Warnings: Big ass Joe warning. If you care for Joe at all DO. NOT. READ. THIS. I can guarantee you won't like it.
That being said this is an adult fic and deals with adults therefore if you're not 18 you should back click now.
Illusions and Fantasies
Chapter One
Steph reached from under the covers fumbling as she reached for the phone. When it fell to the floor she pulled her head out from under the covers. She glanced at the clock and groaned. Someone had better be dead or she was going to get her gun from the cookie jar and shot them. She'd done a surveillance shift with Ranger and only been in bed an hour.
"What? Do you freaking know its 3a.m." She shouted into the phone. For a long minute there was no answer and she almost fell back asleep.
Then she heard Joe's unmistakable voice on the phone it was low and stressed. "Stephanie, do exactly what I say. I'm in no fucking mood so don't try to pull any bullshit. I just came from a crime scene involving a dead child. Do exactly what I say or I'll hurt Angie."
What the fuck. Suddenly very awake Stephanie sat up. This had to be a bad dream, a joke. She looked around for cameras. Then she went with pissed. How dare Joe threaten Angie or anyone she cared for?
"Joe, I'm sure there's a logical explanation for the most asinine statement you've ever made, but it eludes me right now."
Joe growled his reply. "Listen, CUPCAKE, if you want to see your brat of a niece alive again. You'll do just as I say. Do you understand or should I repeat myself slower."
Stephanie tried to think. I mean he had to be joking, right. He wouldn't really hurt Angie. For God's sake he was a cop. What could have happened that would be bad enough for Joe to threaten to do something as awful as hurting a child. Especially one of my nieces, he knew Angie had a crush on him.
"Don't ever mistake me for a good guy, Stephanie. You'll only end up surprised and disappointed."
"Joe you're a cop…"
"Yeah well see that's where you are mistaken. I'm all about smoke and mirror Cupcake, you know Illusions and Fantasies, I let people see what they want to see, cops are good guys right, so I give them the good cop 'Fantasy' when they need it. But make no mistake it's all an 'Illusion' in the Burg people see what they want to see".
"Joe, you hurt Angie and I will kill you myself" Steph said.
"No you won't CUPCAKE, you might have Manoso do it but you won't; we have a history and besides, you don't have the balls to kill me".
"So you think I'm part of your fantasy Joe. You have me all figured out?" Steph inquired.
"Stop wasting time Cupcake". Tell you what babe. You do exactly what I say or I'll introduce Angie to Choo-Choo, the difference is I'm not eight anymore Steph. DO YOU GET IT CUP-CAKE".
"Now here is the deal. Angie is safe for now, but you are going to pack a bag and we are going to fly to Vegas and you are going to marry me. Angie could be your bridesmaids or maid of honor or whatever the hell you silly women do when you get married. You be ready in an hour and come to the house and we will leave I have us booked on a flight leaving from New York in three hours, don't be late. If you are late or bring in Manoso...well let's just say Angie will be in therapy for years to come. You may not do butt stuff but I'm sure Angie will. One hour Cupcake...one hour, oh Cupcake, bring a nice dress and shoes, we do want good pictures to show the family and kiddies years from now don't we". Joe taunted before hanging up the phone.
Steph sat frozen her hand gripping the phone. It's a dream, it's a dream. I need to wake up. Yeah that's it I need to wake up. Stephanie's hands on their own accord hit speed dial one. "Yo" Ranger voice was heard in the air. Steph looked at the phone in surprised as Ranger repeated "Babe". Steph did the only thing she could do "I need you now, Joe has Angie and is threatening her, I need you Ranger, hurry". The phone dropped from Steph's arms and she barely heard Ranger said "Be there in five Babe".
Thirty minutes later after Ranger and the Core Team had heard what Steph related, Ranger had a plan. Tank was not surprised. Ranger's connections were wide, especially in Vegas. Ranger was a silent partner in several hotels in Vegas, he already knew Morelli's flight number and what hotel he was checked into - the Tropicana, figures Morelli is nothing if not consistent, he was a tight wad, showing a girl a good time at the Tropicana would be considered a good time to the cop. Ranger was way ahead of him, he had his people working on thwarting all of Morelli's plans especially if he plans to marry at said Tropicana Hotel. Just in case, however; he made sure to he got in touch with his people at the Registrar's Office to make sure that the Marriage Certificate of one Joseph Morelli and Stephanie Plum would never be recorded, just in case, Ranger knew that the wedding would never take place. The Cop will be dead before that happens, especially if he touched a hair on little Angie's head.
