Carrots: A Shelby Nichols Adventure

  “Yes, but he’s not going to think about where he hid the jewels unless you ask him where he hid the jewels. People just don’t think about that sort of thing unless it’s already on their minds. It makes my job more difficult than you realize.”

  He paused and studied me.

  “What?” I asked. “You’ll be happy to know my shields are up, so if you have something to say, say it.”

  “You just sounded like you were complaining. You know, like you’d had a hard day reading minds.”

  “Ha, ha, very funny.” That was too close for comfort. “If you want me to try listening to Mr. Hodges again, it’s fine with me.”

  “Sure. If there’s another chance I’ll call you in.”

  The rest of the evening went smoothly, and I felt almost like my old self. I could pretend that hearing an occasional thought or two was no big deal. I could handle that. It was being coerced into helping the bad guys that rankled, although if Ramos hadn’t killed the bank robber, I’d probably be dead. It all came down to Kate’s interference. If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t be in this situation. Of course, that wasn’t completely true. It all began because I’d stopped at the grocery store for some carrots. Who would have thought that could be dangerous? It was enough to make me want to stay home for the rest of my life.

  Chapter 7

  I made sure I got to Uncle Joey’s office early since I didn’t want any surprises. I wore my wig and glasses, but decided I was going to wear my own clothes. All except for the boots. I really liked them. Then of course, I had to wear black to match the boots, but this time I wore black pants instead of the short skirt. If Uncle Joey didn’t like it, that was just too bad.

  Ramos greeted me with a sad smile, thinking he was going to miss me unless I came up with something good. Good for what? “Mr. Manetto’s waiting for you in the surveillance room.” For some reason, he thought I was in trouble, and fear sent a shiver down my spine. He led me down the opposite hall to a small, dark room. Inside were several monitors showing different views of the building. Uncle Joey was sitting at the control desk.

  “Shelby, come in. I want to show you something.”

  I moved behind him and my stomach dropped. There, on the monitor, was me talking to Number Five in the parking garage yesterday.

  “What were you two talking about?” Uncle Joey asked.

  “Nothing. Seriously! I was getting in my car…see? And number five saw me and came over to welcome me into the business. That’s all.” When Uncle Joey didn’t say anything I continued. “I saw him talking to someone, and when he saw me, he came over.”

  Uncle Joey’s eyes lit up. “Now we’re getting somewhere. Did you see who he was talking to, or hear what they were saying?”

  “No. I wasn’t even sure it was number five until he came over. The other person was in the shadows, and too far away to hear, but now that you mention it, he did seem nervous, and relieved that I hadn’t seen who he was talking to.” I was surprised at how fast I spilled my guts. At least I stopped before I told him about the ‘things not being what they seem’ part.

  “That’s good to know. If you remember anything else, I want to hear about it.”

  “Okay,” I agreed, relieved to have that over with. Uncle Joey didn’t seem too concerned, and I was mad that Ramos had scared me. I glanced over at him and glowered. His brows rose in bewilderment, and he wondered what he’d done to make me mad. He couldn’t figure me out, but he knew something strange was going on.

  Uncle Joey’s secretary interrupted us. “Your client is here to see you Mr. Manetto. I told him to wait in your office.”

  “Thank you Jackie. Come Shelby, I have someone I want you to meet. This should be relatively easy for you.”

  Easy? How did he know what was easy and what wasn’t? After a quick stroll down the hall, Uncle Joey opened the door to his office, and his client stood to greet him. I took one look at his face and jerked back out of the office, accidentally smacking Ramos in the stomach with my elbow. His breath came out with an “oof” and I twisted to face him, my heart racing with panic.

  Ramos took me by the upper arms, and practically lifted me out of the doorway, then beckoned to Uncle Joey, who had missed the whole thing. “Excuse me, Mr. Manetto, there’s an important matter you need to take care of.”

  Uncle Joey made his excuses and came back into the hall, closing the door behind him. He was annoyed and puzzled at my behavior.

