Marked for Murder Read online

  I worried about it all the way back to Thrasher. After getting off the bike, I pulled the helmet from my head and handed it to Ramos. As he turned to put it away, I caught his arm. “I don’t know what you have planned, and that’s okay, just… promise me that you’ll be careful. I don’t want anything to happen to you because of me, especially since this isn’t your problem.”

  This time his smile filled with tenderness, and he thought that it was nice to have someone care about him, even if it was unwarranted. “I’ll be fine, Shelby. You know that.” He waited for my nod before he continued. “Are you coming up?”

  I shook my head. “No, I need to tell Dimples about the phone call. You’ll let Uncle Joey know what happened?”

  “Sure.”

  “Okay. I’ll let you know if we find anything. You do the same, okay?” He nodded again, and I hurried to my car.

  CHAPTER 10

  I pulled into the precinct fifteen minutes later. With my badge around my neck, I rushed into the building and through the doors to the detective’s offices.

  Dimples sat at his desk, and I picked up that he was searching the police database for Jameson Beal’s last known address. A wave of relief swept over me, and I hoped he wasn’t too mad. I took a seat in the chair beside him, and he barely glanced my way.

  Still upset with me, he was thinking that I was his partner. Why hadn’t I called him? The last time we’d spoken, I had made a promise that he’d be the first person I’d call. I’d let him down.

  He closed his eyes, knowing I’d just heard all that, but it bothered him more than he let on. I was walking a fine line with Ramos. He was a bad guy… a hitman for Pete’s sake. Didn’t I realize the danger that put me in? He couldn’t always cover for me like he had today. What if there came a time when he had to arrest me? Did I ever stop to consider that?

  My breath caught, and shame for what I’d put Dimples through stuck in my throat. I hadn’t meant to put him in this position. From his anguish, I finally realized how hard this was for him. And now, with the threat Beal posed to his wedding, it was even worse. It was all my fault.

  “Hey, I’m sorry… for everything,” I said, my throat tight. “If you don’t want to be my partner anymore, I’ll understand. It will kill me, but I get it.”

  He lifted his gaze to mine, and his eyes shone with an intensity I’d never seen before. “Shelby. We’re not just partners. We’re two people who care about each other. I can’t change your circumstances, and I won’t apologize for worrying about you, but I’ll never stop being your partner… or your friend.”

  Unbidden tears sprang to my eyes, and I shook my head. “You deserve better. This whole mess is my fault.”

  “No. You can’t believe that. Don’t even go there. We’re in this together, and we’ll figure it out together. Whatever it takes.”

  “But… things are worse than you think. Beal just called me with a warning and a threat.”

  Dimples’s brows rose, and alarm ran down his spine. “What did he say?”

  With a pang of regret, I explained Beal’s threat that he was upping his game and someone was going to die at the wedding. “I’m so sorry. Until we catch him, I think you should consider postponing. Or maybe you should get married somewhere else and have the celebration another day.”

  “What? No way. I’m not letting this creep ruin my wedding.”

  “But what about Billie? If she knows—”

  “She’d agree with me,” Dimples said. “You know that, right?”

  I sighed. “Yes… but—”

  “No buts. We’re in this together. We’ll figure it out.” His eyes darkened with fury. “Tomorrow’s Friday. That gives us plenty of time to set a trap. If anyone’s going to die, it will be him.”

  Whoa. I’d never heard Dimples sound so mad. But I couldn’t blame him. This was his big day, and it was totally ruined. “You know I’ll do everything I can, but this is a test to him. He’s testing my premonitions. Since I don’t really have them, I’m worried that I won’t know what he’s planning in time to stop him.”

  “I get that, but you’re not the only one involved. Look around you. Most of these guys are coming. You think we can’t outsmart one man? He’s the one who ought to be worried. It’s time we told the chief what’s going on.”

  “Okay, but, before we do, I need to tell you something else. I… uh… just discovered that he has a son. His name is Jason, and he lives in the new condos above the city mall. Jason might know where we can find Jameson. I think we should talk to him.”