Ranger was hoping that Steph could hold her own with Morelli especially with Angie being there. If he figured the cop right he wanted to marry Steph not hurt Angie, she was just the tool he was willing to use, there was no doubt that Morelli would take advantage of the little girl if Stephanie resisted him. Steph left five minutes ago after being briefed by Ranger. Hector had all kinds of high tech bugs that Morelli would never find. The most sophisticated ones were sewn into her "so called" wedding dress and planted in the lining of her shoes...the devices was as thin as thread, they were so high tech they will easily pass the most sophisticated scanners at the airport, it would not be discovered in the luggage, nor will the tracker that Bobby planted over a year ago at the base of Steph's scalp. Morelli was in for a serious wake up call. He had crossed the line when he threatened an innocent child.
Illusions and Fantasies
Chapter Two
Steph looked at the house. Her 'spidey sense' was going crazy. Something was wrong. Joe had said to meet him at his house in an hour and that had been nearly fifty minutes ago. But the house was dark, even though Joe's truck was parked out front. It simply appeared that Joe was sleeping.
Why would he call and threaten her, demand that she come in an hour or less, and then go to sleep as if nothing was up? Plus, he'd said they were booked on a flight out of New York. He should have been ready to leave.
Stepping from her current POS, she looked both ways down the street. Nothing seemed out of place. The neighbors cars were all parked in their driveways, lights were off everywhere in the neighborhood. All was quiet, yet the hairs on her arm rose; a tingle ran down her back. She walked slowly to Joe's truck and placed her hand on the hood. Still warm. Shit.
At the door, she stopped. Use the key or knock. The hell with it, key it would be. After all, Joe had called her, dammit. He'd woken her up before the damn sun was even up and threatened not only her, but her niece.
The door swung open, revealing a dark interior. She turned on the nearest switch and made her way slowly and carefully into the house. It was quiet, too quiet. Her palms were sweating and everything in her was yelling for her to run. Stephanie wasn't one to back away and run when things got too scary, though. She always ran head on into danger, especially when it involved someone she cared about.
Then she heard a creak as the loose step on the stairway leading from upstairs groaned. Was it only last week that Joe had told her he needed to fix that? He had woken her when he stepped on it after returning from a middle of the night call.
She sucked in her breath when she looked up to see Joe had his work piece trained on her. He looked disheveled, as if he'd crawled out of bed after not being in it long enough.
She could hear the surprise in his voice at seeing her in his living room in the middle of the night. "Cupcake? What are you doing here, Steph?"
She tracked his eyes as they went from her to the door, which she had left open.
Joe breezed down the steps, past Steph, and slammed the door.
"Shit, Steph, when are you going to learn? I'm a cop. Never leave a door open. You don't know who might see it as an invitation."
His hands came to rest on his hips as he appraised her.
"What's up, Stephanie? Another nut case after you? You look like hell. Did you even look at those clothes before you put them on?"
"You called me. You threatened Angie."
Joe held up a hand. "What are you playing at, Cupcake? I was at a crime scene until an hour ago, then I came home and fell into bed. We haven't talked since you slapped me and called me a pig last week."
Steph looked around. Joe appeared to be telling the truth. Had she just dreamed everything? Had she gotten Ranger and the guys up and ready for nothing? No, it had been a nightmare. What the hell was going on?
Joe took her hand and started pulling her up the stairs. She froze as terror grabbed her. This was wrong.
When she didn't move, Joe turned and looked at her. She was shaking, pale, and obviously afraid.
"Cupcake, what's wrong?" He started to rub his hands down her arms and stopped when she stiffened at his touch. He dropped his hands. He slowly backed away, studying her. "I don't know what's going on, Stephanie, but I never thought you'd be afraid of me."
Steph's 'Burg girl attitude rose to the surface. "I'm not afraid."
"Steph, you shaking, you're pale, and it looks like you're about to hyperventilate. You're breathing so fast. We need to get you in bed. After a good night's sleep, we can talk in the morning and get everything cleared up."
The last thing she heard before everything went black was Joe's voice. "Cupcake, how can I love you when you don't even care? But I do, and someday you'll understand."
