Trapped By Revenge: A Shelby Nichols Adventure

  “Yes. If we can get George to put what he heard in writing, we might be able to postpone the execution.”

  “Oh,” I said. “Well, I don’t think George will do it. Mostly because he told Sam and now Sam’s dead and George doesn’t want to be next. Plus there is the small problem that he moved out, and I don’t know where he went.”

  Chris frowned, thinking that wasn’t any help at all. But at least I’d found a connection between the two murders, so that was progress. He hadn’t heard anything from Dimples, so he hoped that was a good thing and they weren’t ready to arrest me…yet.

  “You really think they’re going to arrest me?” I asked.

  “No, no, not at all,” he assured me. “But if they do, be sure you don’t tell them anything without me there, okay?”

  “Okay.” He was lying about the getting arrested part. He really thought it might happen. Didn’t he know I’d hear that? It kind of freaked me out, but since that’s what he thought, maybe now would be a good time to tell him about tonight and the poker game. How could he object to it if he realized that going might keep me out of jail?

  “I have plans tonight,” I blurted. “Uncle Joey wants me to listen to another judge, and under the circumstances, I think it’s a good idea.”

  “Another judge? Good grief! How many has he got under his thumb anyway?”

  “Well…at least three, but they’re not exactly under his thumb,” I said. “He calls it scratching each other’s backs, so it’s not like he’s really bribing them or anything.”

  “Right,” Chris said. But he was thinking I was making excuses for Uncle Joey, and he didn’t like it one bit. It was never a good thing to get too close to an enemy because it was easy to get sucked in and take their side. He could see it was happening to me, but didn’t know if I realized it yet. “So what does he want you to do now?”

  “Just play a few games of poker,” I replied. How could he think that I was taking Uncle Joey’s side? I wasn’t getting sucked in. If I didn’t have to work for him, I wouldn’t, and it was unfair of Chris to think otherwise. “At least he’s trying to find the connection between me and the murderer. Checking out the judge might be what it takes to keep me out of jail.”

  Chris sighed. I made a good point, but playing poker with his goons? Was that really necessary? What about the danger to me, especially if I won all their money? That sure wouldn’t go over very well with a bunch or crooks. Although he wouldn’t put it past Manetto to want me to play just so I’d win. Manetto was probably betting on me and hoping to make a lot of money.

  “You’re wrong,” I said. “Uncle Joey’s playing against me. So there’s no way he will make any money.”

  Chris shrugged, still not convinced. “Where is the game?”

  “At Uncle Joey’s place,” I hedged. That wasn’t exactly a lie, and knowing that Chris might not approve of where it really was kept me from telling him the whole truth. “He’s picking me up at eight-thirty so I don’t have to drive, and since I’ll be with him, you don’t have to worry that anything bad will happen to me. Plus, all the money I win I get to keep, even Uncle Joey’s, so that’s good.” I almost told him Ramos would be there to protect me too, but I didn’t think he’d like hearing that.

  Chris wrinkled his nose, thinking that if I was with Uncle Joey, it was a pretty sure bet that Ramos would be there too. “Maybe I should come along.”

  “That would be nice, and I wish you could, but it’s probably not a good idea. I’d rather keep you out of it if I can.” I stood, knowing I needed to get Chris’ mind off tonight. Even the fact that I might beat Uncle Joey out of his money hadn’t seemed to register.

  “But what if I want to come?” he asked. “Maybe I want to see you play and make sure you’re safe. I think I have a good reason to be there.”

  Why was he making this so hard? “Well…maybe you’re not invited.” Wow, did I just say that out loud? Crap! “Chris…listen, it’s not that I don’t want you to come, but Uncle Joey doesn’t, and this is his show. He’s trying to help me and we’ve got to do it his way. I know you don’t like it, but it’s not fair for you to put me in the middle like this. Don’t you see how I can’t please you both?”

  “Yes, I can definitely see that.”

  It was so hard not to roll my eyes. Even without listening to his thoughts I knew he meant I was putting Uncle Joey before him. Why was he being such a poo-head? I decided to take it the way he should be thinking of it and not the way he was. “Good. I’m glad you understand. It’s late. I’d better get dinner started.”

