Grab

by Jeff Elkins

  Moe laughed and went to Nadia. She started undoing the straps holding her to the chair. Nadia gave up a soft groan as Moe lowered her to the ground. The sound gave Moe hope that she was going to make it.

  “So what do we do now?” Stacie asked.

  “You keep the gun on them. I’ll figure out where the cavalry is?” Moe said, shaking her head in disbelief at her brother’s slow response. Taking her phone out of her pocket, Moe called her brother. The phone only rang once. Before she could say hello, Robert launched into a condescending tirade, “Baby Girl, what are you doing? Are you safe? Please tell me you got out of that house. I’m ten minutes away. You better not still be there. What were you thinking?”

  Moe sighed. “Hello, Robert. We’re fine. Call an ambulance. We’ve got three injured. One of them is bleeding out. And we’ve got the villains gift wrapped for you.”

  “You’re welcome,” Stacie yelled.

  “Wait! What?” Robert said, but Moe hung up the phone and put it back in her pocket.

  “So much for the cavalry,” Stacie said.

  As Moe bent down behind Giuliano to undo his bonds, she said, “We don’t need them.” Looking up at Stacie she asked, “Right? Partner?”

  “That’s right, partner,” Stacie said with a confident smile.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Moe walked to the Thirsty Horse with purpose, her laptop bag over her shoulder. She pushed open the door and saw Stacie sitting across the room at their usual table. Making her way through the crowd, Moe sat her laptop bag down next to the table and took a seat.

  “Partner,” Stacie said with a confident smile.

  “Partner, we need to talk,” Moe said with contempt.

  Stacie nodded to the quote on Moe’s t-shirt. “I know that one. Jerry McGuire, right?” With her best Cuba Gooding Jr. impersonation, she said, “Show me the money! Show! Me! The Money! Show me the money!”

  “Don’t try and distract me,” Moe said, reaching down to get her laptop.

  “Did I do something wrong?” Stacie said with false sweetness.

  Moe sat her laptop on the table, glared at Stacie, and quoted the line from Stacie’s child star days, “Oh, Lizzy. I don’t know how we’re ever going to get out of this pickle.”

  “That’s not cool,” Stacie said, glaring back at Moe.

  “Ladies,” Mike said. He arrived at the table looking as stunning as ever. His tight black shirt stretched across his chest revealing the contours of his sculpted muscles. “One martini. Clean, wet, straight up, stirred, with Beefeater. And one beer,” he said as he placed drinks in front of them. “I saw you on the news. Bringing down a human trafficking ring. That’s pretty amazing,” he said to Moe.

  She blushed and looked at her shoes. Her laces were lime green today. “Thanks,” she said.

  “Hey, I was there, too,” Stacie protested.

  “It was meant for both of you,” Mike said with a grin.

  “Sure it was,” Stacie said, sipping her martini.

  “And I loved the new blog,” Mike said to Stacie.

  “Oh, that’s nothing,” Stacie said.

  Moe opened her laptop, hit the space bar with purpose, and turned the computer to face Stacie. “The Adventures of Watkins and Howe? What in the hell?” Moe said.

  “I thought it was pretty good. I liked it,” Mike said.

  “Don’t encourage her,” Moe said.

  “I’m not sorry. It was a great story, and we won, and I thought the world should know how amazing you are,” Stacie said with a grin.

  “Oh, really? You did this for me? That’s the way you’re going to play it?” Moe said.

  “You did come off as pretty amazing,” Mike said with a smile.

  “You’re not helping,” Moe said.

  “I left out everything about the memory stuff,” Stacie said defensively.

  “What memory stuff?” Mike asked.

  Moe glared at Stacie and the said to Mike, “Stacie thinks I have a good memory. I keep telling her, it’s not a big deal.”

  “I thought we could use the publicity. Mike, you’d want to hire us if you read this, right?” Stacie asked, giving Moe a sly grin.

  “Absolutely,” Mike said.

  “Mike, thank you. I need to talk to my partner alone for a second,” Moe said.

  “No worries. I’ll be back in a minute to get your order,” Mike said.

