Behind Blue Eyes

A SHELBY NICHOLS ADVENTURE

Colleen Helme

Copyright © 2019 by Colleen Helme.

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Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.

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Behind Blue Eyes/ Colleen Helme. -- 1st ed.

The Shelby Nichols Adventure Series

Carrots

Fast Money

Lie or Die

Secrets That Kill

Trapped by Revenge

Deep in Death

Crossing Danger

Devious Minds

Hidden Deception

Laced in Lies

Deadly Escape

Marked for Murder

Devil in a Black Suit ~ A Ramos Adventure

A Midsummer Night’s Murder ~ A Shelby Nichols Novella

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 1

I took a deep breath and opened the car door. Wearing impossibly tall heels and a tight pencil skirt made it difficult to get out of the car. Pushing to my feet, I straightened my skirt, made sure my blue, button-up blouse was tucked in properly, and shut the door.

Exhaling to steady my nerves, I slung my purse over my shoulder and stepped purposefully toward the entrance to the tall building. Inside, I held my head high, doing my best to exude total confidence, and pushed the call button for the elevator. No one but me needed to know that I’d barely started my own consulting business, and Alex Drake, the CEO of a huge corporation, was my biggest client to date.

So far, my experience was limited to helping a police detective solve a few cases. It wasn’t much, but it got me on the payroll as a paid consultant. I wasn’t sure how Alex Drake had found out about me, but it could have been at the Museum Gala, where I’d been given an award for helping the police find a couple of stolen paintings worth millions. Lots of rich people had attended, and since he’s one of the richest people in town, he was probably there.

But there was another way he could have found out about me: through the local mob boss, Joey “The Knife” Manetto. If that was the case, I might have to change my mind about taking the job. Working for Manetto, or Uncle Joey, as I call him, was only something I did because he coerced me into it.

Uncle Joey had learned about me because of his niece, Kate, who wanted him to kill me. I’d had to tell him that I could read minds to stay alive. Now I’m his ace-in-the-hole, and I’ve had to work for him to keep myself and my loved ones from harm. He’s not my real uncle. I just call him that because Kate did, and he didn’t like it much. Now I do it to bug him.

I’ve had to attend a few meetings with Uncle Joey and his minions so I could tell him what they’re really thinking. I’ve learned a lot about diplomacy, since it’s hard to tell a mob boss straight up that people hate his guts. I’ve also found out a few secrets that I’m afraid just push me deeper and deeper down the rabbit hole.

Then there are my mind reading skills. So far, only Uncle Joey, his hitman, Ramos, and my husband, Chris, know the truth about me. And Kate, but she’s out of the picture for now. Everyone else thinks I just have premonitions, including my kids, which suits me just fine.

Still, it’s hard to believe that getting shot in the head by a robber while grocery shopping for carrots could turn out like this. Who would have thought a person could read minds anyway?

It’s been a few months since that fateful day, but I’m still learning how to manage my ability. I find it difficult not to answer random thoughts I pick up from people, especially when they’re about me. I’m getting better at it, but there are times I wish I could defend myself to someone who’s thinking I’m a ditzy blonde.

Yes, I’m blonde, but I’m far from ditzy. Jeez.

The elevator ride to the ninth floor went by much faster than I liked. The doors split open, and my stomach clenched with nerves. Pushing my trepidation away, I stepped through the office doors and into cool elegance.

The white and dove-gray painted walls, combined with white tiled flooring made me think I’d just entered the pearly gates to meet with Saint Peter. I wasn’t sure yet if I was going to heaven or hell.

Cobalt blue vases, holding a variety of green plants and flowers, accented the corners, while bright, abstract paintings covered the walls.

The receptionist’s desk was also white, with the usual office supplies and computer in white. I half expected her to be attired in a white suit, but instead she wore a classic, peach-colored, sheath dress that warmed the place by at least ten degrees.

I approached the receptionist and put on my friendly smile. “Hi. I’m Shelby Nichols, here to see Alex Drake.”

The receptionist looked me over, wondering why Drake wanted to see me. From his surly behavior lately, she hoped I could stand up for myself but, from my eager-to-please smile, I looked like someone he could rake over the coals and eat for breakfast. She sure hoped I wasn’t the crying sort.

What did she mean by that? Was Alex Drake one of those male chauvinist tyrants who liked to bully women? My heart sank. It was just my luck that instead of heading to heaven, I was on my way to hell.

“Please sign in, and I’ll let him know you’re here,” she said, pushing an elegant, black leather logbook in front of me with a fancy fountain pen attached. It reminded me of signing in at a doctor’s office, only on a much more elaborate scale. At my puzzled frown, she continued, “For security purposes.”

“Okay, sure.” I quickly signed my name and handed it back to her. She checked my signature, then placed the book on her desk and took a bolstering breath before turning down the hall. She fervently hoped Blake had remembered the appointment and wouldn’t yell at her for the interruption.

After a quick knock, she disappeared inside to announce me. A moment later, she came back to me with obvious relief. “He’ll see you now.” I followed her to the office, imagining a beast-like hairy person with horns sticking out of his head and a ring through his nose.

I entered, surprised to find a handsome, but unsmiling, man standing to greet me. His thick, sandy hair had just the right amount of gel to be stylish without trying.

“Hi, I’m Shelby Nichols.” I reached to shake his outstretched hand, and my breath caught to find the bluest eyes I’d ever seen. The color stood out even more because of the long, dark lashes that bordered them.

As he took my hand, I caught the same thoughts from his mind about my blue eyes. The irony brought a warm smile to my lips.

“Alex Drake,” he said. Instead of smiling back like I expected, his lips turned into a grimace, and he abruptly dropped my hand, gesturing toward a plush chair in front of his desk. “Have a seat.”

His brusque tone would have unsettled me, but I picked up that he used it to hide any weakness that would undermine his ruthless authority. Just like Uncle Joey. What had I gotten into now?

“Thank you.” I kept my tone light to hide my worry. “So… Mr. Drake, how can I help you?”

“Call me Drake,” he said, his voice low and hard. “I need help finding something that was taken from me.” He sent a piercing stare my way, his brow raised with an underlying challenge. “I’m taking a chance on you but, from what I’ve gathered, you’re someone who can be trusted, and that means more than a bunch of credentials.”

He was thinking that if I worked for Joey “The Knife” Manetto, I was bound to be discreet, and that’s what he needed for the job. It was painful enough to admit that he’d been taken advantage of, and he sure as hell didn’t want anyone else to know about it.

He’d also heard that I had “premonitions,” and that fact alone intrigued him. He figured there must be some truth to it, or Manetto would have dropped me flat. It might also be the one thing that could solve his predicament. His piercing blue gaze judged my reaction, hoping to sense any false emotion I might display.

“Of course,” I said. I wanted to show him that I was a professional and shoved away any qualms I had about working for someone who knew Uncle Joey. “What did you lose?”

A quick expression of regret that I didn’t already know crossed his features, then his eyes turned hard, and his lips drew into a thin line.

“An acquaintance took an antique pocket watch from me. It belonged to my grandfather and has no other value than a sentimental one, but I want it back. She’s disappeared, and I can’t find her. I’m hoping you’ll be able to track her down so I can get my watch back.”

That statement wasn’t exactly true. The larger-than-normal watch held a secret compartment. Inside, he’d hidden a number of flawless diamonds worth several hundred thousand dollars. He didn’t know how she’d found out about them, but once she got her hands on the watch, she’d disappeared without a trace.

I picked up that he’d gone to her apartment, only to find the landlord cleaning it out. She wouldn’t answer her phone, and now it just went to voicemail. The company she worked for told him she was on leave. It was like she’d never existed.

None of it made sense. He could only believe that she’d played him. But the worst part was that he’d fallen for it. She’d made him believe that she loved him. Not his money or his success. Him. How could he be so stupid? He should have known it wasn’t real. Just like all the others. They only wanted him for his money, even the rich ones. Dark fury unfurled in his chest, and he could hardly see straight.

“What’s her name?”

My question pulled him from his dark thoughts. “Lily Daniels. But it’s probably not her real name. I’m afraid she conned me.” It pained him to say it, but if he wanted me to find her, he had to tell me what had happened. “Here’s a picture of us.”

He handed me a photo. In it, he smiled brightly, something I doubted he did very often. His arm circled a woman’s small waist, and her lips tilted up slightly, reminding me of the famous smile on the Mona Lisa that made her look like she was hiding something.

“Okay,” I responded, letting out a breath. “Let me get this straight. You don’t think Lily Daniels is her real name. She no longer lives at her apartment. She won’t answer her phone, and she’s on leave from her job. Is that right?”

His breath caught, and he sent his piercing gaze my way. What the hell? He hadn’t told me any of that, but I knew. Was it because of my premonitions? Who else could have told me? He’d kept it close to his chest, mostly because it humiliated him to no end. “How did you know those details?”

“You’re aware that I have a special psychic ability, right?” At his nod, I continued. “I picked it up when you showed me the photo.”

“So you need something physical to see or touch?”

“Not always,” I hedged. “But it doesn’t hurt. Now… about the diamonds. Are they traceable? We might be able to find them that way, even if we can’t find her.”

His jaw dropped open, and he gaped at me with widened eyes. He hadn’t told a single person about the diamonds, not even Lily. Somehow she’d found out. But how did I know?

Oops. Maybe I should have been a little more circumspect about how I revealed that to him. This mind reading thing was harder than I thought. Even if I called it premonitions, it still tended to shock people, and I needed to be more careful.

“You’re probably wondering how I knew about them, but…” I wasn’t sure how to explain, and I didn’t want to give away my secret. Then my gaze locked on the photo, and I let out a relieved breath. “Uh… the watch is in the picture too… see?” I pointed out the chain dangling from his suit pocket and hoped I was right.

“Oh yeah… I suppose it is.” His eyes suddenly lit up with that same cold calculation I’d seen in Uncle Joey’s gaze. He was thinking that I was the real deal. It was huge. Then he wondered how he could get me to work for him on a more permanent basis. Just like Manetto.

Oh great! This was terrible. I needed to get his focus back to the reason for my visit, ASAP. “Why don’t you give me everything you have on her, so I can get started?”

He nodded, willing to let his plans go for now, but he wasn’t about to give up on me and my potential. With more enthusiasm than I’d seen so far, he handed me a folder. “I had a file made for you.”

As he handed it over, he wondered why I didn’t know that already, but it didn’t faze him. I’d proven my worth by telling him about the diamonds that nobody knew about… of course, that wasn’t true, as Lily now had them. But how had she found out? He’d never told anyone.

