look at my face, and he curses again. “She’ll be alright physically. That’s all you need to know for now. Call the gang. We’re going to need everybody.”
He hangs up the phone and makes one more phone call
“Claire, I need you to drop everything and drive up here.” I can’t hear her reply. “Now, please.” His voice sounds a little shaky. Is he crying? “We need you. Can you please come? Ginny…Ginny needs you.” He takes a shaking breath. “I’ll explain it all when you get here, but can you just please come?” Pause. “That’s fine. Call them all. Tell everybody to come. We need everybody. And have Daniel call Aiden. He’ll tell you where we are.”
He hangs up and wraps his arms around me. I watch him text someone out of the corner of my eyes, but I don’t know who it is. I can’t move my gaze from the dead body in front of me.
“I’m so sorry, Ginny. I’m so fucking sorry. I wish you had waited for me. Why didn’t you wait for me?”
“I had to see.”
“No, no, you didn’t. You could’ve waited.”
“I had to see, Joker. You know I had to see. I had to see it before he tried to cover it up. I couldn’t wait.”
“I know, dammit,” he quietly admonishes. But he’s talking more to himself. “Fuck. Just fucking fucker!” he yells.
I don’t move or react. He holds me tighter, trying to make me feel safe.
“It’ll all be okay,” he soothes.
“No. Sammy needs to arrest me.”
“Over my dead fucking body!”
I laugh. It’s a little maniacal. I’m aware. “There’s one of those already in here. We don’t need two.”
“Fuck, Ginny. I’m so sorry.”
“It’s not your fault,” I tell him. “Do you think it would be alright if I close my eyes for a minute?”
“Yeah, Beautiful. You do whatever you need to do, okay? I’ll be here. I’m not leaving you. Not ever.”
“I’ll be here,” is the last thing I hear as everything fades to black around me.