Chapter 4

Ryan got his coffee as he always did and made his way to the office on Tuesday. He couldn’t help but notice that the mood in town had become more somber since news of Bertram’s murder broke just eight days ago. Even Sarge, the old Vietnam vet who spoke with everyone, was quiet these days. He finished his morning cigarette and went into the station.

He did his usual morning routine, checking the overnight activity reports and such, and filled out his daily paperwork. Elaine Bledsoe, the day shift desk sergeant, tapped on his door.

“Sheriff, Commissioner Higgins’ son, Brian, is here to see you,” she said.

“Please, send him in,” Ryan said. He looked up to see a younger version of Bertram in a blue Air Force uniform, his captain’s bars gleaming on his shoulders. The rows of ribbons on his chest indicated he had seen his share of action. Ryan stood and shook Brian’s hand.

“How are you holding up, Captain Higgins?” Ryan asked.

“Getting by, Sheriff. Thank you for asking,” Brian said. “And please, call me Brian. I’m heading back to base, and I wanted to drop this off for you.” He handed Ryan an envelope addressed to him in Bertram’s handwriting. “It was in my father’s private safe deposit box at the bank. Mom never knew he had it. He wrote one for me and another for my uncle. I really think you should read it. It explains quite a lot.”

“Pretty graphic?” Ryan asked.

“A bit too graphic in places,” the young man said. “I never knew any of this was going on.”

“None of us did,” Ryan said.

“Dad was real big on the teachings in the Bible. Used to take us all to church on Sundays when I was a kid. Says we’re supposed to honor our father and mother. After reading that, I don’t see how I can possibly do that anymore. Honor my mother that is. Not after all the pain and humiliation she put him through.”

“I’m sure the woman in that cell downstairs isn’t the same woman you remember growing up,” Ryan said.

“No, she’s not,” Brian said quietly. “Listen, I have to get to the airport. Could you do me a favor and let me know when the trial starts? I’d like to be here for that if I can.”

“Of course,” Ryan said. “And if there’s anything I can do, call. You hear?”

“I hear ya, Sheriff,” Brian said. “Thank you for everything.” They said their goodbyes, and Ryan watched him leave. He opened the envelope and read the lengthy statement Bertram left for him. From what the commissioner wrote, things were worse in the Higgins household than he ever could’ve imagined.

Bertram minced no words detailing the horrible abuse Trudy put him through. At first, it was a general disrespect followed by her non-stop cheating with as many men as she could get into her bed. He installed security cameras to document her cheating more than once, but she always found them and disabled them before they recorded her activities, tossing their destroyed remains in the middle of the floor. The physical part of the abuse started shortly after Ginger and Jeremy appeared on the scene, Bertram said.

Ryan wondered why Bertram didn’t just divorce his wife. Bertram explained that Trudy threatened him financially and politically. While the prenuptial agreement protected the family farm, it did nothing for his political reputation. And in these parts, people were still a bit old-fashioned when it came to elected leaders having a stable family.

Bertram went on to explain that he suspected Trudy was not acting alone and began hacking into her email and private communication. He got help from a county IT person and was finally able to get into Trudy’s secure email system. It was then he learned that Trudy was in contact with Nancy Garrison, Sen. Legstrom’s wife.

Ryan had heard that name before but couldn’t quite place it. He set the letter down and did a search on the Internet. That’s when he saw that Garrison and a number of her accomplices had been executed under the provisions of the Enhanced Patriot Act. For all practical purposes, she had been labeled a traitor. What the hell was Trudy involved with, Ryan asked himself.

Bertram went on to say that his wife was also in contact with a mysterious person who only went by the initials “AG.” Nothing he saw gave any indication of who that person might be or where he or she was located.

The commissioner’s lengthy statement became more shrill and angry in tone as he began to realize that he would probably not last much longer. He confessed his desire to kill Trudy and admitted that he had stood over her slumbering body, gun in hand, more than once. The only thing that stopped him from putting a bullet in her head was his own belief that he would end up in Hell for murdering the woman who caused him so much pain and heartache.

“I don’t have much time left,” Bertram wrote toward the end. “Just know that when you find my body, the person responsible is none other than my so-called ‘loving wife,’ Trudy.”

The bottom of the printed statement had two words, written in ink above his signature: “Avenge Me!” Ryan set the letter down and called Ray, who happened to just report in.

