Secrets That Kill (14 page)

“Yeah… sure… fine.”

“Chris, I’m really sorry about this. I wish I were on my way home. Are you sure you can’t come? I can call my mom and see if she can watch out for Savannah and Josh for a couple of days. I really do have my own suite.”

“I’ll check my schedule tomorrow and see how it looks.”

“Really? That would be great!” I said, bouncing on the bed.

“Don’t get your hopes up.” His warning hit me like a bucket of ice water. “In the meantime, I really need to talk to Ramos. Got that? As soon as he gets back, call me.”

“Okay,” I agreed. Sensing that he was kind of disgusted with me, I needed to keep him on the phone until he wasn’t so angry. “How are the kids? Is everything okay at home?”

“Yeah. Everything’s fine.”

“Will Savannah and Josh be okay on their own while you’re at work?”

“Of course,” he said. “It’s not like they’re little kids or anything, I mean Josh will be a freshman in high school for Pete’s sake.”

“You’re right. I’m sure they’ll be fine,” I quickly agreed. “Hey, do you think you can change the play tickets to Saturday night? I’ll make sure I’m home by then, and I’d really like to go.”

He huffed. “You don’t even know what play it is.”

“I don’t really care about that. All that matters to me is being with you. Heck, we could go to a baseball game or a soccer match, and I’d love every minute of it if it meant spending time with you.”

“Hmm… maybe I’ll get season tickets and take you up on that.”

I chuckled and relief loosened the knot in my chest. “Sounds good to me.”

He sighed. “You know I don’t like this. Not one bit.”

“I know.”

“I’d ask you to tell me what happened last night at the restaurant, but I’m not sure I can take it right now. It makes me want to call Manetto and tell him off, but that probably wouldn’t be a good idea either. I just feel so helpless, and I don’t like it.”

“I promise I’ll be fine. Ramos and Detective Fitch won’t let anything happen to me.” I knew I was stretching it about Fitch, but if Chris thought Fitch was involved, I knew he’d feel better.

“I still want to talk to Ramos when he gets back.”

“Yeah… I’ll tell him.”

“Okay.” He let out his breath on a deep sigh. “The kids are hungry. I guess I’d better get us some dinner.”

“Oh, sure,” I said, a pang of guilt rolling over me. “I’ve got some coupons on the fridge if you want to use them.”

“Yeah, I see them,” he answered. “Don’t worry, I got this.”

“I know. I’m just a little homesick. Tell the kids I love them, okay?”

“Sure. Just call me later,” he said.

“I will. I love you.”

“Love you too,” he answered, and we disconnected.

Chapter 8

I flopped back on the bed, feeling bad about this whole mess, but glad that I’d gotten through to Chris. He wasn’t real happy about me staying and would probably use this to get me to do whatever he wanted for the rest of my life. I wouldn’t ever be able to object to anything because he could always say, “Remember Orlando…and how you stayed there with Ramos?” I’d probably feel guilty enough to cave in every time.

I did feel bad, but maybe not as bad as I’d sounded. I was sad not to be with Chris, but as I glanced around the luxurious room and checked out the bathroom with the jetted tub, I remembered the hot tub and swimming pool in the backyard. Yeah, I was sad, but since I was stuck here, and it wasn’t costing me a thing, I might as well enjoy myself. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been away from my husband and kids for this long. It was a little weird not having to be responsible for anyone else; weird and kind of nice. Did that make me a bad person?

I glanced down at my clothes. Since I was staying for a few more days, I’d need more things to wear, but that could wait until I found out what the plan was for taking down Carson. If it got too complicated, I might need to buy a dress and heels and maybe some other nice stuff.

I wandered into the bedroom across the hall for a closer look. It was nice, but didn’t have the jetted tub like mine. Still, I didn’t think Ramos would care. A prickle of unease ran down my spine, and I checked my door knob, sighing with relief to find it had a lock. Not that I was worried about Ramos… or Nick, it was still nice to know I could lock my door.

Downstairs, I roamed into the kitchen and opened the fridge. It was empty, and I wished Ramos would have waited for me to go shopping with him. I needed a diet soda something fierce. I was also looking forward to cooking. After two weeks of eating out, I was tired of it and ready to cook up something nice and healthy. Ramos hadn’t seemed too concerned about picking up supplies, so maybe he could cook as well. That was one thing Chris didn’t do, and the times he had tried were disastrous, so I always did the cooking. But seriously, I didn’t mind… much.

I didn’t know how long Ramos was going to be, so I rolled up my pants and sat in the shade by the pool with my feet dangling over the edge. The yard was private and fenced in on all sides with lots of flowering hibiscus bushes, ferns, and tall trees for shade. It was pleasant, but starting to get hot. The water was calling to me for a swim, but I didn’t want to have to re-do my hair and make-up. I could wait until later tonight with the pool light on and the starry black sky as a backdrop. Just imagining it brought a smile to my lips.

