Devious Minds

by Colleen Helme

  “That’s true,” I agreed. Calmer now, I pulled away and met his gaze. “But... do you think I should tell him my secret? So he’ll know what he can expect from me... you know... with the whole language thing?”

  “No! No, and hell no,” Chris shook his head vehemently. “Whatever you do... don’t tell him... promise me.”

  I swallowed and nodded. “Okay. I won’t. You’re right. It would be a big mistake if he ever found out.”

  “Exactly.” He and I both knew that the consequences of a federal agent finding out my secret would be catastrophic. Not just to me, but to our whole family.

  “Why don’t you go home?” he said. “I’ll be there soon and we’ll figure this out together, okay?”

  “Sure. Thanks honey. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

  He tightened his lips together and nodded stoically, all while trying not to think about how much it worried him, instead, repeating in his mind, you’ll be fine, you’ll be fine, so I wouldn’t pick it up. I smiled, then pulled his face down to mine and kissed his lips hard to take his mind off his worries of me. After giving him some of the best kisses in the history of the world, I let him go and hurried out of the office, so he could think whatever he wanted in peace.

  As I drove home, guilt at what I put my husband through caught my heart in a vise and nearly swallowed me whole. There were a lot of things he’d had to put up with from me... but so far, this took the cake.

  Well... maybe not. I did spend that week in Orlando with Ramos. Yeah... that was probably lots worse than this, because... you know... it was Ramos, and that had turned out all right. So maybe going to Paris with Blake wasn’t so bad. Still, I couldn’t stop my stomach from churning with anxiety. As great as reading minds was, it wouldn’t come in handy if everyone I was supposed to listen to was thinking in French.

  The first thing I did when I got home was chug down about half a bottle of Mylanta. That helped a little, and I knew I’d better pack the rest of the bottle, and maybe buy another one tonight before I left, just to be safe. I heard sounds from my kids, Josh and Savannah, in the basement, and that calmed me down.

  “Hey guys, I’m home,” I called down to them.

  “Hey mom,” they both called, with a, “Hey Shelby,” mixed in. That sounded like Chloe. She’d become good friends with Josh and our family after nearly getting killed by some drug dealers. She was my best friend’s niece, and one of the reasons I was grateful for my mind reading skills since I’d used them to help her out of a bad situation.

  I climbed the stairs to my room, ready to change into more comfortable clothes before I started dinner. If I had to be ready by eight in the morning, I’d better make sure the clothes I wanted to pack were clean as well. Then it hit me. I was actually going to Paris tomorrow. That was just nuts.

  I also realized that Savannah’s birthday was coming up. She was about ready to turn thirteen... a teenager. Wow, where had the time gone? But that gave me an idea. I could buy her something in Paris! It might be expensive, but so what? I wasn’t paying for the trip, so I could certainly splurge on something nice. Didn’t the Champs-Élysées have all kinds of great shops? It would be perfect.

  Of course, I couldn’t get her something without getting Josh something as well. But what did you buy a fifteen-year-old boy in Paris? And what about Chris? I had no clue what to get either of them, but once I got there, I was sure I could think of something.

  Then my most heart-felt desire of buying myself some French perfume hit me. Now that I was going, I could get some. That brought a smile to my lips. If I didn’t dwell too much on the scary stuff, I could almost believe that this might be a great trip after all.

  Before I went down to start dinner, I decided to call Uncle Joey and get it over with. He may get upset, but at least he was out of town so he couldn’t do anything about it. He answered on the second ring. “Shelby. What a surprise. Twice in one day. This must be some kind of a record. Do you have some good news about the trial?”

  “Yes... I do. But it’s kind of both good news and bad news at the same time.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean? Did you get Oliver to confess?”

  “Uh... no, but we have a lead on his accounts, so we should know how to pin that on him by tomorrow. We have the best forensic accountant in the country looking into it as we speak.”

  “Forensic accountant? Sounds impressive. What gave you that idea?”

