I own none of the characters involved, all belong to Janet Evanovich and Butch Hartman
Yet Another Intruder
Joe Morelli was driving Stephanie Plum to her apartment after a very long day of work, bringing in two shoplifters, a cocaine vendor, and a Mercedes joyrider. Stephanie was just about to step out of Joe's car, when Joe told her, "Hang on a minute. You see that guy?"
Stephanie looked where Joe was looking, and saw what looked like Vinny's twin cousin, only hunched over, wearing eyeglasses with lenses that appeared to be stolen from an observatory, and with what seemed to be a geiger counter pieced together by Grandma Mazur.
Joe walked up to the intruder as he began trying to pick Stephanie's lock. He displayed his badge, asking: "You do realize that's breaking and entering, right? I'm afraid I'm gonna have to take you in."
Panicking, the intruder made a run for it, only to find himself pepper sprayed at the top of the staircase. By the time he recovered, Joe had caught up to him and cuffed him. "Dinner'll have to wait while I find out what this kook was up to, Cupcake. I gotta take you both to the station and get your statement."
"Great!" answered Stephanie as she returned to Morelli's car. "Finally we get someone before they manage to break into my apartment." She let out a sigh of relief as Joe started his engine and pulled out of his parking space.
Rex, meanwhile, was feeling a wave of apprehension. After all, if Denzel Crocker was able to track him down, how long before Jorgen Von Strangle did the same?