Little Lost Things

by Eleanor Chance

  The current customer on the screen was an older man who couldn’t figure out how the debit card machine worked. The pharmacy tech patiently helped him complete his transaction. The customer before him was a young woman with a little boy who kept picking his nose. Steph had groaned and suggested they bet about whether he’d eat what he pulled out of his nostril. Grace had given her a gentle smack on the arm and told her to focus, but she wondered how many times someone had watched her when she wasn’t aware her actions were being recorded. She made a mental note to be more aware of her actions in public in the future.

  Shepherd returned with a Diet Coke for each of them thirty minutes later. She pulled up a chair and sat next to Steph. “Anything yet?” she asked.

  “Nothing but a new appreciation for people who do this for a living,” Grace said. “Have you seen the video of Mara?”

  “I have, but we want to see if you ID the person the pharmacy tech thought was her.”

  Reid came in and stood behind Steph with his arms crossed. Grace caught the slight upward curve of Steph’s lips when she glanced at him. She turned back to the screen before Steph saw her watching.

  At that moment, a woman with a large-rimmed neon-pink hat stepped up to the counter. Her face was only visible for an instant before the woman lowered her head, but it was long enough for Grace to get a look at her eyes. She leaned closer to the monitor and studied the woman’s movements and body shape.

  She pointed at the screen and turned to Reid. “It’s Mara. That’s her. Does she look at the camera again before she leaves?”

  Reid shook his head. “She knows what she’s doing. She kept her face hidden with the hat.”

  “Can you rewind it and freeze it where you can see her face?” Steph asked. Shepherd reached over to the computer and did as Steph asked. She paused the video on the frame where Mara’s eyes were visible. “You’re sure that’s her?”

  “Positive,” Grace said. “She cut and bleached her hair, but that’s her.”

  Shepherd looked at Reid and dipped her chin. “That’s the person the pharmacy tech IDed.”

  “Have the techs print that frame and try to clean it up so we can disseminate it,” Reid said.

  “You got it, boss. This is a huge break.”

  She left in a hurry, and Reid said, “Thanks for coming in so late, Grace. If the techs can get a clean print for the media, someone might recognize her. Even though the tip on the car was a bust, having a shot of her face for the public to bring new leads. The increased reward is making a difference too. The tip line has heated back up. I’m hoping to have Mara in custody by morning.”

  “Do you ever sleep?” Steph asked.

  “I’m heading to the hotel now. I’ll keep my phone close by and call the second we have anything promising.”

  Grace picked up her purse and walked to the elevator a few feet ahead of Wes and Steph. She heard Wes tell Steph that he’d leave a visitor badge for her at the front desk if she wanted to come by in the morning. Steph eagerly agreed, and Grace smiled to herself, still hoping for that one bright spot to emerge from the darkness. She knew Johnny would have been happy about it, too.

  * * *

  Mara’s eyes were glued to the TV while she flipped through the morning news cycle. Johnny watched her while he ate his cereal at the small table in their room. She’d become obsessed with searching for any mention of them in the news, but Johnny was sick of it and wondered if she’d only taken him from the Walkers for the attention.

  “Can’t we watch a movie or something?” he asked, through a mouthful of cereal. “They’re just repeating the same report. We’ve heard it all.”

  Mara swung around and glared at him for a second before turning back to the TV. “Fine, we’ll watch the news.”

  He would have asked if he could watch YouTube, but Mara had changed the unlock code on the laptop and restricted his use to homework with her staring over his shoulder. She was afraid he’d try to contact one of his friends. She was smart to do that because that was his exact plan. He missed his friends. He even missed school and would gladly trade a PT session with Tony to another day cooped up with Crazy Mara.

  He finished his cereal and out of absolute boredom and desperation, decided to read one of his textbooks. Just as he reached into the backpack to get one, Mara sprang off the chair and stared open-mouthed at the TV. There on the screen was a slightly blurred picture of her in that stupid pink hat. He chuckled, and she turned on him and grabbed him by the neck of his t-shirt. Not again, he thought.

