Drop Dead Crime: Mystery and Suspense from the Leading Ladies of Murder

by Lisa Regan

  We got on the elevator, and I decided to drive myself this time. My feet were killing me, and I had a change of clothes in my car that I’d stashed there for emergencies. I’d learned that it never hurt to be prepared for anything, especially after Uncle Joey’s car had blown up, and my clothes had been singed. “I’m going to drive over, so I’ll meet you there.”

  Drake agreed and ended up following behind me. After parking in Uncle Joey’s garage, I grabbed my extra clothes from the trunk and met him at the elevator. Drake gave my gym bag a passing glance, but I caught that his nerves were a little frayed to meet face-to-face with the big boss.

  That surprised me, but I picked up that Drake’s business with Uncle Joey had always taken place on the more anonymous side, so they’d never been formally introduced.

  We entered Thrasher Development and stopped to speak with Jackie, Uncle Joey’s secretary. She put a call through to his office and told us that he was waiting.

  Stepping down the hall, I picked up nervous tension from Drake, which had the unfortunate side effect of stressing me out. I should be an old hat at this, but every time I had to face Uncle Joey, my stomach tightened with dread. This time should be different, because it wasn’t about me. Guess I was wrong.

  After a quick knock on the door, I took a breath for courage and led Drake inside.

  Uncle Joey sat behind his executive, double-pedestal desk like a king on a throne. His trademark thick, silver hair and strong jawline set him apart as a commanding figure. He hardly needed the elegance that was clearly apparent in his expensive suit and plush, extravagant, office furnishings.

  The warm, golden tones lighting up Uncle Joey’s office were a stark contrast to the icy, cold tones of Drake’s. But it seemed in harmony with the circumstances. I mean, one was more like heaven, and the other like hell, so at least that seemed right.

  Too bad I liked Uncle Joey’s office better. But that didn’t mean I was bad or anything, right?

  Uncle Joey welcomed Drake with a warm smile and a handshake. “Please take a seat, and we’ll get down to business.” He indicated the chairs in front of his desk, and we obediently sat.

  A short knock sounded on the door, and we turned to find Uncle Joey’s right-hand man entering the office.

  If Uncle Joey was the devil, Ramos was the angel of death. His black hair curled slightly around his ears, and his dark gaze glittered with intensity. He wore the slightly bearded face better than anyone I’d ever seen, and that included those high-paid models in GQ.

  He stood at six-three or six-four, and it wasn’t hard to picture his toned muscles under his black, leather motorcycle jacket. I picked up that he’d just come in from an errand on his bike, and he was grateful that Manetto had called him back for our little get-together.

  His gaze caught mine, and he wondered what trouble I was in this time. I tried not to smile or roll my eyes, because teasing me was one of his favorite pastimes.

  Uncle Joey introduced Ramos to Drake, and I couldn’t help picking up Drake’s wide-eyed awe to meet the hitman everyone was afraid of. He thought that if Ramos was here, Shade didn’t stand a chance, and his hopes of bringing the hacker to his knees soared.

  With this much testosterone in the room, I was afraid my plan to bring Shade to justice the right way didn’t stand a chance.

  “Since your call, I’ve come up with a plan,” Uncle Joey began. He glanced at me, thinking that it might be best if I wasn’t involved in this part, because somebody might end up dead.

  Before he could ask me to leave, I spoke up. “I think there’s a way to get the diamonds back without killing him. Then the police can arrest him for Lily’s murder, and he’ll go to prison for the rest of his life. That’s a great way to make him suffer for what he did, right, Drake?” I elbowed Drake in the arm to get him to go along with me, but he just arched his brow.

  That shot a hole in my parallel to Drake being on the heavenly side of things.

  Uncle Joey sent me his saintly smile, thinking that my heart was in the right place, and it always warmed him to know there were still good people in the world. Indulging me, he asked, “What do you have in mind?”

  I had no idea, so I decided to start talking and hope for the best. “Well. Because I have an in with the police, I could tell them about the hack and that it was Shade… uh… Jeremy Mack… who was blackmailing Lily and who most likely killed her.”

