Uncle Joey narrowed his eyes and caught my gaze. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
I listened real close to his thoughts, but he’d blocked them from me, so I wasn’t sure what he planned for Milo. Hopefully it didn’t include killing him… at least not tonight.
I glanced at Ramos. “Should we go?”
He nodded and opened the door. Flint stood guard and listened while Uncle Joey filled him in. He handed Ramos the car keys. “Take the car,” Flint said. “I’ll have one of my men pick us up.” Before Ramos could answer, he grabbed his phone and made the call.
On impulse, I listened to Flint’s thoughts, but he was all business. His mind was focused and compartmentalized, just like I supposed a military commander’s would be… or a mercenary. I did pick up that he was making the big bucks and the job was everything, so I hoped that meant I didn’t have to worry about Uncle Joey.
After a quick goodbye, I followed Ramos out to the street. In full bodyguard mode, he swept the area for any perceived threats against me. On high alert, we crossed the street and hurried down the stairs of the parking garage to our car.
Inside the car, I let out a relieved breath and put the call through to Hawk. I hoped he was still at home, since I didn’t want to talk to him at the police station, especially since I knew that someone there worked for Bilotti and it would ruin everything if he saw me.
“Hello?” Hawk answered.
“Hey there, it’s Shelby. How are you doing?”
“Better. I’m just getting ready to head over to the precinct.”
“Oh good. I’m on my way to your place. Can you wait for me? I’ve got some news you’ll want to hear.”
“What’s that?”
“I know who killed them.”
He let out a strangled gasp. “What? You do? Who did it?”
“I’ll explain when I get there.”
CHAPTER 12
Ramos glanced my way, thinking I sure liked to be dramatic. Telling Hawk I knew who the killer was, and then leaving him hanging, seemed kind of mean.
“It was not,” I said.
He shrugged. “Seemed that way to me.” He raised his brow. “You liked doing it too.”
My shoulders slumped. “Yeah. You’re right, I did. It’s kind of a rush to do that, you know? That’s why I’d probably go insane if I ever lost my mind-reading ability. I love knowing stuff about people… well… most of the time.”
He snickered. “Yeah, but it sure gets you in trouble. Hey… what’s going on between you and Manetto? He seemed kind of angry with you.”
“You noticed that?”
“Uh… yeah. So what happened?”
I didn’t want to tell him the truth any more than I wanted to tell Uncle Joey. “I refused to tell him something I found out.”
Ramos’s brows rose. “What? That’s … not a good idea.” He was thinking that it wasn’t too bright, and I should know better. “How is it that you’re still alive?” He was mostly teasing, but he wouldn’t like to face Manetto’s wrath if it were him.
“Yeah, he wasn’t too happy about it. But it’s for his own good.”
“Shelby,” Ramos said, shaking his head. “Is that what you told him?” At my nod, he huffed in surprise. “No wonder he’s mad.”
“Hey… I made a deal with him. I’m going to tell him. I just don’t want to tell him yet.”
“Why? What’s so bad about it?” He knew better than to ask me to tell him the secret, but he wanted to understand why I’d risk it.
“I don’t want him killing someone for revenge.”
“This must be about Bilotti. What did he do?” I didn’t answer, so he continued. “Is Milo the Bilotti who killed Manetto’s grandparents?”
I sucked in a breath and glanced at Ramos. “Is it that obvious? Or does Uncle Joey already know?”
“He doesn’t know for sure, but he suspects it was Milo.” He didn’t add that Uncle Joey’s plan all along was to humiliate the Bilottis, and Milo in particular. That in itself was a masterful form of revenge, and he didn’t even have to kill him to do it. In fact, it was better, because he was alive to suffer for it. “You should have more faith in Manetto. He’s not your average, cold-hearted mob boss, at least not like he used to be.”
“What does that mean?”
Ramos chuckled. “Isn’t it obvious? It’s because of you. He’s changed. Not fundamentally… I mean… he’s still ruthless, but now he does it in a more constructive way. Take the Bilottis for example. No one died when we visited them the other night, but he basically took them out just the same.”