  “You think it’s funny? That’s from the pharmacy. I had to go there because of you. Now I have to figure out a way to change my appearance again or I can’t leave this room. It’s your fault.”

  Johnny had gotten used to her tantrums and wasn’t afraid of her. He easily pulled her hand free of his shirt and pushed himself up by pressing on the table.

  “Back off. I didn’t ask you to bring me here, and it’s your fault I need the meds in the first place. All of this is your fault. If you’d left me in that hospital with Craig when I was born, I wouldn’t be a damned cripple.”

  Instead of backing down, she did the last thing he expected and backhanded him across the cheek. The force of the blow knocked him off balance. He fell back, missing the edge of the dresser by less than an inch. His elbow struck the floor hard, and he felt the sting of carpet burn. He sat up and pulled his knees to his chest without daring to look at Mara.

  She crouched next to him and tenderly patted his back. “I’m so sorry, Johnny. I just didn’t expect you to talk back to your mother that way. I thought Grace had taught you better. You’re right that you wouldn’t have your disabilities if I’d left you in New Mexico, but it’s Rick’s fault you got hurt, not mine. I wanted to stay in our house during the hurricane, but he insisted we leave. It’s all his fault. I promise never to hit you again, but I expect you to be respectful.”

  Johnny stared at her, shocked by her sudden mood change and excuses, but he nodded to shut her up. She grinned and helped him into the chair. His elbow hurt when he rested it on the table. When he pushed the sleeve of his hoodie up to examine it, blood dripped onto the table.

  “I’m cut. Do we have any bandages?”

  Mara pressed a napkin on his cut and told him to put his hand over it and press hard. “I have first aid supplies in my purse, but we’ll need more. That’s a bad cut. I can’t go to the market in the lobby until I do something with my hair.”

  She dug in her purse and pulled out some antibacterial ointment, gauze, and tape. She chatted away at high speed like nothing had happened while she cleaned and bandaged his cut. Johnny became more concerned with each word. He’d never seen someone shift emotional gears on a dime like her, and it disturbed him.

  “They have a market in the lobby?” he said to distract her.

  She finished with his arm and smiled at her work in satisfaction. “A small one. Not much there.”

  “Do they have snacks?”

  “What’s with you and the snacks? I’ve never seen anyone eat like you. You haven’t touched the fruit.”

  “I had a banana with my cereal.” He held up the empty peel to prove it.

  Mara looked around the room and sighed. “We need to find somewhere to live that’s more permanent and affordable with a real kitchen so I can cook. Not sure how we’re going to manage that. I didn’t even get my last paycheck from the hospital. It’s probably in the mailbox at my house, but that place is most likely crawling with feds.”

  “Don’t you have any friends that could get your mail? And I don’t know why you’re so worried about getting caught. If you can prove you’re my real mom, they can’t arrest you.”

  “Not if. I am your mother but proving that will be tricky. What would happen to you in the meantime? And I haven’t been here long enough to make friends. No one would want to help anyway. They’d think I’m a kidnapper.”

  Because you are, Johnny thought but kept his mouth shut. He watched Mara put on
her hoodie and pull it tight around her face to cover her hair.

  “I need hair dye and extensions, or maybe a wig except they’re expensive. My poor hair will never be the same.”

  She went on mumbling, talking more to herself than him. Johnny took the remote off the table and went to his bed. His elbow was throbbing, and he had a headache. He changed the channel away from the news and turned up the volume hoping to drown out Mara.

  “Turn that down,” she said. “It’s giving me a headache. I’m going out and may be gone for a few hours looking for a store outside of Richmond where no one will notice me. You have plenty of food here to last until I get back.” She put both hotel key-cards in her purse. “Don’t answer the door to anyone, just like before, and lock the bolt and bar behind me.”

  Johnny followed her to the door and locked it after she left but had no intention of staying in the room. He’d been locked up for days and had to get out. He watched the clock for thirty minutes before daring to leave the room. Since he didn’t have a key, he made sure to flip the bar to keep the door open like he’d seen his dad do when they went on trips. They didn’t have much in the room that anyone would want to steal.

