Marked for Murder

by Colleen Helme

  “No. But I will. I still have all the security surveillance Ramos set up, so I’m sure I’ll find something on them. Then whoever did this will pay.” A police officer beckoned him into the restaurant. “Excuse me.”

  Instead of watching him leave, I followed behind, wanting to hear what they’d discovered. Before I could get inside, an officer at the door held out his hand to stop me. “Sorry ma’am. You can’t go in there.”

  I reached for my purse so I could show him my honorary police badge, but realized I’d left it inside. Still, I wasn’t about to give up. “I’m Shelby Nichols. I’m a consultant with the police. I need to go in there.”

  My name rang a bell, and his eyes narrowed. Was I the person who’d stopped the shooting at the newspaper office? And here I was at another shooting? In his book, that was more than a coincidence. “Sure. I know who you are. What are you doing here?”

  Good grief! Didn’t he hear the part about me being a consultant for the police? “Who’s in charge?” I asked. I’d missed watching the police arrive, so I had no idea. He was thinking that it was Detective Bates, and I cringed. Great. Why did it have to be him?

  “Will you go inside and tell Detective Bates that Shelby Nichols is here? I’m sure he’ll want to see me.”

  The cop frowned, wondering why I’d asked who was in charge if I’d already known that. “Just a minute.”

  I turned to Chris. “I think my stalker’s long gone, but I want to tell them about the balloons.”

  “Are you sure that’s what those pops were?”

  “Yes. Pretty sure. I mean, if he’d wanted to shoot anyone, it would have been me or you, right? And we’re okay, so it was just another stupid test. I guess I failed.”

  “Maybe not,” he said. “He was supposed to meet me. Since you showed up, that would send the message that you had a premonition about it, right?”

  “Oh yeah, I hadn’t thought of it that way. But I still should have stopped him.”

  He shook his head. “How? By standing next to the fire alarm? Because that’s about the only way you could have intervened, and even for a person with premonitions, that’s stretching it.”

  That helped me feel better. Then Bates came to the door with a scowl and motioned me inside. “What’s going on, Nichols?” he asked.

  My first thought was to tell him to leave my new chair alone, but that probably wasn’t a good idea. “I was here with my husband, and I saw something that I thought you should know.”

  At his raised brows I continued. “I don’t think there was a gun involved. I think the pops were a couple of balloons. You should look for that… and one of the balloons got away, so it’s on the ceiling somewhere. Maybe you can get a couple of prints off it?”

  “Thanks for the tip. I’ll look into it.” He was a lot more interested in the surveillance tapes that Jim had told him about, but he’d see if there was a balloon. “Is there anything else?”

  “Yes. Can I get my purse?”

  With a shake of his head, he told me to go ahead and get it. “But then you need to go back outside with the others and give your statement to the police officers out there.”

  It was crystal clear that I’d get no special treatment from him, and it hurt my feelings. Since I didn’t want him to know that, I just smiled and grabbed my purse.

  Back outside, we had to wait our turn to give our statements to the police. To pass the time, Chris and I spoke to the older couple, grateful they were doing better. The color had come back into their cheeks, but it saddened me to know it would be a long time before they went out to lunch again.

  “Do you think John Brown would have met with you if I hadn’t shown up?” I asked Chris.

  “No. I don’t think he had any intention of doing that. It would have given him away.”

  “That’s true.”

  “What were you doing at my office anyway?” he asked.

  “Claire called and asked me to meet with her and Ethan. I thought it was a great excuse to find out more about Ethan, and what he’s doing about that problem of his.” I checked my watch. “The meeting’s probably over by now.”

  “True, but you can still come back and talk to Ethan. What concerns me now is JB Sizemore, and the kind of company he runs. There must be some connection to you. When I get back to work, I’ll see what I can find out about the company.”

  “That’s a great idea.”

  “Do you have any ‘premonitions’ about this guy’s next step?” Chris grinned at his pun, and it relieved the tension in my neck.