  I glanced at Drake with an apologetic smile. “Because they’ll need a motive, I might have to tell them about the diamonds, but that shouldn’t get you in trouble.”

  Warming to my idea, I turned back to Uncle Joey. “Based on my information, Dimples would have a reason to bring him in for questioning. Naturally, I’d sit in on it. With my awesome premonitions, I could pick up what he did with the murder weapon, the diamonds, Lily’s phone, and other pertinent details that would lead to his arrest for Lily’s murder.” I smiled, convinced it would work.

  “Hmm,” Uncle Joey said. “That might work, but if we agree to this plan, you need to leave the diamonds out of it. I don’t want the police to know about them, understood?”

  “Uh… okay.”

  “Besides,” he continued. “With the murder weapon and the other evidence, you should have enough for an arrest. Still, this plan of yours all depends on the police bringing him in for questioning. What if they can’t find him?”

  “Well… that would be bad. But I’m still willing to give it a try. If it doesn’t work, you can set up a meeting with him to exchange the diamonds for money, and we’ll catch him that way.”

  Uncle Joey gave me a small smile, amused that I thought he’d just “catch” him. Then he thought that it was a good plan as far as I was concerned, and why not let me try it out? In the meantime, he could put something else together… as a backup, of course.

  His gaze caught mine, and I knew he’d added that last part for my benefit, because he also knew I could read his mind. “All right, Shelby. Go ahead. Just be sure to let me know if you’re able to chat with him and what you find out. If the police don’t come through, I’m sure we can be more persuasive.” He was thinking that the police had rules, but he didn’t.

  “Sure. I can do that.” I stood, knowing I’d better get going before he changed his mind. I caught that he admired my willingness to do the right thing. But mostly he was grateful to have me out of the way so he could take care of business.

  “Uh… I’ll be in touch.” I hurried to the door. Before I reached it, Ramos stepped in front of me.

  “Aren’t you forgetting something?” he asked.

  I listened to his thoughts for all I was worth but came up empty and knew he’d deliberately kept them blank. I hated when he did that. “Uh… I don’t think so.” I glanced down to make sure I had my purse and found it hanging from my arm, right where I’d left it.

  With a snarky smile, he motioned toward my gym bag on the floor by my chair.

  “Oh! Yeah. I brought some more comfortable clothes to change into. These heels are killing me.” Oops. That might not have been the smartest thing to say in front of a hitman.

  I quickly bent over to pick up my bag and caught that Ramos liked how I looked in my body-hugging skirt and high heels. Granted, he could see that my skirt was really tight, so I might be more comfortable in jeans.

  With my face flushing, I straightened and stepped toward the door. This time, Ramos opened it for me and gave me a quick nod. But instead of closing the door behind me, he watched me walk down the hall to the restroom, and I caught a spike of appreciation coming from his mind.

  After hearing that, I had a hard time walking normally. Relief coursed through me when I made it to the restroom and inside without tripping or falling on my face. Sheesh!

  Wanting to get out of there as fast as possible, it only took me a minute to slip off my skirt and shoes and pull on my jeans and ankle boots. After tucking my blouse into my jeans and tightening my belt, I felt ten times better. I hurried out the door, glancing t
oward Uncle Joey’s office to see it shut up tight.