  “Shelby, wait.” Chris jumped up and caught my hand, stopping me. “I’m sorry I’m making this so hard. I’m just frustrated and worried. You’re right. You need to find out if this judge is the one Killpack was working for. But will you do me a favor? While you’re there, please see if you can find out anything about Manetto that will help you get out from under him. I know it’s a long shot, but will you keep that in mind? For me?”

  “Of course,” I agreed. “I’ve been thinking about that anyway, so I’ll see what I can find out.”

  “Good, thanks.” Chris pulled me into his arms. “We’ll get through this.” He hugged me close, and I sighed, letting the tension of our little chat flow out of me. Chris might be a poo-head sometimes, but he really did love me. He pulled away and lovingly held my gaze. “Now, what’s for dinner? I’m starved.”

  ***

  After dinner was over and things had settled down, I slipped into my room to get ready. I had to add more make-up since I was going to a fancy nightclub and didn’t want to look washed out. I darkened my eye-shadow and eye-liner, added more mascara, and then finished up with blush and red lipstick. I added a little more volume to my hair and set it with hairspray. Looking at the results in the mirror, I had to admit I looked pretty darn good.

  Conscious of Ramos’ desire that I wear the dress he bought for me made me a tad uncomfortable. I didn’t want him to read too much into it. Besides, I wanted to prove I was my own woman, so I put on my little black dress instead. I reasoned that I could still wear the fabulous shoes he’d bought me, and this dress looked just as good, or maybe even better.

  As I slipped on the diamond earrings and necklace Chris had given me for our anniversary, he came in to see what I was doing. His breath caught, and his mouth dropped opened. The shock from his mind had me worried that he was going to have a heart attack or something.

  “You’re wearing that to play poker?” He had thought this little poker game was an informal affair, and I hadn’t said anything to the contrary, so he was more than a bit surprised. “Didn’t you tell me you were playing at Uncle Joey’s house?”

  “Um…not his house. I thought I told you,” I said, trying to sound innocent. “Uncle Joey is picking me up and we’re going to his club. He told me to dress up. Do you think I over-did it?”

  He was thinking he didn’t want me to go anywhere looking like that. Not without him by my side. “Yes,” he said. “You should wear something else. You’re way over-dressed for a poker game.”

  My phone buzzed, and I glanced at the text message. “Dang, they’re here,” I told Chris. “I don’t have time to change now.”

  Chris pursed his lips and frowned. If he didn’t know better, he’d think I’d staged the whole thing. “So you’re going to a nightclub? What club is it?”

  I shrugged. “I’m not sure. All I know is that Uncle Joey owns it. Do you want me to call you when I get there?” I knew better than to tell him which one right now, because he was thinking that he was going to show up whether he was invited or not. Just to keep an eye on me.

  “Shelby.” He closed his eyes and clenched his teeth, thinking I was driving him insane. “Do you know what this is doing to me?”

  My face flushed with guilt. “Kind of, but don’t worry. I’ll be good…um… fine.” I gave him a quick hug, then pulled back and gazed into his eyes. “I have to do this. I don’t want to go to jail.”

  He sighe
d, knowing he couldn’t argue with that, no matter how much he didn’t like it. He’d always been happy to have such a beautiful and alluring wife, but watching me leave looking like I did tonight made him more than a little cranky. “Okay. You’d better go.”

  I hurried out, telling my kids goodbye as I rushed past them. Savannah glanced up and blinked. Wow, I looked amazing. “Where are you going?” she asked.

  “Work,” I answered briskly. “I’ll be back later.”

  I sailed out the door before she could ask any more questions. In the driveway, Ramos was standing by the passenger door and quickly opened it for me to get in. As he shut the door, I glanced back at the house to see Chris and Savannah watching me from the window. I waved, but they didn’t wave back, and my stomach clenched with remorse.

  “They can’t see you,” Uncle Joey said. “The windows are tinted.”

