Deep In Death: A Shelby Nichols Adventure by Colleen Helme
I glanced at Ramos, and he shrugged, but deep down he wasn’t sorry Kate had found him out and waylaid his plans. Even if it put him in a hot spot, he figured Manetto should give Kate the opportunity to fix the problem herself. Sometimes Manetto was a little too heavy-handed where she was concerned. That’s probably what drove her to side against Manetto in the first place with Walter, a man now dead, who had tried to take over Uncle Joey’s organization a few months ago.
“Okay,” I said, more intrigued than anything. “I’ll help. Just so you know…my going rate is five hundred dollars an hour.” I quoted a sum higher than my normal fees, but she was desperate, and I’d learned from the best how to take advantage of that. I glanced at Uncle Joey for his approval. He hid a smile, but was thinking she probably would have paid more if I would have started a little higher.
“Great,” she said, relieved I hadn’t asked for more. “I thought maybe you could meet us for lunch tomorrow? Around one? He has an appointment at two, so once he leaves, you can tell me what you picked up and we’ll be done.” She was thinking that even if it took a little longer than an hour she wasn’t about to pay me more. Oops, did I hear that? Her gaze caught mine and she shrugged, hoping I wouldn’t be offended.
“That should work. How about we meet at The Cheesecake Factory and you pay for lunch?” Since that was one of my favorite restaurants, I figured if she paid, it wouldn’t matter if we went over the hour.
“All right, I’ll see you there at one.” She glanced at Uncle Joey. “And if you don’t mind, I can do whatever I need to from there. Without your involvement.” She included Ramos in her statement, then stood and haughtily sauntered out of the room.
We all breathed a sigh of relief to have her gone, and I glanced at Uncle Joey. “She’s not too happy with you. Maybe you should just leave her alone from now on.”
Uncle Joey’s lips twisted. “Not a chance. I’ve invested heavily in the business, and I’m not about to let her ruin it because of some man she’s attracted to.”
I couldn’t fault him for that. “Hmm…you’ve got a point there.”
He nodded, agreeing with me wholeheartedly. “Now…tell me how you’ve been. We’ve kind of missed you around here.”
I smiled that he would admit to missing me. It made me feel warm inside. “To be honest, I’ve been a little bored.” At his raised brows, I continued. “Not that I miss getting shot at or anything. That part’s been great. It’s just that I’ve kind of gotten used to doing stuff for you. So tell me…Chris made it sound like you wouldn’t be calling me so much. Is that right?”
“I told Chris what he wanted to hear,” he began. “I knew you needed time to heal and I know he doesn’t like that you work for me. But don’t ever forget that you and I have an arrangement, and it’s not up to your husband how I do business.”
His steely-eyed gaze caught mine, sending the message loud and clear that he wasn’t about to take orders from Chris. “However,” he continued. “I understand his concern for your safety. I have no desire to see you get hurt, so for now, I’ll try to keep things simple. Things like meeting with Kate, or coming here for special appointments.” He was thinking that sending me on errands hadn’t turned out so well, so he was willing to compromise. If I used my abilities where he could keep an eye on me, I should be safe. “If your husband can’t handle that, then I suggest you don’t tell him.”
His meaning was perfectly clear to me. I also picked up a certain amount of satisfaction when he thought of Chris, but I couldn’t understand why. “I’m sure that won’t be a problem.”
“Good. I’m glad that’s settled.” He let down his guard and I picked up that he tried not to get attached to most people, but I was like family now, and he’d do what he could to keep me safe.
“Thanks,” I said. “I appreciate that.” He pursed his lips, realizing once again how he couldn’t keep much from me.
Maybe now was a good time to leave since I didn’t want to make him mad. “Well, I guess I’ll go.” I stood, and both Uncle Joey and Ramos stood as well.
Uncle Joey glanced at Ramos. “I guess you’re off the hook for this fiasco with Kate. Do you think Shelby will be safe meeting with Kate tomorrow, or do you think she’ll get shot at?”
Ramos chuckled. “Who knows…it is Shelby we’re talking about. Maybe I should go too, just to make sure.” He liked teasing me, but behind his words he was thinking how easy it was for me to get into trouble without even trying.
