Hidden Deception: A Shelby Nichols Adventure

by Colleen Helme

  “Okay. We can probably start with some missing person’s cases from around the same time as the renovations on this house. Once the medical examiner determines their ages, we’ll know what to look for. If you want to come down to the station, we can get started.”

  “I can come this afternoon. I’ll be downtown anyway to go out to lunch with Chris.”

  “Did you have a chance to ask him about the other case?”

  “Yes. He thought the lawyer was probably a debt merchant.” I explained the details to Dimples, and he agreed with me that the killer had to be tied to the list as well.

  “Good job. I actually got the names of three men who worked for Lincoln. I’ll see about getting them to the station this afternoon, and we can question them. With you there, we could have the case wrapped up today. Wouldn’t that be great?” He smiled, and those dimples of his did that crazy dance in his cheeks, bringing a happy smile to my face.

  “Sure would,” I agreed. “Let’s hope we figure it out.”

  “We will. No question about it.” He caught my gaze, grateful I helped him, because I was all kinds of awesome.

  Warmth flooded over me and I giggled, then playfully hit his arm. We said our goodbyes. Still smiling, I hurried to my car. With plenty of time before lunch, I decided to go to the gym and get in a workout, since I’d slacked off for the last few weeks.

  Of course, all that walking and running from terrorists I’d done in Paris was workout enough, and it hit me that just last week I was in Paris having a great time with my family. And just the week before that, I’d stopped a major terrorist attack. Who would have thought?

  Now I was back home, and up to my eyeballs in my regular life, which seemed kind of crazy right now. I mean, my dream house was haunted, and instead of one body like I thought, there were two. It was up to me to find out what had happened and then decide if I really wanted to buy the place.

  Next, Uncle Joey might be in big trouble but was probably leaving me out of it for a change. Even though that was mostly a good thing, I had to admit I was worried about him… and Ramos. Then there was this case with Dimples. If I was Billie, I’d name the case, “Dimples and the Debt Merchant.” Which reminded me that I needed to call and congratulate her on their engagement.

  Maybe I didn’t have time to go to the gym, especially since I wanted to look my best for my lunch with Chris. Had he texted me about the time and I’d missed it? I found my phone and there it was. We were on for noon. I texted back that I’d be there and hurried home.

  ***

  At high noon, I got out of my car and took the elevator in Chris’ building to the third floor. I’d dressed up a bit, wearing my short denim skirt and my awesome cowboy boots. With my lemon yellow shirt to match the spring daffodils outside, and topped by a lacy, denim-colored vest, I looked pretty darn cute.

  I rounded off the outfit by slipping on a great necklace and earrings set, with a leather and gold chain, and dotted with turquoise and amber beads that perfectly accented my outfit. I also had a straw cowboy hat that matched but, since I didn’t want to look over-the-top, I left it at home.

  I wandered into the main office and smiled at the receptionist. She smiled back and told me to go on up to Chris’ office. I started down the hall, but she stopped me. “Shelby… wait… uh… his office isn’t down there anymore. It’s on the fourth floor.”

  “Oh… right,” I said, embarrassed. “I knew he had a new office, I just didn’t know where it was.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” she said.

  With a nod, I turned back to the elevators and caught my first glimpse of the writing on the wall. It said Larsen, Pratt, and Nichols, in fancy brass letters that shined under a couple of spotlights. I couldn’t help the giddy smile that came over me. As I got back onto the elevator, that smile stayed on my face until I exited on the fourth floor.

  I’d been up there a few times, last when I’d helped Chris defend a woman named Victoria Hampton. We’d met in the conference room, so I knew where that was, but I had no idea where Chris’ new office might be.

  I shouldn’t have worried. The elevator doors opened up, and there stood Chris, looking all polished and shiny, and more handsome than ever. His brown hair, cut to perfection, and his freshly shaven face showing the perfect outline of his strong jaw.