“Oh… yeah. I guess you have a point.” My stomach tightened with remorse. Maybe I shouldn’t have thought the worst of Uncle Joey.
“It’s a good thing he can afford to be ruthless,” Ramos continued, “Because that operation cost him a small fortune. But it’s worth it to him, and it will protect Miguel and the New York Manettos in the long run. That’s what really matters.”
“Yeah,” I agreed. “I see what you mean.” Totally chastened, I blew out a breath. “I’m going to tell him. I was just hoping it could wait until this was all over.”
“I get that, but don’t wait too long. Okay?”
“Sure,” I agreed. “Still, I don’t think I’m too far off base. You and I both know Uncle Joey would want Milo dead if he knew the truth.”
Ramos nodded, thinking that, at this point, it was a forgone conclusion considering the hit Milo had put on me. But he still thought I needed to be upfront with Manetto, no matter what I thought, and let him decide what to do about it. But… what did Ramos expect? I was a good person who always tried to do the right thing. Manetto knew that too, and he would get over it, even if he didn’t like it.
Was that a compliment? I liked hearing that I was a good person, but not that Milo was as good as dead. What if he wasn’t the one who’d put the hit on me? Would the bodies just start piling up?
Ramos slowed the car. “We’re here.” There wasn’t a parking space in front of the building, but he found one further down the street and parallel parked.
Now came the part I knew he wouldn’t like. “Uh… can you wait in the car?”
Ramos shook his head. “You’ve got to be kidding me. There’s a hit on you, remember?”
“Yeah, I know, but—”
“No. I’m not staying in the car.”
I heaved out a breath. “Okay, fine, but at least wait outside the door or somewhere close by. I don’t want Hawk to see you.”
“Why the hell not? He’s already met me.”
I threw my hands up. “I know, but he’s a police detective. I don’t want him looking into you, okay? I mean… you gave him your real name for Pete’s sake.”
Ramos pursed his lips. He could argue that it wasn’t his real name, but he shrugged instead. “Fine. I’ll wait in the hall or something.”
Ramos jumped out of the car and hurried around to my side, watching the street for signs for trouble. After I got out, he stood close, towering over me, intent on protecting me from a bullet. My breath caught. “You think someone would shoot me?”
Keeping his attention on the street, he quirked a brow my way. “What part of a hit on you don’t you get?”
I shook my head. “Sorry. I don’t know. It just doesn’t seem real.”
“It’s real Babe. So let me do my job.” He took the threat seriously, even if I didn’t. Losing me was not an option he cared to think about, and he’d die before he let that happen.
Oh great. Now he was in danger because of me. Again. This needed to end. Resigned, I blew out a breath and stayed close to his side. At the main door, Ramos pulled it open. He blocked me with his body to scan the foyer before letting me inside. I rang Hawk’s buzzer. He answered and then remotely unlocked the door for us to enter the building.
We retraced our steps from last night, taking the elevator to the third floor. As I knocked on the door, Ramos said he’d wait in the hall and stepped back toward the elevator. I knew he w
asn’t happy about that, and I suddenly doubted my reasoning ability. Was I wrong to make him wait out here?
Before I could decide, Hawk opened the door. His jaw was covered in bruises, but at least the swelling had gone down. Wearing a white shirt and dress slacks, with his tie undone around his neck, he was nearly ready for work. He stepped aside to let me to enter, then closed and locked the door behind me.
“Have a seat on the couch,” he said. He followed at a slower pace, still nursing his broken ribs, and sat down beside me. “What’s going on?”
It hit me that I was totally unprepared to tell him how I knew Tony was the killer. I couldn’t exactly tell him the truth without admitting my mob boss connections. Crap. Now what? “Uh… I can tell you what I know, but I can’t tell you how I know it.”
Hawks brows dipped together. “Why? Is it because of your premonitions? I don’t have a problem with that. So go ahead and tell me.”
