Dying Wishes: A Paranormal Women's Fiction Novel (Shelby Nichols Adventure Book 14)

by Colleen Helme

  “And your husband? Does he support you?” He thought that all the close calls I’d had with death could put a strain on anyone’s marriage, and I was lying if I told him otherwise.

  “Yes… for the most part. I mean… there are times when he’s not too happy about all the trouble I get into… and he certainly lets me know about that. Uh… but lately, he’s been better. I mean, he seems more accepting. It’s not always easy living with me… you know… with my premonitions and all.”

  Bob nodded his head. Now we were getting somewhere. “How does he deal with your abilities?”

  “Probably how most people would. I mean… he’s not always happy that I can do what I do, but he’s learning to accept it. I mean… sometimes he thinks what I do is pretty impressive.”

  “That’s important.” Bob could tell this was a work in progress. “Well, if you’d like to bring him in sometime, I’d be happy to see you both. He might have some questions for me. Or, I can suggest a good family therapist. In the meantime, it sounds like you’re doing great under the circumstances, but if anything changes, please don’t hesitate to get help. There’s no shame in that.”

  “Sure.”

  “Good. Is there anything else on your mind?”

  “I think I’m good for now. I’ll try and be more positive.”

  “Well… I’m sure you’ll do your best. I’d like to meet a couple more times, but let’s make it next week, shall we? I want to give you enough time to start on that barf journal and that meditation app. I still think those tasks would be helpful to you. Also… why don’t you keep a small notebook handy too, in case you think of anything else you’d like to talk about.”

  “Sure, that sounds good.”

  “Great. Then I’ll see you one week from today.”

  CHAPTER 9

  I left Bob’s office with a much lighter step. Talking to a shrink really did help, and it was nice to know he was there if I needed him. I checked my text messages, finding a text from Ramos saying that no one in Uncle Joey’s circle owned a gray BMW.

  Relieved, I took the elevator back down to the detectives’ offices, grateful that the connection to Uncle Joey through the car was gone, and my chances of getting caught for sending him information weren’t so bad. At least for now, I wasn’t going to lose my job with the police, or worse, go to jail for obstruction of justice, although hell was still a possibility.

  Since I’d told Bob that I wanted to take Willow down, it was time for a more active role in that investigation. Plus, I needed to know more about her involvement in the little girl’s rescue, and if she’d known Mack.

  Luckily, both Willow and Dimples were sitting at their respective desks. Well… Willow was sitting at my desk, but I decided to be the bigger person and not let it bother me. It helped to know she would be leaving soon, never to come back, if I had anything to do with it.

  As I started toward Dimples, he glanced my way, and a big grin broke over his face, showing his dimples to full advantage.

  I quickly sat in the chair beside his desk and smiled. “You look happy about something. What’s going on?”

  “We just got the test results back from Sophie’s blood work. It shows she had scopolamine in her system. They call it the zombie drug, or Devil’s Breath, on the streets. It’s a drug that’s like roofies, only worse because it causes amnesia.”

  “Oh wow… that’s it. Did you get the video from the bar too?”

  “Yes. There was a man who sat beside her for a few minutes, but we couldn’t see his face. It looked like she told him she was waiting for her husband, because he didn’t stay long.”

  “Did you see if he put something in her drink?”

  “Not exactly. He could have, but the angle of the camera was off. Right now, we’re going through the video footage of the lobby for anyone who had similar clothes to the man in the bar.”

  I glanced at Willow. “Is that what she’s doing?”

  “Yeah… divide and conquer, right? We’ve found a couple of possibilities, and we’re going to take the photos to Sophie to see if she recognizes one of them.”

  “What if she doesn’t?”

  Dimples shook his head. “I don’t know. Willow thinks it’s worth a try, and it’s the only clue we’ve got right now.”

  Willow didn’t like being left out of our conversation, so she hurried to Dimples’s desk with a brittle smile. “Hey Shelby. What brings you in?”

  I took the direct approach. Why mince words at this point? “I wanted to see how your case was going now that Sophie is awake and we know she didn’t do it.”

