Chapter 15: A Dose of Reality
Glancing at Myles, Tara smiled inwardly at the fact that they had pulled off his disguise so well. After much cajoling, she'd talked him into using a washout dye in his hair, which was now a surprisingly flattering shade of light brown. The new hair color and a pair of eyeglasses, coupled with some very casual, almost scruffy attire, altered his appearance considerably.
In keeping with the spirit of his slightly unkempt cover, Myles was also sporting a five-o'clock shadow that Tara was unaccustomed to seeing. He told her that normally he would shave in the late afternoon if he was going out in the evening, but in this case, it suited his character perfectly.
If she had passed him on the street, she probably wouldn't have given him a second glance. Any fears they had about being recognized could surely be put to rest. It was highly unlikely that any of the couples would look closely enough at them to recognize them from the one or two brief encounters they'd had with the FBI agents.
Tara's own appearance had been altered considerably as well. She was wearing a wig that was a few shades darker than her own hair and also quite a bit longer, falling past her shoulders. Like Myles, she had dressed much more casually than normal. The biggest and most important part of her disguise however, was the empathy belly she'd donned, giving her the appearance of a woman in about her seventh month of pregnancy.
They were hoping that her appearance, along with their story, was going to give them some much-needed insight into how Mary and Jodie chose their "victims". They had just arrived in the dining hall of the church that played host to the soup kitchen and Myles was casually asking one of the other volunteers where they might find Mary Ryan, the volunteer coordinator.
"That would be me." Mary came up behind the young woman Myles had questioned and stuck out her hand. "I'm Mary Ryan; you must be Marcus?" she said, offering him her hand.
"Yes, I'm Marcus, and this is my sister, Shelby," Myles replied, as Tara came up beside him. He took Mary's outstretched hand and shook it firmly. "We spoke on the phone earlier."
"Yes, and we really appreciate you helping us out today," Mary told him with a smile, as she and Tara shook hands. "There can never be too many of us on the front lines." Tara and Myles looked at each other with a smile.
"Well, Marcus heard about this soup kitchen and told me he was planning on volunteering. Since I've just moved here, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to meet some new people," Tara explained. "Times are tough right now so it's great to know what you all do for the community. I have a feeling things are going to get even tougher for us when this little one arrives." Tara smiled softly, putting a hand on her belly.
Mary nodded with understanding and Tara could see that her interest was piqued. "When are you due, Shelby?"
"I've got about 9 weeks to go," Tara replied. "That should give the kids and I enough time to get settled. At least, I hope so." Tara was sure to sound considerably anxious as she said her last line and knew that she had Mary hooked.
"How many other children do you and your husband have?" Mary asked politely. Tara was pretty sure that it was just an attempt at subtly gleaning information.
"Well, I have three other children," Tara replied, noting Mary's raised eyebrows, "but unfortunately, their father is no longer in the picture."
"Good riddance! If there's anything Shelby's done right, it was getting rid of that weasel," Myles growled, embracing his role as the overprotective older brother. "If only those babies hadn't kept coming along." Tara turned on Myles, eyes blazing.
"How dare you say that! Those kids are my life!"
"I know, I know. Calm down, Shelby," Myles said gently. "I just wish that you would have considered other options when you got knocked-up with the first one, other than a shotgun wedding," he added.
"Why did I even come here with you? I should have stayed home with Mom and the kids!" Mary put a hand on Tara's arm, and Tara turned to look at the older woman.
"Shelby, I'm really glad that you did come. It's hard for brothers to be objective when it comes to their sisters, but I'm sure that Marcus means well," Mary said kindly. Tara nodded at Mary but fired another glare in Myles' direction. "Come, both of you, and let me introduce you to everyone. The families are going to start arriving pretty soon."
It was much to Myles' disappointment that Mary's friend Jodie was not in the group of volunteers that Mary introduced them to. Investigating her involvement would have to be left in Jack and Sue's hands when they met with her at the adoption agency in the morning. Thinking about the phone call from Jack just before they'd left for the church, Myles was now more suspicious of Mary than ever. If indeed Mary's sons were adopted, Myles wondered if those adoptions had been legal ones or if those boys were victims of kidnapping as well.
Still, he could see why Sue was having a difficult time accepting the fact that Mary Ryan could be involved in the murky business of kidnapping. She was so personable and cheerful. The families had started to pile into the church and as he watched Mary with them, it was apparent that she was definitely someone whom many people liked and respected. She seemed to put everyone at ease.
It was going to be interesting to see what she would do with the information she had about "Shelby." The cover story they had come up with was a sad one, and they were hoping it would be enough to prompt Mary to make a move. They needed more than just the suspicion they had now.
