If Carolyn and Mack had a thing going like Chris thought, Mack’s death could have added to her pain. Maybe that contributed to her unhappiness? Hopefully, I’d see her tomorrow and clear it up, but I didn’t have a lot of hope that talking to her would get me any closer to finding Mack’s killer.
It meant that I’d have to start over, and that was discouraging, but I couldn’t let Coco or Austin down. Still, I’d wait until after talking to Carolyn to worry about that. There was still a possibility she’d know something, and I couldn’t give up on her yet.
At home, I walked in the door to find a furry animal running to greet me. Coco seemed so excited to see me that all my worries began to fade away. He followed me through the house, and I told him all about my meeting with Ava. I changed into shorts and a tee, making sure to put the burner phone in my shorts pocket.
Josh was at a friend’s house, and Savannah and Ash were in her room. After a short conversation with them, I found my notebook and went outside with Coco to sit on the deck swing. Grateful for the chance to relax a little, I wrote down a couple of my thoughts for Bob. It was time to take my counseling seriously, and that meant that I needed to do my part.
The first thing I wrote was that Willow was driving me crazy, and that I was really starting to hate her guts. Next, I wrote that I was probably breaking the law, but it was for a worthy cause. Last, I wrote that Uncle Joey wanted me to be his successor and it made me sick.
Lastly, I wrote that if I didn’t find Mack’s killer, I’d be letting my dog down. Of all those things, letting Coco down was probably not the most important. I knew he’d love me no matter what, and that relieved some of the pressure. Still, it was something I needed to do.
I listed all the reasons I felt stressed and noticed a pattern. Most of my worry was based on things that hadn’t happened yet, may happen in the future, or may never happen. Still, the fine line I walked between the mob and the cops was starting to weigh on me, and I knew something needed to change, but what?
I wrote down a few ideas, but nothing seemed to answer that question, so I tore the piece of paper from the notebook and ripped it over and over until it was in tiny little pieces. Did it help? Maybe not, but at least now I could focus on something else, like what to make for dinner. I needed some comfort food, and, since I’d been saving my mac and cheese recipe for a day when I had more time, right now was perfect.
After eating one of our favorite dinners together, everyone chipped in to help clean up. Once the dishes were in the dishwasher, the kids took off to do other things, and I had some time to tell Chris about my day.
“And just so you know… I’m also meeting Dimples and Willow at the hotel bar at nine tonight to talk to the bartender.” I smiled, proud that I’d told him an hour and a half before I needed to leave. That was real progress.
“Oh.” He nodded. “Well, I hope that’s the break you need.”
“Yeah, me too.” I held his gaze, waiting for him to complain. When he didn’t, I frowned. “So you’re okay with that?”
“Shelby.” He put his hands on his hips, his hurt gaze cutting into my heart. “You make me sound like an ogre. Of course I’m fine with it. It’s what you do now and part of who you are. I may not always like it, but I’ve come to accept it.”
He was right. Why did I always expect the worst from him? “You’re right. I’m sorry. I’ll try and do better.”
He shook his head. “It’s okay. I haven’t always been as supportive as I should, but we’ll figure this out. I mean… now that you’re going to take over the mob, I need to stay on your good side, right?”
I burst out laughing. “Wow… I hadn’t even thought of it that way…”
“Yeah… with that much power… don’t make me sorry I pointed it out.”
I sent him a mischievous smile. “I’ll have to get back to you on that. How are all the legal details coming anyway?”
“It’s taking some time, but I’m almost done. I haven’t forgotten about your stipulation, and I’m going to write it in. I just hope Manetto goes for it.”
“I don’t know why he wouldn’t. But, even with that added, just remember that you still need to stay on my good side.”
“Oh… I plan to.”
Before leaving for the bar, I decided to change into a sleeveless summer dress. I’d fit in better at the bar, plus I wanted to look good and outshine Willow at the same time. The dress was white, with splashes of bright colors, and I loved the simple yet breezy flow. With dangly earrings and a necklace to dress it up, it was comfortable as well as cool. And with the v-neckline and fitted waist, it was flirty and fun.