  Dimples lifted his right brow and studied me, wondering how I’d come across that information. Was that why I’d left so quickly with Ramos? So I could go to this guy’s condo without telling him?

  “Uh… not exactly,” I said. “You know Jerry? The person in the food court who almost got hit with the potted plant?” At his nod, I continued, “We’ve been in touch. He owns a condo in the building, and I thought maybe he could find out if Jameson lived there. But instead of Jameson, it turned out to be his son, Jason.”

  Dimples nodded. “Other than his last name, how do you know Jason is his son?”

  This was a little harder to explain, since it involved breaking and entering. Too bad I couldn’t claim it was my premonitions at work. “Uh… you probably don’t want to know. Just take my word for it.”

  His lips twisted into a sardonic frown, and he knew we’d broken in. “Fine. We’ll go talk to him, but first we need to tell the chief what’s going on.” This was supposed to be his last day on the job before the wedding, but now he’d probably be there all night and all day tomorrow.

  “I’m sorry,” I said.

  “Don’t.” Dimples raised his hand. “It’s not your fault. With any luck, we’ll get this guy before the wedding.”

  “Yeah.” I agreed, but Dimples picked up that I didn’t really believe it. He didn’t either. When had anything involving me ever gone smoothly? This time wouldn’t be any different.

  I felt bad that my negativity was rubbing off on him. Then I picked up that he thought finding out Beal had a son was a good solid lead. So it could still work out.

  “That’s the spirit,” I said, sending him a smile.

  With an effort, he managed to keep from rolling his eyes. Then he thought that’s the partner I’m used to. “Come on.”

  The chief sat in his office, filling out a report. He glanced up at Dimples’s knock on the door and motioned us inside. Since he didn’t like doing paperwork, he was grateful for the interruption. I hoped he felt that way when we got done.

  Before Dimples could explain, I took the lead. “I… uh… we have a problem.” I told him everything that had happened since the shooting, ending with the threat to Dimples’s wedding.

  After Dimples showed him the photos we’d found in the basement, the chief’s jaw clenched in anger. Most of it was directed at Beal, but a small portion was directed my way because I’d waited so long to tell him. What was I thinking? Why didn’t I trust him to help me out? I’d helped the police enough times that they owed me. Hell, I even had my own desk and computer.

  Oops. I had no idea he felt so strongly about it… about me. My throat tightened up a bit, just knowing he cared, and I had to swallow a few times to keep my composure.

  “We have a good lead that might help us,” Dimples added. “Shelby found out Beal has a son who might know where we can find him.”

  Chief Winder narrowed his eyes, hoping it would be that easy, but doubting it just the same. “Okay. Why don’t you have a chat with the son? If he knows anything, we’ll follow up. In the meantime, I need to see the layout of the venue where you’re getting married. We’ll need to go over the place with a fine-tooth comb. It will be difficult to prepare, with just one day before the wedding, but I’m sure we can pull it off.”

  The chief glanced at me, thinking it was too bad I didn’t have a premonition about what was going to happen, since that would make things easier, but he didn’t want to mention t
hat and make me feel bad. He could tell I already felt bad enough.

  Dimples found the wedding site on the chief’s computer, and we looked through the photos of the building, both inside and out. “Billie wants to get married in the garden,” Dimples said, pointing to the yard. The beautiful patio, with stairs leading down to an arch covered in flowers, beside a man-made pond and waterfall, looked amazing.

  Chief Winder nodded, thinking that, with most of his men there as guests, it shouldn’t be too hard to spot trouble. “Which of our people are going to be there?”

  “Pretty much everyone,” Dimples said, mentioning most of the detectives and a few others who had been invited.

  “Good. Let’s round them up and let them know what’s going on.”

  It was close to the end of the shift, and Dimples gathered those who were still there into the chief’s office. He’d tell the others tomorrow. By then, he hoped to have a better idea about what they’d need for security.

