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

by Colleen Helme

  “Oh… it wasn’t just me. Uncle Joey just needed time to think it through.” It didn’t sound like she knew anything about the Debt Collector, so I wasn’t about to mention him. “So it all worked out in the end.”

  “Yes, thankfully, it did. I just hope we never hear from Sonny again.”

  “Now that’s something I don’t think you’ll have to worry about… so are Stewart and Ian already here?”

  She shook her head. “Not yet, but why don’t you head down to Joe’s office? He’ll want to talk to you before they get here.”

  “Okay.”

  I stepped to the end of the hallway and gave a quick knock before opening the door. Both Uncle Joey and Ramos jumped to their feet and hurried over to give me a hug. Ramos was closer, so he got to me first. His hug was tight, but heartfelt and sweet.

  Uncle Joey hugged me tightly as well. He pulled away, but still held onto my upper arms. “Let me look at you.”

  He examined my face, taking in my scraped cheek, cut lip, and stitched chin. “You look pretty good for falling into a hole. How do you feel?”

  “Good… really good.” For some stupid reason, my eyes filled with tears. “A little weepy though, sorry.”

  His lips pressed together, and he pulled me in for another hug. “Of all the times you’ve been in trouble Shelby, this one got to me the most. I guess it’s because you just disappeared, and I didn’t know if we’d ever find you.”

  Unable to speak, I nodded against his chest. He let out a breath and straightened, letting me go and wiping his eyes. “I want to hear what happened to you up there, but first we have to deal with Stewart and Ian.”

  His phone rang, and he picked it up. “Yes? … Good. Put them in the conference room, and we’ll be right there.” He caught my gaze. “I don’t trust them, and I think your disappearance played right into their hands.”

  “Why?”

  He shrugged. “I think they wanted us to leave so they could go back to that cave. When I spoke with them before you got lost, they told me they thought that cave held real promise, but now they’re not telling me anything. I’m not sure I can believe anything they say.”

  I nodded. “Makes sense to me. They didn’t want to share the gold, so telling you it’s not there fits right in with their plans.”

  “So, if that is the lost mine, I want you to catch them in the lie. I won’t let them get away with double-crossing me.”

  “Uh… right. But…” I hesitated, unsure what to tell him. “I can do that.”

  Uncle Joey noticed my hesitation, and his eyes narrowed. “But what?”

  “I’ll tell you after we see what they have to say.”

  I was asking him to trust me, and he didn’t hesitate. “Okay.”

  On the way down the hall, I stopped at my office door. “I’m going to leave my bag in here.” Uncle Joey nodded and continued down the hall. Ramos held the door open and waited for me. I sent him a grateful smile and realized that he’d blocked his thoughts. I couldn’t pick up a thing. A prickle of panic stabbed through me. Why would he do that?

  Reaching inside my bag, I grabbed Jeremiah’s journal to give back to Stewart. Next, I pushed the bag into the bottom drawer of my desk and rejoined Ramos in the hall. “Is everything okay?”

  His brows drew together. “Of course. Why?”

  “Uh…” I shrugged. “I just… wondered.” I couldn’t exactly tell him it bothered me that I couldn’t hear his thoughts.

  He shook his head and took a breath. “I’ll tell you later.”

  I swallowed. “Okay.” Crap. What did that mean? Was he going to tell me he couldn’t be around me anymore? Or that he cared too much, and he had to move on? Would our time together come to an end because I was married and unavailable? Was it taking too much of a toll on him?

  By the time we got to the conference room, my heart was breaking, and I was a mess. I couldn’t lose Ramos… I just couldn’t. But I couldn’t lose Chris and what we had together either. What had I done? Was I the biggest idiot that ever lived?

  “Shelby?” Uncle Joey’s brows drew together. “Everything okay?”

  “Oh… sure.” I glanced around the room and realized everyone was sitting down but me. I hurried to my chair beside Uncle Joey and pasted a pleasant smile on my face. “Hey guys. Here’s Jeremiah’s journal.” I handed it to Stewart. “Sorry I didn’t get it back to you sooner, but I was… you know… lost.”

