Crossing Danger: A Shelby Nichols Adventure

  “Who you thought it was?” I asked, buying time for a response.

  “Yes.” She raised her brow, thinking that was just what she’d said.

  “No. You didn’t tell me a thing, but I’m sure you’ve got someone in mind. Don’t you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Anyway...I’m glad you’re doing better. Don’t worry about the thumb-drive. It’s safe and sound.”

  “That’s a relief,” she said. “Please don’t tell Drew you have it. I don’t think he’d let me keep it if he knew.”

  “How about I make him a copy?”

  She stilled. From my tone of voice, it sounded like I’d already done that. “Did you tell him?”

  I let out a big sigh. “Yes. But he figured it out, and I think it’s for the best. I haven’t given it to him yet, but I think I should.” At her raised eyebrows, I continued, “Look, Billie, you were nearly killed over this. It’s not worth your life. You need his help. If it will make you feel better, I’ll make another copy for you. Then you’ll both have one.”

  She knew that I was right and she was being stubborn. “Okay...that should work.”

  “And tell him who you think took the original too,” I said, since she was being amenable. “We need to get to the bottom of this before anyone else gets hurt.”

  She nodded. “Okay, I’ll do it.”

  “Good,” I said, smiling. “I guess I’d better go. Is there anything else you need?”

  “Drew,” she said. “Can you tell him to come see me?” She missed him and worried he’d give up on her because of her secrets.

  “Yes of course. I’m headed over to the precinct right now, so I’ll let him know.”

  “Thanks, Shelby,” she said, closing her eyes. She hated to admit it, but now that she didn’t have to keep it from him, she could finally rest, and she realized she should have done it long before now.

  ***

  Since I couldn’t put it off any longer, I got in my car and headed for the precinct. Just as I put the car into drive, an announcer on the radio said they had breaking news and it looked like the missing girl had been found alive and well. My mouth went dry and my heart raced. Were they talking about Chloe?

  A second later my fears were confirmed with the announcement that Chloe Peterson had been found safe and unharmed, and was being held at an undisclosed location.

  What the freak?! This was terrible. I grabbed my phone and called Holly. She picked up, and I blurted, “What’s going on? I just heard the news on the radio!”

  “I know,” she answered. “I just got a call from Scott.”

  “What happened? Did he let it out?”

  “No, it was Kira. Apparently she’d had enough of the media hounding her every move. I guess this morning one of the reporters told Kira that she didn’t seem upset enough for a mother with a daughter who’d been missing for three days, so what was she hiding? Kira lost it and told the whole bunch that Chloe had been found and was safe so they’d leave her alone.”

  “Oh man! So what did Scott tell you to do?” I asked.

  “He said to hang tight, and he’d call me back after he talked to the police.”

  “Okay. Well, at least no one knows where she is, right?”

  “Yeah,” Holly agreed. “Kira didn’t go that far, thank goodness.”

  “Do you want me to come over? I was just heading to the precinct when I heard the news on the radio. I was going to see if I could get anything else out of the other cop, but I could come to your place if you want.”

  “No. I think you should go to the precinct. Chloe’s fine for now, and I’d rather have you find the cop.”

  “Okay,” I said. “Call if you need me for anything.” She agreed, and we disconnected.

  This was bad. I probably should have gone straight to the precinct instead of visiting Billie. I could have been there when the news broke out and listened to Pete’s thoughts. I would have known if it was him or not. Now I wouldn’t have that advantage. I vowed then and there not to let Bates get in the way of my better judgment.

  A few minutes later, I pulled into the parking lot and found several news people getting out of their vans. I hurried inside where the reporters were gathering. One of the police officers told them that the chief had scheduled a press conference in half an hour, so they needed to be patient and wait.

  I ducked around them and through the door to the detective’s offices, finding everyone crowded outside the chief’s office, listening to his plans for the press conference. Dimples caught sight of me and motioned me over.

  “I guess you heard?” he asked, his voice low.

