Hidden Deception: A Shelby Nichols Adventure

by Colleen Helme

  “They were going to, but I talked them out of it.” I glanced at him. “Thanks for coming. That was awful, especially after they killed Anton.” I shuddered and closed my eyes.

  “It looks like there’s a gas station up ahead.” He pulled into the parking lot. “Do you want to go in?”

  “Yes. I… guess I need to freshen up.” That was exactly what Ramos thought anyway. He lifted his brow, knowing he’d been caught, and sent me a killer smile.

  I managed to get out of the car. Ramos took my arm, and we walked slowly to the door. He left to get some water, and I headed into the bathroom. Inside, I took one look in the mirror and winced. With black mascara under my eyes, and my hair a tangled mess, I certainly needed help. I splashed cold water on my hot face and moaned at how good it felt. By the time I was done, I felt more like my old self. Not only had I cleaned my face, but I’d rinsed out my mouth and run a comb through my hair.

  Ramos waited where I could see him, speaking into his phone. As I approached, I picked up that he was talking to Uncle Joey, but after telling him I was safe, he quickly disconnected and came to my side.

  He held a couple of bottles of water, and a bottle of Diet Coke, which brought a big smile to my lips. Back in the car, I drank nearly the whole bottle of water and felt well enough to tell Ramos what had happened.

  It made him sick that Yuri had threatened my kids, especially since he knew Yuri would have gone through with it. When I told him Yuri got shot, a burst of satisfaction came from him, but it stopped cold when he realized that I’d practically given away my secret.

  “It was the only way he’d listen to me. And now he’s on his way to Chicago, so hopefully, we won’t see him again any time soon.”

  Ramos clenched his jaw at what Yuri had done, the anger coming off him so strong that I thought his jaw might break. I caught a hint of pure revenge against Yuri before he shuttered his thoughts. It made me feel a little sorry for Yuri… but not too sorry.

  “That’s true,” he said, but I picked up that he wasn’t about to let Yuri get away with what he’d done to me and my family. Then he reached over and took my hand, thinking that he just needed to touch me for a minute and hoped that was all right.

  His sudden turn of thought surprised me, but I squeezed his hand back to let him know it was okay, and I rested my head against the seat and closed my eyes. To be honest, it felt good to touch him too, and since that was as far as it would ever go, I held on for most of the drive, grateful to have him beside me.

  Chapter 13

  “I’m taking you home,” Ramos said, exiting the freeway. “I’ll tell Manetto what happened, and you can get some rest.”

  “Oh… okay. Tell him I can talk about it tomorrow if he wants.”

  “Sure.”

  I tried to pick up his thoughts, but his mind was shuttered up tight. Considering his earlier anger, it was probably for the best. I mean… did I really want to know that he planned to kill Yuri? Not really. In some ways it made me a little sick, but in most others, I was glad. That probably made me a bad person, but right now, I was too traumatized to care.

  We pulled up in front of my house, and sudden tears welled up in my eyes. My house had never looked so good. Chris must have been watching for us, because the front door opened, and there he was, running down the walk to the car.

  He pulled my door open and helped me out, then yanked me to him. Holding me tight, his feelings of desperation and gratitude to have me home safe washed over me like a tidal wave. Then he pulled away to shut the car door. Before closing it, he glanced at Ramos. But instead of thanking him for my safe return like I expected, he said something else entirely.

  “I hope you find the bastards.”

  Grudging respect came from Ramos, along with a grim smile. “Planning on it.” They did that little head nod thing, and Chris shut the door. He wrapped an arm around me, and we watched Ramos drive away before heading into the house.

  After closing the door, we held each other tightly, then Chris showered kisses all over my face. In between kisses, he murmured that he thought I was dead, and that he’d never been so scared in his life. I told him the same thing.

  “When I saw you fall… I thought you’d been shot… and it was all my fault. Then at the house, he threatened our kids and I thought…” I pulled away in sudden panic. “Where are they?”

  “The kids are in bed. They’re fine. They don’t know what happened to you. What do you mean, he threatened them?”

