Fast Money: A Shelby Nichols Adventure

by Colleen Helme

  The door closed, and I missed the rest of that thought. Chills surged down my spine and I shivered. That guy needed to be stopped, and if what I gathered from his thoughts was right, I knew just how to do it.

  I left the room and waited for Dimples at his desk. He came toward me with downcast eyes, and looking up, was confused by my smile. “We need to go to the courthouse,” I said. “I think I know what he did with the gun and the fake nose.”

  Chapter 6

  I pushed the button for the fourth floor and smiled at Dimples with encouragement. After explaining my ‘premonition’ about the window, Dimples was willing to check it out. We were on our way to the fourth floor, while two officers would head to the back of the courthouse. The plan was to see where the window opened on the fourth floor, and check the ground below it.

  We entered the judge’s chamber where the robber was shot, but there was only one window, and it was stuck shut with paint. “Guess it’s not that one,” Dimples said.

  “Hmm…let’s see,” I said. “From here, he had to run through this door and into the next courtroom.” We followed the path into the courtroom and I realized this was where Chris’ client had been. Maybe he had seen Mercer standing by the window. My heart sped up to think we might have an eyewitness!

  Dimples went to the window. “It looks like it’s been opened recently.” Excitement rippled through his mind. He took a cloth out of his pocket and gingerly opened the window. The screen was torn in the bottom corner, and he glanced at me with a grin. This was it! I hurried to his side and we both looked over the windowsill.

  A dumpster stood directly below the window. The lid was open and it was full of garbage. Had Mercer somehow managed to drop the gun and fake nose inside? Dimples radioed the officers below, and told them to start searching the area around the dumpster.

  I could barely contain my excitement. “This might be the break we need!”

  “Yes,” Dimples agreed. “We might have to go through all that garbage, but at least it hasn’t been emptied.”

  “I know! How lucky can we be?” We hurried to the elevators and soon joined the officers outside. Sporting rubber gloves, they went through all the garbage around the dumpster. That turned up nothing, and it was clear the items must have fallen inside. No one wanted to get inside the dumpster, but Dimples surprised everyone by taking off his jacket, handing it to me, and doing just that.

  With fresh rubber gloves on his hands, he was thinking this was the time to show some leadership. He was a detective after all, and it was part of his job. He glanced my way. “Want to join me?”

  “A…kind of busy here,” I held up his jacket.

  He smiled and turned to the others. One of the officers offered to climb in and soon the dumpster was being emptied bit by bit. Dimples reminded them what we were looking for, and I studied each item as it was placed on the ground. Some of it smelled pretty bad, so I didn’t get too close.

  At this rate it was going to take most of the day, but I couldn’t leave without finding the gun or the nose. It was the only thing that would keep that freaky guy away from me. About halfway to the bottom, Dimples shouted. He held up a squished rubbery thing that looked a little like play-doh. Everyone watched him re-shape the blob, until it slightly resembled a nose. Was that it?

  “I need an evidence bag here.” Dimples held out his hand. An officer quickly responded, and Dimples placed the blob inside. “Don’t lose that.”

  I hurried to the officer’s side to take a closer look. Relief and excitement pulsed through me. It was definitely a fake nose. A few moments later the officer yelled and held up the gun, doubling my elation. He deposited it into another bag and Dimples gratefully jumped out of the dumpster.

  Not a moment too soon. The roar of the garbage truck filled the alley, and it rounded the corner, coming straight toward us. Everyone stopped in wonder. I caught the predominant thought that we had barely saved the day.

  Dimples peeled off his gloves and threw them in the dumpster with a shake of his head. “Talk about perfect timing,” he said with a grin. His dimples twirled in his cheeks and I grinned back.

  Happy and excited, I laughed and clapped my hands. “We did it! Now we can keep Mercer in jail!”

  Dimples smile faded and he checked his watch. “I’m afraid it’s too late. He’s probably out by now.” My smile dissolved and my stomach clenched with panic.

