Somebody's Daughter (23 page)

Annie Mae began to cry as she looked at Stacey's legs. They were a mass of bluish red mush with bleeding welts sticking out through tears in her fish net stockings.

She ran to the kitchen and grabbed a pair of scissors, she wanted to cut the stockings from Stacey's legs, she was afraid pulling them off would add to her friend's agony.

When Annie Mae cut the stockings off, what she saw made her think she was cutting open an over-stuffed sausage. The welts began to expand and Stacey's legs were a grotesque mass of bloodied flesh.

“Smit you bastard, get in here and see what you did to this girl. Goddamn it Smit we gotta take her to a hospital.”

Annie Mae had forgotten herself in her anger and cursed the pimp for his abusive behavior. Smit was too tired to care and appeared not even to notice her anger as he walked into the bathroom and looked at Stacey's bloodied legs. Smit said she wouldn't need a hospital; the open whip didn't cut that deeply. It was one of the reasons the pimps liked that weapon. It caused a great deal of pain but no permanent damage to the girl. Pimps like to teach a girl a lesson. They do not like to decrease her value in the street by filling her with scars. Smit hadn't realized he used the whip with far too much force. He should have made it a point to hit Stacey where she was protected by clothing; her stocking covered legs might as well have been naked.

When Smit looked at Stacey's face his defiant indifference appeared to melt away. The violent pimp began to weep, as though what he had done finally began to sink in. He knelt in front of Stacey crying and begging her for forgiveness. Annie Mae was sickened by the sight and walked away from the couple. Stacey began to feel anger along with all of that pain and she cursed him, swearing she would never forgive him.

Smit picked Stacey up and carried her to the bed telling her he would make love to her to prove how he felt. Stacey cried at the thought and told him to leave her alone that she was in too much pain. Again there was a change in Smit's behavior. In an instant he was again the angry pimp.

“I'm getting mine tonight girl and don't you tell me different.”

“You're not getting anything, I can't move, look what you did to me.”

Smit stood beside the bed and looked at the bloody cuts on Stacey's body and realized there was no way to touch her that wouldn't hurt. The pimp walked up to the head of the bed near Stacey's face where he forced her to perform oral sex on him. When it was over Stacey was physically and mentally defeated; she sobbed and begged Smit to let her die. She cried herself to sleep, repeating her plea to die over and over until it was an unintelligible mumble and she was asleep.

Stacey Jackson spent a painful night of fitful sleep after being whipped by Smit. Across the city at the hotel, Taunya, Teri and Gizelle were subjected to a different level of abuse at the hands of The Big Man. It was almost three in the morning when the three young girls returned from their aborted escape attempt. When they stepped into the room Manning Greer ordered Taunya to go with him to the washroom. Greer closed the door behind her and then half sat, half stood with most of his weight resting on the vanity sink. Greer looked at himself in the mirror; he then turned to Taunya.

“I don't see no fool in that mirror, do you?”

Taunya knew she was in trouble. Greer stretched his arm out toward the mirror, his long arms and large body filled the room making it impossible for Taunya to escape his reach. Greer pulled Taunya close to him; he pushed her shoulders against the wall opposite the sink.

“Now tell me what happened and don't lie.”

Taunya started her story and Greer reached up and placed his palm on her forehead and then with a sudden fury pushed her head into the wall.

“Let's start again, now what happened.”

Taunya tried her best to be convincing and again started her lie. Greer repeated his reaction, knocking her head against the wall with an even more powerful shove.

After three more blows to the head Taunya confessed and told Greer the truth.

Greer opened the door and called Teri into the bathroom. He would not violate the rule that prevented him from beating another man's woman. He could have asked Slugger to help but he had other plans.

“Teri I want the truth, what were you doing in Niagara Falls?”

Teri looked at Taunya and began to repeat the lie the girls had agreed upon. Greer reached over and smashed Taunya's head against the wall again, this time with a force that caused her knees to weaken but Greer would not let her fall. Teri tried the lie again but after watching Taunya's head strike the wall she could lie no more; she confessed. Greer told her to get Gizelle and to shut her mouth while he talked with the third girl.

