Crossing Danger: A Shelby Nichols Adventure (13 page)

“What?” he asked.

“They ended up shooting each other. All three of them are dead. It’s insane!”

Ramos quickly nodded his agreement, thinking I seemed more than a little upset over something I’d just heard about. Knowing me, there was probably a lot more to it. Had I been there? Quietly, so only I could hear, he took my hand and asked, “Did you see this?”

Pursing my lips together, I nodded. “I’m helping with an investigation, so...yeah. I was at the crime scene. The boy was only seventeen.”

Ramos inhaled sharply and shook his head before catching my gaze. “Shelby...maybe you should stop helping the police.” He was thinking the fact that I hated the sight of blood should be enough to convince me.

I pulled away and sat back in my chair. “I’ve been thinking that too, but not for the same reasons you’re thinking, although ...there is that.”

Just then our food arrived, and I tried to remember how hungry I was a few minutes ago. It smelled delicious, so that helped. In my tirade, I’d forgotten all about Blake, and I realized he’d been listening intently, gleaning the useful information that I helped the police. There was a lot more to me than he realized, and his curiosity ratcheted up a notch.

Oh great! What had I done? Instead of helping Uncle Joey, I was helping his enemy. Crap!

“How’s your omelet?” Ramos asked, concerned that I hadn’t taken a bite, but instead had managed to mangle it into a mess with my fork. “Want some ketchup with that?” He cursed in his mind, thinking that was probably not the best thing to ask since it might remind me of the teenage boy and the blood. Then his eyes widened as he realized I’d probably just heard that. “Damn! Sorry.”

My lips twisted into a smile. “It’s okay. Here...give me some of that.” I held out my hand for the ketchup, and he passed it to me. Then he worried that I might just squirt it all over him to get revenge. I smiled. “Gee Ramos, I hadn’t even thought of that. Maybe I should.”

He didn’t even flinch, but his eyes narrowed and one brow lifted. Did I really want to go there? I looked damn good in my outfit. It would be a shame to have it ruined with ketchup stains.

This time I laughed out loud. “Wow...you’re good...and...thanks for the compliment.” With a flourish, I tipped the ketchup bottle and squirted some onto my omelet, then set it back down. I took a bite and sighed. “Hmm...this is really good.”

I turned my attention to Blake and caught him thinking that our conversation didn’t make any sense. It was like I was talking to myself, even though Ramos was sitting right there. It was weird. He shook his head and finished his coffee. It seemed like we had forgotten him. Maybe it was time to leave.

I caught Ramos’ gaze and nodded my head toward Blake. Ramos quickly rose from his chair and loomed over Blake with a threatening lift of his brow.  “Mr. Beauchaine. Would you care to join us?” It wasn’t a request, and Blake knew it.

He sighed. “I was wondering when you were going to ask.” He placed his napkin on his plate and picked up his coffee cup, then moved into the empty chair beside me.

“Ms. Nichols,” he said with a nod. I nodded back but couldn’t say anything because my mouth was full of food. “Please...don’t let me interrupt. Enjoy your breakfast.” He turned his attention back to Ramos. “I take it Joe found my envelope?”

“He would like to know what you’re doing here,” Ramos said.

“I’m sure he would.” Blake kept his gaze on Ramos, refusing to say anything else. He didn’t want to look like a pushover, so he needed to do some pushing back of his own.

Ramos knew how to play this game. “You can meet with him at his office now or worry about your health for the rest of the day.”

Blake’s nostrils flared, but that was the only thing that gave him away. “As much as I’d like to take you up on your kind offer, I can’t. I have work to do today that can’t wait. But I could meet with Manetto later tonight over drinks...like old friends. How does that sound?”

Ramos took his time answering, taking a sip of juice while keeping his gaze trained on Blake. He’d expected Blake to suggest something like that, but he didn’t want to seem too eager. “All right. I think we can agree to that. Nine p.m. at the Comet Club.” Ramos stood, signaling the discussion was over and he was in charge.

Blake pushed back his chair but, before standing, glanced at me. “Nice to meet you, my dear.” He stood straight and tall, catching Ramos’ gaze with a penetrating one of his own. I knew what he was going to say, and my heart sank. “I’ll be there on one condition.”

“What’s that?”

“She comes.” Blake motioned at me with a tilt of his head.

Ramos held back his grin. This was too easy. Blake had no idea what he was getting into, and having me there was perfect. He glanced at me with apology in his eyes, then turned back to Blake. “Agreed.”

