Deadly Escape

by Colleen Helme

  “Will you stop that?” I knew he was just teasing me, but I could only take so much. “Geeze.”

  He chuckled. “Sorry.”

  “No you’re not.”

  “That’s true.”

  “So, did you get your bike back?” I asked, wanting to change the subject.

  “Yes. It’s as good as new. I thought maybe I should show you how to drive it sometime, but I’m worried that it might be too heavy for you.”

  “I think you’re right about that, but I wouldn’t mind a quick course on how to change gears, just in case.” A couple of weeks ago, I’d tried driving it and nearly killed myself. I’d vowed never to do that again, but the lure of Ramos showing me how it worked threatened to change my mind. Plus, how could I pass up a ride with him?

  “That’s a good idea. Maybe tomorrow?” He had to get back to work, or he’d show me now.

  “Yeah, I’m actually coming back in the morning.”

  “Good.”

  The elevator doors opened and we stepped out. I caught his gaze. “You don’t need to walk me to my car.”

  “That’s okay. I wanted to talk to you about Javier. I know I said I wanted to get in touch, but I’m not sure how to do that. He thinks I’m dead, so I can’t just show up, you know? I thought maybe you could send him an email and tell him his anonymous benefactor wanted to meet him for lunch or something. Unless you have a better idea.”

  “I’ll see what I can come up with. When were you thinking of meeting up with him?”

  “Since Manetto is headed to New York for the weekend, I thought that might be a good time to schedule it. So maybe Saturday?” He shrugged, still a little unsure about the whole thing. “But why don’t you email him first. He might be busy.”

  “Sure. I’ll find out if Saturday works and let you know.”

  “Thanks Shelby.” He was thinking that this was a big step for him, and he hoped it was the right thing to do.

  “I think it is,” I said, answering his thoughts. “Sure it’s hard to take a chance, but I think you have more to gain than you have to lose.”

  He nodded, thinking that was fine for him, but he sure didn’t want his enemies to know that he had a brother. “Thanks Shelby. See you tomorrow.” He sent me a grateful nod and hurried back to the elevator.

  I drove home with a smile, glad I could help Ramos. Then I wondered if there was a better way to break the news to Javier. Was it best for Ramos to just show up at the appointed time? That might come as a huge shock, and Javier might not take it so well. Maybe it was better if he knew ahead of time? I just didn’t know.

  I pulled into the garage and hurried into the house. I had some time before the kids got home from school, so I changed into my jeans and a t-shirt before heading into the office. I turned on the computer and sat down, trying to figure out the best way to break the news to Javier.

  “Dear Javier,” I wrote. “Good news! Your benefactor wants to meet with you. In fact, I think you know him, and you will be pleasantly surprised. Could you meet him for lunch over the weekend? Maybe Saturday? Let me know if that works. Best, Shelby Nichols.”

  I read it over a second time and decided it didn’t sound too cryptic. It contained just enough of a warning that it might prepare Javier for the truth and spur his curiosity so he’d agree. Of course, I already knew he wanted to meet the anonymous benefactor who’d given him fifty grand to help pay for his schooling, so putting all that mysterious stuff in there probably wasn’t necessary. But I wanted him to be prepared just the same. After one last glance, I pushed send and hoped it would work.

  Done with that, I shut off the computer and hurried into the kitchen. I needed to figure out what to make for dinner. As I glanced through the fridge, the back door opened, and Josh and Savannah came in.

  I greeted them, giving Savannah a hug before she rushed off to her room.

  “What’s for dinner?” Josh asked. “I’m starving.”

  I sent him a smile. He was always starving, but he’d just had a growth spurt, so I had to take that into consideration and appease his growing appetite. He was thinking he could sure go for a burger and fries right now. “I’ve got some frozen hamburger patties. How about a burger? We could have a green salad with it.”

  He grinned, thinking that he liked how my premonitions always worked so well when he was thinking about food. “Can’t we have fries instead?”

  “Uh…nope. I don’t have any. But I’ve got a bag of chips.”

