I wasn’t sure if he believed that, or if he was just trying to think encouraging thoughts to help me out. Still, at least he was on my side. I glanced over my shoulder and sent him a grateful smile. He was thinking we’ll get through this… just stick with me, okay?
Back outside, I turned to him. The sad but hopeful smile pulling up his lips tugged at my heart. In fact, if Willow hadn’t been standing there, I might have given him a hug. Instead, I gave him a high five. “You got it… I’ll see you tonight.”
“Thanks Shelby.” His sincere gratitude filled me with warmth, and I smiled in return. Willow felt a little left out… again, but she was happy I was leaving and she was headed back to the department. It gave her more time to cement her position there.
Shaking my head, I hurried to my car, ignoring her and giving Dimples a quick wave. I waited until after they left before I drove onto the street and headed for Thrasher Development. I wasn’t sure what Uncle Joey had for me, but I hoped it would be something good. Like a lemon meringue pie or chocolate truffles.
After parking, I climbed out of my car, leaving my police ID badge on the seat, and hurried to the elevators. I exited on the twenty-sixth floor and headed inside. Jackie greeted me with a warm smile. “Hi Shelby. Go on down”
As I passed my office, my heart filled with gratitude that I didn’t have to share it with anyone. At least Uncle Joey valued me. I knocked on the closed door before pushing it open.
Uncle Joey looked up from his computer and smiled. “Good. You made it. After Ramos told me about last night, I was a little worried. You want a diet soda?”
“You bet.” Sure it wasn’t chocolate or pie, but it was better than nothing.
He moved to the liquor cabinet and grabbed a couple of glasses. Opening the small fridge, he filled the glasses with ice, then set one down in front of me, along with a can of diet soda.
“Thanks.” I eagerly poured the soda over the ice and took a couple of swallows. “Ah… That’s better.” As I filled the glass with the remaining soda, the door opened, and Ramos stepped in.
“You want one?” Uncle Joey asked, filling up his glass.
“No. I’m good.” Ramos sat beside me, dressed more formally than yesterday in a black blazer and jeans. He smiled, grateful I’d survived the cops, and wondering how I did it. “So what happened with the police?”
With gusto, I explained my encounter with Bates and Grizzo. “So now, I guess they’re looking into all the leads I gave them. Bates promised to call me once they find Xavier so I can help with the interview. I sure hope I gave them enough clues to bring him in without being too specific.”
Ramos shook his head. “I’d say you handed him over on a silver platter. Now we’ll just have to see if they’re any good at their jobs.”
I smiled, grateful he had my back. “At least it shut Grizzo up. He didn’t think about you by name, so I don’t think he’s figured out who you are yet. Maybe he won’t dig around too much if we get Xavier.”
Ramos shook his head. “I wouldn’t count on it, but, like you said, you can always tell him that I was your way into the Tiki Tabu bar and the Polynesian gang.”
“Yeah. We’ll just have to wait and see.”
“There’s something else we need to do,” Uncle Joey said. “I got a call from Chris this morning.” At my widened eyes, he nodded. “Yeah… it surprised me too. But he wasn’t happy that you were passing me information about the case. That’s the reason I wanted you to stop by. I’ve got a burner phone for you. I want you to use it anytime you have sensitive information that you need to give me.”
He picked up a box from the top of his desk and handed it to me. “I’ve already programmed our numbers into the phone, so it’s ready to use. It’s untraceable, and, unless the police find it on you, there won’t be any record that we’ve spoken. Just remember that if you ever get caught, you need to get rid of it.” He was thinking I could destroy the phone pretty easily by breaking it or stomping on it.
“Wow. Just like in the movies, huh? Okay, I can do that.” I opened the box and took out the burner phone. It was small and compact, and if it kept me from going to jail, I was all for it. “It looks like one of those old flip phones.”
“Yes. That’s exactly right, so it shouldn’t be inconvenient to carry around. Ramos and I are the only people with that number, so we’ll be calling or texting you with sensitive information on that phone from now on.”
“Okay.”