“Thanks.” I tucked the folder into my bag and glanced his way. “If you want, I could talk to your staff and find out who might have told her about the diamonds. You obviously have a leak… unless you told her unwittingly?”

His brows shot up. How dare I insinuate such a thing? “No. I didn’t tell her.” Then he remembered telling her how much the watch meant to him. He might have even said it was more valuable than anyone could guess. Had she examined it while he’d been sleeping and found the hidden compartment? It was a possibility that he hadn’t wanted to consider until now. That must have been how it happened.

He shook his head, thinking what an idiot he’d been. Why had he ever let her get under his skin anyway? Even now, thoughts of her sent shards of sadness through his chest, making it hard to breathe. He could still hardly believe she’d betrayed him like that, especially after everything they’d shared.

He’d meant something to her, he knew it. He prided himself on reading people. So how had he become the victim? Maybe something had happened to her, and it wasn’t all a scam?

As soon as that thought entered his mind, he shoved it away, knowing it was wishful thinking. Anger hardened his heart, and he raised his cold, icy gaze to mine. “I’ll pay your normal fee plus a deposit of ten grand.”

He was thinking that I probably charged at least five to seven hundred an hour, maybe more. But the money didn’t matter. He’d spend twice that much if I could find out what had happened to her. Even getting his watch and the diamonds back was secondary to finding out why she betrayed him.

“Okay,” I said. “I’ll take the case. My fee is five hundred an hour.” That wasn’t true, but because he was willing to pay more, I decided it was better than the fifty dollars I’d settled on before speaking to him. Sure, I could get more than that, but as I wasn’t a “real” private investigator, with a license and everything. I knew I shouldn’t push my luck.

While I’d been lost in my thoughts, he’d written out a check and held it out to me. “Here’s your retainer. Don’t let me down.”

“I won’t.” I pulled one of my business cards from my purse and handed it to him. “Call me on my cell if you think of anything else.” He took it, and I continued, “Can I have your cell number too? In case I have a question or find something important?”

“Of course.” He wrote his number on my business card and handed it back. “I already have your number. And… that’s my private number. Don’t give it to anyone.”

I smiled. “I’m a ‘private’ investigator for a reason. I won’t. You can trust me.”

His lips twitched upward, and I thought he might smile, but he closed up again. “That’s what I’m counting on.”

I turned to leave, but stopped at the door and glanced back at him. “It’s never stupid to care for someone. It means you have a heart.”

My candor caught him off-guard. His eyes softened for a second before they changed back to glittering ice. “Not anymore. I’ll never make that mistake again.”

I gave him a quick nod and hurried out of his office. Back in the elevator, the interior golden tones warmed me, but it wasn’t until I got in my car that the ice left my shoulders.

I glanced through the folder, noting Lily’s defunct address and the company she was supposedly on leave from. Without a lot to go on, I needed to head to the precinct and see what I could find in the police database. It was sure to have more information.

The only problem was sneaking past Dimples. He was the detective I worked with and the first one on the scene after I’d been shot in the head. His name is Harris, but when we first met I’d called him Dimples and the name stuck. Yes, he has dimples, but not the garden-variety kind. He has the big, whirling, tornado-like kind. Just looking at him is enough to make me smile.

I drove to the precinct and parked in a visitor space, then pulled my lanyard with my special ID badge over my head. I’d been given this honorary ID badge at the Museum Gala, where I’d been officially hired as a consultant for the police. This was the first time I intended to use it for my own purposes, and a spike of guilt washed over me.

If Dimples wasn’t around, I could use his computer, and no one would know. He’d never given me his password, but I’d picked it up from his mind, so that wasn’t a problem. If he was there, I could talk my way around it if I needed to. I could always say I had a premonition that the police needed me. Sure, it was a lie, but I’d learned that sometimes lying was a necessary evil I could live with, as long as it didn’t hurt anyone.

I hurried into the detectives’ offices like I belonged there, giving a quick smile and a wave to those I knew. I glanced toward Dimples’s desk and my heart sank. He was slipping on his jacket to leave. He caught sight of me and his eyes widened.

“Hey, Shelby,” he said. “We just got a call about a body. Do you want to come? Is that why you’re here?” He knew it was a possibility. He believed in my premonitions, but it still freaked him out when I showed up out of the blue like that.

I should probably make up a different reason for my visit, but I hated to let him down. “You mean a dead body with blood and everything?” He nodded and I continued. “Okay. But just so you know, I don’t do well with blood.”

“Uh, all right.” He thought that could be bad because there was sure to be blood, but he hoped I could hold it together long enough to get something that would help him with the case. “Let’s go.”

I followed him out of the precinct to his car, wishing I could change out of my tight skirt and tall heels. My feet were starting to hurt. I also picked up from Dimples that he’d never seen me wearing such high heels. Then he thought I looked more dressed up than normal. What was up with that?

I slid into his car, and we headed off to the crime scene. “So what do you know about the body?” I asked, trying to prepare myself.

“Female. That’s about it. She was discovered this morning by a passerby, so she was probably murdered sometime last night. But we’ll know more once we get there.”

We drove to an area of town that had seen better days and pulled to the curb. Crime scene tape crisscrossed the entry to an alley, and I followed Dimples inside. A couple of dumpsters sat on either side with garbage piled up between them.

Several police officers stood over the body, along with a man wearing rubber gloves who knelt beside her. “It looks like the medical examiner is here,” Dimples said, thinking that he’d have a good idea about the time and cause of death that might help me with my premonitions.

Great. Just what I needed… a new case and more pressure.

As we neared the body, I held back just a bit, because I wasn’t kidding about the blood. The medical examiner stood from his crouch beside the body, and I got my first look at the victim.

Her eyes were wide open, and she lay on her back with her arms splayed out. Although I’d been expecting it, there wasn’t any blood underneath her, but her shirt was covered in it, like she’d been stabbed again and again.

I swallowed to keep the bile down and took a good look at her face. My heart skipped a beat, and my breath caught. It was her. Lily Daniels. And tied around her neck was Drake’s pocket watch.

Hearing my gasp, Dimples turned to me. “What is it?”

“I... I think I know who that is. I’ve seen her before.”

His gaze sharpened, and he pulled me away from the group for some privacy. “In a premonition?”

“Uh… no.” Now that someone was dead, I had to tell him the truth. “From my client.”

“What?”

“Uh… remember? I started my Shelby Nichols Consulting Agency right after the Museum Gala?” His lips thinned with disapproval, but he nodded, so I continued. “Well, I spoke with a new client this morning, and he asked me to look for her. He had a picture of her, and it’s definitely her. Her name’s Lily Daniels.”

“Let me see if they found an ID with the body to make sure it’s the same person.” He left my side and spoke to another detective, then came back. “It’s her all right. That’s the name on her driver’s license.”

“Oh… I’m kind of surprised. My client wasn’t sure if she used her real name or not.”

“I think you need to tell me who your client is and what he wanted you to do.” Dimples pinned his no-nonsense gaze on me. With his hands on his hips, he wasn’t taking no for an answer. He also thought I might be working for a killer.

“He didn’t… I don’t think he killed her. I just met with him this morning. He gave me a lot of money to find her. Why would he do that if she was already dead?”

Dimples let out a breath. “I don’t know. But why did he need you to find her?”

“She took something from him and disappeared. He wanted it back.”

“Shelby. I need more than that. What aren’t you telling me?”

“All right,” I said, giving in. I knew they’d find out the watch belonged to him eventually, and I wasn’t doing my client any favors by keeping my task a secret. “See the watch… the one around her neck?” He glanced at the body and nodded. I continued, “It belongs to my client. She stole it from him, and he wanted it back. My job was to find her.”

Dimples snorted. “Well, you certainly did that. So who’s your client?”

He couldn’t figure out why I was protecting someone who could be a murderer. If she’d stolen the watch from him, it gave him a motive, no matter what I said.

“Uh… before you start pointing fingers, I still don’t think my client killed her. If he did, why would he leave the watch behind?”

“Maybe you’re right, but I still need to talk to him.” Because intimidation wasn’t working on me, he caught my gaze and lifted his brows, then he gave me a big, encouraging smile. “Please?” It sent his dimples into a deep dive, and I couldn’t have stopped smiling if my life depended on it.

“Okay. I get it. I have to update him anyway, so I’ll let him know you want to talk to him and see if he can come in.”

“Can’t you just tell me who it is first?” Dimples didn’t like my choice of words. There were no “ifs” about it. The guy was coming in whether he wanted to or not.

I let out a nervous breath. For some reason, I had a hard time giving Dimples his name. It almost felt like I was betraying Drake’s trust. So I decided on a compromise. “I’ll tell you, but let me call him first, okay?”

Now it was Dimples’s turn to let out a frustrated sigh. “Fine. Go make your call.”

I stepped away from the others so they couldn’t hear me and pulled out my phone. Drake answered right away with a terse hello.

“Hi, Drake. It’s Shelby Nichols. I found her.”

A tense silence came before he spoke. “Huh. That was fast. What did she say? Does she have my watch?”

“Actually, there’s a slight problem. She’s… uh…” I took a deep breath, not sure how to tell him the person he’d been in love with was dead.

“What? What’s happened?”

“She was killed… murdered, sometime last night.”

He inhaled sharply. “Are you sure it’s her?”

“Uh… yeah.”

“How did you find her?” His voice had lost that hard edge, and I heard the vulnerability and loss he tried to hide.

I told him what had happened at the precinct and how I’d ended up in the alley. “Her real name is actually Lily Daniels. But there’s something else you need to know. She was stabbed several times, and your watch was wrapped around her neck.”

He swore under his breath. “Was it open? Were the diamonds gone?”

“It wasn’t open, so I don’t know. If they’re still inside, we won’t know unless we tell the police to check. Um… there’s something else.” Now came the hard part. “I told the detective that I’m working for a client who asked me to look for her and the watch. I haven’t told him your name yet, but you have to know that he’ll want to talk to you.”

“Hmm… yeah… I can see that.”

“So, is it okay to tell him? I don’t have to, but they’ll find out eventually, and if it helps to find her killer…”

“Yes,” he agreed. “You can tell them. But don’t mention the diamonds. Let me know when they want to talk to me, and I’ll come over.”

“Sure. I can do that. I’ll call you back.”

“Shelby, wait.”

“Yes?”

