Carrots: A Shelby Nichols Adventure

  Wow. I must have all the power since he was giving in to every one of my demands. The file was more important than I thought. “You’ll keep your word?”

  “Yes. I really do need that file.” He meant it. In fact he was desperate for it. “As long as you keep your end of the bargain, I will never harm you or your family.”

  I couldn’t help it. I was still skeptical. How could this be so easy? “What’s in that file? No, wait…don’t tell me. I don’t want to know.”

  “Believe me Shelby, if there was any way I could keep your services, I would, but this file is too important, and I can’t pass it up. You’ve done well.” He seemed sincere. I could detect nothing sinister in his thoughts, but since he knew I could pick them up, he could probably hide something. Weighing my options, I felt this was my best chance at freedom. It was a risk worth taking.

  “Deal,” I said, before I could change my mind. “I’ll go get it. It’s just in the trunk of my car.”

  Surprise flickered over Uncle Joey and he shook his head. “The trunk of your car? You think that’s safe?”

  Smiling sweetly, I said, “I’ll be right back.” I dashed out of the office to the elevator. There was no sign of Ramos, and I was glad. This was something I wanted to do on my own. If he came it would be like I was forced into it. This time I had the power, not Uncle Joey, and I liked the way it felt.

  I stepped off the elevator into the parking garage and smiled. My car was easy to spot since all the others were black. As I started toward my car, someone grabbed me from behind, and a gloved hand stifled my startled scream. Kate stepped around the corner, triumph gleaming in her eyes.

  “I believe you have something that belongs to me.” The cold fury in her eyes chilled me to the bone, and I struggled to break free. A knife flashed in her hand, stilling my movements. “You’re going to tell me what I want to know, or you’ll wish you had after I get through with you.” She held the knife menacingly, and I thought she was a little bit crazy to expect an answer with my mouth covered up.

  I glanced over my shoulder at the man who held me and my suspicions were confirmed. Number Five. He tightened his grip, forcing the remaining air from my lungs, and dragged me back toward the elevator. Kate pushed the call button and the doors swooshed open. I half hoped to see Ramos inside ready to save me, and my heart sank when the elevator was empty.

  “There’s a wonderful, little interrogation room in the basement. Uncle Joey never uses it anymore, but it will suit my purposes perfectly.” I didn’t care if she had a knife, I started kicking and screaming for all I was worth. Number Five pinned me against the wall while Kate pulled a roll of duct tape out of her purse and tacked a strip over my mouth. Number Five grabbed my wrists in front of me and she wrapped tape around them as well.

  He shoved me into the elevator, and I fell to my knees, angry and scared. Kate was enjoying this way too much, and Number Five was content to let her do whatever she wanted. His mind was ordered and methodical, making it difficult to pick up his thoughts. I knew one thing for sure; I would find no ally in him. His allegiance was toward Kate, not Uncle Joey, and I wondered what was in it for him. What could possibly drive him to become her henchman? If I knew that I might have some leverage, but with his mind so shuttered, it was hard to tell.

  The doors opened, and Number Five roughly dragged me to my feet before pushing me into a dark corridor behind Kate. The musty smell of damp cement and dust assaulted my senses. It didn’t seem as if anyone had been down here in a long time. Kate brushed her fingers along the wall until she hit the light switch.

  There were several doorways in the hall, but Kate continued until she came to the last one. The hinges squeaked loudly as it swung open. I did not want to go in, and dug in my heels, but Number Five forced me through the doorway. Kate flipped a switch, showing a bare cement room with a wooden chair placed in the center.

  I was no match for Number Five, and against my protests, he forced me into the chair. He cut through the duct tape holding my wrists together and then taped them to the arms of the chair. After that, he taped my legs together at the ankles and I quit struggling. I wasn’t going anywhere.

  Kate stood in front of me and quickly ripped the tape from my mouth. I gasped in pain, and licked the blood on my lips where my skin had come off. “You took something from me today, and I want it back. Where is it?”

  I could have denied knowing what she was talking about, but she wanted an excuse to hit me, and I wasn’t about to give it to her. I tried a different tack. “How do you know I didn’t just give it to Uncle Joey?”

  “You wouldn’t be that stupid. I think you came to make a deal with him.”

