The Complete Arms of Grace Series

by Eleanor Chance

  “You’re right. The minute has passed, and nothing’s changed. Let’s go make a dent in the mound of food in the kitchen.”

  Her phone buzzed as Craig extended his hand to help her off the couch. “It’s Scott Michaels.” She tapped the screen to answer and didn’t hesitate to put it on speaker so Craig could hear. She’d declared him to be family and there was no longer a point in hiding anything from him. “Hello, Scott. Why are you calling instead of Wes?”

  “Because this involves you and me. We’ve arranged a press conference to put this nonsense about a hoax to rest. The director himself has requested that you join me in front of the cameras and make a statement. Are you willing to do that? I know it’s a great deal to ask, but it could make a world of difference in our efforts to recover Johnny.”

  She frowned, but Craig nodded to encourage her. “I don't know what to say.”

  “Public affairs will help with that. We need you to come now.”

  “Now? I thought you meant in the morning.”

  “We’re jumping on this before it spins any further out of control. We would have arranged it earlier, but we had another situation to handle first.”

  Grace knew what the situation was but kept that to herself. “I’ll have to trust that you know what you’re doing. See you shortly.” She hung up and stared at Craig before burying her face in her hands. “It’s too much. I don’t have the strength to go on live TV in front of the entire country.”

  “Scott didn’t say it was the entire country, but what does it matter? Johnny needs you to do this. Don’t lose sight of that.” He reached out his hand to her. “I’ve eaten. Let’s fix you a to-go bag, and I’ll drive. You can eat on the way.”

  Grace took his hand and let him lead her to the kitchen, confirming for her that there was no question she’d misjudged him, and she was glad to have him at her side.

  Ryan was waiting for Grace at the field office entrance. He raised an eyebrow when Craig walked in behind her. “What’s he doing here?”

  “Long story, but I wouldn’t have made it here without him,” Grace said and took Ryan’s hand.

  “I called Steph and the Emersons. They’re on their way. Mark’s still at the restaurant, but he’ll do his best to make it,” Ryan said.

  “That’s not necessary. He should stay at work. Did you say Alec’s coming? Is that wise?”

  “Like I could stop her, but she already knew about the press conference. Her publicist told her. We’ll hide her in a corner.”

  “Hide Alec in a corner? Good luck with that.”

  A public affairs specialist met the three of them in the lobby. After introducing herself as Megan Nelson, she said, “Please, follow me,” and led them to a tiny annex attached to the press conference room. “Mr. and Mrs. Walker, I’ll need you to stay here. Mr. Stuart, you may take one of the chairs reserved for family in the press room.”

  Craig gave her a nod and took Grace’s hands. “I’m proud of you. Remember, this is for Johnny.”

  As if I could forget, Grace thought as she watched him go.

  Ms. Nelson handed Grace a sheet with talking points just as Scott came in with Wes and a tall, striking man Grace had never met. Wes introduced him as Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Jamal Wilson.

  He shook Grace’s and Ryan’s hands. “I’m truly sorry about Johnny’s abduction. Please know his case continues to be our top priority. The director himself has taken an interest and has allocated whatever resources we need to bring your son home.”

  “We’re deeply grateful,” Ryan said and turned to Scott. “How bad is the fallout from Alec’s interview? I’ve abstained from the news or social media today to preserve my sanity.”

  Scott rubbed his face. “It’s been a hell of a day, but it could have been worse. You have no idea.”

  Grace caught the glances between the three men. They had no way of knowing how much she understood the significance of Scott’s comment.

  “This press conference will slam the lid on the hoax rumors, and we can get back to focusing on finding your son. Ready for this, Grace?” She nodded and tried to project more confidence than she felt. “Great, then let’s get this show started.”

  Ms. Nelson gave them instructions and told Grace what to expect. Grace struggled to hear her over the pounding in her chest.

  “You may speak from your heart or read the statement I prepared which will scroll on the teleprompter. Do whichever feels more comfortable for you.”