  Willow sucked in a breath, unhappy I was rubbing it in, and turned to Dimples, totally ignoring me. “I think these three men are the best matches we’ve got, so I printed out their photos. Why don’t we head over to Sophie’s house and show them to her?”

  “Let me see them,” Dimples replied.

  She twisted her lips and reluctantly handed them over. Dimples held them out so I could see them too. Willow didn’t like that, and I wanted to quote that famous line, “get used to disappointment,” but I asked a question instead. “Did you run them through facial recognition?”

  “Of course. I’ve got their names right here. I’m certain it’s one of these three. They’re the only men that come close to matching the time Sophie was in the bar.”

  “Any priors?”

  “No.”

  “All right,” Dimples said. “Let’s see if Sophie recognizes any of them.” He turned my way. “Want to come?”

  “I don’t know. It seems like a waste of time… you know… with Sophie’s amnesia and everything, how is she supposed to remember?”

  Willow straightened. “I have some tools of the trade to help with that.” She was thinking about the crystal she used for clarity, combined with her training in hypnosis. If Sophie was willing, she was confident she could break through the drug-induced fog and get a clear match.

  “Hypnosis huh?” I raised my brows. “That’s your plan?”

  Her eyes widened. That was uncanny… or… no, it was just a good guess—that’s all. “Good guess.”

  I smiled. “Then I wouldn’t want to miss it.”

  She gave me a sideways glance, thinking that she couldn’t wait to show me up, and started toward the exit. Dimples met my gaze and shrugged, speaking softly so Willow couldn’t hear him. “I’ll be so glad when we can get back to normal.” He shrugged his suit coat on, and we followed Willow to the car.

  She waited for us at the passenger door, relegating me to the back seat, and a smug look on her face. Dimples slowed, realizing this could be a cause for concern. He’d never had to deal with two women who wanted him so badly. He cut his gaze to me with a saucy smile.

  I rolled my eyes before climbing in the back seat, picking up that he was happy we could still communicate, even with a third wheel in the car. He chuckled, mentally laughing at his own joke, and I just shook my head.

  On the way to Sophie’s, I sent Ramos another text about the kid with the BMW, telling him that he was young, like a high school student. Instead of texting me back, Ramos called, and I quickly answered. “Hey.”

  “Babe, thanks for the tip.”

  Just hearing his sexy voice sent shivers down my spine. “Sure, anytime.”

  “You at the station?”

  “Not right now, but I’m helping Detective Harris with a case. You need me?”

  He chuckled. “Babe… I always need you… but if you’re busy, it can wait.”

  I laughed. “Okay… sure.”

  “I’ll call you later, but you might want to plan on tonight… around nine-thirty at the health-and-nutrition store. Can you come?”

  “Uh… yes, that should work.”

  “Good. See you tonight. And Shelby… try to stay out of trouble.”

  “Ha, ha.” He disconnected on a chuckle, and I put my phone away. As I smiled, I immediately picked up that both Dimples and Willow wondered who I’d been talking to. Willow thought it must
be my husband, because of the warm, flirting tone I’d used.

  Dimples wasn’t so trusting. His suspicious attitude always ran toward the skeptical side, and he wondered if it was Ramos, and if it had something to do with Manetto.

  He thought I needed to put an end to my relationship with both of them before I got in any deeper. It would bring me nothing but heartache and pain… and maybe even death if I wasn’t careful. What he wouldn’t give to put those two away.

  I tried not to roll my eyes again, but this was getting old. It was nice to know he cared, but somehow I needed to tell him that it was too late, and it wasn’t ever going to happen. Maybe then he’d quit thinking about it so much.

  But what would happen if he ever learned I was Uncle Joey’s successor? Yikes. I knew that was a secret I’d have to keep from him. It might just be the one thing that would send him over the edge and ruin our friendship. He might even refuse to work with me anymore, and that would be terrible.

