Page 25 of Dare
Jeremyglances around. “It’s weird without Jed here, isn’t it?”
“Justuscouldn’t stand to stay here, especially alone. He was pretty close to Jed,” Iexplain to Tucker.
Jeremyflops into a chair and opens a beer, and Tucker and I follow suit. “I didn’tknow Jed all that well, but he was a good guy.”
“Hewas,” I agree. “And a horny old fucker, too. Quite a few times when Justus andI would show up, he’d have a woman waiting for him upstairs. Said he met themat Bingo, of all places.”
Jeremysnorts, “I can’t picture his big bearded ass playing bingo.”
There’sa brief knock at the door and we hear Justus call out, “It’s me, assholes!” Heappears in the living room carrying beer. His face darkens as he glances aroundthe living room and I know he’s thinking of all the times he hung out with Jedhere.
Justushas never really had a family. He grew up in a series of foster homes, and Jedbecame a father figure to him. “Tucker, this is Justus.” I nod toward him as hetakes a seat on the couch.
“Niceto meet you, man. Have you decided you’re going to stay?” Justus asks.
Tuckerleans back, resting his foot on his knee. “Yes. I’ll take good care of theplace.”
Justuseyes him. “You’re about Jed’s size. There’s a closet and dresser full ofclothes in the bedroom upstairs. I was going to donate them, but you’re welcometo them.”
“Thanks.”Tucker’s response is clipped, but not rude. No man wants to accept charity andthough none of us sees it that way, I’m sure that’s how this job and houseoffer feels to Tucker.
“Wewere just telling Tucker about Jed and his bingo women,” I announce, changing thesubject.
Justuslaughs and we start trading stories and experiences we shared with Jed. A fewhours later, we’re all nicely lit. Justus pops open another beer and continues,“I swear! We were in line at The Superstore and the woman in front of us was wearinga skin tight tank top with no bra. She had nipples you could key a car with,and the woman in the next aisle was shooting her shitty looks. She mumbled aninsult, and all I caught was the word ‘slut’ but the woman in front of us heardit and her face turned red.
“Shelooked desperate to get out of there, but the cashier was taking his time. AndI swear, Jed looked her right in the eye and said, ‘Ain’t nothing wrong withshowing a little nipple. Without them, titties wouldn’t have a point.’
“Thewoman laughed despite her embarrassment, and the judgmental bitch in the nextaisle huffed away. ‘Don’t worry about her, honey,’ Jed told her. ‘It’s justjealousy. She was so ugly she’d make a freight train take a dirt road.’ Thenext time I came over, she was in his bed.”
Everyonelaughs, and Justus has a real smile on his face for the first time in days. “ToJed,” Tucker says, holding up his beer. “I’m sorry I didn’t know him.”
“ToJed,” we chorus.
Tuckerlooks around the group. “I have to ask just how you get away with what you do.Don’t the police notice missing pedophiles?”
Inod at Jeremy, who explains, “Most of the time we just report them to thepolice, anonymously. We gather all the information we can, screenshots ofonline conversations, IP addresses, etc. There is a task force in Indy thatdeals with online predators and human trafficking, and they’ve never failed touse what we send them to lock up the sickos. When they drop the ball, we pickit up, and turn the sick fuck into pig food. There have been a couple ofmissing person reports in the past, but nothing has ever been traced back tous. These guys have usually alienated any family or friends before we ever getinvolved.
“Whenwe do need help from the authorities, we have a contact in another group calledStriking Back. They help women and children who are victims of domesticviolence, and have a lot of friends in high places, including judges, FBIagents, and cops. The Reed brothers aren’t guys you want to mess with. It’sgood they’re on our side.”
“I’llintroduce you to Mason Reed,” I promise. “He’s programmed into the cell I gaveyou as an emergency number. If anything ever happens and you can’t reach one ofus, he’s the go to.”
Itfalls silent for a few minutes before Jeremy asks me, “So, what’s up with thechick next door to you? You fucking her?”
Thankyou, Landon, for having such a huge mouth.
“No,I’m not fucking her.”
“Butyou want to,” Justus pursues.
Tuckerstares at me while I answer. “I’m trying to get to know her. She’s kind of skittish.”
“Anyidea what happened to her?”
“No,”I reply, at the same time Tucker says, “Acid.”
Myhead whips around. “What?”
“Shehad acid thrown on her when she was young. I don’t know the circumstances, butshe told me that much.”