  “He usually calls to rub it in after something like this happens.”

  Right on cue, my phone began to ring, sending my heart into overdrive. I glanced at the caller ID. There was a number displayed, so I relaxed and answered. “Hello?”

  “Hi Shelby. This is Stacey Sherwood from Good Morning America. How are you doing today?”

  “Oh, I’m fine.” I caught Chris’s gaze and shook my head. “I’m at lunch with my husband right now. Can we talk later?”

  “Of course. I’ll be happy to call you back. Did you have a chance to think about my offer?”

  “Uh… yes. I don’t think I can do it. But thanks for asking.”

  “We could fly your husband out with you. Why don’t you talk it over with him, and I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  “Uh… okay.”

  “Good. I’ll talk to you then.” Disconnecting, I caught Chris staring at me with raised brows. He wondered what else I had forgotten to tell him.

  Oops. “That was Good Morning America. They want me to come on their show. They called yesterday. I guess I forgot to tell you.”

  “Are you serious?” Chris shook his head and exhaled. “You’re not doing it are you?”

  “No. I even told them no, but they keep telling me to think about it.”

  Chris smirked. “I guess not too many people turn them down.”

  “I know. Right?”

  “Well, at least it wasn’t your stalker calling.”

  “True.” But why hadn’t he called? Was he still here watching us?

  “Did you tell Dimples about him?”

  “Yes.” I spent the next few minutes telling Chris about our conversation and how Dimples had taken the news.

  Then it was our turn to give our statements to the police officer. A minute later, we could finally leave. “I think I’ll follow you back to the office for that conversation with Ethan.”

  Before Chris could respond, my phone rang again. Fear sent my pulse into overdrive. I glanced at the caller ID, and relaxed. “It’s Dimples.” I pushed the button. “Hey. I guess you heard.”

  “Heard what?”

  “About the restaurant. You know… the supposed shooting?”

  “Yeah, but how do you know about it?” he asked.

  “I’m here. It was my stalker.”

  “Holy hell! Are you okay?”

  “Yes, I’m fine.” I proceeded to tell him all about Chris’s lunch with JB Sizemore and how I’d found out about it. “I think the whole thing was a set up for my benefit.” I told him about the balloons, and that I’d told Bates about them too. “Oh… and it’s the same restaurant where Chris was poisoned.”

  “Sounds like he must have known about it.”

  “Yeah. I don’t think it was a coincidence.”

  “Well, I have some good news. I think I found a connection. Can you come back to the precinct?”

  “Of course, I’ll be right there.” I disconnected and glanced at Chris. “He found something. I guess I’ll have to postpone my chat with Ethan.”

  “That’s okay. Right now this is more important. I think that while you’re working on that, I’ll check out JB Sizemore. I’d like to know if the company really exists.”

  “Sounds good. I’m sorry I didn’t mention the name. For some reason, I forgot all about it.”

  “It’s okay. We’ll figure this out.” He pulled me in for a quick kiss, and we said our goodbyes.

  My heart filled w
ith hope that Dimples had found a connection. Maybe this was my lucky break. I hurried inside the precinct and went straight to Dimples’s desk. He smiled, sending those dimples of his into overdrive, and warmth crashed into me just to look at them.

  “I’m ready for some good news. What have you got?”

  His eyes gleamed with satisfaction, filling me with anticipation. “Do you remember that case with the debt merchant list and the lawyer?”

  “Yeah, sure. Lincoln Montgomery was killed over that list. He used to work for Chris’s firm. What did you find?”

  “Remember the ex-con that worked for him? The one who took the list after Lincoln was murdered?” At my nod he continued. “His name is Dalton Sizemore.”

  “Holy hell. That list was worth a lot of money, and he had to give it up because of my premonitions. That sounds like a motive to me.”

  Dimples nodded. “Since Dalton’s on probation, I have all of his information. I know where he is right now. Want to have a chat with him?”

  “You know it.”