  “I know that guy,” I whispered, wondering what Mr. Hodges was doing here. “I met him in Chris’ office. Chris and Kate are handling his case, and I met him there a few days ago, or maybe it was only yesterday.” So much was happening, it was hard to keep anything straight. “Anyway, he’s seen me! The real me. I can’t go in there.”

  “But you’re wearing a disguise,” Uncle Joey said. “He may not recognize the real you under your wig and glasses.”

  Was he being serious? “Yes he will.”

  “I guess we shouldn’t chance it.” Uncle Joey was having fun with me, and I had to squelch the urge to hit him. He was wondering if he could hide me in his office, but wasn’t sure how to get Hodges out first.

  “I think that’s a good idea,” I said, then glanced at Ramos, hoping my comment made sense. “Maybe you could show him the view from your window while I find a place to hide. I know! I can hide in the bathroom. With the door open, I should be able to hear everything.”

  “Excellent.” Uncle Joey smiled. “Ramos, see that she gets in all right.”

  “Yes sir.” Ramos didn’t have a clue what was going on, but he wasn’t about to let that stop him from doing his duty.

  Uncle Joey went back in his office, and left the door open. After they had moved to the window, Ramos nodded and I ducked into the bathroom. Luckily, the door was ajar, and I gently pushed it open. I let out my breath when I got inside without being seen, and sat on the floor beside the door.

  Ramos stepped inside the office, and asked Uncle Joey if there was anything he needed before closing the door. Uncle Joey then ushered Mr. Hodges back to his seat. Without missing a beat, he began.

  “I understand your store was robbed a few weeks ago. As your benefactor, I hope you’ll be able to recover the value, if not the jewelry that was stolen.”

  “Yes, it was a terrible loss, but my lawyers are confident that I’ll recover the money from my insurance company. You don’t need to worry. You won’t be out a dime.”

  “You’ve got a good case?”

  “Yes. The surveillance camera caught them on tape, and there were fingerprints on the glass that matched those of the thieves. Plus, I have very good lawyers. I suppose I have you to thank for that.”

  “I’m glad they’re working out for you. As you know, I take care of my investments. What about the jewelry? Has any of it turned up?”

  “No, I’m afraid not. I’ve checked the pawnshops myself, but I haven’t found anything.”

  “Hmm…I wonder where someone could hide jewels like that.”

  “Just about anywhere, I guess.” Hodges immediately thought about the safe he had concealed in his house. It was in a dark room painted a dull mushroom color, and a tall lamp stood in the corner. A photograph of a boat with him and someone else hung over the false opening. The carpet was dark and seemed worn.

  “Wouldn’t the thieves sell them to a broker, rather than a pawnshop?”

  Mr. Hodges grew uneasy. “Certainly, if they knew what they were doing. But these guys were amateurs. They probably don’t know what to do with them.”

  “I know someone who buys and sells specialty items like jewels. He knows just about every dealer in town. I could have him look for your inventory if you like. All I need is the same list and descriptions you gave to the insurance company.”

  “Sure, that would be great. I think I have a copy here in my briefcase.” Mr. Hodges was starting to sweat now, but he could change his plans, and go through someone he knew in Mexico. The man wasn’t as reliable, but it didn’t loo
k like he could get past Mr. Manetto otherwise.

  “Wouldn’t it be something if the jewels showed up after you got the insurance money?” Uncle Joey asked.

  “Well, naturally, I’d have to give it back. No one else would want to insure me if I didn’t.” As if he cared. Once he got the insurance money and cashed in the jewels, he’d have enough to live comfortably. He could open a nice little tourist shop on the coast of Mexico and do all right for himself. He’d be away from his creditors and the government, as well as Manetto.

  All he needed to win was a good case, and Kate had assured him of that. She thought she had him over a barrel by demanding he check in with Mr. Manetto. Lucky for him, she didn’t know how much insurance money he was going to get.

  “Ah, here they are.” Mr. Hodges said, and handed the stack of papers to Uncle Joey. It was only a partial list, the same one he’d given the police. The list he’d sent to the insurance company had twice as many items on it. “Could you make a copy for yourself? That’s the only one I’ve got.”