Maybe that was the best way to handle it. Just tell him the truth and blame it on my premonitions. “Okay. It’s all tied up with the boat, like we thought, only… there’s a lot more going on.” I explained how the Bilotti Family used the boat to make drug exchanges. “Apparently Merilee saw Tony with the drugs, and he had to kill her so she wouldn’t talk. Remember him?”
Hawk let out a huff. “Yeah. He’s the guy at the bar who ordered his men to beat me up.” He cocked his brow at me. “So he’s the killer?”
“Yes. But there’s more. Tonight is another exchange. Tony’s planning to rendezvous with someone, while the boat’s out on the river, and trade the drugs for money. Then he’s going to take the money and run. He thinks we’re getting too close, and he’s willing to risk leaving the mob.”
Hawk sat there for a moment, taking it all in. “Huh. And you got all of this from your premonitions?”
“Yeah, pretty much.”
Hawk wondered how my premonitions could be so detailed. There had to be more to the story. What wasn’t I telling him?
Knowing I had to give him more, I continued. “I may have done some sleuthing on my own and overheard a conversation or two.”
“What?” he gasped. “When?”
“Uh… after we got you settled in your apartment last night. I knew we were on the right track with the boat, so I may have gone back there and heard a few things.” I was such a liar, but it was for a good cause, right?
Hawk could hardly believe it. Then it clicked that I’d been with Ramos last night. Was he in on it? That made more sense to him. Maybe he was my silent partner or something. Still, it was hard for him to believe that I had turned from a reluctant helper to someone willing to risk my life to solve the case. There had to be more going on.
“So you heard all of this?” he asked. How could I have gotten close enough for that, especially undetected?
“Well, in a way, I mean… I have my premonitions to fill in the blanks. And, since he beat you up, I knew there had to be more going on.”
He shook his head. “I can’t believe you went back there.”
“I know. It was probably not the best idea, since I think they may have… seen me. That’s why we need to move on this tonight.” I wasn’t ready to tell him about the hit on me. That seemed way too personal, and he might get even more suspicious.
“Okay.” Hawk could see I was upset… maybe even scared. So what had really happened last night? Had they threatened me and I didn’t want to tell him? “But there’s got to be more to your story.”
He knew I was holding out on him; but we’d been through enough that I should trust him by now. It was obvious I was in trouble. “Shelby, I may not seem that smart to you, but I’m a pretty good detective, and I know when someone’s lying. I’m not moving on this until you tell me everything. What’s really going on?”
Oops. Now what? “Uh…” Could I tell him the truth? I didn’t want to get Uncle Joey in trouble, but since he wasn’t a mob boss here, it shouldn’t matter, right? It would definitely help if he knew what was really going on and why I was in such a mess.
Hawk sat patiently. He knew how to wait someone out. But, because I looked a little frightened, he decided to throw me a bone. “I’ll keep it to myself. You can trust me. Let me help you with this. You don’t have to do it by yourself.” He still couldn’t believe I’d actually go back to that boat. There had to be another connection, which led him back to my family.
Just like he’d thought last night, Ramos had to be part of it, especially since it sounded like he’d gone back to the boat with me. “You can tell me. Something isn’t right, and we both know you need me on your side.”
He was right. I could use his help. I didn’t need to protect Uncle Joey, because he hadn’t done anything wrong. But if he killed Milo, telling Hawk would be the worst thing I could do. And, if I told Hawk, I’d have to tell Uncle Joey what I’d done. He might be furious, but at least it would stop him from killing Milo, right? So… maybe it would be okay.
I swallowed and made my decision. “Okay. I’ll tell you, but it can’t go any further. You have to promise me.”
“I promise.” He was thinking that I must be in a whole lot of trouble if it was this hard to talk about. He’d do what he could, with no questions asked if it made a difference.
“Okay.” I heaved a huge sigh and then began. “This is going to sound strange, but I have a connection to the Manetto family. They used to be one of the mob families here in New York, but, after a dispute with the Bilottis, they quit the business. Uncle Joey… Manetto… bought the hotel belonging to his cousin to help him out. It’s the Hotel Perona… where I’m staying.”
Hawk nodded, thinking this was a turn he hadn’t seen coming, but it finally made sense. “Go on.”
