Disclaimer: Not mine
In Three To Get Deadly Ranger came to dinner one evening at the Plum's. Ever wonder what Frank thought of Ranger? This was gonna be the start to another story but after reading the story again I realized it didn't work with the rest of my writing but would be a great stand alone.
On page 89 Ranger has dinner with the Plum's…
I sat down at the dinner table listening to that crazy old bat of a mother-in-law of mine. Why can't we put her in a home? They can chain her to a bed so she isn't brought back here by the cops again and she isn't copping a feel on any of those men Helen invites. On second thought Edna keeps those men from coming back, that's a good thing. Not one, including that horse's ass she married has been worthy of my Stephanie.
I sat in the living room, long after my youngest daughter left, contemplating the man who sat at our dinner table tonight. The man she called Ranger was quiet, he wore all black and enough gold jewelry to pay cash for a new Buick. I also noticed that this man was handsome; my little girl would make beautiful babies with him. Helen wasn't the only one who'd like to see Stephanie settled - the difference was I never pushed my feelings on her. The last thing I noticed was that Ranger took my crazy old bat mother-in-law in stride and more importantly he was a former Army Ranger.
I had served in the Army and knew that the Rangers only took the best. The program was designed to weed out those who were weak or just couldn't make the cut. This man was highly skilled and would be able to protect my little girl. I hope this man had a strong moral code. Driving a cab you hear a lot of rumors and stories and I had heard many rumors about the man known as Ranger, most of them were not good. People who were supposed to be friends couldn't wait to tell me stories about the man who was acting as a mentor to Stephanie.
I still knew people in the Army, some were at the Pentagon and in that moment I made a decision to call in a marker to learn more about the man. I had seen the glint in Stephanie's eyes, she liked this Ranger character and it was as more than as a friend. She may not realize it yet, but I did. She didn't look at any of those men Helen had been dragging to dinner since her divorce the same way she looked at Ranger, not even that dirt bag cop. Yeah, Morelli turned out better than the rest of his family but I'd never forgive the way he treated my little girl before leaving for the Navy. Done with contemplating, I picked up the phone and dialed "Hey Jack, I'm calling in a marker."
The next afternoon I received a return call from my contact regarding one Ricardo Carlos "Ranger" Manoso. I smiled when I hung up the phone. I was pleased with what I heard about the man who was protecting my little girl. I understood why Stark Street trembled at the man's name and why Stephanie had been safe from everyone but that crazy Benito Ramirez down there. No sane person would cross Ranger Manoso and expect to live.