Ghostly Serenade

by Colleen Helme

On my floor, I pulled my key card from my purse and opened the door, looking forward to spending a little time with my family. Eager to see them, I stepped inside, but found the place deserted. “Chris?”

  I checked both bedrooms, but they were empty. Now what? Pulling my phone from my purse, I found I’d missed a few texts from Chris. In them, he said they were going with Syd and Maggie to Central Park and to text him when I got back.

  Instead of texting, I gave him a call, needing to hear his voice. He explained that they’d gotten tired of being cooped up in the hotel and needed some fresh air. “Makes sense to me,” I agreed.

  “Do you want to meet up with us, or is that not an option?”

  “Uh… I think I’ll take a break and relax for a minute. What are you guys doing?”

  Chris explained all the sights they’d seen and that they were thinking of renting a boat to paddle around the lake.

  “That sounds like a blast.”

  “Yeah. It’s been fun, but it would be more fun if you were here.”

  “Oh… thanks honey. Why don’t I call you in a little while, and we’ll meet up then?”

  “Sure. It’s almost time for dinner. How about we figure out a place to eat, and you can meet us there.”

  “Sounds good.” I wasn’t sure it would happen, since I was still on a hit list, and I might need to meet up with Hawk. Plus, if I mentioned my meeting with Hawk, I’d have to tell Chris about everything I’d found out. On the bright side, at least that meant he didn’t know that I’d nearly been killed again.

  We said our goodbyes, and I could hardly wait to lie down, knowing I could put off calling Hawk for another hour. I kicked off my shoes and swallowed some pain pills before I could finally relax on the bed. Just lying there felt heavenly, and I closed my eyes and let out a deep sigh.

  The throbbing pain in my arm eased, and I drifted off. A barely audible voice began to sing in my mind. The haunting melody entranced me, pulling me into a dream of yearning. I didn’t understand the language, but it filled me with exquisite longing for something that hovered just out of reach. So close, but never close enough to grasp.

  The sound of my ringing phone brought me out of the trance, and I gratefully shook off the craving for peace that threatened to overwhelm my senses. What did it mean? Was Grandfather Manetto telling me he wanted revenge after all? “Hello?”

  “Hey Shelby, it’s Hawk. I hate to ask, but I don’t know what else to do.”

  “What’s going on?”

  “It’s the chief. He really wants to speak with you. I told him everything you said, but I guess he needs to hear it from you. I didn’t tell him anything about the Manettos, and you don’t have to tell him either. I just think it would go better if you talked to him. I can come and get you, wherever you are.”

  Since I wanted to help him anyway, this worked out perfectly. “Okay. I’ll come, but what about the dirty cop?”

  “That’s been taken care of. Apparently, they already knew that someone on the force was helping the Bilottis. After I told the chief what you said, he connected the dots to the officer who was guarding Taylor the day she was killed. They’re questioning him right now.”

  “Oh wow. I guess that makes sense. Did he kill her?”

  “I’m hoping he didn’t, but we don’t know yet. Where are you?”

  “At the Hotel Perona.”

  “Okay. I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”

  We disconnected, and I got up to splash some cold water on my face. After toweling dry, I stared at my reflection in the mirror. What the hell was I doing? This whole thing was just getting bigger and bigger.

  Uncle Joey would be furious if he found out that I’d left the hotel to help the cops. There was also the part about an assassin out to kill me, and leaving might put me in danger. Still, it was worth the risk, as long as I could sneak out of here.

  Of course, Uncle Joey was probably so busy planning Milo Bilotti’s demise that he wouldn’t notice my absence. He’d be happy to have me out of the way, since I was sure he didn’t want me to know his plans. So, maybe if I left, I’d be doing him a favor.

  Glancing in the mirror, I noticed my rumpled shirt and straightened it out. Examining my jeans, I found a few specks of blood on them. I wet down a washcloth to blot out the blood. My arm hurt too much to change my shirt, so I left it alone and focused on my hair.

