High Stakes Crime: A Paranormal Women's Fiction Novel (Shelby Nichols Adventure Book 15)

by Colleen Helme

  He let out a breath and nodded. “Right.” He thought I was pretty far away from him, so he didn’t think I could see his face that well. But… whatever.

  “Stay here.” He walked to the body and examined the man. He was dead all right. And he’d shot him right between the eyes. Letting out a sigh, he shook his head. He was going to get an earful after that shot. He’d tried to stay on the sidelines, but now that he’d participated in this operation, he’d probably be assigned to go on more.

  He’d rather be known as a great firearm instructor than a decorated, special-ops sniper from the past. He glanced my way and shook his head. When he’d heard they were slapping this op together, and that I was involved, he’d known he couldn’t sit it out.

  He knew I wasn’t ready for this, and he’d come partly to watch out for me. It was a good thing he had. What was I thinking to go after that guy?

  As he rejoined me, he helped me to my feet. “So what happened? Over the radio, I heard you say you were following a guy, so I decided to see if you needed some help. I’m glad I made it.”

  “Yeah, me too. Thanks for coming.”

  He nodded and stared at me expectantly, so I quickly explained that the guy had jumped out a window to escape, and that I’d followed him into the dead-end alley where he took a shot at me. “I shot at him too, but we both missed.” I shrugged. “I guess I need more practice.”

  “That’s a good idea, especially if you’re going to be chasing bad guys.” He thought I should know better, but there was just something in me that didn’t listen to reason. His gaze narrowed, and his right brow rose, reminding me of how Ramos sometimes looked at me when I was in trouble.

  Oops. Oh well… what else was new? “Yeah… I get that. But I didn’t want him to get away, you know?”

  Unfortunately, he knew what I meant all too well, but it still didn’t cancel out the risks. I definitely needed more training.

  Not wanting to get chewed out, even if it was just in his mind, I changed the subject. “Uh… did you get a donut this morning? I brought donuts to the precinct to thank everyone for helping me… you know… when I got lost.”

  “No… I didn’t get one.” He feigned disappointment, even though he was thinking that he didn’t eat donuts anymore. At my frown, he chuckled. “But it’s okay. You can bring me a donut the next time you come to the shooting range… which should be sometime this week.”

  I shook my head. “Not if you don’t eat them anymore.”

  He froze. “What?”

  Oops. “I think you told me once that you don’t eat donuts because they’re bad for you. You like to eat all that natural-foods, healthy stuff. Right?”

  He couldn’t remember ever telling me that, but he must have, since I knew. “Well… sure, but I’d eat one if you brought it. I’m not that much of a stickler.”

  “Oh… good to know.” I hoped that meant he wasn’t as straight-laced as he seemed, since I could use a little leeway now and then. “Anyways… I’ll see about coming to the shooting range.”

  “That’s a good idea.” Before I could turn away, he stopped me. “Just out of curiosity, did you close your eyes when you shot at him?”

  “Uh… maybe the first shot, but not after that.”

  He sighed. “Try and come in this week, okay? Especially if you’re going to be working with vice on things like this. That was close.” He was thinking that, for someone who was supposed to stay out of the way, it boggled his mind that I could still get into a shootout with a gun runner. If anyone needed the training, it was me.

  “Yeah… I guess you have a point.”

  “Good.”

  Several people came rushing toward us, with Dimples leading the pack. “Shelby. What happened? Are you okay?”

  “Yeah… I’m fine. Did you get Redman?”

  Dimples looked past me to the body on the ground. “If that’s him, we did.”

  “It is.” Dante glanced my way, wishing he could tell the detective that I hadn’t put my life in danger to do it. Now he might have to have a serious talk with him about my safety. “Thanks to Shelby. She stopped him from getting away.”

  Dimples widened his eyes. “Did you—”

  “That’s Redman?” I shook my head. “Now I don’t feel so bad that he’s dead. And… no, I didn’t shoot him. I tried, but I missed.” At his raised brows, I shrugged. “I may need more practice at the shooting range.”