  “Of course.” Uncle Joey called his secretary on the intercom, and when she came in, gave her the papers to copy. “I was just thinking the other day that it’s been almost ten years since I got you started in the jewelry business. You’ve done well for yourself.”

  “Thanks. It’s a tradition I hope to continue.” It would be a relief to get out from under Manetto’s thumb. He hated Manetto and all the ‘favors’ he had to do for him. This plan was the only way out. If Manetto found out about the extra money and jewels he’d kept over the years, he was a dead man.

  The meeting ended. I waited while Uncle Joey ushered Mr. Hodges out of his office. Before Uncle Joey came back I needed to decide how much I should tell him. I hated bringing down Mr. Hodges when he was just trying to get out from under Uncle Joey. On the other hand, he wasn’t exactly a stellar citizen either. Uncle Joey would probably want to keep all the insurance money after he found the jewels, and Hodges would be left with nothing. But what did it matter to me?

  Uncle Joey returned with a devilish gleam in his eyes. Somehow he knew Hodges had lied to him. “So, what did you learn?”

  I had to tell him the truth. “I know where he hid the jewels. Or at least I saw the hiding place in his mind. They’re in a hidden safe in one of the rooms of his house.”

  “Do you know which room?”

  “I couldn’t tell. I only saw it in his mind. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t his bedroom. Maybe it was the living room, but somehow I doubt it. It could be…”

  “Here’s what you’re going to do,” Uncle Joey interrupted, losing his patience. “I’m going to send you and Ramos to his house for the jewels. I don’t want Hodges to know I’ve got them until he looks for them and finds them gone, but we need to act fast. He’s headed for a meeting with Kate, and I’ll see if she can keep him for an hour. That should be enough time to get the job done.

  “What?” I was shocked. “You want me to break into his house?”

  “Yes.” He was dead serious.

  I could hardly believe this was happening. How could he ask me to do this? “But this wasn’t part of my job description. You said all I had to do was sit in on some of your meetings, remember?”

  “Shelby.” His tone was low and dangerous. This was his show, and he was going to run it his way. If I didn’t like it, that was just too bad.

  “Fine.” I snapped. “But if I get caught…”

  “Nothing’s going to happen,” Uncle Joey said. “Ramos is very good at what he does. You’ll be fine.”

  I was seething, but I kept my thoughts to myself, thoughts that included whacking Uncle Joey over the head with something very hard. Uncle Joey smiled in a conciliatory way, wanting to placate my anger. “Think of this…”

  “As an investment.” I finished, and put on a false smile. He was going down. Now all I had to do was figure out how.

  Uncle Joey called Ramos in, and explained that he and I were going to break into Hodges house. Without even raising an eyebrow, Ramos left us to get ready. I was expecting him to protest having me along, and it kind of freaked me out to realize that Ramos did whatever Uncle Joey asked, whether it made sense or not. He would kill me without a second thought, and it made me feel weak and vulnerable.

  A few minutes later, I was sitting next to Ramos in his shiny black car. It was a sportier version of mine, and sitting next to him, it reminded me of a sleek black panther. With Ramos’s dark coloring and imposing figure, it fit him perfectly. It helped that he had changed his clothes and was wearing all black, just like me. I guess when you’re in the business of breaking and entering, black is a pretty good color to have your employees wear.

  I decided to be as friendly and nice as possible. A little kissing up was the only thing I could think of that might improve my chances of surviving. “So, was it you who picked out my clothes?”

  A smile slid over his face and he nodded. “I do a lot of things you wouldn’t expect in my line of work.”

  “How did you know my size? Even my shoe size. Does Uncle Joey have a file on me with all that personal information?” It kind of made my heart shrivel just to think about it.

  “He has a special file, but the information is for his eyes only. I don’t think he has anything on you, at least not written down. I picked out your clothes and shoes. I’ve got a pretty good eye for things like that.”

  “Oh.” I squirmed in my seat, feeling uncomfortable. “Well, I really like the boots.”

  “Yeah? That’s cool.”

