Carrots: A Shelby Nichols Adventure

by Colleen Helme

  “That’s something isn’t it?” I said.

  “Yes. Somehow, it makes me feel okay about Johnny. I hope he’s in a better place.” I was surprised to hear that coming from a hardened crime boss like Uncle Joey. “I’m not all bad, Shelby.” He didn’t like the look of surprise on my face.

  “Oh…no, of course not.”

  “You can come with us, my car’s over there.”

  “No, wait. I brought my car. I might as well meet you at the office.”

  He looked around until he spotted it. “I know you went car shopping over the weekend, did you have any luck?”

  Did he know everything? “No, not yet.”

  “I know someone who can get you a good deal. You can have anything on the lot for less than half of what they’re asking. I’ll call him, and tell him you’re coming. I just got a new car myself. It’s right over there.” He pointed it out, and we started walking toward it.

  “Oh, you mean that black one? Now why doesn’t that surprise me? You know, you really should try a different color some time.”

  “But I like black. He’s got another one on the lot just like it that you could get. It’s a great car with all the bells and whistles. It even has a remote start. Ramos, show her how it can start from here.”

  Did he really think I’d want a car just like his? I had to admit, however, that it looked pretty sleek, lots more fun to drive than a van. Ramos pulled the keys out of his pocket and pushed a button. The engine sputtered for a second, and then sprang to life with a huge unnatural roar. Why did it sound so strange?

  Suddenly the car exploded in a fiery blast of shattering glass and metal. The blast threw me to the ground, and I cringed as showering sparks and metal fell around me. Ramos and Uncle Joey were beside me, and before I knew it, Ramos pulled me under him, shielding me with his body.

  We stayed like that until the last of the flying debris came to rest. For a fleeting second Ramos’s eyes met mine, then traveled to my lips. I could feel a rush of pure desire pulse through him before he quickly jerked to his feet. He turned to Uncle Joey, checking to see if he was injured.

  “I’m all right,” Uncle Joey muttered. Ramos helped him to his feet. “Check Shelby.”

  Ramos dutifully took my hands and pulled me up. I was shaking so bad it was hard to stand without his help. “Are you okay?” he asked.

  My mouth didn’t seem to be working so I just nodded. What was going on? What had happened? We all stood there in shock, watching flames shoot out from the car. The black smoke billowed up, and was thick with the smell of burning rubber and gasoline.

  Soon people were gathering around us, and I heard a siren in the distance. Someone asked if that was our car, and Uncle Joey nodded. His hair was sticking up on one side, and there was a smudge of dirt on his face. A trickle of blood was running down the side of Ramos’s face, making him look more dangerous than ever. His hair was sticking up too, and I panicked, hoping my wig hadn’t blown off my head.

  I frantically reached up and let out my breath to find it was still there. It seemed a little crooked so I straightened it the best I could, and caught a fleeting smile from Ramos. He nodded, then quickly turned away, puzzled and uncomfortable with the protective feelings I aroused in him.

  I took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. It was good he felt that way, wasn’t it? At least it would make it harder to kill me, and that was a plus. I inspected my new skirt and cardigan and gasped. Not only were they spotted with something black, but covered with charred holes where the material was burned away. That’s when it hit me that I’d almost been killed. Again.

  A fire engine pulled into the parking lot, and started hosing down the car. Luckily, it was the only one sitting in that part of the parking lot at the time of the blast, or others probably would have gone up with it. One of the firemen asked if anyone was hurt, and proceeded to look us over. The back of Ramos’s jacket was singed, and he had a cut in his scalp over his temple. It looked like he took the brunt of the blast protecting me. I wondered if Uncle Joey noticed what he’d done. Ramos was supposed to be his bodyguard, not mine.

  After being prodded by the fireman, Uncle Joey lost the dazed look in his eyes, and started telling everyone what to do. Someone had planted a bomb in his brand new car, and he wanted a full investigation by the police. He wanted to know who did this, and he wanted them caught.

