Ghostly Serenade

by Colleen Helme

  “Sure. After we dock, I’ll take you back to the hotel, so be sure and find me.”

  “Okay.”

  Ramos was thinking that he’d watch my back, but if I needed him at any time, I should send him a text. I nodded to let him know I’d heard that.

  “Nice to meet you, detective,” Ramos said. “Good luck with your investigation, and try to keep Shelby out of trouble.” With a wink at me, he strode into the crowd, hoping to spot Tony and keep me out of his sights.

  Hawk glanced at me with narrowed eyes. “You get into trouble a lot?”

  “Oh… no, not at all, that’s just his way of teasing me.”

  Hawk nodded, but he wasn’t convinced. There was something going on between us, reminding him of how partners worked together. Maybe he’d helped me with my consulting business?

  Before he could question me further, I sent him a smile. “Why don’t we show the photo to the lady who took us to our table? If she seated everyone, she might remember seeing Merilee.”

  “Sure,” he agreed, thinking that there was more to me than met the eye. I spoke to Ramos like I knew his thoughts, which wasn’t possible unless we’d worked together for a long time. So why hadn’t I just told him that? Who was Alejandro Ramos anyway? He’d let it go for now—after all, I wasn’t the one he was investigating. But he could always ask me about it later.

  Knowing I’d just dodged a bullet, I sped off to find the hostess. After showing her the photo of Merilee, she shook her head. “No. Sorry, I can’t help you.” She didn’t trust my story, and it went against policy to give out personal information. I could be a cop, for all she knew, and no one ever told the cops anything, unless they had a death wish.

  What did she mean by that?

  We spent the next hour roaming the boat, talking to every waiter or bartender we could find, but came up empty. I’d spotted Ramos several times on the dance floor, dancing and flirting with different women and having a great time.

  It bothered me more than I cared to admit, mostly because those women just threw themselves at him. Sheesh. They had no shame. They were so obvious it was making me sick. Ramos caught me staring at him and grinned.

  Heaving out a breath, I turned to Hawk. “I’m going to the restroom. Would you hold my glass for me?” I held up the glass I’d been carrying all over the place, not about to let a free refill slip through my fingers. Of course, Hawk had noticed me watching Ramos and was thinking I looked jealous. Why was that?

  Letting out a huff, I found the bathroom, happy to have a moment of peace, away from the maddening crowd. A headache had already begun to pound all along my forehead, and I was wishing I could get off the damn boat. All those people and their thoughts were starting to get to me.

  I took an extra moment to pat my forehead and cheeks with some cool water before I braved the crowds again. I found Hawk basically where I’d left him. “Thanks. I think I’ll get my refill now.” Hawk handed the glass back, thinking I looked a little frazzled. Maybe this crowd was taking a toll on my psychic abilities.

  I hated to hear that I looked bad, so I sent him a smile and hurried back to the bar. Taking a seat, I waited a moment to get the bartender’s attention. Luckily, he remembered me, mostly because I was about the only person on the whole ship who wasn’t drinking alcohol. He got me some fresh ice and refilled my drink with just the perfect amount of grenadine.

  I thanked him and took a sip. It tasted so good that I closed my eyes and let out a sigh. I held the glass to my forehead, grateful for the cold on my pounding head. After a moment, my headache lightened up, and I felt better. Of course, that all went to hell when I heard some colorful swearing coming from a person sitting at the other end of the bar.

  Sure, it was in his mind, but the loud and forceful way he said those awful words sent new pain stabbing behind my eyes. His voice sounded familiar. I glanced his way, but he ducked his head, and it took me a moment to recognize him. Tony Bilotti. And he wasn’t happy to see me. Well, I wasn’t too happy about it either.

  He was thinking, first Ramos, and now me. What was going on? Sure, he’d agreed to be a snitch for Manetto, but with us checking up on him it looked suspicious. The old man would expect to know if we’d been there, so he’d have to tell him. But what the hell? Were we trying to expose him to Milo?

  Too bad I couldn’t tell him that he was supposed to tell Milo that Ramos had been there, and he had it all wrong, but I didn’t want Hawk to know I knew him. Then Hawk ruined it by sitting down beside me. “I think I’ll get me one of those too,” he said, motioning to the bartender.

