Page 33 of Absolute Valor

I look to Austin this time, his posture resembling Dylan’s, with his arms folded across his chest. “Um, so I go into labor, it’s late and I can’t find Lucas. Granny was already really sick by then and couldn’t help me.”

Austin turned back to his computer, his movement distracting me for a moment. “Is your Nana Helms from Savannah?” I’m not sure why I’m surprised, Austin may not be a detective on the streets, but he is certainly one on the computer. This time his information is skewed and I know my attitude is going to irritate him, but there is a long-standing family feud between my Nana and my Great Aunt.

“My Granny Helms is from Charleston, you’re digging up her twin sister, Matilda in Savannah. They each had a son within a few hours of one another and both named their son Roy. They used different middle names, but it still caused a split in the family. Roy Lee Helms is the no good, deadbeat son of my great-Aunt. He got a girl in trouble and took off to Texas. My daddy, Roy Allen, stood by everything he did. Right or wrong, he took care of his responsibilities.”

I know my bark was uncalled for, but I had spent my whole life seeing Roy Lee doing stuff and getting away with it. While my daddy worked hard to keep a good name. “I’m sorry, Miss Audrey, it was my mistake not to compare the two in the beginning.” Austin, with his warm smile and forgiving nature—marriage definitely agreed with him.

”Granny wasn’t a saint by any means, she cussed the day daddy married my momma. Treated us both like scum on the bottom of her shoe until the day she died. She did take me in after they passed, so I have to be grateful to her.”

Chase squeezed my hand, “Granddaddy would have loved you. He always said a pretty face grows old, a nice body changes, but a pure heart will remain the same.” I’m far from being pure. While I haven’t broken the law, I’ve sat back and done nothing to prevent it.

“Anyway, I laid in the hospital bed for hours trying to push her into the world. Twenty-two hours later, Grace Lynn Helms came into the world. She was my saving grace and the first thing I ever did right.” I believed what I said with everything in me. Lucas was smart enough and he used my love for her against me.

“Lucas showed up at the hospital two days later as I was getting ready to leave. He wouldn’t let me put his name on the birth certificate. He wanted me to file for assistance from the state, get money for diapers and such. Except when the money was deposited, he took it. He would take the EBT card and sell it to the highest bidder. When I asked for him to cook the meth somewhere else, he got pissed off and took Grace away.” Of all the shit I’ve had to face in my life, watching him tear down the steps of the trailer, my baby screaming in his arms, was the thing that broke me.

“Austin.” Chase demanded as he pulled me into his arms, tucking my face into his chest as, once again, I lost my battle with my tears.

“I got it, Chase. I’m closing the case file on Grace Lynn Helms, and the EBT card is officially cancelled.” He spread out the last few words as he frantically tapped on the keyboard. I could feel Chase’s fingers as he rubbed the area between my shoulder blades. He was wordlessly giving me the security I had longed for my whole life. I didn’t know how long it would last, but as long as he was willing to sit with me, I was going to let him.

“How long has it been since you’ve seen Grace?”

Pulling away from Chase, I wiped the tears from my face. “I was supposed to see her this weekend. But I need three hundred more dollars before he’ll bring her to the park so I can see her.” My voice was interrupted with my sobbing hiccups.

“That’s why he was here the night you made dinner, isn’t it? He was pissed you didn’t have enough money for him?”

I shook my head as Chase was only partly right. “No, he wanted to get the power back on, and knew it was really high. The next day he tried to go down to the company and have it turned on in his name, but his credit is bad and they refused him. Now, he has given me till Saturday to get him the money for Grace and to turn the power back on.”

Dylan got up from his chair, crossed the room and opened the safe behind my desk. “I’ve heard enough, I ain’t about to let this shit go any further.” Pulling a stack of bills from the metal box, he walks back over to me, placing the money on my desk. “Call the motherfucker and let him know you have his fucking money. I want to meet him tonight. Austin, you’ve done your part, take the girls home and I’ll see you when you get back from Hawaii.”

Austin looks at Dylan as if he has lost his mind. “You may be my older brother, but son, the only person who can tell me where to go, wears my ring and shares my last name. My plane doesn’t leave until noon tomorrow, I plan to see this shit to the end.”

I pull the phone from my pocket and snakingly dial his number, placing it on speaker as Dylan instructs. It rang four times before going to voicemail. I try again, getting his voicemail after two rings. “Gimme your phone.” Dylan requests. “Criminals are all the same, discover their vice and they’ll fall into your trap. Lucas needs money and is willing to do anything, sell to anyone, to get his hands on it.” Fanning the money out, he snaps a few photos until he has one he likes. “My friends Franklin and Grant are gonna get his attention.” Dylan presses some buttons and then hands the phone back to me. Less than two minutes later, the phone begins to ring.

“Put him on speaker and watch me for cues. Remember, Audrey, he can’t hurt you, you have my word.” Dylan’s eyes plead as he lays his hand over mine. “We’re gonna get Grace back.” He has never lied to me and with what I already know about him, he will keep his word.

“Hello?” I say into the microphone, trying to sound relaxed, even though I’m about to make a deal with the devil.

“Where did you get all that money, Ree Ree?” Dylan’s face turns sour at the name he called me.

“Lucas, I need to see you earlier than this weekend. My boss is out of town and I have some extra time.” My voice cracked slightly, but I cleared my throat to cover up my slip.

“Answer my fucking question, bitch. Where did the money come from?”

“I found a job cleaning out a garage, the owner let me have the stuff I didn’t throw away. I sold it online for good money.” It was a terrible lie, but the best I could come up with. Lucas was stupid enough, I might get away with it.

“Oh yeah, internet is the shit these days. It’s too bad I can’t sell ice on it. You say your boss is out of town this week?”

I nodded my head like an idiot as if he could see me over the phone. “Yes, he went to the Caribbean with his family, some resort they own or something.” Smacking my hand over my face, I can’t believe what I said. Who the hell owns a resort?

“Gonna stop by there in the next couple of days then, motherfucker owes me for a back window, and for getting Dragonfly arrested.” Dylan is once again perplexed at a name Lucas tosses out.

“Gina’s in jail?” I act surprised, playing a part I hoped would get me closer to my baby and get a thumbs up from Dylan.

“You didn’t know? It happened at your job.”

Dylan scribbles something on a piece of paper, holding it up for me to read.

Make him question her. Tell him you didn’t have a break in here.

---