  I shook my head. Overcome with exhaustion and relief, I leaned into his chest and wrapped my arms around him, tears flowing down my cheeks. “It was awful.”

  “Come on,” he said, knowing I had reached a breaking point. “Let’s get you upstairs to bed.”

  Chris helped me take off my boots and jacket, then handed me one of my anti-anxiety pills and a glass of water. Before long, those feelings of dread and panic left, and I managed to tell Chris the whole story. By the end of my narration, he’d tucked me into bed. Then he shucked his clothes and joined me, pulling me against his side, where I promptly fell asleep.

  ***

  The next morning, I woke to the calming sound of rain. Chris was gone, but he’d left the door open, and I smelled something delicious wafting up the stairs. Chris liked to make breakfast on Sunday mornings, and happy relief that he was alive pulled my lips into a smile. I stretched, then got up and dressed, slipping on some fleece leggings and my most comfortable hoodie.

  The kids were already up and in the kitchen. My breath hitched with gratitude to see them, and I gave them each a hug, before helping them set the table. From there, it was easy to fall into our normal routine of sitting down to breakfast together.

  “So how was the play?” Savannah asked, curious that we’d gone to see a high school musical. She didn’t know that I liked that play so much, but figured it was because I knew someone in it. But who?

  “It was really good,” I answered. “In fact… it was so good that I got tickets for the Monday night performance! For all of us!”

  “You did?” Savannah exclaimed. “That’s awesome!”

  “Yeah. You’ll love it.”

  Josh and Chris didn’t share her enthusiasm. Josh, because he’d rather do something else, and Chris, because he’d already seen it. I caught Josh’s gaze. “I think you’ll enjoy it Josh. The kids are close to your age, and there’s some really cute girls in it.”

  “Mom,” he groaned.

  I shrugged, but figured that was the best way to get him to come. It worked, because he shook his head, rolled his eyes, and said, “Fine. I’ll come.”

  “Great. It starts at seven, so we’ll have to leave at six-thirty or a little earlier to get good seats. Maybe even six-fifteen.” They all agreed to the time, which was a good thing, because it really started at seven-thirty. But I knew if I’d told them the real time, we wouldn’t get there early enough. If they called me on it later, I could always say I messed up, right?

  Around one in the afternoon, I got a call from Dan, my realtor, asking if we were still interested in the house. He told me the owners had filled in the cellar with dirt and reinforced the foundation. “I’m available today if you’d like to bring your family to see it.”

  “Okay. Let me ask them, and I’ll call you right back.”

  I put the phone down and turned to Chris and the kids. “Hey, do you guys want to go see the house we were looking at? The one with the turrets?” From all three of their thoughts, I picked up a definite no. It kind of surprised me.

  “Is that the one with the dead bodies?” Josh asked. It kind of intrigued him to see it, but seriously, dead bodies. How could I even think he’d want to live there?

  “Uh… yeah, but they’re not there anymore. In fact, Dan said they filled in the hole and everything.”

  “Yeah?” Savannah said. “But that’s where they died, isn’t it? That’s just so creepy. What if the house is haunted? Did you ever think of that? Maybe that’s why it was for sale? Mayb
e the people who lived there heard the voices of those kids and it scared them to death?”

  “That’s silly,” I said, surprised at how accurate her statement was, but not wanting her to know the truth. On the other hand, I also knew that their ghosts weren’t there anymore, so maybe it wouldn’t be too bad. “So you don’t even want to go see it? Chris? Josh?”

  Chris was willing to look at it, just to appease me, but he felt the same way as the kids. It creeped him out, especially since I’d heard the little girl crying. So what was up with me?

  “What do you want to do?” he asked.

  I let out my breath and listened to my heart. “Seriously? I don’t think I could live there either. But you should see the bathroom. It’s gorgeous. And it’s in a turret. With a Jacuzzi bathtub and everything.”