  Still, if Uncle Joey managed to get out of the mob-boss side of the business, Dimples would have nothing to complain about. Besides that, it wouldn’t happen for a long time… years and years from now, just like Bob said, so I shouldn’t worry about it.

  Too bad that was easier said than done.

  We arrived at the house and knocked at the door. Mrs. Sanchez opened it, surprised to see all three of us there. Willow jumped in, before Dimples could open his mouth, and explained that we were there to show Sophie some photos.

  Mrs. Sanchez nodded and ushered us inside. Before we sat down, Sophie joined us, looking like a different person. She wore jeans and a tee, and her hair was washed and clean. Seeing us brought sudden hope to her heart that we’d found Brock’s killer.

  I hated to disappoint her, especially since she still had that haunted look in her eyes. It brought out the protective side in me, and I hoped Willow’s stunt wouldn’t set her back.

  “We have some photos we’d like you to look at,” Willow began. “These men were at the hotel around the same time you were at the bar.”

  Sophie’s brows drew together. She still couldn’t remember a thing. Not the bar, not the room, nothing. What made us think she’d recognize a photo? “So you don’t know who did this?”

  “We’re still working on it,” Dimples said. “But we’re getting closer. On a positive note, we got your blood work back from the lab, and it’s confirmed that you were drugged with scopolamine. It causes amnesia. That’s why you can’t remember anything.”

  “So it wasn’t the shock?” Mrs. Sanchez asked.

  “Not entirely, no. Someone drugged Sophie. That’s why we want her to look at the photos.”

  “Please, sit down,” Mrs. Sanchez said.

  Dimples moved to a chair, and Willow handed Sophie the folder with the photos. She sat beside Sophie on the couch, leaving me to sit on the other chair facing them. I discreetly sniffed the air, but there was no sign of Armani cologne. Maybe Brock was gone? I doubted it, since his murder wasn’t solved, but what did I know?

  This whole ghost thing was weird. Sure, it had helped Sophie come out of it, but it didn’t solve the case. Then there was Mack. Why hadn’t I heard from him? Still, I did have Coco, and he’d led me to Mack, so maybe Mack was helping Coco instead of me… if that was even possible. Or maybe I was just going crazy, and I should stop trying to figure it out.

  As Sophie opened the folder, anticipation and dread filled her. Would she remember? She studied them one at a time, and tried so hard to pick up anything familiar about them. But it just wasn’t there. This was a waste of time.

  She shoved the photos back into the folder and glared at Willow, then included Dimples and me, anger glowing in her eyes. “You just told me that the drug I’d been given causes amnesia, and yet you’re still here asking if I recognize any of these men? Is this all you’ve got?”

  Embarrassment radiated from Dimples. She was right. Why had he ever let Willow talk him into this? It was stupid and unprofessional. He opened his mouth to apologize, but Willow spoke first.

  “No, of course not, but we didn’t think it would hurt to try. I’m sure that finding your husband’s killer is the most important thing you want to have happen right now. That’s why we’d like to try something… as long as you’re willing. I’m a certified hypnotist, and I think it’s worth a shot. Hypnosis might be the one thing that will bring your memories back.”

  Mrs. Sanchez shook her head. “But if a drug caused it… she might not have any memories to bring back.”

  “You’re wrong,” Willow said. “She has them. She saw what happened, and I think it’s worth a try. Besides, what have you got to lose?”

  Mrs. Sanchez wasn’t convinced. “But seeing that again could hurt her. She just barely came out of this mental fog. What if remembering sends her back into that state? I’m not sure it’s worth the risk. Brock is gone, and torturing Sophie with horrible memories of his death won’t bring him back. You just need to do your job and find the person who did this without harming my daughter. She’s a victim too, and she’s been through enough already.”

  “Mom. It’s okay. If it’s the only way to find Brock’s killer, I’ll do it.”

  I glanced at Dimples. Was it the only way? Was he going to allow Willow to experiment on this poor woman who’d already been through so much? The same questions ran through his mind, but he wasn’t as worried about Sophie’s mental state as I was.