Uncle Joey was thinking that he should have done this a long time ago, but he’d never had any reason to fear that my phone records could get subpoenaed before now. He’d probably have to go over all of this with me at some point after I became his successor, but, for now, this would have to do.
Why did hearing him call me his successor turn my stomach? In fact, just thinking about it made me a little dizzy. Did I really want to go down that road? Nope. Did it matter? Probably not. It was the road I was on, and it didn’t look like I could get off anytime soon. Oh hell.
They both looked at me with concern. Was something wrong? “Uh… no. I’m fine. In fact I’m really glad to have this… mostly.” Oops did I just say that out loud? “I mean… not that I’m planning to break the law, or anything… but I guess it’s better for all of us, so that’s good. And I’ll make sure the cops don’t get their hands on it either.”
I flipped the phone open. “I could probably break the top off if I twisted it, so that should work.” Both of them were staring at me with suppressed smiles on their faces. Ramos thought it was great how fast I accepted the whole mob side of things these days. It reminded him of my first day on the job when I wore a wig and glasses. That had been a hoot.
I frowned. He was right. Things had certainly changed. And now I was about to become Uncle Joey’s successor. Who would have thought? “Uh… is there anything else?”
“No,” Uncle Joey said. “Just call one of us when you hear anything about the case.”
“Sure. Hopefully that will be soon.”
“Good.” He glanced at Ramos, thinking I seemed a little upset. Why was that? “Do you have anything to add?”
“Yeah.” Ramos studied me, realizing that the stark reality of my job might be getting to me. Still, he couldn’t feel too bad about it. At least it meant that we’d be working together for a long time to come. Maybe I should look at it that way?
I sent him a grin. He had a point. Who wouldn’t want to work with him? In fact, if I was honest, it probably made all the rest of it worth it, but I wasn’t about to tell him that.
He nodded, happy to put a smile on my face. “There is something I want you to know. If this Grizzo person tries anything, you need to call me.” He’d heard of someone with the street name Grizzo. It had to be the same guy. Knowing he was an undercover cop was huge, and he’d be sure and let Vinny and the rest of the crew know.
What? Oh crap. I had leaked privileged information, just like a real informant, and probably broken the law. At least I had a burner phone, so it would be harder to get caught… so that was good. But what about Grizzo? What if my information got him killed? I couldn’t live with that. “Uh… just do me a favor, and make sure they don’t kill him, okay? I couldn’t live with that on my conscience, you know?”
“Don’t worry, Shelby,” Ramos said. “They know better than to kill a cop… and I’ll be sure to remind them.”
“Okay good, thanks.” I finished off my diet soda and set the glass down. “I guess that’s all I’ve got. Is there anything else you need?”
“No… that should do it,” Uncle Joey said, thinking that I was a good person, and he appreciated that I came through for him during this transition. “Thanks for coming in. We’ll be in touch.”
“Okay… thanks for the soda… and the phone. See you.” I slipped the burner phone into my pants pocket. It fit in there easily, unlike my smartphone that I had to lug around in my purse. That should help me keep track of it and make carrying two phones less of a hassle.
I sent them a quick wave and hurried to the door, picking up from Ramos that I shouldn’t worry too much about the cops. Manetto would protect me, no matter what happened with them.
As comforting as that sounded, I knew I walked a fine line. Sure I’d want Uncle Joey to step in and help me if I got in trouble with the law, but who would protect the cops from Uncle Joey? Did that mean I’d have to watch out for them too?
I made it to my car and slid inside. Since I didn’t want to worry about the cops and Uncle Joey, I pushed those concerns away to concentrate on my next move. I checked my watch to find that it was one-thirty in the afternoon. That meant I had plenty of time for a visit to Carolyn Brinkley, so I might as well head over there.
I didn’t know if Willow had called Carolyn about me, but I decided dropping in without a call first might be best. I knew I was taking a chance that she’d be home, but I wanted to get her raw reaction to the news that I was investigating Mack’s death. She had to know he’d been killed, but I doubted that anyone had spoken to her about it.
