The owner of the car might still be upset, but he figured the farmer who owned the crop duster wouldn’t mind too much. It’s not as if he needed to use the plane in the winter. “I’m sure they’ll be happy with whatever you give them.”
“I hope so.” She turned and shook her head at Lucy. “No more blowing bubbles in your chocolate milk, you’re spilling on the table.”
“Aw, Mom.” Lucy had a chocolate milk mustache. “I’m just having fun.”
Grady was about to say something about how she should listen to her mother, but then he caught himself. He wasn’t Lucy’s father. He needed to stay out of it.
They ate in silence for a few minutes. When they finished, Lauren and Lucy made another stop in the restroom. He paid the tab, then glanced outside just as another black SUV rolled down the street. The angle of the sun was such that he couldn’t tell if the windows were tinted.
He strode quickly to the window to get a better look at the license plate. His pulse kicked up when he recognized the Illinois plate, but he only caught the first three letters, which were APW. He pulled out his phone and called Agent Braun. Once again, the call went straight to his voice mail.
Did the fed ever answer his phone? Irritated, Grady left a terse message. “It’s McFarland. I need to know the license plate of Curtis Handover’s SUV. Call me back.”
Maybe he was overreacting, but he decided they shouldn’t head outside anytime soon. At least, not until he knew what they were looking for. Feeling restless, he moved toward a rack of brochures that listed various tourist activities taking place in the area. There was one for a magic show at a nearby theater.
Something like that would keep Lucy preoccupied for a while. He noticed there was an afternoon matinee session in about an hour, along with one in the evening. He pocketed the brochure and turned as Lauren and Lucy emerged from the restrooms.
His phone rang before he could tell them about the magic show. Seeing Agent Braun’s number on the screen, he quickly answered. “Braun? Do you have the plate number?”
“I do, it’s EFY1008.” There was a brief pause, then Braun asked, “Why are you asking?”
It wasn’t a match to the car he’d seen, but Grady wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad one. What if Curtis Handover wasn’t their guy and the SUV outside did belong to the gunmen? His paranoia was getting difficult to control, but he did his best to tamp it down. “I want to watch for it. Unless you have him in custody already?”
“Not yet.” Now Agent Braun sounded testy. “It’s barely a half hour since we last talked, McFarland. Tell Ms. Chandler there’s no need to start making calls to her political friends. We’re expanding our reach to find him.”
“Have you tried the tollway?” Grady asked. “We know for sure he crossed the state line into Wisconsin.”
“Yes, we’re working on that. I have our tech guy searching for the vehicle now.” Braun’s tone softened. “Trust me, we’ll find him.”
He didn’t bother to point out that he didn’t trust anyone except his boss and the Sullivan family. “Okay, thanks.” He lowered the phone and quickly filled Lauren in on the license plate information, without mentioning the black SUV he’d noticed just moments earlier. “We have a little time, how about we check out this magic show?”
“A magic show? Really? Oh, Mom, can we?” Lucy jumped up and down with excitement. “Please?”
“Sure.” Lauren took the brochure he offered and scanned the information. “Looks like fun.”
He crossed to the hostess stand and asked how far the theater was from the restaurant. Since it was only four blocks away, he thought it was best to walk.
There was no sign of the SUV when they headed outside a few minutes later. It didn’t take them long to get to the theater. He purchased three tickets, then hustled Lucy and Lauren inside.
Much like the brief reprieve they’d gotten while making the snowman, it was clear Lucy appreciated the ability to do something fun. At least for an hour, the worries of the shooter, the frantic escape from the farm, and the threat of kidnapping faded away. In Grady’s opinion, the illusionist show was decent, although there were a few times Grady easily figured out the trick. He kept his thoughts to himself, knowing there was no reason to spoil the magic for Lucy.
“That was so fun,” Lucy gushed, when it was over. “Can we see the show again tonight?”
“No, Lucy.” Lauren spoke in her no-nonsense mom tone. “We’re going to head home very soon.”
Grady wanted to argue, but at that moment, his phone rang. Seeing Agent Braun’s number on the screen, he showed it to Lauren, then answered. “Agent Braun, this is McFarland. What’s going on?”
“We have him,” Agent Braun got straight to the point. “We have Curtis Handover in custody.”
“I’m glad you found him,” he said out loud for Lauren’s benefit. The relief in her blue eyes was unmistakable. “Is he talking?”
“No, unfortunately, he’s lawyered up. If you ask me, that just means he’s guilty,” Braun said with glee. “He asked for his lawyer the moment the state patrol pulled him over.”
Grady wanted to ask more, to understand the timeline, but heard voices in the background.
“I have to go, McFarland, I’ll let you know how it goes.” With that, Braun ended the call.
“They have him? It’s really over?” Lauren asked.