  I considered pulling it into a ponytail and slipping on my hat. But since the assassin had already seen me like that, it wouldn’t do much good. Plus, I didn’t think I could use my arm without a lot of pain. Instead, I ran a comb through my hair and fluffed it up a bit. Next, I put on some lipstick and pinched my cheeks so I wouldn’t look so pale.

  Ready, my gaze dropped to the sling on my arm. Maybe I should take it off? But since that meant moving my arm more than I liked, I decided to leave it alone. Besides, the sling made me look vulnerable. Maybe the chief would go easy on me.

  I’d have to tell Hawk the truth about the hit on me, since he needed to know in case the hitman tried again. Sure, it was another secret he’d have to keep, but, after I’d told him everything else, what did it matter? That meant I’d have to lie to the chief, but what else could I do?

  My phone buzzed with the text message from Hawk that he was here and waiting in front of the hotel. I answered that I’d be right down and asked if he could open the passenger door so I could just jump right in. He sent a question mark in response, but then sent a thumbs-up emoji.

  Grateful he’d gone along with my plan, I took a deep breath and left my room. I rode the elevator to the lobby and cautiously stepped out. After a quick scan to make sure the coast was clear, I ducked my head and hurried to the doors. Seeing me coming, the doorman had to run to open the door before I got there.

  With a mumbled thanks to the doorman, I rushed to the waiting car and jumped inside, closing the door as quick as I could. “Go, go, go,” I said.

  Hawk did as I asked, but he swore in his mind. Why had I rushed out like I was running away? Why was I wearing a sling? Had someone hurt me? After he pulled into traffic, he asked, “What’s going on?”

  I glanced behind us, watching the doorman as he took several steps after us. He stopped with his hands on his hips and his mouth in a grimace. As he turned to rush back inside, I lost sight of him. Yikes. He was probably going straight to Uncle Joey. “Give me a second, and I’ll explain.”

  As I pulled my phone from my purse, my mouth went dry. I sent a short text to Uncle Joey that said, Don’t worry. I’m with the detective and I’m fine. I’ll let you know what I find out. I pushed send and let out a breath. I put on my seatbelt, so the seat alarm would quit dinging, and glanced at Hawk.

  “Okay. Here’s the deal. We think the Bilottis put a hit on me, probably because they know I heard too much last night. That’s how I got injured.” I pointed to my arm. “Luckily, the assassin missed stabbing me in the back and messed up my arm instead, but he’s still out there, so we have to be careful.”

  A whole lot of swearing came from Hawk’s mind, along with a fair amount of shock and disbelief. Outwardly, the only thing that hinted at his surprise was the slight flaring of his nostrils.

  “I thought you should know in case he strikes again.” I glanced out the window. “So… have you noticed if there’s a car following us?”

  Hawk jerked his gaze to the rearview mirror, then looked in both side mirrors before shaking his head. “I don’t know, but I’ll keep watching.” He could hardly believe so much had changed since we spoke. “How do you know they put a hit on you?”

  Before I could answer, I got a text message on my phone. “Uh… just a sec.” Holding my breath, I glanced at the words from Uncle Joey. What the hell? This is not okay.

  My breath whooshed out of me. I could just imagine Uncle Joey’s anger, and my stomach clenched with dread. What could I say to that? I started to text an apology, but my phone began to ring. It was Ramos. I was in so much trouble. I swallowed before answering. “Hey.”


  “Is it true? Are you with Hawk?”

  “Yes, yes. I am. We’re headed to the precinct. I’ll be fine there.”

  “Just a minute.” He spoke to Uncle Joey, telling him where I was headed. I couldn’t hear Uncle Joey’s response, but Ramos came back on the line pretty fast. “What about the dirty cop? Did you even consider that?”

  “Uh… yes. Hawk filled the chief in earlier, and they’re questioning the person they think it is right now.”

  He swore. “Dammit Shelby. What are you doing? You’re taking a real risk here.”

  “I’ll be fine. Hawk’s going to watch out for me.”

  “You told him about the hit? Did you tell him anything else?” His voice rose in volume, and I winced.

  “Uh… yeah… I told him about the hit. I don’t want to get him killed. But don’t worry, he’s got a gun and everything.”