  Wow. In this setting, he certainly exuded the professionalism of a partner in a prestigious law firm, and my heart fluttered a little to see him in a different light. His eyes lit up with pleasure, and he thought how great it was to surprise me for a change.

  “Hey honey,” I said, walking into his arms and inhaling the scent of his sporty aftershave. “Mmm, you smell nice.” After a brief hug, he turned me toward the wall where his name was displayed prominently in the same brass letters as those downstairs.

  “There it is,” he said, smiling with pride. “Looks pretty good, doesn’t it?”

  “Yes. The best.” We admired it for a minute before he pulled me away.

  “Come on. My office is even better.” He was thinking that, until I’d walked in, he hadn’t realized how much he’d wanted me to see it in person. He was so happy I’d come. With anticipation pulsing through him, we turned down a hallway toward the ‘inner sanctum’ where the big bosses had their offices.

  Larsen’s office came first, nicely situated in the southern corner, with windows overlooking the city on both sides of the building. Through the glass partition, I caught a glimpse of rich paintings, leather furniture, and handsome bookcases, with a huge desk near the windows. Another glass partition separated his office from that of his executive assistant, whose smaller office had a connecting door.

  The office next to it held Pratt’s executive assistant with the same set-up that connected it to the corner office on the other side of the building with Pratt’s name over the door. The furniture and layout were similar, but differently decorated to their personal tastes. Pratt’s desk sat closer to the wall, and he had a great view out of his corner office windows.

  “I take it corner offices are the thing here? So… do you have one?”

  Chris glanced at me and smiled, thinking mine is even better.

  “What? Are you serious?”

  He didn’t bother to answer but winked and turned the corner. We passed the restrooms and then came to a similar outer office with a connecting glass door that opened into a new office.

  A young woman with long, dark hair sat at the desk, and glanced up as we entered. She stood with a pretty smile to greet us, and I took in her slight figure in a sleeveless, coral-colored sheath dress, which went perfectly with her complexion. It brought out the warm tones in her skin and accented her beautiful, almond-shaped eyes, making her seem more than a little exotic.

  “You must be Shelby.” She extended her hand. “I’m Elisa. It’s so great to finally meet you.”

  “You too,” I said, swallowing a sudden bout of insecurity. Next to her, I looked like a washed-out country bumpkin. “I’m glad I could come in today.”

  “Wait until you see Chris’ office. I think you’ll love it.” The familiarity with which she said Chris’ name put me on edge. She was thinking how much fun it had been to move Chris into his office while he’d been in Paris.

  After looking at some furniture and telling her what he liked, he’d basically given her free reign on the décor, and she’d had a blast picking out everything to match Chris’ manly persona. The look of excitement and pleasure on his face Monday was priceless. It was the best surprise ever, and made it worth every minute of her hard work.

  Before I could roll my eyes, or make gagging noises, a young man came around the opposite corner, carrying a folder. Seeing us, he hesitated, but continued forward at Chris’ nod. “Ethan, I’d like you to meet my wife, Shelby.” He turned to me. “Ethan is a new junior associate that I’m mentoring.”

  “Hi, nice to meet you,” I said.

  “You too,” he said, shaking my hand. He was thinking I was a babe, but he hadn’t
expected anything less of his boss. “Hey, I’ve done the research on the files you asked for. Let me know when you’re done with lunch, and we’ll go over them.”

  “Great. I will.” Chris was thinking that Ethan was one of the smartest and brightest of the new associates, and he was grateful to have his help with all the grunt work. It was one of the best things about his new position.

  As Ethan left, I picked up that he admired Chris and felt lucky to have him as a mentor. He wanted to do a good job for him, but there was something that deeply troubled him. What, I didn’t know, but it was enough to make him a little uncomfortable around Chris.

  “Ready?” Chris asked. Anticipation practically seeped out of his skin.

  “You bet.” I let go of my concern about Ethan and smiled back at Chris, picking up that he loved his office and couldn’t be more pleased with how it had turned out.