“I want you to be there when I talk to them.” A sliver of desperation sounded in his voice, and I wasn’t sure if it was because of sorrow or because he might be in trouble.

“Of course,” I assured him. We disconnected, and I slipped my phone back into my purse. Sadness washed over me. Even though he’d been betrayed by the woman he loved, to find out that she’d been murdered had to be a shock.

I turned back toward the body but kept my distance. Dimples spoke to the medical examiner, and I picked up that the examiner thought she’d been killed somewhere else and left here. Because of the way she’d been stabbed, he thought it was a crime of passion, like that from rage or jealousy.

He also pointed out that the murderer was making a statement. Leaving the watch tied around her neck meant something. He was itching to get a good look at the watch and find out who it belonged to, because he was sure it was a clue in finding her killer.

Dimples agreed with him, but he didn’t share that I knew the owner of the watch. He glanced my way and finished his conversation with the examiner. While he approached me, his thoughts turned to my client. Who was he? Leaving the watch behind definitely put my client in the hot seat. And why would he think she’d been using an alias? The key to it all rested with my mysterious client. He had to be involved in something far more sinister than he’d let on.

I knew Dimples was right about that. What was Alex Drake really involved in?

Chapter 2

“My client is Alex Drake,” I said.

Dimples stopped in his tracks. “The guy who runs Global Securities?” He swore in his mind, then turned his gaze to me. “What did he tell you?”

I told Dimples the whole story, only leaving out the part about the diamonds. “It sounds like she was using him. Maybe she hoped to steal more than his watch, but something happened.”

Dimples agreed but was thinking that Drake didn’t seem like the kind of person to be taken in by a con artist. Now Lily was dead. Who knew what secrets she’d been gathering? Had she found out something about Drake? He could have hired someone to kill her, but that didn’t explain why the watch was wrapped around her neck.

“We need to talk to him,” Dimples said. “Let’s head to his office. Why don’t you call and let him know we’re coming?”

“Okay.” As we walked to his car, I put the call through and told Drake I was on my way with a detective. He murmured his thanks for the heads-up and disconnected. I sighed. When I’d left his office earlier, I hadn’t picked up a thing about any hidden secrets. I knew he was telling me the truth then, but he could have been hiding something.

Even worse, I hadn’t done much to earn the big check that still sat undisturbed in my purse. I checked my watch. It had been a little over an hour since I’d left his office, so at least I’d get to keep five hundred dollars of it.

Of course, it probably made me a bad person to be thinking about the money after a young woman had been brutally murdered. Even if I didn’t get paid much, bringing her killer to justice should be more than enough compensation. Right?

At Global Securities, we rode the same elevator to the same pristine floor I’d just come from. The receptionist frowned with disapproval that I was back already, but she’d been told by the big boss to send us right down to his office. She led the way. After knocking, she proclaimed we had arrived and ushered us inside.

This time, Drake seemed even more distant and remote. I knew that getting anything out of him would take a small miracle. Good thing I could read his mind.

“Thanks for seeing us,” Dimples said, wanting Drake to know I was on the side of the law. I shot him a startled glance but kept my mouth shut.

“Of course,” Drake answered, not missing the exchange and wondering whose side I was on. “I’m still in shock about Lily’s death. Do you know what happened?”

“That’s what we’re trying to piece together,” Dimples answered. “When was the last time you saw her?”

“Three days ago. She left my apartment that morning, and I haven’t seen or heard from her since. That’s when I discovered my watch was missing. I didn’t want to believe that she’d taken it, but once I realized that she had, I decided to hire someone to find her.” He glanced my way. “So I hired Shelby. I just didn’t expect it to end like this.”

“What can you tell me about her?” Dimples persisted. “How did you meet?”

“A friend of mine introduced us. But I obviously didn’t know Lily that well. She told me… a lot of things… and I thought we shared something special. It’s hard for me to admit it, but it looks like I’ve been tricked. Once she disappeared, I ran a security check through my financials. Luckily, the only thing she took from me was my watch.”

His gaze caught mine. He hoped I hadn’t mentioned the diamonds to the detective, but with the way the detective included me in the investigation, he wasn’t sure he could trust me.

I didn’t like hearing that, so I spoke up, adding an edge of authority to my tone. “From what I’ve picked up, I think Lily might have been in over her head. Whoever she was working with, or for, might have been upset with her lack of progress with you, Drake, and killed her for it. He could have left the watch around her neck as a token of his anger that she failed.”

Dimples took my word for it because I was the one with the premonitions. Even though I was flying by the seat of my pants, I continued with my theory. “I think finding out more about her and the scam she was operating will lead us to her killer. Who knows? There might have been others besides Drake who she’s been conning. Maybe one of them caught up with her?”

Drake nodded, but he wasn’t convinced, mostly because he still had a hard time picturing Lily as a con artist.

Dimples nodded. “Sounds like a good place to start.” He turned to Drake and held out his business card. “If you think of anything else that will help, please give me a call.”

“Of course.” Drake took the card.

Dimples stood to leave and I followed, but Drake caught my arm. “Shelby. Could you stay?”

I glanced between them, picking up that Dimples didn’t want me to stay. He wondered what Drake had up his sleeve and hoped I’d refuse him, thinking Drake could still be involved in Lily’s death. Dimples had a point, but what better way to find out how Drake was involved than to stay?

“Sure.”

“Thanks.”

“She came with me.” Dimples objected. “So I can wait outside until you’re done.”

“No need,” Drake said smoothly. “I’ll make sure she gets to her car as soon as we’re done. I know you’ve got things to do, and it’s not a problem for me.”

Dimples was about to further object, so I spoke up. “That’s fine with me.” I turned to Dimples. “I’ll see you at the precinct when I’m done here.”

“All right.” Dimples’s lips turned down in an irritated frown. “I’ll see you soon.” After the door closed behind him, I let out a sigh and sat down.

“So, I take it you have a problem with my theory?” I asked.

Drake shook his head. “Not exactly. I don’t know what’s going on. But I think it has more to do with the diamonds than we first thought.”

“Makes sense to me. So tell me about the diamonds, and I’ll see if I can get any kind of premonitions about them.” Because he was hoping that’s what I’d say, I admitted to it, even if it wasn’t true. Besides, I could still help him out. I just needed more information and people to listen to.

“There’s just one thing,” he said, hesitating because of my ties to the police. Drake didn’t know I was so involved with them, but with my ID badge hanging around my neck, it was fairly obvious.

“Oh, this.” I grabbed my ID badge from around my neck and pushed it down into my purse. “You know I work for the police as a consultant, but I don’t have any authority or anything.”

His brows rose, I’d just done it again. It was almost like I’d read his mind. “Yeah, right.” He wondered if he should bring up my relationship with Manetto. It was hard to believe that Manetto was good with me working for the police, but maybe it was okay as I could alert Manetto to plans the police might have when it came to him and his organization.

It also interested him that the detective seemed so protective of me. Why was that? He had to know about my premonitions, but it seemed more than that. I was a beautiful woman, and there was a genuine earnestness about me that conveyed trust. Letting go of his doubts, he plunged ahead.

“Okay, I’m going to trust you.” What he was about to tell me was on the illegal side, so he hoped I kept my word. “I often do business with other companies outside of the United States. Instead of currency, I’ll sometimes trade in other commodities, like diamonds or precious metals. I got those diamonds from a recent job in South Africa.”

“Who knew about them?”

“Besides me? Only the company who paid me. I don’t exactly include those kinds of transactions as part of my income, so I can’t tell the police they were stolen. I also use a special broker for exchanging those types of commodities.” He was thinking about Uncle Joey’s organization, and my brows rose. “But I haven’t set anything up with them yet, so no one on that side knows about them either.”

“Oh, that’s good,” I said, breathing a sigh of relief. “So you think Lily might have figured it out?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know anything for sure. But that’s the only thing that makes sense. Why else would she have taken the watch?”

“You must be right. So we need to find out more about Lily. She must have been working with someone, and that person killed her. I also need to find out if the diamonds are still in the watch. I can accomplish both by heading back to the precinct.”

He nodded, but the muscles tightened around his eyes, and caution settled over him. “You’re still working for me, right?”

“Yes,” I answered, nodding.

“Then you’ll keep my secret about the diamonds?”

“Of course. It could get a little tricky if the detective finds out I’m still working for you, so I might keep that to myself, but I’ll keep you informed.”

As he realized that I was getting paid to work for both him and the police, his lips quirked up in a small smile, and he thought I was a lot savvier than I let on. “I understand perfectly. Just be sure to let me know what you find.”

“I will.” I left his office, pleased that he thought I was so savvy, even if I hadn’t thought about it that way. Then I realized I had no way to get back to the precinct and stopped in my tracks. Smiling with embarrassment, I poked my head back into his office. “Uh… I need a ride to the precinct, remember?”

He hadn’t moved from his spot, and his smile widened. “Sure do. I’ll take you. I need a break.”

“Great, thanks.”

I followed him out of his office and down the hall. He stopped at the receptionist’s desk to let her know he was leaving. “I’ll be back in a while. Hold my calls.”

We took the elevator down to the parking garage, and Drake motioned me toward his special parking spot and his fancy, red, sports car. A little thrill went through me to ride in that car with a man who was practically a celebrity.

As I slid into the seat, I breathed in the new-car scent and marveled at the black leather and chrome interior. After slipping on my seatbelt, I noticed how nicely the car fit Drake’s imposing personality. Red was a good color for him.

I tried to imagine Uncle Joey in a red car instead of his usual black, but I couldn’t see it. His hitman, Ramos, however, was another story. Yes, Ramos could certainly pull it off. Just thinking about him brought a smile to my lips, along with a little thrill of excitement that I knew I shouldn’t have, so I concentrated on the man beside me and how I could help him.

Finding out a few more details about Lily, that only he would know, could definitely help us solve her murder. “So how long were you and Lily together?”

“About four months,” Drake answered.

“Did you ever meet her family?”

“No. We weren’t to that point yet.”

“Did you spend more time at her place or yours?”

He sighed. “Mostly my place. It was nicer, and she liked it better.”

“Did she have a key to your house?” I asked.

He glanced my way, surprised he hadn’t thought of that. “No, but I guess it’s possible she had one made. I didn’t tell you, but there were a few other things missing besides the watch. My gold cufflinks and a diamond tie clip. Nothing worth mentioning, but I don’t know why she took those too.”

“Hmm. If she knew about the diamonds, why would she have bothered?”