“Hey…I’m touched and all, but I’m sure I’ll be fine. It’s just lunch. What could go wrong?” I heard both of them thinking that where I was concerned…anything could happen. Especially considering how much Kate and I hated each other. “Come on guys, unless you think Kate’s going to try to kill me…which I know you don’t, I’ll be fine.”
“You sure?” Ramos asked, stepping close enough to invade my private space, and gazing deep into my eyes.
“Yeah.” Having him this close made my heart flutter, and I knew I wouldn’t mind having Ramos along, not for his protection, but because I liked the eye-candy part of being with him. That probably made me a bad wife…dang. “Yeah…” I repeated, stepping away. “You shouldn’t come…I mean…you don’t have to come. I’ll be fine. I’ve got my stun flashlight, so I can take care of myself.”
His eyes narrowed with a mischievous glint. “Hmm…okay. I certainly don’t want to make you nervous.”
“I’m not nervous. I just think…I mean…I’m sure you’ve got better things to do, right?”
He was thinking nope, but was saved from answering by the ringing of Uncle Joey’s phone. “Yes?” Uncle Joey asked. “Ah…yes we’re done. Send him on back.” He set the phone down on the receiver and glanced at Ramos. “It looks like Shelby will be fine without you.” To me he continued, “Just don’t forget to let me know what you find out about Kate tomorrow.”
“Sure. No problem. See you later.” I opened the door, eager to leave, and nearly collided with a man entering Uncle Joey’s office. “Oh…excuse me.” I stopped short, but we were so close I could smell his aftershave. Our gazes caught and I couldn’t help the shiver of danger that passed over me. He had the classic Italian features of olive skin, a straight nose, and black wavy hair. His keen, dark eyes glanced over me in appreciation, and his nostrils flared.
“Please, excuse me,” he answered, with a slight accent. “I didn’t know such a lovely woman was here or I would have waited before I barged in.”
“Oh…it’s all right,” I said, my voice breathless. My pulse raced and it was hard to keep from fanning my face. I ended up putting a hand over my heart instead. “I was just leaving.”
“Yes…I see that,” he answered. An amused smile lit his face. “I am Giovanni Passini, at your service.” He held out his hand for me to shake, but as soon as I placed my hand in his, he lifted it to his lips and placed a kiss on my knuckles.
If I was rattled before, now I was speechless. I couldn’t even remember my name. “Uh…nice to meet you. I’m…uh…Shelby Nichols.” I pulled my hand out of his grasp and took a step back. “I guess I’ll be going now.” I glanced around Giovanni and waved. “Bye Uncle Joey, Ramos.”
I hurried out the door, pulling it behind me, but on impulse, left it slightly ajar so I could eavesdrop. That guy was something else, and I wanted to know what he was up to. Giovanni spoke without even a hint of an accent. “What a charming niece you have, Manetto. Where did you get her?”
“That’s none of your concern,” Uncle Joey said, his voice hard. “And I suggest you walk carefully. You’re in my domain and I’m not happy you’re here.”
“Of course… I apologize,” he answered. He was thinking that he enjoyed hitting a nerve with Manetto, even though it was probably a stupid thing to do. “As you know, my father has died. I want to work out a better arrangement for both of us now that he’s gone.”
I stayed by the door until I heard the squeak of Jackie’s chair. Knowing she was probably coming to see
She rounded the corner and stopped. “Oh…there you are,” she said. Her shoulders relaxed and she smiled, wondering what had kept me so long. Knowing how Joe felt about Jon Passini, she didn’t think it was a good idea for me to be involved. If he was anything like his father, he was going to make trouble for them and Joe wouldn’t like it one bit. “Did you get everything taken care of?”
“Yes. I’m all set. See you later.” I smiled at Jackie with a confidence I didn’t feel and hurried to the elevators. My heart was still pounding as I rode down to the parking level, but by the time I got in my car, I could finally breathe normally again.
