Dying Wishes: A Paranormal Women's Fiction Novel (Shelby Nichols Adventure Book 14)

by Colleen Helme

  Bates thought the X was interesting, but still too vague to help much. “Is the X part of his first name or last name?”

  I closed my eyes and took a breath before answering, hoping they’d think I was using my psychic ability to find the answer. “I think it’s his first name. Something like Xavier or Xander. Other names have an X in them, like Jaxon, Max, and Alex, but, to be honest, I’d start with Xavier and Xander first.”

  “Okay.” Bates nodded, completely fascinated and believing every word. “I’ll put it into the database and see what comes out.”

  Grizzo thought I had to be making this up. Or I’d come by it because of my late-night excursion, and I was duping the police into thinking it came from my psychic abilities. Either way, he had to admit that I put on quite a show.

  I ignored Grizzo and spoke directly to Bates. “If you get a hit, I’d like to help with the questioning.”

  “Of course. And if you get any more information… or premonitions, give me a call.”

  “I will.” I stood, hoping to get away before Grizzo asked me about last night. “I’ve got to go. I’m helping Harris and Willow with their case, and they’re waiting for me.”

  “You’re helping them too?” Grizzo asked.

  “Yeah, you guys keep me pretty busy. See ya.” With a little wave, I stepped out of the room and into the detectives’ bullpen. I weaved my way toward Dimples, grateful to have escaped Grizzo. How long would he keep quiet about last night? I wasn’t sure, but at least I got away from him this time.

  A woman called my name, and I glanced over my shoulder. “Shelby. Do you have a minute?” Spotting Clue, I turned in her direction. She was wondering if I was still working on the Mack Haywood case. She glanced between Bates and Dimples, thinking that, from the looks of things, it seemed like everyone in the department wanted my help. Was I really that good?

  I’d forgotten all about Clue and Williams, so it was a good thing she’d called to me. “Hey Clue. How’s it going? Find anything new on the case?”

  “I was just going to ask you that.” She wanted me to go first, since they hadn’t found much.

  “Why don’t you start?” Since I hadn’t decided what to tell her, I’d take every advantage I could get.

  She flushed. “Well… that’s the problem. We’re still looking through his financial records. He had quite a nice retirement fund stashed away. I’m talking a couple of million. With him gone, it all goes to his son, Austin.”

  “Oh wow… I didn’t know that. So are you thinking Austin did it?” At her nod, I continued. “Does Austin have an alibi?”

  “Not really. I mean, he says he was at home, but he lives alone, and we haven’t found anyone who can actually verify that.”

  “Interesting. But I don’t think it’s him.”

  “Why?”

  “He was too broken up about losing his father. Plus, he wanted me to look into it. Also, why would Mack put the dog in the other room if it was Austin? Austin and the dog had a good relationship, so that doesn’t make any sense. No, I think it has to be someone who doesn’t like dogs, or who is allergic to animals.”

  “Oh… yeah, I guess you’re right.”

  “When I spoke to the neighbor, I found out that his wife is allergic to animals. That neighbor, Reed Gardner, is the one who found Mack and called the police. He told me his wife had gone to bed with a migraine headache earlier, and he’d been downstairs watching TV for a couple of hours. She could have snuck out of the house while Reed was in the basement and killed Mack.”

  Clue’s mouth dropped open. How did I find that out? Damn. I was good. “But why would she do that?”

  “Your guess is as good as mine.” I shrugged. “But there’s always an affair gone wrong scenario… or anger over a neighbor dispute… that sort of thing.”

  “You know… now that I think about it, we never did talk to her. It was always her husband. I guess we’d better go back and see what she has to say.” She thought that was a great lead, and I had proven my worth in her eyes. “Anything else?”

  “Yeah, but I’ve got to do a little more digging before I know if it’s going anywhere. If it pans out, I’ll let you know.”

  “Okay. Thanks.”