  I didn’t know what they were planning, but it made me more determined than ever to make sure it was my plan that worked.

  ~~~

  One more time, I walked into the precinct, remembering to slip my lanyard over my head at the last minute. Relief washed over me to find Dimples at his desk. I quickly sat down in the chair beside him, and he jerked with surprise. I sent him a smile and leaned toward him. “I know who did it.”

  His brows rose, and his mouth dropped open. “You do? How… who is it? Do you have proof?”

  “That’s the tricky part, but I can explain everything.” I told him the whole story, except for the diamonds, adding that Mack, aka Shade, must have blackmailed Lily, killed her, and taken the watch and other items.

  “If we bring him in for questioning,” I continued. “I’m sure I can pick up where he’s hidden the evidence. Then you can get a search warrant for his place, and we’ll have everything we need to arrest him for Lily’s murder.”

  Dimples thought I was on the right track, but he couldn’t understand why the perpetrator would kill Lily over a few trinkets. There had to be more to the story. Maybe Lily had damaging information on Drake that she’d refused to share? That made more sense to him… unless there was something inside that pocket watch.

  “So what do you think?” I asked, not wanting Dimples to dwell on the watch too hard.

  “I think it’s worth questioning him,” he agreed. “Who knows? Maybe you’ll pick up something? Let me find him in the database.” He clicked a few buttons and brought up Mack’s information. “I’ve got his home and work information. Where do you think we’ll find him?”

  “Uh… I’m not sure.” I picked up from Dimples that if the guy had killed someone last night, he’d probably go to work so that nothing seemed out of the ordinary. “Let’s try his work first.”

  “Good idea,” he said, thinking great minds thought alike.

  We left the precinct and headed to the tech company where Mack worked. “Look at that,” Dimples said, driving past the alley where Lily’s body was found. “His office is just down the street from here.”

  A chill of unease ran down my spine. I caught Dimples’s gaze with widened eyes. “Do you think he’ll bolt when he sees us?”

  “Not if he’s smart,” Dimples answered, thinking that would give him away. We pulled up in front of the building and hurried inside.

  At the front desk, Dimples asked to speak with Jeremy Mack.

  “Do you have an appointment?” the receptionist asked, worry tightening her eyes.

  “No.”

  She nodded with relief. “He called in sick today, but I’m sure we can arrange for you to meet with someone else.”

  “That won’t be necessary,” Dimples replied. Discouraged, we went back out the doors, and Dimples glanced my way. “Maybe we’ll have better luck at his house.”

  “I sure hope so.”

  Mack lived in an older neighborhood on the west side of the city. The houses were small and close together. As we pulled onto his street, we slowed to read the addresses. Getting closer, I noticed a car pulling out of a driveway, close to where his house should be.

  “Do you think that’s him?” I asked.

  Dimples pulled to the side, and we watched the car back onto the street. It turned to head in the same direction as we were going, and Dimples pulled back onto the street to follow. As we passed the house he’d come from, I checked the address and a thrill rushed through me. “Yup. That’s his house, so that must be him.”

  With a nod, Dimples expertly followed behind, always leaving one or two cars between us. Mack drove through town and came to an area with a several small businesses, including a pawn shop and a tattoo parlor. On the right side of the street, he pulled into the parking lot of a bar named the Cotton Bottom.

  Dimples pulled to the curb down the street, and we watched Mack enter the building. “I wonder what he’s doing in there,” Dimples said, thinking that if he followed Mack inside, it would give him away as a cop, and it might spook Mack. He didn’t want Mack running before we could talk to him.

  “I guess it’s up to me to find out.” I pulled the car visor down and opened the mirror, then began to fluff up my hair. After arranging it seductively to the side, I undid the top two buttons on my blouse and grabbed my lipstick. I applied it generously and pressed my lips together, admiring the effect. My darkened lips made my eyes pop, especially with my royal blue shirt.

  “Wait, I’m not sure you should go in alone.” Dimples had been in the Cotton Bottom before, and he thought it was a little on the rough side for me.

  “Don’t worry,” I said. “I’m taking my purse, and I’ve got my handy stun-flashlight. I’ll be fine.” Before he could protest, I opened the door and jumped out. “If you see him leave, call me.”

  Slinging the strap of my purse over my shoulder, I moved to the entrance, grateful I looked good enough to play the part of a customer at the bar. Inside, it took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the dark. Several people were there, but not as many as I imagined there would be in the evenings.