  More officers joined us, and one of them took charge of the scene. I headed back to the garage with Dimples and Dante, waiting as far from the dead bodies as I could, while they spoke to Grizzo.

  I picked up that, along with arresting everyone who wasn’t dead, they’d found several crates full of guns. Grizzo shook his head, thinking we’d hit the jackpot.

  He glanced my way. How did I do it? What he wouldn’t give to have me on his team. He’d have to talk to the chief about it. Maybe they could work something out? But what if I objected? He hadn’t been the nicest person to work with, but he could change. He could be nicer.

  On impulse, Grizzo stepped to my side and flashed a smile. “I don’t know how to thank you Shelby. We wouldn’t have made the bust without you.”

  “Without me and Detective Harris, you mean. It was mostly him.”

  “Is that right?”

  Dimples had followed him over and quickly spoke up. “Yeah. Shelby and I make a good team, don’t you think?”

  Grizzo snorted, knowing he’d just been put in his place. Raising his nose in the air, he sniffed and shook his head. “Man… what’s that smell?” His right brow arched. Stepping closer to Dimples, he recoiled. “Whew. I heard you had a run-in with a shit tank. It must be true. You stink.”

  Dimples caught my gaze, and I shrugged. “It wasn’t me.”

  A few of the others joined in, teasing Dimples with well-placed barbs. He shook his head. “Come on, Shelby. Let’s get out of here.”

  “If it’s too stinky in the car, I can take you,” someone yelled.

  A few others laughed and joked some more, but I waved them off and followed Dimples to his car. Since my window was still open, I left it that way to help with the smell. Then I cranked up the air conditioning.

  “Do I really stink?”

  “Uh… yeah. You do. But just a little. And it’s not too bad. Maybe it’s coming from your wallet, or your phone?”

  He swore under his breath, wondering how the officers had found out. It couldn’t have been just the smell. Someone must have seen him in the locker room, or Jinx might have said something. “I think I’ll take the rest of the day off.”

  “Yeah… me too.” I grinned at him, and he managed to smile back. “Hey… at least we solved the case, right?”

  “Yes… yes we did.”

  CHAPTER 15

  The next morning began with a phone call from Billie. We hadn’t spoken much since camping together, and she wanted to meet for lunch. “I’ve got my article written for the paper about our prospecting experience, and I thought I’d pass it by you before it goes to print.”

  My heart sank. “Is that because I’m in it?”

  “I may have mentioned you, but that’s because you got lost, and it was already in the news. But don’t worry, it’s not bad.”

  “Okay, but… you’ll change it if it’s too personal, right?”

  “Of course.”

  We agreed to meet downtown, near her office, and disconnected.

  Since it was early, I still had plenty of time to take Coco on a walk before I had to get ready. With the kids in school, we’d become best buds, and, after he’d rescued me, we had a special bond.

  While we were out, I got another phone call from Uncle Joey. After a quick greeting, he got down to business. “I’d like you to come in today. Stewart and Ian are stopping by, and I’d like to know what they’re up to.”

  “Sounds good to me. Would around one this afternoon work?”

  “I’ll set it up.”

  “Great. See you then.”
<
br />   Billie waved to me as I walked into the restaurant, excitement glowing on her face. We hugged each other, and the hostess led us to our table. A server came by with menus and asked for our drink orders. After taking a moment to decide what food entrees we wanted, Billie focused her attention on me.

  “I’m so glad to see you’re looking better.” Billie was surprised that my lip and cheek weren’t swollen, and the cut on my chin was barely noticeable. “I can’t imagine how horrifying that must have been.”

  “Yeah… it was pretty bad. I’m just grateful Coco found me.”

  “He’s an amazing dog. Did they tell you how hard Coco worked on the first day he got there?” She shook her head. “It was too bad they started in the wrong place, because that dog tried so hard to find your scent that his nose was bleeding. Poor thing.”

