Little Lost Things

by Eleanor Chance

  “That’ll work. It’s not too fancy but will have a mini-fridge and microwave in the room.”

  Johnny’s eyes lit up. “And internet?”

  “Yes, so you can do homework,” Mara said and laughed when he frowned.

  Johnny’s day was looking up. He finished the bag of chips and downed his soda. If he could manage to avoid pissing Mara off, living in a hotel might not be too bad.

  * * *

  Mara questioned her judgment as she pulled into the circular drive in front of the hotel. Her money was already running low and the hotel Johnny picked was double what she’d hoped to pay, but she needed to keep him happy. She couldn’t risk him trying to contact Grace.

  She pulled the keys from the ignition and dropped them in her purse. “Stay here while I check in. We’ll go in through a door in back to get to our room, so no one sees you. Pull up your hood.”

  Johnny gave a slight nod and did as she’d asked. She got out and locked the doors, hoping the window tinting was dark enough that no one would notice him. She put on her Baltimore Orioles cap and forced her feet to carry her through the entrance. As she approached the front desk, she was relieved to see that the clerk was a young, foreign-looking man. Odds were good he paid little attention to local news.

  She pasted on her most alluring smile. “I need a double room. Do you have any available?” She glanced at his nametag. Kabir Singh. Perfect.

  “How many guests?” Mr. Singh asked in a thick Indian accent while he checked the computer.

  “Two adults.”

  “How long will you be staying?”

  Mara hadn’t considered the answer to that question. She’d have to pay upfront since she was using cash and she hadn’t counted to see how much she had. She did some quick math in her head.

  “Four nights. It could turn into more. I’m in town taking care of my sick mother.”

  Without looking up from the computer, he said, “Admirable. We can put you in a room on the third floor.”

  “That’s fine.”

  He grabbed a postcard size form from under that counter and slid it across to her. “I’ll need you to fill that out with your vehicle information.”

  He looked at her closely for the first time but didn’t register any reaction other than boredom. He picked at his fingernail while Mara filled in the make and model of the car.

  “I don’t know the plate. It’s a rental.”

  “Just stop by the desk later and give it to us. The year, make, and model are enough for now.” She handed the card to him. He looked at it and nodded. “May I have your ID and credit card, please?”

  Mara took out her wallet. “Is that necessary? I’m paying the full amount upfront in cash.”

  He held out his hand. “I still require your ID. I need a credit card on file for incidentals.”

  “I’d rather not. I’ve had my credit card number stolen at a hotel. I’d rather not go through that nightmare again. That’s why I always use cash when I travel now.”

  His smile faded. “It’s our policy, madam. I cannot rent you room without ID and a credit card, but I assure you, we take the greatest care to protect your information and privacy.”

  Mara was tempted to walk out, but she didn’t want to arouse suspicion, and she’d run into the same issue at every other halfway decent hotel. She huffed and turned her back to him while she dug into the secret compartment of her wallet. She had run out of aliases. Her only option was to use her Oregon ID and hope no one made the connection. She took out the cards under the name she’d used in Portland for the past several years and slapped them on the counter.

  The clerk gave her a forced smile as he picked up the cards. “Thank you, madam. I apologize for the inconvenience. The credit card will only be used if you make charges to your room.”

  He scanned her cards into the system and handed them back with the key cards. She snatched them from his hand in a huff and headed back to the car.

  * * *

  The hotel was in a much better part of town than the motel had been and even had an indoor pool and jacuzzi. Johnny was thrilled that the bed was long enough for his legs and more comfortable than the rickety one at the motel.

  He unpacked his few belongings in the drawer Mara set aside for him and went to check out the bathroom. It was clean and had a decent sized stand-alone shower with handrails. That was a relief for Johnny. It was nearly impossible for him to climb in and out of a bathtub alone, and he refused to ask Mara for help showering. He’d had a shower at home that he could roll into with his wheelchair before he could walk with crutches. Ryan had even installed handrails and a seat for him. The hotel shower wasn’t as good as the one at home but good enough to manage on his own.

