Mall Santa Murder: A Cozy Christmas Mystery (Gemma Stone Cozy Mystery Book 1) by Willow Monroe
Authors: Willow Monroe
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could just rip the door off the hinges to see if Gemma was inside.
Picking up on Nick’s impatience, Ross pounded on the door with his fist. “Jackson, are you in there?”
Nothing.
“Okay, let’s go see if there are any other cars left in the parking lot,” Ross said, with the sinking feeling that they were quickly running out of time.
Chapter Fourteen
G emma almost cried when she saw two shadowy figures enter the mall on the screen behind Grady’s desk. Even though she was tied to the chair, she might be able to get out of this situation with Jackson - maybe. He had put the gun down and was watching the screen as well. But with three of them surrounding her, she didn’t stand a chance.
The two men on the camera headed in the direction of her kiosk and Gemma closed her eyes. If they really wanted to get to the merchandise, they could easily break the glass. They were going to lose everything. Poor Holly had worked so hard. The future had looked so bright just hours earlier. And then she recognized one of the men.
"Nick," she breathed his name before she thought,
Grady turned and gave her that cold little smile. "As soon as your boyfriends leave I'll lock that front door and we can continue."
“You’ll never get away with this,” Gemma told him, trying to keep her voice from trembling.
“Oh, I think I will,” he said with a little smile again. “I’ve managed to fly under the radar for a while now. By the time they find your body, in the morning, I’ll be halfway across the country.”
Gemma looked at the screen again and the men were nowhere in sight. Grady pressed some keys on his keyboard and a grid appeared, giving them a view of each of the bathrooms. Nick and Ross were searching for her. A few more clicks and they were looking at HealthGems kiosk again. Nick and Ross reappeared and seemed to be talking.
What she thought had been military bravado had been nothing more than evil. Gemma kept her eyes on the screen, holding her breath. The men disappeared again but now she could hear them, their voices muffled by the thick concrete wall.
Just before Gemma screamed, Grady slapped a hot, sweaty hand across her mouth so hard she saw stars. Grady was behind her now, the barrel of the gun pressed into her temple. He was squeezing her face so hard she could barely breathe.
"One sound and I'll kill you right here, right now," he hissed in her ear. "And they'll be next."
“She hates this bathroom,” she thought she heard Nick say.
“I can see why,” Ross answered. The door squeaked open and she heard him call her name.
Her scream came out as nothing more than a whimper. She heard Nick and Ross come back out of the bathroom. Heard the door knob turn and rattle. Then she heard a polite knock.
“He has to be here somewhere,” Nick said.
Someone pounded on the door. “Jackson, are you in there?” That was Ross. He sounded as impatient as Nick.
Grady Jackson squeezed her face so tight with his fingers she had trouble breathing. He pushed the gun deeper into the skin on her temple.
“Okay, let’s go see if there are any other cars left in the parking lot,” Ross said.
Gemma’s heart sank as she listened to their footsteps moving away. In just a few moments, she saw the two shadowy figures which she knew to be Nick and Ross on the screen again. They were moving toward the same entrance where they’d entered the mall.
“Good girl,” Grady said, when the door closed behind them. “Now, you wait right here until I get back. Then we’ll go visit Santa Land.”
Even as he left the room, she began struggling with her bonds. The zip ties held firm. Gemma watched him swagger to the doors where Nick and Ross had just left and lock them securely. She knew she was truly alone with him now. She watched as he took his time moving from one door to another making sure it was locked. Finally, she hung her head and wept openly.
When Grady returned to his office, he didn’t immediately untie Gemma.
Picking up on Nick’s impatience, Ross pounded on the door with his fist. “Jackson, are you in there?”
Nothing.
“Okay, let’s go see if there are any other cars left in the parking lot,” Ross said, with the sinking feeling that they were quickly running out of time.
Chapter Fourteen
G emma almost cried when she saw two shadowy figures enter the mall on the screen behind Grady’s desk. Even though she was tied to the chair, she might be able to get out of this situation with Jackson - maybe. He had put the gun down and was watching the screen as well. But with three of them surrounding her, she didn’t stand a chance.
The two men on the camera headed in the direction of her kiosk and Gemma closed her eyes. If they really wanted to get to the merchandise, they could easily break the glass. They were going to lose everything. Poor Holly had worked so hard. The future had looked so bright just hours earlier. And then she recognized one of the men.
"Nick," she breathed his name before she thought,
Grady turned and gave her that cold little smile. "As soon as your boyfriends leave I'll lock that front door and we can continue."
“You’ll never get away with this,” Gemma told him, trying to keep her voice from trembling.
“Oh, I think I will,” he said with a little smile again. “I’ve managed to fly under the radar for a while now. By the time they find your body, in the morning, I’ll be halfway across the country.”
Gemma looked at the screen again and the men were nowhere in sight. Grady pressed some keys on his keyboard and a grid appeared, giving them a view of each of the bathrooms. Nick and Ross were searching for her. A few more clicks and they were looking at HealthGems kiosk again. Nick and Ross reappeared and seemed to be talking.
What she thought had been military bravado had been nothing more than evil. Gemma kept her eyes on the screen, holding her breath. The men disappeared again but now she could hear them, their voices muffled by the thick concrete wall.
Just before Gemma screamed, Grady slapped a hot, sweaty hand across her mouth so hard she saw stars. Grady was behind her now, the barrel of the gun pressed into her temple. He was squeezing her face so hard she could barely breathe.
"One sound and I'll kill you right here, right now," he hissed in her ear. "And they'll be next."
“She hates this bathroom,” she thought she heard Nick say.
“I can see why,” Ross answered. The door squeaked open and she heard him call her name.
Her scream came out as nothing more than a whimper. She heard Nick and Ross come back out of the bathroom. Heard the door knob turn and rattle. Then she heard a polite knock.
“He has to be here somewhere,” Nick said.
Someone pounded on the door. “Jackson, are you in there?” That was Ross. He sounded as impatient as Nick.
Grady Jackson squeezed her face so tight with his fingers she had trouble breathing. He pushed the gun deeper into the skin on her temple.
“Okay, let’s go see if there are any other cars left in the parking lot,” Ross said.
Gemma’s heart sank as she listened to their footsteps moving away. In just a few moments, she saw the two shadowy figures which she knew to be Nick and Ross on the screen again. They were moving toward the same entrance where they’d entered the mall.
“Good girl,” Grady said, when the door closed behind them. “Now, you wait right here until I get back. Then we’ll go visit Santa Land.”
Even as he left the room, she began struggling with her bonds. The zip ties held firm. Gemma watched him swagger to the doors where Nick and Ross had just left and lock them securely. She knew she was truly alone with him now. She watched as he took his time moving from one door to another making sure it was locked. Finally, she hung her head and wept openly.
When Grady returned to his office, he didn’t immediately untie Gemma.
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