Deep In Death: A Shelby Nichols Adventure

by Colleen Helme

  Dimples’ lips tightened. “We’re going to do everything we can to find whatever’s left of them. I’ve got my best forensics team coming in on it. That’s about the best we can hope for.”

  “Okay.”

  The paramedic came to my side wheeling a gurney over the grass. “The ambulance is ready to go. Let’s get you on the gurney.”

  “Fine,” I agreed, a little sad to leave the comfort of Ramos’ arms. He helped me stand, then quickly maneuvered me onto the gurney. A touch light-headed, I gratefully laid my head on the pillow, while the paramedic lifted my feet onto the gurney. He strapped me in and rolled me over to the ambulance with Ramos walking by my side.

  Before lifting me in, Ramos squeezed my hand. “I’ll be going now.”

  “You sure you’re all right?” I asked.

  “Yes, I’m fine. I wasn’t down there as long as you.”

  “Oh…okay. I’ll see you later?” I asked.

  “Sure,” he agreed. He was already thinking about how he was going to find Sean. He didn’t want me to worry that Sean could ever hurt me again, so he had to find him first.

  Before I could tell him not to kill Sean, he strode away. I opened my mouth to call him back, but with my throat so sore I shut it instead and watched him go. Something settled in me to know Ramos wasn’t going to let Sean hurt me again, and in some ways, I wanted Sean dead. That probably made me a bad person, but right now, I didn’t care.

  Dimples had turned away to answer his phone. He hurried back to my side, holding the phone out to me. “Shelby…it’s Chris. He wants to talk to you.”

  Surprised, I took the phone and tried to make my voice sound normal. “Hi honey. Did Dimples tell you what happened?”

  “Yes,” he said. “Are you okay? He said they were taking you to the hospital.”

  “Yeah. It’s no big deal, just a little smoke inhalation. Will you meet me there?”

  “Of course. I’ll leave right now.” He disconnected, and I handed the phone back to Dimples.

  “Thanks for telling him what happened,” I said. “He didn’t sound too shook up, so that’s good.”

  Dimples smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. He felt sorry for Chris. What I put that man through…what I put all of them through…was enough to make a person go crazy. “Yeah,” he agreed. “I think he’s taking it pretty well.” He doubted that, but lied since he didn’t want to make me feel bad.

  They lifted me into the ambulance, and I smiled to find Geoff on the gurney beside me. “Hey Geoff. Can you believe we made it out of there?”

  “Well…” he said, his brows lifting, “to be honest, I didn’t think we would, but then your friend came barreling down those stairs. Now that was a sight to behold. One look at him, and I changed my mind.” His eyes held speculation, and he thought there was a lot more to my friendship with Ramos than I let on. But…he didn’t want to pry, glad that whatever it was, he’d always be grateful I had a friend like him.

  “Yeah,” I agreed. “He saved us.”

  “Too bad Sean got away,” Geoff said. “But it’s good to be alive, so I guess it’s okay…as long as they catch him.” He worried Sean would come after me. The guy might think he was smart, but his kind hated to get bested, and he was afraid Sean wouldn’t be able to resist his impulse to kill me just for spite.

  “Uh…I’m sure they’ll find him,” I said, hoping it was true. I knew between the police and Ramos there was a pretty good chance he’d get caught. Still, I couldn’t help the knot of worry that settled in my stomach like a dead weight, and I had to agree with Geoff that Sean didn’t seem like the type to rest until I was good and dead.

  We arrived at the hospital and whisked into the emergency room. I’d only been there a few minutes when Chris came in. He took in my blackened face and oxygen mask with shock, but then quickly recovered and rushed to my side. Pulling me into his arms, he held me close.

  “Shelby…” he moaned. “You nearly gave me a heart attack. The kids called after you left saying something about a phone call to a detective. I thought it was Harris, so I tried not to worry too much. Then I just got this bad feeling so I called him. That’s when he told me you’d been locked up in the basement of Sean’s house. He said the house was on fire and you barely made it out alive. What the hell happened?”