  Once he was gone, Moe packed up her laptop and said, “Our clients depend on our discretion. If they think they are going to be blogged about, they aren’t going to hire us,” Moe said.

  “Our clients. I like the sound of that,” Stacie said with a satisfied grin. She took another sip of her martini.

  “I’m being serious,” Moe said.

  Stacie reached across the table and touched her hand reassuringly. “If there is one thing I know,” she said, “it’s the power of celebrity. You just need to trust me. Besides, I said in the opening that it was fiction.”

  Moe took a swig of her beer. “I don’t like it,” she said.

  “I’m sorry,” Stacie replied.

  “Don’t do it again,” Moe said.

  Stacie held up crossed fingers and said, “I promise. Cross my heart.”

  Moe shook her head and took another drink of her beer.

  “So did you ask me to meet you here because just to yell at me, or was it to see Mike again?” Stacie asked.

  “Until I saw your little blog, I was going to tell you that we have a new case,” Moe said, leaning back in her chair.

  “Yes!” Stacie said with a fist pump. “Did they read the blog? That’s how they found out about you, isn’t it?”

  “You’re quite the detective,” Moe said.

  “So, what’s the job?” Stacie said.

  “A painting was stolen and they want us to find it,” Moe said.

  “Nice!” Stacie said with excitement.

  Moe shook her head and sipped her beer.

  “So, tell me about the case,” Stacie said, leaning forward with excited anticipation.

  “I don’t know much,” Moe said.

  “This is going to be great. Give me all the details. Don’t hold anything back. Watkins and Howe are on the case!” Stacie said.

  The following is an excerpt from the next book in the Watkins and Howe series, Steal. Get your copy now by clicking here.

  Moe looked down at her neon rainbow shoelaces. They’d been the right choice. This place needed some color. The off-white hallway with the speckled white tile felt sterile. The smell of disinfectant was so thick, Moe felt like was invading her nasal cavity. She looked at the ceiling. The rectangular panels were identical in color and feel to the floor.

  “Ms. Watkins?” a man in a white coat said.

  “That’s me,” Moe said with a smile.

  The man crossed the room and shook her hand. He was shorter than her and skeletal-thin, but his smile was genuine and warm. “Thank you for coming. I’m Doctor Elias. We spoke on the phone,” he said.

  “Thank you for thinking of me. It’s rare that I get to use my gift for something like this,” Moe said.

  “Oh? How do you usually use it?” he asked with the tone of a curious psychiatrist.

  “Typically, I’m being asked to relive someone’s death or solve a crime,” Moe said with a laugh.

  “That sounds difficult,” Doctor Elias said with a nod.

  “Well, if you ever have room in your appointment schedule let me know and I’ll come lie down on your couch and tell you all about it,” Moe said with a grin.

  The doctor looked down in embarrassment. “Oh, well, I only deal with juveniles. And, we don’t really use couches anymore, but there is a very comfortable chair in my office.”

  “Speaking of juveniles, who is it you wanted me to see?” Moe asked.

  “Oh, right,” Doctor Elias said as he glanced at his watch. “The reason I asked you here is because we have a young girl that has suffered a deep trauma. My ability to speak with her about her feeling
s has been unsuccessful. I was hoping you might be able to find a happy memory I could use as a therapeutic launching point,” he explained.

  “What’s her name?” Moe asked.

  “Sarah,” the doctor said.

  “Can I ask what happened to her?”

  “There was a break-in and her mom was killed. It’s unclear how much she saw. The police found her hiding in a closet. That was three months ago. She hasn’t spoken a word since,” the doctor explained. His voice was strained with concern.

  “Did they catch the killer?” Moe asked, suspicious of the doctor’s request was some backhanded way to get her involved in a cold case.

  “I’m not sure. I haven’t heard anything, but that’s not really my area of expertise. My concern is for Sarah’s mental health. She seems to be sliding further into depression and isolation,” he clarified.

  “And you want me to help her remember something happy?” Moe asked, still suspicious this was some kind of trick.