“Yeah. It makes no sense.” A small part of his heart filled with hope that maybe she hadn’t conned him after all. But that just made it worse now that she was dead. So what had happened, and who had killed her? “I sure hope you can figure this out.”

“I’ll do my best,” I answered.

He turned his wide-eyed gaze to me, and I gave him a reassuring smile. Then I caught that he’d only thought that last part and I’d just answered his thoughts. Oh hell! “Uh… to figure this out… you know?”

“Right.” His brows drew together and he took a breath. Had I heard his thoughts? Then he shook his head, thinking that couldn’t be right. It was just my premonitions. No one could read minds. That was nuts.

We drove the rest of the way in silence. I didn’t dare say another word until he pulled to the curb of the precinct and let me out. “I’ll be in touch,” I said and closed the door. He nodded politely and drove away.

It kind of hurt my feelings that he was so anxious to get rid of me, but I’d made a horrible mistake by answering his thoughts. I should be better at this by now. I shook my head and groaned under my breath. What a stupid thing to do. From now on, I vowed to make sure I was more observant, so that would never happen again.

With firm resolve, I entered the precinct. Then I remembered that my ID badge was in my purse and quickly put it on so I could get past security.

I found Dimples at his desk working on his computer, and I was grateful to have some information to allow me to get back into his good graces. He glanced up as I sat down.

“You’re back,” he said, surprised at how quickly I’d returned.

“Yup,” I said. “And I found out a few things that might help.” His left brow rose, and he was thinking that was more like it, so I continued. “Drake’s watch wasn’t the only thing missing. He told me that his gold cufflinks, along with a diamond tie pin, were also gone.”

Dimples nodded. He wasn’t sure how important that was, but he decided to cut me some slack, because I was an amateur and totally inexperienced when it came to real detective work. “Okay. So you think the killer took those items and left the watch? Why would he do that?”

I sighed and shrugged. “Uh… I guess to point to Drake? Maybe he knows Drake and hates his guts?”

“Yeah, that’s pretty obvious.”

I brushed off his lack of support for my ideas and pushed on. “I thought it might be helpful if I got a good look at the watch. It might set something off for my premonitions. What do you think?”

His lips flattened as he considered it, then he shrugged, thinking it couldn’t hurt. “Sure. All the evidence is still being processed, so we’ll have to head down to the ME’s office.”

He didn’t mind too much, because he had a couple of questions for the medical examiner. He also thought it would be good for me to see the body again. It would remind me that there was more at stake than helping my high-powered client.

At my widened eyes, he smiled. “Don’t worry, Shelby; there won’t be any blood.”

He mistook my reaction, so I played along and gave him a nod. But still… how could he think that I didn’t care about a murdered woman? Jeez.

Following him to the morgue gave me a chance to cool off, and I had to admit I was grateful there wouldn’t be any blood. Still, I wasn’t too happy I had to visit the morgue just to see the watch.

Dimples pulled the door open and ushered me inside. The body lay on a cold metal slab, and the smell of death hit me like a ton of bricks. I quickly covered my mouth and nose and hoped my stomach didn’t rebel. I’d never smelled anything so awful in my life.

“We need to take a look at the watch,” Dimples said. “Have you bagged it yet?”

The medical examiner pulled down his face mask. “Yeah. It’s on the desk over there.” He pointed to a desk in the corner, and we both headed straight to it. Dimples didn’t want to linger, thinking it smelled worse than normal, and he felt bad for bringing me there.

At least that was a plus. We found the bag with the watch fairly quick, because it was on top. “Can I pick it up?”

“Yeah, sure. But it has to stay in the bag.”

I wanted to tell him I wasn’t a moron but just nodded instead.

Holding one hand over my mouth, I picked up the bag. Under the pretense of examining it closely, I shook it just a little. Hearing nothing, I turned it over and read the inscription. It was engraved with the name “Nicholas Drake” on the back with the year and date it was made.

The medical examiner pulled off his gloves and hurried over. “It’s a nice watch,” he said. “You might be interested to know that it opens.” He took the bag from me and showed us the catch. Then he pushed the release mechanism and it popped open, revealing the inner workings of the watch, along with a hollowed out portion that circled the outer edge.

“See that?” he asked us, pointing to the hollow part. “You could probably put something in there for safekeeping if you wanted to.”

“Was there anything inside?” Dimples asked.

“No,” he answered, clearly disappointed.

The tension left my shoulders. At least Drake’s secret was safe, but that meant the killer knew about the diamonds and had taken them. I inhaled and nearly gagged. “I’ve got to go,” I said and turned to leave before I threw up.

Outside in the hall, I took a few deep breaths, grateful the room was sealed tight and the smell didn’t follow me. That was awful. How could anyone be an ME?

Looking through the glass, I watched Dimples and the ME speak for another minute before Dimples joined me. He understood why I had to leave so quickly and agreed that the smell was really bad. He thought, from the green tinge on my face, I’d probably never go to the morgue with him again.

I wanted to tell him he was right about that but kept my mouth shut this time. We headed back to Dimples’s desk, where I sat down heavily on the chair beside him.

“Did you pick up anything?” Dimples asked, eager to know what I’d found.

“Uh… not really.” At his crestfallen expression, I continued. “But I got the distinct impression that she knew her killer, so we need to look into her background. Is that what you were doing when I showed up?” I already knew the answer, but I had to play along. At his nod, I continued. “Great. Did you find anything?”

“Yeah. I did a background search and found something interesting.” He brought the computer back to life. “We have a file on her. See that?” He pointed to the “aka” beside her picture and clicked. The link took us to another file with a mug shot of a much younger Lily.

“She served time.” Dimples pointed to the record. “A few years after she got out, the court granted her a petition to change her name. Her real name is Sara Coleman. It looks like she was charged with a misdemeanor for drug possession and did six months in jail.”

“Wow. Does it say any more about it?”

“Yeah.” He scrolled through the file. “It looks like she was at a party in college where someone died of a drug overdose. She and five others were arrested, and she served time because of her failure to call for help to save the girl’s life.”

“Oh wow. How awful. I wonder if they were good friends. Something like that would haunt you forever. No wonder she wanted to change her name. Does it say anything else?”

“No. Since then, she’s been a model citizen.” He glanced at me with narrowed eyes. “Are you getting anything?”

Of course I wasn’t, but I did get an idea. “Uh… do you think she might still be friends with some of the other people involved at the party?”

Dimples wondered the same thing and thought I was starting to get the hang of what detective work was all about, which was good because it didn’t look like I could always count on my premonitions. “Let’s take a look.”

It didn’t take long to search the other names, but none of them lived nearby, so it was probably a dead end. Still, Dimples compiled a list and decided to call each of them.

He was about to enlist my help, but my phone rang, and I stepped away to take the call. “Hello?”

“Shelby,” Drake said. “I think I found something. Can you come back to the office?”

“Sure. I’ll be right there.” I hurried past Dimples’s desk and gave him a little wave. “I’ve got to go. I’ll keep in touch.”

He opened his mouth to ask me where I was going, but I rushed to the door and slipped out. As the door closed behind me, I let out a breath, grateful I’d gotten away. I had no idea what Drake had found, but I hoped that, combined with the new information I had about Lily, it would lead us to the killer.

Chapter 3

For the third time that day, I exited the elevator on Drake’s floor. The receptionist didn’t even bother to greet me and just motioned with her head toward Drake’s office. I thought that was an improvement.

I knocked on his door, then opened it and stepped inside. Drake’s ice blue gaze warmed, and he let out a relieved breath. “Good. You’re here.” His excitement over what he’d found was tinged with uneasiness, and he wanted to know what my premonitions would tell him.

“You’re uneasy,” I said, playing my part. “And it has something to do with your security system.”

“That’s right,” he agreed, happy I’d picked that up. “After we spoke about the things Lily took, I knew I’d missed something. So I decided to check the security on my house.” He lowered his voice. “I found a breach.”

“In your own system?” He nodded, and I picked up more. “You think it’s someone in your company? How could that happen?”

“Using the servers here, it’s easy if you know what you’re doing. That’s why I run thorough background checks on everyone on my tech team. Running security for big corporations comes with the risk of someone hacking into the system and getting information they shouldn’t.

“Knowing that, I designed a special program that alerts me personally if someone manages to break through the firewall, and I run the code every day to check for a breach in the system. But I haven’t checked my own home’s security system for a while. I didn’t think about it because all the important stuff is here.”

“So you just ran the program on your home security system and found the breach?” At his nod, I continued. “That means someone hacked into your home computer, which is linked to all your home’s security cameras?”

“Yes, and I traced the hack back here. That’s how I know it’s someone in my company. But we need to keep this quiet until I find the bastard.”

I nodded. “I can help you with that.”

His right brow lifted with skepticism. “How?”

“I just need to talk with the techs.”

He studied me, wondering how it could be so easy. Sure I had premonitions, but how did talking to someone lead to their guilt? Of course, I’d been helpful so far. What did he have to lose? Absolutely nothing, especially if it led to Lily’s killer. But why would Lily agree to work with a hacker in the first place? It didn’t make sense.

“I think there’s a reason…” I began, then realized he hadn’t spoken that last bit out loud and quickly continued, “that she might have been working with a hacker. I think she was being blackmailed.”

Drake sucked in a breath. That was the first thing in this mess that made any sense. She was hiding something, and the hacker had found out. “Tell me.”

“She has a record.” I explained what I’d found at the precinct, and told him she’d changed her name to get away from her past. “You can’t blame her for changing her name after what happened at the party.”

Drake closed his eyes, searching his conscience and wondering if he would he have dropped her flat if he’d known. He didn’t know. But he wished more than anything that she’d told him the truth instead of giving in to blackmail. At least she’d still be alive.

“I don’t think she knew about the diamonds,” I said.

“I don’t either, but this hacker’s been busy. He knew about the diamonds from my personal files. Then he must have found out about her past and used her secret to blackmail her to get the diamonds. But why did he have to kill her?”

Sadness engulfed him. Now he knew that she hadn’t been using him after all. Her love was genuine, and it broke his heart.

“Uh… I got a good look at your watch when I was at the precinct.” His brows rose, and I continued, “Yeah. The diamonds were gone.”

He bowed his head in regret. He would have given the bastard the diamonds to have Lily back. They hardly mattered to him anymore. They were nothing but cold stones.

“Do you think Uncle Joey… I mean Manetto… might know if the hacker tried to sell them? I can talk to him if you’d like.”

He raised his gaze to mine, thinking, Uncle Joey? Now it all makes sense.