  “And if I tell you where it is, what will happen to me?”

  “You’re in this too deep for me to let you go. I don’t know what your bargain with Uncle Joey is, or why he’s keeping you alive, but one way or another, you’re going to get killed. What you should really be concerned about is your family. You don’t want anything bad to happen to Chris, or Josh, or Savannah do you?”

  This again? How could Kate follow through with a threat like that when she wanted Chris so much? She had to know he would never have anything to do with her if she hurt our kids. She was bluffing, but I had to make her think I believed her.

  If I could just keep her busy for the next few minutes, I was sure Ramos would rescue me. Uncle Joey would expect me back by now, and with my car still there, he’d know something had happened. The surveillance cameras in the garage would have picked up my abduction, so they should have a pretty good idea where I was, and who I was with. As long as they were looking at them. I just needed some time.

  “I suppose if that’s not enough of a persuasion,” Kate said. “I’m sure we can come up with something else.” She nodded at Number Five and he quickly stepped close to me, a knife in his hand.

  “All right!” I said, frantically trying to come up with a plan. “I left the file in Chris’ office. I put it in his filing cabinet because it looked like a good hiding place, and I didn’t want to get caught taking it.”

  Kate wasn’t sure she believed me, but it made sense in a strange way. “If it’s not there, you’re going to wish you were dead by the time I get through with you.” She turned to Number Five. “I’ll get it, you stay and keep her company. I won’t be gone long.” She checked her watch. “Chris is probably still in his office, but he won’t mind if I look through his files. I’ll just tell him I misplaced one of mine. And if it’s not there…well, maybe I can persuade him to come back with me. Shelby might be more forthcoming if he’s hurting.”

  Right then, I’d never hated anyone as much as I hated her. She laughed tauntingly in my face, and I had to bite my lip to keep from screaming at her. She left with a satisfied smile, and I gritted my teeth. She was not going to win. I was not going to let her get away with this.

  I had to think, but what could I do? I focused on Number Five. He was seething with irritation. He didn’t like Kate telling him what to do, but he’d let it pass for now.

  What did he mean by that? There had to be some reason why he was helping her. What was in it for him? “So,” I began. “How long have you known Kate?”

  Suspicion flowed from him, although he didn’t think I was a threat. “Long enough.” He didn’t like Kate that much, but she was a necessary part of his plan.

  “Why are you helping her? Uncle Joey’s the one with the power.”

  He smiled and sat on his heels next to my chair. I caught sight of a gun inside his jacket, and suddenly didn’t like how close he was to me. He was trying to figure me out. “What do you really do for Manetto?”

  What could I say? I read minds? He’d never believe me. “What were you talking to Kate about after the funeral?”

  He rocked back. “You saw us, huh?”

  “Yeah, but I didn’t tell Uncle Joey. I probably should have. I thought maybe you’d planted the bomb, but you didn’t.”

  “Yeah? So who did?”


  “Some guy Uncle Joey cheated.” I wasn’t going to give him any details.

  He was thinking he was glad it didn’t work since it would have spoiled everything. He got up and started pacing, wishing Kate hadn’t insisted on taking me. I was one more person he’d have to silence, and it was getting out of hand. Especially if she decided to bring my husband into it, then he’d have to kill both of us.

  “I’ll be right back.” He needed to call Kate and make her leave Chris out of it. There were easier ways to make me talk, and the less people involved the better.

  He really meant it! I squeezed my eyes shut while a shudder ran over me. My heart was pounding so hard I almost missed the soft swish of the elevator doors opening and closing, then silence. I was alone, and Number Five was going to kill me! I took a deep breath, and tried to keep away the panic, but something inside me snapped. With desperate energy, I jerked at my bonds for all I was worth. I had to get out of here!

  The duct tape refused to cooperate, and I cursed at how strong it was. Then an idea occurred to me. I was taped to the chair but that didn’t mean I couldn’t move. If I could get to the elevator before he came back, I could go all the way up to Uncle Joey’s office. I immediately tried scooting the chair toward the door but it wouldn’t budge. Looking down, I realized it was bolted to the floor. Damn! Now what? The only thing left was my teeth.