This Giovanni or Jon person was bad news. No matter how charming he was, he definitely wasn’t a friend of the family like he tried to portray. More than that, I picked up deep resentment and anger. He had an agenda to fulfill…and the person he had the biggest plans for was Uncle Joey.
Chapter 3
I drove home determined to get started on my missing person case, and not worry so much about Uncle Joey, but I still couldn’t stop thinking about the mess he was in. I pulled into my garage and hurried inside. It was almost three in the afternoon and I was hungry, so I rummaged through my refrigerator for something to eat. Nothing looked good, but it was mostly due to my anxiety about Uncle Joey. In desperation, I whipped out my phone and pushed number seven on my speed dial. He answered on the third ring.
“Shelby? I didn’t think I’d be hearing from you until tomorrow. Is something wrong?”
“Yes. Is that Giovanni person still there?” I asked.
“Um…no. He just left.”
“Good. There’s something you should know about him.”
“Okay…what?” he asked.
“I wasn’t able to pick up a whole lot, but he’s…a bad person.” It hit me that I could have been describing Uncle Joey, and my palms got a little sweaty, so I hurried on to explain. “What I mean is, he’s just full of resentment and anger and he’s got big plans for you, as in…bad-for-you-plans.”
“Hmm…do you know what those plans are?” he asked.
“No, I wasn’t able to pick up on that.”
“Okay. Anything else?”
“Um…yes.” I hesitated, not sure how to proceed, but hearing Uncle Joey sigh, I decided I might as well put in my two-bits-worth. “I think you should call off whatever’s going on with him, and if you don’t, then at least let me listen to him so you know what his plans are.”
“Thanks Shelby,” he said. “I’m touched that you care so much, but I’m afraid it’s too late to call anything off.” He was silent for a minute, so I figured he was trying to decide how to best use my abilities in his nefarious schemes. “I know you’re worried about this situation, but to be honest, I’m not sure I want you involved in this.”
“What?” I squeaked. “Are you crazy? Don’t you want to know what his plans are?” This was like a dream come true for me, but for some reason, it didn’t make me happy like it should.
He chuckled, and I could visualize him shaking his head. “It’s not that. It’s just that the last few times I’ve sent you on simple errands, you’ve nearly gotten killed. They weren’t dangerous errands either. I know this is a delicate matter, so I’m not sure I should involve you. Besides, there are some things about my business that you would be better off not knowing.”
“Oh…well…I suppose you’re right about that.” Did he think I would double-cross him? Or was it more like I was a liability?
“Listen…if I get in a bind and I can see a way for you to help me out without getting you killed, I’ll let you know. This situation I’m in has been going on for quite some time now, years in fact, and recently, things have changed. After that meeting I just had, I realize it’s time to resolve it…no matter how dangerous…and it could get a little dicey. And by that I mean life-and- death dicey.”
“Oh. Okay.” What did he mean by that? Did he think he might have to kill someone? Or that he might die? If that was the case, I definitely did not want to get involved.
“I’ll let you know if you can help, and I’ll expect to hear from you tomorrow after your lunch with Kate.” The line went dead, and I sat there in shock. Who would have thought Uncle Joey wouldn’t want my help? It was so far from how he normally behaved that I could hardly believe it. What the heck was going on?
He even made it sound like he might not make it out alive. That probably applied to Ramos too, and pain tightened my chest. I realized that just this morning I was thinking that something was wrong with me for liking a mob-boss and his hit-man, and now that he didn’t want my help in a dangerous situation, I was relieved, but…what if he died? Would I feel like it was my fault?
I blew out a breath. I’d have to take Uncle Joey at his word and trust that if he needed my help, he would ask. Other than that, it was something he’d have to take care of himself. Chris would certainly be happy about this turn of events, so why was I still worried? Ugh! Maybe I really did need to see a shrink, especially since I couldn’t go to lunch tomorrow with Holly now that I had to meet up with Kate.
My cell phone rang. Glad for the distraction, I quickly picked it up. “Hello?”
“Hi Shelby! It’s Billie. How are you doing? How’s the arm?”
“Oh, hi Billie. Doing better thanks.”