  Ms. Nelson opened a door leading to the small press room and motioned for them to follow. A podium covered with microphones faced the room packed with reporters from every news outlet Grace had heard of and some she hadn’t. She froze in the doorway.

  Ryan tenderly placed his arm around her waist. “It’ll be fine. You’ve done a dozen of these.”

  “But never one like this, and it’s been years. What if I freeze up there?”

  Ryan kissed her cheek. “Just imagine you’re talking to Johnny.”

  Grace took a deep breath and squared her shoulders as she followed the ASAC into the room. She was pleased to see Steph already waiting for them. She squeezed her hand, and they shared a knowing look.

  Scott stepped to the podium, and the buzz in the room quieted. As he began to speak, Grace glanced at the front row to find Alec sitting with Adam and her agent. Alec mouthed an I loved you and blew a kiss. Grace’s fears melted away, and she had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling.

  She switched her focus to Scott as he began to speak.

  “I’m Special Agent in Charge Scott Michaels. Behind me are Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jamal Wilson and Grace Walker with her family. I will make this brief as we have urgent work involving life and death situations to attend to. We’re only taking time from that work to counter false and dangerous accusations made during an interview with author Alexandra Emerson this morning. Ethan James insinuated in that interview that the abduction of Johnathan Walker by Mara Brennen was a publicity stunt planned and executed by Mrs. Emerson to sell more copies of her latest book which releases to the public tomorrow. My colleagues and I are here to emphatically refute that accusation and assure the nation that Johnathan Walker was in fact forcibly removed from his home by Ms. Brennen one week ago today.”

  Scott paused and waited for the buzz to again quiet. Several reporters raised their hands, but he ignored them.

  “We again plead with the citizens of this country to aid us in locating Ms. Brennen and Johnathan, who goes by the name Johnny. As of this moment, we believe they are still in the greater Richmond area, but we have no concrete proof of this at the moment. We’re asking citizens across the country to be on the lookout. In conjunction with private contributions, the Federal Bureau of Investigation is offering a reward of $200,000 for information that leads to Ms. Brennen’s capture or Johnathan Walker’s location. Information with the phone number and website address for the tip-lines is scrolling across your screen. I’ll now turn the podium to Mrs. Grace Walker, Johnny’s mother, to make a statement.”

  Grace stepped to the podium without hesitation. She looked at the words on the teleprompter, but they didn’t represent what was in her heart. She gazed into the faces of the reporters and spoke from her heart.

  “As many of you know, Mara kidnapped Johnny from the hospital nursery on the day he was born more than fourteen years ago. Six months later, she, along with her husband, abandoned Johnny at Richmond City Hospital in his time of greatest need. This proves the kind of person she is. Through the intervening years, while the FBI has hunted for Mara, Johnny’s father and I have lived with the constant threat of Mara resurfacing and trying to steal our son from us. That fear became a reality one week ago today.”

  The room was silent while Grace paused to catch her breath and gather her thoughts. Every eye was locked on her face.

  She raised her chin and said, “Alec Emerson has been my closest friend for many years and stood by me during Johnny’s ordeal early in his lif
e. She stands by our family now and thinks of Johnny as her nephew. She was with me the night Mara called twelve years ago to confess to kidnapping Johnny. She wrote her book, Baby John Doe and gave me a copy just days before Johnny’s adduction. She was completely unaware that Mara had resurfaced, as we all were. I’m incensed that she’s been accused of manufacturing this crisis to sell books. That is a complete and offensive lie. Alec is suffering from this tragedy as much as our family is.”

  Alec looked to Grace with tears streaming down her cheeks. Grace again bit her cheek, but this time to quell her own tears.

  “I have a message for Mara. Johnny is not your son. He doesn’t belong to you now and never has. I’m his mother, and Ryan is his father. Give up your insane scheme to steal him away from us. Set him free to come home where he belongs.”

  Grace scanned the crowd seated and saw several reporters wipe their eyes. If her words had touched them, maybe she had reached Mara.