Blake nodded, then left the table, thinking that went better than he’d expected. Now all he had to do was dig up some dirt on me. Or find out if I was helping Joe willingly, and if I could be enticed to come over to his side. He had his work cut out for him but, with his resources, it should be a walk in the park. Without a backward glance, he rounded the corner and was gone.

Ramos sat back down and grimaced. “Sorry about that. I know Manetto would want you there whether I agreed or not, so it just made sense to go along with it. Can you come?”

“I think so,” I said. “But does it have to be the Comet Club? Last time I was there didn’t turn out so good for me.” I didn’t like that place much, mostly because I’d gotten shot there.

Ramos’ brows drew together, remembering how I’d nearly died in the basement. “This is different. No one’s trying to kill you. You’ll be perfectly safe, I promise.” He was thinking,
I’d never let anything happen to you. You know that, right?

I let out a breath and glanced up at him. “Okay...I’ll come.”

“Good,” Ramos said, his lips quirked into a smile. “Don’t forget it’s also where you won a lot of money in a little poker match. That was fun, right?”

“Yeah...it was.” How could I forget about beating Uncle Joey out of his money? It was awesome!

“Did you pick up anything from Blake that we need to know?”

“Not really...except that he’s hoping I’m the weakest link and he can buy me off or something. I have no idea why he’d do that, although he was thinking about connecting Uncle Joey to some investigation he’s working on...or at least that’s what it sounded like.”

“Investigation?” Ramos asked.

“Yeah. What did he mean by that? Do you know what Blake does?” Ramos sighed, but decided he might as well tell me.

“We think he’s a spy.”

Chapter 7

“Seriously?” I asked, surprised. “You mean like a real spying-for-your-country-kind-of-spy, or more of a corporate-espionage-kind-of-spy?”

Ramos shrugged. “I’m not sure. That’s something you’ll have to ask Manetto. But now that you know, don’t let on that you know. I’m not even sure Manetto wanted you to know that, but he can blame me if he doesn’t like it.”

“Um...yeah...okay.”

“You done?”

“Yeah.” I’d only eaten half of my breakfast, but I wasn’t hungry anymore.

Ramos stuffed some cash into the black bill folder and stood. I followed him out to the lobby and we handed our tickets to the valet parking attendant. “I’m not sure I’ve been much help,” I said, chewing my bottom lip.

“Of course you have,” he assured me.

“Hmm...I don’t know. Blake had a lot of thoughts, but most were about me. He picked up that I helped the police, which could be bad, and he already knew I had my own consulting agency.” I finally had the courage to glance into Ramos’ eyes. “He wondered what Uncle Joey had on me and if I could be bought or used against him.”

The attendant pulled my car to a stop and ran toward me with my keys. Ramos intercepted him, took the keys, and deftly slipped him some money. He turned to me and placed the keys in my hand. Giving my hand a warm squeeze, he gazed into my eyes with a sweet tenderness that took my breath away. “Babe. Don’t worry so much. You did fine. I’m sure Manetto will be grateful.”

Taking my arm, he walked me to my car and opened the door. He waited for me to sit down and then leaned in close enough to send my heart racing. I caught the spicy scent of his aftershave and, without thinking, I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply through my nose.

With dawning realization at what I was doing, I jerked them open to find him regarding me with a lopsided grin. “We’ll pick you up tonight at eight-thirty. Sound good?”

“Okay,” I said, breathlessly. He took a step back and closed the door. I sucked in air like I’d forgotten how to breathe, which was pretty much true, and started my car. Wowza.

As I drove away, I rolled down the window to let the cool air knock some sense into my brain. A few seconds later, I was in control, although it kind of freaked me out that he had such an effect on me. I pushed that unsettling thought aside and focused on where I was going next.

I should probably head over to the precinct and talk to Pete again, but just thinking about seeing Bates filled me with dread. Maybe I should see how Billie was doing first, and then go over there. She’d want to know about the thumb-drive, and since I hadn’t given it to Dimples yet, she wouldn’t be mad at me about that. Plus, it would be nice to see how she was doing. With that happy thought, I turned on the radio and sang along with the tunes.

***

I knocked before entering Billie’s room and found her sitting up in bed. “Wow...you look so much better today,” I exclaimed.