“Hale,” the former NYPD detective said when he answered.

“Ray, good to see you decided to come to work today,” Ryan said.

“Hah hah,” Ray said jokingly.

“Got something here you might be interested in,” Ryan said. “Why don’t you come up to my office, and we can discuss it over a smoke.”

“On my way,” Ray said. When Ray showed up, Ryan handed him Bertram’s letter and headed for the smoking area. Ray read as he followed Ryan out the door and continued reading as he smoked his cigarette. He shook his head when he finished.

“Damn,” he exclaimed.

“My thoughts exactly,” Ryan said. “Is that something you can use?”

“Absolutely,” Ray said. “It gives me a timeline to work with. The evidence I’ve seen so far fits everything he mentioned. What I don’t fully understand is how this ‘AG’ fits into the picture.”

“Maybe Ron found something on Higgins’ hard drive,” Ryan said.

“Maybe,” Ray said. “I think we need to get Jackson back out here. Help us put this all into context.”

“I agree,” Ryan said. “You ever talk to this Sheila Robertson?”

“Yeah,” Ray said. “She swears there was nothing going on between her and Higgins. She’s engaged to a Border Patrol Agent working out of El Paso. They’re planning to get married pretty soon. She said Higgins was overjoyed to hear that she found someone to settle down with. His wife, on the other hand, didn’t seem to care.”

“Because she already had it in her head her husband was screwing Sheila,” Ryan said. “And nothing he said or did made any difference. But how do we draw a line from her thinking her husband is having an affair to her becoming involved in a murder plot and a threat to national security?”

“Good question,” Ray said.

“So, your trip to California give you some insight into the Rodgers kids?” Ryan asked.

“Yeah,” Ray said. “Samuel Colt Rodgers is a bitter, lonely old man, living on a piece of crap dirt farm outside Clovis. Wife left him and the kids when they were toddlers. Ran off with a doctor. Never looked back, not even to send the kids a birthday or Christmas card. Rodgers raised them, then caught them screwing behind the barn and kicked them out of his house.

“He told me he hasn’t heard from them since they left, although he does get some mail for them from time to time. Mostly ads and junk. Says he still loves them and misses them, though,” Ray said. “Also did a local records check. Nothing came up. Even if they did have a juvenile record, though, it probably would’ve been expunged by now.”

“You said a counselor is set to meet with Jeremy Rodgers. Tomorrow, right?”

“Yeah, tomorrow,” Ray said.

“Maybe you should have this counselor interview the other two as well,” Ryan said. “None of them seem too tightly wrapped to me.”

“I agree,” Ray said. “I’ll get it set up.” Just then, Ryan’s phone buzzed. He saw it was a call from Ron, so he answered it.

“Caldwell,” he said when he answered.

“Sheriff, I found something I think you and Detective Hale should see,” Ron said. “I also think DA Olmstead should see this as well.”

“What is it?” Ryan asked.

“A piece of video I found in that stack of DVDs in Jeremy’s van,” Ron said. “Actually, it’s the audio on the DVD I think you’ll be more interested in.”

“Alright, Ron,” Ryan said. “We’ll be down in a bit. Go ahead and call the DA, let him know.”

“Will do, Sheriff,” Ron said. Ryan ended the call and turned to Ray.

“Ron says he has something we need to see,” Ryan said. “He’s calling the DA over. Might as well finish these and go take a look.” They finished smoking their cigarettes and headed for Ron’s lab. Marvin was already there when they arrived.

“What have you got for us, Ron?” Ray asked.

“You’ve wanted proof of premeditation. I think I just found it,” Ron said. “Take a look at this.” Ron started a video on his computer, and they watched as Jeremy and Ginger lay next to each other on the small bed in the backroom of Ginger’s shop where she slept. Both of them were naked and looked like they just had sex. They could see semen dripping from Ginger’s swollen pussy onto the bed.

“That was so wonderful,” Ginger moaned as she ran her hand over Jeremy’s body. “You make me feel better than anyone, my dear brother.” He smiled at her before responding.

“And you always make me feel like the king of the world,” he told her. She smiled and cuddled close to him.

“I spoke to Trudy today,” she said. “It’s happening this Sunday.”

“What’s happening?” he asked.

“You know. The final solution. Trudy told us this would be coming soon,” she said.