  I nodded, feeling a little bad about sending Clue after Reed’s wife. But, as much as I liked him, his wife was still a suspect, and I had too much on my plate right now to question her. If this lead with Carolyn and her granddaughter came to nothing, I could still go back to question Reed’s wife, and I’d know in an instant if she was the murderer.

  Dimples glanced at me, thinking I was sure taking my sweet time getting to him. I grinned and hurried over to his desk. “I can’t help it if everyone needs me to solve their cases around here.”

  He shook his head. “I know… how did we ever manage without you?”

  “I seriously have no idea.” I glanced around the room. “Is Willow here?”

  He glanced back at my desk and grimaced, wondering where Willow was. She should be here by now.

  “Maybe you’d better call her?”

  “Yeah, maybe.” He knew he should call, but right now, he’d like to forget all about her.

  A deep sense of satisfaction rolled over me. If nothing else, it was nice to be appreciated.

  “Speak of the devil.” Dimples caught sight of Willow rushing in. She caught everyone’s attention in her colorful clothes, looking more done up than usual. Her arms and neck dripped with jewelry, and she wore a flowing peasant dress, with colorful embroidery, that sported tassels hanging from the sleeves and neck. But the biggest surprise was her floppy hat and big round sunglasses, straight out of the sixties… or was it the seventies?

  “Oh good, you haven’t started yet. Sorry I’m late. Just let me put these away.” She glided to my desk and set her glasses and hat on top, then placed her fringed, leather purse in a big side drawer and locked it up with a key.

  Shock flowed over me. What the hell? I didn’t even know there was a key to that drawer. She caught everyone staring and smiled, happy for the attention, before rushing back to us. “Are the men here?”

  “Yes,” Dimples said.

  “Good. I hope you don’t mind, but I’d like to question them. I have a gut feeling that one of them is responsible, and I think I’ll be able to spot him if I ask the right questions.”

  My breath caught. She was taking a page right out of my playbook. The nerve. Was she trying to copy me? I couldn’t get a good read on her mind, but I felt the blossoming thread of conviction that she planned to solve the case without my help. It was her mission to impress Dimples and the whole department, and today was the day.

  Hmm… that was a tall order, and I couldn’t wait to prove her wrong. With her unfettered confidence, she definitely had something up her sleeve, but I had no idea what it was.

  Dimples’s brows rose in shock. She wanted to question the suspects? He didn’t trust her for one minute, so what was she up to? Had she gone to an outside source? He glanced my way. Had I picked up anything? Did I know her plans?

  I shrugged my shoulders, feeling his immediate disappointment. “Shall we get started?”

  “Yeah.” He opened a folder so I could see it, and Willow crowded to his other side to take a look. “This guy’s name is Carver Thomas, and he’s a chef at one of the nearby restaurants.”

  Carver seemed like an unusual name, but it definitely fit for a chef. It fit even better for someone who used a knife and stabbed people.

  Dimples closed the file, and we followed him to the interrogation room. He stepped inside, with Willow and me following behind. There were only two chairs in front of the desk, and Willow launched herself into one before I had a chance. Dimples glanced up to the ceiling and shook his head before offering the other chair to me.

  I shook my head and moved to the corner, leaning against the wall with my arms folded. With a sigh, Dimples sat down and quickly introduced all of us. “Thanks for coming in. As you know, we’re investigating a homicide
that happened the night you were at the hotel. This woman…” He placed an eight-by-ten photo of Sophie in front of him. “…was drugged while she had a drink at the bar. A man took her to her room where he planned to rape her. Do you recognize her?”

  Carver studied the photo and shook his head. “No. At least not that I remember.”

  “How about him? This is her husband. He showed up at their room, and this is what happened to him. Did you see him that night?”

  Dimples shoved the crime scene photo of Brock next to Sophie’s. Brock was covered in blood from multiple stab wounds, and he lay in the red, stained sheets with his eyes wide open. “Take a good look. Someone stabbed him about twenty times.”

  Carver jerked back, his heart hammering. “I didn’t see him. I don’t know anything about this. Why are you asking me?” His eyes widened. “Wait. You think I had something to do with this? Are you crazy?”