Gizelle had her right index finger wrapped tightly in her blonde curls; her other hand was nervously jamming her hair into her mouth, and her eyes were wild with fear. She did not know what was happening but she did not like being summoned by the Big Man. Greer stared at the nervous young blonde and told her he wanted the truth and once again asked his question. Gizelle did not have the same loyalty to Taunya and she had a much more intense fear of Manning Greer. Gizelle confessed the whole plan the first time she was asked. Greer's reaction surprised both Taunya and Teri. He grabbed Taunya and began pounding her head off the wall repeatedly as he berated Gizelle. Greer ranted and raved about the value of family and the loyalty everyone in the family was supposed to show for one another. He kept asking Gizelle if she thought so little of Taunya that she wasn't even worth lying for. Greer was more upset at the blonde for telling the truth than he had been at Taunya or Teri for lying.

Gizelle could not stand the strain. She watched as the entire scene began to blend and blur before here eyes. She could hear Greer but the voice was distant and it was quickly replaced by a strange ringing in her ears.

When Gizelle fainted, Greer stopped pounding Taunya's head and ordered her and Teri to do something about their fallen friend.

Greer talked with Eddy and Slugger and they agreed on the best way to punish the girls for their attempt to run away. He pulled the stun gun from a kit bag and having cleared the punishment with Slugger he first called Teri over. Greer explained it was important for the girls to know what the zapper could do. His plan was to give them a sample and a warning that any attempt to run away again would lead to a very liberal dose. Greer again promised longer exposure to the weapon, if the girl pulled her arm away too soon. Teri had heard from Taunya about how the stun gun felt and she wanted no part of it but she also knew Greer was not bluffing. Teri put her arm out and closed her eyes, the shock sent her to her knees and she cried as she rubbed the burning flesh of her arm.

Gizelle again became weak and had to sit down. Greer gave her a disgusted look and called Taunya over. She protested saying she knew exactly how the stun gun felt and she didn't need to be reminded. Greer agreed not to use the weapon on his girl and thought zapping Gizelle might just kill her, he decided that if he couldn't punish the girl he'd punish her man. Greer turned to Eddy who was laughing on the couch looking at Teri rubbing her arm. Greer reached over and released the charge from the gun into Eddy's thigh. The big pimp squealed louder than Teri had and he stopped laughing. He did not curse The Big Man but he did tell him the demonstration wasn't needed.

Greer had had enough fun and decided it was time for everyone to go to sleep. The girls went into the washroom to freshen up and Greer relaxed on the mattress on the floor, Eddy took the only remaining bed; Slugger was already sleeping in the other.

When the girls stepped out of the washroom Greer decided he wanted to play one more game.

“Taunya you get behind me and Gizelle you're sleeping here in front of me tonight, I wanna be warm.”

Gizelle began to walk toward The Big Man when Eddy spoke up.

“Girl don't you even think it. You get the fuck over here where you belong.”

Gizelle froze in the middle of the room. Greer started to laugh and kept taunting her telling her she had to come stay with him for the night. Eddy issued a stern warning insisting she would pay if she did. The two men were struggling with each other in a head game that neither could lose and Gizelle could not win.

Taunya climbed onto the mattress and asked Greer to stop it but he was having too much fun. Taunya was afraid to tell Gizelle what to do so she started to glare at the skinny blonde hoping she would get the message and go where she belonged. Taunya knew Greer wanted no part of Gizelle because she was too fragile for his taste. The Big Man just wanted to prove to Eddy that this girl had more respect for him than she did her own man. Eddy knew what it was about and could see in Gizelle's face that he was going to lose this power play.

Gizelle's eyes filled with tears as she inched her way toward the mattress and climbed in next to the Big Man. Greer began laughing at her and at Eddy. Taunya leaned over and through clenched teeth told Gizelle to get the hell out of the bed. Tears poured down the young girls' cheeks as she stood and walked over to the bed to join Eddy. Eddy was sitting on the edge of the bed and watched her approach. When she was in front of him he leaned back and lifted his leg driving a kick into the centre of her stomach with all of his force.

“Don't you come over to me now you stupid 'ho. You're not gonna dis' me and then expect to climb in my bed, get the fuck away from me.”

The force of the sudden kick threw Gizelle across the room. She climbed onto an arm chair and cried herself to sleep alone in the corner.