“Thanks,” she said. “I’m feeling better too, but I’m stuck in here for a few more days, which is probably a good thing since my parents are here and they’re cleaning up my apartment. Did Drew tell you? He met them yesterday...and I haven’t seen him since.” She was worried that they’d scared him off, since her mom could be a little overbearing. She hadn’t planned on introducing him to her parents this way.

“Yes he told me.”

“What did he say about them?”

“He said they were great.” I wasn’t about to tell her that he thought she was a lot like her mom, since she might equate it with the overbearing part. “I think he’s glad they’re here watching over you so he can do his job and figure out who attacked you.”

“Oh...yeah. That’s probably right.”

“Did you tell him who you think may have stolen the original thumb-drive from your desk at work? That might be a good place for him to start.”

“No. I hadn’t thought of that.” She was thinking she couldn’t remember telling me either. “Did I tell you that?”

“Who you thought it was?” I asked, buying time for a response.

“Yes.” She raised her brow, thinking that was just what she’d said.

“No. You didn’t tell me a thing, but I’m sure you’ve got someone in mind. Don’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Anyway...I’m glad you’re doing better. Don’t worry about the thumb-drive. It’s safe and sound.”

“That’s a relief,” she said. “Please don’t tell Drew you have it. I don’t think he’d let me keep it if he knew.”

“How about I make him a copy?”

She stilled. From my tone of voice, it sounded like I’d already done that. “Did you tell him?”

I let out a big sigh. “Yes. But he figured it out, and I think it’s for the best. I haven’t given it to him yet, but I think I should.” At her raised eyebrows, I continued, “Look, Billie, you were nearly killed over this. It’s not worth your life. You need his help. If it will make you feel better, I’ll make another copy for you. Then you’ll both have one.”

She knew that I was right and she was being stubborn. “Okay...that should work.”

“And tell him who you think took the original too,” I said, since she was being amenable. “We need to get to the bottom of this before anyone else gets hurt.”

She nodded. “Okay, I’ll do it.”

“Good,” I said, smiling. “I guess I’d better go. Is there anything else you need?”

“Drew,” she said. “Can you tell him to come see me?” She missed him and worried he’d give up on her because of her secrets.

“Yes of course. I’m headed over to the precinct right now, so I’ll let him know.”

“Thanks, Shelby,” she said, closing her eyes. She hated to admit it, but now that she didn’t have to keep it from him, she could finally rest, and she realized she should have done it long before now.

***

Since I couldn’t put it off any longer, I got in my car and headed for the precinct. Just as I put the car into drive, an announcer on the radio said they had breaking news and it looked like the missing girl had been found alive and well. My mouth went dry and my heart raced. Were they talking about Chloe?

A second later my fears were confirmed with the announcement that Chloe Peterson had been found safe and unharmed, and was being held at an undisclosed location.

What the freak?! This was terrible. I grabbed my phone and called Holly. She picked up, and I blurted, “What’s going on? I just heard the news on the radio!”

“I know,” she answered. “I just got a call from Scott.”

“What happened? Did he let it out?”

“No, it was Kira. Apparently she’d had enough of the media hounding her every move. I guess this morning one of the reporters told Kira that she didn’t seem upset enough for a mother with a daughter who’d been missing for three days, so what was she hiding? Kira lost it and told the whole bunch that Chloe had been found and was safe so they’d leave her alone.”

“Oh man! So what did Scott tell you to do?” I asked.

“He said to hang tight, and he’d call me back after he talked to the police.”

“Okay. Well, at least no one knows where she is, right?”

“Yeah,” Holly agreed. “Kira didn’t go that far, thank goodness.”

“Do you want me to come over? I was just heading to the precinct when I heard the news on the radio. I was going to see if I could get anything else out of the other cop, but I could come to your place if you want.”

“No. I think you should go to the precinct. Chloe’s fine for now, and I’d rather have you find the cop.”

“Okay,” I said. “Call if you need me for anything.” She agreed, and we disconnected.

This was bad. I probably should have gone straight to the precinct instead of visiting Billie. I could have been there when the news broke out and listened to Pete’s thoughts. I would have known if it was him or not. Now I wouldn’t have that advantage. I vowed then and there not to let Bates get in the way of my better judgment.

A few minutes later, I pulled into the parking lot and found several news people getting out of their vans. I hurried inside where the reporters were gathering. One of the police officers told them that the chief had scheduled a press conference in half an hour, so they needed to be patient and wait.