  “Well, that’s the bad part of the news.” I hesitated for a second and then went for it. “Blake showed up at Chris’ office demanding that I go to Paris with him tomorrow.” That was met by dead silence, so I continued on. “I told him that I couldn’t go because of the case, but then he offered to help us with his forensic accountant... you know, the best one in the country? Um... so we couldn’t... I mean... I couldn’t exactly say no after that.”

  I heard a loud exhale on the other end before he spoke. “Shelby. You shouldn’t have done that.”

  “I know, but...” I let out a big sigh. “I didn’t know what else to do. Blake wasn’t taking no for an answer.”

  “Do you know what he wants you to do in Paris?”

  “Not exactly. All I got from his mind was that he’s hoping to meet with someone he calls Mason. Does that name ring any bells?”

  Another long silence came and went. I could just imagine Uncle Joey’s chin jutting out at a hard angle like it did sometimes when he was upset. “I’m calling Blake. I don’t want you on that plane with him.” He disconnected, and it took me a moment to breathe again. Usually, Uncle Joey was a pretty cool operator, but not now, and it kind of scared the crap out of me.

  I tried to put it out of my mind and concentrate on making dinner and doing normal household stuff. Chloe left before dinner was ready but, as usual, Chris was running late. He called saying he didn’t want us to wait, so we ate without him. I didn’t realize how quiet I’d been until Savannah asked me if I was all right.

  “Oh sure,” I answered. She raised her right brow in a perfect imitation of me when I knew she wasn’t telling me everything, so I caved. “It’s just that... well... I might be going to Paris tomorrow.”

  “What? How come?”

  “Well, there’s a federal agent... he’s the one who got involved with Chloe’s case and helped us out. Anyway... he asked for my help with something over there.”

  “Do you know what it is?” Josh asked.

  “No... but it’s probably classified,” I said, mostly for effect.

  “What?” he said. “You mean like a spy?”

  “Yeah, I think it’s got something to do with that sort of thing.”

  “Wow, mom, that’s cool.” But the longer he thought about it, the less excited he felt. Knowing me and my close calls with death, it kind of made him nervous. “Will you be all right?”

  “Oh yeah, sure,” I said, trying to make light of it. “It’s not dangerous. They get real spies for stuff like that. I’m just going to help with my mad interrogation skills. I’ll be fine... If I really go... it’s still up in the air.”

  “When will you know for sure?” Savannah asked.

  “Probably sometime tonight, since I’m supposed to leave around eight in the morning. He said it was just for a couple of days too, so I’ll be back before you know it. Anyway... even though it’s a short visit, would you like me to find a birthday present for you while I’m there?”

  Her eyes lit up. “Yes! That would be so cool.”

  “Great... and don’t worry Josh, I’ll get something for you too.”

  “Cool,” he said, with a shrug like it didn’t matter, but I knew better.

  I smiled, and we talked some more about the sights I could see in Paris. Besides the Eiffel Tower and Notre-Dame, there was The Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe and a ton of other things. Of course, if I was only going to be there a couple of days, it wouldn’t give me much time to see anything. Still, just being there would be amazing.

  By the time we got done cleari
ng off the table and cleaning up the dishes, I was lots more enthusiastic about going. Only now, I was wishing I hadn’t told Uncle Joey in case he nixed the whole thing.

  Chris got home and pulled me into a big hug. From his thoughts, I picked up that he was feeling hopeful for a change. It must have been that kiss. “What are you so happy about?”

  “I got a call from Blake’s accountant right before I left the office. He’s already been able to track a couple of money trails, and he’s close to cracking the whole thing. He said he should have it analyzed and complete by tomorrow afternoon or the next day at the latest. But the best news is that it all leads back to Oliver.”

  “So it proves he was taking money from the company?”

  “Yes.”

  “That’s... great.”

  He studied me and his eyes narrowed. “What is it?”

  “Well... I called Uncle Joey and he wasn’t real happy about the deal. In fact, he said he didn’t want me on that plane with Blake. Then he hung up to call Blake. I haven’t heard back from either of them yet, so I don’t know what’s going on. But at least you know Blake’s following through.”