“You mean, she really wants to go through with killing her husband?” he asked. “I thought that was just talk. You know, to scare him.” She shook her head.

“No. She’s serious. She’s convinced he’s hacked into her emails and knows more than he’s letting on,” Ginger said. “She’s also concerned about his growing hostility. She thinks he’s going over the edge, and she wants to strike before he does.”

“We have been pretty rough on him,” he said. “Rougher than with anyone else. I don’t know anyone who could tolerate the level of pain we’ve dished out and not go a little bit crazy. But killing him? That’s a bit extreme, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, a bit,” she said. “But we’re paid to do what the client wants, remember? That’s in our contract. If we fail, then we pay the price. I got the package AG said she had sent to me. It’s supposed to make things go a bit ... easier for him.”

“I don’t know about this,” he said.

“It’s okay,” she told him. “You can do it. I have faith in you.”

“Me? You want me to kill him?”

“Trudy does.” He shook his head. “And she wants you to use your spear gun.”

“Wait a minute,” he said. “It’s one thing to kill a fish, but it’s something else to actually kill a man. I don’t think I can do that.”

“It’s alright, sweetie,” she said softly. “I’ll be there with you. I’ll give you all the help and support you need.”

“This Sunday?” he asked.

“That’s right. Sunday night. That’s the day after tomorrow. After we do this, we’ll pack up and blow this hick town. Maybe go back home. Stop in and see the old man for a day or two, then head for the coast. I really could use a vacation,” she said.

“What about your shop?” he asked.

“Fuck it,” she said. “I’m not really cut out for the business world anyway. I’d rather just lay on the beach naked and spend the rest of my life fucking your brains out. We’ve got plenty of money saved up. One last final job and then we retire. What do ya say, lover? For me?” He looked at her and smiled.

“You know I’d do anything for you, my sweet sister,” he said. She reached for his cock and began stroking it.

“Then fuck me full of your cum, one more time,” she cooed in his ear. Ron stopped the video at that point.

“That’s ... sick,” Marvin said. “I can’t believe they actually recorded that.”

“They recorded a lot of their trysts,” Ron said. “I’ve got hundreds of hours of video.”

“Can you blur out the private parts and get me a copy of that?” Marvin asked. Ron handed him a flash drive.

“Already done,” Ron said.

“Thanks,” he said.

“What about the emails and information on Higgins’ hard drive?” Ray asked. “Anything there?”

“A ton of stuff, Detective,” Ron said. “I’ve got flash drives for both you and the DA. Trudy Higgins was in contact with a Nancy Garrison until about six months ago. That’s when Garrison was arrested. From what I saw, it looked like Garrison was grooming Trudy for something. I just don’t understand what, exactly. I do know she wanted the commissioner to run for federal office, but he already refused.”

“What about this ‘AG’ person? What did you find out?” Ray asked.

“Mrs. Higgins was in contact with this ‘AG’ for quite some time,” Ron said. “There wasn’t much communication between them until after Garrison was arrested. Then they started talking more frequently. From what I can tell, it was all done by secure email. I do know from the drive and Ginger’s phone that AG is the one who dispatched the Rodgers kids.

“As for who or where this ‘AG’ is, I’m drawing a blank. ‘AG’ used a secure VPN connection that hid his or her actual location and all of the messages were bounced off a number of servers. All I can tell you is that ‘AG’ is probably somewhere in England. I’m hoping that Jackson’s people can nail it down further,” Ron added.

“England,” Ryan said. “Interesting. When is Jackson coming next?”

“He’s scheduled to be here Thursday, Sheriff,” Ron said.

“How long before we get the toxicology report back?” Marvin asked.

“Two and a half to four weeks,” Ron said. Marvin shook his head.

“I can’t wait that long,” Marvin said. “I think we have enough evidence for a conviction without it. I’m going to meet with Judge Brown and see if we can’t get an arraignment on the docket pretty soon. I’ve already secured indictments from the grand jury against all three of the defendants.”

“I thought there already was an arraignment hearing,” Ryan said.

“That was just a hearing to determine if bail would be set,” Marvin explained. “By the way, I think we’re going to need a much bigger jury pool to pull from, Sheriff. Callender is pushing for a change of venue and if we can’t seat a jury he’ll probably get it.”

“I’ll take care of that, Marvin,” Ryan said.