  Chief Winder took charge, taking the threats against one of their own seriously. After showing them the photos from the basement wall, he asked me to tell them about my most recent phone call from Beal and the threats he’d made to Dimples’s wedding.

  The heat of anger in the room rose, and I knew these guys were determined not to let anything happen to Dimples. It helped calm me down. I wasn’t in this alone.

  The meeting ended, and Dimples led the way back to his desk. He toggled his computer awake and began the search for Jason Beal’s information. “I take it he wasn’t home earlier?”

  “Yeah,” I agreed.

  “Okay. It looks like he’s currently a student at the university. His phone number is listed here. I’ll give him a call and see if he can meet with us.”

  Dimples put the call through. I held my breath, hoping he’d answer. The line clicked, and someone said hello. I smiled with relief as Dimples explained who he was and asked if we could stop by his apartment. Jason said that he was home now, but he had to leave soon.

  “We’ll come right over,” Dimples said. Jason said to ring him when we got there, and he’d let us in.

  We drove separately to the mall parking garage, and I followed Dimples to the main entrance of the condo units. We found the intercom for Jason’s condo and told him we were there. He pressed the release button for access to the building, and we got on the elevator, pushing the button for the eighth floor.

  Once again, I stood in front of the condo, while Dimples knocked on the door. This time, the door opened, and a younger version of Jameson Beal stood before us. Dimples showed him his badge, and Jason invited us inside.

  As we sat down on the couch, Jason asked, “What’s this about?”

  “We’re looking for your father. We hoped you might know where we can reach him.”

  Jason tensed. “Why? What’s he done?”

  “Is he here?” Dimples asked.

  “No.” Jason let out a breath. “I haven’t seen him for a while, and I don’t know where he is. He just sort of comes and goes.” He glanced at me, thinking I looked familiar. Where had he seen me before?

  “What do you know about your dad?” Dimples asked. “Does he have a job?”

  Jason shrugged. “Last time I talked to him, he was working on a project of some kind. I have no idea where or what it was about. You can probably find him at his building. I think he has an office in the basement. What’s this about? Is he in trouble?”

  “Does he stay with you often?” I asked.

  “No. But I gave him a key, so he can crash here if he needs to.”

  “When was the last time you spoke with him?” Dimples asked.

  “Last week.”

  I picked up enough to know that Jason had no idea where his dad was now. He might still be with his latest girlfriend, but Jason didn’t want to know those details. He hated what his dad had done to his family, and recently it seemed like he’d gotten worse.

  He’d made a name for himself with the company but, after the divorce, he’d dropped everything. It was like he’d become a different person. With us at his door, Jason worried that his dad had finally gone off the deep end.

  Maybe he’d better try contacting him, if only to let him know the police were looking for him. He still had an old phone number he could try, but he doubted it worked. If nothing else, he’d look for him at his building.

  “Thanks for your time,” I said, standing. “If you hear from him, could you please let us know?”

  “Sure.”

  Dimples handed him his card and thanked him for his time. Out in the hall, the door closed firmly behind us. Dimples glanced my way. “Did you get anything?”

  “He doesn’t know where Jameson is, or what he’s been up to, but now that we’ve asked him about it, I think he’ll try and get in touch with him.”

  “How?”

  “He was thinking about an old phone number he could try. If that didn’t work, he’d go to the building we just came from. Jason thought his dad had changed, and worried that he’d gone off the deep end, so that fits.”

  “Yeah. Sounds like our guy,” Dimples agreed. “I guess Beal could go back to the building, but we’ve cleared it out. I’ll just have to concentrate on his computer and see what we can find there. We can pull up his social media and emails, maybe get something from them.”

  “Okay.” I checked my watch. It was after five-thirty. “I’m going to head home. Call me if you get anything.”

  “I will. And if you find something, I expect the same.” He caught my gaze. “We’re partners, no matter what.” He was thinking about Ramos and hoped I knew he’d always have my back, even if he didn’t like who I worked with.

  “Thanks. You’ll be the first to know.”

  He nodded. “Good.”