The Next Morning
Steph looked around. Stretching, she thought, this not my bed. She was in Joe's spare bedroom. Then she attempted to sit up fast. Her stomach twisted and she fought the urge to vomit.
Why couldn't she remember how she got here? She closed her eyes and concentrated. Joe, leading her up the stairs. A sudden prick, then blackness. Shit, had she been drugged?
She threw her feet over the side of the bed and tried to stand up. A sudden wave of dizziness had her sitting back down. Putting her head between her legs, she took deep breaths. Relief washed over her when she realized she was still dressed in the clothes she had put on yesterday. That was good, right? One of her worst fears was being raped, and the thought that it had happened when she was drugged unconscious was terrifying.
Feeling stronger, she stood and carefully made her way downstairs, wondering where Joe was. Her 'spidey sense' was telling her that she needed to get out of there immediately.
Where to go was easy. Rangeman was the only place she knew she'd be safe from Joe and whatever was going on. Then she remembered some of Joe's phone conversation. She needed to call Val and make sure Angie was okay. If she was home or at school, she could relax. Maybe it had all been an awful dream.
Chapter three
She'd never felt as nervous as she was driving toward Rangeman. She pressed the speed dial on her phone for her sister. Val answered on the third ring.
"Val?"
"Stephanie, I'm really busy right now."
"Val, I just was going to ask if I could pick up the girls after school. You know, do some aunt things." Stephanie held her breath and hoped Val bought it. It wasn't a lie, exactly, anyway. Sometimes to help her out, Steph would pick up the girls and they'd spend a few hours after school at the mall.
She heard Val sigh. "Thanks for the offer, but Angie has a meeting after school for the school play, and Mary Alice has a play date. Both girls won't be home until dinner time."
Relief washed through her. Joe couldn't have Angie if she was in school. Maybe it had all been a dream. She pulled into Rangeman and parked. The elevator doors opened as she approached. Ranger held a finger to his lips, then he ran a scanner around her. Lester removed what could only be bugs from several spots. Suddenly, Steph wasn't feeling so well again.
Ranger held her. When the doors opened on five, he directed her to an open conference room door. Inside, Tank, Bobby, Hal, Cal and Hector sat at the table.
Ranger sat after helping her into the chair next to him. "Babe, tell us what happened after you went to Morelli's."
She told him of how Joe had acted surprised to see her and asked if she'd had a bad dream. Then about how she'd woke this morning in the guest room, alone, feeling nauseous and dizzy as if she'd been drugged.
"Bobby?"
"On it, Boss."
Bobby opened a medical bag. He applied a tourniquet to Steph's arm and took a couple vials of blood. After applying a band aid, he exited the room.
"Hector?"
Hector stepped forward with a black box and waved it around Stephanie, then he frowned and said something to Ranger in Spanish. Ranger swore. Steph's implanted tracker was gone. If it had been removed, then that meant that Morelli knew about it and would be looking for another one. Shit, things had just gone from bad to worse.
Steph buried her head in her hands. This didn't make any sense. Angie was safe... she was at school. "What's going on? I thought maybe I was imagining things when Val told me Angie was at school, but now I'm confused!"
"Babe, I don't know what Morelli's up to, but I've got a bad feeling."
After they finished, Ranger suggested Steph go to her desk and get some searches done to take her mind off things and relax. He would have suggested she go home, but he wanted her at Rangeman where he knew she was safe. Whatever was going on with the cop made her not safe anywhere alone. So until they figured out what was up, she was going to have to be stuck to Ranger, his building and his men.
Her phone rang and she answered it after looking at the display. It was Joe.
She could tell from sounds in the background that Joe was at the park. A shiver went down her spine. She looked at the clock. Damn, it was after three. Where had the time gone?
"Hey, Cupcake, imagine my surprise when I found out you had left the house." I could hear the sound of dogs barking and children playing in the background. "Guess who I ran into on the way home, Cupcake?" His voice sounded odd, almost sinister, like it had last night on the phone before she went to his house. This voice scared her and left her shaking.
Her stomach fell. Why hadn't she thought to ask Ranger to put a man on Angie? Stupid Stephanie answered, Because you were in denial. You grew up with Joe. Deep down, you trusted him to not intentionally hurt you. Stephanie knew her subconscious was right, but it still hurt her to hear it.
