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.
“He’s coming home,” Alec whispered. “I refuse to let this end any other way.”
Grace leaned her head on Alec’s shoulder. “How do we make that happen? Mara seems invincible. If Johnny hadn’t found out the truth right before Mara showed up, he might have tried to escape. He’d be snoring in his bed now. Why didn’t I listen to you and tell him sooner? Even if he comes home, he’s never going to forgive me. How do you recover from the kind of betrayal he must be feeling?”
“Not if he comes home. When. He might be furious with you. He might feel betrayed, but stronger than those feelings is his love for you. He’ll remember once he’s home.” She stood and tugged on Grace’s hand. “This tree looks lonely. Let’s wrap Johnny’s presents and put them under it. Johnny will hear them calling to him. That will get him home.”
Grace didn’t move. “I can’t, Alec. It would be a knife in my chest every time I saw those gifts mocking me.”
“No, it would be proof that you believe he’ll be here on Christmas morning to open them. Get up and help me find the paper and ribbons. When we’re done, you’re coming with me to Juliana’s for cannoli.”
Grace knew there was no fighting the force of nature that was Alec. She slowly climbed to her feet and gazed up at her obstinate friend. “Get the wrapping supplies. I’ll get the gifts. Let’s get this over with before I lose my nerve.”
Alec raced to the basement while Grace dug Johnny’s gifts out of their hiding place in the linen closet without allowing herself to reminisce about the time she’d spent shopping for them. If Alec were right, there would be time for that later.
* * *
Johnny turned off the shower and grasped the rail so he could pull his towel off the hook. He started drying off but stopped when he heard Mara slamming drawers on the other side of the wall.
“What’s going on out there?” he asked, dreading the answer.
Mara had been agitated since she got back the night before. When Johnny asked what they were having for dinner, she nearly bit his head off and told him to eat cheese and crackers. At first, he worried that she’d found out about his adventure to the lobby, but her behavior didn’t seem to have anything to do with him. She’d been calmer when she woke up an hour earlier, but it sounded like something new had set her off.
The closet door slammed, and she yelled, “Get out here.”
Johnny dried off and dressed as quickly as he could, which wasn’t fast enough for Mara. She pounded on the door until he unlocked it. She shoved it open, nearly knocking him off his crutches. She held one of the candy bars he’d bought an inch from his nose.
“Where’d you get this?”
Johnny froze. No matter how hard he concentrated, his mouth refused to move.
Mara’s jaw clenched. “Answer me,” she hissed.
He took a few deep breaths and braced himself against the counter. “I bought it in the lobby. I was hungry. We didn’t have anything good.”
Mara’s fist slammed into his gut so fast he didn’t have time to block it. Air rushed out of him and he doubled over, which sent his left crutch skidding across the bathroom tile. He grabbed for the sink counter but missed and struck his head on the toilet on his way to the floor. He looked at Mara as she got all blurry before everything went dark.
* * *
It felt like someone was pounding a nail into Johnny’s head. He forced his eyes open and found Mara staring down at him. The last thing he remembered was getting out of the shower, but he was lying on the floor next to his bed. He didn’t remember dressing and glanced down at himself in panic, but he was fully clothed. He closed his eyes against the light over his head and groaned.
“What happened to my head?” he asked. His words came out like a croak. He cleared his throat and asked again, but it wasn’t any better. His mouth was as dry as cotton.
“You don’t remember what happened?” He tried to shake his head, but it hurt to move. “You had a seizure in the bathroom. I dragged you out here. It wasn’t easy, I can tell you. Can you walk? I need to get you to the hospital.”
He couldn’t lift his head, let alone walk. “I don’t think so. Call an ambulance. That’s what my mom does.”
“Can’t do that, and I’m your mom.”
Johnny opened his eyes again and squinted at her. He wasn’t in any shape to argue about Grace. “Why not?”
“Just can’t. I’ll think of another way.” She swiveled her head as she scanned the room. “I’ll be right back,” she said and darted into the hallway.