  He put his toothbrush and comb on the counter and went back to his bed. After propping himself up on his four pillows, he turned on the TV and started looking for a movie to watch.

  Mara handed him the hotel notepad and pen. “Write down the username and password for the pharmacy app. I need to get your meds refilled. You haven’t had any doses yet today.”

  “I’ll try,” he said, “but my mom might have changed the password.”

  She glared at him. “You mean Grace. That woman isn’t your mother. I am.”

  Johnny hadn’t noticed slipping back into calling Ryan and Grace Mom and Dad, but it felt right. He’d have to watch himself since it made Mara mad.

  While he wrote the username and password on the notepad, he said, “It’s a habit. I’ve been calling them that my whole life. It’ll take time to get used to calling them by their names.”

  “Fair enough.” Mara read what he’d written and nodded. “If it’s not right, can you get into Grace’s email to reset the password?”

  “Yeah, she uses the same password for everything even though Ryan always tells her it’s not safe. For as much as she watched me like a hawk, she wasn’t careful about her own stuff.”

  Mara typed the information he’d given her into the app and waited. A smile crept up her face. “I’m in.” She navigated to the refill section. “I hope it’s not too soon to do this. Do you remember how long it’s been since Grace got your refills?”

  Johnny shook his head. He never paid attention to when Grace got his refills. To him, even Thanksgiving seemed like months ago, so it was hard to judge when anything had happened before that. His medicine always just magically appeared in his pill caddy.

  “It looks like I can get everything except your asthma meds. How many puffs left in your inhaler?”

  Johnny pulled his inhaler from his backpack. “At least enough for a week,” he said.

  She took a stethoscope out of her backpack and told him to lean forward and take some deep breaths. She listened for almost a minute.

  “Your lungs sound clear. You should be fine. Your seizure meds are the important ones. The app says your prescriptions will be ready in an hour. I’m going to wait in the pharmacy parking lot in case they’re done sooner, and I can get out of there before anyone gets suspicious.” She put on a bright pink wide-rimmed hat. “Think anyone will recognize me?”

  Johnny laughed. “No, but they’ll remember that ridiculous hat.”

  “I’m counting on that,” she said and gave that eerie smile he didn’t like. “Stay here. Don’t open the door for any reason. I’ll bring dinner back with me. Anything else you need while I’m gone?”

  He rattled off a list of junk food.

  “Nice try. I’ll bring you one treat.”

  Johnny turned the deadbolt and barred the door like he’d done at the motel. They were on an inside hallway on the third floor, so he doubted anyone would notice them. He found a show he liked and dug through Mara’s bags until he found the laptop. The internet password was written on the key-card holder. He logged on and stared at the screen while he debated if he should email one of his friends to let them know he was safe. He decided to wait until Mara told him they were leaving for Portland so he could enjoy living in a hotel a little longer.
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  * * *

  Mara’s heart pounded as she drove to a pharmacy that was furthest from the one where Grace normally filled Johnny’s prescriptions. She anticipated the order would be ready when she got there. Her heart sank when she rounded the corner to the drive-through lane saw the sign saying the window was out of order. She hated to go inside but had no choice. She found a parking space near the back of the lot and took a minute to gather her courage up before she ventured through the front entrance.

  The clerk at the front counter gave her a cheery greeting, but Mara ignored her. She made a beeline for the pharmacy counter with her hat pulled forward and her eyes lowered. There wasn’t a line, so she took three breaths and approached the pharmacy associate at the counter.

  “Picking up or dropping off?” the woman asked.

  “Picking up for Johnathan Walker,” Mara said, without making eye contact and taking care to avoid looking at the security camera.

  The woman walked away to check if the meds were ready. Mara did her best not to fidget or look suspicious.

  The woman returned four minutes later and said, “The pharmacist is just finishing your order, but we were out of the Brivaracetam. They have it at the pharmacy on West Broad Street. Do you want me to have them fill it?”

