Page 70 of Grace's Redemption
“Hey man, I need you to find someone for me.” Tech was a computer hacker I met a few years ago. He had no affiliation to anyone but his self. He was the kind of person I needed to find someone who was supposed to disappear.
“Her name was Grace Smith, but she disappeared four years ago.”
He was silent on the other end.
“Grace Smith. Born in Alexandria, Virginia to a Daryl Smith and Shana Taylor. Parents never married. Dad’s deceased, mother … In Phoenix Arizona.”
“I know all that.” I grunted. “Anything in the last four years.”
“Can you give me a couple of hours?”
“Fuck,” I rubbed my face. “Yeah okay. She might be living on the East Coast, so start there and get back to me.”
“Okay.”
“Wait.” I tapped my fingers on the wooden tabletop. “Look up a James Evans, President of a Legion of Guardians chapter in Jersey City.”
“Yep, got it. James Ellis married to a Dana Ellis.”
I was sure the guy didn’t have a woman with him last night.
“You have a home address for him.”
“Give me a second,” Tech hummed. “Yep, He lives in the Heights. 1524 Beach Street.”
“Thanks man.”
I hung up. Dropped a couple of bills on the table and headed towards The Heights. It was a nice morning for a ride through the New Jersey neighborhood.
* * *
I approached the house,and guess what was sitting out front.
A Harley Softail with a matte black tank and pink pin stripes.
It was eleven o’clock in the morning. People were out walking their dog or playing with their kids in the front yard.
A park sat at the end of the block. I pulled against the curb and waited.
I didn’t have to wait long.
She stepped out thirty minutes later wearing the same white tank top and leather skirt. What was she doing at James’s house? Did they have something going on? Was that why he came up to me last night, the fucker knew who I was to her.
My blood boiled.
Grace mounted her bike. Even from here I could see her beautiful ass jiggle when she started it. She rode to the next street and turned right.
I followed her.
I kept my distance and had a few lucky guesses as she weaved in and out of the neighborhood. I was on the opposite street when I heard a garage door open and she cut her engine off. I parked my bike and worked my way between houses. I prayed no dogs were outside waiting to alert her of my presence.
I stopped with my back against the wall of her house. The garage door came down. I spotted a door between the garage and house. It had a keypad lock.
I punched in a code.
A little red light beeped and then stopped. I reversed the order of the numbers. A green light flashed and then the door opened with a released suction sound.
Damn, I needed to get my ass to Atlantic City. I was on a lucky streak.
I pushed the door open and slid in. I flattened my back against the wall and closed the door.
I stiffened when the door opened a few minutes later.
I smelled her before I saw her.
Sweet fresh air and coconut wafted into my nose. I held my breath as she walked in straight for the workbench along the wall. She didn’t flip on the lights. She knew her way around in the dark. She pushed a button on top of the desk and a drawer opened up. She removed a small gun from the back of her skirt and secured it in the drawer and pushed it closed. She took out a knife from inside her boot slid it in another drawer.
I waited until she was done disarming herself before I spoke.
I should have waiting a beat longer.
