Lie or Die: A Shelby Nichols Adventure

by Colleen Helme

  I glanced in his eyes, and saw the vulnerability before he covered it with a glare of defiance. “Hi,” I said, putting as much warmth in my voice as I could. “Is there someone…anyone that you’ve noticed around here…that would grab a little girl?”

  He took a step back, visibly shocked that I didn’t accuse him of the crime. He’d been so focused on himself that he didn’t think about who could have done it. Now his thoughts raced. “You know, there is this guy, he’s an older dude, and I’ve seen him talking to those girls now and then. He gives them candy.”

  “Where does he live?” I asked.

  “Just over there.” He pointed to an apartment that wasn’t anywhere close to the route Shayla would have taken to get home.

  “Thanks,” I said.

  I started toward the apartment, with Dimples and Wilcox trailing behind. Wilcox was amazed that I believed the kid, but if what he said was true...it was the only lead we had.

  “Let me talk to him,” Dimples said. His instincts told him we were on the right track, and he didn’t want me to get hurt if anything happened.

  “Okay,” I agreed. “But just remember that no matter what he says, if I say she’s in there, then you’ve got to believe me.”

  “I will,” he said. “Wilcox…follow my lead.”

  “Yes sir.” Wilcox was a bit confused, but didn’t question Dimples’ authority.

  We arrived at the door, and Dimples rang the doorbell. A man opened the door a crack. Seeing the uniform, he took off the chain, and opened it wider. His brows drew together in concern. “Can I help you?” he asked. He had expected the police to come, but not this fast.

  “Yes,” Dimples answered. “We’re asking everyone if they’ve seen a little girl. She’s about seven years old, and her name’s Shayla. She’s been missing for a couple of hours.”

  “Yes, I heard about that,” he said, his voice dripping with concern. “I can’t believe something like this would happen here. Can I help? I would be glad to knock on doors with you.” He was thinking that no one would suspect him if he joined in the search.

  “Where is she?” I shouted.

  “What are you talking about?” His thoughts turned to the closet in his bedroom.

  “She’s in the bedroom closet!” I shoved him out of the way, and rushed into the apartment, my heart in my throat. I couldn’t tell if he thought of her as dead or alive, and dread tightened my stomach.

  “Shelby, wait!” Dimples rushed in behind me, and I slowed to get my bearings. At the door I could hear the man straining against Wilcox’s hold, and yelling that we were trespassing.

  The bedroom opened on my right, and I flew inside, slamming the closet doors apart. Dimples saw her before I did. She was slumped in a ball, with her hands tied, and a piece of plastic wrapped around her head. Her mouth was open, and she was trying to breathe, but the plastic wouldn’t let her get any air. Dimples grabbed her, put her in my arms, and ripped the plastic away from her face. She gasped in air, and after a few tense seconds, her red face turned white, and she started to cry.

  “It’s okay baby,” I said. “It’s okay.” I held her in my arms, and patted her back while she cried. “Just breathe, honey. I’ve got you. You’re all right now.” Her little body quivered, but she soon settled down. I kept whispering to her, holding her tight. Dimples left, telling Wilcox to cuff the guy, and radio that we’d found her alive. A few tense minutes later, her mother was there, pulling her away, sobbing with relief.

  I let her go and wiped my eyes. She was safe, and I needed to get out of there. I found Dimples in the living room, talking to a cop. He excused himself, and hurried to my side. “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “No.”

  He grabbed my arm, and pulled me outside, leading me away from the crowd. He kept his arm around me while I calmed down. “That was close,” I managed to whisper.

  “Yeah,” Dimples answered. “But we did it. You did it.”

  I shook my head. “No,” I said forcefully. “We did it together.”

  “If you say so,” he said, knowing from my tone I wasn’t comfortable taking the credit. “Yup…we did good. We did something real good. Focus on that, Shelby. Focus on that.”

  I took a deep breath, and let his words work on me. My legs were a little wobbly, but I was finally able to stand on my own. “Thanks Dimples. I’ll be okay now.”