  I opened my mouth to tell Dimples that Carver didn’t do it, but Willow jumped in before I could.

  “I’m sure this was the last thing you expected when you came in.” Willow made an effort to keep her voice soothing and low. “We just want to know if you saw Sophie leave the bar with someone. Just think back to that night. You were at the bar to have a drink after your shift at the restaurant. You needed to unwind after a long day on your feet. After you sat down and ordered your drink, Sophie sat on a stool not far from you. You thought she was beautiful, and she caught your interest—”

  “It’s not him,” I said, cutting her off. She was trying to hypnotize him into confessing, and it wasn’t going to work. I glanced at Carver. “Tell them why it couldn’t be you.”

  He glanced from me to Willow and back, finally realizing that I was on his side. “I’m gay. I’m not interested in women. That’s why I didn’t notice her.”

  “Thanks Carver,” I said. “Sorry about that. You can go now. Thanks for coming in.” He gave me a nod of relief, and narrowed his eyes at Dimples and Willow before heading out the door. After he left, Dimples caught my gaze and pursed his lips together to keep from smiling.

  “It must be one of the others,” Willow said, chagrined that she’d failed. “Where are they?”

  “One is in the next interrogation room, and the other guy is waiting in the hall.” Dimples was tempted to tell her to wait in the hall, too, but he just pursed his lips together instead.

  I liked that idea, but, to be honest, I enjoyed having Willow there so I could show her up. I met Dimples’s gaze. “Why don’t you bring him in here? We’ll wait.”

  His brows rose. Didn’t I like his idea? “Sure. I’ll be right back.”

  The door shut, and Willow sent a furtive glance my way, frustration and insecurity gnawing at her stomach. “How did you know he was gay?” She could usually tell, but this guy didn’t fit the bill. Of course, she’d been so busy thinking about her strategy that she’d missed it. She’d have to do better with the next one.

  She stared at me, expecting an answer, so I shrugged. “I guess it’s my psychic ability.”

  She inhaled sharply at the dig, then pursed her lips and frowned, trying to come up with a witty comeback. Before she could speak, the door opened, and Dimples ushered another man in.

  He was similar in looks to the first guy, but I knew right away that he wasn’t gay. Willow looked him over, hoping to pick up a gay vibe from him, but she was baffled, and her confidence took a hit.

  Dimples used the same method with showing him the photos, but Willow held back, waiting for my input. I knew right away it wasn’t him, but there was a flash of recognition when he saw the photo of Sophie.

  I quickly moved to stand beside him. “You saw her at the bar. Did you notice the man who sat by her?”

  He shook his head. “No. I mean… I think there was someone who spoke to her for a minute, but it was hardly long enough to lure her away.”

  “Did you notice when she left? Did she leave by herself?”

  “Yeah… I think she did. I remember thinking she was pretty drunk, and I didn’t know how she’d make it to her room. But then someone helped her out.” From his mind, I caught a mental image of a man who wore a hotel uniform. There was something familiar about him, and it suddenly hit me that I’d seen him in the videos.

  “Was it the bartender?”

  “Yeah, that’s it. He helped her.”

  Dimples caught my gaze. Was the bartender the killer? I shrugged. I hadn’t talked with him yet, but he had ample opportunity to put something in Sophie’s drink. Still, if he was working that night, it didn’t seem like he could slip away long enough to go through with his nefarious plans, let alone kill Brock.

  “I think I need to talk to the bartender.”

  “Good idea,” Dimples agreed.

  CHAPTER 12

  After leaving the interrogation room, Dimples rushed to his desk to find the number for the hotel bar. Willow left to use the restroom, and I sat down in the chair beside Dimples. While he spoke, I got a text message from Ramos, asking me to call him. Since now seemed like a good time, I strolled to my desk in the corner and put the call through.

  “Babe,” he answered. “That was quick. Are you in trouble?”

  “Ha, ha. What’s up?”

  “Manetto wants you to stop by. He’s got something for you.”

  “Oh… okay. I’m at the police station right now, but I can come over once I’m done.”

