The Complete Arms of Grace Series

by Eleanor Chance

  Holding Johnny in my arms calmed me, and my thoughts began to clear. As I searched his angelic face, a tiny thread of an idea came to me and wove itself together. As I rocked him, I planned my strategy. It would be a daring risk, but I had to take it. I saw no other way out, and I had nothing left to lose.

  I gently laid Johnny back in his crib and smoothed my skirt. “Open your eyes, Johnny dear. You have to wake up,” I said. “For both of us. Son, I need your help. It’s time to wake up.”

  I pulled up to the curb across the street from Jay’s hotel and turned off the engine. I looked at the picture of Johnny I had taped to the dashboard for courage, and I settled in to wait. A cab pulled in front of the hotel thirty minutes later, and Jay got out. He paid the driver and walked confidently into the hotel, oblivious of what was coming. I forced myself to wait five minutes before following him inside.

  I found his room and knocked.

  After what felt like an hour, he said, “Who’s there?”

  “It’s Grace. I need to see you,” I said, trying to keep my voice upbeat.

  He didn’t respond for a few seconds. It hadn’t occurred to me that he might not open the door. I was going to have my say, even if I had to yell through the door.

  “That’s not a good idea,” he finally said. “Like you said this morning, we have nothing left to say to each other.”

  “Please, Jay. Don’t make me stand out in the hall making a fool of myself.”

  The lock turned after a few more seconds of silence. He opened the door and stood there in the thick, deep red terrycloth robe I’d always loved to see him wear. Uninvited memories of our nights together flooded over me. I imagined myself encircled in his strong arms, my face pressed into the soft cloth against his chest. I could tell by his eyes that he shared my memory. We stood transfixed in the doorway for several seconds until he took my hand and pulled me inside. He closed the door behind us but blocked me from going further into the room.

  “I assume you’re here to beg me to change my mind about Johnny again,” he said. His stern tone shattered my romantic delusion and reminded me why I was there.

  “I’m through begging. I’m here to demand that you reexamine Johnny and produce a truthful report of your findings.”

  “Have you lost your mind? You’re not in a position to demand anything of me.”

  “My evidence says otherwise,” I said, squaring my shoulders.

  Jay flinched but said, “Evidence? There’s no evidence. I think you should go.”

  As he reached around me for the door, I said, “I’m going to ruin you if you don’t do what I ask.”

  He froze for an instant but then turned and walked to the sitting area. Crossing his arms, he said, “Don’t be so dramatic. Are you planning to scare me into confessing to some conspiracy?”

  “That’s exactly what I’m going to do. Kinsley convinced your chief of staff to coerce you into falsifying Johnny’s records to show that his case was hopeless. They did it by dangling the chief-of-staff position in front of you. Kinsley then used your report to get the DSS to petition the court to remove Johnny from life support. How am I doing so far?” I asked, crossing my arms too.

  The color drained from Jay’s face, and beads of sweat glistened on his forehead. He breathed deeply a few times through his nose but kept his composure. “That’s a good fantasy. Did your lawyer send you here to frighten me with these lies?”

  “No one sent me. In fact, no one knows I’m here. I’m tired of playing it safe with you, and time’s running out for Johnny. Would you like me to go on?”

  “Go ahead. This is entertaining,” he said and sat down on the sofa, feigning nonchalance.

  “I have witnesses who’ll testify to what I’ve said. I also have medical evidence proving that you falsified the results. Several people are aware of this, so if you try to stop me, it won’t matter. I’ve taken steps to protect my evidence. We have Brad Carter’s recent test results too. You have no choice. Change your results, or we’re going to file charges against you and expose you along with everyone else involved in this crime.”

  Jay leaned forward and massaged his forehead. I hoped I’d punched through his wall of arrogance.