The next morning the three pimps headed out early as usual. The girls were never sure where they were going but were always relieved to see them go. Gizelle offered to go to the fast food restaurant a block or so down the road from the hotel to get burgers and fries for the girls. The pimps had left enough money for each of the girls to buy cigarettes and fast food for the day so Gizelle took a twenty dollar bill and headed out the door. She looked back at Taunya and Teri as she closed the door behind her. The two girls were sitting at the small writing table near the hotel room window. They were busy playing cards, smoking and listening to music the same way they did every day as they waited to return to the street. Gizelle knew she would not be coming back to the room. She hoped her actions would not cause the Big Man to lose control and hurt or even kill one or both of her friends. Gizelle worried about that as she walked toward the elevator but she had made up her mind, the others would have to look after themselves. Gizelle was going back to Montreal and leaving this life behind for ever.

As Gizelle made her final bid for freedom Stacey Jackson woke to find she could barely move. The badly beaten teen was unable to get out of bed and walk to the bathroom so she called out to Annie Mae to come and help her. The two girls cleaned the blood from Stacey's arms, legs and back and looked more closely at the damage. There were several groups of large welts that looked like open sores. Annie Mae was sure her friend needed medical attention but she was more worried about Stacey's attitude. Stacey spoke very softly and didn't seem to care about the wounds that made Annie Mae cry just to look at.

Annie Mae convinced Smit that she had to take Stacey to the hospital to get a prescription for the pain. Surprisingly the pimp agreed but he told Stacey she would have to tell the doctor she fell down a flight of stairs and the welts were from the treads impacting with her as she rolled down. Stacey said she could not go to the hospital because she had no health insurance card. She asked Smit if she could phone her aunt in Halifax and get her mother's Blue Cross number so she would be able to get the prescription. Smit agreed but said he would listen to her end of the conversation and she had better not say anything unusual.

Stacey made the call and her mother's sister picked up the phone on the second ring. Shirley screeched when she realized it was Stacey on the phone.

“Stacey, where are you? We've been worried sick. Your mother is frantic.”

“Shirley, can you call Mom at work and get her Blue Cross number. I had an accident and I need the number.”

Shirley questioned Stacey about the accident and noticed the lack of animation in her niece's voice. Shirley knew something was seriously wrong and did not accept the explanation that Stacey had fallen down a flight of stairs.

“Stacey, what's wrong is someone there?”

“Yes, can you please call my mother and I'll call you back later for the number.”

Stacey hung up the phone before her aunt could question her further. Shirley called Debbie when the connection was broken. Mrs. Howard was not at work but instead was at home waiting for any word about her missing daughter. Her heart sank when she heard that Stacey was looking for her medical insurance information and she did not believe Stacey had fallen down a flight of stairs. That story was a lie she had told many years ago to explain marks left by the physical abuse she suffered at the hands of her ex-husband.

Desperately worried, she sped over to her sister's home to await Stacey's second phone call; when she arrived, she contacted the constable at the Cole Harbour RCMP. The news of Stacey's call to her aunt made its way to Brad Sullivan, who immediately tried to contact Dave Perry in Toronto. If Stacey called again, and her relatives could find out where she was, the Toronto police would have to move quickly to find her; that she was talking about needing medical attention meant she'd probably been abused by her pimp—at this point, all evidence indicated she was over her head in The Game—and the officer was deeply concerned that the girl could still be in grave danger from a Scotian player.

Sullivan couldn't reach Perry right away; the Toronto policeman had his hands full, to say the least. To begin with, he was in the middle of planning a news conference with the mother of a missing British Columbia teenager Andrea King, who had disappeared after getting off an airplane in Halifax in January. For six months, her mother had traveled from city to city, asking for public assistance in locating her daughter. One police theory was that Andrea had been abducted by one of more of the Nova Scotia pimps, who might have approached the pretty girl because she was obviously alone and perhaps seemed a bit disoriented. As Perry considered the case yet again, a station sergeant called to say that a teenage girl had just walked into the office, claiming she had been forced by several violent Nova Scotia pimps to leave her home in Montreal and travel to Toronto. It was Gizelle Vachon.