  “Okay.” He opened the fridge and grabbed the milk. He sent me a quick glance before getting a glass out of the cupboard, thinking that drinking out of the jug wasn’t going to work with me watching. Then he pilfered the bag of cookies and sat at the table.

  I watched him dip the cookies into the milk with a bit of envy. Wouldn’t it be great to be able to eat anything I wanted without worrying about my weight? He was so lucky. He caught me staring, so I asked him how his day went, and what he had going for the night.

  After receiving the standard answers, I took a breath and plunged in. “Have you thought about a summer job?”

  “Huh?”

  Since that came out of nowhere, I could understand his confusion. “You know, doing something part-time to make a little money this summer?”

  He shrugged, thinking that one of his friends had talked about working at the local grocery store as a bagger, but it wasn’t something he’d wanted to do. “I wouldn’t mind making some money. Why?”

  “Well, I heard about an opening at the Lakeside Country Club for a lifeguard at their big swimming pool. It’s just part-time but it pays well. Is that something you’d be interested in?”

  “Yes.” Josh’s eyes widened and he sat up with excitement, thinking that was a dream job, especially if it paid well. Plus, that pool was amazing. “How much does it pay?” He was thinking ten an hour would be pretty good.

  “Uh…fifteen an hour.”

  “Holy cow! That’s awesome. How did you find out about it?”

  Now came the hard part. “Um…it was Miguel’s summer job last year. Since he’s gone to New York, it left an opening.” I smiled, pleased that I hadn’t mentioned Uncle Joey once.

  “Sure! I’ll take it.”

  “Okay, but maybe we should find out what the hours are and how you’re going to get there. I’m not sure I can always drive you and pick you up. That might be a problem.”

  “Mom, it’s not that far. I can ride my bike. You wouldn’t have to worry about driving me.” He could tell that I wasn’t convinced, so he continued. “There’s a bike path from here all the way across the gully. It’s perfect.”

  “That’s true,” I agreed. “But there’s also a training course involved, and you’d have to pass the test afterwards.”

  “I can swim, Ma, I’m sure I can pass a lifesaving test.”

  “Yes. I’m sure you can.”

  His brows drew together. For telling him about the job, why was I acting weird now? “This is great! All my friends will be so jealous.”

  “Well don’t go telling them yet. We need to make sure it’s still available. Plus, you might need to do an interview or something.”

  “Okay, who do we need to call?” His gaze caught mine, and his eyes narrowed. If it was Miguel’s old job, did that mean Uncle Joey might have something to do with it? Was that why I was acting so strange?

  “Uh…yeah,” I blurted. “I mean it’s…uh…Uncle Joey we need to call.”

  Josh shrugged. “Okay. Call him and tell him I want the job. It’s not like I’m working for him, so you don’t have to worry about that.” He was thinking that Uncle Joey might be a mob-boss, but in this case it wasn’t so bad.

  Oh my hell! Josh knew exactly who Uncle Joey was? It kind of took my breath away. “You know?” I asked.

  “Well, yeah. It wasn’t hard to figure out. So we’re not really related to him, right?”

  I nodded my head, still in shock. “Yeah. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but I was trying to protect you a
nd your sister for as long as possible.”

  “Protect us from what?” Savannah asked, stepping into the kitchen.

  I felt all the blood drain from my head, so I quickly sat down in a chair at the table. I glanced between them with my mouth wide open, not sure what to say, or where to start.

  Josh turned to Savannah. “We’re talking about Uncle Joey. He’s not really our uncle, and he’s a mob-boss.”

  “Josh!” I said, appalled.

  “What? She needs to know.” He was thinking that he wasn’t a kid, and neither was Savannah.

  I let out a breath. “Well. I guess now that you both know…”

  “Wait,” Savannah interrupted, her voice hopeful. “So we’re not related to Miguel after all? Not even a little?”

  “No, but Miguel doesn’t know that, so you can’t tell him.”

  Her brows drew together and suspicion ran over her. “So you’ve been lying to us this whole time?”