  “Oh. Yeah, I forgot.” I kept my gaze on them until we pulled away. Uncle Joey didn’t say a word. Even his mind was quiet, and I was grateful for the silence. I needed a few minutes to pull myself together, and not think too hard about how this affected my family. I reasoned that if I got arrested, it would be lots worse, so this was hardly anything in comparison to that. Chris might be unhappy, but he understood. I hoped.

  “How was your visit to the prison today?” Uncle Joey asked.

  “Good,” I said, grateful to stop thinking about Chris. “I actually found a connection between the cases. It looks like Sam Killpack was investigating this other murder, and might have found out something that got him killed.”

  “So the guy in prison is innocent?”

  “Yes. He didn’t do it.”

  “Hmm…so why was Killpack investigating?” Uncle Joey asked.

  “I have a few ideas,” I answered. “But the only way to know for sure would be to see his case files. Did you get access to them?”

  “Not yet, but I’m working on it.” Uncle Joey was thinking his source should have copies to him by tomorrow. I wondered how both Uncle Joey and Billie were going to manage that, since each of them was trying to get to the files. It wouldn’t be easy, and I was glad I didn’t have to worry about it.

  I also wondered if I should tell Uncle Joey about George, but decided against it. It didn’t seem as significant to my case as it probably was for Jim and proving his innocence. But what if I was wrong? I could always tell him later. Besides, right now, I needed to concentrate on playing poker.

  “So tell me about the poker game,” I asked. “Is there anything I need to know before we get there? Like…is it all right to win from everyone, or is there someone who would get really mad if I beat them?”

  Uncle Joey chuckled, thinking he really didn’t want to get beaten by me, but he didn’t think I was including him in my equation. “It’s a regular game we play once a week. There’s usually five of us, but tonight someone couldn’t come, which left an opening for you to take his place.” He was thinking it had only taken a minute to ‘persuade’ Sonny to stay home tonight. “I’ll introduce you as my niece from Orlando again if you like. That way it will be easier to keep our stories straight.”

  “Okay,” I agreed.

  “Our little group has been playing together for years, but I don’t think anyone will object to a new face, especially one as pretty as yours.” He smiled, but was thinking these poker games were darned exclusive, and they’d never allowed someone else to join them before, so he’d have to come up with an explanation they would buy. Of course, not too many people objected to what he wanted.

  “You could tell them I have some serious poker skills and wanted to try my luck with the real pros or something,” I said with a shrug. “Most men are pretty competitive, so I think if you make it more of a challenge, they’ll go for it.”

  Uncle Joey nodded. “Good point.”

  “What about the money to bet with?” I asked. “I didn’t bring any.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ve got you covered. We start with one thousand each, so I brought enough for both of us. We usually stop at midnight or earlier if someone wins it all, which I have to tell you has never happened.”

  “So it’s okay if I win it all?” I asked.

  His brows drew together in concern. Was I serious? “Maybe not. But we’ll see how it goes. Remember, you’re there to find out if the judge is involved, and that’s your primary role.”

  “Sure,” I said. “But I get to keep any money I win, right?”

  This time his smile reached his eyes. “Of course.”

  “And you’re playing?”

  “Uh-huh,” he answered. His shrewd glance pinned me to my seat. “Just don’t make anyone too angry. This is supposed to be a friendly game.”

  I smiled. “I wouldn’t dream of it.” I knew that Uncle Joey didn’t want to lose in front of his friends, and it seemed funny to me that in this one thing I could probably beat the pants off him. How could I pass that up? From the front seat, Ramos was thinking it took a lot of guts to beat Manetto. But he wouldn’t put it past me to try, and this was one game he didn’t want to miss.

  The car slowed, and I glanced up as we pulled in front of the club. A big neon sign with “The Comet Club” in blue lights blazed above the entrance. An attendant opened our door and after Uncle Joey exited, I tried to glide out with as much elegance as I could. There was a small crowd gathered in front of the club waiting to get in, and all of them turned to watch the limo, hoping to catch sight of a celebrity or famous person. Too bad all they got was me.

