Crossing Danger: A Shelby Nichols Adventure by Colleen Helme Page A

She glanced in my direction and smiled. “Shelby.” Her voice was weak and scratchy. “I’m so glad you’re here. Drew told me you came last night.” She glanced at Dimples and smiled tenderly. “He’s been here all night.”
    Her voice got stronger, and she reached for his hand. He automatically took it, and I picked up that Billie was grateful he’d stuck with her. Maybe he really did love her, even if he hadn’t said the words. If that was the case, then getting shot might not be so bad.
    He squeezed her hand and smiled, making those dimples swirl like magic. Wow...maybe he really was her prince charming.
    “So...um...what happened last night?” I asked.
    That brought her focus back to me and, since she didn’t want Dimples to hear what she had to tell me, she thought this was the perfect time to send him home. “Drew’s already heard this.” She turned to him. “Honey, you look a little rumpled. Why don’t you go home and get cleaned up. Shelby can keep me company for a while.”
    “Uh...is that all right?” he asked. He hated leaving her, but he wouldn’t mind changing his clothes and taking a shower.
    “Of course it’s all right,” I assured him. “Go. She’ll be fine.”
    He nodded gratefully, then leaned over and gave Billie a tender kiss. “I have some things I need to do today, but I promise I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
    “Sounds great,” she assured him.
    He nodded and turned to me. “Can you meet me at Billie’s apartment in about...forty-five minutes?”
    “Sure,” I agreed.
    “Good. See you then.”
    We watched him leave, and I caught Billie’s feelings of love trail after him. Once the door clicked shut, I sat down in his chair and asked if there was anything I could get for her.
    “No...but I do have a favor to ask you.” Her raspy voice held an underlying desperation.
    “Sure...anything.”
    “I need you to get the thumb-drive from my apartment. I don’t want anyone else to find it.”
    “Not even Dimples?” I asked.
    “No...if he knew about it, he’d have to turn it in as evidence, and I’m afraid something might happen to it. I just don’t trust everyone in the police department right now...not when it concerns the attorney general’s office. He’s got all kinds of people in his pocket, and I don’t want to put Drew in his cross-hairs.”
    “Don’t worry. I...uh...already got it.”
    “What?”
    I explained what I’d done last night, including the guy I caught watching me. “I don’t know who he was but, to be honest, he didn’t feel like a bad guy to me.”
    “Wow...that’s crazy.” She thought for a moment, but came up empty. “I hate to admit it, but I have no idea who it could be.”
    I shrugged. “Okay. Well...maybe he’ll show up again. So now it’s your turn. Tell me what happened to you.”
    Closing her eyes, she shook her head. “I walked in on a guy ransacking my apartment. His face was covered by a ski mask...so I didn’t see what he looked like. I was pretty upset to find him there, so I pulled my gun on him. I didn’t see the other guy until it was too late. He knocked the gun out of my hand and we struggled. The first guy picked up my gun and shot me. They took off after that.”
    “Oh Billie...how awful.”
    “Yeah...I got shot with my own gun...it’s humiliating.” She was thinking that Drew was so mad at her for that.
    “Why would he be...uh...why would you be...humiliated?”
    Her brow puckered and she thought, duh . “It was my gun. I probably wouldn’t have been shot if they hadn’t gotten a hold of it.”
    “Right,” I said. “Yeah...okay. Well...so you want me to keep the thumb-drive?”
    “Yes...at least for now.” Her voice faltered with fatigue.
    “Okay...but you know what that means. I’ll probably have to lie to Dimples. Last night I told him about the thumb-drive and that it was probably what they were looking for.”
    “That’s okay...just don’t tell him you have it.” Her eyelids began