  It was difficult to bend over far enough to reach the tape with my mouth, and when I did, it was like chewing on rubber. My heart sank. Soon, he’d be back, and there was nothing I could do about it. I tried to chew through the tape again, but it was hopeless. Unless I had razor sharp teeth, it wasn’t going to work. At least I could hope he made sure Kate didn’t involve Chris. Why did I tell her it was in his office? Stupid, stupid, stupid!

  A whisper of sound jolted me out of my misery. It didn’t come from the elevator, but all at once, I knew I wasn’t alone. Someone was in the hall and coming closer. Was it Number Five, back already? My heart nearly burst when Ramos appeared in the doorway.

  “Hurry! Hurry! He’s making a phone call, but he’ll be back.” I jumped against my bonds like a crazy person.

  “Calm down.” Ramos sliced through the tape at my wrists, then bent to my feet.

  “He’s planning to kill me. I don’t know what the rest of his plans are, but after Kate gets back they were going to make me tell them where I put the file, and then they were going to kill me.” I started pulling the tape off my wrists. It hurt. “What took you so long? I was scared to death.” I didn’t mean to sound ungrateful or whiney, but I couldn’t help it.

  “I had to get the file out of your car. The boss has it now.”

  “Oh.”

  Suddenly, the door slammed open, and Number Five drew his gun. Ramos shoved me behind him while pulling out his gun, but he wasn’t fast enough. A loud shot erupted from across the room and I screamed. It caught Ramos in the chest, and he fell back.

  “Ramos!” He wasn’t moving. I frantically called his name again, but got no response.

  Number Five grabbed my arm. “Shut up!” he shouted, and yanked me through the doorway and down the hall to the elevator.

  “You killed him!” I screamed. “You bas…”

  “I said, shut up!” He pulled my arm behind me, and I gasped in pain. Holding the gun to my head, he forced me into the elevator and pushed the button for Uncle Joey’s floor.

  “So you were lying. Manetto already has the file.” He shoved me against the wall and hissed in my ear. “You know, I really don’t care about that stupid file, but this should work to my advantage. Now that Ramos is out of the way, I can get to Manetto, so I guess I should thank you. This is working out better than I thought.”

  I was frozen in panic when the doors opened and Number Five muscled me into Thrasher Development. He dragged me down the hall to Uncle Joey’s office and slammed open the door.

  Uncle Joey didn’t even blink at the intrusion. With a gun in his hand, he must have been expecting us. “What do you want, Walter?”

  Walter? Number Five’s name was Walter?

  “I want you to put your gun on the desk and step aside.” He shoved his gun to my head. “Do it now, or she’s dead.” Uncle Joey turned sad eyes to me. He was real sorry it had come to this. He hated to lose me, but he wasn’t sure he had a choice. He couldn’t let Walter get away with this.

  My eyes widened. He was going to let Walter kill me? How could he do this?

  Flooded with guilt, Uncle Joey looked away. Why did I have to look at him like that? Maybe he’d been in this business too long. Maybe a few years ago he could have called Walter’s bluff, but today, he didn’t have the heart to watch him kill me. He knew Walter, and knew he’d killed before. But if there was any chance of getting out of this alive, he owed it to me to try. With great reluctance, he put his gun on the desk. My knees wobbled with relief.

  “Now move,” Walter ordered, pleased with himself. “Over there, to the couch.” Uncle Joey did as he was told and sat down. Walter shoved me toward Uncle Joey. I stumbled to the couch, shaken and trembling. Uncle Joey patted my arm, but didn’t say anything comforting. He didn’t want to give me false hope.

  Walter kept the gun trained on us, and stepped over to the desk. “Is this the file?”

  “Yes.” Uncle Joey answered.

  Walter opened the folder and rifled through the pages. Satisfied, he flipped open his cell phone. “Kate. I’ve got the file. It’s here with Manetto…yes, he’s seen it…forget your lawyer friend. Just get here as fast as you can…Yes, I’m in his office” He closed the phone, and I prayed that Chris wasn’t involved.

  “What’s this all about?” Uncle Joey asked, raising his eyebrow.