  It struck me that Ramos was a lot savvier than I had given him credit for. Back at the office, when he’d seen that I knew who Hodges was, he acted quickly, and diverted a disaster. He was observant of what was going on around him, and always seemed one step ahead of everyone else.

  Right now, he was trying to figure out my place in Uncle Joey’s organization. Most of the time, he didn’t care about those things, but he kind of liked me, at least enough to feel bad if he had to kill me. He wondered why Uncle Joey included me in his meetings. Bringing in an outsider was something the boss had never done before. He also wondered how I knew where Hodges had hidden the jewels. It didn’t make any sense. What was it about me?

  “Did you bring anything to eat? It’s almost lunch time.” I had to get his mind off that train of thought.

  “There’s some bottled water in the back seat. Help yourself. Maybe we can get a bite to eat after we’re done.” He started humming along to the radio, and turned up the volume.

  How someone like him liked country music was a puzzle to me. It just didn’t seem to fit him at all. In an effort to understand, I tuned into the beat and pretty soon I was nodding my head in time with the rhythm. It was an upbeat song, which surprised me. Maybe that was why he liked it. I would have thought a trained assassin would go for the dark, heavy-metal stuff. Of course, Uncle Joey’s office wasn’t anything like I thought it would be either. There was a lot I had to learn. Except that most of it, like stealing, wasn’t what I had in mind.

  How had it come to this? I was actually going to break into somebody’s house and steal from them. Of course, in this case maybe it was different. Stealing jewels from someone who’d already stolen them wasn’t exactly wrong, right?

  “There it is,” Ramos said. We drove slowly past a small house, then kept going around the corner. “We’ll park here.” He didn’t want to be obvious in case Hodges showed up early. “Just follow my lead. The main thing is to act like you have every right to be there. No furtive glances. We’ll walk straight to the house, and follow the driveway around to the back.”

  I swallowed, then got out of the car. Ramos pulled a small backpack out of the trunk, and we walked casually up the street. I found it hard to understand how two people all dressed in black, and carrying a backpack, wouldn’t draw attention. My heart sped up as we approached the house. It was a pretty quiet neighborhood, hopefully no one would see us. I was trembling by the time we got to the back door. The yard was small, b
ut at least it was private. Ramos picked the locks, and we were inside before I knew it. He was good.

  “Wait here,” he whispered. He re-locked the back door, and disappeared through the kitchen.

  I held my breath and listened. Did Ramos think someone might be here? Maybe Mr. Hodges lived with his mother, and she was in the house. I shivered with dread, then jerked when Ramos reappeared. “All clear,” he said.

  “We’re alone?” I whispered.

  “Yeah, come on. We’ve got to hurry.” He thought I looked like a nervous wreck. My face was pale, and I was crouching down by the floor like a frightened rabbit. It wasn’t that big a deal.

  With all the dignity I could muster, I stood and followed him through the house. I studied each room for the paneling and the photograph I’d seen in Hodges mind, but came up with nothing. We went over the house a second time with no success, and my stomach clenched with panic. Had I misunderstood?

  “Could it be in the garage?” Ramos asked.

  “No. It was a larger space than that, but darker, like there were no windows. Almost like a basement.”

  Ramos stilled, then hurried to the hallway, and pulled open a closet door. Only it wasn’t a closet. Steps trailed down into the darkness. He flipped a switch, and the basement lit up. At the bottom of the stairs I saw the wood paneling and the photo. With relief, I eagerly pointed it out to Ramos.

  He carefully tugged on the photo, and it swung open revealing a small safe. Did I say he was good? “This is an old model, so it might take a while.”

  “Can I do anything to help?”

  “Just be quiet.” He opened his pack and put on some rubber gloves. With his ear next to the safe, he turned the lock, listening for the tumblers to fall.

  I checked my watch, knowing we’d been there about fifteen minutes. With the twenty minute drive, we should still have plenty of time to get away before Hodges came home. As long as Kate did her part.

  My cell phone rang and I about wet my pants. I forgot it was in my pocket. I dug it out as fast as I could. “Hello?”