  “Yeah, on the radio. It was quite a shock. Did you know?”

  “We had no idea. So now it looks like we’re doing damage control.”

  “What’s the chief telling everyone?” I asked.

  “Just that she’s safe, and we’re keeping her off the grid until we know more about where she’s been. That sort of thing.”

  I nodded and glanced around to see if Pete was there. I sure wanted to know what he was thinking, but I couldn’t find him in the crowd. I caught a few thoughts about Chloe. Most were glad she was okay, but a few were wondering why all the secrecy, and that there must be more to it.

  The meeting broke up, and everyone headed back to their desks. The chief caught sight of me with Dimples and motioned us, along with Bates, into his office. “Shut the door and have a seat,” he said.

  I tried not to cringe when Bates sat beside me, and I gamely greeted him with a smile. He ignored me and began to talk. “I just got off the phone with her father, and he wants Chloe to stay at his sister’s house. I’m not sure that’s a good idea, but as long as it stays in this room, it should be all right.”

  “What do you think Shelby?” the chief asked.

  “I think that’s the best place for her.”

  The chief glanced at Dimples. “You?”

  “I agree with Shelby,” Dimples answered. “We need to keep her secure until we find out who’s involved.”

  “All right, we’ll leave that option open,” the chief agreed. “But how close are we to solving this?” He glanced at me for an answer.

  I cleared my throat. “I’m hoping I’ll know soon.”

  “What have you done so far?”

  “Questioned the officers Chloe picked out,” I answered. “From what I could pick up, I’m pretty sure it’s not Bellini, but I’m not sure about the other one. I need to talk with him again.”

  “Who’s that?”

  “Uh...Pete Royce.”

  The chief’s brows drew together. “He’s a good cop. Been working narcotics, but he seems solid.”

  I shrugged, since I couldn’t be more specific about my premonitions.

  “Yeah...well, he was connected to the two drug dealers,” Bates said, surprising me. “He arrested them a few months ago, but the charges were dropped. So there might be something to it.”

  Chief Winder stood, then placed his hands on his desk and leaned his imposing bulk toward us, barely restraining his frustration. “Well...figure it out! Do some real investigating. I’ve got the press and Chloe’s parents breathing down my neck. This needs to be solved yesterday.”

  He glanced at me with disappointment, thinking that, normally, I’d have solved this case...yesterday. Maybe my premonitions didn’t always work, and they were relying on me too much.

  He let out a breath and straightened. “It’s time for the press conference. I want the three of you in the room with me. Let’s go.”

  I dutifully followed behind him, a stab of pain in my heart that the chief thought I’d let him down. Of course Bates had told him I hadn’t come through, so naturally he had doubts, but it still hurt. We turned into the large conference room, and I flinched when someone snapped a photo. Most of the reporters wondered what I was doing there and who I was, but there were a few who knew my name.

  I didn’t like being in the limelight much, so I stayed back by the door while the chief
took his place at the podium with Dimples and Bates standing behind him. The room quieted except for the clicking of cameras.

  “Chloe Peterson was found safe yesterday,” the chief began. “Due to extenuating circumstances, we are keeping her location private but, let me assure you, she is unharmed and doing well. I can tell you that she was not kidnapped or taken against her will and has returned of her own accord. Her family asks that you allow them space to deal with this experience and the consequences of her actions. Thank you.”

  “Why didn’t you tell us this yesterday?” someone shouted. “Was she involved in something illegal? Was she alone? Where has she been?”

  The chief held up his hands, and the questions subsided. “Because this is an ongoing investigation, I am not at liberty to tell you the details. Just know that she is safe and unharmed.”

  “Do you know where she is?” The low voice caught me off-guard, and I glanced over my shoulder to find Pete Royce standing close, his gaze scanning the crowd. I didn’t answer right away, and he frowned, thinking I must know, or I would have denied it by now.

  “I have my ideas,” I said. “But no one’s talking, so I don’t know for sure.” He finally looked at me, trying to determine if I was telling the truth. “Do you?” I countered.