  Through the glass partition, I got a glimpse of pure elegance, but it wasn’t until I stepped inside that I could fully appreciate the space. Painted in warm tones, the corner office was framed with wooden wainscoting that spread out to include the space behind his secretary’s office, making it even bigger than I first thought. A deep mahogany desk sat in the back corner and faced the door with large windows on either side.

  A dark leather couch and coffee table, with matching side tables and lamps, took up the space along the inner wall, with a couple of leather chairs to make a nice seating arrangement. A liqueur cabinet stood in the corner, and several bookcases, with what I could only guess were law books, took up the other wall space.

  Two leather, wing-back chairs sat in front of his desk, with a nice arrangement of plants here and there to even out the space.

  “Whoa, this is amazing.”

  “Yeah. They started working on it right after they told me about the partnership, before I’d even won Victoria Hampton’s case.”

  “Wow, they must have wanted you as a partner for longer than you thought.”

  He shrugged. “Maybe so. Anyway, it’s amazing what they can do in a couple of weeks. This entire area used to be a storage room, but they cleared it all out and re-did the whole thing. With the smaller glass partition between my office and Elisa’s, it’s got more privacy than Pratt’s and Larson’s offices too. And you haven’t seen the best part yet.”

  With a twinkle in his eyes, he guided me around the back corner to a door and pulled it open. Flicking on the lights revealed a large bathroom with a mirror, marble sink and beautiful tile work. White, fluffy towels hung on the towel racks, and on the other side of the toilet stood a beautifully tiled, corner shower, framed with a walk-in glass door.

  “Holy cow! That’s really great. But… uh… what do you need a shower for?”

  “Oh… now that I’m a partner, I have a club membership to the gym that just opened in the new city center complex. It’s just around the corner. So now I can work out anytime I want and still grab a shower and a change of clothes.” His smile widened, and he turned to a door on the other side of the sink. “Take a look in here.”

  He pulled the door open, and my mouth dropped in astonishment. Two brand new suits, still in their plastic covers, along with a couple of dress shirts and more casual shirts and slacks hung inside. The back of the door had a place for several ties, and two pairs of extra shoes took up the floor space.

  “Wow. This is uh… pretty amazing.” I was going to say extravagant but changed my mind. “It’s even better than Uncle Joey’s office. But don’t tell him I said that.” Chris grinned, and I continued, “So… who picked out your clothes?”

  “Uh… I’m sure Elisa got them for me. I seem to remember telling her my size and what I liked before I left for Paris. Anyway… come back in here and see the view from my desk.”

  I nodded and followed him out. A ripple of discomfort washed over me to see how easy it would be for Chris to practically live here. At the office. I mean… seriously a private bath and shower? I glanced at the couch and hoped it wasn’t one of those kind that turned into a bed. Of course, with the glass partition, anyone walking down the hall could glance inside. They might not see a lot, but they’d definitely notice if someone slept on the couch.

  Still, I didn’t want to ruin the moment for Chris by pointing out all my reservations. He motioned for me to sit in his chair, and I sank into soft luxury. The desk held a few of his mementos from his other office, and my heart swelled to see a picture of me, and another one of our kids off to the side.

  “This is really great!” I liked my picture and liked, even better, that it was something he looked at every day. But the picture of our kids was several years old and needed to be updated, so I made a mental note to get a new one for him.

  I turned the chair to glance out the windows, taking in the view of the new city center development with the shops and eateries, framed with trees and a small man-made stream. It even had a waterfall that cascaded into a lower-eating area, an open courtyard framed by rocks, and a stamped, concrete staircase. Retail buildings enclosed the space, making it comfy and peaceful.

  “You got the best side of the building, didn’t you?”

  “Yeah. It’s pretty great.” We shared a smile at his good fortune.

  “They must really like you here,” I added.

  A frown crossed his lips before he shrugged it off and pointed toward one of the walls that held several framed pieces of artwork. “Those are some of the pieces Elisa picked out to hang on the walls. I was hoping you could take a look and help me pick out the best ones.”