She squeaked out her answer, praying she was wrong and that Angie wasn't there. Let her be at practice like Val said she would be. Stephanie knew she would give anything to hear something different than what she was sure she'd hear.
"Angie?"
"Yeah, Steph, Angie. Here, I'll even let you talk to her so you believe that I have her. Steph, you'll do what I say or she'll…. just disappear. They're funny things, accidents. You never have them till you're having them. You do understand, right? Tell me you do." He said that last part so softly that Stephanie had no doubt that Angie hadn't heard it.
Then Angie was on the phone. She was clearly excited. She'd always had a little girl crush on Joe, and him giving her individual attention was obviously making her very happy. Like Val and her mother, Angie liked Joe because he was from the 'Burg and a policeman. They thought he was perfect.
"Hi, Aunt Steph! Joe picked me up from school and we're at the park. He says he'll help me with my school project. Isn't that cool? Uh, I think he wants the phone back."
Stephanie heard Joe tell Angie to go play again, then silence for a few moments. Finally, she heard his voice again.
"Steph, write a note to Manoso. Tell him you're leaving. Make sure he'll believe what you write. No clue's leading to me, or Angie is dead. Leave it in his apartment, then leave the building. If anyone asks, you're meeting Connie or Lula for lunch. Hell, call them and make plans to meet for lunch. When you get downstairs, Mooch will be waiting for you in a white cargo van. Get in it. When Mooch calls me, I'll take Angie home. Hurry, Steph, the clock is running. Tick, tock, tick, tock."
Steph threw down the phone and rushed to Ranger's office to look for paper.
She sat at his desk to think. It was important that she say just the right thing. Joe's instructions were to convince Ranger she was leaving on her own. Well, screw that. If she had learned anything over the years, it was that no matter what the situation was, it was always better to have Ranger and the Merry Men as backup. She was good, but Ranger was much, much better.
When that little voice spoke, Ranger had told her to listen to it. Somehow Joe had known she contacted Ranger the first time. Maybe he had a mole inside Rangeman, as unlikely as that was. Could she take the chance, knowing Angie was at risk? The answer was no.
What could she write that would convince Ranger that she was leaving, but at the same time give him a clue?
Chapter four
Satisfied with what she'd written, after reading it over, she stood and walked to Ranger's office. She would leave it on his desk. She gave a silent prayer that he would find it sooner rather than later, that he would understand the message hidden within it.
She felt a hand on her shoulder and jumped.
"Crap, Bombshell, it's only me. Sorry if I scared you." It was Tank, and the hurt in his voice made me feel bad. I've been at Rangeman long enough to know that most of the guys think of me as a little sister, someone they need to watch out for and protect from all the bad things in the world.
"Hey, Tank. Sorry, but guess I'm just a little spooked right now. You understand, with this thing with Joe and all."
Tank nodded. He saw the paper in my hand and raised an eyebrow. I absentmindly played with the paper and gave Tank a shy smile.
"Uhm, Tank, do you know when Ranger will be back from his meeting? It's with Mr. Parks, right?"
Tank raised an eyebrow. "Steph, are you okay? Ranger's meeting is with Mr. Elias for Trenton Jewelry. You did all the searches last week."
"You're right, Tank. Lots on my mind, you know. I just need to leave Ranger something on his desk."
I could see that Tank was looking for the right words to question me about my unusual behavior. I was saved by a couple of phones and an alarm going off. Tank turned back to his station at the monitor.
I slipped into Ranger's office and left the note in the center of his desk, where I was sure he wouldn't miss it when he came in.
Now to get out of the building without running into anyone else... First, I needed to do one other thing. I went to the cabinet in the corner of Ranger's office. I opened it, removed two things and slipped them into my pockets. I said a silent prayer, walked from the room and slipped out the door and down the stairs.
Ranger encouraged his men to use the stairs, but when he was out of the building, most used the elevator, so I figured I was safe.
Tank's POV
After dealing with the multiple calls and alarms, I turned around. Steph was up to something, and with Ranger out in the field, I knew it was up to me to find out what was going on. I hated to admit it, but the way her mind worked actually scared me sometimes.
Ranger's A-Team had advanced tactical training. We were considered the best the government had, and this little white girl from the 'Burg could think circles around us on some days. Now that was damn scary.