Damn! Why had I said that? How stupid could I be? I twisted my lips and tried not to show how upset I was. From his knowing smile, I knew I’d failed.

“That’s a good idea, but I think we need to check out my tech guys first. If the hacker’s still here, I doubt he will be for long. I’ll say you’re a new client and you might have a few questions for them.”

“Okay, that should work, but what kind of questions should I ask? I’m not much of a techie.”

His brows rose. “Uh… just ask questions about how the system works. You might even ask about hacking.”

“Oh, yeah, right.” I followed him out of his office, a little mortified that I hadn’t figured out the obvious questions. At least he wasn’t thinking that I was a dummy. That was all me.

We passed the receptionist’s desk, turned down another hall, and walked through a door to an open room. Workstations with several computer screens lined the side wall, each occupied by a person wearing headphones. It resembled a war room. I counted five people in all, and knew these were the coders who kept track of the security systems.

One of them was a traitor.

I picked up from Drake that he planned on introducing me to one person at a time, something he’d done before with new clients, and some of the tension left my stomach.

The first computer tech was a woman. I knew immediately it wasn’t her, which was a big relief, mostly because she was the only woman in the whole department, and I was proud of her for that.

We continued down the line and, by the last person, my hopes had dwindled. After questioning the only one left, I realized that not one of them was the hacker. All were devoted to Drake and the company. I thanked them all again and walked silently with Drake back to his office where we could talk.

Closing the door behind us, Drake turned to me expectantly. “Who is it?”

“Well… I guess the news is both good and bad,” I began, hating to disappoint him. “The good news is that’s it’s not any of them, which I guess is also the bad news.”

“What? Are you sure?”

“Hey, I’m disappointed too, but they’re all devoted to you and the company. Is there anyone else who might have access to your servers?”

Drake rubbed a hand through his hair, leaving it a little ruffled, but in a good way. “I guess it could be anyone in the office, but I’m pretty sure none of them have the experience to know how to breach my system. This hacker has serious computer skills. If they hacked into my home system, they were good enough to hack the police records and find out about Lily.”

“Okay. Do you know anyone in the hacker community who could do that?”

Drake froze and his eyes widened. “I might.” He was thinking of a guy he’d tangled with before. They’d been pitted against each other a few times, but Drake had always managed to outmaneuver him. Could he be the one behind this?

He rushed to his computer and began typing furiously. With new insight, he reviewed the code the hacker had used and saw a familiar pattern. A few key strokes later, he found the hacker’s signature, 5H4D3, which stood for Shade: simple, but unmistakable.

He’d never met the guy in person. But after what he’d done, that was all about to change. Drake had tracked him down before. He could do it again.

“Does this mean he’s not someone here in your office?” I asked.

“He could have been at some point, but he’s long gone now.”

“What do you mean?”

“He might have come in as a repair person, or a janitor, or any number of people in the last few weeks. That’s how he infiltrated my home system. After that, he could hack into my files remotely. I need to alert my team.”

Drake rushed from his office, leaving me to sort things out. I didn’t know a thing about writing code or hacking, so I wasn’t much help, but there might be something else I could do. I strode to the receptionist’s desk, remembering the beautiful logbook I’d signed that morning.

As I approached, the receptionist raised her brow, wondering what was going on. I proceeded to tell her that the company had been hacked. “His hacker name is Shade. Drake thinks he must have come in sometime in the last few weeks as a worker, and I thought we could look through the logbook.”

“Of course,” she said, grateful to be of use. She opened the logbook on her desk, and I stepped to her side to help with the search. We glanced through each day, going back a few weeks until we came to a signature that brought me up short.

“Lucas Shade. That’s him. It says he arrived at noon to check the air vents. Do you remember him?”

“No, I’m sorry, I don’t. But it doesn’t matter. He should be on the security cameras for that date and time.” She moved to her computer and toggled into the security system, then clicked through the links until coming to the time and date stamp.

Pulling up the footage, we both held our breath. A man in a one-piece cleaning uniform wearing a ball cap entered the lobby. He kept his gaze lowered, and it was impossible to see what he looked like.

Then Drake entered the room, and the man straightened with alarm. As the receptionist spoke to Drake, the man turned his body away, and his head slanted in the perfect position to get a clear look at him. He wore heavy-rimmed glasses, with short-cropped, brown hair and a beard. With a quick tap on the keyboard, the receptionist stopped the tape. She zoomed in until his face took up most of the screen.

His features were fuzzy, but something about him seemed familiar. Had I seen him before?

“I’ll send this to the tech team. Drake’s still in there. They can sharpen the image.”

“I’ll tell him,” I said and rushed to the work area.

I found Drake sitting in one of the tech’s chairs, typing on the keyboard. “Your receptionist found him on the security video. She’s sending his image now.”

Drake found the file and opened it. With a few keystrokes, he brought the face into focus and froze. He knew this man from his stint in the National Security Agency. They’d been competitors from the beginning, but after Drake left, he’d never thought about the guy again. He couldn’t even remember his name.

Then it hit me where I’d seen him, and alarm tightened my chest. “I saw that guy yesterday.”

“Where?” Drake asked.

“Can we talk in your office?” I asked him, knowing this was a conversation that needed some privacy.

Drake pursed his lips and nodded. He followed me to his office with tightly controlled dread. From what he knew about me, it probably had something to do with Manetto or the police. Either way, it wasn’t going to be pleasant, and he hoped I wouldn’t try to pull something over on him.

As the door shut behind Drake, I sank into a chair. “He was at Thrasher Development yesterday afternoon, waiting to speak with Uncle Joey, probably about the diamonds.”

“But that was before he got them from Lily. He must have been pretty sure of himself. Do you think they’ve already made the trade?”

“I’ll call Uncle Joey and ask. Do you remember the guy’s name? On the log it was Lucas Shade. Does that sound familiar?”

“No. That’s not his real name.”

I pushed Uncle Joey’s number on my cell phone. He picked right up. “Shelby. What a surprise. What can I do for you?”

“Hi, Uncle Joey. This might sound strange, but you know Alex Drake, right?”

“Yes, I do. Why?”

“Well, I’ve been helping him with something, and it looks like you might be involved. Did someone by the name of Lucas Shade come by yesterday… wanting to sell some diamonds?”

“What’s this about?” I didn’t blame him for being cautious, so I quickly explained the situation, not leaving anything out, including Lily’s blackmail and murder.

“I see,” Uncle Joey responded. “Well, you’re in luck. He called me this morning to tell me he had the diamonds, but I haven’t set up the exchange yet. I like to run a thorough background check first. His real name is Jeremy Mack, and he has ties to the NSA. I wasn’t going to do business with him, but now I’ve changed my mind. Why don’t you and Drake come to my office, and we’ll figure this out.”

“Okay. I’ll let Drake know.” We disconnected, and I quickly explained the conversation to Drake. “His real name is Jeremy Mack.  So, are you okay to go over there?”

“I remember him now. I guess he hated me more than I thought. But he didn't have to kill Lily. Let's talk to Manetto.” He was thinking that this was one of those times it was good to know a mob-boss. He wasn’t sure what Manetto had in mind, but if it ended up with Mack dead, it wouldn’t bother him in the least.

While I could certainly understand his feelings, I did not want to be a part of someone’s murder, even if that someone was a murderer. There had to be some way to get Dimples involved so he could just arrest him, but how was I going to do that?

We got on the elevator, and I decided to drive myself this time. My feet were killing me, and I had a change of clothes in my car that I’d stashed there for emergencies. I’d learned that it never hurt to be prepared for anything, especially after Uncle Joey’s car had blown up, and my clothes had been singed.

“I’m going to drive over, so I’ll meet you there.”

Drake agreed and ended up following behind me. After parking in Uncle Joey’s garage, I grabbed my extra clothes from the trunk and met him at the elevator. Drake gave my gym bag a passing glance, but I caught that his nerves were a little frayed to meet face-to-face with the big boss.

That surprised me, but I picked up that Drake’s business with Uncle Joey had always taken place on the more anonymous side, so they’d never been formally introduced.

We entered Thrasher Development and stopped to speak with Jackie, Uncle Joey’s secretary. She put a call through to his office and told us that he was waiting.

Stepping down the hall, I picked up nervous tension from Drake, which had the unfortunate side effect of stressing me out. I should be an old hat at this, but every time I had to face Uncle Joey, my stomach tightened with dread. This time should be different, because it wasn’t about me. But that didn’t seem to matter.

After a quick knock on the door, I took a breath for courage and led Drake inside.

Uncle Joey sat behind his executive, double-pedestal desk like a king on a throne. His trademark thick, silver hair and strong jawline set him apart as a commanding figure. He hardly needed the elegance that was clearly apparent in his expensive suit and plush, extravagant, office furnishings.

The warm, golden tones lighting up Uncle Joey’s office were a stark contrast to the icy, cold tones of Drake’s. But it seemed in harmony with the circumstances. I mean, one was more like heaven, and the other like hell, so at least that seemed right.

Too bad I liked Uncle Joey’s office better. But that didn’t mean I was bad or anything, right?

Uncle Joey welcomed Drake with a warm smile and a handshake. “Please take a seat, and we’ll get down to business.” He indicated the chairs in front of his desk, and we obediently sat.

A short knock sounded on the door, and we turned to find Uncle Joey’s right-hand man entering the office.

If Uncle Joey was the devil, Ramos was the angel of death. His black hair curled slightly around his ears, and his dark gaze glittered with intensity. He wore the slightly bearded face better than anyone I’d ever seen, and that included those high-paid models in GQ.

He stood at six-three or six-four, and it wasn’t hard to picture his toned muscles under his black, leather motorcycle jacket. I picked up that he’d just come in from an errand on his bike, and he was grateful that Manetto had called him back for our little get-together.

His gaze caught mine, and he wondered what trouble I was in this time. I tried not to smile or roll my eyes, because teasing me was one of his favorite pastimes.

Uncle Joey introduced Ramos to Drake, and I couldn’t help picking up Drake’s wide-eyed awe to meet the hitman everyone was afraid of. He thought that if Ramos was here, Mack didn’t stand a chance, and his hopes of bringing the hacker to his knees soared.

With this much testosterone in the room, I was afraid my plan to bring Mack to justice the right way didn’t stand a chance.

“Since your call, I’ve come up with a plan,” Uncle Joey began. He glanced at me, thinking that it might be best if I wasn’t involved in this part, because somebody might end up dead.

