The Complete Arms of Grace Series

by Eleanor Chance

  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 He wasn’t sure if they’d noticed he’d withdrawn the cash or not.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.

  13

  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 sayin
g, “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 it 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.

  He rubbed his face, shook his head to clear it and took a sip of coffee. He had to keep going and find answers. His frustration was nothing compared to what the Walkers were suffering. He recalled the way Steph had looked at him the night before, so hopeful, so trusting. He couldn’t betray that trust, and he’d made a promise to Grace that he was determined to keep.

  Elliott leaned in through the doorway, interrupting Wes’ thoughts. “Hey boss, you need to come with me.”

  Wes put down his cup and followed Elliott to where a junior agent was taking tip line calls.

  “One moment, miss,” the agent said and put the caller on hold. “This person says Mara was in her store an hour ago, sir. I thought you’d want to take the call yourself.”

  Wes took the handset and pressed the hold button. “This is Special Agent Reid. You have information on Mara?”

  “Yes, sir,” a young woman said.

  Wes heard the tremor in her voice, so he softened his tone. “May I ask your name and where are you calling from?”

  “I’m Amy Knox in Waynesboro. Mara was in my store. She threw a knife at me when I recognized her.” She stopped and took a few breaths. “She missed me, thank God. She paid me three-hundred bucks to keep my mouth shut and threatened to come after me if I told anyone, but she’s insane and shouldn’t be on the street. She took off an hour ago, but she might still be watching me.”

  “You were right to call, Miss Knox. Excuse me one moment. Don’t hang up.” Wes put the call back on hold. “Get Shepherd in here.” The junior agent came back with Shepherd a minute later. “Who do we have near Waynesboro?”

  “Waynesboro? No one,” Shepherd said.

  “Elliott, get a team ready. I want you on your way to Waynesboro in ten.” Reid took the call with Amy off hold. “Can you leave your location to go to the Police Department? We have agents on the way, but it will take time. We want you to be safe.”

  “I’ll check with my manager. She was in the back room and didn’t see Mara.”

  “If she gives you any trouble, call, and I’ll talk to her. Tell her we’re sending local police to the store. I’m going to pass the phone back to Agent…?” Wes waved at the agent to give his name. He scribbled on a piece of note paper and handed it to Wes. “To Agent Byers. He’ll need the address and contact information.”

  Wes handed the phone to Agent Byers and motioned for Shepherd to join him in the corner away from the phones.

  “Mara’s escalating. She pulled a knife on that girl and bribed her to keep quiet. The pressure we’re putting on her is making her desperate.”

  “How far behind Mara are we?” Shepherd asked.

  “More than an hour. That girl was too afraid to call sooner. We need to get Waynesboro PD over there now.”

  “On it,” Shepherd said. She started for the hallway but stopped and turned to Wes. “What was Mara doing in Waynesboro?”

  “Trying not to get recognized. Guess that backfired. It’s a good sign that someone in Waynesboro recognized her. Word’s getting out there.”

  Shepherd nodded and left. Wes listened to the rest of Byers’ conversation with Amy. As soon as Byers hung up, he said, “Get the call recording copied and sent to my office. Do they have security cameras?”

  “Yes, one but it’s not working. Repair guy is coming tomorrow.”

  Wes rubbed his forehead. “Figures. Call them back and tell them not to disturb any surface Mara touched, and ask them to print a copy of the sales receipt.”

  “Amy wanted to know if she can keep the money Mara gave her? And if she gets the reward money?”

  Wes sighed and shook his head. “Tell her we’ll replace the cash with a check. We need the cash to trace it. The reward will depend on if it leads to Mara’s capture.”

  Agent Byers nodded and reached for the phone as Wes left to return to his office. He had no doubt Mara had hightailed it out of Waynesboro. She was most likely safely tucked into her lair in Richmond. Knowing the color of the hair dye she bought would prepare them for which disguise to expect next and having her prints would verify it had been Mara in that store.