  “I take it your plan worked?” he asked.

  “For the most part.”

  “Good. I look forward to hearing all about it. See you soon.” He disconnected, and I slipped my phone back into my purse. Glancing up, I found Willow glaring at me from across the room. She immediately smoothed her features and jerked her gaze to Dimples, who was just finishing up his call.

  After he hung up, Willow asked him what he’d found out, but he was looking for me and didn’t answer her. Spotting me at my desk, he hurried over, with Willow trailing behind. “The bartender won’t be in until later, so there’s a chance he might be at home. I’ve got his address. Want to go?”

  “Yeah, sure.” I sent him a warm smile, mostly because he was asking me and not Willow.

  “I’ll get my purse,” Willow said, not about to be left behind. “Could you move?”

  Hot anger filled my chest. It was on the tip of my tongue to tell her off. After all, it was my desk, and I’d fought long and hard to earn my place here. Instead, I huffed out a breath and got out of her way, hoping I could contain my rage before I slapped her silly.

  Dimples’s anger spiked too, and he thought I had a lot more restraint than he would have. Too bad she was there at all, but, no matter what happened, he vowed he’d never work with her again.

  That calmed me down a little, and part of me even felt sorry for her. She just wanted to fit in and be part of the group. If that didn’t mean taking my job, I might have been nicer. But, after this, I had to make sure she got the boot, no matter what it took.

  Sure, both Chris and Ramos thought I should stop working for the police for a while, but I couldn’t let her win. Maybe, once she was gone, I could consider cutting back my time here. But until then, this meant war, and she was going down.

  Filled with grim determination, I followed Dimples and Willow to his car. Of course, Willow hurried directly to the passenger side, relegating me to the back seat again.

  “You know what?” I glanced at Dimples. “I’m going to drive over. I’ll meet you there.”

  “Are you sure?” Disappointment flooded over him. More than anything in the world, he wanted me to be his partner again. But he couldn’t fault me for my decision. He’d feel the same way.

  “Yeah… I’ll follow you. Can you text me the address just in case I get lost?” He nodded and sent the text. “Thanks. See you there.”

  In my car, I let out a breath and tried to relax my tense shoulders. On top of helping Bates and worrying about Grizzo, this little outing with Dimples and Willow ratcheted the tension even higher, and it w
as starting to get to me.

  Maybe I should talk to Bob sooner than next week? Hadn’t he said I could call him anytime? Just knowing that I had a resource like him helped settle me down, and I took a deep, cleansing breath before driving out to follow Dimples.

  Several minutes later, he pulled to the curb in front of an apartment complex, and I stopped behind him. We all trooped into the building and up the stairs to the second floor, none of us saying a word. The bartender’s room stood at the far end.

  Dimples pounded on the door and stepped back to wait for it to open. A few minutes passed with nothing happening, so Dimples knocked again. We waited a little longer, but it was a lost cause, and Dimples stated the obvious. “He must not be home.”

  “Now what?” Willow asked. She glanced my way, wondering why my premonitions hadn’t warned us that he wouldn’t be here.

  I inhaled sharply and clenched my jaw to keep my mouth shut before I said something I might regret. In that moment, any sympathy I may have had for her totally vanished. Willow’s eyes widened. She thought I looked upset, like I might slap her for no reason. What the heck? She hadn’t done anything wrong.

  “Okay,” Dimples said, glancing nervously between us. “We’ll just have to meet at the bar tonight and talk to him then. The manager said he had the late shift from seven to closing. Is there a time that works better for either of you?”

  Willow was thinking about the reading she had set up for tonight, but she could probably reschedule.

  “How about nine?” I glanced her way. “You should be done with your reading by then, right?”

  “Uh… uh… yeah, that’s… that’s true.”

  “Good.” I headed back down the hallway, with Dimples and Willow hurrying to catch up. Dimples mentally applauded me, thinking I was standing up to Willow the best way possible. And, since it was the perfect response without giving away my real secret, he had to admire that I held back my temper.