  Walter grimaced under Uncle Joey’s scrutiny. It was hard to face Manetto as a double-crosser. The old man still had what it took to make him sweat, even with a gun pointed at him. “Let’s just say Kate’s been obsessed with finding her father’s murderer for a long time, and now she has proof. It’s all in the file.” Her father? Stephen Cohen was Kate’s father? And Uncle Joey killed him?

  “This is foolishness. Stephen’s murderer was sent to prison. I had nothing to do with it.”

  Walter shrugged. “I don’t really care.”

  “Then why are you helping her?” Uncle Joey asked. I thought it was a good question.

  “I don’t think that’s something you need to know just yet.” He was thinking he wasn’t really helping her, he was helping himself, and even though things had taken an unexpected turn, it could still work out. As long as Kate didn’t ruin everything. Walter kept the gun trained on us, but moved to look out the window. He wasn’t too concerned that we would try anything.

  Uncle Joey was wondering where Ramos was, and I couldn’t hold back the tears. Ramos died saving me, and all I did was complain.

  “Shelby, what’s wrong?” Uncle Joey asked.

  I took a deep breath to control my grief. “Walter shot Ramos while he was helping me escape.” My voice trembled. Uncle Joey pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and handed it to me. “Thanks,” I whispered. He nodded, but didn’t say anything. I was surprised that he took the news so well. In fact, he didn’t seem concerned about Ramos. It was almost as if he believed he couldn’t be hurt. Like he was in denial. The person he was most concerned about right now was Walter.

  “Is he planning to kill us?” He whispered so low I could barely make out the question.

  “Yes.”

  Uncle Joey straightened, and I felt him gather strength. He wasn’t as helpless as Walter thought. He had a small gun in his jacket pocket, but he had to wait for the right time. Possibly when Kate arrived. He glanced at me and thought, gun in my pocket, gun in my pocket. I quickly nodded to let him know I heard.

  “So,” Uncle Joey began. “Kate is out for revenge because she thinks I killed her father.”

  “That’s right, but she doesn’t want to kill you. She feels too indebted to you for all you’ve done for her. So she’s deci
ded she just wants you to go to prison for the rest of your life. That’s why she was compiling all this stuff.”

  “Did she kill Johnny?”

  “No, that was me,” Walter smiled with pride. “He wouldn’t cooperate with our demands that he tell the police you killed Stephen Cohen. We knew he was there and witnessed the murder. When his nephew surprised us, I ended up killing them both. Kate wasn’t happy with me, but it was them or me. You know how it is.”

  I noticed he said me instead of us. He wasn’t acting like he and Kate were a team. What was he planning? What was it that he didn’t want Kate to mess up? Uncle Joey was wondering the same thing. Only he was one step ahead of me. He was thinking that the only thing Walter would risk all this for was a shot at running the organization. That meant Uncle Joey had to die. So what did he need Kate for? I strained to listen to his mind, but nothing came to me.

  We all heard the elevator doors open and someone walking toward the office. Uncle Joey nodded at me to be ready and I swallowed. Walter was watching the doorway, but something about our postures alerted him, and he pointed the gun at Uncle Joey’s head. “Don’t try anything.”

  Just then, Kate walked in, imbued with seething anger that seemed hotter than her red hair. “What happened?” She focused her anger on Walter. “How did Uncle Joey get the file?”

  “Hey, it wasn’t me.” Walter motioned to Uncle Joey and me. “She gave it to him. He’s had it all along. There wasn’t anything I could do about it.”

  Kate turned her fury toward me. “I think I want to shoot you myself.”

  “Kate,” Uncle Joey said. “What’s going on here? Walter says that you think I killed your father. It’s not true. I took you in like my own daughter, and I did it because Stephen and I had made a promise. I made a promise to him that if anything ever happened, I would take care of you and your mother. He knew there were risks in this business. I had nothing to do with his murder. He was one of my best friends.”

  “Then how do you account for everything in that file?”

  “The information in that file was planted by a detective on the police force. He was an undercover cop who didn’t like me much, and managed to get into my organization. He stole access to my bank accounts and created those records. It would have worked if the evidence hadn’t been so clear that the real murderer was Lloyd Raines, the man convicted and sent to prison. He did it, not me.” Uncle Joey almost had me convinced, but I had the impression he was making this up as he went. He was good.