The sliding doors opened, and Ramos popped his head out. “Hey, do you want to help me put the groceries away?”

“Sure,” I said. “As long as you got me some Diet Coke.”

He grinned. “You know I did.”

As we put the groceries away, I was impressed with all the fruits and vegetables Ramos got, as well as the eggs, pasta, and fine cuts of meat. It looked like he really did know how to cook.

“So, how did your talk go with Chris?” he asked.

“It went about like I expected. He’s not too happy that I’m still here, and I think he’s a little confused about why. Mostly because I had to tell him we were helping Fitch catch Carson, since I couldn’t explain the real reason. I figured if Chris thought Fitch was involved, he wouldn’t think my part would be dangerous, although he had a hard time believing you would work with a cop, and he didn’t get the poker thing at all.”

Ramos shook his head and grunted, thinking that it was no wonder Chris was confused. That was a lot to take in. “So what did he say?”

“He wants to talk to you.”

Ramos swore under his breath and raised his brows. That was one conversation he was hoping to avoid.

“Yeah, exactly,” I said. “Now you know how I feel, but don’t worry. I’m sure he doesn’t expect you to explain anything. Plus, you’re intimidating enough that all you have to do is tell him you’d take a bullet for me and he’ll be fine.”

“Is that all?” he asked, his lips twisted in a wry smile.

“Uh-huh.” I smiled sweetly. “But you don’t have to talk to him until later tonight.” I finished putting the drinks in the fridge and closed the door. “So what is the plan anyway?”

Ramos checked his watch. “Nick should be arriving in a couple of hours. Once he has a chance to look at the thumb-drive, we’ll know how to take Carson down. That means we’ll have to wait until he gets here to come up with a plan.”

“So the poker part isn’t a sure thing? Dang! I wish I wouldn’t have said anything to Chris about that. The only reason I did was because at one point he was thinking about me learning how to play and winning a lot of money in poker tournaments. I thought he’d be happy that I was finally going to learn. Only when I mentioned it, he wasn’t too thrilled. That’s when he wanted to talk to you.”

“Hmm… yeah. You probably should have left that part out,” Ramos said. “In fact, maybe it’s best if we tell Chris as little as possible.”

I narrowed my gaze at him. “So now you’ve changed your tune? Before you were saying I shouldn’t lie to my husband, and now you’re saying I should.”

“Hey, that’s not what I’m saying at all.” Ramos didn’t like that I’d thrown his words back at him. “Telling him as little as possible is not lying to him.”

“But in a way, it is,” I reasoned. “Not telling the whole truth is kind of like lying.”

“So you want to tell him the whole truth now?” Ramos glared at me.

“No.” I crossed my arms in front of me. “I’m just trying to prove a point. That what we choose to share isn’t so cut and dry all the time.” My heart started to pound, and my chest ached. The last few days had been rough, and the stress was starting to get to me.

“And let me tell you something,” I continued. “The fact that I can read minds puts me in a real bind. You don’t have any idea how hard it’s been for me to know stuff, and not know what to do or say about it. I swear, after today I’ve about had it. I think if I could quit right now, I would! Got that?” Once I stopped speaking, I realized I’d raised my voice, and worse, my eyes were filling with tears. Embarrassed, I blinked them away and turned toward the fridge and opened it. “Where’s my Diet Coke?”

“Um… I think it’s on the bottom shelf.” Ramos hadn’t missed my tears and it made him uneasy. He didn’t relish talking to Chris, but he hated upsetting me more. Hoping to diffuse the situation, he moved behind me, opened the door wider, and bent down to look inside, nudging me aside. “Here it is.” He opened the box and pulled out a can, glancing at me with a worried smile. “It’s not cold yet, but there’s an ice dispenser right here in the door. Let me get you a glass.”

By now I was completely out of his way, and he opened the cupboard doors until he found a glass. Putting it under the ice dispenser he asked, “Crushed or cubed?”

“Um… crushed,” I answered, sniffing.

“Good choice,” he said. He filled it up with ice and set it on the counter, then popped open the can and began to pour.

Hearing the familiar sizzle calmed my nerves, and the care with which Ramos filled the glass increased my shame. What had just happened? Had I nearly broken down and cried in front of Ramos? What was wrong with me?

“Here you go,” Ramos said.

“Thanks.” I took the glass and gulped down a few swallows, feeling better and more in control. “Mmm… this tastes different. It’s… good. Wait, is this diet?”

“Yes,” he said, hurriedly. “I just got the kind with vanilla in it. I thought maybe you’d like it. Is that okay?”

“Um… yeah, actually it’s really quite good.” I drained the glass and smiled. “I like it. Can I have some more?”

“Sure.”

I held out my glass, and Ramos poured the rest of the can into it. “Thanks.”