  His eyes crinkled at the corners with a barely perceived smile. I’d turned the tables on him...good for me. “I have my ideas too.”

  He motioned with his head to exit the room, and I followed him out, stopping in a corner of the hall away from the crowd. “Look...I knew those guys at the house, and I’ve been working narcotics for a long time. I can probably help you, but I need to know what’s going on.”

  “Why?”

  “Let’s just say...word on the street is there might be some people interested in finding her.”

  I inhaled sharply and caught his gaze. “I think you’d better tell the chief what you know.”

  “I can’t right now...there’s something I need to take care of first. But tell him to keep her safe...and don’t let anyone know where she is. Okay?”

  “Sure,” I agreed. He was worried about her safety, but he was also concerned about something else. Something he had no control over, and he was thinking it was time he took care of it.

  Noise coming from the room with the press conference signaled it was over, and he nodded his thanks before joining the crowd coming down the hall. He was thinking that, with the way things were going, it was time for him to make some hard choices and see if he could do something about this mess...

  I lost him in the shuffle and turned to follow. What did he mean by hard choices? I took a couple of steps, but someone grabbed my wrist to stop me. Without thinking, I used my Aikido technique to break his hold and bend his wrist back, sending him crashing into the wall.

  “Oww,” Dimples said.

  “Oh...sorry.” I dropped his wrist. “I didn’t know it was you...and...” I glanced at the crowd, but Pete was long gone. “I was trying to follow Pete...”

  He rubbed his wrist and frowned. “Pete was here?”

  “Yeah.”

  Dimples groaned. “Oh...I thought you were leaving, and I wanted to talk to you. Did you hear anything from him?”

  My eyes widened, and I glanced at the people standing nearby. “Hey...not so loud.”

  He sighed, thinking no one would have known what he was talking about. “Okay...let’s go somewhere else.” He turned down the hall in the opposite direction, and I hesitated before following, knowing the dead files room was not a place I wanted to be. Apparently Dimples thought it was perfect.

  As he opened the door and flipped on the light, a cold chill rushed over me, but I followed him inside anyway. Rubbing my arms, I leaned against the door. “Okay...this is what I picked up, but it doesn’t make a lot of sense. In fact, Pete asked me if I knew where Chloe was, but then he told me to tell the chief to keep her safe and not let anyone know where she was. See what I mean?”

  “Yeah...I wonder why he’d say that if he was after her.”

  “He was also thinking that he needed to make some hard choices and do something about the mess. What does that mean?”

  Dimples let out a long breath. “I’m not sure. Maybe he’s been doing some kind of undercover work or something. If he is, the chief should know. I’ll ask him about it.”

  “Good idea. So what about Chloe? Still planning to let her stay at Holly’s?”

  “I don’t know. That’s next on the list of decisions to make. I think as long as her mother doesn’t tell anyone, it should be okay, but who knows? Her parents are coming in to discuss it right now. But before we go back up there, I need to ask you something.”

  “Okay,” I said.

  “It’s about Billie.” His lips turned down, and his brows drew together. “I got a text from her that said she’d asked you to tell me something.” He glanced up at me, worry in his eyes that it was something he wouldn’t want to hear, and that’s why she was making me tell him.

  “Oh yeah. I went to the hospital this morning. She’s looking a lot better, so that’s good. Anyway, she told me I could give you the thumb-drive, and she wants your help.”

  “Oh,” his face brightened. “That’s great. So...did you bring it?”

  “Uh...no. It’s at my house, but I can get it for you...after I make a copy for her.”

  “Fine,” he said, thinking he’d pretend he didn’t know that part.

  “She misses you,” I said. “Maybe you could stop by later.”

  “Yeah...I’ll do that.” He didn’t think he’d have time, but he’d try.

  “I can help with that investigation too, you know. If there’s someone you want to question, I can go with you...so be sure to let me know.”

