CHAPTER 1 STEPHANIE POV
The plane began its final descent into Hawaii. This was going to be my first real vacation since my honeymoon with Dickie. That had just been a trip down to Florida and while I enjoyed the warmth and sunshine, I'm pretty sure Dickie had enjoyed the bartender at the beach bar by our hotel. This vacation was bound to be better, even if I was alone.
I'd been through a lot since my divorce from Dickie. Less than a year after we were married I found him underneath Joyce Barndardt on my brand-new dining room table. The resulting divorce had been messier and louder than Dickie and Joyce had been on that table. I started working for a lingerie buyer, which then went out of business. To prevent myself from becoming homeless and having to move back in with my parents, I started working for my cousin. I'm Stephanie Plum and I'm a bounty hunter in Trenton, New Jersey. That job is actually how I ended up on the vacation of a lifetime. I'm not particularly good at my job and I don't always make that much money at it either, but sometimes I get a little lucky and things fall my way.
This vacation was the result of my mom's desire to see me married again and my current on-again off-again boyfriend, Joe Morelli's, history as a lady's man. I'd gone to high school with both Morelli and Dave Brewer. Morelli slept with every girl in Trenton back in his younger days. He took my virginity behind a bakery counter when I was 16 and was out the door before I even caught my breath. Morelli had slept with Dave's prom date, on prom night, and Dave had never gotten over it.
Fast-forward to now, and Morelli was more of a one-woman kind of guy and I was (usually) that woman. Dave decided he wanted revenge, and was going to get that revenge by either running away with Morelli's woman or by killing her. My mother thought Dave would be a great catch, not being aware of his murderous desires, and tirelessly tried to set me up with him. In the end, it turned out Dave had killed at least nine people in his quest to get to me. But he was killed by someone else who was trying to kill me, who was in turned killed by someone else who was trying to kill me. In the end, I ended up with $12,000 in American Airline gift cards in my name.
This is how I ended up in first class on a plane to Hawaii. I had invited Morelli to go with me, thinking that this vacation may be a good way to take our relationship from on-again off-again to just "on." But, he couldn't get away from work. He is a detective for the Trenton police department and works in crimes against persons, which is usually homicide. He is great at his job and loves it, but it isn't work that lends itself well to vacations, not that he tried that hard to make it happen. I wasn't going to let that stop me and took off to enjoy a little Hawaiian paradise on my own.
The plane touched down in Honolulu and taxied to the gate. Flying first class had its perks and I was among the first off of the plane. I grabbed my carry-on bag and made my way down the jetway to the terminal. I was looking around trying to find the signs to get to baggage claim when I saw a woman that looked familiar. Looking closer I suddenly realized who exactly I was looking at. It was Tootie Rugguzzi! Her husband, Simon Ruguzzi, better known as "The Rug" was a mob hit man in Trenton. He had been arrested and Vinnie had posted the insanely high bond, but he skipped and no one had seen him or his wife since. Ranger and I had been looking for him for a long time, but he was in the wind with no clues.
I didn't see the Rug with his wife, but I figured since they had disappeared at the same time that if she were here he wouldn't be far. Instead of making my way to baggage claim, I followed Tootie. She headed straight outside and got onto a resort shuttle. I made note of the resort name and then went back for my luggage and rental car. I called Vinnie while I was driving and told him that I may have a lead on the Rug.
"It's about time you brought in someone of value," Vinnie said over the phone. "Don't let him go."
My next call was to Ranger. Ranger actually was the one with the authorization to apprehend for Simon Ruguzzi. He is far more skilled in the art of fugitive apprehension than I am. He is a former military special forces officer and he is sexier than any man has a right to be. On the few occasions that we've slept together the only word that can describe the experience is pure magic. He also loves me but is too focused on his work running a security company to have a relationship. He's told me in the past that a long-term committed relationship doesn't fit with is life plan. I think he is trying to restore his karma from some of the things he has done in his life.
"Babe" Ranger answered after the first ring.
"I just saw Tootie Ruguzzi in the airport terminal." I replied. Ranger doesn't do idle chit-chat so I cut right to the chase with him.
"In Hawaii?" He asked.
"Yep" I responded.
"I'll be on the next flight." He said and disconnected.
I had reservations at a resort already, but decided to go to the resort that operated the shuttle I had seen Tootie get onto. I figured I could cancel my reservation and get a room at this resort instead so I could keep an eye on the Rug until Ranger got there. Once Ranger got there I'm sure he would apprehend the Rug quickly and efficiently and be headed back to New Jersey before he even had a chance to warm up in the Hawaiian sun.
I didn't see the Rug or Tootie in the lobby, but she had a bit of a head start on me from the airport because I had to wait for my rental car and luggage. I headed to the front desk and asked for a room.
"Do you have a reservation?" the front desk clerk asked.
"I do, but not at this hotel," I replied "I had already made a reservation at another resort but a friend of mine recommended I stay here and I'm hoping you'll be able to find me a room."
"Is your husband in the car?" he asked.