“No problem.” Ramos watched me take another drink, thinking he’d just averted a disaster. He also thought it was a good thing my drink wasn’t anything stronger, the way I was guzzling it down. Then he wondered what I would be like if I got drunk. Probably best to keep that from happening, since in that state, who knew what I’d blurt out?

I raised one of my brows and pursed my lips. Ramos just chuckled, not intimidated in the least. “We should probably eat something,” he said. “I’m sure that will help you feel better.” He opened the refrigerator and pulled out a package wrapped with white paper. “How does fresh salmon sound? I can make a great lime-mustard sauce to put on it, and there’s a grill outside. We can eat it with rice. I’ve also got ingredients for a green salad.”

“Sure,” I said, just now realizing how empty my stomach felt since we’d only had drinks at the bar. “Sounds great. I’ll make the salad and cook the rice while you grill up the salmon.”

He grunted his agreement and I got busy. I concentrated on the familiar tasks and felt the stress leave my shoulders. With the rice cooking and the salad done, I got the table ready just as Ramos came in with the salmon. It smelled heavenly, and we quickly settled down to eat.

Everything tasted wonderful, and I shared an appreciative smile with Ramos. He returned my smile, thinking he could get used to this arrangement. Sharing a meal with a beautiful woman did wonders for his digestive system.

I blushed. “Are you trying to embarrass me?” A quiver of guilt at the intimate nature of our dinner rushed over me, but I did my best to brush it away.

A self-satisfied grin spread over his face. “I’m glad you’re feeling better. For a while there you had me worried. All I can say is, it’s a good thing I got the soda.”

I huffed and shook my head. “I guess I got a little upset, but I’m fine now.”

“Good.” He checked his watch. “I should probably leave for the airport. Nick will be arriving soon. You’ll be safe here, but you can come if you like.”

“I think I’ll stay. Maybe go for a swim or something.”

Ramos nodded, thinking it would be good for me to take it easy and enjoy myself. Who knew when I’d get another chance? He took his dishes to the sink and began stacking them in the dishwasher.

“I can clean up if you want to go now,” I offered.

“Um… sure.” He finished what he was doing and turned to leave, grabbing his keys from the counter. “I should be back with Nick in about an hour.” He started toward the door.

“Wait!” A sudden thought occurred to me, sending my heart rate into overdrive. “Nick can’t know about me.”

Glancing back at me, Ramos stilled as the implications of what that meant hit him. “No, of course not. Don’t worry, we’ll figure it out.”

I let out my breath and nodded. Ramos opened the door and was gone, leaving me to worry about how we were supposed to do that. Remembering the few times I’d talked with Nick tightened my stomach. He was curious about me the first time we met, wondering exactly what I did for Uncle Joey and why I was so important to him. How was I going to keep Nick from finding out all he could about me?

I grabbed my cell phone and called the only person I knew who could take care of it.

“Shelby? Are you all right?” Uncle Joey asked.

“Actually, no. I’m worried about Nick being here.”

“What? Why?”

“Because he doesn’t know about me and what I do,” I explained. “You know he’ll try and figure it out, right?”

“Hmm… I see what you mean. We can’t let that happen.”

“Exactly,” I said, relieved he was agreeing with me. “You know that Ramos knows, don’t you? Given how curious Nick is, I’m sure he’ll try and figure it out too. I just can’t have one more person knowing. Especially Nick.”

“Hey, Nick’s not that bad,” Uncle Joey protested.

“Yes he is,” I said quietly.

“All right,” Uncle Joey sighed. “What do you suggest?”

“Can’t you just call him and order him not to ask any questions about me? Tell him what I do for you is off limits and that’s all he needs to know?”

“Do you really think that would work?” he asked with a chuckle. “If anything, that would make him even more curious. No… we’ll just have to give him another explanation for your involvement. Why don’t you just tell him that you have premonitions? You’ve told other people that.”

“Oh, yeah,” I stammered, chagrined that I had made such a big deal about something so simple. “That should work.”

“Good. Listen… Ramos told me you wanted to stay and help him, but you don’t have to. I’m pretty sure he can take care of things himself if you want to come home.”

I arched my brows in surprise. Uncle Joey was giving me an out? “Oh, that’s okay. I’m fine to stay and help. Chris isn’t real happy about it, but I don’t mind.”

“I can believe that,” he snorted. “Just be careful. I want you back in one piece.” Before I could respond, he continued, “So… how’s the vacation house?”

“It’s great,” I said, warmed by his concern for my welfare. “In fact, I think I’m going to go take a swim in the pool.”

“Good. Let Ramos know what we discussed, and call me if you need anything.”

We disconnected and I sighed, somewhat surprised at the irony that Uncle Joey had actually helped me feel better. Twice in two days. Who would have thought that possible? Chris wouldn’t believe it.

Knowing the next few days were going to be stressful, I hurried upstairs to put on my swimming suit and go swimming. I was actually going to take Ramos’ advice and enjoy myself.