“Good,” she answered. “Hey…I just got off the phone with Drew. He told me you solved the case he was working on. Single-handedly. He was pretty impressed. I guess everyone was. It made me wish I could have been there.”
I let out a soft laugh, a little embarrassed by all the praise. “Oh, yeah…well, you know me and my premonitions.”
“Yeah. I think you’ve certainly made a name for yourself with the police department. Anyway, he told me to give you a call, said you were working on a dead file case.”
“That’s right,” I said. “I’m just getting started on it now. How about you? Got anything interesting you’re working on?”
“Well…I’m keeping pretty busy covering the homicides for the paper. If I could interview you about this latest case, that might be good. I know it’s late, but have you had lunch yet today? Maybe we could grab a bite to eat…say in about fifteen minutes?” I didn’t answer right away, so of course, she plunged in. “There’s that Paradise Bakery real close to you… how does that sound?”
“Hmm…well, I’ve got a lot of work to do, but I haven’t had lunch yet and I am hungry…”
“I’ll buy,” she said, pushy as ever. “And don’t forget about the cookie they give you. Those are really good.”
“Okay, I’ll meet you there.” It wasn’t lunch with Holly, but maybe this diversion would be good for me, and I looked forward to seeing Billie again. It was also good for Dimples, since meeting in person was the best way to find out what kind of secrets she might be keeping.
When I arrived, Billie was waiting for me and waved me over. I hadn’t seen her since she’d helped me beat a murder rap, and for that, I would always be grateful. After a quick hug, we got in line and soon had our sandwiches and cookies in hand.
“So tell me what happened at the precinct,” she began. “How did you know Spencer was guilty?”
I told her that I had a premonition of him with a bloody knife in his hand. “He kind of broke down when I told him he didn’t mean to do it. That’s when he confessed.”
“My goodness, you’re really good at interrogating people. Those types of leading questions are mostly just guesses. Usually when you do that, you’re wrong more times than you are right. But I guess with your premonitions, you’ve got the upper hand.” She’d seen me in action, and it amazed her every time. She also thought it could come in handy with what she was looking into right now. “Hey…I have a couple of projects I’ve got some leads on, and I’m not really sure which one has the most promise. Do you think you could help me? Do your little voodoo thing?” Her ey
I smiled. “It depends on what I’d have to do. I’m trying to stay away from the bad guys for a while.”
“Oh yeah.” She chuckled. “But the thing is…I don’t know if they’re bad or not. That’s where you’d come in. All you’d have to do is go with me when I interview them for a story. You wouldn’t even have to say anything. If you got any kind of bad premonitions about them, then I’d know if it was worth pursuing.”
Wow. That sounded a lot like Uncle Joey. “That sounds fair. Who did you have in mind?”
“Well the first person is the Attorney General, Grayson Sharp,” she began. “You’ve probably heard in the news that he’s been allegedly taking money for his campaign to ensure certain people won’t get prosecuted, right? I think one of them might be Joe Manetto, and if I could tie those two together, it would be quite the story, don’t you think?”
My breath caught and I started choking on my sandwich. With watering eyes, I spit the food out of my mouth onto my plate and grabbed my drink. Billie jumped up and started pounding me on the back, making it ten times worse. Taking deep breaths, I finally managed to whisper, “I’m okay…I’m okay.”
“Are you sure?” she asked. “Do you need me to do the Heimlich maneuver or anything?”
“No! I’m fine now.” I took a few more swallows of soda and caught my breath. Billie watched me with anxious eyes until the episode passed. She was thinking my reaction was probably due to what she’d said. She knew Manetto was the reason that judge had shot me in the arm, and she wondered if I knew more about him than I’d said. If so, she needed to know what it was.
“Look Billie,” I said. “You should leave Manetto alone. I’m serious.”
Now she was more curious than ever. “What do you know about him?”
“No…that’s not what I mean. You’ve heard of his reputation. He’s got resources you couldn’t even dream of. He’s untouchable. Believe me…you don’t want to get on his radar.” Her brows lifted with speculation. Everything I’d said just made her more interested. My heart sank. I was totally botching this up. “Someday…I’ll explain why, but as a personal favor to me, will you just leave it alone?”