  He nodded and let me go. “I’m just going to talk to them for a minute, but I’ll be right back, and we can leave.”

  “Okay.” I watched him go, grateful for some time alone. The police had cleared an area to keep the crowd at bay, but it was filling up with reporters and cameras. I did not want to go anywhere near them.

  I glanced up, and noticed the young man still standing on his balcony. I waved him over, and he soon joined me.

  “She was really in there?” he said, with a touch of disbelief.

  “Yeah, she was,” I said. “You saved her life. Don’t ever forget that.”

  He glanced at me, his brows drawn together with a question. I waited like a normal person for him to ask. “What made you believe me? That cop thought I did it. That’s why you came over. I fit the profile for your basic criminal. So what made you change your mind?”

  I smiled at him and shrugged. “Just a hunch I guess. Kind of like the hunch you had about that guy. Have you ever thought about being a cop or a detective? I think you’ve got the chops for it.”

  He laughed. “Actually…no.”

  “Hmm…that’s too bad. You’d make a good one.”

  Dimples joined us and gave the kid his card. “You saved that girl’s life. Could you come down to the station and make a statement?”

  “I guess,” he answered reluctantly.

  “Show them the card at the desk, and tell them I asked for you personally,” Dimples assured him. “No one will hassle you, I promise.”

  “Fine,” he answered.

  “Great…I’m Detective Harris.” He held out his hand, and the kid took it.

  “Tyson,” he said.

  “Good, see you soon.” Dimples turned to me. “You ready to go?”

  “Yes. Let’s get out of here.” We skirted around the crowd of people, and made it to the street where the car was parked without drawing attention. As we pulled away from the curb, I caught a glimpse of the kidnapper being led to a police car. I shivered as the events washed over me again, grateful that I had made a difference in the outcome. It was close, but we’d saved her, and that was what mattered.

  We pulled into the police station, and Dimples turned off the car, but made no move to get out. He was thinking that things were going to change for me when word got out about what I did, and he wasn’t sure it would be good.

  “I was wondering,” I said. “If you could keep me out of your report. Or at least change it just a bit?”

  “Like how?” he asked.

  “Just say I accompanied you, but not that I knew she was in the apartment. Maybe that the way the guy was acting was suspicious or something, and that’s why we went inside. That would work, right?”

  Dimples smiled, and turned his gaze on me. “Sure, I can do that. I’ll keep it between you and me. I’ll see if I can persuade Wilcox to do the same. Besides, no one would believe us anyway, right?”

  “Exactly,” I agreed.

  “How did you know?” he asked. “I mean…do you get images or something? It’s almost like you can read minds.”

  I let out a nervous chuckle. “It’s mostly premonitions or something close to that,” I explained. “It’s best not to think about it too hard, though.”

  “Yeah, you’re probably right,” he said.

  “Well, if you don’t need me for anything else, I’m going.” I jumped out of the car before he could stop me. “See ya!”

  He got out, thinking he needed to get my statement, but couldn’t bring himself to make me come back. He’d write up a report, and have me sign a statement later. Now all he had to do was decide what to tell
the Police Chief.

  I hopped in my car, grateful that was his problem and not mine. I’d done enough for today and was ready to go home. I had planned to stop at Novelty Creations on my way, but not now. I could check that out tomorrow. Right now all I wanted was to go home and hug my kids.

  ***

  Chris was late getting home again. The trial he was working on had started, and he still had a lot to do for the next day, but I didn’t mind. Savannah and I spent the evening figuring out our vacation to Orlando. We decided it was better to stay at a hotel on the resort because of the benefits of getting into the park before the crowds. We even got Josh involved, and picked the week we wanted to go.

  It was hard not to book the reservation right then and there, especially since Chris had thought that we had plenty of money for the trip, but I convinced Savannah and Josh that we needed to talk to him first.

  Since I was so enthusiastic about it, they weren’t too worried about the outcome. They were right about that. I was bound and determined to take this trip together as a family and have some fun. I was sure I could get Chris to agree.