  Uncle Joey held his arm out for me, expecting me to slip my arm through his. With a swallow, I complied, hoping no one I knew was there to witness us together like this. I hadn’t even thought of that, and my stomach tightened with dread.

  Of course, none of the people I knew were rich or famous, so I was probably safe. Still, I couldn’t help hearing a few random thoughts about me and Uncle Joey. I slammed my shields tight, just to make sure my feelings wouldn’t get hurt and throw me off my game. Even though I was nothing like the person I portrayed, I still had to act like her. Shelly Manetto…ugh!

  The doorman quickly admitted us, and I was able to drop Uncle Joey’s arm. I followed him through the club to a small back room with a set-up just like the one in Orlando at The Metropol, where I’d beat the pants off Carson. That seemed like ages ago, but it gave me the confidence I needed to see this through. If I’d won a million dollars then and come out alive, I could certainly do this now. And this time I’d get to keep my winnings!

  Three other players were already seated at the poker table, and they each stood as Uncle Joey introduced me to them one at a time. The first man was a business colleague, the second was an astrophysics professor at the local college, and the judge, whose name was Jack, came last. I kept repeating “Jack the Judge” over and over in my mind so I wouldn’t forget his name.

  Uncle Joey told them I was his niece from Orlando. “She begged me to let her play with us, and since Paul couldn’t make it, I thought why not? I hope you don’t mind.”

  They were all too polite to protest, although the professor was miffed, thinking that if I slowed down the game he would be seriously peeved. He thought the ‘seriously peeved’ part with a British accent, and I couldn’t help the mocking smile that came to my lips.

  The business colleague was delighted to have such a beautiful woman to look at across the table. Whether I could play or not, he was happy with the arrangement. I liked him immediately. Maybe I’d let him keep some of his money.

  Jack the judge was thinking Joe was up to something and wondering who I was since he’d known Joe all his life and knew he didn’t have a niece from Orlando. He smiled at me, thinking I was a puzzle that he hoped to solve before the night was out. Maybe once he figured it out, he would have some leverage with Joe, and it would help him out with his other problem.

  Great! So Jack and Uncle Joey were childhood friends? Why didn’t Uncle Joey tell me that? It didn’t make sense that Jack would be setting Uncle Joey up for a
nything if they’d known each other all their lives. Only…there was something he was hiding from Uncle Joey. Something he thought might make Uncle Joey upset.

  “Shelby?” Uncle Joey said.

  Oops. They were all waiting for me to say something. Then it hit me that Uncle Joey had just called me Shelby instead of Shelly. I scanned their minds, but they only thought they’d heard wrong the first time and it was no big deal.

  “Um…it’s a pleasure to meet you all, and thanks for including me in your little game,” I said. “I’ve been thinking about entering a poker tournament in Las Vegas, so this will give me some practical experience.”

  They were all a little shocked that I thought I was that good. The professor perked up and changed his mind about me, thinking that maybe this wouldn’t be so boring after all. It didn’t change my mind about him, since he’d based his first impression that I couldn’t play poker on my blond hair. Nope, I still didn’t like him much and was determined to take all his money, just because I could. At least that part was going to be fun.

  The dealer got right to work and traded in our cash for chips before dealing out the first hand. It had been a couple of months since I’d played, and I was a little worried that I wouldn’t remember everything, but it came back pretty quick. It was also easier than I thought to keep everyone’s cards straight.

  The first half hour went by quickly, while everyone tried to get a feel for how I played. Since I didn’t have the pressure on me to win, I enjoyed playing a lot more this time. The only problem came when I couldn’t keep my poker face on. It was hard not to smile when I had the better hand. The others picked up on my twitchy lips and folded before I could raise them.

  When I heard them thinking about my lips after that, it was even harder not to smile, so I tried smiling and twitching my lips when I had a bad hand and confused everyone. After that no one trusted my facial expressions, and I started winning pretty consistently.

  We took a break after an hour, and Uncle Joey was thinking that I probably hadn’t heard a thing I was supposed to. Not with how well I was doing. He was right about that. “Let’s go talk to the judge for a minute,” I told him. “He’s hiding something.”