  As we reached the parking garage, I turned to him. “When you talk to Billie, tell her I’m sorry.”

  “She knows it’s not your fault.”

  “I know, but I feel so bad.” I glanced at my shoes, unable to look at Dimples.

  “Shelby.” He waited for me to meet his gaze, then continued. “We’ll get this guy. With all of us working together, he doesn’t stand a chance. He won’t ruin anything. Have some faith.” He smiled. It wasn’t the big smile that made his dimples twirl around in his cheeks, but they dimpled enough to bring a smile to my lips.

  “Okay. I’ll talk to you later.”

  I appreciated his positive outlook, but I didn’t know if I had that kind of faith. I knew Jameson Beal wasn’t fooling around. If he set up some kind of device on the premises, and didn’t stick around so I could pick it up, how was I going to know how to stop him? There were so many ways this could go wrong.

  With a heavy heart, I got in my car and drove home.

  It didn’t take much for my kids to talk me into ordering pizza. Chris got home just in time to eat, and we sat around the table, talking about the events of the day. Listening to them talk helped me forget what I’d been through, and I finally relaxed.

  “So how was your day?” Chris asked me.

  Everyone glanced at me. “Uh… it was all right.” I kept chewing my food since I didn’t want to talk about it.

  “I saw your note in my office,” Chris continued. “Sorry I didn’t call you. It was a busy day.”

  “That’s okay,” I answered. At first I couldn’t remember what note he was talking about, then it came to me that I hadn’t told him about Ethan. Crap! I’d forgotten all about that.

  “Oh yeah,” Josh chimed in, remembering our earlier conversation. “Did you find out anything more about the lady who’s her own twin? That is just so weird.”

  “How can you be your own twin?” Savannah asked.

  I explained the case to her, which led to an interesting discussion about all kinds of things. I even told them Claire’s story about getting pregnant, and the consequences of unprotected sex. It might have been a little heavy, but I figured there was no time like the present.

  By then, we’d finished eati
ng, and the kids were quick to leave the table, and our depressing conversation, to pursue happier things. Chris narrowed his eyes, thinking there was something off with me. I wasn’t usually so down and weary.

  Since he was right, I didn’t set him straight. He sucked in a breath, knowing something bad had happened. “You’d better start talking,” he said, pulling me into a hug. “Should we go out on the deck swing?”

  “No.” My eyes widened, and I pulled back. “He might be out there watching.”

  Chris took in my frightened face, and his stomach clenched. “Who? What happened?”

  I swallowed and then closed my eyes, surprised at how vulnerable and upset I felt. “Sorry. I don’t know why I’m having such a hard time. I guess it’s all getting to me.”

  Chris took me in his arms, and I relaxed. I buried my face against his neck and inhaled his clean scent. He held me close, his mind offering peace and comfort, giving me time to compose myself. Feeling steadier, I pulled away and glanced into his eyes. “Thanks honey. Let’s go sit down on the couch, and I’ll tell you what happened today.”

  He nodded, keeping his mind calm for me, even though I knew it wasn’t easy. He kept thinking whatever I’d been through couldn’t be that bad. I was fine, no broken bones or bruises, and, even though I seemed down, that wasn’t so bad either. We sat on the couch, and he took my hand in his and squeezed.

  “Ow.” I jerked my hand away and held it close to my body.

  “What is it? Let me see.” Chris reached for my hand.

  “It’s no big deal. I just got a couple of blisters on my palm. They’re a little tender.” I held my hand out to Chris, and we both examined it. He wondered how that had happened, so I answered. “I got burned from a fire I had to put out.”

  Chris’s calm evaporated. He’d tried his best not to get upset, but now he couldn’t hold it back. I rushed to explain what had happened after I’d left his office to meet with Olivia Beal.

  “She gave me the address to a building Jameson owns. Uncle Joey had some information he wanted to share with me, so I went to Thrasher afterward to tell him about BioTech and Jameson Beal. Get this… Uncle Joey’s one of the investors in the company, and they’re part of the Patton Family. Olivia is a granddaughter.”