"No, no husband. Just me." I replied.
"Well, then I'm afraid there is nothing I can do for you." He said. "This resort is having a special right now, but it is married couples only. You will have to stay at the resort you originally made your reservation."
I took a deep breath and considered my options. I decided to try a narrow version of the truth. I didn't want him to give the Rug a heads-up, but maybe he would bend policy if I made myself sound official enough. I slid by bounty hunter badge and ID out of my purse and placed it on the counter. I'd actually purchased the ID and badge online but most people don't know that. "I'm actually here on official fugitive apprehension business. I'm going to need to ask you to bend the married couple policy and let me have a room." I said it with as much confidence and authority I could convey, which admittedly isn't much and especially not when I'm wearing sandals and a sundress.
He pushed the badge and ID back at me and said "I appreciate your situation but I can't bend the policy for anyone. And even if I did, don't you think your fugitive would find a single woman at a couple's only resort suspicious?"
I had to admit he was right and walked back out to my rental car to call Ranger with the update. After he answered I said, "I decided to move my reservation over to the resort that runs the shuttle that Tootie got on, just to see if I could spot them again or confirm the Rug was here." Ranger said nothing, which wasn't unusual so I continued, "When I tried to check-in, I was told it was a married-couples only resort. The front desk refused to let me have a room unless I checked in with my husband."
He was quiet for a moment and then said "I'll call and make the reservation. I'll be there tomorrow so go to your original resort tonight but plan on checking out tomorrow."
I started to ask exactly what he meant by that, but he had already ended the call. I figured I'd find out what he meant by tomorrow. I drove over to the resort where I had a reservation, checked in and let them know that I'd be leaving tomorrow. They said they'd already received a call with my reservation changes. I apologized and asked about any cancellation charges and they said it had already been paid in full. I smiled and said a thank-you in my mind to Ranger.
My room was on the 8th floor and had a view of the pool. I through open the curtains and felt the warm Hawaiian sun hit me. I didn't want to unpack too much, knowing I would be changing resorts the next day. I just through on a bikini, cover-up, and made my way down to the pool. I thought about getting a pina colada from the hotel bar on my way, but I'm kind of a lightweight with alcohol and since I'm traveling alone decided that wasn't the best plan.
I found a lounge chair in the sun, rubbed on my sun lotion, and laid back. I spent the rest of the afternoon just soaking in the sun. When I got hungry, I made my way to the bar and ordered dinner to be delivered to my room. They had crab nachos which sounded the perfect blend of salty, cheesy, and seafood. I ate my nachos and promptly fell asleep. Crossing five time zones will really wear a girl out.
I slept soundly until the sun woke me up streaming through the window. I made coffee in my room and took a quick shower. I decided to skip the blow dryer and just pulled my hair back into a ponytail. I threw on some mascara and a sun dress and went downstairs to get breakfast. The hotel had a buffet, but it looked more like Ranger's style than mine. Rows and rows of fresh fruit and smoked fish. I went over to the coffee bar and ordered a frothy latte and a doughnut. I was trying to figure out what to do with my day when my phone rang.
"Babe," Ranger said when I answered, "I just landed in Hawaii. I'll pick you up in an hour at your resort."
I finished my latte and doughnut and headed up to my room. I had tried really hard not to unpack, but somehow most of my suitcase had spread across the room. I was trying to get it all repacked when my hotel room door opened. "Oh, I'm not ready for housekeeping yet." I said as I turned around. I came face to face with Ranger.
"I'm not here to clean." He said, just the corners of his lips turning up.
I should've realized it was him. Not even a locked hotel room door would keep Ranger out. I wasn't sure if he had convinced the front desk to give him a key or if he had just decided that breaking in was easier than knocking.
He looked around the room and the mess I was working to contain, "This is from one day?"
"It wouldn't have been this bad if I had actually unpacked my stuff instead of trying to find what I needed in my suitcase."
He just nodded and waited while I finished packing up my stuff and then I followed him back downstairs. I checked out of the resort and followed him out front. He had a black Porsche 911 out front. How he managed to find one that quickly in Hawaii, I'm not sure. But I'm not really sure where he gets them when he's in Trenton either, so I didn't ask questions.
"My rental car is over in the hotel parking lot." I said as I started to walk that way.
"I already had it returned." He replied.
"How did you get my car returned already?" I said, digging through my purse but not finding any keys. "I had the keys and you never left my room!"
"Babe" was all he said in response.
I got into the 911 and waited while he put my bag in the trunk and came around. He reached into his pocket and pulled out two small boxes. He opened one and inside was a diamond ring with a giant center stone. It was surrounded by a halo of smaller diamonds and the entire band was covered in smaller diamonds. My eyes must have just about bugged out of my head staring at it.
"If we are going to be a married couple, we have to have rings." Ranger said, taking the ring out of the box and sliding it onto the ring finger of my left hand. He then opened the other box and took out a men's wedding ring that was simpler but somehow conveyed just as much expense. I spent the entire drive over to the resort trying to get my heart rate to return to normal.