Crossing Danger: A Shelby Nichols Adventure

  It was almost midnight when I got home. Instead of going to the hospital with me, Chris had stayed with the kids. Mostly because neither of us wanted them home alone in case a dirty cop showed up at our house looking for Chloe.

  Now besides that, I had Billie’s thumb-drive to worry about, and my stomach clenched with dread. The last time I had a thumb-drive that didn’t belong to me hadn’t turned out so well. Even worse, what was I going to tell Chris? He’d be furious that I’d gone to Billie’s in the first place, let alone taken the box. But...it was late. Maybe he’d be asleep in bed. Even if he was half asleep, I could tell him about Billie and wait until tomorrow for the thumb-drive part.

  I entered my house and automatically locked the door behind me. The kitchen light was still on, so I flipped it off. As I made my way up the stairs, I crossed my fingers that Chris was asleep and pushed the door open. The lamp beside the bed was on, and Chris sat up as I came in, dashing my hopes.

  “Hey,” he said, smiling anxiously. “How’s Billie doing? Is she going to make it?”

  “Yes,” I said. “Dimples is with her, and they’re pretty sure she’ll pull through.”

  “That’s a relief. So what happened?” he asked.

  “Her place was ransacked. Someone was looking for something, and I think she might have surprised them.”

  “That’s crazy. What were they looking for?”

  “My best guess is that whoever shot her was probably looking for the thumb-drive with the information about the attorney general.”

  “The one she got from that secretary?”

  “Yeah. I told you someone stole the one from her desk at work, right?” At his nod I continued. “Well she made a copy and hid it in her apartment.”

  “Wow. That’s nuts. Do you know if they got it?” he asked.

  I hadn’t decided what to tell him about my visit to her apartment. I didn’t want him mad at me, but I also didn’t want to lie to him. He noticed my hesitation and his brows drew together, so I quickly answered.

  “Um...not exactly. I’m going to help Dimples look through her apartment tomorrow.” This was mostly true...since I didn’t know for sure if the thumb-drive was in the box I’d taken, and I was sure Dimples would want my help tomorrow.

  Chris’ lips twisted and his eyes narrowed. “Why do I get the feeling you’re not telling me everything?”

  My eyes widened, and he knew at that moment he’d caught me. My shoulders sagged in defeat, and I crawled onto the bed beside him. “I went to her place after I left the hospital.”

  I told him everything, even the part about the guy who’d seen me from the parking lot, and felt his muscles tighten with tension under me. Before I lost my nerve, I pulled the box from my bag. “I have a key to this...so we can see if the thumb-drive is in it.”

  Chris closed his eyes. Besides nearly getting caught...probably by the bad guy, he was thinking about all the laws I’d broken and...what the hell? He rubbed his forehead like he always did when I upset him and tried to reign in his thoughts about how stupid that was, and how was I going to explain it to Harris? Did I even think before I did stuff like that? If the police found out, I was in so much trouble.

  I cleared my throat and tried not to feel bad. He hadn’t said a word...and that made it even worse. “I thought the police would be there...you know...working on the crime scene...and they’d let me in, or I wouldn’t have gone in the first place.

  “And contrary to what you think, I didn’t break in...the door wasn’t closed tight so it just popped open. I thought if someone could get in that easily, I’d better get the box while I could and make sure the door was closed and locked up tight before I left. It was the least I could do for Billie.”

  “Uh-huh,” Chris said, resigned to what I’d done, but not entirely over it. “Well...I guess you might as well check the box, right?” He was thinking I could tell Dimples that Billie had given me the box for safe-keeping. As long as it didn’t show up in the crime-scene photos, I wouldn’t end up in jail.

  “What? You think he’d put me in jail?”

  “Probably not,” he said. “I just thought that to scare some sense into you.” He sighed, then tightened his hold around me. “I’m just grateful nothing bad happened.”

  He was thinking that Billie had nearly died, and there I was poking my nose into the crime scene. It was just one more thing that he hated about what I did. But he also knew he couldn’t ask me to stop.