  While he waited for his drink, Hawk noticed Tony sitting at the end of the bar, and his brows rose with recognition. Hawk had worked a few cases with vice, and he knew all about the Bilotti mob family. With Tony Bilotti sitting at the bar, Hawk wondered if there was a connection between the mob family and Merilee’s murder.

  Tony recognized Hawk at almost the same time, and the swearing in his mind increased. He was thinking that this night had just gone from bad to worse. The detective wasn’t someone to mess with, and he certainly wasn’t here for fun. So what the hell was he doing here? Good thing they’d already made the drop, but he’d have to be careful for the rest of the night.

  Hawk took a sip of his drink and turned to me. “Hey, this is pretty good. I’ll have to remember that.”

  “Yeah. It’s my favorite, but it’s also good with peach flavoring or vanilla, or pretty much any flavor you like. If you get the sugar-free flavor, you still don’t have to worry about the calories.”

  “Good to know.” Hawk smiled, thinking I sounded so normal. Not like a psychic at all. After another sip, he shook his head. “So far, our investigation tonight has been disappointing. No one’s recognized Merilee, and we’ve got nothing on the guy she came with. If we don’t get something tonight, I’m afraid we never will.”

  “I know. Let me try and focus for a minute; maybe I’ll pick up something.” That wasn’t going to happen, but Tony had started to freak out, and I needed to concentrate on his thoughts before he walked off.

  I picked up his sudden panic that Hawk was talking to me. Then it all fell into place, and he knew it was true. I was working with Hawk, and Manetto knew about it. He remembered how upset Milo had been when he’d told Manetto I worked for the cops, and it hadn’t even fazed Manetto. In fact, Manetto had told Milo that I only worked for him.

  So did that mean I was working with the police to take their organization down, and I was doing it with Manetto’s blessing? Was that how Manetto was going to take Milo out? If it was true, Manetto’s plan was brilliant. Of course, everything Manetto had done was mind-boggling. How Milo ever thought he could win against Manetto was inconceivable.

  Too bad he’d have to tell Milo. But, if he didn’t, one of the others would. He glanced around the room, hoping to get a glimpse of his younger cousin. He’d seen Lucas earlier with a new girl, and it drove him crazy. Why did Lucas always have to bring someone new every time they went out? Even after what had happened the last time?

  With the detective here, along with me and Ramos, this was turning into a three-ring circus. Stupid kid. This was too close for comfort, especially when Lucas wasn’t even supposed to be here. If Milo ever found out he’d been helping Lucas, he’d probably kill him.

  There was nothing for it. He’d just have to tell Lucas to stay away for a while. He’d helped him as much as he could, but the kid had taken advantage of him for long enough. Sure Lucas might not like it, but this time, he wouldn’t give him a choice.

  He caught me staring at him, and his mind stilled. What had Milo told them about me? That I was different. That I knew things I shouldn’t, and they all needed to stay away from me. Milo was going to have a fit when he told him I’d been here tonight—with the detective. It might just push him over the edge.

  “Did you get anything?” Hawk asked, breaking my concentration.

  “Uh… I’m not sure.” With my heart racing, I looked toward the d
ance floor, hoping to find Lucas. Could he be the mysterious date Merilee had come with? Even listening closely, I couldn’t pick him out. In fact, some of the thoughts I heard made my ears burn and my head pound.

  I glanced back at Tony, but he was gone. Damn. Now what?

  Hawk had followed my gaze and his eyes narrowed. Did I know Tony Bilotti, or was it my premonitions at work? “What is it?” he asked. “Did you get something on that guy sitting at the end of the bar?”

  Holy hell. What should I do now? I glanced at Hawk. He’d know if I lied. “Yeah. I did. There was something about him, but I can’t tell you anything concrete. Sorry. There’s something here, but I don’t know what it is yet.”

  The boat began to slow, and an announcement came over the loudspeaker, telling us that we would be docking in a few minutes. The announcement went on for several more seconds, telling us thanks for joining the party and to be sure and come back again soon.

