A Midsummer Night's Murder

by Colleen Helme

  “I’ll get the cuffs,” I said, jumping to my feet. I found them on the floor where I’d left them. After securing them around Scorpion’s wrists, Ramos took his foot away and stepped back.

  “Uh…I think we should call Dimples, but my phone is in Scorpion’s car with my purse.”

  Ramos wasn’t sure that was a good idea. “How are you going to explain this to the detective?”

  “I’m not sure. What do you think I should do?”

  He was thinking leave me and Manetto out of it. I understood that, but how was I going to explain it without mentioning them?

  “Let me work something out with you,” Scorpion interrupted, his voice sounding desperate. “The police don’t need to get involved.”

  “Not a chance.” Ramos said, sending Scorpion a cold, hard glare, and wishing he could just shoot him and be done with it. He glanced at me, knowing I’d heard that, and shrugged. “Short of killing him, I’m out of ideas.”

  “That’s okay. Trust me. We can work with Dimples. He’ll be reasonable, and I’m sure we can come to an arrangement that will benefit all of us.”

  Ramos let out a breath. He didn’t like dealing with cops, but if I vouched for Dimples, he’d go along with it for my sake. “Fine.” He searched through Scorpion’s pockets, and pulled out his car keys, then he handed me the gun. “Shoot him in the leg if he moves.”

  “Sure thing,” I agreed, mostly for Scorpion’s benefit. I wasn’t sure I could go through with it for real, but if he threatened me, I probably could. Scorpion eyed me, wondering if I’d really shoot a defenseless man. I didn’t look the type, and this might be his only chance to escape.

  “Don’t even think about it,” I said. “I will shoot you. And, even if I were to miss, Ramos is right outside. He’s just looking for an excuse to kill you. Do you really want to take that chance?”

  Scorpion’s eyes got big and he shook his head.

  “Good.” It kind of surprised me how easy it was to play the bad guy. Maybe I’d been around Uncle Joey and Ramos too much.

  A minute later, Ramos returned with my purse. “Thanks.” I handed him the gun and took the cell phone outside the doors for a little privacy. Taking a deep breath, I pushed Dimples’s number and waited for him to pick up.

  “Hey Shelby,” he answered. “I tried to call you, but you didn’t answer. I got a warrant, and I’m at his house. You’ll never believe it, but I found a bloody shirt. I’m taking it to the lab. If it’s a match we’ve got him.”

  “That’s great.”

  “Yeah. So where are you? Why didn’t you answer your phone?”

  “It’s kind of a long story, but I’ve got Scorpion here with me. He’s cuffed at the moment, but I could use some help.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Uh…well…he kidnapped me outside the office after you left. But everything’s good now. I just need you to come get me and arrest him.”

  “Holy hell! Are you serious?” He didn’t wait for me to answer. “Dammit! Just…give me the address.”

  I gave him the address of the Fast Money Payday Loan business, and told him I was behind the restaurant next door. “Scorpion’s in the basement. And…Ramos is here. I told him we’d figure this all out together, so just come by yourself, okay?”

  He hesitated before answering, and I could just imagine him shaking his head. “I’m on my way.”

  I disconnected and glanced around the area for any sign of Casey, but it looked like he was long gone. I hurried back down the stairs. “He’s on his way, and he knows you’re here. I think we should tell him the whole story, and then we can figure out how much he should leave out of his report.”

  Ramos shook his head, not liking what I’d suggested. “How about this? Let’s tell him Scorpion kidnapped you because Casey recognized you from our little meeting yesterday, just like it happened. We can say that he brought you here because I was meeting with him, and he was hoping I’d be on his side because he thought you were a snitch for the police.”

  “Uh…okay. That’s actually a good idea.”

  “Since I’m an upstanding citizen who was just trying to help you solve this murder,” he continued. “His plan backfired, and we caught him. There’s no need to mention Manetto.”

  I smiled. “That should work perfectly.”

  “Good.” Ramos let out a breath, relieved to have that settled. Then he thought how lucky I was to still be alive. After the kid’s gun went off, it was a close thing. If the bullet hadn’t ricocheted off the pan I was holding, it might have hit me. “Did you know the kid had a gun in his waistband?”

