The Complete Arms of Grace Series

by Eleanor Chance

  Michaels shook his head. “I’m the wrong person to ask. I’ve been chasing Mara for twelve years, but I thought she would have left Richmond two days ago. Grace said Mara was close. Not sure how she knew, but that might change after the close call last night. I’m trying to stay hopeful, but you and I both know our chances go down with each passing minute, and now Mara knows we’re on to her. Unless we do get lucky, we might lose this one. What’s your feeling?”

  “The same. Mara’s no inexperienced amateur. She’s had years to plan this. Wish I could predict her next move. They left that house in a hurry. She had to find a place to hide on the run. That might make her desperate enough to make a mistake.”

  “I agree, but please don’t repeat that to the Walkers. Put a positive spin on the raid as you can. I don’t want them losing heart this soon. We may have a long way to go.”

  Reid’s gut tightened, and he swallowed down a wave of nausea as he gripped the bag containing Johnny’s clothes. It happened every time they found articles belonging to the victims when he was on a case. At least this time, there were no blood stains on the clothes.

  Mark handed Grace a plate of food and waited for her reaction. She gave him a weak smile and balanced the plate on her knees. The plate held a collection of her favorites from Mark’s restaurant; grilled salmon, parmesan gnocchi, and garlic roasted vegetables. She normally would have devoured the meal, but her gut had been in a knot since Johnny’s call fourteen hours earlier. Not wanting to hurt Mark’s feelings, she dipped her fork in the gnocchi and took a nibble.

  “It’s a start,” Mark said and sat next to her.

  Grace swallowed and felt the gnocchi come to a dead stop in her esophagus. She washed it down with a sip of water. “I’m not trying to get rid of you, but shouldn’t you be at the restaurant?”

  Mark crossed his arms. “I left my sous chef Travis in charge.”

  Grace was shocked at what she’d heard. The restaurant was Mark’s treasured baby. His wife, Valerie, usually had a hard time convincing him to leave the restaurant long enough to take Fisher and Sophi for a trip on a long weekend. “Isn’t Travis the new guy? You trust him to run the kitchen?”

  “He has solid experience. I’m impressed so far, and I was useless in the kitchen. I couldn’t focus on anything but Johnny. They’re better off without me.”

  Grace patted his shoulder. “Thanks for being here. Your dad didn’t sleep again last night, so I forced him to take a pill and try to nap. Alec had to take Rosie to the orthopedist for her broken wrist, and Steph went home for fresh clothes. It was the first time I’ve been alone since, you know.” She took a gulp of water. “I thought I’d like the alone time after all the crowds tromping through here, but I panicked as soon as everyone left. I’ve never been so happy to see you.” She took another bite. It went down smoother than the first one.

  “Being left out of what’s going on here has been torture, but I had to stay at the restaurant until I finished arrangements with Travis. Valerie wants to be here, too, but we decided the last thing you needed was the kids underfoot. We agreed to take turns.”

  “I miss the kids. Do they know what’s happening?”

  “We told them right away so they wouldn’t hear it from someone else.”

  Grace flinched and frowned at him.

  “I’m sorry, Grace. I didn’t mean…”

  “Don’t apologize. You did the right thing. It’s sad they’ve been thrust into this so young. They must be terrified.”

  “Fisher wants to punch someone. Sophi cries at the drop of a hat. We’ve talked about keeping them home from school but decided it would be a distraction for them and gives us a reprieve.”

  Grace stared at her plate as a new bout of rage tightened beneath her ribs. She’d adjusted to the constant, dull throb that knowing Mara was running free had caused. She’d even learned to forget about her for brief moments, but she couldn’t ignore the firestorm raining down chaos on their lives. She handed Mark her plate and got up to pace.

  “I feel useless, too,” she said. “This waiting and doing nothing is the worst. At least time passed quicker when we were on the search and rescue.”

  The doorbell rang, and Mark started to get up, but she waved him down. “I’ll go.” She peered through the peephole and was relieved to see Agent Reid. She let him in and introduced him to Mark. “Any news?”

  He shook his head and handed her a plastic bag. “We recovered these in the raid. Are they Johnny’s?”

  Grace glanced at the bag and recognized the logo of Johnny’s favorite band on his hoodie. He’d been wearing it Monday night, the last time she saw him. She tore the bag open and buried her face in the fabric. It still smelled like him. The room reeled, and she reached for Agent Reid, but he was beyond the reach of her arm. Mark caught her just as her legs gave out. The men helped her to the couch.