  We took Dimples’s car to Dalton’s place of employment, which turned out to be a furniture company with a delivery service. Since it wasn’t far from the restaurant, he could have hurried over, done the dirty deed, and gone back to work.

  “He’s out loading a truck right now,” the manager told us. “Is he in some kind of trouble?”

  “No,” Dimples answered. “We just have a few questions to ask him.”

  “Okay. Come with me.” The manager led us to the back of the building where the loading docks were located. Dalton stood inside the back of a truck, loading a plastic-covered couch for delivery. Once it was secure, the manager called him over.

  Getting a good look at him, I recognized the hardness in his eyes and the diamond studs in his ears.

  He spotted us and hesitated, then walked slowly toward us, wondering what the hell was going on. He knew exactly who we were, and his back stiffened. I’d ruined everything for him last time. But this time he’d been real careful and followed all the rules. His cousin had promised that nothing could be traced back to him, so how could I know anything?

  He studied me, hoping to get a feel for what I might be doing there. He usually frightened women like me, but he knew I wasn’t intimidated in the least. I’d known things just by talking to him, and it gave him the creeps. But he knew we had nothing on him, so he needed to play it cool.

  My hopes sank. That didn’t sound like my stalker. Dalton was up to something, but it didn’t have anything to do with me.

  “Hello Dalton,” Dimples said. “We just have a few questions for you.” Dimples glanced at me, noticing my crestfallen expression and let out a sigh. “Shelby?”

  I gave Dalton a thin smile. “Do you know anyone by the name of JB Sizemore?”

  That caught him by surprise, and his eyes widened. “JB Sizemore?” At my nod, he glanced at Dimples. “Is this a joke?”

  “Just answer the question,” Dimples said.

  “No. I’ve never heard of him.” He was telling the truth. None of his relatives had those initials, and it baffled him that we’d seek him out just to ask a question like that. “Is that it?”

  Unfortunately, it was, but I hated to let him get away with something. “I don’t know what you’ve got going on with your cousin, but we’re watching you. Sooner or later, you’re going to get caught. Is it worth going back to jail for?” I wanted to say “punk” and push on his chest with my finger, but I just hardened my gaze instead.

  He swore under his breath, but didn’t take the bait. “Are we done?”

  “For now,” I said, hoping to sound tough.

  He frowned and shook his head, thinking I was a little crazy. But as he walked back to the truck, he thought it was time to lay low for a while and quit helping his cousin. Still, how did I know? It gave him the willies.

  Dimples thanked the manager, and we left the building. Inside the car, Dimples turned to me. “I guess it’s not him, but what was that cousin stuff all about?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know. He was just thinking about his cousin and how nothing could be traced back to him, so I went with it.”

  “Oh,” Dimples said, smiling just a little.

  “That was disappointing. I thought for sure it would be him.”

  “Yeah, me too. Why don’t you come back to the precinct and look at the rest of the files? There’s about nine of them you haven’t looked at. Maybe you’ll see something I missed.”

  “Okay.”

  “And,” he added, “Since I’m getting married in a few days, maybe we can think up a strategy in case he shows up at the wedding.”

  “Oh right.” I glanced his way. “I’m so sorry this is ruining your big day.”

  He shook his head. “Don’t worry. My wedding will be fine. But I think it’s time to tell the chief, and the others who are coming, about your stalker and his threat to me.” He shrugged. “With everyone on the look-out, nothing’s going to happen.”

  “What about telling Billie? I hate to ruin it for her too, so I’m not sure we should tell her.”

  “I know, but… she needs to know. I’ve been thinking about this a lot and, to be honest, I don’t think it will upset her. You know how she is with a story. The idea that you have a stalker who might show up at our wedding could be pretty exciting for her. You have to admit, it would make a great story. She’d probably want to tell all her fellow reporters. If we caught him there, I don’t think she’d mind in the least.”

  “Yeah, unless someone gets hurt.”

  “That’s not going to happen. You’ll be there. You’ll know, just like you did before.”