  * * *

  Johnny nearly chickened out while he rode the elevator to the lobby. Mara would kill him if she came back and he wasn’t in the room. He hesitated for a few seconds when the doors opened but made himself step out when he saw the rows of snacks on the market shelves.

  Instead of going straight to the market, he wanted to explore the hotel first. He found the pool and jacuzzi and wished he had a swimsuit. Tony always said that working his muscles in water was the best thing for him. Mara hadn’t even bought him shorts since it was winter, so he was out of luck.

  Craving fresh air, he went toward the entrance next. The desk clerk watched him out of the corner of his eye. It gave him goosebumps, but he kept going since he wasn’t doing anything wrong. It was colder than Johnny expected, so he was glad he’d put his hoodie on even though it had blood on the sleeve. He walked around the corner of the hotel and watched the cars speeding by on the street beyond the rear parking lot. He was tempted to flag down a driver and ask them to take him home, but he didn’t want to look like a crazy person. He wished again for his phone.

  He went back inside after ten minutes and checked out the market. When he saw the high prices, he realized that he hadn’t thought about how he’d pay. He couldn’t charge it to the room because Mara would know, and he was pretty sure he’d spent all his cash in Charlottesville the weekend before. He pulled out his wallet and checked just to be sure. He saw his debit card resting in its slot and smiled. He’d seen an ATM near the vending machines while he’d been wandering around the hotel. It didn’t take long to make his way back to it.

  His heart started pounding again while he slipped the card into the slot. The money was his, but his parents had access to the account. He wasn’t sure if they’d noticed he’d withdrawn the cash or not. Deciding it was worth the risk, he withdrew eighty dollars. That would be enough to get away from Mara if he decided to escape. He took the cash to the market and bought what he wanted. The clerk stared at him the whole time and even asked his room number. Johnny gave the number for the same room on the second floor and left as fast as he could on his crutches. He was relieved that he beat Mara back to the room.

  He bolted the door and settled on the bed with his pile of snacks. He’d eat what he wanted and hide the rest for the next time Mara left him alone. He felt an exhilarating sense of accomplishment while he munched on his candy bar and searched for something to watch on TV. He’d gone on his adventure and taken care of himself without problems or consequences. He just wished Grace was there to see what he could do on his own. Maybe it would get her to stop treating him like a baby. He was disappointed that she’d never know.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Mara drove the hour and a half to Waynesboro, a small town west of Charlottesville, and used GPS to find the hair supply store. She checked the rear-view mirror before she got out to make sure that her hood was still in place. She left her sunglasses on even though the day was cloudy. The store was lit well enough that she could easily make her way through the aisles.

  The store was empty except for the clerk, so she was the only one Mara had to worry about recognizing her. She put a box of auburn hair color in her basket and went to look for extensions to match. They had just enough of the right color to cover her head. Once she had her hair items taken care of, she went to search for tanning lotion and dark makeup. She picked what she needed and carried her basket to the counter.

  She relaxed when she saw the sales associate, a girl of about twenty with pink spiked hair and more piercings and tattoos than Mara could count. Mara was confident the girl would care less about a kidnapped teenage boy in Richmond.

  Mara put her items on the counter and waited while the girl rang them up. The clerk glanced at Mara a few times but kept going.

  After putting the last item in the bag, she said, “Not my business, but is your old man knocking you around?” When Mara raised her eyebrows, the girl pointed at her glasses. “My mom used to wear sunglasses all the time to hide the black eyes my dad gave her until my brother got big enough to toss Dad out on his ass. I think of that whenever I see women wearing sunglasses in a store.”

  Mara slid off her glasses. “No black eyes. I’m sensitive to fluorescent lights. Sorry about your horrible dad.”

  She shrugged. “I’m over it. Mom has a good guy now. He doesn’t even try to put his hands on me.”