  “Thanks Shelby. That could make all the difference. We know it’s all tied up with the A.G.’s office, and once I see what’s on the thumb-drive, that will help.” He was thinking that he wouldn’t mind going over to the A.G.’s office right now and ruffling some feathers, but he didn’t want to show his hand until he knew more. But with me reading their minds...it was like an ace in the hole.

  His gaze caught mine, and he shook his head in wonder. “I still can’t get over it...what you do, I mean. Well...we’d better get back upstairs.”

  He opened the door for me, and I nearly plowed into Bates. How long had he been standing there? His eyes narrowed, and he wondered what kind of hanky-panky was going on between me and Harris. He’d seen us go into the room together and was waiting for this moment to catch us. Too bad he couldn’t hear anything through the door.

  “There you are,” he drawled. “Something you want to share with me?”

  “No!” I brushed past him, nearly biting my tongue off to keep from calling him a tubby pervert.

  “What do you want?” Dimples asked, his voice hard.

  “Chloe’s parents are here. The chief wants you and Nichols in his office while he talks to them.”

  Since I was halfway up the stairs, I led the way back to the chief’s office, determined not to let Bates get to me, even though he’d purposely called me Nichols.

  Scott and Kira waited inside the office, each sitting on opposite sides of the couch. Since I didn’t want to be any closer to Bates than I had to, I sat between them and hoped for the best. Scott was furious with Kira, and Kira was mad at me. Hmm...maybe this wasn’t the best place to sit after all.

  They both started talking at once, each blaming the other, before Kira pounced on me and included the police at the same time. “This wouldn’t have happened if you were doing your jobs. What’s so hard about finding the cop Chloe identified? You should know who it is by now. I want to bring Chloe in so she can identify him in a line-up and you can arrest him. This could be over and done with today, and Chloe could go back to school, and we could get our lives back.”

  It sounded so simple when she put it that way. Was it my fault? I’d told them I could figure it out, and I hadn’t, and now look where we were. The chief glanced
at me, thinking he could easily get the two officers into a line-up for Chloe to look at.

  “I understand your frustration,” he said. “And we can certainly do a line-up for Chloe, but that doesn’t mean we can make an arrest. From what I understand, she didn’t get a good look at him, so that might not work. But I want you to know, I’ve got my best people working on it, and we have narrowed it down. I think leaving her at your sister’s house is still a good idea, but if you want to bring her home, I understand. I just can’t guarantee her safety, so it’s up to you to do that.”

  “I think she’s better off at Holly’s for now, but we can’t leave her there for long,” Scott said. “She’s missing a lot of school, and it’s hard for her to be cooped up like that.

  “Scott’s right,” Kira agreed. “And we won’t tell anyone where she is, but you’ve got to do something soon.”

  “We’ll get this resolved as soon as we can,” the chief said. “Just give me a few more days.”

  After Scott and Kira left, I wanted to leave too, but Dimples told the chief and Bates that I had some news about Pete. I told them most of it, along with Pete’s reluctance to speak to the chief himself. “Does he do any kind of undercover work with narcotics?”

  Chief Winder rubbed his chin. “I know he did in the past, but I thought he was done with that. We can check with the narcotics division and see, but he can’t just rush off like that without telling me what’s going on. Bates...you call him and get him back here. Harris...you check with narcotics. Shelby...” He glanced at me, thinking I’d helped some, but maybe it was time to cut me loose and let his detectives handle this. “You’re free to go.”

  Ouch. It didn’t help that Bates was snickering with glee in his mind, and even Dimples felt a little embarrassed for me. I nodded and walked out of the office with Dimples trailing behind. He was trying to think of something to say to make me feel better but was afraid he’d only make it worse.

  I stopped at his desk and turned to face him. “I guess I’ll head home now. Let me know if you need anything.”

  “Uh...sure. I will. And Shelby, don’t feel too bad. I’ll keep you in the loop. You’re a valuable asset, they just don’t know it.”