Catch Her If You Can
Chapter 2
JE owns and I borrow
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Previously…
I was making my way up to 7 when I realized something - I had a new mission - find this woman, she intrigued me. I didn't think I was going to be bored anymore.
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He was sitting at his desk, looking out the window instead of focusing on his reports from the branch offices. God, he hated reports. It was about 6:30 am and he had given Santos a black eye for the crap he dished out last night and this morning. His cousin drove him crazy, they had been best friends since they were two years old, but he still drove him crazy, just like he always had. He could still hear Les taunting him. "I saw her first, I'll find her first you'll be left in the dust, her and that sweet ass will be mine. I'll be sure to have her wear that blue dress with the slit up the side that let's you take a peak when I come by to introduce her to you." Now that the challenge had been thrown down it was even more imperative that he find her first. He wished he knew why he had to find her, he hadn't even seen her.
There were only a few people on the street. There was a couple walking two boxers who were obedience trained, a couple holding hands walking a puppy who was not. There was a woman jogging who stopped to say hello to the puppy, she untangled him from around her legs and waved goodbye. . She was wearing a baseball cap with a ponytail and she was looking for any excuse not to jog. He knew that because real joggers, those that were jogging for fitness, did not stop to pet puppies. He noticed she had a great ass, he didn't know when he had become an ass man.
Maybe he should go to Washington and call Camille, Lord knows he wouldn't ever call Jeanne Ellen, the guys were right, she tended to freeze any appendage on the male body.
Hal knocked and popped his head in, "Ranger, I went on line and found 2 black Ducati Diavel's registered. One is to an S. M. Plum and one is to a C. Gibson. Here is all the information."
"Good"
I finished the reports, headed out for two inspections, after the inspections were done I drove to Wahoos. I pulled into Wahoo's parking lot and walked into the bar and walked up to the bartender. "I was wondering if you could tell me who was tending bar here last night."
"Why?"
"I wanted to ask him about a woman."
"That's against the law."
"I wanted to ask him about a woman he was talking to."
"Our bartenders work 8 hour shifts, they talk to a lot of women."
"What if I described this woman."
"Wouldn't make a difference. Our bartenders are paid to tend bar not to memorize a woman who might not want to be stalked."
"Why would you think I wanted to stalk her?"
"If you knew who she was, you wouldn't be asking the bartender for information."
"You're not going to give me any information are you?"
"Nope."
"Is she a friend of yours?"
"Who?"
"The woman I was asking about."
"Don't know who you were asking about. Do you?"
"Thanks for the information."
"What information?"
"The information that you know the woman I was asking about and she is somebody you want to protect. Thanks."
I wish I had a tracer on his phone I bet he calls her within 2 minutes.
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I pulled up in front of 141 Hamilton and I saw man about 55 washing his car.
"Sir, are you S. Plum?"
"No"
"Do you know S. Plum?"
"Why?"
"I want to talk to S. Plum."
"Why do you want to talk to S. Plum?"
"There was an incident last night and I want to talk to S. Plum about it."
"An incident?"
"An incident that may have involved S. Plum and a Ducati motorcycle."
"Now son, in today's world of Identity theft do you really think I would give out any information to a complete stranger?"
"I'm sorry sir, here is my business card, I should have introduced myself. I am Carlos Manoso and I own Rangemen, a security firm here in Trenton."
"Well, Mr. Manoso you should have known better than to ask questions without introducing yourself. However, I'm still not answering your questions."
"May I ask why not"
"Because, I don't want to Ranger." he dismissed me by turning back to his car.
Son of Bitch! He played me, he made me jump through hoops and he knew my street name. There was something about him and I couldn't put my finger on it, but I would. If I had ever contemplated giving up finding out who the woman was at Wahoos last night that ended. I was even more determined to find her now.
I drove two blocks and pulled into a space that had C. Gibson's address listed for the Ducati. It was an empty lot.
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Later that day…
"How are you doing son?"
"Fine sir."
"Do you have everything you need?"
"Yes Sir."
"When are you being discharged?"
"From the service or the hospital sir?"
"From the hospital son."
"Next week sir."
"Are you going home?"
"No sir.
"May I ask why."
"It's a two story house with one bathroom on the second level."
"and…"
"Last time I looked there wasn't an elevator that goes to the second floor for my wheelchair."
"You won't always be in that wheelchair son."
"You don't know that for certain sir."
"Where are you going to go?"
"I'm staying with Mike."
"With Mike?"
"Yes sir. Mike is making arrangements to accommodate the wheelchair."
"Can I help with those arrangements son?"
"No sir, Mike has taken care of everything."
"Will you say hello to Mike for me?"
"No sir, you should say hello to Mike yourself."
"Mike won't answer my calls."
"Whose fault is that sir."
"My fault, it's all my fault."
"Yes sir it is."
"Someone came around today and was asking about S. Plum and a Ducati."
"Who was asking?"
"Ranger Manoso"
"What did you tell him sir?"
"Nothing"
"Thank you sir."
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"Mike"
"Hi, Hold on, Thanks Eddie"
"Why's Eddie at the house Mike?"
"He was directing traffic around the fire engines."
"What fire engines?"
"The fire engines for the fire"
"What fire? Oh God, don't tell me you tried to cook?"
"We're going to need a new stove."
TBC
a/n Thank you to Barbpsu and Sam's-lurker-droid for their input. Special thanks to Barbpsu for helping me with a title for this story.