Crossing Danger: A Shelby Nichols Adventure

by Colleen Helme

  We disconnected, and I took a deep breath. What had I just done? Was this a trap? Was he watching my house? Was he really the bad guy? I had my doubts before he’d showed up at Holly’s, but now I didn’t know what to expect. I glanced up and down the street from my living room window, but there wasn’t any sign of a strange car that I could see. Still, I locked all the doors just in case.

  Meeting him was taking a risk, but it would help me know what was going on. As long as Chloe was safe, it should work. Besides, it was a public place. Nothing would happen to me, and I needed to find out what he was thinking. This might be my only chance.

  My phone rang again. This time it was Holly.

  “Chloe’s gone!” she shouted. “I had to leave for a minute and she’s not here!”

  “Stop! It’s okay. She’s here at my house and she’s fine. I was just going to call you, but you beat me to it. Listen, she went out your back door and climbed the fence, then went through the block to my house. So nothing’s wrong. She’s fine.”

  Holly made some strangled choking sounds before she got under control. “What the hell! Why did she do that?”

  “Someone came to the door and it scared her, so she ran.” I didn’t want to freak her out too much, so I tried to break it to her slow. “Uh...it might have been the cop. Look...I think she should stay here for a bit just in case. Is that okay?”

  “What? Oh my gosh! Really? It was him?”

  “I think so...but I have a plan. What happened anyway?”

  “Oh no,” she groaned. “This is bad. He must have found out she was here. How did that happen? Who could have told him? This is terrible.”

  “Holly...what happened? Why did you leave?”

  “Now it all makes sense,” she continued. “I got a phone call from the principal at the school saying Isabell had been hurt and I should come and take a look. When I got to the school, the secretary said she didn’t know anything about it. The principal had left for the day, which seemed a little strange, so we checked with the teacher to see if Isabell was okay.

  “I guess she had scraped her knee on the playground, so they thought the principal must have called me before he left. I didn’t think anything of it until I got home and realized Chloe wasn’t here.” She took a few deep breaths, clearly struggling with the situation. “What’s going on? Should we call the police?”

  “I’ll call Dimples and let him know,” I said, checking the time. “Josh should be home from school anytime now, so he can keep Chloe company while I...um...check something out.”

  “Should I call Scott and Kira and tell them what happened?”

  “No. I don’t want anyone to know until I’ve talked with Dimples. Someone leaked her location, and I want to find out who it was before we tell anyone where she is now. Okay?”

  “Sure,” she said, subdued. “What are you checking out?”

  Dang! I was hoping she’d forgotten that part. “Uh...I’ll explain it all later...oh...there’s Josh now. I’ll call you back.” I disconnected, cringing a little that I’d cut her off, but at least the carpool had just dropped Josh off, so I hadn’t told a lie. Besides, she’d probably want to go with me, and that wasn’t an option. I quickly unlocked the door and pulled it open.

  “Hey mom,” Josh said, surprised I’d opened the door for him. “Sup?”

  His happy nature, and the fact that he was so darn cute, always brought a smile to my face. “Well...there is something… Chloe’s here. Can you keep her company for a while? I have to meet someone, and I don’t want to leave her here alone.”

  “Sure,” he said, shrugging like it was no big deal, even though I knew he was pleased. “Why is she here?”

  I took a deep breath and told him the truth. “The cop came by Holly’s house to pay her a visit, but she ran out the back door and climbed the fence.”

  “Whoa! That’s sick.”

  “Yeah...she’s pretty smart.” I hoped that was what he’d meant.

  Chloe came into the kitchen, timing her entrance perfectly. She’d freshened up in Savannah’s bathroom and even borrowed a little make-up. The haunted look was gone from her eyes, especially when she glanced at Josh. Did I really want to leave those two alone? Nah. They’d be fine. Especially since Savannah would be arriving soon. Plus, they were still a little awkward around each other, so it was all good.

  “Okay...well. I’ll be back soon. Keep the doors locked...and don’t let anyone in except for Savannah. Call me if something comes up, okay?”

  “Sure,” Josh said.