  Realizing my distress, he quickly continued. “But that’s okay. We can get him back. We just need to analyze these at the lab. I’m sure we’ll find evidence that will link him to the nose and gun. From there, we can build the case and arrest him.”

  That was not what I wanted to hear. He was out? What if he disappeared? How would we track him down? Worst of all, he was sure to come after me. What was I going to do? He hated my guts.

  “Shelby?” Dimples rubbed my arm. “Don’t worry, we’ll get him.”

  I nodded and smiled agreeably, but inwardly I wasn’t so sure. He was a hired assassin, and really good at his job. If he wanted to kill me, he could do it easily. “You know,” I said, a little desperate, “Chris’ client was still in the courtroom when Mercer came in. Maybe he saw him drop the gun out the window without realizing what it was. He could be another witness.

  “Wow, that’s great,” Dimples answered. “That would really help a lot. Can you get me his name and number?”

  “Sure,” I said. “I’ll go over to Chris’ office right now and call you from there.”

  “Sounds good,” he said. “And Shelby…good work today. Make sure you keep track of your hours, because you deserve to be paid for this.”

  “Sure,” I smiled, but my heart wasn’t in it. Right now, I didn’t really care about the money. “Oh…um…before you go back to the office, you might want to change your clothes. You stink.” He laughed, and this time my smile was real. “See ya.”

  Although I could walk to Chris’ office, I had driven my car from the police station to the courthouse. It was kind of a hassle to drive from one parking lot to another, but I didn’t want to leave the car there. I entered the parking lot, and caught sight of a man sitting in his parked car. I couldn’t make out his features, but I was pretty sure he was watching me.

  My skin prickled, and I hesitated. Was he going to follow me? Was he the hired assassin, just out of jail and waiting to kill me? Was there a bomb in my car set to explode when I started it? Was it someone from the CIA watching me because I’d flushed the bug? What about the Mexicans and Uncle Joey? Could it be someone wanting to kidnap me, and force me to give them all the money I’d received from Uncle Joey before they cut off my head and threw the rest of me to the dogs?

  Before I could decide what to do, the car’s engine caught, and the man drove toward me. Thinking he might try to run me down, I jumped back and ran toward the building. I kept my eye on him to see where he went, and inadvertently ran into a side-view mirror on a car. I bounced from that car like a pool ball into the car parked beside it.

  That hurt. Wincing, I straightened, and there was the car with the driver looking out his window, his eyes drawn together in concern. “Are you all right?” he asked.

  “Yeah,” I answered, and recognizing him, my eyes got big. It was number three from Uncle Joey’s organization. I never did find out his name, but Jackie had thought about some names. If only I could think what they were. “You’re…”

  “Ricky,” he supplied. “And you’re Mr. Manetto’s assistant, Shelby.”

  “Former assistant,” I corrected him. “I got canned after the shooting in his office.”

  “Yeah right,” he wasn’t buying it. The way he heard it, I had something on ‘The Knife’ and used it to quit. Kind of like blackmail, only in reverse of the way Manetto used it. He was impressed. Which was why he was here.

  “Are you spying on me?” I asked.

  “Word out on the street is you might be in trouble,” he explained. “So I just thought I’d watch your car until you came back. Make sure
no one messed with it.”

  “Why didn’t you say something?” I didn’t want to mention that he’d scared me half to death since it was a good deed, but still.

  He ducked his head. “You weren’t supposed to see me.” He glanced up apologetically. Now that his cover was blown, he might as well tell me the truth. He didn’t think ‘The Knife’ would mind. “Before he left, Mr. Manetto told us to keep an eye on you if you were ever in danger. You know…you’re like part of the family now, and he takes care of his own.”

  Would I ever be rid of Uncle Joey? The call from Mexico came to mind, and I flushed with guilt. Maybe he was already dead. It didn’t look like Ricky knew anything about it, so that was good. Hopefully that meant I was right, and the call was a scam. If nothing else, having someone watch out for me was small compensation for everything else Uncle Joey had put me through. “Well, you’re right about me being in trouble. So I appreciate the help.”

  “No problem,” he said. “You going home now?”

  “No. Going over to Chris’ office first, then home.”

