Page 21 of Christmas Ransom

Not long before that, she’d made a list of clothing and other items she needed from her house. Willie had gone to take care of that while Tommy had asked her to draw the tattoo as close to the size, shape and design as she could remember.

“I’m no artist, but I’ll try.” She’d been glad to do it. They were trying so hard to find J, she’d do whatever she could to help them. Carla knew the only chance she had of getting her life back was for the killer to be caught and locked up.

She’d just finished the drawing when James called to say the agents were waiting downstairs.

“James and I talked about this. I think you should tell him everything,” Davy said. “It doesn’t matter if he’s skeptical or suspicious. The feds’ best chance of catching this man is with all the information. But maybe you should have a lawyer present.”

Carla shook her head. Although not looking forward to another interrogation by Agent Grover, she wasn’t ready to lawyer up. She felt it would only make her look guiltier. She said as much to Davy.

“Well, at any point during the questioning that you change your mind, ask for your lawyer. Give me your phone.” He put in his cell number. “All you have to do is hit this button, and I’ll come in and make sure the next time he talks to you will be with your lawyer present.”

“Thank you.”

“You don’t have to thank me.”

But she did, she thought even as she knew she’d never be able to thank him enough.

The agents were sitting in the office downstairs when she and Davy came through the door. James suggested they talk in the conference room at the back.

“We’ll speak with Ms. Richmond alone,” Grover said.

“You might want this,” Tommy said and stepped toward the copy machine. He handed the agent the copy he’d made.

“What is this?”

“A tattoo. Carla will fill you in,” Davy said.

The agent scowled at them before ushering her back into the conference room and closing the door. He tossed the copy of the tattoo she’d drawn onto the large table and pulled out his phone as Agent Deeds pulled up a chair.

Carla took a seat some distance from them, waiting for Grover to ask his first question. His expression had her on edge. She wasn’t used to anyone not trusting her—let alone not liking her for no apparent reason other than a false belief that she was a liar and a crook and in league with a killer.

“What’s this?” he asked, indicating the paper with the drawing on it.

“It’s the man’s tattoo—at least the only one I saw,” she said.

He shoved the drawing over to Deeds. “So you’re starting to remember, huh?” he asked after he had his phone recording their conversation. “Now you remember a tattoo. How is that possible, since as I understand it, the men were completely covered in their Santa costumes?”

She told him about the robber scratching at his neck and exposing the tattoo.

When she finished, he said, “That’s it? That’s all you remember?”

“I remember the robbery, but I didn’t see the man who tried to take me hostage other than the slash in the mask for his mouth and the holes for his eyes.” She hesitated, already knowing how this was going to look. “His eyes were dark. I saw the tattoo when he lifted his false beard to scratch his neck.”

“That’s it?” Grover said as he looked again at her drawing.

She swallowed, seeing that he thought she was making all of this up. What would he say when she told him about the note? “Something happened while I was in the hospital.”

The agent looked up in surprise. Even Deeds seemed interested.

“Someone put a message on my dinner tray last night. It read ‘Talk and You Die.’”

“Where is the note?” Grover asked, just as she knew he would.

She mentally kicked herself for not keeping the note, but at the time she’d been so shocked and terrified knowing that the killer could get to her even in the hospital that she’d just wanted it gone.

When she told him that he nodded, his mouth twisting in a smirk. “So you didn’t keep the evidence that might help us find the person who robbed your bank and killed three of his associates.”

Carla bit her lip. “I was scared. I’m still scared. I’m the one he almost killed. If he’d taken me hostage the way he’d wanted to...” Her voice broke.

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