  I grabbed my purse and got in my car, hoping I wasn’t making a big mistake by leaving them alone at the house. I pulled to the end of the driveway, looking both ways for any sign of an unfamiliar car. I couldn’t see anything, but I decided to drive around the block just to make sure.

  Passing my house a second time reassured me that everything was okay, so I began the drive to the hospital. The closer I got to the diner, the more my stomach hurt, and I worried that I might be giving myself ulcers. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. Finally arriving, I pulled into the parking lot and tried to get my nerves under control, checking my purse to make sure my stun flashlight was handy.

  With no reason left to stall, I got out and hurried inside the diner. A quick glance let me know Pete wasn’t there yet, and my shoulders sagged in relief. It was late afternoon, so the place was nearly empty, and I had my choice of spots. Naturally, I chose the booth in the far corner where I could watch for Pete.

  The waitress brought a menu and some water. I sipped it while I waited, and tried not to fidget too much. After ten minutes, I called home. Josh answered and said they were fine, so I tried not to worry. The waitress came back and, since I hadn’t eaten lunch, I ordered some wontons and a diet soda. I checked my watch and calculated that it had been about thirty minutes since my chat with Pete, so there was still time for him to make it.

  I called home again, this time to Savannah’s cell. She assured me they were fine and, from her voice, I could tell she thought I was going overboard with the phone calls. With no sign of Pete, I called his cell phone, but it went straight to voicemail, so I left a message that I was at the diner waiting for him.

  Twenty long minutes later, I called Josh again.

  “Mom...we’re fine. You don’t have to keep calling.”

  “Okay...good. Um...you’d tell me if that cop was there, right? You’d say something like ‘pick up a pizza’...if he was there, right?”

  “Mom...he’s not here. It’s just me, Chloe and Savannah. You don’t have to pick up a pizza...but...I wouldn’t complain if you wanted to anyway.”

  I sighed. “So he’s not there?”

  “Yes,” he said.

  “Yes he’s there?” I squeaked.

  “No! Yes he’s not here...that was your question...you asked if he was not here.”

  “Okay, okay...I get it...Sorry...I’m just feeling a little paranoid. I’ll be home soon.”

  “Okay. Don’t forget the pizza!” he chuckled.

  Shaking my head, I disconnected and tried Pete again, but with no answer from his cell, it was time to call Dimples and let him know what was going on.

  “Hey Shelby, what’s up?” he asked. Before I could answer, I heard someone in the background say my name. “Uh...Billie says hello. I’m at the hospital visiting for a minute.”

  “Oh...that’s great. I’m not far. Is it okay if I swing by?”

  “Sure,” he said.

  I paid for my food and drove across the street to the hospital, wondering why Pete hadn’t shown up. Had he changed his mind, or had something happened to him? From the sound of his voice, I thought for sure he was anxious to talk to me, so it made no sense that he wouldn’t show up.

  Unless he was luring me away like he did Holly, but every time I’d called home, Josh had assured me they were fine, and I knew from our last conversation that he was telling the truth. Something must have happened to change his mind. Maybe Dimples would know what it was.
<
br />   I knocked on Billie’s door, and then pushed it open. Billie smiled a greeting. Her cheeks were flushed with color, and she looked even better than she had this morning. But the fact that Dimples stood next to her, holding her hand, made it easy to understand why.

  “Hey Shelby,” Billie drawled. “Twice in one day. I’m honored.” She knew I was there to talk to Dimples and had decided to tease me about it.

  “This is perfect timing since I have something to tell you both.” That caught her by surprise. “I had a little chat with your intern. He’s the one who took the thumb-drive from your desk...and you’ll never guess who he gave it to.”

  “Who?” she asked.

  “Anthony Kerby, an assistant state’s attorney under Grayson Sharp.”

  “Son of a gun!” she exclaimed. “But...wait. I don’t remember telling you about the intern.”

  “Yes, you did,” I said, realizing my mistake. “You were pretty out of it though, so I’m not surprised you don’t remember.”

  “Yeah, that must be it. So what happened?”

  I quickly described my interview with the intern and ended by giving Dimples the copy of the thumb-drive I’d made.