  “Oh…yeah. But I didn’t mean to hit him there. I was aiming for his head, but that frying pan is heavy. You should try and pick it up.”

  He chuckled. “I believe you, but next time I ask for a distraction, try not to make it so...”

  “Distracting?” I offered, smiling.

  “Yeah.” He sent me a sexy grin and my heart flooded with warmth. He was glad that it had all worked out, and that I was all right. But there were times that I drove him crazy. In fact…how had I managed to let Casey and Scorpion get a hold of me anyway? He didn’t think anyone could sneak up on me with my mind-reading skills.

  “They can if I’m distracted,” I said, wanting to defend myself.

  “It’s okay Shelby,” he said, not wanting to hurt my feelings. It had all worked out in the end, and catching Scorpion had saved both of us a lot of trouble. Now Scorpion wasn’t a threat to Manetto, and I’d caught the man who’d killed Molly.

  “That’s true,” I agreed, sending him a smile, grateful to have him on my side, whatever side that happened to be.

  A car pulled up outside and Dimples hurried down the stairs. He took in the scene and wondered how I did it. I quickly explained the story Ramos and I had come up with, and Dimples accepted it, even though he knew we probably hadn’t told him everything.

  Next, Dimples took Scorpion into custody. He wanted me to come to the station with him, but since I needed to get my car first, Ramos offered to take me on his motorcycle. Since it was an offer I couldn’t resist, I agreed, happy to have an excuse to do something I enjoyed after all the excitement.

  He dropped me off at my car, and I arrived at the station after Scorpion had been booked. Dimples took my statement, hoping no one questioned its validity. But, since he also had a bloody shirt as evidence, he thought it wouldn’t be a problem.

  “I asked the lab to speed things up so we could charge Scorpion with Molly’s murder,” he said.

  “Good. How long do you think it will take before Angel is released from jail?”

  “Not too long. Once we know the blood is Molly’s, he should be released. Hopefully by tomorrow.”

  “Yay! That’s great. Can I tell him?”

  “Sure. He’s still here in a holding cell, so go ahead.”

  “Thanks.” I couldn’t wait to tell him the good news, and hurried to the holding cells. I had to wait several minutes before they took me to Angel’s cell, and he stood with surprise to seem me.

  “We got him,” I said. “The guy who killed Molly. You should be out of here soon.”

  “Who did it?”

  Now came the hard part, and I explained how it was someone with a connection to the gang he once belonged to. He hung his head in shame.

  “This is my fault,” he said. “Molly was killed because of me.”

  “I know it seems that way, but you can’t take the blame. Scorpion did this, not you. He’s an awful person. Molly loved helping people, whether you were involved or not, and she wouldn’t want you to blame yourself.”

  The guilt still hung heavy around him, but he pushed it aside and caught my gaze. “So, they’re really dropping the charges against me?”

  “Yeah. As soon as they get the lab results, the detective said you should be cleared, but it might not be until tomorrow.”

  “Thanks Shelby. I don’t know how to repay you.”

  “That’s not n
ecessary. I’m just glad I could help.”

  “So how’s Pepper doing?”

  “She’s great. My kids love her, but I’m sure she misses you.” He thanked me for taking care of her, and I told him I’d see him soon.

  I went back to Dimples’s desk and told him I was leaving. He promised to call me with the results, and I hurried to my car, ready to call it a day.

  As I opened my door, my phone rang. “Hello?”

  “Shelby,” Uncle Joey said. “I heard you had quite the adventure today. I wanted to make sure you’re all right.”

  “Oh…yeah. I’m fine.”

  “Good. From what Ramos told me, you were able to keep me out of the whole thing. I wanted you to know how much I appreciate that.”

  “No problem. I’m just glad Ramos was there and it all worked out.”

  “It seems that we helped each other this time. You got your killer, and I got rid of a competitor. Not bad for a day’s work.”

  “That’s true.”

  “That’s why I was wondering what I should do about Casey. Ramos found him and brought him to me. He says he helped you out. Is that right?”