  Stewart’s eyes widened. In the excitement, he’d forgotten all about it. “Thanks Shelby. We’re glad to see you’re okay. You had us worried.”

  “Yeah. It was… pretty horrible. I thought I was going to die in that hole. I was really lucky.”

  He nodded. “You have an amazing dog. I was impressed with your son, too. He kept a cool head and did everything right.”

  “Thanks. Yeah. He’s great.” Tears filled my eyes again, and I quickly blinked them away. What the freak was wrong with me?

  “So tell us what you’ve found,” Uncle Joey said. “We’re hoping for some good news.”

  “I think I’ve got some for you. After all the excitement, we went back to the cave, only this time we were better prepared.” Stewart blamed himself that we’d gotten so turned around the first time. It was the excitement that did it, but that was no excuse.

  “We took a metal detector, along with more flashlights and ropes.” He paused. His gaze shifted between me and Uncle Joey while excitement danced in his eyes. “We found some gold. So far, it’s only been a few small rocks, and nothing like Jeremiah described in his journal. But I think it shows promise. In order to really know what’s there, we’ve got to shore up the entrance and do some digging.”

  I met Uncle Joey’s surprised gaze before turning to Stewart. “Wow, that’s amazing. So you’re sure it was mined in the past?”

  “Yes. We think there might have been a collapse in that part of the cave because of the mining they’d been doing. If we can dig it out, we’re hoping that’s where we’ll find the gold. We’ve already staked a claim there, so now we just need to get the ball rolling.”

  Uncle Joey nodded, his eyes glazing over with gold-fever excitement. “So what are you proposing?”

  “We need a mining crew to shore up the entrance and passages that lead to the part of the cave that collapsed. Then we can start digging out the rocks there and see if we find anything.”

  Ian jumped in. “It looks good, but it’s not a sure thing. The metal detector gave us some hope that we’re onto something, but, like Stewart said, it could be a little, or it could be a lot. We won’t know until we get into it.”

  “That’s where we need you.” Stewart broke in, taking over. “We’ll need more investment money to get things off the ground. I know it’s a risk, but I think it’s worth it.” Stewart was convinced that skeleton belonged to Jeremiah Taft, and somewhere in that cave was the motherlode of gold Taft had found all those years ago.

  Uncle Joey was thinking that this wasn’t what he’d expected. They weren’t trying to pull one over on him after all, and now he had the option of going into the mining business. Was it worth it? He glanced my way. What did I think? It was mostly my idea, and partly my money, so what did I want?

  I sent him a nod and focused on Ian and Stewart. They were so eager to find the gold that it surprised me. Had I been like that? If I hadn’t fallen in that hole, would I be ready to join their scheme? “We’d like some time to think about it.”

  Stewart blinked. He had not expected me to say that. “Oh... of course.” He glanced at Ian. “We’d like to know soon though.”

  “Have you spent all the money Uncle Joey gave you?”

  “No.” He was thinking they’d spent about half, most of it on their debts, but it would run out quickly once they started mining.

  “How about this… there’s not a lot of time left before winter sets in. Why don’t you do what you can with the funds you already have? Once you run out, we can decide if you’ve found anything worth pursuing.” />
  Uncle Joey smiled, thinking that sounded reasonable. “I think that’s an excellent plan, Shelby.” He glanced at the men. “Are we in agreement?”

  They both nodded, and Uncle Joey stood, offering them his hand. “Good. Then we’ll expect another report in a few weeks.”

  After shaking hands all around, they left, only slightly disappointed.

  I’d picked up that Stewart had wanted a bigger commitment from us, at least a couple million dollars, but, with the stakes so high, he could understand my caution. Still, once he found the motherlode, he was sure we’d back him, so that’s what he needed to concentrate on now.

  I knew that wasn’t going to happen, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t gold in that cave. Apparently, they’d found a few rocks with gold in them, so maybe there was more? But I wasn’t going to back it now, or ever. Not when I knew where the real mine was. Of course, did I know where it was? I’d been there, but could I find my way back?