  “Don’t worry,” I assured Billie. “I still have your copy.”

  “I certainly hope so,” she said, then glanced at Dimples. “So what are you going to do now?”

  “My job.” His gaze caught mine. “Do you think Anthony is behind the attack on Billie?”

  “Yes, but I don’t know how we can prove it. I’m not sure his intern knows anything more, but I might be able to find out if I get a chance to talk to him.”

  “Hmm...yes, I can see how that might work,” Dimples said, with a gleam in his eyes since he knew my secret. “Or we can just talk to Anthony.”

  I nodded. “Why don’t you take a look at the thumb-drive and let me know what you want to do.”

  “Sure.”

  “There’s something else,” I said, taking a deep breath. “It’s about Chloe. Pete showed up at Holly’s house a couple of hours ago. Did you or Bates tell him where she was?”

  “What? Hell no. At least I didn’t. What happened?”

  I explained how she got away and was now at my house. “This time Chloe positively identified the cop as Pete. I talked to Holly, and she’s okay with leaving Chloe at my house, but I made her promise not to tell Scott or Kira until I’d talked to you.”

  Dimples took out his phone to call Bates, but I stopped him. “Wait. There’s more. I called Pete to see if he’d talk to me and we set up a meeting at the diner just across the street. That’s where I was when I called you.”

  “What did he say?”

  “That’s just it. He never showed.”

  Dimples swore under his breath, thinking it was nuts for me to try and meet with Pete anyway, so it was just as well he hadn’t shown up. He pushed in the numbers for Bates and put him on speaker phone so I could tell him what had happened. Of course, I left out the part where I was supposed to meet Pete.

  Bates swore a few times, then said he hadn’t been able to contact Pete like the chief had wanted him to. “I can’t see how Pete found out where Chloe was. Are you sure Shelby didn’t let it slip somehow?”

  I gasped, and my mouth dropped open in outrage.

  “Yes. I’m sure,” Dimples answered, shushing me before I could say anything. “We need to let Chloe’s parents know. Since I’m not too far from their house, why don’t I talk to them? Chloe is at Shelby’s house right now, so she should be fine, but her parents need to decide what to do next.”

  “Fine,” Bates said. “Talk to them and let me know what they want to do. I’ll let the chief know what’s happened.”

  Dimples disconnected and shook his head. “I’m sorry for what Bates said, Shelby. He was way out of line. You’d think he’d be over it by now.”

  “Ha...I doubt that will ever happen.”

  “Probably not,” he conceded. “But I’m glad you didn’t tell him off.” He turned to Billie to say goodbye, which I knew would involve some tender words and a kiss or two if I wasn’t around.

  “Okay...well, I’m going home. Let me know what the plan is, and be sure to tell Chloe’s parents that she’s welcome to stay at my house for as long as she needs to. Bye Billie.”

  Aside from Bates being such a big jerk, my mood was a little lighter as I left. It was good to share that information and leave things in Dimples’ capable hands. I only wished I knew where Pete was. Why had he changed his mind? Had he made new plans? Whatever it was, I had a feeling something bad was about to happen, and it tied my stomach in knots.

  Chapter 9

  Since it was on the way home and close to five-thirty, I got a couple of pizzas. Mostly for Josh, but also for me, since I didn’t have anything planned for dinner, and I was too worn out to cook. The smell permeated my car, and my stomach growled in anticipation. I pulled into the garage and brought them into the kitchen.

  Expecting to hear the sounds of excited chatter from Chloe and my kids, I froze to hear nothing but dead silence. Oh no! Had something happened to them? Did Pete come and take them all? A giggle erupted from the basement, followed by shouts of laughter, and I let out a huge sigh.

  “I’m back,” I shouted. “And I brought pizza.”

  With footsteps pounding up the stairs like a herd of elephants, they burst into the kitchen, and I opened the boxes with enthusiasm and got out paper plates and napkins. It wasn’t quite dinner time, but we were all hungry, and I hoped Chris wouldn’t mind too much if we ate without him. Besides, he’d probably be late...again.