“Thank you, Sheriff. Detective Hale, can you put together a comprehensive evidence packet by the end of this week?”

“I believe so,” Ray said. “There’s an awful lot to go through, though.”

“The more the better,” Marvin said. “I want to bury Callender in evidence. Get me everything you possibly can.”

“Consider it done,” Ray said.

“Thank you,” Marvin said. “I’ll be in touch. Nice catch, Ron.”

“My pleasure,” Ron said.

“I guess we’d better get back to work,” Ray said after Marvin left. “Think we can get a forklift for all this evidence?” he joked, causing Ron and Ryan to both laugh.

“I was actually thinking something along the line of a big rig,” Ron answered. They all laughed, as Ray and Ron gave each other a fist bump.

Later, that afternoon, Jake Callender sat at the small table in one of the tiny conference rooms at the jail, his briefcase in front of him. He pulled out the folder with the fairly thick indictment he just received and waited for his client to be brought into the room. Eventually, the door opened, and a thin Trudy Higgins was escorted in, her wrists shackled and connected to a chain that went around her waist. Another set of chains went from her ankles to the chain around her waist, making it difficult for her to walk. The guard sat her in the chair and placed her wrist chains in the small loops on the table.

“Hello, Trudy, how are you holding up?” he asked after the guard left the room. Tears began falling down her face.

“Horrible,” she cried. “They make me sit in that tiny room by myself all day. They only let me walk around outside for about an hour a day. The food tastes like crap, and I know the guards would kill me if they thought they could get away with it. Please, Jake, you have to do something.”

“I’m sorry, Trudy,” he said. “Unfortunately, I’m afraid it’s probably the safest place for you right now. I know you don’t want to hear that, but it’s true. I take it you received the indictment from the grand jury.”

“I did, but I don’t understand much of what’s in it. It’s so long and full of legalese,” she said.

“Yes, Marvin Olmstead is pretty good about putting indictments together that are fairly lengthy and wordy,” Jake said with a smile. “Let me see if I can break it down for you in English, okay? Basically, he claims you, Ginger and Jeremy conspired with a group of known domestic extremists who have already tried to bring down the government. It’s his contention you did this for the express purpose of undermining your husband and eventually killing him.

“He also claims the three of you conspired to sexually assault your husband, with the aid and assistance of at least one other person, who he admits is unknown to him at this point. I get the impression from this that he intends to seek the death penalty for all three of you under the auspices of the Enhanced Patriot Act. Do you understand what that means?”

“No, I don’t,” Trudy said.

“That means if you are found guilty and sentenced as he wishes, there will be no appeal. You will essentially be taken from the courtroom, straight to death row, and executed shortly thereafter,” Jake said, causing Trudy to break down sobbing.

“Please. You have to do something,” she cried.

“I’m doing what I can, Trudy,” he said. “The fact is, you’ve gotten involved with a very dangerous group of people. Maybe you didn’t fully understand that when you got involved with them, but that may not matter to the jury.”

“What can we do? All I wanted was a bit of revenge for Bertram’s cheating. I don’t want to die,” she moaned. Neither did your husband, Jake thought, but he didn’t say it.

“Did you see the memorial for your late husband?” he asked. She nodded her head yes. “I doubt that the DA will be able to seat an impartial jury. I’m pushing for a change of venue. I hope we can get the three of you moved someplace where we can get a fair trial with a jury who didn’t know your husband.”

“This group of extremists you’re talking about ... Is that the group that Agent Jackson talked about?” she asked. He nodded his head.

“I believe so. They may have changed their name and their method of operation, but basically, it’s the same bunch,” he said.

“What did they do to you?” she asked.

“They nearly killed me. Agent Jackson saved my life. But he wasn’t able to save hers. They killed her. And they tried to kill you and Ginger,” he said. It seems everyone wants to kill me, she thought. Maybe it would be better for everyone if I were dead, she said to herself.

“What can I do?” she asked.

“Cooperate fully with their investigation. Volunteer anything you possibly can. Don’t wait for them to ask. If the court sees that you’re actively helping to bring down a radical extremist group, your life might be spared. But there’s no guarantees,” he said.

“Okay, I’ll do it,” she said.

“Good. Detective Hale has arranged for a counselor to evaluate Jeremy tomorrow. I’ve asked that you and Ginger be evaluated as well,” he told her.