  “Yeah, but will he give me what I need tomorrow if you don’t go?”

  I shook my head. “I don’t know. What should I do?”

  “Get ready to go. What else is there? But don’t call Manetto. If he calls you back that’s fine, but don’t call him. Just be ready to go in the morning.” He was thinking that as much as he didn’t want me to go, he also needed those files. “This is a fine mess we’re in, isn’t it?”

  “Yeah, and it’s all my fault. If I hadn’t gone to the store that day for some carrots, we wouldn’t be in this mess. I never would have met Uncle Joey, and... through him, Blake.” I was going to say Ramos, but managed to stop in time since Chris didn’t like hearing about Ramos. “Or even Dimples and Billie Jo. Hey! That reminds me. Dimples and Billie are getting engaged. Isn’t that exciting?”

  “Wow. That’s great. How did you...”

  “I heard it in Billie’s mind, but she thought I had a premonition about it so it’s all good. I’m not supposed to say anything, so act like you don’t know when you hear about it, okay?”

  “So it hasn’t happened yet?”

  “No. Not yet. But I think I should call Dimples and tease him about it. I can’t believe I didn’t pick it up from him.”

  “Yeah. That’s a first. I’ll have to call him and find out how he did it.”

  “Chris!”

  “Well, you can’t blame me, can you? Don’t worry... I’m just teasing... mostly.”

  I sighed. Listening to his thoughts had been a big deal when I first got my powers. Now that Chris was used to it, he hardly ever complained. Still, those times he did always hit a nerve with me. “I know... well, I guess I’ll start packing. There’s a plate of food for you in the fridge if you want it.”

  “Thanks, babe. I’ll be up soon.”

  I picked up his tender feelings for me and sent a smile to him over my shoulder before heading up the stairs.

  ***

  At eleven-thirty that night, I lay in bed snuggling with my husband. We’d followed up on that serious kissing from earlier and now held each other close. “I guess it’s too late to hear from Blake or Uncle Joey now. Do you think I’m still going?”

  “Yes, I think you should plan on it. If you weren’t going, I think you would have heard from one of them by now.”

  “That makes sense.”

  “So... ” Chris said, hugging me close. “Now that it looks like you’re really going, promise me that you’ll be careful. Try not to blurt out anything that you hear someone think that could get you into trouble, okay?”

  “Yeah, I know what you’re saying. I’ll be better, I promise.” He knew me so well, and guilt spiked across my chest for what I put Chris through.

  “Hey, I’m not trying to make you feel bad. You know that, right? It’s just that sometimes you speak before you think, and this is serious. Getting involved with Blake... who knows what that means.” He was thinking about terrorist attacks, and all kinds of hidden plots that included torture and cold-blooded murder.

  I gasped. “You really think I could be involved in that?”

  “Oh honey, no. I’m sorry. I’m not thinking you will, my mind just went in that direction. You know how that happens when you start thinking of something and then you just get carried away. That’s all it was. I didn’t mean to worry you.”

  “Oh yeah, I get it. I’m sorry for what I put you through. If I didn’t read your mind...”

  “Don’t you dare apologize. We’re past that now, all right? You were great today. How can I resent that? I know I haven’t always liked you reading my mind, but I’m over it, okay? You’ve proven to me that you can handle my thoughts, as awful as they sometimes are, and you love me in spite of it. How can I feel bad about that? Your love is always there, no matter what, and I want to be there for you too.”

  He was also thinking that even though I exasperated the hell out of him sometimes, it was totally worth it.

  “I heard that too, you know.”

  He chuckled. “That’s right. It’s a good thing I have nothing to hide.” That reminded him of how I hadn’t told him about my agreement with Blake. “So...” he said, not wanting me to feel bad again, although I kind of deserved it. “You’ll be careful?”

  “Yes. I promise.”

  “Good,” he sighed. “That’s all I ask.” We snuggled some more, then Chris turned over and fell sound asleep. He was right that I didn’t tell him stuff, but I believed there were some things it was better that he didn’t know. Still, I knew there was room for improvement. I turned onto my side and tried to go to sleep, but it was a long time before my mind quieted.