  I grimaced and swallowed, sorry for what I’d put Chris through. I cleared my throat to talk and ended up coughing. “I’m sorry,” I croaked.

  “It’s okay,” he said, instantly contrite. “Just rest…do you need a drink of water?”

  I nodded and Chris left to find a nurse. A moment later he came back with the nurse, and I gratefully sipped from the cup of ice water she handed me. The cold water felt amazing on my parched throat, and I closed my eyes in relief.

  The doctor came in and pulled the curtains closed around us. He introduced himself and then proceeded to listen to my lungs and heart. He prescribed a lung treatment that would take about half an hour and told me I could go home after that, but needed to take it easy for a few days. He was a little puzzled that my throat was so sore until I remembered that Sean had nearly choked me to death. After I explained that, he was thinking I was lucky to be alive, and glanced at Chris with sympathy.

  Dimples showed up to get my statement and I explained what had happened, relieved Chris could hear it at the same time so I wouldn’t have to go over the whole thing again with him. Dimples assured us both that they would do everything in their power to catch Sean and that he’d keep me posted.

  Before leaving, I wanted to say goodbye to Geoff and introduce him to Chris.

  “Hey. I’m so sorry I put Shelby in danger,” Geoff said, swamped with guilt. “I never would have agreed if I thought we might die.”

  “I understand,” Chris said. “Shelby is…” he glanced at me with narrowed eyes. “Well, let’s just say she gets into trouble a lot, so it kind of goes with the territory.”

  “I’ll have to remember that,” Geoff said, chuckling. “Next time, I’ll be better prepared.”

  Chris nodded and smiled, but raised his brows, thinking there had better not be a ‘next time’ like that for me. He couldn’t imagine anything worse than being locked up in a basement with a house burning down around me.

  “Yeah…it was pretty bad,” I admitted. “I think I might need some bath therapy tonight.” Geoff glanced at me like I had lost my mind, but Chris understood what I meant. “Anyways…I’ll keep in touch. Thanks again for coming with me. I hope you get better soon and that you wife isn’t too mad at you.” I knew he was worried about that, and I couldn’t help commiserating with him since I knew how it felt.

  Geoff’s lips thinned in a tight smile, but he nodded and waved us out, thinking it was my premonitions that had to make me say stuff like that. But then it hit him that if I had premonitions, why didn’t I know what was going to happen at the house? How had Sean taken me by surprise? He opened his mouth to ask about that, but I ducked out of the room before he could, pulling Chris behind me.

  Just that tiny bit of exertion made me a little light-headed, and I sagged beside Chris. He quickly put his arm around my waist and held me to his side. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah…I’m just exhausted. I can’t tell you how upset I was to find that Sean was teaching Savannah’s class. He’d even singled her out, and I think I went a little crazy. That’s one of the reasons why I had to follow him. I couldn’t stand the thought of him being around her. I hope you’re not too mad at me.”

  Chris held me close, trying to imagine how he’d feel if he’d been there and how he would have reacted. “I would have done the same thing.”

  I smiled up at him, my eyes filling with tears. “Thanks honey…that means a lot.”

  He helped me inside the car, taking extra care to make sure I was comfortable, and it warmed my heart. As we pulled into traffic, he asked me to tell him how I got out of the burning building since I’d left that part out of my narrative. I explained how Ramos got Geoff out
, then stayed behind to pick the lock on the manacle around my ankle, telling him it was a close thing and we’d both nearly died.

  Chris took it all in, thinking he owed Ramos and how much he didn’t like it. What could he say to a man who had saved his wife, especially since this wasn’t the first time? It was enough to give him a complex.

  “It’s not that big a deal,” I said, not wanting him to feel bad. “You don’t even have to say anything. Just do that little chin lift you do to each other. That should work.”

  Chris snorted and then shook his head, but he was smiling, and I knew he felt better.

  A few minutes later he took a deep breath and blew the air slowly out of his mouth. He was thinking about Sean and what would happen next. “Sean’s still out there,” he said. “Do you think he’ll come after you?”

  “No,” I said quickly. Chris raised his brow and gave me that look that said he knew I was lying. I sighed. “Okay…maybe. But with both Ramos and Dimples after him, I should be fine.”