  Hawk cursed in his mind, wishing we had more time to figure this out. He’d noticed a staircase leading down to a lower level, with a rope across it, and he hadn’t had a chance to check it out. With music still blaring over the speakers, along with the crowd of people gathering their things to leave, it would take a while for everyone to disembark.

  Maybe this was the perfect time to slip down there undetected. I opened my mouth to tell him that might work, then closed it since I wasn’t supposed to know.

  “Shelby,” Ramos said, stepping to my side. “I’ve been looking for you. Are you ready to go?”

  “Uh… uh… yeah.” I glanced at Hawk. “Do you need me for anything? Because if you do, I don’t mind staying a little longer, as long as you give me a ride home.” Leaving Hawk behind wasn’t something a good partner would do, especially if he was going to take a chance like that.

  “Oh… no you should go. It’s been a long night, and I’m sure you’re tired. Besides, I’m leaving too. I just want to wait around a bit, but there’s no reason for you to stay here any longer.” He glanced at Ramos, thinking I’d be safe enough with him.

  “Okay. Well… uh… I guess I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Let me know if anything happens, or if you need me again.”

  “I will. Thanks Shelby.” Hawk smiled. I really was a good person, and he was grateful I’d been willing to help him. Too bad nothing had come of it. No, that wasn’t true. He had a lead, and he’d poke around into Bilotti’s business and see if there was a link to the murders. Now he had to get rid of me so he could sneak downstairs before anyone knew. “I’ll call you.”

  I nodded and turned to leave with Ramos. We joined the line, and I tried to keep Hawk in my sights, but I lost track of him in the crowd.

  CHAPTER 9

  Ramos offered me his arm as we crossed the gangway to the dock, and I gladly held onto him. We followed the crowd down the pier and back to the marina. A feeling of dread that I’d left Hawk to his fate washed over me, and I turned to Ramos. “Do you mind if we wait and make sure Hawk gets off the boat okay?”

  “Why wouldn’t he?”

  “Tony knew he was a cop, and Hawk was thinking about going down the stairs to the lower level to take a look around. The stairs are roped off, so I’m just a little worried about leaving him there without backup. I mean… what if he gets caught?”

  Ramos’s eyes widened just a bit before he shrugged. “I don’t think anything bad would happen. They’d probably just ask him to leave, especially if they know he’s a cop.” He wasn’t too worried about the guy. He was a detective and probably carrying his gun.

  I sighed. “Yeah. I guess you’re right, but I’d still like to make sure.”

  “Fine.” He’d do it for me, as long as I didn’t tell anyone. It made him look soft, and he hated that image.

  I smiled up at him. “Thanks.”

  He nodded, thinking it was one more thing I’d owe him for, and I shouldn’t think for one minute that he wouldn’t collect.

  I rolled my eyes, knowing in the dark he couldn’t see it.

  “Did you just roll your eyes at me?”

  “What? I’d never do that.”

  “Yeah, right,” he said, not believing me for a minute. “My car’s parked in the garage. It’s on the top level. Let’s watch for him from there.”

  Several people crowded the marina, and I realized that the other boats had docked at the same time as us, making the crowd even larger. Following the crowd to the parking garage, Ramos was thinking that we might miss him if we didn’t hurry. “Want to take the stairs to the top?”

  “Sure.” Several others had that same idea, so we couldn’t hurry much faster than them, and it was a relief to finally exit on the top floor.

  Instead of heading to his car, Ramos motioned me toward the side facing the pier. With so many boats, I wasn’t sure which one we’d come from. “Which one is it?”

  Ramos pointed. “It’s the third dock down, almost straight across from us. The boat closest to the marina is the one we were on. It’s the biggest one with all the lights.”

  “Okay. Got it.” People were still leaving the boat, and I hoped we hadn’t missed Hawk. From this distance I could barely make out their faces, but I knew I’d recognize Hawk once he walked under the lights.

  The cool breeze coming off the water sent little shivers along my arms, so I crossed them and hunched a little to keep warm. Noticing me tremble, Ramos was tempted to pull me against his chest and wrap his arms around me. Instead, he shrugged out of his jacket and slipped it over my shoulders. Doing the noble thing could tarnish his image, so he hoped I appreciated it.