  Wow. Talk about pressure. “Okay. But let me be the one to tell her, all right?”

  “Sure.”

  Inside the precinct, I took the remaining files to my desk and sat down, doing my best to ignore the flowers. The next hour crept by without a single clue coming from the files. I couldn’t see a connection to any of these cases, and my frustration grew.

  I handed them all back to Dimples and told him it was a dead end. “I’ll look over my files again tonight. Maybe something will show up.” He nodded, but was disappointed as well.

  “You still want Billie to know?” I asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Okay. I’ll stop by the paper. I just have one more question.” This was something I wasn’t going to budge on, and I hoped Dimples would agree. “For your plan to involve the chief and the guys here, I need them to report everything to me. Do you think they’d do that?”

  His brows rose. “Sure. They know you’re the one with the premonitions, but if you’re worried, why don’t we tell the chief about it right now and see what he has to say?”

  At the moment, telling the chief wasn’t something I wanted to do. “Uh… how about you tell him when it’s closer to the wedding. It’s just that… there might be a chance I’ll figure it out before then, and I’d rather not involve anyone else unless we absolutely have to.”

  Dimples’s lips twisted, but he understood my reluctance. “Sure. But if you haven’t figured it out by tomorrow, I’m going to tell him.”

  “Okay. That should work.” I sighed. What should be a happy and exciting time for him was ruined because of me. I hated this. “I’ll look through my files again tonight, and if I find anything, I’ll let you know.”

  “Sounds good.”

  I left the precinct with a heavy heart. What a mess. Now I had to tell Billie, and hope that she wouldn’t be too upset. Dimples had a point that she might be okay with it, but this was her big day. I wasn’t sure his reasoning applied to their wedding. I put the call through, and she answered right away.

  “Hey Billie, are you busy?”

  “What’s up?”

  “I just need to talk for a minute. Can I come to your office?”

  “Hmm, that sounds serious,” she said. “Is it about Claire? Did you talk to Ethan?”

  “No it’s not them, although they were meeting t
oday, so that’s good. This is something else entirely, and it’s personal.”

  “Oh… that sounds juicy. Come on over. I’ll let the receptionist know you’re coming so she can send you right up.”

  I could practically hear her curiosity over the phone. Maybe Dimples had a point, and Billie wouldn’t be too upset. I guess I’d find out soon enough.

  I entered the building, remembering it was only the day before yesterday that I’d stopped the shooting and here I was, back for more. The receptionist waved me through, and I stepped in front of the metal detectors. The security guard did a double-take, surprised to see me again so soon.

  “Oh hey,” he said, thinking I was quite a celebrity around here. “How are you doing?”

  “I’m good, thanks.” That was a big lie, but I wasn’t about to tell him about a crazy stalker that was out to get me. As my bag went through the machine, he looked for my stun flashlight. Smiling to see it inside, he was grateful that I’d had it the other day. That thought cheered me up, and I smiled at him as I took my bag.

  I rode the elevator to Billie’s floor and stepped out to find her. Since I couldn’t remember where her cubicle was, I took a moment to look around. A few workers noticed me and started clapping. Hearing the commotion, the rest of them stopped what they were doing and joined in. Mortified, I felt my face turn red.

  Michael came out of his office and hurried to my side. “Thanks everyone,” he said. “It looks like she’s embarrassed, so good job.” At their laughter, he took my arm and guided me toward his office. “This is a pleasant surprise. What brings you here?”

  “That would be me,” Billie said, coming to my side. “She has some information about my story.” She sent a pointed look my way, hoping I’d go along with it. Michael was nice and all, but talking about her wedding while at work wasn’t part of her job description.

  “Yes,” I agreed. “Every little bit helps, right?”

  Michael wondered if it was something he could get in on, but he didn’t want to come between us. It was important that my relationship with Billie remained close. That way, when she asked to do a special story about me, it would be hard to turn her down.

  “Good,” he said. “I’ll let you get to it then.”