Arnold called me up from the office two days after Eli’s interrogation.
There is no one under the name “Grizella Ghee” living in Bridgeport.
In fact, there is no one under the last name "Ghee."
I don't know how that's possible.
Eli told me that Ella was still in the city. On a follow-up investigation, he told me that she doesn't go by the name "Ella" anymore. Instead, her coworkers called her "Izzy."
Even still, she couldn't be found. Her information when she was a child is still there, but only her father, Gary Ghee, is listed. Her mother is not. Gary's location isn't even known.
For the past week, I've been searching as hard as I can for information on Izzy. For about two weeks, I've been working at the station to get to the bottom of the recent break-ins that have been happening around the city, and I've been searching for Izzy's whereabouts. So far, it's been a dead-end search.
I started messaging Raymond, Dad's lawyer, online to see if I could find any information from him, but I wasn't getting anywhere. Raymond didn't know anything. On top of everything that was going on, Khloe kept trying to talk about Leah every time I came home.
"Vinny-"
"Can we please not do this today?" I pleaded. "I'm kind of busy."
Khloe crossed her arms and scowled. "With what?"
I didn't move my gaze from my laptop. "Getting Dad out of jail." I snapped.
Khloe scoffed. "Sure."
I had finally had enough. I closed my computer and stood up. "What exactly is your problem?"
"You can't keep avoiding this. I know you're busy, but we need to talk about this."
"We've talked about it already."
"Not really. You've said your bit, but I haven't said mine. We haven't come to a decision yet."
"A decision about what?" I snapped.
"Whether or not to tell Mom." Khloe said.
"Look, we don't need to do this right now. I'm going crazy trying to get this done so Dad can be released and I can go back home. Worrying about something like this right now is just going to slow that down."
Khloe looked at me like I was crazy. "She could be Dad's daughter."
I was losing my patience. "We don't even know that for sure! What exactly are you basing this off of? You don't have any proof, you haven't even seen Leah yet. This could just be a coincidence, and when it actually DOES turn out to be a coincidence, it's just going to be time wasted worrying about nothing." I turned to go out of the apartment door, but I turned back to her. "Anyway, what does it matter if she is his? Selena moved across the country. She didn't want Leah to be a part of Dad's life, so what does it matter who her biological parents are? She's not our sister, regardless who her father is. So figuring this out is just going to cause trouble for everyone else, so I suggest you cut the shit and go back to Alchemy training." With that, I slammed the door behind me and left the building.
Whenever I had free time, I spent it with Autumn. We'd meet up after work was over and we'd either go out for dinner, or we'd order in at either one of our apartments.
Autumn started taking me to the gym on our days off to build up my fitness.
Autumn was way more into it than I was. She put me on a workout routine that I had to follow every day so I could get my fitness up. Now I started regretting not going to the gym with my Dad and Ryder when I was a teenager, because that would have helped now.
Autumn came up to me one day after my workout routine was over. "Nice job today, recruit." She said with a smile.
I stood up from the workout bench. "I'm getting better, right?"
Autumn shrugged with a chuckle. "You're definitely not as lanky as you were when you got here, so that's a start."
I faked a disappointed look, and she grabbed my hand. "You're getting much better." Autumn leaned over and kissed me.
"So do you wanna go out tonight? I found this new pizza place in downtown that I kind of want to try out." I said with a smile.
Autumn gave a weak one back. "I won't be able to." She let go of my hands and crossed her arms. "I'm staying in Appaloosa Plains for a few days."
"Why?"
"Lucy Miles was staying with her Dad. Whoever these people are followed her there, and she was attacked. My Dad stationed me there for a few days to investigate what's going on."
I gaped at her. "So it's just gonna be me and Benny, huh?"
She shrugged. "He's not that bad. He apologized for being a jerk, didn't he?"
"Yeah, I guess."
"So maybe you can at least try to get along with him? Because I guarantee you he's trying."
"Okay." I frowned. "So when are you getting back?"
"I'll be back in a few days, I promise." She smiled. "Then we can have a night out when I get back."
Autumn went to go wash up in the bathroom when I got a call from Wicker.
"Dill's at the prison. I need you both to get answers out of Martinez so we can find out the location of Ghee. Anything would be useful at this point."
"Yes, sir. I'm heading there now."
"I told you everything I know, I swear!"
"You have to know more than that! Lucy Miles was attacked again last night! There is no one named Grizella Ghee living in Bridgeport, so you have to be lying to us! Where is she?!"
I quickly opened the door and walked up to Benny. "Benny, lay off. I'll take over from here."
"What makes you think you can just come up and tell ME what to do? You're-" He immediately silenced himself, realizing that Eli was standing right next to him.
I pulled Benny aside. "Do you want a badgering charge, or do you want results?" I asked. "Let me handle this."
Benny stayed quiet for a few seconds, then nodded. "Alright. I'll wait outside." Benny glanced at Eli and then walked out of the interrogation room.
I turned to Eli. "How've you been?"
Eli scoffed. "You're looking at it."