  Mara resisted the urge to grab her uniform and shake her. Every minute she spent at the counter increased her odds of getting caught, but she had to get Johnny’s meds. She pasted on a smile, and said, “That would be lovely, sweetheart,” in her best Virginia accent.

  “Your other prescriptions will be done in ten minutes. We’ll announce when they’re ready if you’d like to wait.”

  “Thank you, I’ll just browse while I wait.”

  She strolled to an aisle near the back of the store where she wouldn’t be visible to the cameras. She squatted down and pretended to examine items on the bottom shelf while she reminded herself to breathe. After what seemed like an eternity, Mara heard them announce that the order for Walker was ready. She rushed back to the counter and paid with cash as quickly as she could. She forced herself to walk at a reasonable pace until she was outside, then she ran to the car.

  She drove around the block a few times before pulling onto a side street to get her bearings. She looked up the address for the other pharmacy and punched it into the map app on her phone. The pharmacy was only five miles from their hotel. She had no choice but to risk it.

  She lucked out to find the drive-through lane open and her order ready at the second pharmacy. She did her best to keep her head lowered and hide her shaking hands as she handed over the cash. She drove straight to the hotel without stopping for dinner. She’d have to hold up for a few hours before daring to venture out of the hotel. Johnny would just have to wait for his treat.

  * * *

  Grace was calmer after her nap but refused to let go of Johnny’s hoodie. She draped the sleeves over her shoulders and tied a knot over her heart. Ryan’s face softened as he watched Grace before following her into the living room.

  Mark had been dozing on the sofa but swung his feet to the floor when he heard them. “Hey, Dad. You actually look human.”

  “When did you get here? Why aren’t you at the restaurant?” Ryan asked as he gave Mark’s shoulder a gentle squeeze.

  “Got here hours ago. Needed a break from the restaurant. I’d rather be here with you.”

  “Glad to have you. The nap helped, but I’ve got my days and nights reversed. Maybe I’ll try another one of Adam’s magic pills tonight to get back on track.”

  “I’m glad to hear that,” Grace said. “One of us needs to get sleep.”

  “I’m jumping out of my skin. I need a way to be useful.”

  “Know what you mean. Maybe Wes or Agent Shepherd can find something for us to do like he did for Steph,” Mark said.

  “What’s Steph doing?” Ryan asked.

  “Wes asked her to go look at photos from the raid. She’d shown him her portfolio yesterday and he was impressed. He wants to show her how forensic photography works. He thought she could get some experience observing on Johnny’s case, kind of like an internship.”

  Ryan eyed him in confusion. “Who’s Wes?”

  “Agent Reid,” Grace said. “I think his interest in Steph has to do with more than forensic photography. At least I hope so. He’s a good man, and she deserves some brightness in her life after Graydon and this nightmare.”

  “Wes will have his work cut out for him. Steph declared at Thanksgiving that she’s done with men,” Mark said.

  Before Grace could answer, her text alert beeped. She unlocked her phone and found a message saying that Johnny’s prescriptions were ready for pickup at a pharmacy on the opposite side of the city. She opened the pharmacy app and gasped.

  “Ryan, get your shoes. We’re going to see Scott.”

  Ryan ran to their room without questioning her.

  “What’s going on?” Mark asked.

  “Mara just made the mistake we’ve been waiting for.”

  His eyes widened when she showed him the message. “And they’re still in Richmond.”

  Grace dialed Scott’s number. It rang five times and went to voicemail. She tried Wes next and got the same result. While she was leaving a message, an alert from a different pharmacy popped up on her phone. We have you, Mara, she thought and did a fist pump on her way to the car.

  * * *

  Agent Shepherd met Grace and Ryan at the front desk. “The SAC asked me to give you his apologies for being unavailable when you called,” she said as she led them to the elevator. “Even though Johnny’s case is our top priority, Scott was needed on another case. Agent Reid and his team were in a strategy session, but they’re waiting for you in the conference room. May I see your phone?”