  Uh-oh. Now what was I supposed to do? I’d always worried this confrontation would happen someday, but it wasn’t supposed to be today. My breath came fast, and sweat popped out on my upper lip. I took a breath to compose myself and began to explain.

  “The first time I met Miguel was about a year ago. I called his father Uncle Joey, because…well…that’s another story. But he just assumed we were related, and I never told him differently. Neither did Uncle Joey, so it stuck. In hindsight, I should have said something, but Uncle Joey liked the idea that we were related, so I just went with it.”

  “Why do you work for him?” Josh asked, finally hoping for some answers. “What does he have on you?”

  I picked up his worry that I was in trouble and probably didn’t have a choice about working for him. Had it all begun last year when I got shot in the head? That seemed to make the most sense. But what had happened?

  “Well, you know that after I got shot in the head during that bank robbery, I gained my premonitions, right?” At their nods, I continued. “So a few weeks later, after an… unfortunate event, I had to tell Uncle Joey about my premonitions in order to stay on his good side. I’ve been working for him ever since. It’s not as bad as you think, but I didn’t want to involve you. I didn’t want you to worry about it. And it’s all because I love you both. Can you forgive me for not telling you the truth?”

  Josh shrugged. “I guess.”

  Savannah wasn’t quite as forgiving, but she wanted to be cool about it. “Okay, but I don’t get it. You work for a mob-boss and the police? Do they each know? You’re not a snitch are you?”

  “No. Most of the stuff I do for Uncle Joey is just sitting in on his meetings and giving him my impressions afterward. I do the same thing for the police, so I guess you could say I help them both.”

  “Wow,” Josh said, realizing what a precarious position that put me in. “That’s nuts.”

  “Yeah,” I added. “I’ve tried to keep you guys out of it, but ever since you met Uncle Joey, things have changed. He likes the charade that we’re part of his family. It’s kind of put me and your dad in a bind, but I think it’s something we can work out, especially now that you know the truth. You know your dad and I wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize your safety, right?”

  They nodded, but they were both thinking it was a lot to take in.

  “Hey, I don’t want you to worry about this. It’s not your problem, and I think we’re doing great. If there’s something I think you really need to know, I promise, I won’t keep it from you. Okay?” At their nods, I continued. “Just make sure this stays between us. You can’t tell anyone, okay? If you need to talk about it, come to me or your dad, but no one else. Got it?”

  “Yes,” Josh said. “We get it.” He glanced at Savannah and smacked her arm.

  “Ow,” she said, pulling away from him. “Fine. Whatever.”

  I pulled them both into a hug, grateful they hadn’t stormed off. Savannah had thought about it, but the idea that she wasn’t related to Miguel seemed to make everything all right.

  Josh pulled away first. “So are you going to call him? I still want the job.”

  “What job?” Savannah asked.

  “I get to work as a lifeguard at the country club,” Josh said. “It was Miguel’s old job, but now it’s mine.”

  “Wow. Do you think I can come swimming while you’re working there?”

  “No,” he said. Then he glanced at me. “Hey, maybe you and dad could get a membership? Uncle Joey could get you in, couldn’t he?”

  “Josh…”

  “Just kidding.” He put the milk back in the fridge and left to go to his room. “Let me know about the job.”

  I shook my head and glanced at Savannah. “Want to help me with dinner?”

  A surge of anger flooded over her. I had lied, and it made her mad. “No. I’ve got homework to do. Maybe I’ll help when I’m done. Besides, you have to call Uncle Joey.” She left the kitchen and hurried up to her room, leaving me with a pang of remorse. What had I just done? Was telling them the right thing to do? I hated to keep lying, but…would this revelation change things between us?

  There were no easy answers. And it had all started on that fateful day that I’d gone to the grocery store for some carrots. If I’d known what would come of it, I never would have stopped. Sure, I’d miss my mind-reading ability if I lost it, but at this point, I didn’t think it was worth it.