“You think I’m crazy?” she asked. Anyone would have to be crazy to get involved with the people you were involved with, he thought. Again, he didn’t vocalize those sentiments.

“No, but maybe the counselor can find something we can use to help keep you out of the execution chamber. The state doesn’t like to kill people who aren’t, shall we say, all there. No offense intended,” he said.

“None taken,” she said.

“I understand DA Olmstead is pushing to schedule an arraignment for you this coming Monday,” Jake said.

“I thought that already happened,” she said.

“That was just your initial bail hearing,” he said. “The hearing coming up on Monday is where we enter your not guilty plea.”

“Not guilty?” she asked, surprised.

“That’s right. They want to convict you. Let’s make them work for it,” he said with a smile.

But I am guilty, she thought. She considered telling Jake, but changed her mind. So far, he was the only one in town helping her out and she didn’t want to lose him. Not now.

“Okay,” she said instead, returning his smile.

“That’s all for now unless you have something to bring to my attention. I need to speak with Ginger and Jeremy, but I’ll be in touch,” he said.

“No, I don’t have anything else right now,” she said. “Thank you for everything.”

“You’re welcome,” he said before calling the guard. When the guard came to take Trudy back, he asked her to bring Ginger in next. His conversation with the young porn actress was very much like the one he had with Trudy, except for a couple of major differences.

The first was her general attitude. Like Trudy, she really didn’t want to die. But unlike Trudy, she seemed to not care one way or the other. It was as if this was all just a big joke. Her attitude was basically, “die young, stay pretty.” He couldn’t believe the callous way she dismissed the whole thing. The other difference was a separate charge brought against her and Jeremy.

“The District Attorney is also charging you with incest,” he said. “Specifically, the charge is ‘prohibited sexual conduct’ with your brother, Jeremy. If you’re found guilty, you could face 10 years in prison along with a $10,000 fine.” Ginger laughed at that.

“So what are they gonna do? Kill me, then keep my body in prison for ten years? That’s a laugh,” she said.

“So, you don’t deny the allegation?” he asked.

“Why should I?” she asked.

“How long have you been doing this?” he asked.

“Years,” she said. “We started when I turned 18. Hey, I can’t help who I love.”

“So, there was no coercion? You were never forced into it?” he asked.

“Forced? Oh hell no,” she exclaimed. “If anything, it was all I could do to keep from jumping his bones before I turned 18. I tell you what, though. We had one helluva birthday party. We did everything you can imagine. And then some. And before you ask, no, we never used any protection.”

“I see,” he said.

“No, I don’t think you do,” she said with an attitude. “I love my brother. I would do anything for him. Anything. Anywhere. Any time.” Jake looked at the table, absorbing what Ginger just told him. He heard her snort and looked back up at her.

“You probably think I’m some kind of slut, don’t you?” she asked. “The truth is, I AM a slut. And I’m not ashamed to say it. I love to fuck. I’ve literally fucked thousands of men. And I’ve made a lot of money doing it. Put up a camera and I’ll fuck anyone you want. Hell, I even fucked someone in the middle of the fucking street once. Talk about a rush! But I’ve only ever truly loved one man – Jeremy. Look, I really don’t want to die. But the truth is, they can do whatever they want to me. Kill me, throw me in jail, whatever. They’ll never get me to stop loving Jeremy. Ever.” He nodded his head as listened to her. After a few awkward moments of silence, he looked at her.

“Someone from the county is coming to speak with Jeremy tomorrow,” he said. “I’d like them to speak with you as well.” She shrugged her shoulders.

“Yeah, okay. Whatever,” she said.

“And I also want you to cooperate with the authorities. Completely. That’s the only way I can see keeping you out of the execution chamber,” he said.

“If you say so,” she said after a moment. He called the guard to collect her. As the guard led her away, she stopped and turned to Jake.

“Have you ever seen any of my movies?” she asked.

“Can’t say that I have,” he said.

“You should. You might learn something,” she said with a smile. He nodded his head and the guard took her out. After a while the guard returned with Jeremy. Jake saw a huge contrast between the young woman he just spoke to and her somewhat older brother. Where Ginger was brash, Jeremy was quiet and a bit introverted. He covered the same material with Jeremy that he did with Ginger.

