“People are so cynical these days that they’ll believe any conspiracy theory that comes along,” Wilson said. “Facts are worthless. Elliott, get the techs on this to see if it’s viral yet.”
“Yes, sir,” Elliott said and rushed out of the conference room.
“I’ll notify Michaels myself and get him down here. I told him we’d cover things so he could come in later today. He was here until two-thirty this morning.”
“He’s taking this personally since he was on the case when Mara got away with kidnapping Johnny the first time. I’m letting him and the Walkers down. We have piles of evidence, but I still can’t get my hands on Mara. Now this,” Wes said and pointed at the screen.
“Don’t blame yourself, boss,” Prince said. “People with half a brain will see the interview for the grab at sensationalism it is.”
“Keep following up with the hospitals and medical offices. We’ll keep a close eye on the tip-lines. If they drop off, we may have to manipulate that media to our advantage even though I hate to justify this with a response,” Wilson said.
“I agree, sir,” Wes said. “We have enough to keep us busy until we wait for the fallout.”
Wilson left to contact Michaels, and Wes sent the rest of his team back to their assignments before replaying the interview. Seeing that smug upstart Ethan made Wes sick. The only satisfaction he derived was from Alec calling him a self-absorbed weasel. That guy had better hope he never comes face to face with me, Wes thought. I’ll do more than call him names.
Johnny felt worse when he woke up the next morning. The knot on his head had doubled in size and throbbed like someone was using it for a drum. He sat on the edge of the bed and gave himself time to get his balance before daring to go to the bathroom. Even though his head was killing him, he wasn’t as dizzy, so he took that as a good sign.
He went to the living room after using the bathroom, hoping Mara was gone, but she was sitting at the small table in the corner of the kitchen. She got up and helped him to his chair.
“What are you doing out of bed? I was just getting ready to check on you and bring breakfast. How are you feeling?”
“Like my head’s going to explode. Do you have any more of those pain pills?” Johnny asked, while Mara checked his pupils and bump.
“Enough for today and tomorrow, but we’ll have to manage with ibuprofen and acetaminophen after that, but your pain should have lessened by then.” She slid two muffins and a bowl of fruit across the table. “I’ll get you some juice and milk. You didn’t eat much, and you need to drink as much water as you can.”
Johnny watched her pouring the orange juice that he didn’t want. He’d never liked OJ, but Mara wouldn’t know that and hadn’t bothered to ask.
He looked around the room. “Is there a TV or internet here?”
“Yes, to both, but no cable. The antenna works well enough. The internet is a little slow but usable. It works well enough for you to do homework when you feel better.”
Johnny grunted and took a bite of the muffin which he almost spit out after tasting it. “What is that?”
Mara set the juice and milk in front of him. “A gluten-free bran muffin. It was all they had left at the gas station store last night. I found out where a grocery store is near here. Once you’re situated, I’ll go shopping. You need to eat that so you can take your pills.”
The muffin tasted like sawdust, but Johnny choked it down and gulped the OJ to follow. At least he liked milk and fruit.
Mara went to her room and came back, pushing a small TV on a cart. She plugged the TV in where Johnny could see it and adjusted the antenna until there was a clear picture. She flipped through the channels until she found a national news show. Johnny shook his head and went back to eating his fruit.
The anchors covered international and national stories before going to a commercial. When the show came back on, they announced that they had breaking news, and Johnny wondered what the president had done this time. He whipped around to face the TV when he heard the headline.
“Is the abduction of Johnathan Walker fact or fiction? The following is an interview from a local affiliate with author Alec Emerson recorded earlier today.”
Johnny was dumbfounded as he watched the replay. As upset as he’d been with Alec for hiding the truth about his past, he couldn’t imagine anyone thinking her capable of making up the story of a kidnapping to sell books. Seeing how the interviewer treated her made him furious. Even worse, hearing the anchors discussing his disappearance like it was a joke devastated him.
Mother or not, Johnny was ready to get away from Mara and was hoping the FBI would find them before he had to escape on his own. If they thought the whole thing was a hoax, they might stop looking for him. Tears welled up in his eyes at the thought.
He flinched when Mara started laughing. Johnny wanted to punch her.
“Did you hear that? They’re saying the whole thing was a hoax. They’ll stop looking for us. It’s incredible.” When Johnny didn’t answer, she turned to face him. “Are you crying? Why? Alec and the Walkers are getting what they deserve. You should be glad.”
She’d caught Johnny off guard. He lowered his head and stared at the melon floating in his bowl while he tried to get control of himself.
“I just feel sorry for her. She’s not a bad person, and she’s telling the truth. You did kidnap me,” he said, just loud enough for Mara to hear.
She sprang out of her chair and lunged at him with her arm raised but stopped herself from striking. She studied him for a moment and said, “Yeah, she’s a decent person, but I didn’t kidnap you. You came willingly. You need to toughen up and stop acting like a helpless victim. I’m your real family, and I’m going to take you home where you belong. Forget these people. They’re nothing to you.”
Johnny kept his eyes lowered. “Sure, Mara, you’re right. It’s just my headache. I’m sorry.”
