Right now that didn’t matter, he wasn’t talking to Dutch about Ham, he wanted to find out who Shay’s father might’ve been.
Maybe if he could find out the man’s road name, he could find out what happened to him and why he suddenly dropped out of Shay’s life. Ozzy figured the worst, but didn’t want to tell her until he knew for sure. If he told her, depending on what happened.
If he was dead, like Ozzy suspected, at least it would give Shay some closure. Maybe not in the way she wanted it, but it would be something.
Like Trip always said, something was better than nothing.
“Marshall Graham,” Dutch said again, staring up into the hazy August sky. He pulled out his sunglasses from inside his cut and slid them on. “Yeah, don’t ring a bell. And I still got a mind like a steel trap.” He looked right at Ozzy. “I don’t forget shit.”
Ozzy kept a tight hold on his reaction.
“So, why the fuck are you askin’ about this Marshall guy? You think he was an Original?”
So much for that steel trap.
Ozzy shrugged. “He could’ve been. He lived in Manning Grove at the time while the club was still around, rode a sled and hung out at Crazy Pete’s.”
Dutch tilted his head and stroked his beard some more as Ozzy watched the old man’s wheels turn. “What else you know about this guy? Maybe more deets will shake somethin’ loose.”
“Deets? You’ve been bangin’ too many young chicks.”
Dutch flapped a hand around. “Don’t be a fuckin’ hater just ‘cause you don’t got the skills to snag ‘em and bag ‘em like I can.”
Yep, the younger women he’d sometimes snagged were rubbing off on the old man.
“He had a daughter named Shaylyn. Shaylyn Diggs, but guessin’ that’s a married name or somethin’ since the man’s last name was Graham. So Shaylyn or Shay Graham. Don’t know the mother’s name but guess I could find out.”
Dutch’s dark eyes narrowed. “Why you lookin’ for him?”
“This Shay Diggs is stayin’ at the motel.”
Dutch’s eyes became slits as his bushy eyebrows drew low. “She came lookin’ for her pop?”
Ozzy shook his head. “No, came back for a high school reunion. Happened to jaw a bit with her. Took her out to Pete’s last night. She asked me about my cut and started talkin’ about her old man. Asked if I knew him. Wanted to talk to you to see if you knew anythin’ about him. Told her I’d ask you.”
“Why’d my name come up?”
“Because she saw my patch that tells everyone with two fuckin’ eyeballs I’m an Original, that’s why. She asked, I explained and we actually had a convo. Should try it sometimes, women can actually use their mouth other than to just suck your dick.”
“Who said I wanna hear them blather on about bullshit? For you to have an actual convo with this girl, you had to be workin’ her. Maybe I should see and talk to her myself. You tag and bag her last night?”
Christ.
“You ain’t fuckin’ her, old man, we don’t even know who she is or what ties she might got to the Fury.”
“Then now’s a good time to do her. ‘Cause if she ends up being the daughter of an Original and Trip finds out, he’ll probably put her on the do-not-fuck list faster than you can get her naked.”
“Doubt she’s the daughter of an Original, but just wanna be sure.” And the fuck if Ozzy was letting Shay talk to Dutch directly. “And you’re talkin’ about doin’ a chick you haven’t even seen.”
“You saw her. You’re chasin’ that tail. Figure she can’t be butt ugly, then.”
Ozzy twisted his head and stared out over the back field until his blood pressure dropped a fucking notch.
“Oh, yeah, you’re lookin’ to hit that. Can see your jaw poppin’. The same as it does every time you see Lizzy with that Angel.”
Liz was the last person he wanted to talk about right now.
When he looked back at Dutch, the old man was grinning and his eyes held amusement.
Fucker. Dutch had been yanking his chain on purpose.
He sighed. “Can we get back to what we were talkin’ about?”
“Snatch?”
“Marshall Graham.”
“Yeah, you must have a hard-on over her if you’re goin’ outta your way to help her.”
Ozzy planted his hands on his hips and sighed again. Talking to Dutch was sometimes like talking to Daisy, Judge and Cassie’s six-year-old. Trying to keep the Original on track could be just as difficult.
“She never saw him wear colors or anythin’?”
Ozzy glanced up from staring at his boots. “No. If he belonged to the Fury, he hid it. She remembers seein’ us around town but her father told her to avoid the club.”
After a long moment, Dutch finally said, “Coulda been livin’ a double life. It was common back then for a patched member to have a wife and family, then a piece or ol’ lady on the side.”