“We haven’t had a chance to talk before, Mr. Rodgers,” Jake said. “The evidence against all three of you is pretty strong. I need you to give me something I can use to help get you out of this mess.” Jeremy looked at him with sadness in his eyes.

“Look, I didn’t want that man to die,” he said. “I couldn’t even pull the trigger. Ginger had to help me. Maybe that makes me a wimp or something. I just ... couldn’t do it,” he added as tears fell down his face.

“Did you tell this to the detective?” Jake asked. Jeremy shook his head.

“No,” he said. “In fact, I was about ready to confess to everything when that guy told me they wanted to kill her. I love her. I don’t want her to die. I’ll do anything to keep her from dying.”

“Why didn’t you tell the detective?” Jake asked.

“He left the room and said he was going to call someone. He never came back. They came and brought me here,” Jeremy said.

“Someone from the county is going to visit with you tomorrow,” Jake said. “After that, maybe we can talk to the detective together. Would you like that?”

“Yes,” Jeremy said quietly.

“Do you understand the gravity of this indictment? What the District Attorney is saying?” Jake asked.

“It kinda sounds like he thinks we’re traitors or something and he wants to kill all of us,” Jeremy said. “I’m no traitor. I never heard of any of these people.”

“You never spoke to anyone connected with MMAS or any of the groups that followed it?” Jake asked.

“Never,” Jeremy said. “Ginger took care of all that. All I did was drive her to the jobs and take care of the technical stuff. She’s great on camera. Makes it all look so real.”

“I see,” Jake said. “What about the charges involving you and your sister? Did you know that having sex with your sister is a crime in this state?”

“No, I didn’t,” he said. “You don’t understand. Ginger is the only girl who ever loved me. The only one who ever listened to me or really cared about me. My own mother left me when I was just a little boy. I still don’t know what I did to make her leave us.”

“You didn’t do anything, Jeremy,” Jake said. “How long have you had feelings for Ginger?”

“All my life,” he said. “But we never really did anything until her 18th birthday. Then one day, Dad caught us playing behind the barn and kicked us out of the house.”

“Alright, Jeremy,” Jake said. “Here’s what I want you to do. I want you to tell the person from the county everything. And I want you to cooperate with the detective and his friends. Do you understand what I’m telling you?”

“Yeah, I understand,” Jeremy said. “I’ll tell them whatever they need to know. I just don’t want Ginger to die,” he added as tears fell down her face. “I can’t live without her.”

“I understand,” Jake said. “Just keep it together. For Ginger, okay? Can you do that?” Jeremy nodded his head.

“I can do that,” he said. After leaving the jail, Jake went to see Ray.

“What can I do for you, counselor?” Ray asked.

“I was just wondering if you’re going to schedule an interview with Mr. Rodgers,” Jake asked.

“Yeah, I wanted to wait until after the counselor talked to him,” Ray said.

“Probably a good idea,” Jake said. “You will let me know when that happens, right?”

“Of course,” Ray said. “Why do you ask? Is there something I should know?”

“Just that I think Marvin may have jumped the gun with some of the stuff in his indictment,” Jake said. “But, that’s not really all that unusual.”

“I heard Marvin got the judge to schedule the arraignment for Monday. So that doesn’t give me much time. I’m planning to speak with Jeremy right after the counselor is done. I’ll call you,” Ray said.

“Thanks, Detective,” Jake said before leaving.

08:30 am, Thursday, September 30, 2021

“How did your interview with Jeremy go?” Ryan asked Detective Hale as they sat in his office.

“It was ... interesting,” Ray said. “He swears he didn’t want to hurt Commissioner Higgins and he claims he didn’t pull the trigger on the spear gun even though he was the one holding it. He also says he never communicated with this ‘AG.’ Says Ginger handled all the contract stuff, made all the contacts and arrangements. He just did the technical work. Based on what I’ve seen on their phones, I tend to believe him.”

“Still doesn’t get him off the hook,” Ryan said. “He knew what Trudy planned, but didn’t do anything to stop it.”

“True,” Ray said.

“What did the counselor say?” Ryan asked.

“Pretty much what I expected,” Ray said. “Jeremy is certainly competent to stand trial. He’s highly intelligent and capable of understanding what he’s being charged with. However, he does have some abandonment issues since his mother left when he was just a young boy. Has difficulty establishing relationships and sees Ginger as the center of his life. He would literally die if he thought it would save her life.”