Before he could ask me to leave, I spoke up. “I think there’s a way to get the diamonds back without killing him. Then the police can arrest him for Lily’s murder, and he’ll go to prison for the rest of his life. That’s a great way to make him suffer for what he did, right, Drake?” I elbowed Drake in the arm to get him to go along with me, but he just arched his brow.

That shot a hole in my theory of Drake being on the heavenly side of things.

Uncle Joey sent me his saintly smile, thinking that my heart was in the right place, and it always warmed him to know there were still good people in the world. Indulging me, he asked, “What do you have in mind?”

I had no idea, so I decided to start talking and hope for the best. “Well. Because I have an in with the police, I could tell them about the hack and that it was Jeremy Mack who was blackmailing Lily and who most likely killed her.”

I glanced at Drake with an apologetic smile. “Because they’ll need a motive, I might have to tell them about the diamonds, but that shouldn’t get you in trouble.”

Warming to my idea, I turned back to Uncle Joey. “Based on my information, Dimples would have a reason to bring him in for questioning. Naturally, I’d sit in on it. With my awesome premonitions, I could pick up what he did with the murder weapon, the diamonds, Lily’s phone, and other pertinent details that would lead to his arrest for Lily’s murder.” I smiled, convinced it would work.

“Hmm,” Uncle Joey said. “That might work, but if we agree to this plan, you need to leave the diamonds out of it. I don’t want the police to know about them, understood?”

“Uh… okay.”

“Besides,” he continued. “With the murder weapon and the other evidence, you should have enough for an arrest. Still, this plan of yours all depends on the police bringing him in for questioning. What if they can’t find him?”

“Well… that would be bad. But I’m still willing to give it a try. If it doesn’t work, you can set up a meeting with him to exchange the diamonds for money, and we’ll catch him that way.”

Uncle Joey gave me a small smile, amused that I thought he’d just “catch” him. Then he thought that it was a good plan as far as I was concerned, and why not let me try it out? In the meantime, he could put something else together… as a backup, of course.

His gaze caught mine, and I knew he’d added that last part for my benefit, because he also knew I could read his mind. “All right, Shelby. Go ahead. Just be sure to let me know if you’re able to chat with him and what you find out. If the police don’t come through, I’m sure we can be more persuasive.” He was thinking that the police had rules, but he didn’t.

“Sure. I can do that.” I stood, knowing I’d better get going before he changed his mind. I caught that he admired my willingness to do the right thing. But mostly he was grateful to have me out of the way so he could take care of business.

“Uh… I’ll be in touch.” I hurried to the door. Before I reached it, Ramos stepped in front of me.

“Aren’t you forgetting something?” he asked.

I listened to his thoughts for all I was worth but came up empty and knew he’d deliberately kept them blank. I hated when he did that. “Uh… I don’t think so.” I glanced down to make sure I had my purse and found it hanging from my arm, right where I’d left it.

With a snarky smile, he motioned toward my gym bag on the floor by my chair.

“Oh! Yeah. I brought some more comfortable clothes to change into. These heels are killing me.” Oops. That might not have been the smartest thing to say in front of a hitman.

I quickly bent over to pick up my bag and caught that Ramos liked how I looked in my body-hugging skirt and high heels. Granted, he could see that my skirt was really tight, so I might be more comfortable in jeans.

With my face flushing, I straightened and stepped toward the door. This time, Ramos opened it for me and gave me a quick nod. But instead of closing the door behind me, he watched me walk down the hall to the restroom, and I caught a spike of appreciation coming from his mind.

After hearing that, I had a hard time walking normally. Relief coursed through me when I made it to the restroom and inside without tripping or falling on my face. Sheesh!

Wanting to get out of there as fast as possible, it only took me a minute to slip off my skirt and shoes and pull on my jeans and ankle boots. After tucking my blouse into my jeans and tightening my belt, I felt ten times better. I hurried out the door, glancing toward Uncle Joey’s office to see it shut up tight.

I didn’t know what they were planning, but it made me more determined than ever to make sure it was my plan that worked.

Chapter 4

One more time, I walked into the precinct, remembering to slip my lanyard over my head at the last minute. Relief washed over me to find Dimples at his desk. I quickly sat down in the chair beside him, and he jerked with surprise. I sent him a smile and leaned toward him. “I know who did it.”

His brows rose, and his mouth dropped open. “You do? How… who is it? Do you have proof?”

“That’s the tricky part, but I can explain everything.” I told him the whole story, except for the diamonds, adding that Mack, aka Shade, must have blackmailed Lily, killed her, and taken the watch and other items.

“If we bring him in for questioning,” I continued. “I’m sure I can pick up where he’s hidden the evidence. Then you can get a search warrant for his place, and we’ll have everything we need to arrest him for Lily’s murder.”

Dimples thought I was on the right track, but he couldn’t understand why the perpetrator would kill Lily over a few trinkets. There had to be more to the story. Maybe Lily had damaging information on Drake that she’d refused to share? That made more sense to him… unless there was something inside that pocket watch.

“So what do you think?” I asked, not wanting Dimples to dwell on the watch.

“I think it’s worth questioning him,” he agreed. “Who knows? Maybe you’ll pick up something? Let me find him in the database.” He clicked a few buttons and brought up Mack’s information. “I’ve got his home and work information. Where do you think we’ll find him?”

“Uh… I’m not sure.” I picked up from Dimples that if the guy had killed someone last night, he’d probably go to work so that nothing seemed out of the ordinary. “Let’s try his work first.”

“Good idea,” he said, thinking great minds thought alike.

We left the precinct and headed to the tech company where Mack worked. “Look at that,” Dimples said, driving past the alley where Lily’s body was found. “His office is just down the street from here.”

A chill of unease ran down my spine. I caught Dimples’s gaze with widened eyes. “Do you think he’ll bolt when he sees us?”

“Not if he’s smart,” Dimples answered, thinking that would give him away. We pulled up in front of the building and hurried inside.

At the front desk, Dimples asked to speak with Jeremy Mack.

“Do you have an appointment?” the receptionist asked, worry tightening her eyes.

“No.”

She nodded with relief. “He called in sick today, but I’m sure we can arrange for you to meet with someone else.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Dimples replied. Discouraged, we went back out the doors, and Dimples glanced my way. “Maybe we’ll have better luck at his house.”

“I sure hope so.”

Mack lived in an older neighborhood on the west side of the city. The houses were small and close together. As we pulled onto his street, we slowed to read the addresses. Getting closer, I noticed a car pulling out of a driveway, close to where his house should be.

“Do you think that’s him?” I asked.

Dimples pulled to the side, and we watched the car back onto the street. It turned to head in the same direction as we were going, and Dimples pulled back onto the street to follow. As we passed the house he’d come from, I checked the address and excitement rushed through me. “Yup. That’s his house, so that must be him.”

With a nod, Dimples expertly followed behind, always leaving one or two cars between us. Mack drove through town and came to an area with a several small businesses, including a pawn shop and a tattoo parlor. On the right side of the street, he pulled into the parking lot of a bar named the Cotton Bottom.

Dimples pulled to the curb down the street, and we watched Mack enter the building. “I wonder what he’s doing in there,” Dimples said, thinking that if he followed Mack inside, it would give him away as a cop, and it might spook Mack. He didn’t want Mack running before we could talk to him.

“I guess it’s up to me to find out.” I pulled the car visor down and opened the mirror, then began to fluff up my hair. After arranging it seductively to the side, I undid the top two buttons on my blouse and grabbed my lipstick. I applied it generously and pressed my lips together, admiring the effect. My darkened lips made my eyes pop, especially with my royal blue shirt.

“Wait, I’m not sure you should go in alone.” Dimples had been in the Cotton Bottom before, and he thought it was a little on the rough side for me.

“Don’t worry,” I said. “I’m taking my purse, and I’ve got my handy stun-flashlight. I’ll be fine.” Before he could protest, I opened the door and jumped out. “If you see him leave, call me.”

Slinging the strap of my purse over my shoulder, I moved to the entrance, grateful I looked good enough to play the part of a customer at the bar. Inside, it took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the dark. Several people were there, but not as many as I imagined there would be in the evenings.

I sidled up to the bar and caught sight of Mack near the back, speaking with one of the servers. He nodded, and she led him around a corner. Trying my best to look inconspicuous, I sauntered in that direction.

Before I rounded the corner, the server came back out. She glanced at me suspiciously, and I smiled. “Is the restroom that way?”

“No. It’s down the other hall.” She pointed toward the end of the bar, not far from where we stood.

“Great. Thanks.” Smiling, I took a step in that direction. As soon as the server’s back was turned, I reversed course and hurried around the corner, finding a short hallway with two doors, one in the back and another on the side.

Unsure of which door he’d gone through, I stepped close to the first one, hoping to hear something. As I closed my eyes to concentrate, someone grabbed my arm, jerking me away. He easily spun me to the other side of the hall and stepped in close, caging me in with his body.

“Shelby,” Ramos growled. “What are you doing here?”

With my heart racing, I could hardly catch my breath. “Holy hell, Ramos. You about gave me a heart attack.” I pulled my head back and it knocked against the wall. He stood too close for me to look up without putting my mouth perilously close to his. “Uh… you can let me go now.”

I picked up that he liked standing this close to me. He could see my pulse racing and smell my perfume. But more important, he was blocking me from sight. “I’m not letting you go until you answer my question.”

“I’m following Mack.” I thought that was obvious, but I guess he had to hear me say it for some reason.

“What about the police?”

“Yeah… well… Dimples is waiting in the car.” Ramos mentally swore a blue streak and stepped back, allowing me to finally take a breath. “Don’t worry, he’s not coming in.”

Ramos didn’t believe that for a minute, and he thought my timing was terrible.

“Oh crap,” I said. “You’re exchanging the diamonds now?”

“Mack’s in there with our diamond expert. After they’ve been appraised, we’ll make a deal.” He was thinking that Drake was part of the plan and I shouldn’t be there.

“Drake’s here too? Why? He isn’t going to kill him, is he?” Ramos met my gaze, and alarm tightened my chest. “He can’t do that. He’ll get caught. Dimples—”

“Drake’s not here yet. I’ll make sure he’s handled.”

“Why don’t you let me in there? I can talk to Mack and find out—”

“No. We’re sticking to the plan. You should go.”

My breath caught. Even though I knew Ramos meant it in a good way, it still hurt my feelings. I swallowed, picking up that Ramos needed me out of the way for my own good, and he hoped I could understand that.