  My heart lurched. “No… they didn’t tell me. That’s awful.” Remorse caught in my throat for what I’d put my dog through. “You know I didn’t mean to get lost, right?”

  Her breath caught. “Oh… of course not. I didn’t mean to make you feel bad, but I just wanted you to know how much your dog must love you… along with everyone else. A lot of people came, and even those who couldn’t come were praying for you.”

  She’d been terrified herself, and she’d never seen Drew so upset. Witnessing Chris and Josh’s frantic worry had nearly broken her heart. Even the gruff mob boss had shed a tear when Chris and Josh arrived with Coco at the cabin. It was a close thing, and it had scared them all.

  She thanked God there had been a happy ending. Otherwise, my dog would probably still be up there looking for me… and probably a certain hitman, too. He’d tried not to show it, but she couldn’t mistake the feelings he had for me.

  He’d insisted on taking the rope to pull me out, and no one dared defy him. She’d watched him strain to slow down when it was clear that he’d wanted to pull me out of there as fast as possible. She also hadn’t missed the look of longing on his face when I’d emerged, and fallen into Chris's and Josh’s arms. He’d swallowed and wiped at his eyes when he thought no one was looking.

  It puzzled her. We weren’t lovers, but we were more than friends. The depth to our relationship was something she’d never seen between two people who weren’t together. She’d call it devotion and a healthy respect for one another, which somehow worked, but she knew it cost him, and she hoped I didn’t take it for granted.

  Well hell. Tears stung my eyes, and I blinked, hoping I could control all the emotions that threatened to overwhelm me. “You’re… you’re making me cry.”

  “Oh… I’m sorry.” She patted my hand. “I’m a terrible friend. I didn’t mean to upset you. It must have been a terrifying experience, but it all turned out okay, and you’re here. That’s what matters the most, right?”

  I nodded. She had no idea how her thoughts had affected me, and I wasn’t sure I was grateful I’d heard them or not. I knew everyone had worried about me, but seeing it from her point of view made it even harder.

  I wiped my eyes and sent her a smile. “It’s just so fresh that it’s hard to talk about right now. I know I’ve been given a second chance, and I’m really grateful for that.”

  “I understand. And when you’re ready to tell me what you went through, I’d love to listen.”

  “Thanks Billie. I’ll keep that in mind.”

  Always thinking about the next great angle, her thoughts raced toward how my experience could become one of those ‘drama in real life’ stories, and how she could write it for me. Maybe in a week or two, she’d ask me if I was ready to share.

  I managed to keep from sighing too loudly, but honestly, what could I expect? She was a reporter, and one of the best. Beyond that, she was also my friend, so I’d have to cut her some slack.

  The server came back with our drinks and took our food orders before leaving again. I smiled at Billie, ready to move on. “So what did you want to tell me about your article? Were you impressed with Stewart and Ian?”

  She shook her head. “Not after we got lost in that cave. I thought they’d be better prepared with ropes and things like that. It doesn’t make a lot of sense when you think about it. I mean, they were prospecting for a gold mine. Wouldn’t that mean you needed mining things?”

  I nodded. “Well… yeah I see what you mean. But they did supply all of us with headlamps and our camping supplies and equipment. Did something happen after I got lost?”

  “No. It was just a feeling I got. They were upset that you got lost, but I think it was more because that meant putting off their exploration of that cave. I heard them talking about going back with metal detectors. I think finding that dead miner made it look like the right place. Do you think it was?”

  “I don’t know.” That was a total lie, but I wasn’t ready to share my secret with anyone.

  She was thinking that, without seeing any gold, it didn’t seem like it. But maybe we’d taken a wrong turn and the gold was there, but just in a different place? If that cave did turn out to be the mine, it would change her whole story.

  Wanting to be helpful, I asked, “what have you got so far?”

  She shrugged. “I’m making it into a special-interest story with a cautionary twist. I’m starting out with telling a little history about the legend of the lost mine, and then I’m telling about how vast that mountain range is and ending with the inherent danger of getting lost.” She didn’t say like you, but of course, I heard it.