  Even then, I woke up in a cold sweat a couple of times, scared that a crazy terrorist was trying to kill me, or strap me to a chair and torture me. Each time, I pushed those thoughts away and tried not to worry. But with all that, once the alarm went off, it didn’t seem like I’d slept at all.

  ***

  I was dressed and ready to go by seven-thirty. My kids left for school, and I said goodbye and told them I’d send a text when I got to Paris. Chris didn’t want to leave before I did. Since he was due in court at nine, he figured if he left by eight, he’d make it in plenty of time.

  I got the call from Blake at seven forty-five.

  “I’m on my way,” Blake said. “So I should be there by eight-fifteen. Tell your husband to expect all of the information he needs later this afternoon. I’m sending it to his offices, so he’ll need a runner to take it to the courthouse. Are you ready to go?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. See you soon.”

  He disconnected, and I turned to Chris. “That was Blake. He’s on his way. He said that you’ll have what you need this afternoon.”

  Chris nodded and let out a breath. “Okay.” He caught my gaze. “Be sure to call me the minute you land, and keep me updated, all right?” Before I could answer, he pulled me into a tight embrace, then kissed me thoroughly. We were both short of breath when we broke apart.

  “I love you,” I said.

  “I love you, too. Don’t have too much fun without me.” He was thinking this was harder than he expected, mostly because he couldn’t help the worry gnawing in his stomach. It probably stemmed from the fact that Uncle Joey and Ramos weren’t close by to help me when I got into trouble, and that bothered him more than anything. Maybe he shouldn’t have agreed to this.

  “Hey, I’m coming back. Don’t worry. I’ll be fine, okay?”

  “Of course you will. I’m going to go now. I’ll see you in a few days.”

  “All right. Good luck with the trial.”

  “I’ll keep you posted.”

  With one last kiss, he got in his car. I watched him pull out of the driveway and disappear down the street. Now that I had a few minutes to myself, my stomach started to act up. I took a couple of deep, calming breaths an
d tried not to freak out.

  Part of me couldn’t believe that I was actually going to Paris with Blake. I wondered what had happened with Uncle Joey, and what Blake had said to change his mind. Or, maybe he hadn’t, and Blake was going ahead with his plans no matter what Uncle Joey said.

  My cell phone rang, and my heart nearly stopped to see Uncle Joey’s number on the caller ID. “Hello?” I said.

  “Shelby. Is Blake there yet?”

  “No.”

  “Good. Listen carefully. I couldn’t get him to listen to reason, so this is important. Whatever you do, don’t tell him you can read minds. Your life will never be yours if you do.”

  “Yeah. Okay. I promise I’ll be careful.”

  “That’s good. This meeting he wants you for is with a former agent who went rogue. I don’t know why Blake wants to talk to him. Maybe you’ll figure it out, but this guy, Mason, has some pretty disreputable friends. You don’t want to make him your enemy. Lie if you have to, but don’t get on his bad side. Whatever happens. Got that?”

  “Uh... sure,” I agreed, more nervous now than ever.

  He let out a breath. “I’ve done what I can, but I’m still not happy about this. You know I don’t trust Blake, so be on your guard and see if you can stay out of trouble.”

  Before I could say a word, he disconnected.

  Damn! What had I gotten into this time? I put my phone away as a black car pulled into the driveway. Without hesitation, I hurried into my room and grabbed my prescription bottle of anti-anxiety medication and stuffed it into my purse.

  After one of Uncle Joey’s enemies had managed to shoot me in the arm, my doctor had prescribed a few of these little pills for me. They’d come in handy a time or two, and I knew that if I was going to get through this, I might need one. Like right now. But I could probably wait until I was on the long flight over. Or... I could just tell Blake I wasn’t going. I could still get out of it, right?

  The doorbell rang. With my heart pounding to beat the devil, I hurried into the living room and opened the door. Blake took one look at me and frowned. “What the hell? You look like somebody died. Are you okay?”