“Okay. I’ll go. But I’m not leaving. I’ll be sitting in Dimples’s car to wait for Mack. Once he comes out, he’s mine. Just make sure Drake doesn’t show.”

Ramos raised a brow. I was claiming him? He shook his head. So much drama. “Fine.”

That kind of surprised me, but I tried not to show it and turned to leave. Ramos moved out of my way, just as the door opened. I froze, taking a quick peek into the room. Mack glanced up and caught my gaze. His eyes narrowed with suspicion before the jeweler shut the door and frowned at me. He looked at Ramos for guidance.

“Shelby’s leaving,” Ramos said.

With a huff, I stepped away, but not before I picked up that the jeweler thought Ramos could come down about ten grand from the agreed-upon price. Not that it mattered to me.

I continued around the corner and bumped into Dimples. Alarmed, I grabbed his arm and urged him toward the exit. “We need to go.” He only protested a little before allowing me to pull him out the door.

Once outside, I continued dragging him toward the car, but he jerked away from me. “What’s going on?”

“Keep moving,” I answered. “I’ll tell you in the car.” His lips tightened, but he kept walking, and I let out a relieved breath. That was close, but what I was going to tell him? Certainly not the truth.

I glanced toward the parking lot, and my heart lodged in my throat. Drake’s little red sports car was here. Damn! Could this get any worse? How was Ramos supposed to handle that?

The windows were tinted, but I thought I could see someone inside. Maybe he was waiting for a signal from Ramos? At least that meant I could stop him. Now all I had to do was get Dimples out of the way.

“Was Mack in there?” Dimples asked, not waiting until we got to the car. “Why were you in such a hurry to leave?”

“Because I didn’t want him to see you and get spooked. We have to make sure the timing is right. I think you should arrest him when he comes out. Then we can take him to the station for questioning.”

Dimples stopped. “How am I supposed to do that from the car? It’s not anywhere close.”

“Uh… pull the car into the parking lot.” I glanced at the lot. “I think there’s a spot close to his car. We can intercept him before he drives away.”

Dimples thought I was starting to sound like a crazy person. Something had me spooked, but he didn’t know if it was my premonitions or something I wasn’t telling him.

“Hurry,” I said. “I’ll wait here.”

He exhaled loudly and shook his head, then continued to the car. I turned back to the parking lot, hoping I could talk some sense into Drake before Mack came out.

As I reached Drake’s car, Mack came out of a door in the back of the building. Drake jumped from his car and ran to intercept him, ready to pull the gun from his waistband. I took off after Drake, hoping to stop him. Mack glanced up and stopped short. He turned back to the building and tried the door, but it was locked.

Turning to face Drake, he pulled a gun from his waistband. “Stay back.”

Drake froze. Damn. He should have pulled his gun already. Now he couldn’t reach it before Mack shot him. Thinking fast, he decided to buy some time by getting Mack to talk.

“I know you didn’t like me much when we worked together, but you’ve taken this too far. What did I ever do to you?”

Mack sneered, his hatred turning his face into an ugly mask. “You always thought you were better than everyone else. You sabotaged my work and made me look like a fool. You took all of my chances away from me. I should have been the one who they promoted. Not you. You deserve this.”

“But what about Lily? I don’t care how you feel about me, but she was innocent. She didn’t deserve to die. Why did you have to kill her?”

Mack shook his head. “You don’t know anything. You think you’re so smart, but you meant nothing to her. She didn’t love you. All she wanted was your money.” Mack wanted to hurt Drake and would say whatever it took to twist the knife in his heart, even if it wasn’t true. “That’s all any of them want from you.”

Mack’s gaze drifted to me. I stood a few feet behind Drake, and my heart hammered as Mack shifted his aim in my direction. My breath caught. I knew Mack had reached a breaking point, and right now, he was beyond reasoning.

“Who’s this?” Mack asked. “You already have someone else? Get the hell out of my way, or I’ll kill her too.”

Drake swallowed, then stepped in front of me. “No. You’ll have to kill me first.”

“Drop it,” Dimples said, pushing the muzzle of his gun into the back of Mack’s head. Mack froze. He thought about shooting Drake anyway, but the cold muzzle proved too much, and he lowered his gun.

“Put it on the ground,” Dimples commanded. After Mack complied, Dimples holstered his gun and expertly cuffed Mack’s wrists behind him.

I slumped with relief, grateful that Dimples had skirted around the bar and come up behind Mack in time to stop him. Mack had wanted to kill Drake and probably would have killed us both if Dimples hadn’t stopped him.

As Dimples read him his rights, I noticed Ramos standing at the edge of a small crowd that had gathered in the lot. Ramos was thinking that he would have taken the shot the moment Mack turned the gun my way if Dimples hadn’t been there.

I snapped my mouth shut and shook my head, then sent him a smile and a nod. He did that head nod thingy and thought the plan had been a success after all. Mack thought he’d exchanged the diamonds for a wire transfer, and Ramos had the diamonds now.

The wire transfer had been handled by Drake’s people to make it look real, but it was totally bogus. Everything had worked out great, even if I’d interfered. With a grin, he slipped on his helmet and fired up his motorcycle, thinking he’d talk to me later.

I chuckled and turned to Drake. “Thanks for stepping in front of me. That was a brave thing to do. I’m sorry if I got in the way. I just didn’t want you to shoot him.”

“I appreciate it. Did you pick up anything? Do you know why he did it?”

“Some, but I’ll know more after we question him.”

A couple of patrol cars pulled into the lot, and Dimples gratefully pushed Mack into the back seat of the car. He instructed an officer to bag Mack’s gun, then he came to stand beside me and Drake.

“Thanks, Harris,” Drake said. “I owe you.”

“Just doing my job. Since you were willing to take a bullet for Shelby, I think we’re even.” Dimples glanced my way, thinking that was a close call, and I had no idea how lucky I was. Or, maybe it was my premonitions that kept me alive? Either way, he was anxious to get back to the station and figure out what the hell was going on, because he knew he’d missed something, and he hoped I’d tell him what that was.

Yikes. I wasn’t sure I could do that, and my enthusiasm to find out what happened to Lily waned a bit.

“You coming?” Dimples asked.

“Uh… yes.” I turned to Drake. “I’ll call you when I know more.”

“Thanks, Shelby.”

I followed Dimples back to the car, surprised that my legs shook a little, making it hard to walk. I sank gratefully into the front seat. After buckling up, I laid my head back against the seat and closed my eyes. Dimples didn’t bug me about anything, even in his mind, which was a real treat.

We pulled into the precinct, and I took a deep breath. “That was close. But at least we’ve got him, right? Uh… thanks for saving my bacon back there.”

He glanced my way and smiled. “Sure. It’s what partners do. Are you ready to talk?”

He was thinking about the whole mysterious thing going on at the bar that I wasn’t sharing with him, so I deliberately misunderstood the question. “Yup! I think I’m ready to face him.” At his blank stare, I continued, “Let’s get in there and find out what happened to Lily.”

He sighed, then opened his door and got out.

Following Dimples’s instructions, the police officer had taken Mack straight to an interrogation room. Dimples and I found him cuffed to the table, and we took our seats across from him.

Mack’s brows drew together in confusion. What was I doing there? He’d caught a glimpse of me at Manetto’s, then at the bar, but why here? Was I working undercover or something? If so, that meant I was fairly important, and he’d have to be careful not to speak a word without his lawyer present.

“What happened, Jeremy?” Dimples asked. “Why did you pull a gun on Alex Drake?”

“I’m not answering your questions until I have a lawyer present.”

Dimples nodded, hating when that happened. He could question him all day and not get anything. But maybe with my premonitions it wouldn’t matter. He nodded at me.

“You threatened to kill me and Drake. We also heard you confess to killing Lily Daniels, Drake’s girlfriend. How did you do it?”

His palms began to sweat. He hadn’t said that he’d killed Lily, only that he’d kill me if Drake didn’t get out of his way. It was only a threat, nothing like murder. He just had to keep his cool and everything would be fine.

“We found her body not far from your office. Why did you leave it there?”

He was thinking that he’d planned to leave her body farther away, but he’d run out of time and didn’t have a choice. Good thing it had happened in her car. After dumping the body, he’d stashed the car across town. He’d wiped it down, so they couldn’t pin it on him, but it still didn’t make sense. He’d been careful to hide his tracks. And the fact that Lily had decided to leave town had worked in his favor. So how had we found him at all?

I leaned closer to him. “We know you killed her. We found her car across town. Now it’s only a matter of time until we find a match for your DNA inside. I’m sure you wiped it down, but all it takes is one strand of your hair to place you in the car. Maybe we’ll even find the knife… but I doubt you left it there. Is it still in your jacket pocket… at your house? That was pretty lazy of you.”

“Shut up. You’re just making this up. You’re crazy,” he said. “I don’t know anything about this.”

Good, I was starting to get to him. “We know you were blackmailing Lily. She brought you Drake’s watch and a few other things. But what I don’t understand is why you killed her. With her link to Drake, you could have kept blackmailing her for a long time. Drake’s a rich man. You could have made a lot of money. So why kill her?”

Once again, he heard Lily’s voice echoing in his mind, telling him she was done and to go ahead and tell Drake. It had made him so mad that he’d lost control and stabbed her. She’d ruined everything.

“Did Lily change her mind? Is that why you killed her?”

“Go to hell!” Mack jumped from his chair, sending it flying backward. He leaned toward me, jerking at the chains holding his cuffs, thinking he should have killed me when he had the chance.

Two officers came in to restrain Mack, and I hurried out of the room. Dimples followed me back to his desk, and I sat down with a heavy sigh. Dimples sat beside me, sorry Mack had threatened me like that, and hoping that I’d picked up something for my trouble.

“He killed her in her car,” I said. “I think she must have changed her mind. When she didn’t leave the items where she was supposed to, he waited for her in her parking lot and ambushed her. After he killed her, he drove her car to the alley and dumped her body there. Then he took the car to a spot at the end of the rail system and caught a train back to his car.”

“Do you know where her car is?”

“Not exactly. Just that it’s across town from his office. But I’m sure we can figure it out.”

“Okay.” Dimples’s heart raced with excitement. Now we were getting somewhere. He pulled up the light rail system on his computer, and we mapped out the most likely places the car might be. Next, he found the make and model of the car she drove and put a call out to the police units in those areas to look for a matching car in those locations.

“We should get a hit soon,” he said. “Did you get anything else?” He was thinking about the murder weapon, the items Lily took from Drake, and that other thing that was going on at the bar.