  “Well, Shelby,” Uncle Joey said. “That was an excellent plan you came up with.” He was proud of me, especially since I’d been so gung ho about backing this project in the first place. I was showing some real restraint.

  “Thanks, but I have a confession to make.”

  His brows rose. “What’s that?”

  I glanced between him and Ramos. “Come to my office, and I’ll tell you.”

  This time, I sat behind the desk, with Ramos and Uncle Joey taking the chairs in front of me. The chairs in my office weren’t quite as nice as those in Uncle Joey’s, but they worked just as well.

  Both of them studied me with speculation, wondering what I was up to. I couldn’t help the big grin that flashed over my face. Reaching down, I slid the bottom drawer of my desk open and pulled out my bag. I’d chosen this bag because it was big, ugly, and zipped along the top.

  Taking a deep breath, I reached in and pulled out a rock made of shiny, white quartz and crisscrossed with heavy, golden veins. It was my favorite, and I set it on top of my desk. Next, I pulled two more stunning rocks out of the bag and set them beside the first. They were all about the same size and filled with beautiful, yellow gold.

  Both Ramos and Uncle Joey gasped. Uncle Joey swore under his breath, and Ramos sat there with his mouth open. They both shifted to the edge of their seats and leaned forward to get a better look.

  “That’s pure gold,” Uncle Joey blurted.

  “Damn,” Ramos said. His gaze caught mine before falling back to the rocks. “Can I…”

  “Sure. This one’s mine.” I touched the first rock. “But those are for each of you.”

  Uncle Joey took the rock closest to him and held it reverently. At first he was surprised at how heavy it was, but then he shook his head, knowing it only made sense. Ramos took his and held it under the light, marveling at the rock’s beauty. He’d never seen anything like it.

  I watched them with a smile on my face, giving them time to absorb what they held in their hands. After a moment of complete awe, they set the rocks back on my desk and looked at me. Uncle Joey spoke first. “Tell us everything.”

  I began with the scent of mint that I’d picked up after Stewart let me take Jeremiah’s journal. “I smelled it on the way to that ridge, so I thought we were on the right track, but it disappeared somewhere along the way.

  “I didn’t smell it again until I got lost. I feel so stupid, because I didn’t even realize I’d gotten turned around. When I couldn’t see Ramos anywhere, I panicked. Instead of staying put, I went back to the trees, but now I don’t think it was even the same trees.”

  I met Ramos’s gaze. “I called your name several times, but when I didn’t get a response, I decided to try a different direction.”

  I shook my head. “That’s when I smelled the same minty scent as before. I followed it, hoping Jeremiah was leading me back to camp. Boy was I wrong. I was looking up at that big tree in the clearing when I fell into the hole. It knocked the breath right out of me, and roughed me up a bit, but I was fine. I just couldn’t get back out.

  “That’s when I realized it was more than just a hole. I turned on my flashlight and stepped into a small cavern. I found Jeremiah’s bones there, along with a pouch full of gold. There was gold everywhere I looked. It was…” I shook my head. “Breathtaking.”

  “I thought there might be another way out, so I followed a tunnel as far as I could, only to find it blocked by a bunch of rocks. It must have happened while Jeremiah was in there, and that’s why he couldn’t get out. It’s probably why no one else ever found the cave again.”

  Uncle Joey turned to Ramos. “Do you know where it is? If we went back, could you find it again?”

  Ramos shrugged. “I’m not sure. I wasn’t paying much attention, but I think I know the general direction, so I might be able to find it.”

  Uncle Joey glanced my way. Why didn’t I tell them about the gold when they found me? They could have marked the general vicinity on the map they’d brought. Now it might be lost forever.

  “I know what you’re thinking, but I was traumatized. And… there was something else.”

  “What?” Uncle Joey asked.

  “I think it may have been the burial place of an ancient Indian Chief.” I told them about the second cavern I’d found and the petroglyphs on the walls. “A stone box with the top knocked off was filled with bones and gold. I got some weird vibes from it, so I pushed the stone back on top of the box.

  “As soon as I did, the beating sound I’d been hearing in my head stopped. So I think I did the right thing, but I didn’t dare go back in that cavern.”