  I sidled up to the bar and caught sight of Mack near the back, speaking with one of the servers. He nodded, and she led him around a corner. Trying my best to look inconspicuous, I sauntered in that direction.

  Before I rounded the corner, the server came back out. She glanced at me suspiciously, and I smiled. “Is the restroom that way?”

  “No. It’s down the other hall.” She pointed toward the end of the bar, not far from where we stood.

  “Great. Thanks.” Smiling, I took a step in that direction. As soon as the server’s back was turned, I reversed course and hurried around the corner, finding a short hallway with two doors, one in the back and another on the side.

  Unsure of which door he’d gone through, I stepped close to the first one, hoping to hear something. As I closed my eyes to concentrate, someone grabbed my arm, jerking me away. He easily spun me to the other side of the hall and stepped in close, caging me in with his body.

  “Shelby,” Ramos growled. “What are you doing here?”

  With my heart racing, I could hardly catch my breath. “Holy hell, Ramos. You about gave me a heart attack.” I pulled my head back and it knocked against the wall. He stood too close for me to look up without putting my mouth perilously close to his. “Uh… you can let me go now.”

  I picked up that he liked standing this close to me. He could see my pulse racing and smell my perfume. But more important, he was blocking me from sight. “I’m not letting you go until you answer my question.”

  “I’m following Mack.” I thought that was obvious, but I guess he had to hear me say it for some reason.

  “What about the police?”

  “Yeah… well… Dimples is sitting out in the car.” Ramos mentally swore a blue streak and stepped back a space, allowing me to finally take a breath. “Don’t worry, he’s not coming in.”

  Ramos didn’t believe that for a minute, and he thought my timing was terrible.

  “Oh crap,” I said. “You’re exchanging the diamonds now?”

  “Mack’s in there with our diamond expert. After they’ve been appraised, we’ll make a deal.” He was thinking that Drake was part of the plan and I shouldn’t be there.

  “Drake’s here too? Why? He isn’t going to kill him, is he?” Ramos met my gaze, and alarm tightened my chest. “He can’t do that. He’ll get caught. Dimples—”

  “Drake’s not here yet. I’ll make sure he’s handled.”

  “Why don’t you let me in there? I can talk to Mack and find out—”

  “No. We’re sticking to the plan. You should go.”

  My breath caught. Even though I knew Ramos meant it in a good way, it still hurt my feelings. I swallowed, picking up that Ramos needed me out of the way for my own good, and he hoped I could understand that.

  “Okay. I’ll go. But I’m not leaving. I’ll be sitting in Dimpl
es’s car to wait for Mack. Once he comes out, he’s mine. Just make sure Drake doesn’t show.”

  Ramos raised a brow. I was claiming him? He shook his head. So much drama. “Fine.”

  That kind of surprised me, but I tried not to show it and turned to leave. Ramos moved out of my way, just as the door opened. I froze, taking a quick peek into the room. Mack glanced up and caught my gaze. His eyes narrowed with suspicion before the jeweler shut the door and frowned at me. He looked at Ramos for guidance.

  “Shelby’s leaving,” Ramos said.

  With a huff, I stepped away, but not before I picked up that the jeweler thought Ramos could come down about ten grand from the agreed-upon price. Not that it mattered to me.

  I continued around the corner and bumped into Dimples. Alarmed, I grabbed his arm and urged him toward the exit. “We need to go.” He only protested a little before allowing me to pull him out the door.

  Once outside, I continued dragging him toward the car, but he jerked away from me. “What’s going on?”

  “Keep moving,” I answered. “I’ll tell you in the car.” He pursed his lips but kept walking, and I let out a relieved breath. That was close, but what I was going to tell him? Certainly not the truth.

  I glanced toward the parking lot, and my heart lodged in my throat. Drake’s little red sports car was here. Damn! Could this get any worse? How was Ramos supposed to handle that?

  The windows were tinted, but I thought I could see someone inside. Maybe he was out here waiting? At least that meant there was still hope he could be stopped.

  “Was Mack in there?” Dimples asked, not waiting until we got to the car. “Why were you in such a hurry to leave?”

  “Because I didn’t want him to see you and get spooked. We have to make sure the timing is right. I think you should arrest him when he comes out. Then we can take him to the station for questioning.”

  Dimples stopped. “How am I supposed to do that from the car? It’s not anywhere close.”

  “Uh… pull the car into the parking lot.” I glanced at the lot. “I think there’s a spot close to his car. We can intercept him before he drives away.”