Before long, the dining hall of the church was a sea of bodies. A couple of times, Myles found himself forgetting the real reason they were there. He found himself looking at all of the families gathered together and began wondering what had happened to get them to this point. Many of the children looked up at him with big hungry eyes, and anger boiled up inside him. Poverty was something that was so easy to forget about in his everyday life. Sure, he saw panhandlers on the street every day, but it wasn't the same as seeing children who were clearly starving.
Casting a glance in Tara's direction, he could tell she was affected as well. She looked at him with sad eyes, and he nodded at her. It was so easy to take their comfortable lives for granted; this was serving as an unexpected reality check for both of them. Myles promised himself that when this was over, he was going to make an effort to do some real volunteering. Not just for the children, but for their parents, too. Most of them were probably just hard-working people who had suffered a stroke of bad luck. Maybe an illness had struck, or sudden unemployment. He was pulled out of his thoughts by a gentle nudge from Tara.
She widened her eyes at him and subtly directed his gaze to the slowly dwindling lineup. He immediately saw what had captured her attention. There were a couple of familiar faces making their way through the line.
One of the couples they'd met with earlier that day was about to come face-to-face with Tara and Myles. Myles held his breath as they approached. The eyes of the woman met his for a moment and gave him a soft smile, but there was no sign of recognition from either her or her husband. Tara breathed an audible sigh of relief after they'd passed, and Myles smiled at her briefly. Their disguises had been successful. As far as Myles was concerned, they'd passed their first real hurdle.
The evening was beginning to drag for Tara, as she began to feel the full effects of the empathy belly she was wearing. She wondered what on earth had possessed her to strap this thing on when surely they could have fashioned a belly for her using a pillow. However, she'd opted for going with the most realistic-looking choice.
At the time, she'd thought it might be interesting to experience something of what pregnancy felt like. Now, her back was beginning to ache a bit, and she'd had to make several trips to the bathroom over the course of two hours. That alone, makes this more believable, Tara thought to herself.
She was thankful for the fact that she would only have to deal with this for a little while longer. Also, she was glad that when she did become pregnant someday, the buildup to this point would be a lot more gradual, thank goodness. Searching out Myles with her eyes, Tara saw him talking with a couple of the fathers still remaining and hoped that some of the conversations he had would shed a little light on this case.
Seeing Mary alone at one of the tables, gathering dirty dishes into a tub, Tara approached her, hoping that this was the opportunity she'd been waiting for. "Can I help you with that Mary?" she asked, absently rubbing her lower back.
Mary looked up at her with a smile. "Oh, Shelby, that's sweet of you to offer, but you've already helped out so much tonight. You look exhausted; why don't you have a seat?" Mary replied, gesturing to one of the empty chairs.
"No, I'm here to help. Besides, this is a vacation compared to what I've got waiting for me at home," Tara answered with a smile. Mary didn't return her smile, just looked at Tara sympathetically.
"Well, that's all the more reason to get off your feet," Mary told her somewhat sternly. Tara relented and sank into one of the chairs, letting out a small sigh of relief as she did. She smiled guiltily at Mary, who put a stack of plates into the bin and then sat down beside her. "I think now's a good time for us both to take a break," she declared with a smile.
"It does feel good to sit down," Tara admitted. "I'm so exhausted right now, but I know that when I get home, I've still got to get the kids to sleep. My mom's helping me out as much as she can, but she lives in a small apartment, and we can't stay with her forever. The kids and I are about to move into our own place, and I'm still trying to reach a custody agreement with my ex." Tara closed her eyes for a moment and sighed deeply.
"I'm sorry things are so difficult right now," Mary told her, placing a hand over Tara's as they rested on the table. "Just let me know if there's anything I can do to help," she told the younger woman.
"I appreciate that, Mary. Please don't get me wrong, though. I love my kids and would do anything for them. It's just very…overwhelming sometimes," Tara told her, thinking in the back of her mind that her high-school drama teacher would be proud of her right now. There were real tears stinging her eyes, threatening to overflow. "Johnny seemed like such a great guy when we first met; he swept me off my feet. Before I knew it I was pregnant, and the only thing we could think to do was get married. Right after the wedding, I realized he was into drugs, but I loved him so much; I just kept hoping he would change."
"I can just imagine," Mary replied, nodding sympathetically.
"Of course, he didn't change. And he just got more violent over the years, too," Tara added with a shudder. "Now, three and a half kids later, I'm left with lousy memories, and an ex who has trouble holding down a job. I don't know what we're going to do," she said, allowing the tears to spill out onto her cheeks. "I'm sorry," she told Mary, who patted her on the back gently as Tara choked back a sob. "I'm not usually like this, telling complete strangers my life story."
"Don't be," Mary insisted. "I'm not a stranger anymore, Shelby, and I'm happy to listen anytime," she told her gently.