  I quickly put the call through to Uncle Joey. It went to voice mail, so I told him that Josh wanted the job and disconnected, grateful I’d missed him. I wasn’t sure I could talk to him without spilling my guts, and telling him my kids knew all about him, so he could commiserate with me. Then it hit me that it might be better if he didn’t know that my kids knew. What was I thinking? I had to protect them first, even if it meant playing a dangerous game with a mob-boss.

  Chris got home right before dinner. I pulled him into a tight hug, relieved to have him there.

  “What’s up?” he asked.

  Before I could answer, Josh came in with the burgers. He’d cooked them on the grill all by himself. “Hey Dad. Did Mom tell you?”

  He glanced at me, then turned to Josh while popping a potato chip in his mouth. “Tell me what?”

  “About my summer job?” As Chris shook his head, Josh continued. “It’s the best. I get to be a lifeguard at the country club. It’s fifteen bucks an hour. Isn’t that awesome?”

  “Uh…sure.” He coughed, choking a little on his potato chip, and glanced at me with alarm. “How did that happen?”

  “Uncle Joey thought of it,” Josh answered. “Miguel did it last year, so he thought I could take his place. Sweet, huh?”

  “You mean, he called you?” Chris could hardly believe Manetto would do that.

  “No. He talked to mom about it today.” Josh glanced at me, and his brows dipped together with concern. “You called him back, right?”

  “Yes, but he didn’t answer, so I left a message telling him you wanted the job.”

  “Okay, good.”

  Chris glanced at me. He didn’t know if he should feel relieved or horrified. “So he talked to you first?”

  “Of course. I’ll tell you all about it after dinner.”

  He nodded, wondering what the hell we’d gotten into now.

  I finished toasting the buns and called Savannah down to eat. We had to wait a few minutes, but she finally appeared and slid into her seat, keeping her head down and not saying a word to anyone. Chris was thinking she wasn’t happy about something and wondered what was going on.

  As I tried to decide how to broach the subject, Chris asked how everyone’s day went.

  Savannah glanced up at him and I winced, knowing that she was ready to explode. “Did you know that Mom lied to us?”

  Chris’s eyes widened. Then he wondered what time she was talking about, since there had been so many. “What do you mean?”

  I wanted to kick his leg under the table, but I held back my outrage and sent Savannah a sympathetic smile, w
hich she chose to ignore. “Uncle Joey isn’t really related to us.”

  Chris frowned. “But…you knew that already.”

  “That’s not what I meant. He’s a mob boss, and Mom works for him.”

  “Savannah,” Josh said, his voice low with a warning tone. “Get a grip. So does Dad.”

  Savannah’s eyes widened. “Oh crap!” She’d forgotten that Chris was Uncle Joey’s lawyer. “This sucks!”

  “Hey,” I said. “It’s not that bad.”

  “Savannah, who told you?” Chris asked, still trying to wrap his brain around the revelation.

  “Mom did.”

  His gaze caught mine with hurt accusation in his eyes, and I knew I had to take control of the situation. I glanced at Josh and Savannah, then turned back to him. “Our children are old enough to handle the truth.” I sent a displeased frown Savannah’s way. “At least I thought they were.”

  Savannah’s lips twisted, and she let out a breath. She knew she was being stupid about this whole thing, and she didn’t understand why it upset her so much. But I’d lied to her about it. That’s what bothered her the most. Plus, Miguel didn’t know the truth, and she wasn’t supposed to tell him. It ruined everything.

  “I think they’ll be better off knowing,” I said to Chris, then glanced at my kids to explain. “I thought I was protecting you, but it’s not always good to be left in the dark. I don’t think anyone can make good decisions without all the facts. Or understand the things that are going on around them.”

  I didn’t know what else to say. She probably just needed some time to work it out, but I hated to see her struggling because of me. “Savannah, I’m sorry for lying.”

  “It’s okay,” she said, shaking her head. “I get it.”

  “Thanks sweetie.” I gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. She squeezed back, and my heart thumped with love and relief in my chest. “Well, now that you know, I can finally tell you what happened in New York. It’s quite the story, and since we want to go back for Miguel’s opening night, it’s something you really need to know.”