  Ramos let out a big sigh, and I could imagine him shaking his head in frustration. “What else did you tell him?”

  How did he know? “Uh… I had to tell him about our situation with the Bilottis, but he’s not telling anyone else. It’s the only way I could explain how I’m caught in the middle of all this. I mean… seriously, if I wasn’t helping the police, we wouldn’t be in this mess. He gets it.”

  I cringed to hear absolutely nothing from Ramos. Finally, he spoke. “Shelby… this is…” He let out a breath. “And you trust him?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Fine. When you’re done helping him, you need to call me. I’ll come and get you. Are we clear?”

  “Um… well…”

  “Shelby,” he growled.

  “Okay. I’ll call you.”

  Another low rumble sounded from under his breath. “You are in so much trouble.”

  “I know. Sorry. I’ll talk to you in a bit. Bye.” Cringing, I disconnected and put my phone back in my purse. I glanced at Hawk. He was thinking that someone wasn’t happy with me. Was it Manetto or Ramos?

  “What’s going on?” he asked.

  “I told you most of it, but I left out the bit about the hit. After we left your place, the guy tried again, so he must have been watching for me there.”

  “Wait a minute. Again? What do you mean again? Were you attacked before you came to my place?”

  “Yeah. The first time was this morning on our walk across the Brooklyn Bridge.”

  “And the second time was after you spoke to me at my apartment?”

  I nodded, picking up that Hawk could hardly believe that I’d left that part out. A hit on me? What the hell? “Maybe you should stay at the hotel.”

  “No. You might need my help to take the Bilottis down. I’ll be safe with you.”

  “Shelby… I don’t know.”

  “Look, I know I’m putting you in danger, but I’m trying really hard to do the right thing here.” That last part sounded a little desperate, and I took a couple of deep breaths to calm down before tears starting leaking from my eyes.

  “Okay. We’ll figure this out. And for the record, it’s not me I’m worried about.” Hawk took pity on me, mostly because he didn’t like crying women.

  I nodded and checked the side mirror again. Noticing, Hawk spoke. “There’s no one following us. Why don’t you tell me about the attacks?”

  “The first time he used a knife. The second time it was a gun… and a knife.”

  “And…”

  “You know… I really don’t want to talk about it right now.”

  His brows rose. That wasn’t what he’d expected. He shrugged, knowing he needed to tread lightly with me, since I was on the verge of breaking down and crying my eyes out. “So what do we tell the chief?”

  My brows drew together. I wasn’t about to start crying. Geez. I sniffed and blinked the tears from my eyes. “We don’t tell him about the hit. I just wanted you to know for your own safety.” I glanced out the window, wondering if I’d made a mistake. “What does the chief need from me anyway?”

  “He needs to hear your account. You’re the eyewitness to this whole thing. In order to proceed, he has to do it by the book, and he needs some reassurance that this is the real deal.”

  Hawk tried to sound encouraging, but I caught his worry that the chief wanted this meeting for a reason that neither of us would like. Now that he knew I’d been targeted by the Bilottis, it worried him even more.

  “Wait,” I said, worry tightening my chest. “What does he know that I won’t like? You didn’t tell him anything did you?”

  “Shelby… no. I didn’t tell him anything. I guess he just needs more details from you. Some of it’s probably my fault, since I had to be vague about what’s really going on. But, beyond all of that, we want the man who murdered those women. If it’s mixed up with the Bilottis, and we can get them both at the same time—all the better. Just stick with that and blame it on your premonitions.”

  “All right.” I hoped the chief didn’t have another reason for calling me in. But if he did, talking to him was the only way I’d know for sure. That should have made me feel better, but, instead, it scared the hell out of me. Why was that?

  Hawk’s brows drew together. Sometimes talking to me was weird—like I knew his thoughts. But it must be part of my premonitions. That made me a real asset to the police… and my clients. He could understand what a juggling act that could be. Glancing at me, he took in my pale face and hunched shoulders, and knew the stress was taking a toll.

  Ugh. So now he thought I looked haggard? I huffed out a breath and tried to pull myself together, hoping I could exude more confidence than I felt. This was the right thing to do, and getting the Bilottis was totally worth it.