  “Uh…well…he took off my handcuffs, so that’s good. And it was mostly my fault that he got shot in the…uh…butt. So how’s he doing anyway?”

  “It was just a scratch. Nothing to worry about. But I heard he took a shot at you, and I’m not real happy about that.”

  “Oh, yeah that’s true,” I agreed. “I think he was a little upset that I hit him with the frying pan and his gun went off and…it nicked him in the butt. But, I guess everyone makes mistakes, right? I mean…I don’t think he should end up dead somewhere, you know?”

  As much as I didn’t like what Casey had done, I didn’t want to be the one responsible for his demise. Hearing Uncle Joey sigh, I wished I could read minds over the phone. Too bad it didn’t work that way.

  “I think he’s showing some remorse,” Uncle Joey responded. “I just don’t know if it’s sincere.”

  “Well, if you want my opinion, I think he deserves a second chance. But don’t go too easy on him.”

  “I’ll take that into consideration, and I’ll make sure he knows he has you to thank for any leniency he gets.”

  “Okay, glad I could help.” I let out a breath and we said our goodbyes. I hoped Casey had learned his lesson. But I wasn’t sure about anything. At least he couldn’t stay mad at me for hitting him if I’d helped get him off of Uncle Joey’s bad side, so that was good. Plus, I didn’t think I’d ever run into him again, but if I did, I could always tell him that I’d saved his life.

  It was a relief to make it home after the day I’d had. Opening the door, I heard a scrambling of paws running my way. Pepper burst into view, and ran to me with happy barks and wet kisses.

  She was a bundle of squirming movement and soft fur. I let out a breath of exhaustion, and sat down beside her. As I pet her, she climbed up onto my lap and leaned against me with her head on my shoulder. At that moment, all the tension drained out of me, and I relaxed.

  That’s when I caught her total acceptance and love. She also sensed that I’d had a rough day, and she had wanted to comfort me. How crazy was that? Feeling calmer, I let the peace of the moment enfold me.

  “Mom? Is that you?” Savannah asked.

  “Yeah. I’m home.”

  Chapter 7

  Later, when Chris and I had a moment alone, I told him everything that had happened. At the end of my narrative, I decided to accentuate the positive, since his brows had lifted right up into his forehead.

  “Dimples called and said the blood on Scorpion’s shirt was a match for Molly’s, so it looks like we can get Angel released tomorrow. Isn’t that great?”

  Chris was more than a little shell-shocked. How did I do it? How did I get into so much trouble? I’d nearly been killed…again. What had I just said? “Uh…yeah. That’s great news.”

  “At least you don’t have to worry about Ethan throwing the case, right?”

  “Yeah.” He focused on that problem instead of my day, and I breathed a sigh of relief. “I’d sure like to know what Strickland has on Ethan.” He caught my gaze and his brows drew together. “I think it’s time you come into the office. I’ll ask Ethan what’s going on. Even if he denies it, you’ll pick it up. No more beating around the bush.”

  “Sounds good to me.” I yawned. “Ready to go to bed?” he nodded, and I continued. “Thanks for being such a great husband.”

  His lips quirked up. He knew what I was doing. I was buttering him up so he wouldn’t be so upset with me. If he were to make a toast to my day, he’d say, here’s to another day in the life of Shelby Nichols, where she got shot at, kidnapped, and nearly died.

  The reality of my life washed over him. What I did was nuts but, since I’d just kept an innocent man from going to prison, how could he complain? Still, he’d probably get over it faster if I made it up to him. Let’s see, what could I do? I could give him a nice backrub. Or massage his feet…and then maybe make him his favorite dinner… yeah…that might do the job.

  “Chris. Stop that…you’re darn lucky to have me for a wife.”

  He smiled sheepishly. “I know.” He tugged me into his arms, grateful I was alive, even if what I did worried him.

  I relaxed against him. It reminded me of Pepper, her sweet disposition, and the comfort she’d offered me. She accepted and loved me too. I was just about to tell him that, but I didn’t think he’d like being compared to a dog. It brought a smile to my lips, knowing this was definitely one of those times I was grateful he couldn’t read my mind.

