Page 57 of Skid
Chapter 19
Skid
After Grace left withSadie for their day in Pierce Bluff, I dialed into a conference call with Devlin and James to go over the information we individually uncovered. I made sure my office door was locked, even though I was alone in the house, not wanting anyone to hear the conversation.
“What have you found?” I asked the two men who were sitting next to each other and waited for their response.
They owned and lived in the same condo building in Pierce Bluff, which meant they usually were together during these types of meetings. Over the years, we’d grown from a small house in the Flats to the state-of-the-art hub inside their building.
“I started digging through the government’s files on those who were convicted and found no link to Kevin Ringman. No common school, family, jobs, or even gym memberships,” Devlin explained, running his hand down his black beard with frustration. “What about you, Skid? What have you figured out?”
“I started looking into Ringman’s life and found no relationship with the few members that didn’t get convicted but were under indictment. There doesn’t appear to be any connection to the Servants of God and Kevin Ringman,” I explained, frustrated we couldn’t connect anything to him other than he was a freak who took advantage of little girls and would never see justice.
“What about his wife?” James asked, and I sat back with confusion.
“What about her? I dug into her life, and she wasn’t connected to anything. There were never any accusations against her when Grace spoke with the social worker, and it doesn’t appear she was aware of what he was doing,” I replied, and James shook his head.
“I disagree. Connie Ringman, formally Connie Philips, was part of a traveling family of preachers until her father died when she was thirteen. She was placed with a family in Texas who reported some strange incidents with her, resulting in her removal from the house,” James clarified.
Devlin looked at his brother and asked, “What kind of strange incidents?”
“Hypersexuality for someone her age. Inappropriate touching of the foster father. After the third time it happened, she was taken from the house at his request and spent the rest of her time in a group home. The pieces fit, but I couldn’t find where she had contact with the Servants. From everything I could uncover, her father was never affiliated with them in any way, so why would she act like that?” James inquired, and the three of us fell silent for a minute.
“When did she get diagnosed with cancer?” I asked.
James typed something into his computer. “Two years before Grace was placed with them. She had a hysterectomy six months after Grace moved in.”
“What if Grace was meant to be a surrogate?” Devlin pondered, and my vision grew red.
“To bear them children?” I yelled, and Devlin held up his hand to the screen as I pushed my chair back and paced my office.
When I got my temper under control, I sat back down to see the two men watching me intently. Devlin spoke, offering some solace in the fucked-up mess my sweet Grace was dragged into. “Not for children. For his wife. Connie Ringman may have ignored his perversions or even connected Kevin with someone who put the idea into his head.”
“Who? Because if there is someone still alive that’s connected to the depraved shit Grace and Aubrey had to live through, I’m going to gut them and stuff their own intestines down their throat until they choke to death on them,” I explained, and James looked at me with murderous rage in his eyes.
“The only way to find out is to ask Grace. She may have information or at least be able to put all the questions to rest,” Devlin reasoned, and I shook my head.
“Fuck that. There’s no way I’m going to ask her about him. She isn’t aware I even know anything about anything, so I will not throw something painful and embarrassing in her face, just to satisfy our need for answers,” I returned and crossed my arms over my chest, daring them to push back.
“What about my sister and maybe the countless other girls that were affected by him?” James threw back, and I leaned into the screen, happy we weren’t in the same room, or I may have punched him in the face.
“How do you know there were others? What if I ask her, ripping open old scabs until she bleeds out, only to find it was just them? From everything I can figure out, Ringman met Aubrey a month before Grace ran away. How do we know it wasn’t just the two of them?”
They both sighed, and I knew we were at an impasse. Neither of us was willing to back down. James wanted justice for Aubrey, and I wanted Grace to forget the pain she endured. Bringing it up to them wouldn’t fix anything. He was dead and couldn’t hurt them or anyone else anymore.
“How about this? We ask her to undergo a background check since she’s living with you now. It’s standard for all Callahan Cyber employees, and it’s a way to ask non-intrusive questions without digging. She can speak with Elise and Amaya, and maybe they can help garner some information,” Devlin suggested, and I contemplated his solution.
“Look, Dalton, I know you don’t want to hurt Grace. I can see how much you care for her, and I respect that. And you. But if there is someone out there hurting kids, we need to stop them. Let’s see if she’s willing to do the check, and I’ll talk to Amaya. We can keep Elise out of it, for now, Devlin. I don’t want to upset her, and Amaya is better equipped to discuss sensitive topics. We can decide our next move after that. Does that sound agreeable to everyone?” James inquired, and I reluctantly nodded.
Devlin glanced at his brother sitting next to him and then back to the screen. “I agree that may be the best way to go about this. Let’s let it happen organically and decide what’s best afterward.”
“I appreciate it and I promise, if there is someone who needs to die, I’ll be at the front of the line. But not if it means hurting Grace. I love her too much to see her in pain, and I refuse to be the cause of it,” I returned, and it was decided.
I nodded at my two friends and disconnected the video call, casting my office into silence. How had I never thought of looking in Connie Ringman? Being focused on the man who physically hurt them, I never considered she could be a part of it. She could have been a victim as well, from her reported actions, and if so, I was sorry for her too. All too often, brainwashed or manipulated victims grow up, not knowing what they lived through was wrong. I don’t know how many go on to become predators themselves, and I wished there was a way to rid the world of those sick perverts before they hurt anyone.
It was after one o’clock when I finished looking into Connie’s family, trying to find anything James and Devlin missed. Not seeing anything promising, I stood from my chair and stretched my back. Sadie and Grace wouldn’t be home for another two hours, and I wanted to check on them.