  Guilt rushed over me, and I frowned. Was it really that bad for him?

  “Um...let me get the key,” I said. His arms loosened, and I pulled away. I found the key in my jewelry box and sat beside Chris. The key fit perfectly into the lock and, somewhere inside, a spring popped, pushing a false drawer open. “It’s here. Billie will be so relieved.”

  “That’s good,” Chris said, trying to be supportive. “So...what are you doing to do with it now?”

  “Leave it there.” I pushed the drawer with the thumb-drive back inside, then put the box under the bed and the key back in my jewelry box.

  “Aren’t you going to look at it?” he asked.

  “Not tonight. It’s enough to know it’s safe.”

  I changed out of my clothes and put on my pajamas, then headed into the bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth. I listened for Chris’ thoughts, but he had closed them up tight, probably because he didn’t want to hurt my feelings. That just made me feel worse.

  I came out and slipped under the covers, then turned out the light and snuggled up next to him.

  “I don’t like what you did,” Chris said. “You took a big risk and almost got caught.” He sighed and put his arms around me. “What if that guy had wanted to shoot you instead of take your picture? I don’t want you to end up in the hospital like Billie did tonight.” He was also thinking he didn’t want to go through what Harris had either.

  “I know...but I’m fine. Nothing happened, and I got the thumb-drive.”

  Chris sighed, then nodded. “Yeah...I get it...you did it for Billie.”

  “You’re right,” I said, laying my head against his chest. “I felt so helpless sitting in the hospital with Dimples. He was so sad and scared. When the doctor told him she’d pull through, he changed. He really loves her. I don’t think he knew how much until this happened. Worse...he never told her. So...now at least he’ll get to tell her how he feels. Who knows what will happen between them after that? Wouldn’t it be cool if they got married?”

  He chuckled and pulled me close. “You always like to look on the bright side of things. I guess that’s one of the things I love about you, even if you sometimes drive me crazy.” He playfully nipped at my lips with his, then deepened the kiss until we were both breathless.

  I felt it the moment he let go of his anger. His love crashed over me with such force that it took my breath away. He was thinking that right now, he didn’t want to worry about the future and what could, or couldn’t, happen. What he needed most was to live in this moment and enjoy holding me in his arms.

  Chapter 5

  First thing the next morning I called Dimples to see how Billie was doing. “Better,” he said. “She even woke up and talked to me for a few minutes.”

  “That’s great.”

  “Yeah...actually, I’m still here at the hospital. I think I’ll stay a little longer, but I’d like to meet you at her apartment later. Maybe you’ll pick up on something that we missed. Does that sound good?”

  “Uh...sure,” I agreed. “But I could come to the hospital first if that’s better.”

  “Well...Billie would probably like to talk to you, but she’s pretty wiped out.” He hesitated, and I could hear someone else talking before he came back on the line. “She wants you to come here. Will that work?”

  “Sure, tell her I’ll be by around nine-thirty or so.”

  “Okay,” he said. “And...thanks again for coming last night.”

  “You bet.”

  After Chris and the kids left, it was
close to eight o’clock, and I was tempted to go back to bed for half an hour. Yesterday had worn me out, and I hadn’t slept well last night. But now that I was awake and thinking about all my worries, I didn’t think I could go back to sleep anyway.

  I gave Holly a quick call to check on Chloe and let her know I was meeting with Dimples this morning. She reported that everything was going well for now, but I could hear the tension in her voice.

  “Did Scott and Kira make it over for a visit?” I asked.

  “Yes, and they came late, so I don’t think anyone noticed. I’ve had a few calls from the media this morning already, asking for information, but I’ve referred everything to the police like Dimples said to do.”

  I puffed out a breath. “You know it makes me nervous when you call him Dimples, right?”

  “Yeah,” she chuckled. “Why do you think I do it? Anyway...other than that, we’re just waiting for news, so keep me in the loop, okay?”

  “Sure,” I agreed. “How’s Chloe holding up?”