  She looked directly at the camera. “Johnny, we miss you and need you to come home. Don’t believe the lies Mara tells you. She’s a dangerous criminal who only cares about herself. Do what you can to contact us or escape. We’ll be waiting to welcome you with open arms. Auntie Alec and I wrapped your Christmas presents. They’re waiting for you under the tree. We love you more than you can imagine. Please, come home.”

  Grace turned without another word and rejoined Ryan and Steph. Several reporters raised their hands. Scott went back to the podium and began taking their questions, but Grace heard little of what they said as she silently prayed that Johnny and Mara had heard her plea.

  Wes followed Steph out of the press room and tapped her on the shoulder.

  “May I speak with you? It won’t take long,” he asked quietly.

  Grace and Ryan heard him and stopped. “We’ll wait in the car,” Grace said and tugged on Ryan’s arm.

  Steph turned to face Wes. “Did you tell anyone about the body?” he asked.

  Steph looked down and pushed a ball of lint around on the carpet with the toe of her shoe. “I told Grace.”

  Wes squatted in front of her, and she lifted her eyes to his. “I’m not angry. Did she go to the ME’s lab?” Steph glanced away, and that told Wes all he needed to know. “I thought telling Grace about discovering that body was a terrible idea, but I was wrong. Dr. Forest filed his results in record time without mentioning her name. We probably wouldn’t have been able to hold the press conference until tomorrow if Grace hadn’t verified that the body wasn’t Johnny’s.”

  “Will we get in trouble? Have we committed a crime by interfering in an active investigation?” Her words tumbled out in a rush.

  Wes stood, and Steph’s eyes followed him. “No, it was an accident that you found out, and I won’t tell anyone. I’m sure the ME won’t. Your family isn’t the only one relieved that boy wasn’t Johnny. We all were. We’re doubling our efforts to find him. We have carte blanche from the top to use whatever resources we need. I will find your brother. I’m not supposed to say that, but it’s true.”

  “Thank you, Wes.” She wiped her eyes and smiled at him. “This has been an insane day. Did you hear about my sister’s babies?”

  “I did. Congratulations. I’m thrilled your family has a happy event to focus on in the middle of this ordeal. I’ll make sure to end this so you can meet your niece and nephew as soon as possible. Are you coming back to the tech lab tomorrow?”

  Steph shook her head. “After what happened today, I need to keep my distance for a bit. I’m too emotionally invested in this investigation. I’m sure we’ll still see each other, and you better promise to keep us notified of any new leads.”

  “You have my word.”

  “I’d better go. My parents are waiting. Bring my brother home, Wes. I’m counting on you.”

  Wes watched her go and felt the weight of his obligation more than he had since arriving in Richmond. Failure wasn’t an option. If he had to work 24/7, he was going to lock up Mara and return that boy to his family.

  Mara threw the TV remote at the screen after the replay of the press conference on the ten o’clock news.

  “Hey, that TV’s my only connection with the outside world from this prison,” Johnny said.

  Mara swung around and glared at him. “Don’t you see what this means? For $200K, everyone in Richmond is going to be hunting me. Hell, I’d turn myself in for that kind of cash if it wouldn’t mean prison time.”

  Johnny shrugged and pretended not to care, but secretly, he was thrilled. Seeing his mom and dad, and Steph had gotten to him. The fact that he’d gotten so mad over them hiding his past from him no longer made sense to him. The Walkers were amazing parents who loved him, and Mara didn’t. Even more, he loved them and wanted to go home.

  The press conference meant they were searching for him again. It gave him hope of getting away from Mara. She’d been right about the reward. For that much money, people would be falling over themselves to find him.

  Mara picked up the remote and handed it to Johnny. “Do what you want. I’m going to bed.”

  “Can I get on the laptop?” he asked eagerly.

  “Just to play games. No internet. And don’t stay up too late. You’ve complained about your head all day. You need to sleep.”