  The parking lot was starting to get crowded, especially when three police cars roared in with their lights blazing. I thought they were getting a little carried away, but what’s the fun of being a policeman otherwise? I was starting to get tired of standing around when another car pulled in, and I recognized Dimples. Yikes!

  “Ramos,” I grabbed his arm. “I’m going to go now.” His eyes tightened. “Or maybe I should just wait in my car. Is that okay? I guess you guys will need a ride back to the office. I’ll wait.” I hoped he would leave me out of the police report, but I couldn’t come right out and say it.

  He knew something had rattled me, and he searched the crowd to see who it was. Not finding anything he decided to trust me. “Go ahead. Just don’t start your car until I check it.”

  “Are you serious?” He was thinking that was as good a reason as any to keep me from leaving.

  “You never know,” he said, adding, “I’d rather be safe than sorry.” He figured it was a possibility, remote, but it could happen.

  “Okay.” I slipped behind the crowd before Dimples got there, and tried to walk nonchalantly to my car. When I was still several feet away, I hit the unlock button and cringed. Of course nothing happened, except that the door unlocked. I climbed behind the steering wheel and sagged into the seat.

  I sat there staring morosely at the scene when movement from the funeral home caught my attention, and I noticed two people standing in front of the doors arguing. With everyone out in the parking lot, no one saw them but me. Shock ran through me when I recognized them as Kate and Number Five. I hadn’t seen Kate at the funeral. In fact, I thought her relationship with Uncle Joey was supposed to be a secret, so what was she doing here?

  She jerked in anger when Number Five tried to touch her. He shook his head, and said something that seemed to calm her down. In a moment she nodded, and after glancing at the crowd, disappeared into the building. Number Five ran a hand through his hair, looking like a man who had bitten off more than he could chew. He hurried toward the opposite end of the parking lot. I kept him in my sights all the way to his car, and watched as he drove away.

  Interesting. She had been angry at something, but what? Did they plant the bomb? It was obvious they were working together, but what were they trying to accomplish? What would either of them gain by killing Uncle Joey? Especially if Kate was his successor, all she had to do was wait a few years, and the business would be hers anyway. Why risk killing him now? Should I tell Uncle Joey I’d seen them together?

  I leaned my head against the steering wheel and closed my eyes. This was getting way too complicated. I relaxed for a few minutes until a tap on the window made me jerk. It was Ramos. I fumbled open the door and realized I’d fallen asleep.

  “They told us we could go,” he explained.

  I glanced at the burned out shell of Uncle Joey’s new car. The fire truck was gone along with most of the people. Only one police car remained.

  “Can you pop the hood? I just want to check the engine.”

  “Sure.”

  While Ramos checked the engine, Uncle Joey came over to the car. He seemed a lot older than he had a little while ago. He opened the back door, and settled in with a sigh. “It sure feels good to sit down. What’s Ramos doing?”

  “I think he’s checking for bombs.”

  “Oh.” He hadn’t thought of that. It was a good thing he had Ramos to watch out for him. Ramos was worth every penny he paid him. He glanced back at the smoldering remains of his new car and cursed. “Damn, I really liked that car.”

  “You said there was another one just like it,” I remi
nded him.

  “That’s true. I’ll have to have my secretary call when we get back to the office.”

  He was serious. How could he be thinking about getting another car when he just about got blown to smithereens? It must be his way of coping. “I know you really like black,” I said, deciding to put in my two cents worth. “But would it hurt to get a different color? What about red? That’s a power color. Or how about a metallic gray? I’ve seen cars that color, and I think they look great. They even sparkle in the sunshine.”

  Uncle Joey shook his head. “I don’t want a car that sparkles.”

  “I guess not,” I answered.

  Ramos had crawled under the car and came back out, dirtier than ever. He checked the engine once more, then let the hood fall with a boom that made me jump. Pulling open my door, he said, “Scoot over, I’m driving back.”

  “No way,” I blurted. “You’re filthy. I don’t want dirt and grease all over the seat, especially when I have to drive home.” He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. It caught him off guard, and he was speechless. It was kind of funny. “I guess if you take off your jacket and your pants you could get in.”