  Now Chris sighed and was thinking he couldn’t rest until Sean was caught. In fact, if he could, he’d like to call Ramos and offer his help, so that when Ramos caught the SOB he could be there to shoot him in the kneecaps and then, while he was screaming, set him on fire. That might help him feel better, because right now he was angry enough that he could probably do it.

  “Hey…do you think we could get take-out tonight?” I asked. “I’d love some Café Rio. And then tomorrow, you promised me a new swing, remember? I’m really looking forward to that. We could cook up some burgers on the new grill too. Sound good?”

  Chris took a deep breath and let his frustration go. He knew what I was doing, and had to admit that it worked. He also had to remember that he had me. I was safe and I was alive, but even better, I was his. I grounded him and, as crazy as it sounded, I kept him sane. It wasn’t always easy being married to me, but he couldn’t imagine the pain and agony he’d feel if I wasn’t there. Having me in his life made everything else he went through worth it. He glanced at me, and understanding beyond words passed between us.

  “Did I tell you I loved you today?” I asked, taking his hand in mine.

  “Nope,” he said.

  “I love you.”

  “I love you too,” he answered.

  ***

  The next morning my throat didn’t hurt as much. Even the croak was gone, and I took a deep breath to test my lungs. When I didn’t cough, I relaxed, pleased and happy to feel better. It was Saturday, and I could hardly believe how fast the week had passed.

  Chris was already up and outside mowing the lawn. It was another beautiful October day, and I wanted to soak it all in and just enjoy being alive. In the kitchen, I found the newspaper on the table with a photo of a blazing house fire on the front page.

  I recognized it immediately, and just seeing it tightened my stomach, sending a dark cloud to hover over me. It reminded me that I hadn’t told anyone about the voice I’d heard, or the smell of gardenias. I could almost convince myself that it hadn’t really happened. I mean…if it did…what did that mean about me?

  Since I could read minds, was that the reason I’d heard Darcy’s voice? It was enough to give me the creeps. It was bad enough to hear people that were alive, but dead people? No way. Since it hadn’t happened before, maybe it wouldn’t happen again. I could always hope.

  I glanced at the article and checked the byline, but Billie hadn’t written it. The article was short and precise, only saying that the authorities were investigating, and everything so far pointed to arson. It also indicated that two people were rescued from the basement. No mention of my name was given, but I knew it was enough for Sean to know I didn’t die, and a wave of dread washed over me.

  As much as I’d tried to convince myself that I didn’t need to worry about him, I still did. With a sigh, I went straight to the ads, hoping for a good deal to take my mind off my troubles. To my delight, I found a full page ad with all the patio furniture and outdoor grills on sale. Even better, it featured the perfect patio swing and, I had to admit, it was nicer than the one that burned up.

  With new purpose, I got the kids up for their Saturday chores so we could leave for the store and buy one before they were all gone. Chris borrowed a truck from our neighbor, and it wasn’t long before our whole family arrived at the store. We picked out the swing and grill we wanted and got the boxes out to the truck.

  As the boxes were getting loaded, I caught a thought about me from someone in the parking lot. My heart raced, and my knees went a little weak. It was Sean, and he was thinking what a nice little family I had, and if he couldn’t get me alone, he might just have to kill all of us, but he’d save me for last. I glanced around the parking lot to find him, but his thoughts cut off, and I knew he’d retreated inside his car.

  Trying not to panic, I pulled myself together, knowing I had to do something before it went any further. After getting over the initial shock, hot anger flooded over me. No way could I let Sean hurt my family. I had to do something about it today, before it was too late. Probably something that would involve drawing him away. But if I could get the right help, it could work out, and a plan started to form.

  We got home, and Chris and Josh carried the boxes to the deck to put the swing and grill together. I waited until everyone was right in the middle of things before I made my announcement.

  “Hey, I’m going to run to the store real quick. I need to pick up some hamburger buns and a few other things. I’ll be right back.”

  “Wait,” Chris said. “Don’t you want someone to go with you?” He was thinking I shouldn’t be alone if Sean was still out there.