  “Better since Scott brought over her phone last night.”

  “What? Wait...she’s not texting her friends is she?”

  “No of course not...just her parents and...Josh,” she replied.

  “Josh?” That surprised me, but I should have seen it coming. “Oh Josh...right.”

  “Scott brought the phone over. I guess he got it from Dimples. Chloe’s supposed to text him a few times during the day, which I can certainly understand.”

  “Oh, for sure...me too. Well, I’ll let you know what happens with...uh...Dimples today.”

  She laughed and we disconnected, but it made me think that maybe I shouldn’t call him that anymore. I wasn’t sure I could do that since it was such a habit, but I could probably try.

  I ate breakfast and mulled over everything I needed to do. Finding the dirty cop for Chloe was imperative, but so was finding out who shot Billie. I also had the thumb-drive and needed to figure out what to do about that, but if I could talk to Billie about it, maybe she’d help me figure it out. Then there was the guy who’d seen me last night. It would certainly be nice to know who he was.

  The file on my old flame, Tom Souvall, sat on my dresser where I’d left it last night, and I knew that his murder case would have to take a back seat for now. There was also Uncle Joey’s old friend Blake Beauchaine to consider but, until Uncle Joey asked for something specific, there was nothing for me to do about it.

  With all that to worry about, it didn’t help my mood that the sky was covered in gray clouds and it was raining off and on. The drop in temperature meant it was time to turn the heat on in the house. I had put it off as long as possible, not wanting the good weather to end. I loved fall, but a dreary day like this meant winter was coming for real.

  At least I had some really cute boots to wear, and I’d wanted to get a motorcycle jacket...black leather, of course. Maybe when this was all over I could see what they had at the mall. That cheered me up enough to get into the shower.

  ***

  The hospital doors swooshed open for me, and I hurried inside, anxious to see how Billie was doing. As I got to her room, I stopped to glance through the glass in the door. Dimples slouched in the chair beside her bed, his eyes closed and his head slumped forward. But he sat close enough to hold Billie’s hand, and my heart warmed to find them like this.

  Billie’s pale face gave her a vulnerability I’d never seen before, and I sighed with gratitude that she’d survived. With her dark hair framing her face, she reminded me of a princess waiting for her prince charming to kiss her awake. My mood lightened and I smiled, knowing how much she’d hate that image of herself.

  Dimples jerked his head up as I came inside. He quickly let go of Billie’s hand and checked his watch. “Wow...is it nine-thirty already?”

  “Um...yeah,” I said. “Did you stay here all night?” He glanced at the floor, embarrassed to admit it, and nodded. “How’s Billie doing?”

  “Good. She’s doing really good.”

  Our voices woke Billie, and her eyes fluttered open. She glanced in my direction and smiled. “Shelby.” Her voice was weak and scratchy. “I’m so glad you’re here. Drew told me you came last night.” She glanced at Dimples and smiled tenderly. “He’s been here all night.”

  Her voice got stronger, and she reached for his hand. He automatically took it, and I picked up that Billie was grateful he’d stuck with her. Maybe he really did love her, even if he hadn’t said the words. If that was the case, then getting shot might not be so bad.

  He squeezed her hand and smiled, making those dimples swirl like magic. Wow...maybe he really was her prince charming.

  “So...um...what happened last night?” I asked.

  That brought her focus back to me and, since she didn’t want Dimples to hear what she had to tell me, she thought this was the perfect time to send him home. “Drew’s already heard this.” She turned to him. “Honey, you look a little rumpled. Why don’t you go home and get cleaned up. Shelby can keep me company for a while.”

  “Uh...is that all right?” he asked. He hated leaving her, but he wouldn’t mind changing his clothes and taking a shower.

  “Of course it’s all right,” I assured him. “Go. She’ll be fine.”

  He nodded gratefully, then leaned over and gave Billie a tender kiss. “I have some things I need to do today, but I promise I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  “Sounds great,” she assured him.

  He nodded and turned to me. “Can you meet me at Billie’s apartment in about...forty-five minutes?”