  She went to her room without another word. Johnny dropped the remote on the couch and got up to figure out how to carry the laptop to his room without using the backpack. He tried tucking it under his arm, but it kept slipping. He gave up after two more tries and unzipped Mara’s backpack. Four baggies filled with white pills tumbled to the floor.

  He quickly shoved three of the baggies into the backpack and lifted the fourth close to his face to get a better look. The tablets were just like the ones Mara had been giving him for pain since his seizure. There must have been hundreds of tablets, but Mara told him she only had a few left. They had to be opiates, and he was afraid to imagine where Mara had gotten them.

  His gut tightened as he put the last baggie back with the others and zipped up the backpack. If Mara was desperate for money, she probably stole those pills to sell. Johnny hated to think that she’d had them since kidnapping him. His health teacher had talked about the street-value of opiates and how addicting and dangerous they were. Mara could make a boatload of cash from selling them, but what kind of people would buy them?

  He gave up on the laptop and went to his room. He needed to be as far from that backpack as he could get. If Mara had lied about the pills, was anything else she’d told him true? If Mara was dealing drugs, it meant Johnny could be in danger from more than her crazy temper. He dropped onto his bed and lay in the dark trying to figure out a way to escape. Getting away from Mara had become about more than homesickness. His survival might depend on it, and he could be running out of time.

  Grace checked the hour on her phone for the tenth time, making sure not to let the glow disturb Ryan. He’d only been asleep for an hour. Her phone said three-twelve, only seven minutes later than the last time she’d checked. It felt more like hours. The ‘magic pill’ she’d taken to sleep had done nothing but give her dry mouth. She stifled a groan and got up for some water.

  She’d been keeping the house lit up like a Christmas tree during the night since Johnny’s abduction. Ironically, the only lights she turned off each night were on the Christmas tree. Even though Ryan had tried to convince her that it was safe to keep them on, she didn’t want to tempt fate with the way their luck was running. She couldn’t have Johnny come home to find she’d burned down their house.

  She carried her glass of water to the living room and switched on the surge-protector behind the tree. She sat cross-legged in front of the quilted skirt that Ryan had inherited from his grandmother and sipped her water. Admiring the glowing tree in the darkness had always brought her comfort. She needed it more than ever that year.

  The image of the body in the ME’s lab flashed into her mind. It hadn’t been Johnny. As long as he was alive, there was hope. She hoped so
meone in the world would mourn that poor beaten and broken boy. Had he died knowing he was loved? Had he died alone? No one should have to die alone.

  Refusing to allow her mind to descend into dark places, she took another sip of water and called up memories of past Christmases. How fortunate they’d been to be surrounded by love and laughter. No matter what it took, she’d make sure Johnny would enjoy those experiences for the rest of her life.

  She longed to turn on her Christmas playlist but didn’t want to wake Ryan. She gazed around the room at the other decorations, but her eyes stopped on Alec’s book that Craig had left on the couch. Everyone kept pushing her to read it. She’d resisted to prove a point. How selfish of me, she thought and got up to carry the book in front of the tree to read by the light of her phone. What did she have to lose?

  18

  Wes’ gaze wandered over the group circling the conference room table. Everyone looked fresh and eager to get started for the day, except SAC Michaels. He looked about as bad as Wes felt. He pitied Michaels. He was roughly twenty years older than Wes and married. His wife hadn’t seen much of him in the past week. Wes had no one at home waiting for him. It made for some lonely nights, but his single life was simpler when he was on a case. His loyalties were never divided.

  He and Michaels had stayed at the office all night going over the evidence for the fourth time. They had more than enough proof that Mara was the kidnapper, but none of that was doing them a bit of good. Tips had skyrocketed since the press conference, but they were all dead ends. Everyone in the country seemed hellbent on collecting the reward money.

  Wes downed another gulp of coffee wishing he’d had time to shower before the strategy session to clear his head. Showering, shaving and putting on clean clothes would make him feel like a new man. He was in desperate need of that.