First thing I did when I realized that Steph was gone was rewind the tapes. We had cameras covering every inch of the building, except Ranger's apartment on seven and the restrooms. The conference room could have their audio and video turned off as needed, but only the A-Team had access codes that enabled those cameras to be turned off.
I watched as Steph went into Ranger's office and place the paper she'd had on his desk. She had a mental talk with herself before giving it one last look and walking away from it. What the hell?
Then she walked to the cabinet. I knew that was where Ranger kept a variety of surveillance items, including small cameras, mics like he used with Steph on takedowns, and a whole mess of different kinds of GPS units.
I saw Steph slip something into her pocket, but couldn't make out what it was. Then while I was tied up at the console, she slipped out the door and down the stairs. Shit, Ranger had given me orders to keep Steph in the building today; at least until Bobby got the results back from the blood sample he'd drawn.
I pulled out my phone. "We have a problem. Yeah, Steph left the building. Doing it now."
I started searching the tapes. My fingers flew as I pulled up the tapes that showed Steph opening the lobby door and walking out.
I saw Steph exit the building, look both directions then start walking south until she was out of sight of the cameras. Damn, this was not good.
Steph thought of walking as exercise, not something to be done voluntarily. Shit, something was up, and I'd let Steph just walk out of the building when I knew she had a new stalker. I hadn't checked to see if she had her trackers or was armed. I tried to tell myself it wasn't my fault that I'd been tied up at the console, but that didn't help. I still felt guilty. My gut was yelling at me, telling me something really bad was about to happen.
I rushed to Ranger's office, the phone still to my ear. I instantly spotted the paper. After reading it, I didn't feel much better. For one thing, it didn't make a lick of sense. Steph didn't mention anything about last night. Instead, she told Ranger she's going to meet Lula and they're going to the mall to shop. Not the kind of note Steph would ever leave, let alone one she'd leave for Ranger.
Leaving the note on the desk, I ran for the stairway. Maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to catch up with her.
I only remembered that Ranger was on the phone when I swung the door open and realized I'd never catch up with her.
"Tank, what the hell is going on?" I could hear the anger and tension in Ranger's voice. Only Steph caused him to unmask his emotions that way.
"Man, I'm sorry, she's gone."
"Tank," Ranger was growling at me now over the phone. "What exactly do you mean, she's gone? And you better not mean Steph, or I'm beating your hide until you're white."
I rubbed a hand over my face. I deserved whatever punishment Ranger decided to dole out to me. I'd screwed up, Steph was gone and no doubt in danger, again.
Chapter Five
I saw the van when I exited the building. It was far enough down the street to be out of view of the cameras. Damn, I'd hoped they would be captured on film.
Looking up and down the street, I was disappointed to see that it was empty. This street is never empty! I slowed, hoping someone would turn onto the street. Hoping and praying for a miracle. Hands in my pockets, I slowly made my way to the van. All my senses were screaming for me to run, but I had to do this. I had to save Angie.
I climbed in and really wasn't surprised to see that it wasn't Mooch driving, but a stranger. What the hell was going on? Was this a new stalker?
I felt the prick of a needle, and before I could react, everything started to go black. I slumped, my head hitting the floor as I landed. No one noticed as the van pulled from the curb. It passed Rangeman minutes later and continued on its way.
Tank's POV
I knew the first thing I needed to do. Call in reinforcements.
"Ranger, just get here." I flipped the phone closed, just to open it and call the control room.
"I need twelve men, now." I spoke and issued orders as I ran down the street the way Steph had disappeared on the security cameras. I noticed a white van pass by. I paused for a second before continuing down the street. A sign on the side said something about plumbing, so I dismissed it and continued. If Steph was walking, I'd easily be able to catch up to her.
The note had said she was going out to lunch with the girls and then shopping. I looked around the coffee shop on the corner and the small restaurant a little further down the block. I checked both and questioned the staff. No one had seen anyone matching Steph's description.
I was exiting the restaurant when Ranger's car roared to a stop at the curb in front of me. I met Ranger's eyes and just shook my head. Fifteen minutes had passed. I had men on foot and in trucks combing the area. It was as if Steph had stepped from the building and vanished.
I spoke first. "She left a note on your desk. It said she was meeting the girls for lunch and shopping. I know Lula has a doctor's appointment today, and we both know Vinnie is out of town, so no way could Connie leave the office for shopping."