I programed the address into my phone and followed the directions to her house, finding it situated in one of the more expensive neighborhoods. Turning the corner onto her street, I admired the large, stately trees casting their leafy shadows along the road. Lined with identical lampposts and stone-covered mailboxes, the street could have been featured in a catalogue of celebrity homes.
Two stories tall, the homes featured a showcase of the Victorian style, with fancy, wooden doors and curving walkways. The manicured lawns and highly maintained shrubbery spoke of wealth and prosperity. I couldn’t see a weed anywhere and not a lot of people either.
I pulled to a stop in front of a large, intimidating house, checking the address one more time. Before leaving the car, I made sure my police ID badge was around my neck so I’d look official. Feeling like an outsider in this ritzy neighborhood, I walked up the steps and rang the doorbell, hearing the gong echo through the house.
I tried not to fidget, and listened for approaching footsteps. Nothing happened, and I reached to ring the bell again. As I touched it, I heard the sounds of footsteps, and jerked my hand away. The beautiful, cut-glass design in the top half of the door distorted the approaching figure, but I caught a splash of red.
As the door opened, it surprised me to find a woman in her late-twenties with shoulder-length, dark brown hair. The woman wore tan capris with a red, sleeveless shirt, and her brown eyes widened with curiosity. “Can I help you?”
“Hi.” I smiled, hoping to set her at ease. “I’m Shelby Nichols. I’m a consultant with the police, and I’m here to see Carolyn Brinkley. Is this the right house?”
“Uh… yes, but… she didn’t tell me you were coming. I’m afraid now’s not a good time. She’s resting.”
“Oh…”
“What’s this about?” The woman’s forehead wrinkled, and worry washed over her. Had her mother forgotten about this visit, or was it something she’d forgotten to tell her?
“I know it seems out of the ordinary to come here like this, but I was hoping she could help me with an investigation. You must be her daughter, Misti?”
“Yes.”
“It’s so nice to meet you. This is actually something that involves you as well. I’m here on behalf of Mack Haywood’s son. You might remember Mack from a few weeks ago. He was part of the search-and-rescue team that found your daughter.”
“Oh… yes. Of course.” She frowned, remembering that he’d been killed recently, and sadness washed over her. “Please come in.”
“Thanks.”
She ushered me into a spacious sitting room with hardwood floors and an elegant arrangement of matching furniture in mauve and dusty blue. She motioned me toward a chair, and she sat on the couch across from me.
“Did you hear about his death?”
“Yes. It was a real shock.” Sorrow lanced through her heart. “How can I help?”
“I’m just trying to gather all the recent information about him that I can find. I’m hoping it will give me more insight into his life and who might have wanted to kill him. Do you remember anything about him? I’m sure you were probably preoccupied with your missing daughter, but I know it meant a lot to him that he helped find her.”
“Yes. I think everyone was thrilled to have a happy ending. At the time, I was so frantic that I wasn’t sure what was going on. When your child goes missing like that… you always worry she won’t come back.”
Her eyes teared up. “So it was such a relief to find her, and I think everyone felt that way. I remember Mack handing her to me. I didn’t even get a good look at him, but later, he made a point of coming back to talk to Ava and me, which I really appreciated, even more so now that he’s gone.”
She swallowed, surprised that talking about him made her so emotional. “I owed him a great deal, and now… I’ll never be able to thank him properly.” She was pretty sure her mother had sent him a gift card or something, but it was hardly enough for what he’d done. “I can’t believe someone killed him.”
“Yeah. It doesn’t make a lot of sense. That’s why I’ve come today. The search for your daughter was the last search-and-rescue he went on. I know you were probably too worried to notice much, but is there anything unusual you remember about that day?”
She blew out a breath. “No… I’m sorry, I was too focused on finding Ava.”
I nodded. “I’m sure you were, but maybe your mother noticed something?”
Misti shrugged. “Uh… yeah… she might have. I think they exchanged numbers, so she may have spoken to him again, but right now, I don’t want to disturb her. She’s not in the best of health, but I’m sure she could talk to you another day.”