  They looked at me like I was nuts. Then Chris smiled. “Well, if we stay here, we could use the money to upgrade the master bathroom. Get it re-done just how you’d like it. Maybe even put in a jetted bathtub?”

  “Oh… I like that idea. Okay, then. I’ll call Dan back and tell him we’re not interested.” I heard a collective sigh from all of them and smiled. Remodeling the bathroom was the perfect solution. And I loved my house. Remembering how I’d felt coming home last night reinforced it. Plus, if I had a new bathroom with a jetted bathtub… what more could I want?

  We relaxed at home for the rest of the day, playing games, eating my leftover cake and ice cream, and watching a movie. Grateful to be with my family, and knowing we were all safe, did me a world of good.

  ***

  Later that night, I got a call from Uncle Joey.

  “Shelby. I’m just calling to see how you’re doing. Ramos told me everything, and I imagine you’re pretty shook up.”

  “Oh, I’m doing lots better now. Thanks. It was kind of scary, but it all worked out.”

  “That’s true. But it never should have happened in the first place, and I feel responsible. I just wanted to let you know that you don’t have to worry about Yuri or his people anymore. He won’t be bothering you again.”

  “Really? Um… okay.” Did that mean they were dead? Or had he made a deal they couldn’t refuse? Shaking my head, I took a deep breath and then let it out, surprised at the relief that washed over me. “I mean… actually… that’s a big relief.”

  “Good. If you want, you could take a couple of days off. You’ve earned it.”

  “Oh… sure. That sounds great. Unless you need me before that?”

  “If I do, I’ll let you know.”

  “Okay, thanks.” I expected him to hang up, but he spoke instead, surprising me.

  “And Shelby?”

  “Huh?”

  “I’m glad you’re okay.” Then he disconnected.

  Later, I told Chris the news, and he seemed as relieved as me. Then I reminded him that Mr. Johnson would be calling to come into his office in the morning to prep for his confession to the police.

  “Oh, that’s right. I’ll check my schedule when I get there. Do you want to come, too?”

  “Uh… I don’t know. Maybe.” Deep down, I didn’t want to go. I’d had enough of death and dead bodies for a while. Too bad I’d told Johnson I’d be there, but did I really have to go?

  “Hey.” Chris caught my gaze. “You don’t have to do everything. I can take care of this.”

  I smiled. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you could read my mind.”

  “No way,” he said with a chuckle. “I’d never want that. Can you imagine the trouble that could cause?” Then he was thinking that if he could read minds, he’d be the best lawyer ever, and he’d make sure no one else ever found out about it.

  “No one but me, you mean?”

  “Oh… right.” But he could understand how tempting it would be to keep it to himself, and he admired how well I handled it… now.

  I narrowed my eyes. “What do you mean, now?”

  “Shelby… let it go. You know what I meant.”

  “Yeah, yeah.” I knew he meant getting involved with Uncle Joey and possibly Dimples, too. It bothered me that he was probably right. I wouldn’t have had so many close calls with death if I’d kept it to myself, either.

  But I also wouldn’t have gone to Paris and saved a lot of lives. I wouldn’t have figured out who killed those two kids. I certainly wouldn’t have learned how to play poker. And I wouldn’t have met Dimples, or Uncle Joey and Ramos. Kate might even still be around. And who knows what would have happened to me if she’d gotten her way.

  So looking at both the positives and the negatives, I had to believe it was a darn good thing I was right where I was, even if I’d gone through some bad experiences. I was better off… mostly. And so was everyone else… mostly.

  Getting ready for bed, I asked Chris what he’d told the kids about why I didn’t come home with him last night.

  “I told them you had to work late on a case.” I nodded, and he continued. “You know what? Acting like nothing was wrong was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I had all that fear that you might die and then had to tell the kids you’d be home later. Smiling like everything was fine, when I didn’t know if we’d ever see you alive again… nearly killed me.”

  “Oh honey, I’m so sorry.” My throat closed up, and tears prickled at the backs of my eyes.