  “I was told your gift can bring happy memories to the surface?” he said with uncertainty.

  “How did you hear about me?” Moe assumed it had been from the police, but they would never describe her gift that way.

  “I’m friends with your brother. We were discussing Sarah’s predicament and he told me about your gift,” the doctor said.

  “You know Robert?” Moe said. Her eldest brother felt like the logical choice. He was an FBI agent after all. A multiple homicide was right up his alley.

  “Um, no,” the doctor said, shaking his head. “I’m friends with Joe.”

  Connections started falling into place in Moe’s mind. “Joe told you about me.”

  “Joe and I go way back. We were in school together and then did our residency together. Even though he doesn’t practice anymore, we still get coffee occasionally,” Doctor Elias explained.

  “Well, if Joe sent you, then I better meet Sarah, because there is no telling Joe no,” Moe said with a refreshed grin.

  “I’ve never been able to,” Doctor Elias said with a thoughtful nod. “Sarah’s room is just this way,” he said as he turned to walk down the hall.

  Moe followed behind him through a set of double doors that led into an identical hallway, except the second had four doors on each side. Doctor Elias walked to the third door on the left, eased it open, and stepped inside. Moe followed quietly.

  The room was softer than the hall. While the walls were still white, the light pink dresser, pink bedspread, and shaggy pink rug eased the institutional feel. Sitting on the bed, huddled in a corner was a small girl. Her brunette hair hid her face and her knees were pulled to her chest. She didn’t respond when Moe and the doctor entered the room.

  “Sarah, it’s Doctor Elias. I’ve brought a friend I’d like you to meet. This is Ms. Watkins,” Doctor Elias said.

  The young girl didn’t respond.

  Moe smiled at the doctor and then moved toward the bed. She eased herself down on the bed next to the girl, careful not to touch her. “Hi, Sarah. I’m Moe,” Moe said, leaning down to try and meet the girl’s eyes, but there was no recognition that Moe was even there. Sadness seemed to radiate from the child. The sight of her stillness caused a knot to form in Moe’s throat. Tears built in her eyes, but she wiped them away with the back of her hand. “Sarah, I’d like to give you something.”

  Sarah didn’t move.

  “To do that, I’m going to have to touch your hand. I promise it will only be for a minute or so. Is that okay?” Moe asked.

  Sarah didn’t respond.

  “We’ll start small,” Moe said. Cautiously, she reached out for the girl’s hand. Touching it, Moe closed her eyes and searched for a sense of joy in Sarah’s mind.

  Snow crunched under Moe boots and a cold wind blew across her face. She opened her eyes. They took a minute to adjust to the bright light reflecting off the white snow.

  “Come on Sar-Bear,” a man said. Moe looked up at his kind eyes and reassuring smile. He was her father and she knew everything was going to be okay.

  Moe squeezed the edge of the sled in her hands and felt it press through her mittens. Chasing after her dad, she ran the final few steps up the hill.

  “Okay, big girl. You ready to try this again?” her dad said.

  Moe replied with a slight nod. She swallowed as she looked down the hill. It was so big.

  “Can you see Mommy there at the bottom?” He waved and a woman waved back. She was beautiful. Moe loved her fluffy light-blue coat. Moe waved back and her mom waved wilder. A giggle slipped from Moe’s lips.

  “Okay, just aim for Mom,” her dad said as he took the sled from her hands. Placing it on the ground, he held it steady as Moe climbed in.

  “Don’t’ let go,” he said.

  Moe gripped both sides of the round sled with all her might.

  “Three, two, one,” he said, giving her a little push.

  The sled crept forward. Moe held her breath. The hill was so big. She considered jumping off like she’d done last time. She hadn’t gone too far yet. It wasn’t too late. A pit formed in her stomach.

  Then the sled began to pick up speed. Wind brushed against Moe’s face as snow kicked up around her. A burst of laughter escaped her mouth. She closed her eyes and threw her head back and yelled with joy. The sled sped faster and faster, and Moe laughed harder and harder. She loved every second. She already wanted to do it again.