I was ready a little early, but decided to leave anyway. Right after I left, my phone buzzed with a text from Dimples, telling me that Willow was running a little late, and would I mind meeting there at nine-thirty?
I replied that I’d see him then and continued on to the hotel. That placed me at the bar about forty minutes early, but it wouldn’t hurt to sit there alone for a short time. I could glean some good information from the bartender if he wasn’t on the defense. Besides, watching people, and using my secret ability, was highly entertaining, and I didn’t get to do it nearly enough.
Entering the hotel bar, I was grateful I’d dressed up a little, since I fit right in. I found a place at the bar closer to the far end, where I could get a better view of the people coming and going. The bartender came right over, and I recognized him immediately.
“What can I get for you?” His friendly smile gave him a youthful charm, meant to put me at ease, but I didn’t miss his assessing glance.
Hmm… maybe I should play along? “Oh… uh… I’m waiting for a friend. It looks like she’s late, but she should be here any minute now.”
“Okay. I’ll check back then.” He smiled, noticing my big diamond ring, and thought I probably had a load of credit cards in my large purse. Too bad they were taking a break. I looked like the perfect candidate, but, after last time went so wrong, they had to lay low.
Still, it wouldn’t hurt to check in with Dex, especially if my friend didn’t show up. He sent a quick text about “a perfect target” to him and slipped his phone back in his pocket.
Whoa. So he was part of this… and so was this Dex person? They obviously had a scheme going. It sounded like it had something to do with stealing credit cards from women, and it looked like I was the perfect target.
He pulled a rag from beneath the counter and began wiping it down, keeping an eye on me and his other customers. Maybe I could catch him at his own game? What could it hurt? He might be more willing to implicate his friend if he got caught.
It was now or never, so I pulled out my phone, looking at it like I’d gotten a text, and let out a sigh. “Damn.”
He glanced my way. “What is it?”
“She’s not coming.” I looked up at him. “This is the second time we’ve set something up, and now she’s saying she can’t come… again. I’m starting to get a complex.”
“That’s too bad.”
“Yeah.”
“Well… you could still get that drink. What do you like?”
I let out a discouraged breath, knowing I had to play along. “Uh… maybe a Daiquiri. I’m in the mood for something citrusy.”
“Sounds perfect.” While he left to mix my drink, he sent another text, telling Dex that it looked like my friend had ditched me, and I was ripe for the taking. The response came right away, saying that he’d just arrived to check me out.
Whoa. That was fast, and my heart rate picked up. I fought the urge to look around the room to spot him and checked my watch instead. I still had nearly thirty minutes before Dimples was supposed to get here, but maybe that was perfect timing to pull this off.
A man slid into the chair beside me, and I tried to stay calm. He held up his hand to get the bartender’s attention, using a predesignated hand signal that the job was a go.
“I’ll be right with you.” The bartender finished mixing my drink and bro
ught it over. “There you go.”
“Thanks.”
“What can I get you sir?”
“That looks pretty good.” He motioned toward my drink and sent me a smile. “How is it?”
I took a couple of small sips and nodded. “Mmm… it’s really good.” Just to be safe, I made sure it was too far away for him to put anything in it.
“Then I guess that’s what I’ll have.”
The bartender nodded. “Right away sir.” He hurried to mix the drink, thinking it was a good thing he’d already added the drug, since Dex would never have gotten the chance to do it himself.
Oh crap. I’d just taken a few sips. This was bad.
“Are you waiting for someone?” Dex asked.
Knowing I still had a part to play, I frowned. “I was, but she bailed at the last minute.”
The bartender set Dex’s drink in front of him, and Dex picked it up and turned to me. I caught the gleam of excitement in his dark eyes. His brown hair was slicked back, and he wore a goatee and glasses that looked a little off. Was it a disguise? He looked nothing like the men Willow and Dimples had picked out, but, if it was a disguise, maybe that explained it.
“Then I propose a toast. To making the best of a disappointing night out.”