I nodded. "I'm sorry about that. We're all just stressed out because we've been searching and searching for Izzy, but we can't find her anywhere. There's no one with the last name "Ghee" even living in Bridgeport."
"I told you're friend, I have no idea where she is! I didn't know that girl was going to be attacked again! Izzy could have moved cities since I got arrested, there's no way of knowing if she's still here!"
"Eli, the attacks are her way of getting you out of prison. If she's still trying to break you out, it doesn't make sense for her to move cities. Is it possible she moved here under any other name, anything you might know? Please, you know these attacks on Lucy need to stop."
Eli frowned. "I don't know. She could be under any name. Are you sure there's no one under Ghee?"
"Nobody living in the city."
"That doesn't make any sense. Her father moved here from Starlight Shores a little while after we did."
I froze. "What? Where?"
"I don't know. He and Izzy stopped talking after we left together. I haven't even seen him since Starlight shores, I only know this because he called Izzy saying he was moving up there. I figured he would at least use the last name "Ghee."
He must have known about Izzy being a felon. He didn't want to get tied up with that. "I've been searching for information on Izzy. I was able to find the name of her father, but not her mother. Has she said anything to you about her?"
Eli stared at me for a second, struggling to remember. "She was in jail for most of Izzy's life. I'm pretty sure she's still there. She was arrested when Izzy was a baby, which is why her dad had to raise her all on his own."
"Did she give you a name?" I asked, feeling so close to the answer.
It took him a little while, but he finally spoke. "Josephine. I'm pretty sure her name was Josephine."
"Josephine? Are you sure?"
"Yes, that's her name. I'm sure."
I met Benny back at the station. I gave him the information that Eli had given me, and we started our search for Josephine Ghee.
After I was searching long enough, I found a newspaper article that mentioned a "Josephine Rein," But not a "Ghee." I decided to read it anyway. The article talked about the conviction of a woman named Josephine Rein, who lived with her boyfriend Gary Ghee and her daughter, Grizella Rein. She was a minor suspect in the case for the murders of Kristy and Courtney Rein, her sister and mother, who were killed in an explosion that destroyed their entire home. The SSPD told the press that, based on their evidence, their main suspect was...Meredith Villiers, who was the stepsister of Josephine and Kristy, and the stepdaughter to Courtney. At the hearing of Meredith Villiers, Josephine confessed to murdering her sister and mother after they kicked her out on the street after discovering that Josephine was pregnant. Josephine says she wanted revenge on her mother and sister for tossing her out on the street, and she was sentenced to 25 years in prison. Her boyfriend and daughter continued to live in Starlight Shores after her sentencing...Her boyfriend to raise a child on his own, and her daughter to grow up to become a felon...
I tried swallowing this news as best I could. I didn't realize how close together our families were. My mother was the stepsister of Izzy's mother. They may not have grown up together, but they were once a family, nonetheless.
I stood up and walked over to Benny, who was hard at work searching for information on Josephine Ghee. I told him what I had found.
"Excellent. Good work, Villiers." Benny walked over to Arnold, who was sitting at another desk. "Try searching for a woman with the last name 'Rein.' Send me the results. Also, try finding Josephine Rein. She should still be in Starlight Shores, but she might be able to help us find her daughter." After Arnold gave an affirmative reply, Benny walked back over to me.
He was quick to speak first. "Listen, I wanted to apologize for what I said earlier," he began, "This whole case is stressing me out, so I've been lashing out at everyone. Please don't take it personally, because I really do think you're a good guy, it's just been...difficult to get used to."
As much as I disliked this guy, I did feel bad for him. "You know what? Don't worry about it. No harm done. I've been there before, so it's no big deal."
"Great. Listen, do you maybe wanna go get drinks somewhere? Make up for me being a dick?"
I had to smile. "Yeah, actually. Sounds good."
Benny took me to this bar called Waylon's Haunt. It wasn't a dance club, like the one Autumn took me to, it was just a little dive bar.
While we were there, I got to see a totally different side of Benny. At work, he seems like he's all serious, all the time, but he started to loosen up once we got to the bar.
We were talking about work, I found out he's into sculpting, and, much to my dismay, he had no sense of humor whatsoever. But, it was still an enjoyable night. A night I didn't expect to have after everything that's been going on. And Autumn never even came up once.
Benny decided to walk me back to my apartment. On the walk there, we started talking about music, and I told him I played the violin.
"Wait, really?"
I chuckled. "Yeah. My brother knows how to play guitar, but I never really got into it. I tried branching out from what my brother was into, so I started playing the violin."
Benny grinned. "That's so cool. You should play me something."
I glanced at him. "Are you sure?"
Benny nodded. "Yeah, man! I wanna hear it."
I sighed and nodded. I pulled out my guitar, and I started playing one of the pieces I knew best how to play.
Normally, when I was playing a piece I really liked, it was easy to get lost in the music and just play for hours, like the night I met Autumn. However, it was hard losing myself in the music because Benny was just staring at me and smiling.
After I finished, Benny started clapping and walked up to me. "Wow...You're really talented, you know?"