  His eyes narrowed dangerously, and I knew he was about to pop. Uncle Joey surprised me with his laughter, and it relieved the tension. “Ramos, get in. She’s just joking.”

  Ramos began to sit down and I had to move over real fast. I cringed when he settled into the seat. What made Uncle Joey think I was kidding? Didn’t he know it would take a special cleanser to ever get that seat clean again?

  Ramos glanced at me, and I tried to smooth the grimace off my face. He studied me for a minute before saying, “Something’s wrong.” He turned the key to start the car and I panicked.

  “Wait! What is it? Is it the car?”

  “No. It’s you.”

  “Me? What do you mean?”

  “Mr. Manetto, don’t you think there’s something different about Shelby?”

  Uncle Joey studied me for a minute. “Now that you mention it…yes, but I’m not sure what it is.”

  I had a sneaking suspicion that Ramos was trying to get back at me. He put the car in reverse while I pulled the visor down to look in the mirror. Maybe it was my wig, and it was crooked or something.

  “I know!” Ramos stepped on the brakes. “It’s your glasses. They’re gone. You must have lost them in the blast.”

  I touched my face. He was right. “Damn, I really liked those glasses.” Was I starting to sound like Uncle Joey? I was certainly cursing more than I used to. I glanced out the window just in case I could spot them, but the parking lot was covered with debris. “Do you think…?”

  “Not a chance,” Ramos cut me off. “Too many people and cars. They’re probably smashed by now.”

  I sighed. “Oh well. I’m kind of getting tired of this disguise anyway.” My head itched and I really wanted to take the wig off. Maybe it didn’t matter anymore.

  “I think you look nice with black hair,” Uncle Joey said. Of course he would say that, after all, it was his favorite color. “And you can get another pair of glasses. There’s plenty of money in your new account for a lot of things.”

  I groaned. He was sure making it hard not to take his money, which reminded me of a question I wanted to ask. “Does Kate know she’s your successor?”

  “Why do you want to know?” Uncle Joey was suddenly suspicious.

  “I’m just trying to piece things together. If she knew she was going to take over the business, there would be no reason for her to bomb your car, but if she didn’t…”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. Kate would never harm me. I’ve raised her like she was my own daughter. She owes everything to me. She’s not going to throw that away. I’ve told her many times I was thinking of turning the business over to her. She’d never do anything to jeopardize that.”

  “Okay. So who do you think did it?”

  “The same person that killed Johnny. Someone’s trying to take over my business.”

  “Does anyone else know you’re leaving your business to Kate?”

  “Besides you? No.” We sat in silence for a few minutes. Uncle Joey was real bothered about something. “I’m not planning on retiring anytime soon anyway.” He was mad that I thought he was so old.

  “You’re not that old, I just thought that maybe you were getting tired of this life. I mean, not life in general, but this part of your life, you know, the bad part.”

  He hated it when I read his mind like that. “The bad part? I know you don’t think much of what I do, but it’s not all bad. I help a lot of people who have nowhere else to turn. Granted, some days like today are hard, but most of the time I enjoy it. So no, I’m not going to retire for a while.”

  What could I say to that? Good? I’m so glad? When was he going to let me quit? Probably never. All at once I was struck with a brilliant idea. The best way for me to get out of this was to lose my mind-reading abilities. Not that I really had to lose them, but maybe I could fake it. It could work, couldn’t it?

  We pulled into the parking garage, and parked in Uncle Joey’s spot by the elevators. It was the first time I’d taken a good look at Uncle Joey, and I was surprised by how rumpled he was. I glanced at Ramos, and noticed he had washed the blood off his face, but there was a splash of red on his collar and shirt. I couldn’t look much better with all the burn holes and black grease in my clothes. The explosion had rattled me, and all I wanted to do was go home. The only problem was Ramos had my car keys.

  “Well, that was an adventure wasn’t it?” They both looked at me like I’d lost my mind. “Could I have the car keys?” I felt like a teenager. “If you don’t need me anymore, I think I’ll go home. I could use a shower.”