I smiled, but I wasn’t as enthusiastic as him, and I picked up my drink to clink it against his. He took a swallow, watching me while I raised the glass to my lips. Keeping my lips closed, I tipped my head back and made swallowing motions, so it would look like I’d taken a drink. A little of the liquid managed to enter my mouth, but not enough to matter… I hoped.
Setting the glass back down, I licked my lips to keep the drink from dribbling down my chin and swallowed. Crap. I’d just swallowed a little more, but it shouldn’t be too bad. In all, I’d taken maybe a couple of spoonfuls, maybe less. Surely that wouldn’t be enough to affect me.
Dex had been watching me closely, and he’d enjoyed the sight of my tongue licking my lips. It excited him, and he could hardly wait for the next ten minutes to pass while the drug took effect. Then I’d be his for the next half an hour or so, and he could hardly wait.
Yikes. This might not have been the best idea. I still had twenty minutes before Dimples arrived. Maybe I’d better send him a text. I reached for my phone, but it wasn’t on the counter. I must have put it away.
“Do you come here often?” Dex asked.
“Uh… no. This is actually the first time.”
He nodded, thinking that I needed to drink a little more. “Well, it looks like my friend is here. I hope you have a good evening.”
“Uh. Thanks. You too.”
He held up his glass, so I grabbed mine, sloshing it a little, and tapped his. He took another drink, so I pretended to as well. He walked away, and relief filled my chest. I rummaged through my purse for my phone and couldn’t find it.
Did I put it somewhere else? The last time I’d used it, I’d pretended to get a text. Had I left it on the counter? It wasn’t there either. Damn. Had it fallen on the floor? I glanced toward my feet, and a wave of dizziness washed over me. Crap. I had to get out of there. But where could I go?
Wait. I had a burner phone in my pocket. I could call Ramos. As another wave of dizziness washed over me, I pulled the phone from my pocket and concentrated on flipping it open. It had been a long time since I’d used a phone like this, and I couldn’t remember how to find the numbers.
I pushed a few buttons and a number came up. Taking deep breaths, I held it to my ear and heard it ring. Yay. It worked. “Babe. What’s up?”
“Hey… I’m… I think I’m in… troub… trou…uble.” I knew I was slurring the words, but I couldn’t help it.
“Where are you?”
“A bar… hotel.. my… dr.. drink.. spik…spiked. I feel… fun… funny.” I took a deep breath and waited for him to talk, but the line was dead. Had he hung up on me? I swallowed, leaning against the counter with my head in my hands. “Damn, damn, damn.”
“Miss? Are you all right?”
I glanced up to see the bartender hovering over me. “Yes. I’m… fi… fine.”
“You don’t look so good. Would you like to lie down? There’s a couch in the back.” He came around the end of the bar and put his arm around my waist to help me stand.
“No. Don’t… don.. touchme.”
Startled at my outburst, he backed away.
“I need…” What did I need? Oh yeah. “Wa..ter. I nee.. som.. wat..er.”
“Sure. But you look like you’re about to fall over. At least sit in a booth. There’s an empty one right over there.”
I glanced where he pointed, but it just made me dizzy. He put his arm around me and helped me stand, then began to walk, taking most of my weight along for the ride. I couldn’t seem to pull away and, before long, someone else took his place.
Was it Dex? I fought against the man’s grip, but his arm tightened around me like a steel vise. I moved my eyes, since I couldn’t seem to move my head, and caught sight of a goatee and glasses.
CHAPTER 13
Knowing my time was running out, I concentrated on slipping my hand into my purse. I felt for my stun flashlight, my fingers drifting over the pill bottle, a pack of gum and my notebook. Finally, in the bottom of the bag, my fingers touched the cold handle of the flashlight, and I gripped it tightly.
Now I just had to get it out of my purse. Everything around me was slightly blurry, and I knew we weren’t in the bar anymore. We stopped walking, and I felt movement, like we were in an elevator. Then we were walking again, only slowing in front of a door, where he used a key card to pull it open.