  The evidence probably wouldn’t be any more helpful than what they’d already gathered. The only positive sign was that Mara was staying in the area for some reason. The longer she remained in the city, the higher their odds of catching her.

  Wes looked up when he heard the faint tap on his door and was glad to see Steph smiling in the doorway. He’d spent the time in his office since getting Amy Knox’s call going over every scrap of evidence, looking for the one clue he’d missed, but he’d found nothing. He was eager for a pleasant distraction.

  He stood and motioned for her to come in. “I didn’t know you were here today.”

  She settled into the chair opposite his desk and crossed her legs. “I hadn’t planned to come, but everyone’s so jumpy at home, I had to get out of there. This was the best place I could think of to escape.” Her eyes scanned the top of his desk. “Anything good?”

  “Nothing more than you already know. You heard about Waynesboro?”

  “Yes. Has Elliott contacted you yet?”

  He shook his head. “It’s too soon, but I honestly don’t have much hope that anything will come from it other than a more detailed image of her face. We already have her prints. That’s why I didn’t inform your parents yet. Do they know?”

  “No, I didn’t tell them for the same reason.” She reached over and picked up a picture of Johnny lying on one of the stacks. She studied it and without looking up, said, “I thought being here would help me feel closer to my brother, but it doesn’t. How can Mara elude us so well in this digital age? There are cameras and electronics recording our every move.”

  Wes’ phone buzzed before he could answer. He pointed at it. “Speaking of electronics.” Steph stood to go, but he motioned for her to stay. “You better have good news for me, Elliott.”

  “Just one thing, the color of the dye and hair extensions Mara purchased,” Elliott said. “That’s it, other than maybe prints to confirm it was her, but from what Miss Knox says, I have no doubt of that.”

  “Send what you can and get back here ASAP but set up a detail to keep an eye on Amy Knox first. I doubt Mara would risk going after her, but I don’t want to risk further escalation.”

  “On it, sir,” Elliott said.

  Wes put the phone down and told Steph what Elliott had said. “Interested in watching us alter the images to give Mara the new hair color and extensions?”

  “Are you kidding. I’d love to. It would take my mind off Johnny, and if it helps capture Mara, I’d be thrilled to know I was a part of it.”

  “It’ll take time before you can start. Can you stay until we’re ready? I’ll order us some dinner to be delivered.”

  “I was planning
to stay as long as the techs would have me, so I’m yours for the evening.”

  Wes smiled, thrilled by her answer. Her cheeks reddened slightly. What are you doing, Reid? She’s the victim’s sister. Logic told him to pretend he’d just remembered something urgent he had to take care of and ask for a rain-check, but he ignored logic. He promised himself he’d behave and not cross any lines. It was a promise that would be difficult to keep.

  Grace knelt in front of the Christmas tree just as the first rays of sunrise filtered in through the patio door. She fingered the ornament that had Johnny’s birthdate engraved on the front and read Baby’s First Christmas. The ornament wasn’t really from Johnny’s first Christmas. He’d spent that year in a coma. She and Ryan hadn’t ordered the ornament until Johnny’s third Christmas.

  The twenty-fifth was only weeks away. Grace feared her heart would tear in two at the thought of not celebrating his fifteenth Christmas with him or maybe any of the others that followed. She felt the air stir and looked up to find Alec standing over her. She sat beside Grace and crossed her legs.

  “I remember when you ordered that. I’d never seen you so ecstatic as when that box was delivered.”

  Grace’s lips curled just a fraction. Without taking her eyes from the tree, she said, “I helped Johnny hang it. He had no idea what was happening and just wanted to eat it. He thought it was a cookie.”

  Alec took Grace’s hand and held it in both of hers. “Our boy would have lived on cookies if we had let him.”

  “Still would. He’s addicted to your biscotti.”

  Grace felt the tears burn her eyes but refused to let them come. Her eyelids were raw, and she’d had enough with crying. She sucked her cheek between her teeth to stop it. She’d learned that trick when Johnny was a baby.