  The sled began to slow and she opened her eyes. Her mother was there, a few feet in front of her. “You did so great Sar-Bear!” her mother said with pride. “Did you like it?”

  Moe jumped from the sled picked it up and exclaimed, “I want to do it again!” She turned and began running back up the hill toward her father who was cheering her on.

  Moe released Sarah’s hand and opened her eyes. She shivered at the memory of the cold.

  Sarah was looking up at her. The young girl had the most beautiful blue eyes.

  “That was a beautiful memory. Thank you for sharing it with me,” Moe said with a smile and a nod.

  The left side of Sarah’s mouth twitched in what Moe thought might have been a quick grin.

  “Would you like to do another one?” Moe asked.

  Sarah looked down in thought then back up at Moe and shook her head no.

  “Okay,” Moe said. “I understand. I tell you what, I’ll come back tomorrow night and see if we can find another fun memory. Would you like that?”

  Keeping her lips closed, Sarah nodded. Releasing her legs from her chest, she began to lie down on the bed.

  Moe stood and pulled back the covers. Sarah rested her head on the pillow and closed her eyes. Moe was certain she was reliving that moment on the hill. Watching her father wave and her mother beam with pride. Moe covered the young girl and said, “Goodnight Sarah. I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

  Doctor Elias turned out the light as Moe reached the door. Just before it closed, a strained high-pitched voice said, “Thank you, Ms. Moe.”

  Moe looked back in the room at her new friend. “You’re welcome, Sarah,” she said as the doctor closed the door.

  Back in the sterile hall, Moe turned her attention to the doctor.

  “That was unbelievable. She hasn’t spoken a word since she’s been here. Or laid down to sleep. I think you had a real breakthrough tonight,” Doctor Elias said as he made notes in a small notepad.

  “Why is she here?” Moe demanded.

  “What do you mean? Her parents died?” the doctor said, looking up from his notes in confusion.

  “I know that. But why is she here? In this prison of a place?” Moe said, waving her hands at the hall. “Why isn’t she with a grandmother or aunt or uncle? Where is her family?”

  “She has no family left.” The doctor looked genuinely sad. “She’s a ward of the state. Her caseworker brought her here because she thought it would be better than foster care. We’ve done the best we can to make her comfortable. We take her outside most of the day, not that she’s done any
thing but sit on the bench yet. But you are right. This is a hospital for those with mental struggles. It’s no place for a grieving child.”

  “She’s got no family?” Moe asked with unbelief.

  “Well, her mother was an immigrant from Germany, and we don’t know much about her extended family. Her father parents died about ten years ago. Neither of them had any siblings. So, Sarah is all alone,” the doctor said. Moe could tell from the way that he looked at the floor and nodded that he would fix the situation if he could.

  “I’ll be back tomorrow,” Moe said as she turned to walk toward the door.

  The doctor chased after her. “You do need to tell me how you did that. I would love to understand,” he called.

  Without stopping, Moe said, “A magician never reveals her secrets.”

  The doctor laughed. “At least tell me what memory you shared? So, I can talk to her about it in the morning.”

  Moe stopped at the door to the entry and looked back at the doctor. She could still feel the cold wind on her face. She could see Sarah’s father smiling and feel Sarah’s laughter in her throat. “I’m sorry. It can be difficult for me after I share a memory, even a good one. I try to escape and clear my head as quickly as possible,” Moe explained. “She was sledding with her parents. Her mom was at the bottom of the hill and her dad at the top. I’d guess it was about two years ago. It was her first time, but it felt like something they did a lot after that.”

  “Sledding,” Doctor Elias said as he made notes. Looking up from his pad he added, “Thank you. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you helping Sarah.”

  As Moe stepped into the parking lot, she took out her phone and called her partner.

  "What's up?" Stacie asked on the other end.

  "Meet me at the Thirsty Horse. We've got a new client," Moe said.

  "What's it this time?" Stacie asked with excited anticipation.

  "Murder. We're going to figure out who killed a little girls mom," Moe said.

  "I'm in. See you in ten," Stacie said.

  To continue reading, click here and get your copy Steal.