  With no sign of Chris, I decided to watch the ten o’clock news. The kidnapping was the top story. The news crew had been there the whole time, and after showing a mug shot of the man responsible, they did a time-line of events. I was shocked to see myself walking across the lawn with Dimples and Wilcox. I was glad I’d worn the navy jacket over my white shirt and jeans. With my ID dangling around my neck, it made me look official, like I belonged.

  The reporter was talking about the police presence while we were talking to Tyson. The camera went back to the reporter, and we took off toward the kidnapper’s apartment. The reporter was still talking when someone shouted that the police were running somewhere. The camera panned in on the apartment, and showed Wilcox grappling with the kidnapper.

  The camera zoomed in on the kidnapper’s face, and a shiver went up my spine. Wilcox cuffed him, and the police converged, blocking the view. Next, the child’s mother ran with an officer into the apartment, and the reporter was saying that the girl had been found, but they didn’t know if she was alive.

  It was several tense seconds later that the news reached them that she was alive and well. The camera panned back in toward the apartment, and showed me standing with Dimples, leaning over to catch my breath.

  “Mom? Is that you?” Josh asked. “You were there?”

  “What is it?” Savannah joined us. Her attention riveted to the footage of me and Dimples standing outside the apartment. The camera zoomed out to focus on the crowd and catch a glimpse of the kidnapper. The footage cut to a later image of the kidnapper being put into a police car, then showed footage of the mother and child being escorted to a waiting car. The story ended, and I clicked the TV off.

  “Come sit down, and I’ll tell you what happened,” I said. I explained how I helped Dimples catch the kidnapper, and how scared I was. I told them about the good tip we got that led us to her. “Thank goodness she was still alive. So it all worked out.”

  Josh didn’t buy my explanation. “Did you know she was in that apartment because of your premonitions?” I’d told the kids that I helped the police, but he’d uncovered the premonitions part himself.

  “Yeah,” I said, trusting him and Savannah with that much of the truth. “But it’s not something I want people to know, so let’s keep it to ourselves, okay?”

  “Sure,” he smiled. He was thinking it was almost like having a super power. How cool was that?

  “You guys better get to bed,” I urged.

  “But what about Dad?” Savannah asked. “I want to book our trip before it’s too late.”

  “I’ll talk to him tonight. We can book the trip tomorrow. One more day isn’t going to make a difference.”

  She sighed. “Okay. Goodnight.”

  I got ready for bed, and Chris still wasn’t home. It was almost eleven-thirty and he usually called if he was going to be this late. Had something happened to him? I called his cell, but it went straight to voicemail, so I left a message to call me.

  The case he was working on was big, but that was all I knew about it. Still, with it being this late without a phone call, my stomach knotted with concern, sending a spike of fear down my spine. I called his office line, just in case his phone was out of juice. It went straight to voicemail.

  I decided to give him ten minutes or so to call me back, and got out my book to read. Ten minutes turned into twenty without a word. I had been reading the same paragraph for the last few minutes, and couldn’t concentrate. I snapped the book shut and picked up the phone.

  It started ringing in my hand, and I jerked from surprise. Fumbling it in my fingers, I sighed with relief. It was Chris’ cell number. “Chris,” I snapped. “Are you all right?”

  “Yes, I’m fine, but I’m at the hospital.” His voice was strained.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  “It’s Gary. Someone beat him up. Can you come to the hospital? I rode in the ambulance with him, and my car’s still at work.”

  “Sure, I’ll be there in a few minutes.” I threw on some clothes, and grabbed my keys. Then I decided to write a quick note in case the kids got up, and jumped in my car. It seemed to take forever to get there. Due to the late hour, the parking lot was practically empty. I parked the car, and hurried inside to find Chris waiting in the main lobby.

  “Hey.” I sat down beside him, and took his hand. “What’s going on? What happened?”

  “Hi,” he sighed, giving me a quick kiss. “Thanks for coming.”

  “Is Gary going to be all right?” I asked.