  Before he had time to recover, I started in on him again. “Even though they got you to go along with their scheme, I haven’t been able to figure out why it worked. Some people, like my father and ex-husband, are born rotten. Others are capable of goodness but can’t seem to overcome their own self-interest, like you. Even after everything you’ve done, I still think you were once a good and caring doctor. What happened? Does your career mean more to you than a child’s life?”

  I glared at him and could tell he was shaken. My plan was working. I stood over him, waiting for his next move.

  He finally sat forward, but kept his eyes lowered. “I guess I have nothing to lose by telling you that you’re right. If you ever repeat what I’m about to say, I’ll deny it, but you might as well know the truth.”

  I sat in a chair facing Jay and remained silent, wishing I’d thought to turn on the voice recorder on my phone.

  “I was coerced into cooperating,” he said. “Blackmailed would be more accurate, but I didn’t do it for a promotion. I never would have done that. It hurts that you think I would.”

  His shoulders were slumped. He looked like a beaten man. I searched for the confident, or maybe arrogant, Jay I’d loved, but only found a pathetic figure.

  He looked me in the eye. “I did it because I had no choice. I’ve never told anyone this, but a few years ago, I made a terrible mistake, and a child died.”

  I was stunned by his confession. “What happened?”

  “I got an emergency call during a charitable event where I’d had a few drinks. The patient was a young girl, an accident victim. I treated her when I should have turned it over to a colleague. I didn’t feel impaired, but I missed a cerebral hemorrhage. The girl died. I’m not sure if it was human error or the alcohol, but I haven’t touched a drink since.”

  “You were going to marry me without telling me this? You rejected me because of Johnny when you were hiding a secret like this? I don’t know what to think.” I stared at him, trying to recover from the shock. “How did you keep your medical license?”

  “The hospital vouched for me to avoid a lawsuit from the parents. They’ve held it over me since then. When the situation came up with Johnny, they threatened to expose me if I didn’t cooperate.”

  I’d assumed that he’d acted out of pride and self-interest. I never considered that he was being blackmailed. “How could they expose you without revealing their part in it? They’re in as deep as you are.”

  “These are powerful people. It’s my word against theirs, like the two of us here now. Before Johnny arrived, they convinced me that his case was hopeless. I wanted them to be right, but, in time, I discovered they weren’t. Johnny started to progress. You saw it too. I’m sure that was in your report.”

  “What do you mean, ‘I’m sure’? Didn’t you read it?” I asked, furious all over again.

  “No. I didn’t. I tossed it the second you were out of my office. It wouldn’t have mattered. By then I had no choice but to continue the charade. I never expected things to go this far. My first hope was that Johnny would regain consciousness. When he didn’t, I rushed to send him back here and put this mess out of my mind.”

  “This mess? Is that all Johnny and I are to you, some mess be to get rid of?” I was outraged. I stood up and stepped toward him.

  He held up his hands in surrender. “You know what I mean. It would have been so much easier to have faced that lawsuit back then than face medical fraud and attempted-murder charges now. They told me they’d protect me and that there was little risk. I’ve been powerless to stop it from spiraling out of control, especially since Brad Carter can prove Johnny’s getting better.”

  “Powerless? Is that what you tell yourself so you can sleep at night?” Seeing the perfect opening, I moved next to
him on the sofa and put my hand on his arm. “You have all the power you need. You can make ‘this mess’ go away right now. Examine Johnny again and report that he’s improving. He is improving, Jay. Soon it’ll be obvious to everyone. Your blackmailers can’t force you to go along with your original results when it becomes apparent that he’s recovering. If DSS withdraws their petition, I can adopt him. The state and hospital won’t be responsible for him anymore. That’s what this has all been about. Let him live, and I’ll take him off their hands.”

  “You make it sound so simple. Based on my findings, some of the people involved in this believe that keeping Johnny alive would be inhumane. They wouldn’t accept the truth now.” He covered his face with his hands and sighed. He looked exhausted.