  Uncle Joey considered it. “Okay, but before you do, why don’t you come up and sign the papers for the bank account. It will only take a few minutes.”

  I listened to his mind for hidden messages, but Uncle Joey wasn’t thinking any further than that. Ramos was thinking I could use a shower. The dirt on my nose was driving him crazy. He wanted to wipe it off, but that would mean touching me, and after what happened in the parking lot, he didn’t think that was such a good idea.

  “Sure, I’ll come up.” I rubbed my nose, wishing I had a mirror. Ramos swallowed, what was I doing? He was just thinking about the dirt on my nose…wait…now she’s looking at me like she knows… I quickly slammed my mental barriers shut, and lowered my eyes.

  We got on the elevator and I avoided looking at Ramos while I tried to get my heart rate back to normal. I didn’t want him to know my secret, but I could tell he was getting close to the truth, and the way Uncle Joey kept asking me things in front of him didn’t help either.

  “I had Jackie order some food,” Uncle Joey said. “There should be plenty if you want some.”

  Now that wasn’t fair. I was hungry, but it was late, and I wanted to get out of these clothes and showered before the kids got home. “Thanks, but I can’t.”

  Uncle Joey just nodded. He was tired, and didn’t feel like asserting his authority over me. Maybe he’d call it a day too. We entered the office and Uncle Joey explained to his secretary that we’d had an accident, but we were fine. He asked for the paperwork I needed to sign, but Jackie interrupted him. “Sir, Mr. Hodges is here to see you. He’s in your office.”

  “How long has he been here?”

  “Almost an hour.” Uncle Joey wasn’t happy that Hodges had been in his office that long. Sensing this, Jackie explained. “He waited about half an hour before asking if he could work in your office on his lap-top where it was quiet. I didn’t see any harm in it, and the door’s been open the whole time.”

  The door wasn’t open now. Uncle Joey nodded to Ramos, who moved silently toward the door. He pulled a gun out from under his jacket and burst inside, startling a cry from Mr. Hodges.

  “Stop! Don’t shoot!” Mr. Hodges held both hands above his head. Ramos moved aside, and I followed Uncle Joey into the room. Hodges pal
ed, and broke into a sweat. He was shocked to see Uncle Joey alive. “Your secretary said it was okay to work in here while I waited for you.”

  “What do you want Mr. Hodges,” Uncle Joey asked.

  “I just needed to ask if I could have more time on my rent.” Hodges lowered his arms, and quickly put his lap-top into his briefcase. “Things went well today in court, and I’ll probably get the insurance money, but not until after the due date. If it wouldn’t be an imposition, I was hoping you could extend it for another week.” Hodges stood ready to run. Ramos charging in with his gun had frightened him badly. He thought he’d have plenty of time to get the jewels out of the safe. Why hadn’t it worked? Manetto should be dead.

  “All right,” Uncle Joey conceded. “I’ll give you an extra week, but you’ll owe me double for the favor.”

  “Sure, that’s fine.” Hodges would agree to anything since he already had his ticket to Mexico, and never intended to pay anyway. He just hated to leave without the jewels. “I’ll get the money to you as soon as I can.” He nodded at Uncle Joey, and hurried out the door.

  Uncle Joey turned to me. “What was that all about? He’s lying, isn’t he?” I cleared my throat and motioned to Ramos. Uncle Joey sighed, and turned to Ramos. “Why don’t you get the food set up in the other office while I talk to Shelby?”

  Ramos nodded, and with a pointed look at me, left. Uncle Joey sat down heavily in his soft leather chair. “It’s been a long day.”

  “You can say that again.”

  “So what did he want?”

  Should I tell Uncle Joey that Hodges was the one who planted the bomb? “He was in here trying to open your safe. He had a lot of hardware in his briefcase, enough to crack your codes. He’s convinced that you have the jewels, and he doesn’t want to leave town until he gets his hands on them. To him, they represent years and years of work.” I hesitated, but decided I might as well tell him. “He’s the one who planted the bomb in your car.”