  Grace handed it to her, wishing she’d walk faster. They’d lost enough time since she got the pharmacy text, but an encouraging sight awaited them in the conference room. Wes was geared up and just waiting for them to arrive to set his team into action. Agent Shepherd immediately handed Wes Grace’s phone. He thanked her and forwarded the pharmacy texts to his cell.

  “On my way,” he said into his radio as he rushed out of the conference room.

  Scott motioned for Grace and Ryan to sit and invited Agent Shepherd to join them.

  “I was going to call you to come in and go over the forensic evidence we’ve gathered. Looks like what you brought is far better.” He flipped through sheets of paper stacked on the table in front of him. He removed one and held it out to Grace just as an agent tapped on the door.

  “Sorry to interrupt, sir, but we have a lead on the Walker case,” she said.

  “Come in,” Scott said. “Let me introduce you to Mr. and Mrs. Walker. This is Special Agent Cameron. She’s the tech advisor on Reid’s team. What do you have?”

  Agent Cameron glanced at Grace. “I’m truly sorry about your son, ma’am. If anyone can find him, it’s Agent Reid.” She handed Scott a paper. “This is from the canvas. A resident in the area saw a blue sedan speed off at the time we estimate our suspect would have vacated the house. We have a plate and description. The techs are checking security camera footage from the area to see if we can spot which direction our suspect fled the scene.”

  Grace jumped up and faced Agent Cameron. “Mara was driving a blue sedan the day I saw her.”

  “Excellent,” Scott said. “If we can place the car at the pharmacy, Mara’s done,” Scott said. “Keep me posted, Cameron.”

  “Yes, sir,” she said and left.

  Grace smiled at Ryan and squeezed his hand.

  “Wes was hoping for a lucky break. The car is a solid lead, but I need to warn you not to get too excited yet. This could be unrelated to Mara,” Scott said.

  “It had to be her.” Grace stood and tugged on Ryan’s hand to get him out of his chair. “We’ll let you get back to work. Please call the minute there’s news.”

  Scott stood and shook their hands. “You have my word. Agent Shepherd
will escort you out.”

  The elevator stopped on the second floor on their way to the lobby. Steph was there waiting to get in when the doors slid open. Grace and Ryan updated her on what had happened.

  “This is fantastic and explains why Wes stranded me in the lab without a word. I was glad one of the photographers was in the lab to show me how to get to the elevator,” Steph said.

  Agent Shepherd stayed in the elevator when they reached the lobby. “I promise to keep you in the loop.”

  “Thank you,” Grace said as the doors closed. “Do you need a ride?” she asked Steph as they walked to the parking lot.

  “No, my car’s here. I’ll meet you at the house. I want to tell you what I learned today. It’s fascinating.”

  Ryan kissed her cheek. “I’m anxious to hear, and we need a good distraction.” As Steph walked away, Ryan said, “If Wes continues to give her access, she can be our fly on the wall, and we won’t have to wait for the agents to call us.”

  Grace climbed into the car, and said, “Scott perked up when Agent Cameron told him about the car. I don’t think they had much else to go on before we got here. The dominoes might be starting to fall for Mara.”

  Ryan exited the parking lot and eased into evening traffic. “At least Mara refilled Johnny’s meds. That means she’s taking care of him.”

  “But for how long? Caring for Johnny is a challenge in the best circumstances. How long before she gets tired of this game and abandons him like she did when he was a baby?”

  “Johnny’s not an infant, and he’s a smart kid. He’ll find his way home. They’ll get Mara before it comes to that.”

  “Maybe she’ll be in custody by the time we get home.”

  * * *

  Wes split his team between the two pharmacies and went to the one that sent the first text. His team searched the parking lot and drive-through for the blue, four-door sedan with the plate matching the description of the car fleeing Mara’s neighborhood. When he was sure the car wasn’t there, he left two agents outside and took the rest to search inside the pharmacy. Mara was gone, but Wes hoped they’d get vital information from the pharmacy staff.