  “Sure, I’d love to.” I’d picked up his thoughts that this whole promotion probably had a lot to do with Uncle Joey. But that was something he didn’t want to think about right now, so I let it go and followed him to the artwork.

  We began by setting them out side-by-side to evaluate the ones we liked best and where to hang them on the walls. It was a fun process, and we took our time, enjoying every minute of it. I liked them all and decided Elisa had good taste.

  Chris liked the more traditional prints, but after holding up some of the contemporary pieces, I convinced him that the splashes of color really brightened up the room. In the end, we compromised with a few of each.

  “Thanks for helping me,” he said, taking me in his arms. “This will look great.”

  He leaned his head down to kiss me, but a knock at the door put a stop to that. I let my disappointment show with a pout, but Chris just smiled like he had something up his sleeve. I listened real hard, but his mind had closed up tight.

  We both turned to the door. Through the glass wall, I caught sight of a waiter, holding a tray of food. Chris held the door open for him, and he came inside. On the tray were two covered plates and crystal glasses, a basket with bread, and a red rose in a crystal vase.

  “Put it there on the coffee table,” Chris instructed. The waiter set it down, while Elisa came in carrying a bucket of ice containing several cans of diet soda. She unrolled a place mat and set the bucket on top.

  She glanced at me with a smile, thinking this was so romantic, and it was all Chris’ idea. I was one lucky woman to have a man who loved me like that. She’d spent the last few days with him and enjoyed every minute of it. He was a great guy and had treated her with respect, something rare in high-class law firms like this one. But I was the one who shared his life. She hoped that someday she’d have something special like that.

  I clapped my hands together and caught Chris’ gaze. “This is so awesome!”

  He smiled with pleasure that he’d surprised me and thought that having me there for lunch was the best part of his day. Too bad the policy for an open office with glass partitions made his desire to do more than eat lunch with me an impossibility.

  “I see what you mean,” I answered with a grin. “But there’s always later for us.” As far as I was concerned, having an open office was a good thing. No need to be tempted by pretty secretaries because of too much privacy, right? “Let’s see what we have here.”


  Before I could take the cover off my plate, Chris took me in his arms and gave me a sweet kiss. “There,” he said, wanting me to know that nothing was going to stop him from kissing his beautiful wife. “Now we can eat.”

  My heart fluttered with happiness, and we sat down to enjoy our food.

  Later, Chris walked me to the elevator, and I waved as the doors closed, a happy flush staining my cheeks. That was one of the best lunches I’d ever had, mostly because of all the effort Chris had gone to just for me. He told me it was the greatest way to show me his new digs that he could think of, and I couldn’t have been more pleased.

  The elevator doors opened, and I hurried out to my car. Lunch had taken a little longer than normal, but I’d texted Dimples and he’d told me to come over to the precinct anyway. I found him sitting at his desk, concentrating on the paperwork in front of him, and he didn’t seem too happy.

  He glanced up as I sat beside him and smiled. “You’re here. Good. I’ve got the paperwork for the men employed by Lincoln Montgomery.” This was the part he wasn’t happy about. “Uh… all of these guys are ex-cons. I guess when you’re in the business of getting money out of debtors, they’re the best kind of people to employ.”

  “Oh yeah, that makes sense. Did you already question them?”

  “Yeah, two of them had alibis that checked out. The other guy came in a little while ago, but I’ve put off questioning him until you got here.”

  “Okay. Let’s go see what he has to say.”

  Dimples nodded and stood, but I could tell there was something else on his mind that he didn’t want me to know. I listened harder and picked up that he thought this was looking more like something related to the mob. A lot of times, ex-cons were the kind of people the mob hired, and it made him nervous about my involvement with Manetto. What if Lincoln had a partner and it turned out to be him?

  Yikes! Was that true? But it didn’t make sense for Uncle Joey to kill Lincoln off. There was no way he’d kill off the person working for him who could make a lot of money. So even if he was involved, I was pretty sure he wouldn’t have killed Lincoln.