  Mara was saddened that the girl’s measuring stick for goodness was that her mom’s boyfriend didn’t try to molest her. Such a messed-up world.

  “Why are you changing your color?” the girl asked, drawing Mara from her thoughts. She pointed at her pink hair. “I like the white. That’s how I had mine until the other day.”

  Mara wished she would stop talking and finish the sale so she could get out of there. She hadn’t noticed a security camera but was sure there must be one.

  “Just need a change,” Mara said and handed her the cash.

  “Let me see. I’m in school to be a cosmetologist. My teachers say I have a good eye.”

  “Another time. I’m in a hurry.”

  “Come on, let me see.”

  Mara didn’t want to make a scene and figured she wasn’t getting out of that store unless she uncovered her hair. She lowered the hood and looked at the girl with no expression. She studied Mara’s hair for a few seconds before moving her gaze to her eyes.

  “You look familiar.”

  Mara pulled the hood back over her head. “That’s not possible. I’m in town visiting a friend. I’ve never been in this store.”

  “But I know you.” She narrowed her eyes, and Mara could see the wheels turning. “You’re the lady I saw on the news that took that kid.”

  She picked up her phone and started to dial. Mara reached across the counter and slapped it out of her hand. As it clattered across the tile, Mara grabbed her bag and started for the door, but the girl came up behind and tackled her to the floor. She flipped Mara onto her back and straddled her, pinning her arms with her knees.

  “You’re not getting out of here. The FBI is offering seventy-five grand for you. You know what I could do with that kind of bank?”

  Mara drew up her knees, planted her feet and arched her back. The girl tipped over, and it was Mara’s turn to pin her.

  “It’s not true what they’re saying on the news. I didn’t kidnap the boy. I’m his real mother.” The girl tried to flip her off as Mara had done to her, but Mara was prepared and didn’t budge. “I’ll knock you out and be long gone by the time you come to. Here’s the deal. I’ll give you three-hundred bucks right now if you promise not to tell anyone I was here. It’s not seventy-five K, but it’s all I have on me. If I get away and they never catch me, you get zero. Deal?”

  The girl nodded.

  “Say it.”

  “Deal. I
promise not to tell anyone about you but get off me. My manager’s in the back room.”

  Mara rolled off and drew a small switchblade from her purse. She snapped it open before reaching into her purse for her wallet.

  The girl climbed to her feet and grinned at Mara. “You think that tiny blade scares me?”

  “It should.” Mara flung the knife past the girl’s ear. It sliced into the wall behind her. Mara dashed past her and had the knife in her hand before the girl moved an inch.

  The girl's eyes widened in terror. She held up her hands and said, “Easy, lady. It’s all good.”

  Mara nodded but didn’t take her eyes off her while she walked back to her purse. She counted out the cash but didn’t hand it to her. “What’s your name?” she asked.

  The girl hesitated before saying, “Amy.”

  “Well, Amy, if I find out that you’ve told anyone I was here, I’ll be back for you. Trust me on that.”

  Mara held the cash out to her. Amy snatched from Mara’s hand and shoved it in her pocket. Mara kept her eyes on her until she was out of the store. She drove three blocks away as quickly as she could without drawing attention and pulled into an abandoned lot. Her hands shook on the steering wheel. She’d managed to fool the girl, but she wasn’t as tough as she’d acted. She only knew that knife trick from hanging out in too many bars with Rick.

  She was $300 poorer, and her plan was unraveling, but there was no question of backtracking. She’d get Johnny out of Richmond no matter what it took, but she needed to regain control. She had time on the drive back to Richmond to calm down and figure out her next moves. Her only hope was that the bribe was enough to get Amy to keep her mouth shut.

  * * *

  Wes was out of ideas. It was day five since the kidnapping, but his usual tactics were getting them nowhere. Even plastering Mara’s photo all over the media hadn’t yielded any promising leads, and the pharmacy data had proved useless. Every time he was convinced a piece of evidence would lead to Mara, he came up empty-handed.