  “Oh no…I’ll be fine. It’s the middle of the day with plenty of people around. Nothing’s going to happen. You guys just keep working and I’ll bring you all a treat.”

  Chris opened his mouth to protest, but I slid the door shut and hurried into the garage before he could stop me. I snagged Chris’ cell phone, since mine was smashed to bits, and jumped into the car. I took my time backing out, making sure that if Sean was watching, he’d see me leave.

  Slowly driving up the street, I caught sight of a car pulling out from a few houses down. I didn’t know if it was Sean, but I couldn’t take any chances. I pushed the numbers for Ramos’ phone and waited for him to pick up.

  “Babe, what are you doing?”

  “I just left to go to the grocery store and I think Sean is following me.”

  “Yeah,” he said. “I see him.”

  “What? You’re following him?”

  “Yes.”

  “Okay. Then what should I do?” I asked.

  “Just go to the grocery store and do your shopping. I’ll take care of Sean.”

  I let out a breath of relief. “Okay. If you need…”

  “I won’t.” He disconnected before I could thank him. It kind of bothered me, but just knowing he was watching my back gave me the boost I needed to pull into the parking lot and get out of my car. The lot was full and I had to park far away which made me nervous but, with Ramos watching, I had to believe everything would be all right.

  Halfway to the doors, I heard Sean’s thoughts, and my step faltered. He was thinking about stalking me in the store, just to scare me, but knew the risk was too great if I spotted him. He decided to wait in his car until I came back. While I was putting my groceries in the trunk, he’d sneak up and stab me through the heart a few times. He wanted to make sure the last thing I saw before I died was his face. He could do it quick and be out of there before anyone suspected….

  His thoughts abruptly stopped. Did that mean he was back in his car, or did Ramos have him? I made it inside the store, feeling like I’d just run a marathon. My heart raced and my mouth was dry. I grabbed a cart and hurried over to the deli section. Pulling a cup from the dispenser, I filled it up with ice and diet soda, then took a big gulp before paying the clerk.

  Feeling better, I settled down enough to think about what I was doing there.
Oh yeah…hamburger buns…and treats. As I browsed through the aisles, my mind was only half on what I was doing. The other half was imagining what was going on with Sean. If Ramos had caught him, what would he do to him? Would he just kill him in the parking lot, or take him somewhere else?

  I made it to the other end of the store with practically nothing in my cart. At least I had the buns, and a box of chocolate donuts, as well as some Cheetos and chips. I should probably make cookies for Dimples and Ramos, so I got those ingredients too. Finally calming down, I let out a deep sigh, and my head cleared a little. Ramos had promised he would take care of Sean, so I had nothing to worry about. I could check-out, go home, and everything would be all right.

  Another swallow of soda wet my dry mouth and, with a deep breath, I headed to the check-out stand. For so many people, the line went fast and in no time, I was pushing my cart out the doors. Was it just yesterday Sean had followed me? I listened for all I was worth and slowly made my way back to the car. This was the moment of truth.

  With my heart pounding, I made it to my car unscathed. Hearing nothing from Sean, I popped open the trunk and began to set the bags inside. I mostly turned to face the cart so he couldn’t sneak up on me. Anyone watching would probably think I was a nutcase, but right now, I didn’t care. Done, I closed the trunk and pushed the cart into the nearest stand. I glanced around, searching for any sign of him, but again heard and saw nothing.

  Could it be true? Was he really gone? I unlocked my car and opened the door, then checked the back seat to make sure it was empty before getting in. Swallowing, I turned on the ignition and backed out of the space. I kept checking my rearview mirror for the car Sean was driving to see if he’d followed, but he wasn’t there. At last, turning into my driveway, the knot of fear loosened. I’d made it home and, with any luck, Sean would never bother me again.

  I hurried inside and out onto the patio. Chris glanced up, relieved to see me. He couldn’t understand what had possessed me to leave like that, and he’d been sick with worry. Sorry I’d put him through that, I rushed over and gave him a hug, noticing the swing was all put together. “Wow, you did it. It looks wonderful.”