"Thank you," Tara said, gratefully. "I do feel better now, actually," she admitted, wiping the tears from her cheeks.
"Well, this sounds like a lot for anyone to handle. But I want you to know that there are people here who can help you. For starters, since you're new in town, I can arrange for the Welcome Wagon to drop by and give you a basket of goodies. Why don't you just give me your address and phone number, and I'll have them call you?"
"Okay," Tara said, nodding. Her mind was racing, wondering if this could possibly be one of the ways that Mary got to her potential "victims". "I'll write it down and give it to you before I leave. That's very kind of you," she told her. "It's hard to admit it, but I feel like we're going to need all the help we can get."
"Don't worry about it. I'll give you my phone number, too. If you ever need anyone to talk to, just give me a call," Mary said kindly.
"Oh, that's so nice of you, but I don't think I could bother you at home," Tara said hesitantly.
"Oh, please! Don't worry about it; my husband is used to it," Mary told her with a smile. "I do what I can, helping out here, but it still doesn't feel like enough sometimes. I figure the least I can do offer is a shoulder. I'll go get my purse so that I can write down my phone number for you. I'll be right back." Tara nodded and watched as Mary picked up the tub of dirty dishes and hurried off to the kitchen.
Mary seemed so genuine and kind, Tara could absolutely see herself going to her for help if she were in the same desperate situation as some of the people here. She glanced around the room, noticing Myles sitting at one of the tables, speaking with a couple and their two children.
Mary returned before Tara could make eye contact with him and pressed a piece of paper into her hand. "This is the number to my private cell phone; you can call me anytime," she told her.
"Thanks again, Mary," Tara said with a smile. "I just might take you up on that," she warned.
"I hope you do. I know you're new in town and probably need someone to chat with once in awhile. Please don't hesitate to call," Mary told her kindly. "Now, as much as I've enjoyed this break, I really should get back to it." Tara nodded but felt disappointed that the conversation had to end. Still, at least she had forged this friendship with Mary. If Jack and Sue weren't successful on their end, there was a chance she would be able to use this cover to entrap Mary. As far as Tara was concerned, Mary Ryan was looking guiltier than ever now.
Nearly an hour later, Myles and Tara exited the church. Tara let out a groan she'd been holding in for too long, causing Myles to look at her with raised eyebrows.
"Everything okay?" he questioned.
"Ask me that after you've been carrying around 35 extra pounds for three hours!" Tara exclaimed. "My back is killing me; I have to use the bathroom again---I need to take this thing off!"
"Sorry I asked," Myles said, looking mildly amused. "I guess I'd kind of forgotten how uncomfortable you must be."
"Typical male response," Tara muttered, glaring at him.
"Hey, don't look at me! I'm not the one who got you into this mess!" Myles told her, throwing his hands up in the air as if to defend himself. "I knew that Johnny was trouble the moment I laid eyes on him."
"Funny, Myles. Seriously, can we please get away from this church so that I can change out of this get-up?" She rolled her eyes as Myles pretended to search his pockets for his keys, making a big show of pulling them out of his coat pocket. Then he fumbled with them, finally settling on the right key. Tara was ready to throttle him but decided that might cause some unnecessary attention if someone chose this moment to walk into the parking lot.
Myles unlocked her door first and opened it for her. "On a more serious note, it looked like you and Mary had a nice heart-to-heart," he observed, as Tara got into the car.
"We certainly did. Just please, can we get going? I'll tell you everything once you get driving," Tara replied in a tone that bordered on desperation.
As Myles slid into the drivers' seat, he glanced over at his colleague, who was leaning back against the seat with her eyes closed. "Tara, are you okay?" he asked her, sounding concerned.
She opened her eyes, looking at him sheepishly. "I am; I just had no idea how tiring this would be," Tara admitted. "Remind me of this night if I ever decide to get pregnant,"
"I'm sure it wouldn't hinder your decision one bit," Myles told her. Tara raised her eyebrows slightly, always surprised when Myles decided to show his sensitive side. "I actually have always admired what women go through to bring children into the world. But I'm sure when you decide to have a child it will all be worth it. After all, at the end of it, you'll be a mother." He started the car and drove out of the church parking lot, seemingly unaware of the look of surprise Tara gave him.
"Astute observation, Myles," she remarked, with a grin. "In any case, I'm not ready for motherhood yet, and I've had my fill of fake-pregnancy to last me awhile."
"Well, hopefully your fake pregnancy will have a positive result as well," Myles told her. "So, are you going to leave me in the dark, or are you going tell me what you and Mary discussed?"
"Drive a little faster, and I'll tell you everything," Tara told him. Shaking his head, Myles stepped on the gas.