  “He’s stable now. He’s got a broken jaw and some internal bleeding, but he’ll be okay. He got beat up pretty bad. His face is a swollen mess. I can’t believe this happened.”

  “Tell me about it,” I said.

  “I stayed to help him finish up some things for the trial tomorrow,” he began. “I wasn’t quite done, so I told him I’d finish up and he could leave. When I got to the parking garage about a half hour later, his car was still there. It didn’t make any sense, so I went over and found him lying face down on the concrete, with blood all over him. I thought he was dead.”

  “Oh no. How awful,” I said.

  “I checked for a pulse and realized he was just unconscious, so I called nine-one-one. The police think it’s a mugging because his wallet is gone, but I think there’s more to it.”

  “Why?”

  He glanced around before answering. “Gary showed me a note he got a few days ago. The note threatened that something would happen to him if he continued to defend our client. It said he needed to make sure our client lost the trial, or he’d be sorry.”

  “Didn’t he take it seriously?” I asked.

  “Not really. He’s had threats before, but nothing’s ever come of them. It just makes him more determined to win, and he didn’t think this case was any different, but now I’m not so sure.”

  “Did you tell the police?”

  “Yes.” He sat forward, exhausted. “They’re looking into it, but I doubt they’ll find anything.”

  “Let’s get you home.” I tugged on his arm, and he stood up. I put my arm around him, and we walked slowly to our car. “At least Gary will be okay, but what happens with the trial?”

  He snorted. “That’s the kicker. It’s mine now. I have to take Gary’s place.” Chris shook his head, worried that now he was a target.

  This was not good. “I don’t understand. Why would someone want your client to lose? Who is your client anyway?”

  “Adam Webb, of Webb Enterprises.”

  Chapter 5

  “You’re kidding me,” I exclaimed.

  “No. Why?”

  “Because Uncle Joey mentioned a trial he was worried about, and he mentioned Webb Enterprises. It has to be the same one.”

  “Do you think he had anything to do with beating up Gary or threatening him?” Chris asked, appalled.

  �
�I don’t know,” I said. “But I don’t think so. I’m pretty sure he’s on your side.” I tried to remember what he had said about the trial, but could only come up with a name. “Do you know who David Barardini is?”

  “Yes,” Chris answered, immediately suspicious. “He’s an accountant working on the case with us. He’s pretty important to our case. Why? How do you know him?”

  “He’s Uncle Joey’s man,” I said, relieved. “So…at least that means Uncle Joey’s on your side. He’s not the one responsible for Gary’s injuries.”

  “That’s good…I guess,” Chris said. We drove to Chris’ office in silence. Chris had plenty on his mind, but he didn’t say anything, so I kept my mouth shut, and tried not to listen. I did pick up that it was the bookkeeping that would make or break their case, so I had to figure that David Barardini, and what he did, was huge. It also bothered him that in a roundabout way, Chris must be working for Uncle Joey.

  Yikes! He was right. How did that happen? But when I thought about it, it made sense. I mean…Uncle Joey had ties with the firm of Cohen, Larsen, and Pratt, especially considering his association with Stephen Cohen, one of the first partners. I hadn’t even told Chris that it was Uncle Joey who’d really killed Stephen Cohen.

  The fact that Kate, Stephen’s daughter, was hired to work there was probably not a coincidence. It was to appease Uncle Joey’s guilt, as well as have a lawyer in his pocket. So it only made sense that Uncle Joey used Chris’ firm for not only himself, but his ‘associates’ as well.

  With Stephen Cohen dead, it was John Larsen and Gary Pratt who ran the firm. With Gary in the hospital, that left Chris as the defending attorney since he was helping on the case. It also made him the next target for whoever wanted them to fail, and I was sure it had everything to do with Uncle Joey.

  I pulled into Chris’ parking garage and waited while he unlocked his car and got in. I made sure he was following behind as I began the drive home. If Chris was in trouble, I was bound and determined to get to the bottom of it before anything serious happened to him. Good thing I had an in with Uncle Joey.