Part of me knew that, if I went inside, it was over. Hearing the click of the door shutting behind me sent terror and panic into my heart, clearing my mind. With sudden strength, I pulled my stun flashlight out of my purse and swung it toward the man. Growling with determination, I hit him in the groin and pushed the button.
He yelped and doubled over in pain, clutching his groin and dropping his hold. I stumbled against the wall and slipped to the floor. He continued to fall to the ground and jerked a few times before going still.
Elated, I tried to get up, but my legs just didn’t want to move. A lone light from a lamp across the room left most of the room in darkness, and I fought to keep my eyes open. Dex wasn’t going to stay quiet forever, so now was my last chance to get out of there.
I did everything I could to move my legs and wake up, but nothing worked. At least I could still think. In desperation, I started to bang my head against the wall. It kept me from blacking out, and soon, I began to feel the strength return to my arms and legs. Thank goodness I’d only had a couple of sips, and the drug was wearing off. A small ray of hope that I could make it out of there washed over me.
A groan came from Dex, and his arms began to move. Damn. I just needed a few more minutes. I struggled to move my arms, but could barely lift them. As panic filled me, Dex pushed into a sitting position. Even a little dazed, he stared at me with hate-filled eyes.
“You little bitch.”
He slowly climbed to his feet, wobbling a bit. Finding his balance, he stepped toward me until he stood over me like a hulking monster. With a glare, he reached down to grab my arm.
I managed to move sideways, but it wasn’t far enough. As his hand closed around my arm, the door burst open. Startled, Dex jerked back, tripping over his feet and falling onto his butt. Light from the hallway cast the man in shadows, but I’d know him anywhere. “Ramos?”
“Are you hurt?” He knelt beside me.
“No… jus… drugg… drugged.”
Dex rose to his feet, ready to lay Ramos flat and charge out of the room. Dex was a big guy, but he’d underestimated Ramos. Before Dex could move, Ramos stepped over me and sent a couple of punches into his gut before landing a right hook to smash into his nose. I heard the crunch and grimaced.
The momentum pushed Dex back and Ramos followed, sending another one-two punch to the gut, b
efore landing another right hook into Dex’s jaw, spinning him around and knocking him out cold. He went down hard, and I wasn’t sure he’d ever get back up.
“Whoa. Is he… dead?”
Ramos came back to kneel by my side and studied my eyes. “Unfortunately… no. Your pupils are dilated. Do you know what he gave you?”
“Somethin like zom..bie … or maybe it’s the devil… but I only had one… two… swallows… so I’m feeling better now. See? I can even move my… yarms.” I lifted my arms slightly, then let them drop since it took a lot out of me. “I’m hardly… even slurr..ing words.”
His mouth twisted, and he shook his head. “What the hell, Shelby?”
I frowned. “Did you jus.. say that out loud?” I couldn’t tell. Had his lips moved?
“No.”
“Oops.”
“What’s going on? Tell me why you’re here.”
“Sure. There was a murder… and… that guy over there…” I pointed to the prone figure. “Did it. He tried it on me… but I messed up… the bartender… had the stuff… but Dimples… should be here soon… at the bar…he’s late… prob..ly because of Willow… she is the bane of my exis…exist…ance.”
“Right. So Dimples knows you’re here? Is he downstairs?”
I tried to nod, but only managed to hit my head on the wall. “Ouch.”
We both heard a groan, and Ramos glanced toward Dex, who was lying on the floor with blood all over his face. With an effort, Dex moved to his side, and then pushed into a sitting position, holding his face with one hand.
“Guess I’d better take care of him. Sit tight. I’ll be right back.”
He went back over and punched Dex in the face again. Dex went down hard, hitting the back of his head on the floor, and Ramos nodded in satisfaction.
“That should do it.” He came to my side and helped me stand, but my feet still wouldn’t hold my weight. “Maybe you’d better lie down.” He maneuvered me to the bed, then stacked the pillows for my head and lifted my legs, so I was lying down.
Dying Wishes: A Paranormal Women's Fiction Novel (Shelby Nichols Adventure Book 14) Page 21