  “You may be right,” I said, “but how will you know if you never take a stand?” I got up and paced in circles. It was time to go in for the kill. “You’ve been running in fear for too long. You can end this now. If you don’t, they’ll always have this power over you. Your life will never be yours. If that’s not enough to make you act, think of your daughters. Is this the legacy you want to leave them?”

  I stopped and face Jay. He was watching me intently. I waited for my words sink in.

  “You have to think of Johnny. I know the risks you’d be taking for an orphaned child whose future is anything but certain. You think I’m asking the impossible, but if there’s the slightest chance he’ll recover, you’re obligated to act. This could be a win for all of us.”

  I sat down and waited for Jay’s reaction. The future for the three of us teetered on the cliff’s edge. Jay’s decision could pull us to a life of safety on solid ground or plunge us onto the jagged rocks below. I held my breath and prayed that this man who held my fate would have the moral courage to do the right thing.

  Jay stood and took his turn pacing. After a minute, he stopped with his back to me and said, “I do want my life back. It might destroy my career and reputation, but I’ll reexamine Johnny in the morning. I can’t promise you that it’ll make any difference, but I promise to be honest. The hearing is scheduled for tomorrow at twelve. They’re rushing it through to avoid the media circus. It may be too late for me to do anything now.”

  I gasped. Paul hadn’t told us that the hearing was already scheduled. All I could guess was that he found out after our meeting. I had turned off my phone before going to Jay’s hotel because I knew Alec would be calling to find out where I was. I wondered if Paul had tried to call too.

  I put those thoughts out of my mind and focused on what Jay had just said. I walked to him and took his hands. “I came here tonight not knowing what to expect. I was afraid you’d slam the door in my face before I got started. Having you agree to see Johnny again is far more than I could have hoped. This is right, Jay. You won’t regret it.”

  Jay took my elbow and pulled me into his arms before I could stop him. I allowed him to hold me and buried my face into the soft cloth of his robe. He brushed his lips against my ear and in a husky whisper, said, “Stay with me tonight. You know we should be together. I don’t want to be alone. I need you. Please, stay.”

  I held still, afraid to move and spoil the moment. A part of me longed to stay with him forever, but too much was a stake.

  Reluctantly, I stepped back. “I want that more than you can know, but not now. We’ll talk when this is behind us. Neither of us is in any condition to make that kind of decision now.” Jay started to protest, but I put my fingers to his lips. “I’m leaving now. By this time tomorrow, our lives will have changed forever. We can both be happy and free of this nightmare. Go to sleep thinking of that. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  I picked up my purse and kissed him on the cheek before leaving without looking back. Once outside, I leaned against my car for support and waited for the strength to return to my legs. I climbed into the driver’s seat and looked at the picture of Johnny. I had achieved my objective and much more. I had conquered the fabulous Dr. Jay Morgan. “It worked,” I told the sleeping image of Johnny. “You’re going to live and become my son. Now you have to wake up!”

  Alec met me at her door with a hug. “Where have you been? Paul and I have been calling you. I even contacted the hospital, but no one had seen you.”

  Adam walked in from the kitchen before I could answer and said, “Oh good, she found you. Alec’s been in a panic. Where have you been?”

  I untangled myself from Alec. “I couldn’t tell you where I was going because I knew you’d try to stop me. I’m sorry I made you worry, but there was something I had to do. I’ll tell you the whole story, but I need to call Paul first. Wait for me here. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

  I called Paul from the guest room to tell him what had happened with Jay. He answered on the fourth ring. “It’s Grace,” I said. “I’m sorry to call so late, but it’s urgent.”

  “I wasn’t asleep. I’ve been here waiting for Adam to call and tell me they found you. You gave us a scare. What’s going on?” he asked and yawned.

  “First off, I know about the hearing tomorrow. Jay told me,” I said and cringed while I waited for him to answer.

  “Jay told you? Did you go see Jay?” His voice rose with each word.