“Yes. I think they’re in the bottom of a closet somewhere… uh… I mean… the knife and the other items.” Oops, I just did it again. Crap! “They’re probably in his house, but all I got was a closet, so I don’t know for sure.”

Dimples nodded, so engrossed in my revelations that he hardly noticed my little slip. He just thought we were in sync, like a real partnership. A small smile turned his lips up. He caught my gaze, and his smile grew to epic proportions, causing his dimples to swirl with tornado-like zeal.

Naturally, I smiled back.

“Great. While we’re waiting on the car, I’ll get a search warrant for his house. If the items are there, we’ll find them.”

While he went to work, I decided it was time for a break. I needed a diet soda something fierce, along with some time to unwind. I hurried to the drinks machine and also picked up a bag of Cheetos since I’d missed lunch.

Realizing my kids were just getting home from school, I called them to check in and let them know I would be a little late. After promising pizza for dinner, I spent the next few minutes eating my Cheetos and downing most of the soda.

By the time I got back, Dimples had some good news.

“They found the car, right where you said it would be. They could see blood on the seat through the window, along with her purse. A team is on the way right now to process the evidence, but this is great news.”

Relief washed over me. Now I could breathe again. With this evidence, Mack was going down.

“I’ve also got the search warrant for his house,” he continued. “Want to go with me?”

“You know it!”

We arrived at the house before the rest of the team, so Dimples used a lock pick set to unlock the door, totally impressing me with his abilities.

“Do they teach that at detective school?” I asked.

He snickered. “No. I figured this out all on my own, but don’t tell anyone.” He was thinking that it was something his mentor had urged him to learn on his own time. It wasn’t on the training list, but it sure came in handy when he didn’t want to break the door down and hurt himself.

That made sense to me. Maybe it was something I needed to learn? Too bad he probably wouldn’t teach me.

Next, he pulled some rubber gloves from his pockets and instructed me to put them on while he did the same. We entered the house and opened the closet doors, starting with the entryway. It wasn’t until we reached the bedroom closet that I recognized the surroundings from Mack’s thoughts.

“It’s in here somewhere.” Because I’d only caught a glimpse of the closet, I didn’t know exactly where he’d hidden them. “Is there a safe, or something like that in here?”

“Doesn’t look like it,” Dimples said. He inhaled sharply at the sight of a black hoodie on the closet floor. “Look at that.” He picked it up and felt inside the pocket. “Bingo.” With two fingers he pulled a pocket knife from inside, still covered with blood.

After glancing my way, he carefully replaced it and moved the jacket out of the closet and onto the bed where he could bag it as evidence. “Let’s find the other things. I’ll take the upper shelves, and you take the lower ones and the floor.”

We searched the entire area but came up with nothing. “I know they’re here,” I said. “Let’s look one more time.”

Concentrating on what I’d picked up from Mack, I stepped to the far right corner of the closet. Leaning down, I rubbed my fingers over the floorboard and felt a ridge. Pushing down, something caught, and a section of wood popped open, revealing a space the size of a shoe box.

Inside, we found a black, velvet bag, cuff links, and a diamond tie pin. With care, I pulled the bag open and looked inside. Diamonds? Hadn’t Mack sold them to Uncle Joey?

“What’s in there?” Dimples asked.

I tipped the contents of the bag into my hand. “Diamonds.”

I caught surprise from Dimples, then, as Mack’s motives clicked, he finally understood what he’d been missing. “That was what he was after all along. Those diamonds were probably in Drake’s pocket watch, in that secret chamber.” He shook his head while putting all the pieces together. “Do you think Lily found out, and that’s why she didn’t go through with it?”

“No. I don’t think she had any idea.”

While Dimples and the team of investigators categorized the items for processing, I left the house to give Drake a call. “We found the murder weapon,” I began. “Mack will be formally charged for Lily’s murder.”

“Good,” he said. “Did you find out what really happened?”

“Yes. Why don’t I come to your office, and I’ll explain it there.” He agreed and we disconnected.

Dimples didn’t want to leave until he had everything wrapped up tight, so he had an officer drive me back to my car at the precinct. Twenty minutes later, I walked into Global Securities. The receptionist noticed my change of clothes from earlier and wished she could get away with more comfy clothes like that, although, with the top buttons undone, it looked a little risqué.

Oops. I’d forgotten all about that. Embarrassment flooded my cheeks, and I moved my hand to hold my shirt together.

“Hi, Shelby,” she said, smiling. “Go on back, he’s expecting you.”

I buttoned my blouse before knocking on his door and stepping inside. He glanced up at me and nodded. “Come in and sit down. I’m anxious to hear everything.” He motioned me toward the couch and sat beside me.

His blue-eyed gaze caught mine with sad resignation, and he nodded at me to begin.

“I think this is what happened. It’s kind of creepy, but I think Mack’s been keeping an eye on you for a long time. With Lily, I think he saw his chance to get even. He found out about her past and used it to blackmail her into taking your watch.

“She obviously followed his instructions but, knowing he could continue to extort her, I think she intended to run away and start someplace fresh. That’s why she packed up her apartment and took time off work.

“But I think that once she reached the drop point, she changed her mind. Mack must have been watching and called her from his cell phone. That’s when she told him she wasn’t going through with it, and Mack could tell you whatever he wanted.

“He followed her to her car and ambushed her when she opened her door. After he killed her, he drove to the alley and left her body there with the pocket watch around her neck to spite you. He kept the diamonds and other items, then left the car near a light rail station and went home.”

Drake closed his eyes, plagued with guilt, thinking Lily died because of him. “I can’t believe I didn’t know about him. I should have picked it up somewhere.”

I shrugged. “You can’t blame yourself. He did this, not you. Besides, his life is over. He’s going to jail, and he’s never getting out.”

Drake nodded. It helped to know that, but it was small consolation.

“There’s one more thing,” I said. “I don’t know if it’s good or bad, but Mack kept a few of the diamonds. When we found the other items, they were in a black bag.”

“How many?”

“I counted five. But it was good in a way, because it finally made sense to the detective. He couldn’t understand why Mack would kill Lily over a watch, but the diamonds cleared that up.”

“I had wondered why the jeweler appraised them so low,” Drake said. “But now it makes sense.” He let out a breath and relaxed back on the couch. “How did you know to show up at the bar?”

He’d planned to confront Mack and make him confess before telling him the wire transfer was bogus and Mack had nothing. But he hadn’t expected Mack to pull a gun on him. Facing death like that made him realize he needed to make some changes in his life. Starting now.

I smiled, glad he would find his way out of this dark spot. “Would you believe it was because of my premonitions?”

That caught him off-guard and he smiled. “Maybe so.”

“Well, I guess we’re done here. Uh… here’s your check back.” I held it out. “I don’t think I earned that much, so I can’t take it all.” He took the check from my hand.

“Well, let’s see…” He mentally counted up the hours I’d been on the job, then rounded up and threw in a couple of grand to be safe. “Nope. I think this is right.” I took a breath to protest, but he shook his head. “Take it. I’ve never seen anyone with your skills. You solved this case in one day. That’s unheard of.”

I still hesitated, so he took my hand and put the check inside. “Thanks, Shelby.”

“Sure. Glad I could help.” It was on the tip of my tongue to say “anytime,” but I just smiled instead. I didn’t want to start helping him like I did Uncle Joey or the police.

As I left the office, I caught him thinking that I could put the money to good use and buy myself some better clothes for the job. Sure, I looked great in the tight skirt and heels, but it wasn’t what he thought a private investigator would wear.

It also wouldn’t hurt to have a gun, and maybe a bulletproof vest either, especially with Manetto and Ramos in my life. What was that all about…

The door closed, and I was glad to have missed the rest of his thoughts. Still, his idea of buying some new clothes sounded great to me. Plus, it wouldn’t hurt to have a bulletproof vest, but how much did that cost? I’d just have to get the clothes first and go from there.

I checked the time, finding it was much later than I’d thought. I quickly ordered the pizza, squashing my guilt that the pizza place was at the top of my contacts list. It should arrive at my house about the same time as me. I sent a quick text to my teenage son, Josh, telling him that the pizza was on the way, and to let Savannah know that I was on my way home.

I couldn’t wait to tell my husband, Chris, about my day. He’d been skeptical about my consulting business, but with this success he was bound to be impressed. He might not like the nearly-getting-shot part, but I could gloss over that. Besides, Ramos would have killed him first, so it was all good, although on second thought, I’d probably need to leave that part out too. Still, I couldn’t wait to tell Chris I’d solved a murder and caught the killer. That was huge.

I walked inside my house, happy to see the pizza on the table. Chris was already home, and came into the kitchen as I closed the door. “I thought I heard you come in.”

“Hey, honey, you wouldn’t believe the day I’ve had.”

He pulled me into his arms, and I caught his apprehension. “Does it involve Manetto?” He hated that I worked for him but, because I didn’t have a choice, there wasn’t much he could do about it.

“Nope. It was one of my own cases.”

“Can we eat yet?” Josh asked, coming into the kitchen. At fourteen, he was always hungry.

Chris and I pulled apart, and we quickly cleared the table for dinner. We settled down to eat and shared how everyone’s day had been. Then it was my turn, and I told them all about the case, leaving out the parts with Uncle Joey and glossing over the gun incident.

That’s when it hit me how different my life was. Ever since that day I’d stopped at the grocery store for carrots, my life had taken a drastic turn. Sometimes it was still hard to believe that I had this crazy ability. Still, I don’t think I’d change it for anything. And, because I had it, I was determined to make the best of it.

Sure, it might include working for a mob boss once in a while, but since I worked for the police too, that should even it out, right? Then there were people like Drake. I’d helped him get the answers he needed, and it felt amazing to make a difference in someone’s life.

I didn’t know what tomorrow would bring, but one thing I did know… it was bound to be an adventure.

What’s next? Try book one, Carrots, where it all began. Find out how Shelby got her mind-reading ability that changed her life, and how she met Uncle Joey, Dimples, and Ramos.

Carrots | Fast Money | Lie or Die | Secrets that Kill | Trapped by Revenge | Deep in Death | Crossing Danger | Devious Minds | Hidden Deception | Laced in Lies | Deadly Escape | Marked for Murder | Devil in a Black Suit ~ A Ramos Story | A Midsummer Night’s Murder | Amazon Series Page

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

USA TODAY and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author, Colleen Helme, offers great mystery, laugh-out-loud humor, and page-turning adventure in her bestselling Shelby Nichols Adventure Series.

Connect with Colleen

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