Johnny dragged himself closer to the bed and propped his back against the end of it. His head hurt worse than it ever had in his life. He reached up and ran his fingers over the spot that hurt most. There was a bump the size of an egg. That wasn’t too unusual. He’d bumped his head lots of times when he’d had a seizure, but he usually remembered the seizure starting. All he remembered this time was getting out of the shower. It was a blank after that.
The door swung open and a luggage cart rolled in with Mara behind it. “Think you can climb on here?”
“I’m not getting on that. It’s for suitcases, not people,” he said and crossed his arms.
“You have to go to the hospital. You hit your head on the toilet when you fell. If you have another way to get to the car, I’m listening.”
He didn’t, and he knew she was right about going to the hospital. His head didn’t feel right. He slumped his shoulders. “Fine, but make sure you don’t drop me. I don’t need any more bumps.”
She rolled the cart closer and helped him lift himself on to it. As she pushed him toward the door, he noticed their bags lined up in front of the closet. He was about to ask why, but she went through the door and rounded the corner, so he had to hang on to keep from falling.
Getting him to the car was the easy part, and he wished he’d thought to bring his crutches. It took fifteen minutes to work his way from the cart to the front passenger seat with Mara’s help. His headache grew worse with each movement.
Once he was in the car, Mara left him and took the cart back into the hotel. He thought she was returning it to the lobby, but she came back ten minutes later with their belongings piled on it. He watched while she loaded it into the car. She left with the cart again but came back after a minute.
“Why are we leaving the hotel?” he asked when she climbed into the car. “You said we were staying for a few more days.”
“You ruined that, didn’t you? You went to the market and now they have you on the security camera. We can’t stay here.”
Mara’s words were a foggy jumble that he couldn’t understand. He closed his eyes and turned his head to the side so his bump wouldn’t press against the seat. He was sad to leave the hotel, but all he cared about was getting relief from his headache. Mara couldn’t get him to the hospital fast enough.
Chapter Fourteen
Wrapping Johnny’s gifts had seemed like a good idea at the time, but when Grace came out of her room after dressing, she couldn’t bring herself to look under the tree. Each beautifully wrapped package was a harsh reminder that Johnny wouldn’t be there to open them on Christmas morning. She kept her eyes forward and rushed past to the kitchen.
“Keep us posted,” Ryan said and hung up his phone as Grace walked into the kitchen.
“Who was that? Wes?” she asked.
Ryan, Steph, an
d Mark were at the table. They glanced at each other before staring at her.
When Grace reached for Ryan’s phone to check the caller ID, Steph said, “It was Jason. Jen might be in labor. They’re on their way to the hospital.”
Grace rubbed her forehead. “Labor? So early. Give me details.”
“Only three and a half weeks early. You know twins typically come ahead of schedule,” Ryan said. “Steph and Jen were born two weeks before their due date. It might be a false alarm. They went to urgent care because she didn’t feel well. Her blood pressure was slightly elevated. The contractions started while they were there. The doctor told them to go to the hospital.”
“It’s the stress over Johnny. Worrying about him sent her into labor. Mara did this. The longer this goes on, the greater the chaos in her wake.” She stared at the wall calendar Johnny had given her the previous Christmas. “What day is it?”
“Sunday,” Mark said.
“Sunday,” Grace repeated. “Tomorrow marks a week since Mara tore our world to shreds. We should be with Jen, not here anxious for any scrap of news about Johnny.”
Ryan went to Grace and pulled her into his arms. “It’s beyond unfair that we can’t be with Jen and Jason, but they have one of the best obstetricians in the country. We’ll have to trust her. Maybe it’s a false alarm, and we’ll be there when the babies come, with Johnny.”
Grace gazed up at him. “How are you always so calm and rational?”
“Adam’s magic pills,” Mark said.
Ryan frowned at Mark over the top of Grace’s head. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”
Grace squeezed Ryan’s hand and turned back to the calendar. She read the notes she’d jotted down for the past week and checked off all the activities she’d missed. The reminders felt like they were for another person from another world. Now, Jen was in labor, and she’d miss that, too. They’d anticipated and planned the birth for all those long months. Grace couldn’t have imagined anything could keep her from being a part of the most important event in her stepdaughter's life.
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