  “I went to convince him to reexamine Johnny and submit a new report. He agreed to do it. I can’t explain now, but it’s your turn to trust me. After he sees Johnny, he’s going to try to get the hearing stopped or at least postponed.”

  “I wish that were true, but he’s playing you. I’m surprised you fell for it after everything he’s done.”

  “You won’t say that when you hear what he told me,” I said, not surprised by his skepticism.

  “Before you tell me, I have news for you. I was able to schedule an interview for us on all the local network affiliates for tomorrow’s morning news cycle. The first one is at six thirty. Their crews are all coming to my office.”

  The door opened, and Alec peeked her head in. “What’s going on?” she mouthed, and I waved her in.

  “I can’t do that, Paul,” I said. “If Jay gets the petition thrown out or postponed, the interview will be pointless. Besides, you never said anything about my doing an interview. I can’t go on TV.”

  “What interview?” Alec asked. “Put it on speaker phone.”

  “Is that Alec? Tell her I want her there with you,” Paul said. “People don’t care what I have to say. You’re the one they care about, and it’s the fastest way to get the truth out there. They can tape the interviews as planned and show them at noon if it comes to that. If the situation changes, we’ll go back and do a second interview. It’s too late to cancel at this point, and canceling is a bad idea.”

  What Paul said made sense, but I dreaded the idea of being on the news. I agreed to do it but hoped it wouldn’t have to air. “I hope you know what you’re doing,” I said.

  “I’ll trust you if you trust me. Now, tell me what Jay said.”

  I explained my encounter with Jay. Paul and Alec interrupted every two seconds with questions. When I finished, Paul whistled and said, “You’ve got guts. I’ll give you that. Do you believe him?”

  “Why would he make up a story like that? It makes him look terrible,” I said.

  “You didn’t record the conversation, did you?” he asked. “If not, it’s just a case of ‘he said, she said.’ He’d be able to deny everything.”

  “No, I thought of it too late, and that’s exactly what he said he’d do. At least it gives you a starting point for your investigation. I don’t want to worry about that until we get rid of this petition,” I said.

  “Right. First things first. I’ll see you in my office at six, and you come too, Alec,” Paul said and hung up.

  As soon as I put my phone down, Alec said, “Are you out of your mind? Who knows what Jay is capable of? He could have hurt you.”

  “Jay is a lot of things, but he’s not violent. What’s done is done, and I got what I needed. I’ve turned the tables. Jay will have
to file new results. DSS will have to withdraw the petition, and I’ll be able to adopt Johnny. The nightmare is almost over.”

  Adam tapped on the door. “Can I come in? I’m dying to know what’s going on.”

  Alec snickered. “I saw you listening on the other side of the door.”

  “You caught me.” He dropped onto the bed next to Alec.

  “I’m sure you must have an opinion too,” I said to Adam.

  “Of course. You know how much we all hope Jay’s telling the truth, but I don’t trust that guy. Don’t get your hopes up until we see his report. Paul’s right to be skeptical.”

  “At least this gives Johnny a chance. That wouldn’t be the case if I hadn’t gone to Jay. Now I’m going to bed. We have to get up in a few hours.” I stood up to shoo them out.

  Adam got up and kissed me on the cheek. “I’m going to the interview too. No way I’m missing that. See you bright and early.”

  Alec raised her eyebrows and glanced at me as she followed Adam out. I shut the door behind them and got undressed. I refused to let myself think about Jay. I was out five minutes later.

  14

  Press vans were lined up along the street in front of Paul’s building when Alec and I got there the next morning. We wove our way among them to get to the entrance. I was relieved that the filming had been scheduled before most of the surrounding businesses were open, to avoid curious onlookers.

  We stepped inside to find the foyer transformed. The furniture was rearranged, and technical equipment was set up around the room.

  Paul came toward us, careful to step over the cables taped to the floor. “I was afraid you weren’t going to show,” he said. “Adam’s already here.”