  Uncle Joey’s brows drew together. “So… you think the cave is cursed? Was that the reason you didn’t say anything?”

  “Well… when you say it like that, it seems silly, but…” I shrugged. “I just wasn’t ready to talk about it… until now. I mean… I took those three rocks out, and nothing bad happened to me, so maybe it’s okay.”

  Ramos nodded. He could understand my hesitation, especially if I heard dead people. Or did I just smell them? He was a little confused.

  I shook my head. “I’m confused too. All I know is that when I entered the cavern with the petroglyphs, I heard a beating sound—like a heart. Once I stepped closer to the stone box, it got louder and louder until I could hardly stand it. After I pushed the stone lid back over the box, it stopped.

  “I got out of there as fast as I could. To be honest, it freaked me out. Then, on top of that, I had to spend two nights down there with Jeremiah’s bones. I’m surprised I’m not a nervous wreck.”

  “You did fine, Shelby.” Uncle Joey leaned forward. “You’re here… and these rocks are amazing. Now I understand why you didn’t want to finance Stewart’s excavation.” He sat back and folded his hands together. “And now that I think about it, you did the right thing by not telling anyone.”

  He was thinking that now we wouldn’t have to share our find with Stewart, so I’d done well, even if we never found it again.

  Ramos glanced my way. “But what about Josh? He was using a GPS tracker during our search. He probably knows exactly where you were.”

  Ramos was thinking about his drive home with Josh. He’d been impressed with Josh’s clear-headed focus during the search, and Josh had even opened up to him a little on the drive home.

  Ramos wondered if I knew how much Josh wanted a car of his own. He thought Josh could handle it. Hell, Josh was more responsible than any kid he’d ever known at that age, so he hoped I’d consider it, because he was tempted to give the kid a car if I didn’t.

  My brows rose, and I sent Ramos a smile, pleased that he thought Josh was a great kid, since I happened to agree.

  “Is that right, Shelby?” Uncle Joey asked. “Would Josh know?”

  I nodded. “Yeah… he could probably figure it out, but I’m not ready to involve him in this.”

  “I agree. Maybe someday we can go back there, but, for now, I think we should put these rocks in my safe.”

  �
�Really? But my rock looks so pretty on my desk next to my paperweight from the newspaper. It kind of makes up for not having my poker trophy, you know?”

  “That’s right. What happened to it?”

  “I think I left it in the car, or in Sonny’s office. I don’t know for sure.”

  “That’s too bad.” Uncle Joey was thinking he could ask Sonny to send it to us, but he didn’t want to talk to the bastard.

  “I might be able to help with that,” Ramos said. “But it means you’ll have to take a ride with me on my bike.”

  My eyes widened. “Uh… really? Well… sure. I can do that.” I didn’t want to sound too eager, but who was I kidding? Both of them smirked.

  Ramos quickly blocked his thoughts, but I was beginning to understand why now. He didn’t want me to know what he’d done, but it was a little late for that. “So how did you get it?”

  “You’ll see. Now stop eavesdropping.”

  I couldn’t help the smile that sprang to my lips. “Okay… okay. Let’s go already.”

  “I’ll put these away.” Uncle Joey picked up all three of the golden rocks, impressed by how heavy they were, and we followed him out of my office. He turned right toward his office, and we turned left down the hall.

  “We’ll be back in a minute.” Ramos told Jackie.

  I sent her a big smile. She shook her head, but couldn’t help smiling back. I just looked too darn happy for her to be a spoil-sport about Ramos.

  In the elevator, Ramos pushed the button for the parking level.

  “So where are we going?”

  Ramos shook his head, knowing he couldn’t keep a secret from me, no matter how hard he tried. “I wanted to surprise you, but you’re not going to let me.”

  “Nope, I’m not.”

  “I was hoping to have it sitting on your desk when you came in today, but it didn’t get here soon enough, so now we’ve got to pick it up from Manetto’s place.”

  At my raised brows, he continued. “I tracked it down and had my contact ship it there.” He checked his phone, bringing up the text alert. “It says it was delivered an hour ago.”