  “Sure,” I agreed.

  “Good. See you then.”

  We watched him leave, and I caught Billie’s feelings of love trail after him. Once the door clicked shut, I sat down in his chair and asked if there was anything I could get for her.

  “No...but I do have a favor to ask you.” Her raspy voice held an underlying desperation.

  “Sure...anything.”

  “I need you to get the thumb-drive from my apartment. I don’t want anyone else to find it.”

  “Not even Dimples?” I asked.

  “No...if he knew about it, he’d have to turn it in as evidence, and I’m afraid something might happen to it. I just don’t trust everyone in the police department right now...not when it concerns the attorney general’s office. He’s got all kinds of people in his pocket, and I don’t want to put Drew in his cross-hairs.”

  “Don’t worry. I...uh...already got it.”

  “What?”

  I explained what I’d done last night, including the guy I caught watching me. “I don’t know who he was but, to be honest, he didn’t feel like a bad guy to me.”

  “Wow...that’s crazy.” She thought for a moment, but came up empty. “I hate to admit it, but I have no idea who it could be.”

  I shrugged. “Okay. Well...maybe he’ll show up again. So now it’s your turn. Tell me what happened to you.”

  Closing her eyes, she shook her head. “I walked in on a guy ransacking my apartment. His face was covered by a ski mask...so I didn’t see what he looked like. I was pretty upset to find him there, so I pulled my gun on him. I didn’t see the other guy until it was too late. He knocked the gun out of my hand and we struggled. The first guy picked up my gun and shot me. They took off after that.”

  “Oh Billie...how awful.”

  “Yeah...I got shot with my own gun...it’s humiliating.” She was thinking that Drew was so mad at her for that.

  “Why would he be...uh...why would you be...humiliated?”

  Her brow puckered and she thought, duh. “It was my gun. I probably wouldn’t have been shot if they hadn’t gotten a hold of it.”

  “Right,” I said. “Yeah...okay. Well...so you want me to keep the thumb-drive?”

  “Yes...at least for now.” Her voice faltered with fatigue.

  “Okay...but you know what that means. I’ll probably have to lie to Dimples. Last night I told him about the thumb-drive and that it w
as probably what they were looking for.”

  “That’s okay...just don’t tell him you have it.” Her eyelids began to droop. She’d worn herself out talking to me.

  “Well, I’d better go meet him at your apartment. You don’t think whoever broke in would come here to finish you off, do you?

  “No...if anything...I’d think they’d go back to my apartment...but now...you have it...so I don’t have to worry...” Her voice trailed off, but I heard her thinking thanks Shelby.

  “You’re welcome,” I whispered.

  ***

  The crime scene tape at Billie’s apartment had been taken down, and Dimples opened the door to my knock. He’d showered and shaved, but his eyes held weariness from lack of sleep. With a quick greeting, he ushered me inside.

  “Find anything?” I asked. A twinge of guilt flared, but I pushed it away.

  “No. But they took her computer, so I think they were after the thumb-drive like you thought. So...” His gaze zeroed in on mine, and his eyes narrowed. “What did she tell you that she didn’t want me to know?”

  “Huh?” Guilt flooded over me with a vengeance, but I tried to act dumb. “What makes you say that?”

  “Come on Shelby...I know how this works.” At my wide-eyed gaze and continued silence, he ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. “Okay, I’ll explain. First, she tells me she wants you to come to the hospital, but when I ask her why, she blows me off. Then once you get there, she tells me to go home and get cleaned up. Now it doesn’t take a genius to know she’s up to something, and you’re in cahoots with her. So spit it out...what did she tell you?”

  My mouth dropped open. I snapped it shut and tried to come up with a reasonable explanation. “That’s because it’s personal. She just needed to talk woman to woman...about what happened and other things...like...you and her.”

  His left brow raised, and he didn’t say a word, letting the seconds tick loudly by. The way his eyes narrowed reminded me of the look I always gave my kids, or my husband, when I wanted them to know I wasn’t buying their explanation.