  “I’ll take that as confirmation,” Agent Reid said.

  He sat on the other side of Grace and put his hand on her arm. The tenderness of the gesture pierced her defenses. She slumped against his chest and shook with sobs. Agent Reid stiffened and awkwardly patted her back.

  When she regained control, she wiped her face with the napkin Mark had pressed into her hand and looked into Agent Reid’s eyes. “Tell me about the raid. I want every detail.”

  “Sure you’re up for that?” When she nodded, Agent Reid recounted each second of the raid. When he finished, he said, “We were an hour, maybe two, behind them. We’re nipping at Mara’s heels. She won’t escape. I’m going to get her and bring Johnny home. That’s my vow to you.”

  Grace felt the conviction and devotion to duty in his words. It was all the proof she needed that he was the right man for the job.

  “I trust you, and my trust isn’t something I easily bestow,” Grace said.

  “I can attest to that,” Mark said.

  “Given your history, I don’t blame you. I promise not to betray that trust.”

  Grace smiled and squeezed his hand.

  “We’re waiting for the report on the neighborhood canvas. I’ll let you know if anyone saw Mara or Johnny. I’d better get back to the office.”

  “Thank you, Agent Reid,” Grace said and tried to stand.

  “Don’t get up, and please, call me Wes.”

  Grace watched as Mark walked Wes to the door. When he came back, she said, “I need to check on your dad.”

  “I’ll stand watch out here,” he said.

  Grace went to their room and climbed into bed with Ryan. He shifted slightly before wrapping his arm around her.

  “Any news?” he whispered.

  “No, I just thought I’d join your nap. Go back to sleep.”

  He pulled her closer and kissed her neck. “I’m glad you’re here.”

  “Me, too.”

  Seeing Johnny’s clothes had been comforting and traumatic. Grace knew she should focus on the fact that Johnny was alive, and Mara appeared to be taking care of him, but all she knew was that he was gone, and she couldn’t find him. Knowing she’d betrayed his trust compounded her grief. When Wes brought Johnny home, what would it take to win back his heart?

  When Mara got back from the phone store, she threw their bags in the trunk and told Johnny to get in the car. He climbed in beside her, happy to watch the motel recede in the side mirror. It looked even worse in daylight.

  “Can you find a better motel this time? That place was a dump,” he said.

  “Whose fault it that? We had to ditch my house, and I can’t go back to work because of your little stunt of calling Grace. I barely had enough money to pay expenses to get us back to Portland as it was. What am I supposed to do about money now?”

  Johnny popped a potato chip in his mouth and shrugged. “Get another job.”

  Mara snapped her fingers. “Just like that? So easy? You don’t know anything.”

  “You’re a nurse. Can’t you go to another hospital or a doctor’s office?”

  “The feds might be looking
for nurses, and I can’t use my Richmond ID anymore. I have to use my one from Portland. I’ll have to find something else.”

  “There’s money at my house. My dad keeps an emergency stash. It’s like two-thousand bucks. You could sneak in and get it.”

  “He’s not your dad. Don’t call him that. Your house is crawling with cops by now. We can’t go near that place. I don’t even like being in Richmond.”

  He was glad they couldn’t leave Richmond. The thought of her taking him across the country scared him. He hoped to convince her to stay for good. Richmond was the only city he’d ever known.

  He caught her watching him out of the corner of her eye. “What?” he asked.

  “I’m sorry for being so hard on you. I keep forgetting your life has been turned upside down. Grace sheltered you from the real world. You were rich and pampered. That’s not your fault. I’ll try to be more patient, but you have to listen to me and do exactly as I say. It’ll be better in Portland. You’ll like it there.”

  Johnny nodded and looked out the window. He appreciated what she said, but thought it was funny that she called him rich and pampered. He’d never thought of them as rich. His life was pretty much the same as his friends. He knew people with expensive cars and huge houses. His life hadn’t been like that. He knew people who he considered poor, but Mara must have made enough money as a nurse to be more like the Walkers than those people. If she was a nurse, she must have made decent money. He was learning how much he should have appreciated what he had.

  Mara smiled. “I’ll look for a better place for us to stay.” She took her phone from the cup holder and handed it to Johnny. “Do a search for hotels near here.”

  He typed the search words into Google and waited for the results. He was tempted to text Darnell while Mara was focused on driving, but after what happened when he’d called Grace, he didn’t dare. A bunch of hotels came back in the search. He read them off to Mara until she nodded at one that was on the opposite side of town.

  “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 t
o 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.

  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.