  We pulled into the police parking terrace. Hawk got out of the car slowly because of his broken ribs. I hesitated before opening my door. I ducked down a little, checking the area for any signs of an assassin aiming a gun at my head.

  Hawk realized I was worried about the assassin and belatedly reassured me. “It’s okay. No one will hurt you here.” He gently took the elbow of my uninjured arm and walked beside me to the door. He used his body as a shield, and kept watch for anything out of the ordinary. After we made it inside, I straightened with relief and followed him upstairs to the bullpen and the chief’s office.

  Chief Martin Wallace sat in front of his computer, holding his eyeglasses in his hand and chewing on one of the earpiece tips. He caught sight of us and grimaced before waving us in. My heart sank. Shouldn’t he be happy to see me?

  Hawk opened the door and Martin stood, finally managing a smile. “Shelby. Thanks so much for coming in. Please, have a seat.” He motioned toward the chairs in front of his desk.

  As I sat down, I listened closely to his thoughts, and a chill ran down my spine. I even got a little light-headed. He’d called Chief Winder and asked if I had any connections to the mob here in New York. Winder hadn’t exactly thrown me under the bus, but he’d suggested that I might because I’d done some work for the Manettos.

  Holy hell. Could this get any worse?

  Now Martin had a few reservations about my help, even though Brian had praised my abilities as nothing short of miraculous. It didn’t seem to bother Brian that I worked for the mob. But it bothered Martin enough that he’d done a little investigating into the Manetto name.

  So far, he hadn’t found a link to the mob families in New York. There had been a Manetto crime family in Manhattan over forty years ago, but, as far as he knew, they weren’t in the business anymore. So what was going on with me? Was I involved with the Bilottis? Had they hired me too? That didn’t exactly make sense, but he thought there had to be a connection.

  I knew it was time to put a stop to his line of thinking, so I straightened my spine and began. “I believe you’re troubled because you think I might be involved with the Bilottis, so let me clear this up. At your request, I’m helping you while I’m here on vacation.

  “During the murder investigation, I’ve discovered several things about the case. First, I f
ound that the murders were linked to a party boat line, which happens to be owned by the Bilotti crime family.”

  I glanced at Hawk. “Both Hawk and I realized that something must have happened on that boat that made killing the women necessary. Last night, Hawk tried to look in the lower hold, but he got caught, and they threw him out. After that incident, I got a premonition that whatever was in that hold was the reason Merilee and her roommates were killed.

  “After I left Hawk at his place last night, I went back to the boat. I managed to overhear a conversation between Tony Bilotti and someone else whom I couldn’t identify. Between that conversation and my premonitions, I was able to put everything together. That’s it.” I hesitated, to let my explanation sink in, and then continued. “So what are you planning to do about it?”

  Martin closed his mouth and glanced between me and Hawk. He straightened in his chair, and cleared his throat. “We have a task force for these kinds of things… uh… organized crime. They’ve been trying to get the Bilottis for a while now, so, if the information you’ve gathered is good, it will help us take them down.”

  I nodded, picking up that he felt a little bad that he’d doubted me. Still, they were taking a risk on my word alone, so he had to be sure.

  “I can’t guarantee that the plan is still on,” I said. “But I think it’s worth the risk. If nothing else, Tony might give up his boss once he’s caught, since he killed the women on his boss’s orders.”

  “Right,” Martin said, thinking that I’d overheard quite the detailed conversation if I knew all that. “I’d like to get him for the murders, but we don’t have any proof he did it besides your word. We need hard evidence, like the gun he used, or something that would place him at the scene. Can you give us that?”

  I shook my head. “Not at the moment. But if I’m there when he’s questioned, I might pick up where he stashed the murder weapon… you know… with my psychic abilities.” At Martin’s raised brows, I continued, “It’s what I do at home, so I have no doubt I can do it here.”

  Martin studied me before agreeing. “Okay. We’ll run the op on the drug bust and arrest Tony Bilotti for that. Then we’ll see if you can nail him for the murders.”