I ducked around them and through the door to the detective’s offices, finding everyone crowded outside the chief’s office, listening to his plans for the press conference. Dimples caught sight of me and motioned me over.

“I guess you heard?” he asked, his voice low.

“Yeah, on the radio. It was quite a shock. Did you know?”

“We had no idea. So now it looks like we’re doing damage control.”

“What’s the chief telling everyone?” I asked.

“Just that she’s safe, and we’re keeping her off the grid until we know more about where she’s been. That sort of thing.”

I nodded and glanced around to see if Pete was there. I sure wanted to know what he was thinking, but I couldn’t find him in the crowd. I caught a few thoughts about Chloe. Most were glad she was okay, but a few were wondering why all the secrecy, and that there must be more to it.

The meeting broke up, and everyone headed back to their desks. The chief caught sight of me with Dimples and motioned us, along with Bates, into his office. “Shut the door and have a seat,” he said.

I tried not to cringe when Bates sat beside me, and I gamely greeted him with a smile. He ignored me and began to talk. “I just got off the phone with her father, and he wants Chloe to stay at his sister’s house. I’m not sure that’s a good idea, but as long as it stays in this room, it should be all right.”

“What do you think Shelby?” the chief asked.

“I think that’s the best place for her.”

The chief glanced at Dimples. “You?”

“I agree with Shelby,” Dimples answered. “We need to keep her secure until we find out who’s involved.”

“All right, we’ll leave that option open,” the chief agreed. “But how close are we to solving this?” He glanced at me for an answer.

I cleared my throat. “I’m hoping I’ll know soon.”

“What have you done so far?”

“Questioned the officers Chloe picked out,” I answered. “From what I could pick up, I’m pretty sure it’s not Bellini, but I’m not sure about the other one. I need to talk with him again.”

“Who’s that?”

“Uh...Pete Royce.”

The chief’s brows drew together. “He’s a good cop. Been working narcotics, but he seems solid.”

I shrugged, since I couldn’t be more specific about my premonitions.

“Yeah...well, he was connected to the two drug dealers,” Bates said, surprising me. “He arrested them a few months ago, but the charges were dropped. So there might be something to it.”

Chief Winder stood, then placed his hands on his desk and leaned his imposing bulk toward us, barely restraining his frustration. “Well...figure it out! Do some real investigating. I’ve got the press and Chloe’s parents breathing down my neck. This needs to be solved yesterday.”

He glanced at me with disappointment, thinking that, normally, I’d have solved this case...yesterday. Maybe my premonitions didn’t always work, and they were relying on me too much.

He let out a breath and straightened. “It’s time for the press conference. I want the three of you in the room with me. Let’s go.”

I dutifully followed behind him, a stab of pain in my heart that the chief thought I’d let him down. Of course Bates had told him I hadn’t come through, so naturally he had doubts, but it still hurt. We turned into the large conference room, and I flinched when someone snapped a photo. Most of the reporters wondered what I was doing there and who I was, but there were a few who knew my name.

I didn’t like being in the limelight much, so I stayed back by the door while the chief took his place at the podium with Dimples and Bates standing behind him. The room quieted except for the clicking of cameras.

“Chloe Peterson was found safe yesterday,” the chief began. “Due to extenuating circumstances, we are keeping her location private but, let me assure you, she is unharmed and doing well. I can tell you that she was not kidnapped or taken against her will and has returned of her own accord. Her family asks that you allow them space to deal with this experience and the consequences of her actions. Thank you.”

“Why didn’t you tell us this yesterday?” someone shouted. “Was she involved in something illegal? Was she alone? Where has she been?”

The chief held up his hands, and the questions subsided. “Because this is an ongoing investigation, I am not at liberty to tell you the details. Just know that she is safe and unharmed.”

“Do you know where she is?” The low voice caught me off-guard, and I glanced over my shoulder to find Pete Royce standing close, his gaze scanning the crowd. I didn’t answer right away, and he frowned, thinking I must know, or I would have denied it by now.

“I have my ideas,” I said. “But no one’s talking, so I don’t know for sure.” He finally looked at me, trying to determine if I was telling the truth. “Do you?” I countered.

His eyes crinkled at the corners with a barely perceived smile. I’d turned the tables on him...good for me. “I have my ideas too.”

He motioned with his head to exit the room, and I followed him out, stopping in a corner of the hall away from the crowd. “Look...I knew those guys at the house, and I’ve been working narcotics for a long time. I can probably help you, but I need to know what’s going on.”