  “But if that cave turns out to be the mine,” she continued. “I’m leaving the story a little open-ended, so I can revisit it. Do you know if Stewart and Ian are still up there?”

  She’d kept the question casual, but the eagerness behind it made me realize that this was the main reason for our lunch. She wanted to know if they’d found any gold and if this was the real deal.

  Before I could respond, the server came back with our lunches. After taking a few bites of my chef salad, I answered her question. “I just found out this morning that they’re back for a few days. I’m actually meeting with them at Uncle Joey’s office right after we get done with lunch.”

  “Oh yeah?” Her eyes widened. She wanted to come with me in the worst way. “Uh… I guess I can’t come, but will you let me know if it’s something big?” I didn’t respond right away, and she continued. “Not that you need to tell me the whole story, but you know I can keep a secret, right? I certainly wouldn’t mention it until you gave me the go ahead.”

  I shrugged. “I’ll see what I can do, but don’t hold your breath. I don’t think the cave we were in is the lost mine.”

  Her expression fell. “Is that because of your premonitions?”

  I hesitated, not sure how to answer that. “You know… I can’t really say for sure. They could find some gold in there, so I guess we’ll have to wait and see. I’d be more interested in who the lost miner was. Are you including him in your article?”

  “No. Stewart warned me not to, so I can’t.”

  “That’s too bad. But maybe it’s a good idea. Who knows how many people would head up there to try and find the gold themselves, right?”

  “Exactly. That’s why I’m including the stories of all the lost miners, and our own experience of you getting lost. The mountains can be unforgiving, even if you’re prepared, and people need to know that.”

  “It sounds like a great story. You’re leaving Uncle Joey and Ramos out of it though… right?”

  “Oh… yes. Of course.” She’d had to do that since leaving out their participation was in the non-disclosure agreement that she’d signed. “I mean, I mention that we have a few people with us, but I don’t give out their names.”

  I nodded. “Well, if I find out anything interesting in my meeting with them, I’ll let you know.”

  “I appreciate it.”

  “So how’s Dimples doing? Does he still stink?”

  “Oh my gosh!” She chuckled. “It was bad. He showered when he got home, and I made him shower again before we
went to bed. We had to get rid of everything, even his wallet and his badge case. His phone was waterproof, so that was good, and it still works, but we had to clean it, and his badge, and all his plastic cards about a hundred times.

  “Drew wasn’t real specific about what happened, so you have to tell me the whole story. And don’t you dare leave anything out.”

  I was happy to oblige, and it was easy to laugh about it today. “I hope the other officers don’t give him too much of a hard time.”

  She shrugged. “They will for a while, but it will fade, and something new will come along.”

  “Isn’t that the truth?”

  We spoke about other things while we finished our meal, and we soon parted ways.

  I drove to Thrasher, excited to see Uncle Joey and Ramos after all we’d been through. Of course, my main objective was to hear what Stewart and Ian had to say for themselves, but that didn’t stop me from hoping for a motorcycle ride later. After what I’d been through, I needed it more than ever.

  I stepped out of the elevator and caught sight of Jackie sitting at her desk. She glanced up and grinned, then hurried around her desk to give me a hug. “Shelby! You had us all so worried. I’m so glad you’re okay.”

  “Thanks. Me too.”

  “When Joe told me he wanted to go prospecting with you, I thought he was nuts, but I’m sure glad he was there to help find you. I’m even more grateful that Chris and Josh had so much faith in your dog. That made all the difference to Joe.” She was thinking and Ramos, but she figured I already knew that.

  “Yeah, isn’t it crazy how things turn out? When we got Coco, and he turned out to be a search-and-rescue dog, I never thought I’d be the one he needed to rescue.”

  She nodded, thinking life was strange that way. “Then there was the poker tournament you won. I have to admit that when I’d heard you’d beaten Sonny out of ten million dollars…” She shook her head. “It did my heart good.” She leaned toward me and lowered her voice. “And he’s still alive, which is a miracle, if you ask me. How did you do it?”