  Concerned about how this could affect her, I had to give her an out. “Sophie, if you’re even a little bit unsure about doing this, there might be another way. I haven’t personally spoken with any of the people at the hotel, or these three men. Maybe I’ll pick up something Willow and Detective Harris haven’t. Do you want me to do that first?”

  Willow sucked in a breath. What was I implying?

  Dimples hung his head, thinking he had to back one of us and it had better be me. “She’s right. We can save the hypnosis as a last resort.”

  Sophie glanced between us. She was scared to remember that night, but if it worked and we found Brock’s killer, it would be worth it. “No. That’s okay. Let’s do it.”

  Willow’s nostrils flared, but she kept a serene expression on her face. Still, inside she was seething. At least she’d prevailed. Now she just had to make sure this worked. Not wanting Sophie to change her mind, she quickly took charge. Opening her big purse, she pulled out a satchel. Loosening the strings, she glanced inside and took out a couple of pale, pink rock crystals.

  “Hold these in your hands, palms up,” she told Sophie. “And rest your hands in your lap like this.” She glanced at Mrs. Sanchez. “Could you please pull the curtains, so it’s not so bright in here? It will help with her concentration.”

  While Mrs. Sanchez did that, Willow pulled another crystal from a chain around her neck and held it at eye-level in front of Sophie. It had been polished and cut into a beautiful teardrop pendant. “I want you to concentrate on this crystal and imagine a connection between this crystal and the crystals in your hands. Think of the lines of a triangle connecting them together, and picture that in your mind.”

  She waited until Sophie nodded and continued. “Inside the triangle is the memory of that night. It can’t hurt you while it’s inside, and you can close the connection at any time you wish by dropping the crystals from your hands.”

  Again, she waited for Sophie’s nod. “Now look into the crystal and think of that night. Concentrate on what you were doing. You were excited to celebrate your anniversary, but when you got to the hotel, Brock called to say he’d be late.

  “You were disappointed and a little upset that he had to stay at work on this special night. Even worse, you couldn’t go up to the room without him. You spotted the hotel bar and made your way there to wait.

  “The crowd was larger than you anticipated, but you found an empty seat at the bar. The bartender noticed you right away and asked for your order. You gave it to him and glanced around the room while you waited. Is anyone lookin
g at you?”

  “No,” Sophie said. “But there was a man who sat down beside me. He smiled… I think he asked if I was waiting for someone. I told him my husband was coming… but he was late and I was disappointed. He asked me where Brock was, and I told him he had to stay late to work. I explained that it was our second anniversary, and that’s why I was so upset.”

  “What did he say to that?”

  “He said it was too bad… he was really nice. I… I think he was waiting for someone, too, because he mentioned that we had something in common, and that was it. Then his date showed up and he left.”

  “His date? Was it a woman? Did you see her?”

  Sophie shook her head. “I don’t know… I don’t remember seeing them after that.”

  “Did your drink arrive while you spoke with him?” Willow knew it had, but she wanted Sophie to remember.

  “I’m not sure. Wait… yes… it came. I took a few swallows. It tasted good, so I drank some more.” Sophie’s eyes began to droop. “So tired. I need to lie down… I… should go to my room.”

  “Is someone helping you?” Willow prompted.

  “Yeah… someone’s taking my arm.”

  “Is it the man you spoke with?”

  She shook her head, and her eyes slipped shut. “I… I don’t know… maybe.”

  Willow pursed her lips. “Focus Sophie. Focus on his face. Is it the man at the bar?”

  “I don’t remember. He held my arm so I wouldn’t fall. He opened my door and… and… it was full of roses. Red roses… everywhere… so beautiful.” She swallowed, and her brows drew together. “I should have waited… for Brock.” Tears began to roll down her cheeks. “I ruined it… I ruined his surprise.”

  “What happened next? You saw the roses and then what? Did the man take you inside the room?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t know. Yes…. But it’s dark… I can’t see very well.”

  “Open your eyes and look real hard. Are you in your hotel room?”

  “I think so… but… I’m so tired… I need to lie down.”