Mara patted his shoulder. “I forgive you but think before you open your mouth next time.”
She returned to watching the news like nothing had happened. Johnny went back to his room without Mara bothering to notice. He crumpled onto the bed and cried into his pillow to muffle the sound of his sobs. He was getting desperate to escape, no matter what he had to risk to do it.
Grace and Alec ranted to each other about the interview during the drive home, but it had done little to alleviate their anger or frustration. Wondering if Alec could have done anything differently was pointless. Ethan had gone into that interview with an agenda and blindsided Alec. Ryan was outraged when Grace called to tell him what had happened and he offered to come home, but Grace told him that as much as she’d love to be with him, it wouldn’t make any difference.
“Stay where you are and do some good there. I’ll call in an hour.”
“I love you. The truth will come out and we’ll weather this. It’s just a setback,” Ryan said.
“Love you, too,” Grace said and ended the call.
“Are you still going to talk to your contacts after what’s happened?” Alec asked.
“Yes. Ryan’s right. The truth will come out soon enough. I’m moving forward despite the interview. What choice do I have? Come with me?”
“You need to keep your distance from me right now. I’m going home to lie low until this blows over.” Grace was about to protest, but Alec’s phone rang over the car’s Bluetooth. “That’s my agent. This will be good.” Alec pressed the button on her steering wheel to answer. “Hey, Marissa. What took you so long?”
As Grace climbed out of the car, she heard Marissa say, “What in the hell was that?”
16
Wes dreaded delivering his latest update to the SAC that afternoon. Alec’s interview had gone viral, and it seemed like half the country believed that Johnny’s abduction had been an elaborate hoax. They still had their supporters, but the tips-lines had gone silent, and the evidence from the hospital and Portland had gotten them nowhere. Wes was at a loss for where to turn next.<
br />
Michaels was on the phone when Wes got to his office, but he waved him in and ended the call as quickly as he could.
“That was the director,” Michaels said. “He called after having a lovely chat with the Attorney General. They agreed the interview makes them look complicit in a publicity stunt. They want to know what we’re doing to fix the situation. Half the American public believes we were patsies to a massive fraudulent PR scheme. So, thoughts on damage control?”
Wes shook his head. “In light of other recent scandals the Bureau is facing right now, the only option I see is to hold a press conference. My recommendation is that it be you and Grace. Since the director is a political appointee and you’re a career agent, the public might have more faith in you. Having Grace along might regenerate trust and influence emotions. I’m at a loss beyond that.”
Michaels studied Wes while he mulled over his suggestion. “Agreed. I’ll get public affairs to arrange it as soon as humanly possible. I’ll leave it to you to convince Grace. She has an aversion to getting in front of the camera.”
“Given the dire circumstances, it won’t take much convincing.”
Michaels rubbed his forehead. “Do you have any good news to share? God knows I could use some.”
“Just bad and worse.” Wes looked down at his phone when it buzzed.
He looked at Michaels, who said, “Take the call. Maybe it’s that good news we’re dying for.”
Wes nodded and answered. “This is Special Agent Reid.”
The color drained from his face as he listened to the caller.
“Oh, God no, not that. Anything but that. Text the location. I’m on my way,” he said and hung up.
“So, not good news,” Michaels said.
“The worst possible. You may want to hold off on contacting public affairs. That was the police chief. They’ve found a body.”
Wes arrived with Prince, Elliott, and Cameron at the location the sheriff had given him thirty minutes later. It was a littered, weed-covered lot on the south side of the city. The scene was crawling with Richmond PD and sheriff’s deputies. One of the deputies that Wes had met at the Walkers’ on the day he arrived in Richmond approached him and extended his hand.
“What do we have?” Wes asked, dreading the answer.
He pointed at two African American men of about nineteen or twenty, standing by their bikes at the edge of the crime scene. Another deputy was questioning them. “Those two were on the way to work when they spotted the body and call 911. They’re pretty shaken up. Neither has even seen a dead body.”
“The first one’s always the worst. Hope it will be their last. How long ago did they find him?” Elliott asked.
“Approximately an hour and forty-five minutes ago. The Medical Examiner beat you here by a few minutes.”
“Prince, get forensics down here and guard the crime scene,” Wes said. “Do you think it’s our boy?” he asked the deputy.
He led Wes to the body without answering. What Wes saw made his breakfast churn in his stomach. He’d seen more dead bodies than he could count, and it never got easier. It was so much worse when it was a child. The body was fresh, and the boy looked to be about Johnny’s age and height. There were no crutches at the scene that Wes could see. The corpse's fingertips had been removed and the face was disfigured, so it was impossible to tell if it was Johnny. Even if it wasn’t, Wes was sick with grief for the dead boy's parents, whoever they were.
Wes took a breath and knelt to make a closer inspection.
After Wes completed his inspection, the deputy introduced him to the ME, who extended his hand. “Dr. William Forest.”
Wes glanced at him as he shook his hand. He was a sturdy, middle-aged man with close-cropped, graying hair. Wes decided he liked him on sight. “Special Agent Reid. Is there anything you can tell me?”