  “Thanks. I do appreciate it.” And I did… mostly. Sure it would have felt nice to stand close enough to him that he could pull me against his chest and slide his arms around me. But, on the other hand, it was much safer with his jacket around me instead. On the plus side, I could still inhale that wonderful scent, that was all him, without the guilt.

  Realizing I’d been distracted, I jerked my gaze back to the pier. “Did I miss him?”

  “I don’t think so,” he answered.

  “Good. Hey will you watch while I send Chris a text? I need to let him know that I’m going to be later than I thought.”

  “Sure.” He watched me send my text and wondered how Chris did it. He had to have a lot of patience to put up with all the trouble I got into. He must love me… a lot. He admired our relationship. But if Chris ever changed his mind…

  My eyes widened, and I glanced at him. He smiled and shrugged, thinking, what did I expect? He was a bad guy. I should be used to it by now. “Don’t worry, Shelby. I’m not the family type.”

  I knew he meant that, so I pushed the whole thing from my mind and focused on the pier, knowing it was better not to think about all the what ifs… nothing good ever came from thoughts like that.

  “Just so you know,” I said. “Tony was thinking about Lucas, Milo’s other son. I guess Lucas has been staying with him on the boat. Did you ever find out any more about him?”

  “Yeah… but nothing connecting him to the family business. So he’s on the boat?” Ramos’s thoughts seemed guarded, like he knew more than he was saying.

  “I think so. Tony was thinking about telling Lucas he had to leave, since I was there with Hawk. Tony was also thinking that Milo would kill him if he knew he’d been helping Lucas.”

  Ramos’s brows drew together. “That’s interesting. Did you pick up anything else about Lucas? Did Tony tell him about us and our agreement with Milo?”

  “I don’t know. Tony didn’t think about that, and I couldn’t pick Lucas out in the crowd, especially since I have no idea what he looks like.”

  Ramos seemed relieved. He pulled his phone from his pocket and scrolled through his documents until finding the photo of Lucas that the investigator had given them. “This is Lucas from about ten years ago when he was eighteen.”

  I glanced at the photo, seeing a resemblance to Enzo. Lucas was taller, and his expression was dark and sullen. He hadn’t even tried to smi
le in the family photo. “I don’t think I saw him tonight. Funny thing is, Tony thinks of him as a kid, and he’s twenty-eight now. That tells you something.”

  Ramos nodded and put his phone away. “Yeah. Next time we talk with Tony, we’ll have to ask him about Lucas.”

  “That’s a great idea. I should probably be there.” This could be my big break in the murder case. From Tony’s thoughts, it sounded like Lucas brought girls onto the boat. It was possible that he was Merilee’s date.

  More time passed, and my worry for Hawk deepened. I picked up that Ramos’s concern had grown. He was thinking that, if the detective got caught, he wasn’t so sure they would let him go.

  “Why? What do you think they’d do to him?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know. Depends on what’s down there and what he finds. If he interrupts something, they might decide to throw him overboard wearing a ball and chain.”

  I gasped. “Are you serious?”

  “I don’t know, but I wouldn’t put it past them.”

  “Damn.” Worried, I focused on the few people still coming off the boat. From their uniforms, they had to be the servers and wait staff. All the other customers had left by now and my stomach tightened. “Do you think I should call him?” The last time he’d called, I’d added him to my contacts so I’d have his number.

  Ramos shook his head. “Not yet. If he’s hiding out, that would give him away.”

  “Oh, right.”

  “Let’s just wait a few more minutes. If we haven’t seen him by then, you can call.”

  Ten minutes passed without any sign of him. A few more stragglers came out, and I examined them closely in case one of them was Tony or Lucas. That reminded me of Tony’s thoughts, and I glanced at Ramos. “I picked up something else from Tony that might be important.”

  “Oh yeah?” Ramos frowned. “What’s that?”

  I turned my gaze back to the boat. “He was thinking that, since we were both there tonight, and I was with the detective, that maybe we were planning on taking Milo down by exposing him to the police. That way Uncle Joey wouldn’t get the blame, and Milo couldn’t go after him.”