I laughed. "Thanks."
"You're a...great guy, Vinny."
I was going to give a sarcastic response back, but Benny pulled me into a kiss before I could speak.
He only kissed me once. He pulled back for a second, looking at me for approval to give me another one, but I just stood frozen, staring at him, wide-eyed.
Not knowing how else to react, I immediately pushed him off. "What the h-hell are you doing?! I have a girlfriend!"
Benny backed up, gaping at me, struggling with his words. "I-I'm sorry, I-I thought-"
I sighed, trying to calm down. "Look, Benny, You're a nice guy, but I'm not gay. I'm sorry if I gave you the impression that I was, but I'm seeing Autumn."
"No, I-I'm sorry." Benny said, before turning back and walking away. "I'll see you at work tomorrow!" He called out to me.
I watched him walk away, and waited for my breathing to calm down before walking back into the apartment.
"Oh god, this just keeps getting better and better."
*Khloe's POV*
I crossed my arms, trying to ignore the incoming rain. 'God, how far away is her house?' I thought to myself.
My mind replayed the conversation I had with Vinny this morning. He got upset when I even mentioned Leah to him. He knows it's too much of a coincidence.
When I finally made it to the address, I stood outside of the front door for a few seconds. I struggled to stay calm, and I pushed the doorbell.
An older woman with deep blue eyes answered the door holding a little girl in her arms. For a second, I forgot what I was going to say, and I just stared at Leah. She looks so much like Dad...
"Can I help you?" Selena's question woke me up.
"Y-yes, hi. I'm Khloe, I'm Grant's daughter."
Selena's eyes lit up when I finished. "Oh, yes, Khloe! I remember you, please come in!" She said, stepping back inside. "Grant's kids just keep running into me, one by one. I won't at all be surprised when Ryder comes to my door."
I stepped inside and crossed my arms. "How are you?"
Selena shrugged. "I've been better. Gavin's told you what's been going on?"
I nodded. Selena adjusted her hold on Leah. "So, is this your daughter?"
Selena smiled. "Yes, this is Leah."
"How old is she?" I asked.
"She just turned four."
Leah turned to look at me. She has Dad's eyes.
I sighed, trying to find the words to ask her outright. "Mrs. Miles, Gavin told me about a week ago that he visited you to investigate what's been going on, and he mentioned you had a little girl. This might just be a coincidence, and I don't know exactly what was going on between you and my dad, but given her age, I can't help but thinking that she's my father's daughter."
Selena sighed, looking like she was struggling with the words. She didn't say anything for what seemed like forever, when finally she spoke. "You have to understand, your father doesn't know that he has another daughter."
For a second, I couldn't breathe. I couldn't speak. I just stood there, gaping at Selena. I was right.
"He doesn't know?"
"No. This all went down around the time that your parents were fighting. Your father was struggling without her, and when he met me again, he tried filling the hole that she left. I knew what he was doing, but I kept playing along with it. It was a reason to love him again." She looked up at me. "I love your father, and I probably always will, but the last thing I wanted was to take him away from you kids, or your mother."
"When I found out I was pregnant, I was excited, for a while. I thought things were over between him and your mother, so I thought I might be getting the family with him that I always wanted. One day, he came over early in the morning to talk to me, and that was the day I was going to tell him. But he only came to tell me that he was going back to Meredith. I was so upset that I kept my mouth shut. I was devastated, but I didn't want to get in between him and Meredith. So, I decided to raise her on my own. I moved here to prevent the two of us from breaking your family up.
"When I was a little girl, my mother cheated on my father and got pregnant with someone else's baby. My father was devastated, and the two of them got divorced. Up until I moved out, I had to be carted in between my father's dirty old apartment, and my mother's house, where her lover and my half-brother lived. It was absolutely miserable, and before that happened, I thought we were going to be a family forever. I didn't want that for you kids. When I moved here, I was thinking of your family over mine."
I couldn't speak. All I could do was listen. I took in Selena's story, then I said, "So she's my sister?"
Selena smiled. "Yep, she's your little baby sister. I guess it was kind of hard to hide, she looks so much like her dad."
I tried to keep the tears from breaking the surface. "Could I hold her?" I said, my voice shaking a little.
Selena smiled. "Of course."
Leah warmed up to me quickly, laughing and smiling as if we always knew each other.
The poor little girl was going to grow up without knowing her whole family, only knowing her kind,caring mother and occasionally her older sister. She'd never know her father, her two older brothers, and her older sister from the other side of the family.
I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy.
*********AUTHOR'S NOTE******************************************
So after a busy couple of weeks, I was able to get the next chapter out.
I had the play, then my birthday was the week after, so I knocked writing this chapter out in like a day.
So the next chapter will probably be up in the course of a week,
I know I said that before, but now life is going to go back to normal pretty quick here.
BTW, I'm going to be updating the family tree (obviously) and I'm going to add bio pages to the blog that I will update every time a new character comes into the series.
THAT'S IT FOR NOW, KIDDIES.
~Orange
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