“No bullet or stab wounds that I can see. It appears the body was dumped here post-mortem. Did you see the face? I’d say someone beat this poor soul to death with a baseball bat, but you didn’t hear that from me. We’re preparing the body for removal now. I’ve been instructed to make this case a top priority, so I’ll begin my examination as soon as we have the body in the lab. May I have your card so I can contact you the instant I have test results?”
Wes took out a card and handed it to Dr. Forest. “I appreciate that. We’re facing a firestorm today. The sooner we can put this situation to rest, the better.”
Wes asked the deputy who’d interviewed the two witnesses to forward his report to the field office before rounding up his agents. They peppered him with questions on the way back to the office, but he had no answers. The best they could do was wait for the ME’s report and hope the corpse was unrelated to their case.
Grace sat in her car in the hospital guest parking lot facing the main entrance. She’d been to five other hospitals desperate to find anyone with news of Mara or Johnny. Her friends had been sympathetic, but none had anything useful to tell her. Most of her acquaintances in the medical field had been supportive, but a few eyed her with skepticism. Grace wished she had gone on her quest to the hospitals before Alec’s disastrous interview, but she wasn’t going to let a little suspicion deter her.
She summoned her courage and forced herself out of the car. The walk to the entrance seemed to fly further away the closer she got, but eventually, she made it through the doors. She bypassed the lobby and went directly to the internal-medicine floor to look for her friend, Amelia, who she’d worked with at Brad Carter’s office years earlier. Amelia had left the medical office to take a job at the hospital in the hope of becoming a charge nurse. She and Grace had kept in touch at first and met for the occasional lunch, but Grace hadn’t seen her for more than two years. She wasn’t sure what kind of reception to expect.
Grace had donned her nurse’s uniform and clipped on her ID badge before leaving the house. She didn’t have privileges at this hospital, but she hoped to not be too conspicuous. She walked to the nurses’ station like she belonged there and asked for Amelia. One of the nurse assistants pointed her to the breakroom and went back to the computer without so much as raising an eyebrow. Grace let out her breath as she made her way down the hallway.
Amelia jumped up and hugged Grace as soon as she walked into the lounge.
“I’m so sorry about what’s happened, Grace. I’ve been thinking about you every minute since I heard about Johnny on the news.” She took Grace’s hand and led her to a small couch in the corner. “How are you managing? Is there any news?”
All Grace could think was that Amelia had been too busy on her shift to have time to watch the news or check her phone. She was the first person Grace had met with that hadn’t seen Alec’s interview.
“It’s been beyond horrific,” Grace said, “but we keep moving forward hoping Johnny will be found any minute. It’s all we can do.”
Amelia took her hand. “Why are you here? What can I do?”
Grace pulled her hand free and pulled the pictures she had of Mara from her purse. She gave Amelia time to study them before asking if she’d seen Mara working there. Amelia ran out of the room without a word and came back thirty-seconds later with another nurse.
“This is Candice, the charge nurse. Candice, you’re probably aware who Grace is,” Amelia said.
Grace stood and shook her hand.
“Amelia told me why you’re here and showed me the pictures. I think this woman worked here for about two months. She showed up the other day when she wasn’t on duty and was acting strangely. I think she was trying to steal drugs. She took off when I confronted her and hasn’t shown up for her shifts since.”
Grace moved closer to Candice. “Did you report this to the FBI? Didn’t you see her photos on the news?”
“Honey, I never have time to watch the news. I’ve practically been living here. We were short-staffed as it was before Mara bailed. You can’t imagine.”
“She can, actually,” Amelia said. “Grace was the Internal Medicine
charge nurse at Richmond City.”
Candance nodded. “You understand then?”
“Did Mara ever mention a son? Can you tell me anything else about her?”
“She was an odd one but a hard worker who knew her stuff. She kept to herself most of the time,” Candice said. “I never had anything more than job-related conversations with her. Did you, Amelia?”
Amelia shook her head. “I only worked with her a few times. We never spoke much.”
“Would you be willing to talk to the FBI and share her records with them? There might be something there that can help us find her,” Grace said.
“I’d be honored to do whatever I can to help them capture her and rescue your son.”
Tears welled up in Grace’s eyes. “You can’t imagine how much that means to me after the day, no, the week, I’ve had.” She handed Candice a copy of Wes’ business card. “This is the direct line to the commander of the task force looking for Johnny. He’ll be thrilled to hear from you.” Grace hugged her and Amelia. “I’ll let you both get back to work. Amelia, I promise to call if I hear anything. We need to keep in better touch when this nightmare ends.”
Amelia kissed her cheek. “I agree. Best of luck. I’ll be praying for all of you.”
Grace smiled and just managed to make it inside the elevator before breaking down. She pushed the hold button and rested her forehead against the wall while she cried. She had no way of knowing if Candice’s information would lead to Johnny, but it had touched her to be reminded that people were good and truly wanted to help them. They would need all the goodwill they could gather to bring her little man home.
Wes’ team gathered around with the SAC and ASAC in the bullpen while Wes gave his report from the crime scene where the body was discovered.
The Complete Arms of Grace Series Page 50