  “Okay, I’ll try to stay out of your way, but be careful.” He paused and rubbed his chin. “You might want to get a gun.”

  That reminded me of my stun flashlight and pepper spray. Like an idiot, I’d put them in my purse this morning and promptly forgot all about them. “I’ll think about it,” I said and smiled, feeling better. I wasn’t so helpless after all. I checked my purse. Yup, there they were.

  “See you.” I hurried to my car, wondering if things could get any more complicated. Probably. The car started right up, and I drove to Chris’ office. I kept checking my rearview mirror for Ricky’s car, but didn’t see it anywhere. If he was following, he was doing a good job.

  Instead of parking in the garage, I found a place on the street and nabbed it, thinking that from now on, parking on the street might be a good idea. Right now, I hated parking garages, and a few quarters were definitely worth my peace of mind.

  Chris’ secretary was surprised to see me again so soon. She was thinking that with the amount of time I spent there, I might as well have my own office. Before I could ask, she told me that Chris had gone out to lunch. “Was he expecting you?” she asked.

  I sighed. “No. But maybe you could help me.”

  She nodded politely, but inside she was rolling her eyes. “Sure. What do you need?”

  “Chris’ client from the other day? The divorce case?” She nodded and I continued. “I was just at the police department, and they think he might be a witness for the courtroom killing that happened there. I told them I’d find out his name so they could contact him.”

  Her smile faded. “Oh…I’d love to give it to you, but I’m afraid I can’t. Client – attorney privilege and all that, and I don’t want to get into trouble.”

  “Oh, right.” I didn’t think it was that big of a deal, and I was sure Chris would tell me. “Do you know where Chris went to lunch?”

  “No, sorry.”

  “Okay, well, just tell him I stopped by and to call me when he gets back.”

  She nodded and I left, hoping she wouldn’t forget this time. I got to the elevators and realized I should have just called him on his cell and saved me the hassle. What was I thinking?

  I pushed the speed-dial for his cell, but the call went right to voicemail. Rolling my eyes, I left a message to call me and punched the button for the elevator. The doors opened and I stepped in, pushing the button for the lobby. I watched the floors go by, hoping no one would stop the elevator and get in. For some reason, I felt a little jittery. When it slowed to a stop on the first floor, I panicked. Reaching into my purse, I grabbed my stun flashlight and held it ready to use.

  A man stepped in and nodded politely, pushing the parking garage button. He was thinking that I looked a little scary with the cold stare I was leveling at him, and made sure he moved to the far side of the elevator. He kept his eyes down and hoped I didn’t make any sudden moves.

  When I got out in the lobby, his relief made me feel bad. At the same time, if I was intimidating to him, that could be a positive thing. I was a force to be reckoned with, not an easy mark, so watch out. Keeping a scowl on my face, I marched to my car, noticing that anyone who got close to me moved away. I heard a few random thoughts, like, “what’s her problem?” and “wowza, keep out of her way.”

  There was one mind that didn’t fit, and I glanced down the street. Mercer stood a few feet away watching me, his eyes cold and calculating. Instead of cowering and running in fright, I faced him. His brows lifted in surprise. His stare usually worked on most people. Was he losing his touch?

  I smiled as evilly as I could and walked toward him. “You got out,” I said. “What are you doing here?” I knew he was here to watch me, but I had to play the game.

  “No reason,” he answered.

  “You think I believe that? You’re trying to scare me. Well it won’t work, so you can just go back where you came from.”

  He raised his brows. Most people wouldn’t dare talk to him that way.

  “Most people probably wouldn’t tell you what they think.” I kept going, feeling invincible and on a roll. “But I’m not one of them. And before you think about killing me again because I ruined all your plans, just remember that I’ve got lots of friends that would hunt you down and make your life miserable…and then they’d kill you. Am I worth all that hassle and pain? Of course not. Besides, who would pay you for killing me? No one. See? So it would be in your best interests if you just forgot all about me.”

