Free Deep in Death: A Shelby Nichols Adventure by Colleen Helme Page B

it.”
    His smile widened. “That’s nice of you, but how about I give you another five hundred to stay in the loop. That way I don’t have to go through my daughter to find out what you know.” He pulled out his wallet and took out five hundred dollars along with his business card.
    I shrugged. “Sure, but wouldn’t talking about my investigation give you an excuse to talk to her more often, especially with the wedding coming up?”
    “You don’t know how much I would like that, but she doesn’t always tell me things. I have to admit, I wasn’t real happy that she hired you, so I doubt she’ll want to tell me much about your investigation. Paying you will guarantee that I’ll know what she knows. Oh…and Tiffany doesn’t need to know about this. Okay? We’ll keep it our secret.”
    “Fine,” I agreed, taking the money. He made a good argument, and if I were in his place, I’d probably do the same.
    He showed me out and even offered to carry the box for me, but it wasn’t heavy, so I declined and got on the elevator with a promise to keep in touch. It wasn’t long before I was back in the parking structure and unlocking my car. I slid into the front seat and maneuvered the box onto the passenger seat. In the process, my bag fell off my shoulder spilling the contents of the police file onto the floor.
    After getting settled, I picked up the papers and noticed several photos of her car. They showed the car door open with the keys in the ignition and her purse on the passenger seat. I studied them for a moment and glanced up, realizing why it looked so familiar. I was in the same parking structure. This was where she’d been abducted. For some reason, I hadn’t put it together.
    I glanced back at the photos and noticed the number four on the wall above her car. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. I glanced up and right in front of me was the number four. My heart started to race and my mouth went dry. What were the chances of that happening? Of course, the space was empty or I wouldn’t have parked here. Still, it seemed like more than a coincidence, and a jolt of panic spiked through me.
    Hardly daring to breathe, I grabbed the keys from my purse and, with shaking hands, got the car started. I backed out a little too fast, but managed not to hit anything, and got the hell out of there. This case was freaking me out. What had happened in the dead file room I could almost believe was a figment of my imagination. It was creepy down there anyway. But that didn’t explain what had happened in the lobby today, or the few times I’d smelled gardenias. The fact that I’d parked in the exact same spot where they’d found her car nearly put me over the edge.
    I turned on the radio to get my mind off the creep factor and concentrated on driving responsibly. A gas station on my right caught my attention and I pulled into a parking place. Inside, I filled the largest cup I could find with Diet Coke and added both vanilla and cherry flavorings. It was good, but didn’t quite do the trick, so I found my favorite candy bar and got that too.
    Back in my car, I took a big bite of chocolate paired with caramel and nuts. I didn’t know what was going on, but chocolate always made it better. I enjoyed each bite and sighed when it was gone, but at least now I felt fortified and ready to get back to work.
    Meeting with the retired detective was next on my list, but since I was meeting at his house, I figured I didn’t have to worry about anything weird happening there. On a whim, I rolled down my windows to enjoy the breeze and sang along with the radio. By the time I arrived at Geoff Parkers’ house, I was pretty much back to normal.
    The man who answered the door had a gruff look about him. He was medium height and barrel-chested with a square jaw and unshaven face. His thick gray hair stuck up in a few places, and splotches of red stained his worn flannel shirt. He noticed my gaze on his shirt, and a smile