Ranger's POV
I frowned and pulled the portable GPS unit we'd been testing out of my pocket. It showed Steph, or at least all the trackers, at Rangeman; her car in the garage, the watch with tracker on the seventh floor and the pen on the fifth. I knew I should be angry. But I also knew that I needed to control my emotions. They wouldn't help us find Steph, and they could get in the way.
I remember when Julie was kidnapped and I'd told Steph that I could do the job because I wasn't emotionally attached to Julie but I was to her. Damn. I had to find her. The fear I'd felt before I found her in that damn cupboard came back. When exactly had I become so attached to her, so attached that the fear of losing her from my life actually paralyzed me?
I needed to find her, and then we needed to talk. Really talk. Sure, my life was dangerous, but so was hers. In a way, hers had become more dangerous than mine in the last few years, as I backed away from government contracts and she went after higher bonds.
I swore and threw the useless tracker to the ground, where it shattered. Tank's hand landed on my shoulder. I knew he was offering support, but at that minute, I didn't want it.
"Relax, man, we'll find her."
"But will it be in time this time?" There I'd expressed my fears.
"I'll just call Lula. She'll tell me they're in the mall, probably getting you something for tonight at Victoria's Secret."
I knew Tank was trying to make me feel better. It didn't help. We'd gone over this already. Steph wasn't with Lula or Connie. Of course, that didn't eliminate her sister or Mary Lou.
Tank picked up the phone and called. The first thing we heard was a lot of puffing. It was clear that Lula had been running. Now I was really concerned.
"Lula, baby, uh, where are you?"
Clearly irked, Lula's voice boomed over the phone. I had no trouble hearing it, even though it wasn't on speaker.
"Tank, that you? Shit, where you think I am. Told you last night I was going after Simon Reynolds today. Fat ass punk thought he would trip me and run away. Stunned his ugly ass. He's laying at my feet drooling now. Maybe I'll give him some more volts before I take him in…"
Tank raised his voice and interrupted her tirade. "Lula, honey, you said you had a doctor's appointment, and you agreed to call before you went after Reynolds." A look at me had him adding, "Have you seen Steph today?"
The tone of Lula's voice changed. Her breathing was not quite as ragged as it had been a minute ago.
"White girl is in a world of trouble. She called the bonds office earlier. Left some dumb ass message about Connie and me meeting her for lunch and shopping. She knows Connie can't go shopping this week. Not with Vinnie out of town."
Tank's POV
I closed my phone, knowing I'd pay later for hanging up on my girl. She hated my phone manners as much as Steph did.
I looked at Ranger's disappearing back. Damn, the man was mad. I didn't know what Steph was up to. She knew better than leaving the building the way she had. She had to have had a reason.
Damn, why hadn't I thought of it earlier? I passed Ranger as I raced back to the building, thinking as I ran. I thought about the whole day. Shit, something was off. I remembered my earlier conversation with Steph. She took the stairs down and she left through the first floor reception room, not the garage. Why hadn't she exited through the garage? Why hadn't she taken her car? That only made sense if she was planning on meeting someone. But I remembered the tape, and there had been no one waiting. At least, not where the cameras could see them.
Damn, that meant that whoever Steph was with was familiar with Rangeman and where the cameras were placed. Shit, there were only a handful of men who were even aware Rangeman had cameras outside the building.
Ranger stepped up next to me as I queued up the tape. "Shit man, you have to look at this."
I told Ranger about running into Steph just before she left the building; how I'd felt something was off, the paper in her hand, then the alarms and phones going off. We watched it all play out on the monitor.
"We need to look earlier."
Damn, Ranger was right. We need to know what had caused her to leave the building.
We watched as she worked at her desk. Then she answered her cell. This was it. We could see her tense and look at the camera for a minute before turning away.
I was pulling up the phone log kept on all company issued phones before Ranger could even voice the order. I showed him Stephanie's phone log. The last call she had received was seven minutes long. The call came from Morelli.
Shit, what the hell was Morelli up to? First he threatens Steph's niece and then tries to convince her it was all some sort of dream or nightmare. Now a phone call from him has Steph leaving the building and disappearing.
The interesting thing was that the call originated at Trenton Park... the same park that we all knew Steph often took her nieces to play on the playground.
"I want to know where Morelli is now. I want to know where he's been all fucking day. I want to know what he's been working on lately. And I want all of that information ten minutes ago." Ranger's voice was hard as he issued the command.