  “Hey,” he said, pulling me into his arms. “It’s over, and everything turned out all right. You’re here. We’re together. It’s okay.” He didn’t want me to start crying now and almost wished he hadn’t told me his feelings. “I’ve been saving something for a special occasion, but I think you need them now.”

  “What? What do I need?” I listened to his mind, but he’d closed it up tight.

  Smiling, he opened his dresser drawer and pulled out a white sack. My heart quickened with anticipation. Was that what I thought it was? Then he pulled out two packaged bags of my absolute favorite chocolate-covered marshmallows from Paris.

  “Chris!” I threw my arms around him and laughed. “How did you do that?”

  “Remember when you bought those four bags to give as gifts?”

  “Yes, of course.” I remembered because I mostly wanted them all for myself, so I figured they’d make good gifts.

  “Well, I knew you’d wish they were for you, so while you were busy picking out other chocolates, I asked the sales clerk to add a couple more to the bag. When we got home, I managed to sneak them into my drawer for later.”

  I shook my head and grinned. “I can’t believe it. This is awesome!” He handed me a bag, and I pulled it open, my mouth watering in anticipation of all that chocolatey goodness. I plopped one in my mouth and groaned. “Mmm… this is great.”

  Then I threw my arms around him again. “You’re the best.”

  He laughed, happy his little surprise had made me smile again. “Um… I think you have some chocolate on your mouth.” Before I could respond, he nibbled on my lower lip.

  “Did you get it?” I asked.

  “Hmm… I don’t think so.” His gaze caught mine, and desire darkened his eyes, turning my insides to mush.

  “Then you’d better try again.”

  “That’s just what I was thinking.”

  I laughed, then pulled his lips to mine, kissing him with all the love in my heart.

  ***

  I woke the next morning, happy and satisfied. It was a beautiful day. I was alive. I had a wonderful husband and great kids. Even better… there was chocolate from Paris sitting on my dresser. Not one to pass that up, I grabbed a piece and let it melt in my mouth.

  It was hard to believe that today was Monday. It blew my mind that a whole week had passed since I’d come back from Paris. I’d been so busy that I hardly remembered everything that had happened.

  Keeping to the usual Monday morning routine, I got the kids off to school, kissed my husband goodbye, and then sat at my kitchen table, with nothing to do but read the paper.

  With all the bad things going on in the world, it
didn’t make for a pleasant morning, but I kind of wanted to see if there was anything in there about a couple of dead Russians. Knowing Uncle Joey, and remembering that Chris had said something about a ‘cleaner,’ I was probably wasting my time.

  My phone rang, and I picked it up, grateful for the distraction. “Hello?”

  “Hey Shelby,” Dimples said. “How was your weekend?”

  “Uh… pretty good. How about yours?”

  “Good. I spent a lot of time with Billie on wedding plans and stuff. What did you do?”

  Was he asking because he wanted information, or because he had information about something that he thought I was involved in? Like a couple of dead Russians? At times like this, I really wished I could hear thoughts over the phone. Of course, it was probably just my guilt getting to me.

  “Uh… just the regular week-end stuff, you know… cleaning the house, grocery shopping, that sort of thing. Although we did get to see a school play that was really good.”

  “Hmm… that’s nice. Well… I wondered if you’d like to get a Dirty Johnny with me. There’s something about the debt merchant list that I’d like to check out while we’re there.”

  “So you’ve got a lead?”

  “Yup.”

  “That’s great. I’ll get ready and come right down.” We said our goodbyes and disconnected.

  It took me less than an hour to get ready for the day. I went casual, wearing jeans and my favorite pink t-shirt with the Eiffel Tower on it, along with a lightweight, blue, zippered hoodie. Instead of my boots, I slipped on my purple sneakers, mostly because it was spring and all.

  As I drove to the station, it occurred to me that I might just be there when Mr. Johnson and Chris showed up, so maybe it was a good thing I was going after all. And I was sure Dimples wouldn’t want to miss his confession either.

  I slipped on my special ID badge and headed inside, grateful for the sunny day and warm breeze. It also helped to know some crazy Russian wasn’t following me either.