  ***

  The next day Angel was officially released from jail. With Chris at Angel’s side, they’d managed to get his parking tickets taken care of. Even better, he got his impounded car back. Chris called with the good news, telling me that Angel was on his way over to get Pepper.

  We watched for him through the living room window. Josh and Savannah stood beside me. They were both sad that she was leaving. Pepper joined us, placing her paws on the windowsill, giving each of us that drooling smile and happy to be part of the pack.

  I told her that Angel would be there soon. She recognized his name, and her heart picked up speed. It sent her tail wagging with excitement. As his car pulled up, she whined and began to bark with barely controlled anticipation. I pulled the door open and she took off running. Angel came around the car and she leapt into his arms with a bark of pure joy.

  She licked him and rubbed against him in a squirming ball of fur. He sat down on the lawn and let her lick him, trying to hold her in his arms. She couldn’t hold still, but he buried his face in her fur, and I felt his overwhelming relief to be free.

  Then Pepper barked and pulled away. She began to run in circles around him, showing her joy. He wiped his eyes and smiled at her antics. Then she ran toward the three of us standing on the front porch. I picked up her desire to show us to Angel, like we were part of the pack.

  She ran back and forth between us until we all stood together on the lawn. I introduced him to my kids and invited him inside. We sat at the kitchen table, eating some fresh fruit, and exchanged stories about Pepper.

  Angel picked up how much my kids loved her. He told them he was grateful they’d looked after her so well. “Let’s keep in touch,” I said. “Why don’t you come back tomorrow night for a barbeque? We’ll cook up some burgers.”

  He caught my gaze, longing to take me up on it, but not sure how to let us in. He had some tough things to face in the coming days, and it would sure be a lot easier with friends like us.

  “I’ll even make you my famous French Angel Rocky Road Dessert in your honor.”

  “Oh man,” Josh said. “You’ve got to come now.”

  Angel still hesitated, wanting badly to say yes, but not quite ready to let his guard down. Molly was killed because of him and it had wounded his heart.

  “What do you think, Pepper?” I asked her. “You want to come visit us?” S
he barked with enthusiasm, which sounded like yes to me.

  It was just the motivation Angel needed to accept my offer. “How can I say no to that?”

  “Good.” I told him a time, and we spoke a little longer about his plans, then he took Pepper and drove away, leaving a feeling of loss and emptiness in our home.

  “Can we get a dog?” Savannah asked.

  I knew she was going to ask me that, and I had already discussed it with Chris. “That might be a good idea.”

  She smiled with happiness. I wasn’t sure exactly what that meant for us, but I knew we were ready to add another member to our family, even if it was the furry kind. It also helped to know that I could use my talent to find just the right dog.

  With joy in my heart, I got ready for the day. I was headed to Chris’s office for lunch, but the real reason for my visit was to spy on Ethan.

  Hopefully he’d be there. But if not, I knew it was just a matter of time before I figured it out. I mean…who better to get to the bottom of a mystery than a mind-reader with connections to the police, a mob-boss, and a hit-man?

  What’s next? Try book one, Carrots, where it all began. Find out how Shelby got her mind-reading ability that changed her life, and how she met Uncle Joey, Dimples, and Ramos!

  Carrots | Fast Money | Lie or Die | Secrets that Kill | Trapped by Revenge | Deep in Death | Crossing Danger | Devious Minds | Hidden Deception | Laced in Lies | Deadly Escape | Devil in a Black Suit ~ A Ramos Story | Amazon Series Page

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  USA TODAY AND WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLING AUTHOR

  As the author of the bestselling Shelby Nichols Adventure Series, Colleen is often asked if Shelby Nichols is her alter-ego. “Definitely,” she says. “Shelby is the epitome of everything I wish I dared to be.” Known for her laugh since she was a kid, Colleen has always tried to find the humor in every situation and continues to enjoy writing about Shelby’s adventures. “I love getting Shelby into trouble…I just don’t always know how to get her out of it!” Besides writing, she loves a good book, biking, hiking, and playing board and card games with family and friends. She loves to connect with readers and admits that fans of the series keep her writing.