  “Hey...why don’t we take this downstairs and watch an episode of Castle?” I asked. They didn’t seem so eager about that so I added, “Or maybe The Flash?”

  “Yeah,” Chloe said. “I love that show.”

  We grabbed the pizzas and plates and headed downstairs. In a few short minutes, we were watching the latest episode and eating to our hearts’ content. Or at least Josh was shoveling it in, and I hoped Chloe didn’t get too grossed out. Just in case, I listened in and caught that she thought I was the coolest mom ever.

  I smiled, even as a wisp of guilt fluttered inside me. I should be a better example but, for now, it was good to unwind and forget about all my troubles.

  The show was just reaching its exciting conclusion when my cell phone rang. “Pause!” I yelled. Amid grumblings, Josh pushed the pause button and I quickly answered my phone.

  “Hey Shelby, it’s Harris. I talked to Kira and Scott, and they’ve decided to have Chloe stay with Scott for now. He should be coming over to get her in about half an hour. Just wanted to let you know.”

  “Okay...thanks. Did you find out any more about Pete?”

  “No. He’s still not answering his cell, but Scott’s sure he wants Chloe with him, and I think it’s a good idea.”

  “Yeah, you’re probably right. Will you let me know if you hear anything from Pete?”

  “Of course,” Dimples agreed. “As long as you do the same.”

  “You bet,” I said, and we disconnected.

  Now I had to break the news to Chloe. I hoped she was okay with it. “Um...Chloe, your dad’s coming to get you soon. He wants you to stay with him for now.”

  “Okay,” she answered. She was relieved to go home to his house, but also slightly disappointed she couldn’t stay here with Josh. “Do we have time to finish the show?”

  “You bet.”

  I picked up that Josh was a little disappointed she was leaving too, so I was grateful for the distraction.

  After the show, the kids helped clean up the pizza and, right after that, Scott came by. He hugged Chloe tight and thanked me for my help. “Your police friend, Harris, told me you’d tried to meet with the cop, but he never showed. I just wanted you to know how much I appreciate what you’ve done.”

  “Well, I wish I could tell you more. It’s such a worry with him still out there, but I’ll be sure and let you know if I hear anything. At least the pol
ice are looking for him now, so that’s good.”

  “That’s true, and they’re keeping a patrol car outside my house for the night,” he said, determined to keep Chloe safe. “I’m taking some time off work for the next few days, so I’ll be working directly with the police until they find out what’s going on.”

  “Oh...that’s great news, and I’m sure they will. Please call me if you need anything. And Chloe,” I said to her. “You’re welcome to come over anytime.”

  “Thanks, Shelby...thanks for everything.” She gave me a quick hug, thinking she wanted to be just like me when she grew up. That melted my heart a little, and I squeezed her back. She said her goodbyes to Josh and Savannah, telling Josh she could use his help with all the homework she’d missed. He readily agreed, and I knew we’d be seeing more of her.

  Things quieted down after they left and, at a little after seven, Chris got home. I gave him a big hug and felt the stress of the last few hours drain away. “I’m so glad you’re home. It’s been a stressful day.”

  “Yeah...I can tell.” He was thinking I usually only bought pizza when something bad had happened, and worry tightened the muscles around his eyes. “So what’s going on?”

  “Oh...everything’s fine now. Here...” I pulled out a chair at the kitchen table. “Sit down and have some pizza, and I’ll tell you all about it.” I waited until his mouth was full before I started, mostly because I didn’t want him to interrupt me for details I might not want to share.

  “I visited with Billie this morning about the thumb-drive,” I began, purposely leaving the breakfast part for later. “The news broke that Chloe had been found, so I drove over to the precinct.” I explained the press conference and my conversation with Pete. Then the visit with Chloe’s parents and how the chief told me they didn’t need me anymore. “That was mostly because of Bates,” I added. “But it still hurt my feelings.”

  Next, I told him of my visit to the newspaper and my interview with the intern. “So at least now we have a lead on who was behind Billie’s break-in.”

  “Wow...that’s huge,” Chris said. “You’ve been busy. No wonder you got the pizza.”