  Mercer was totally flummoxed. He was trying to understand how I knew he was a hired killer. Who would have told me? Were the friends I was talking about the police? Or was I bluffing him? I was right that no one would pay him to kill me, but it would give him a lot of satisfaction to end my life. Although that was probably not a good enough reason to kill me, especially if the police had their suspicions. If I ended up dead, he would be the top suspect, and his life could get really complicated.

  I rolled my eyes. At least he was thinking twice about it now. If it kept him from killing me, that was a bonus. “Well, as much as I’ve enjoyed talking to you, I’ve really got to go.”

  “Wait a minute,” he grabbed my wrist. “How do you know all this about me? Who told you?”

  “No one.” I tried to jerk my arm away, but his grip tightened. “Oww. You’re hurting me. Let me go.” There would be bruises on my arm later and my sense of invincibility disappeared, leaving me shaken.

  He was upset that he seemed to be losing his touch. I should be quaking in my shoes by now, and I wasn’t. Then it hit him that it was probably all a bluff. He relaxed his hold, and dropped my wrist, realizing this was different, more like a game. He’d never met anyone like me, and it was refreshing. It was a challenge he’d never had before. Maybe he’d hold off on killing me for a while. I had a lot of spunk. That could be interesting.

  Now I was starting to freak, and my bravado shriveled to nothing. What was I doing, standing here talking to a killer? “It would be better for you if you left me alone. I really do know people.”

  He chuckled. “Yes, I’m sure you do.” The mirth in his eyes changed to concern as he glanced over my shoulder.

  “Is this guy bothering you?” Ricky stood behind me, his hand in his jacket, the gun evident in his pocket.

  “He’s just leaving. Isn’t that right, Mr. Mercer?”

  Mercer sighed. He glanced at Ricky, thinking that maybe I was telling the truth about knowing people. But on the other hand, that would just add to the fun. He wasn’t afraid of someone threatening him with a gun. It put me on the same level as him, and evened out the playing field. I may have beaten him this time, but there was always tomorrow. “See you around.” He had enjoyed our little riposte, and looked forward to more. Smiling, he turned on his heel and quickly melted into the crowd.

  “Thanks Ricky.” My shoulders slumped. All I wanted to do was go home. I turned to face him and someone in the crow
d brushed past my shoulder, making my purse fall down to my arm.

  “Sorry,” the man said, and kept walking. As I glanced at him, shock and recognition swept through me. The shock was because of the deep voice coming from a woman, and the recognition because it was the guy dressed like a woman from the courthouse. He had the same wig, but different clothes. Still, I’d remember those hairy legs anywhere. Couldn’t he at least shave them? Then it hit me. He was following Mercer. Why was he doing that?

  “Do you know who that is?” Ricky asked, catching my attention. He was thinking that Mercer was a hired assassin, and it was freaking him out.

  “Yes, but don’t worry,” I assured him. “The police have evidence that will put him away for murder.”

  Ricky shook his head. “Don’t be too sure. For guys like that, evidence has a way of disappearing.” He was thinking it was time to call Mr. Manetto and let him know what was going on.

  I glanced at him. He really didn’t know about Uncle Joey. What if he found out Uncle Joey was dead or kidnapped, and I’d done nothing about it? Unless Uncle Joey really wasn’t dead or kidnapped. It was all so confusing. “I’d better get home.”

  “You should be safe for tonight.” He was thinking that guys like Mercer liked to toy with their kill, and draw it out for the enjoyment. I probably had a week or so. He glanced at me. “What did you do to him?”

  I sighed, wishing I’d never gone to the courthouse that day. “He killed a guy and I sort of caught him.” The bank robber probably deserved it, but what about all the others?

  “You saw him?”

  “No.” I shouldn’t have said that. “Nobody saw him, but I had a hunch it was him, so they put him in jail. He got released today because of lack of evidence, and he blames me for putting him there in the first place. That’s why he’s…you know…after me.”

  Ricky understood now. It was a matter of pride. Too bad I had interfered. Now Ricky would probably have to kill the guy, and that was usually Ramos’ job. He’d better call ‘The Knife’ right away. This was getting too complicated for him.