“So… here it is in a nutshell. Uncle Joey’s son, Miguel, got the part of Aladdin in the Broadway show, so he’s living here. The Bilottis found out and threatened Uncle Joey to stay out of their business or something would happen to Miguel. Which is totally stupid because Uncle Joey’s not in the business, and he doesn’t want to be, you know?”
After Hawk nodded, I continued. “Anyway, none of this would be a problem, except for the fact that I’m helping you with this case, and now we know it’s tied to the Bilottis. Can you see how that looks? They saw me on the boat with you last night, and now they’re after me and blaming Uncle Joey for everything.
“That’s why I’m in such a desperate situation. But if we can catch Tony tonight and, at the same time, pin the drug operation on the Bilottis, then Milo Bilotti can’t blame Uncle Joey. Does that make sense?”
Hawk’s brows drew together. “But what about you? Won’t he blame you? And, if you’re related to the Manettos, won’t he blame them as well?”
“Probably, but if he’s in jail, it won’t matter, right?”
Hawk frowned, thinking I didn’t have a clue how much trouble I was in. Being in jail didn’t mean much in the mob business. But, hopefully, my uncle knew more about it than I did. Then his eyes widened. “Does your uncle know you’re helping me with this case?”
“Yeah. He’s not happy about it.”
“I’ll bet.” Hawk thought that was probably an understatement, and I had to nod my head in agreement.
“You won’t tell the chief will you?”
He studied me. “No. I don’t think he needs to know.”
I let out a sigh. “Good. So what do we do now?”
“We need to go after Tony for murder. If we can catch him doing the drug deal at the same time, then that’s a bonus. Tying the whole drug business to the Bilottis might be harder, but it could happen, especially if Tony turned against them.” He shook his head. “But whether he does or not, it’s still worth a try.”
“I was hoping you’d say that.”
He rubbed the back of his neck and closed his eyes, thinking this whole business was a lot more involved than he’d thought. “I guess we need to tell the chief what’s going on and get a team together for the bust. There’s not much time left.�
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I nodded. “Uh… about that… would you mind explaining all of this to the chief without me? I think I should stay under the radar for a bit.”
“Why? Are they looking for you?”
I nodded. “I think so. Plus, I’m pretty sure that the Bilottis have an inside man at the police station. If I show up, it might tip him off.”
His brows drew together, and he shook his head in disgust. “Then we’ll have to keep the operation under wraps. If the mole heard about it, they’d warn Bilotti, and he’d cancel the drop.” He glanced at me and sighed. “I think this would go better if you were the one telling the chief, but I guess we can’t chance it.”
“Well… if he really needs to talk with me, I can do that, but I’d rather not be so involved.”
Hawk rested his head on the back of his couch. If his side didn’t hurt so much, he could head the operation himself. But that was out of the question. “I’ll talk to the chief. We’ll figure something out.”
He knew they had a special task force for dealing with the mob. Maybe he could tell the chief the information came from me, but it was based on what I’d picked up from my premonitions while I’d been there. It would corroborate his experience from last night. They might go for it then.
“That sounds good,” I said. “And you can call me if you need to.”
“Sure. Okay. Thanks for telling me the truth.” He checked his watch. “There’s not much time to plan a strategy and have everything set up before the boat leaves at seven, so I’d better finish getting ready. Do you need me to drop you off somewhere?”
He was concerned that I was there all alone, especially if the Bilottis were after me. How I’d found out so much about Tony still puzzled him, but he decided to chalk it up to my premonitions and let it go.
“No, thanks, I’m fine. Ramos is waiting for me. Good luck with everything.” After a quick wave, I hurried out of his apartment.
Relief crashed over me. That hadn’t gone too badly. Sure, I’d had to tell Hawk the truth, but he’d taken it pretty well. Now Hawk could catch the killer and stop the drug operation. He and the police could take down the Bilottis, and I could stay out of it. Chris would be so proud of me. It could solve Uncle Joey’s problem as well, and he wouldn’t have to kill Milo after all. This was turning out great.
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