Misti wasn’t about to bother her right now, not after the morning she’d had. Her mother wasn’t the easiest person to live with, and lately, she seemed more bad-tempered than usual.
“Would tomorrow work? I could come earlier in the day… say eleven?”
Misti didn’t answer right away, not sure she wanted to commit, but what did she have to lose? If her mother had a problem with it, she’d just have to deal with it. “Sure. I’ll tell her you’ll be stopping by at eleven. Could I get your phone number in case something comes up and she can’t make it?”
“Of course. Give me your number and I’ll text you.” I pulled out my phone and sent the text, grateful that it was a good way to get her number as well. “Perfect. If you remember anything about him that could help, you’re welcome to call me, too.”
She nodded, thinking that would be a long shot, since she could hardly remember any details from that day except the one that mattered. The patter of little feet reached us, and a little girl came running into the room, holding a piece of paper in her hand. “Mommy! Mommy! See what I drawed.”
She bounded to her mother’s side, then noticed me and stared with interest. “Who’s that?”
“Hi Ava, I’m Shelby.” Ava leaned against her mother’s legs and studied me. “I was just talking to your mom for a minute. Can I see your drawing?” Suddenly shy, she nodded. I glanced at the blob of black and brown, not knowing what it was. “Wow. That’s nice. I like the colors. Can you tell me about it?”
“This is a dawg. He woofs. Woof, woof.”
“Do you like dogs?” She pursed her lips and nodded.
Misti glanced at me. “Ever since her rescue, the dog is all she talks about.”
I smiled at Ava. “Oh my goodness! I recognize that dog. He’s black and tan, and his name is Coco.” I leaned in a little closer. “Can I tell you a secret?”
Ava’s eyes widened. “Yeah.”
“I know Coco. In fact, he lives with me now. He’s my dog. Maybe if your mommy’s okay with it, you could see him again.”
“Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.” Ava jumped up and down with excitement.
“Ava, settle down, we don’t want to wake up Nana. Remember? You have to use your inside voice.”
“Yeah.” Ava jumped once more,
not using her inside voice at all, and so cute, I wanted to jump up and down along with her.
“Come sit down for a minute.” Misti picked Ava up onto her lap, but Ava arched her back and squirmed away. Before Misti could catch her, Ava ran back into the other room.
Misti shook her head and watched her go. “I swear she is always running away. You’d think after getting lost, she’d know better.” She caught my gaze. “So you have Coco? How did that happen?”
I told her the story, and she listened with rapt attention. “It’s kind of crazy that I ended up with him.”
“Wow… no kidding.”
“So… if you’d like, I’d be happy to bring Coco with me tomorrow, when I come.”
“Oh… I don’t know. My mother doesn’t like animals, but maybe it would be okay if we stayed in the backyard.” At my nod, she continued. “I don’t live here. I just stop by when she needs me. My husband and I live a few blocks over.”
“I’ll bet she’s glad to have you so close.”
“Yeah.” She nodded, thinking that her mother tended to need her more often than she used to, and it was getting tiresome. Now with her illness, it was even worse. She’d always been controlling, but now she was more demanding than ever, and her misgivings about buying a house in the neighborhood were coming true. Add in the money her mother had loaned them, and they were in her debt even more.
Hmm… that didn’t sound so great. “Well… I’d better go. But it was nice to meet you.”
“You too.”
I made my way out the door and glanced over my shoulder. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
She nodded, even though she knew her mother wasn’t likely to agree to see me. Maybe she wouldn’t tell her? Ava would love to see Coco again. So what was wrong with that? “Okay. See you then.”
The door closed behind me, and I hurried back to my car, not sure I’d learned anything of value. It sounded like Carolyn was dealing with an illness of some kind, and she wasn’t handling it very well. I could understand the pressure the illness put on Misti, but it seemed a little deeper than that. Taking the money into account, there was probably a lot more to it.
Dying Wishes: A Paranormal Women's Fiction Novel (Shelby Nichols Adventure Book 14) Page 20
