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'Just the other day I was thinking to myself 'hey, I could really do with another pair of hands.''
'And you think God sent you a pair of severed hands?'
'It could happen. He sent the Israelites bread.'
Chapter 2
'Apart from God, do you have any idea who would send you…the box?' Ranger asked.
'No. But it's ok, because the box is for you, not me.'
'Babe. You need to deal with this.'
'People deal with things in different ways.' I said, 'I deal by not dealing.'
'Babe.' He said firmly.
I hopped off his lap, 'look,' I said, then I drew a line on the floor with my finger. 'You see that line?' I asked Ranger.
He looked down at the floor, 'No.'
'It's an invisible line.' I said, exasperated.
'Well then I definitely can't see it.'
I rolled my eyes, 'you have to use your imagination. Pretend.'
He looked at the floor, and then back up at me, then at the floor again. He met my eyes. 'Ok.' He said, resigned.
'You see the line?'
'Yes Babe, I see the imaginary invisible line.'
I nodded, 'good. Ok, on this side of the line,' I said, pointing to Ranger's side of the line, 'is the real world, it's a pretty sucky place really, but it's where most people live. Now, on this side of the line,' I said, pointing to my side, 'is the land of denial. This is where I live. In the land of denial I don't get stalked every few weeks, and I don't destroy cars at an alarming rate. In the land of denial, everything is peachy keen. See?'
Ranger stood up, he looked down at the line and then he stepped over it.
'Bad things don't happen in denial land?' he said finally.
'They happen. But you squinch your eyes shut and pretend real hard that they didn't.'
Ranger nodded fractionally, then he swept me up into his arms and carried me over the line.
'No!' I yelled, struggling, 'put me back!'
'No.' he said.
'Ranger!'
'Stay in the real world with me for a few minutes and I'll bring you a donut tomorrow.'
I thought about it. 'Ok, but if you leave me in the real world for too long I'm going to cry.'
'Why?'
'Because three weeks ago I got kidnapped and beaten and nearly raped and killed by a gang, and because someone sent me hands in a box, and because yesterday I had the day from hell, and because you-'
I stopped myself from saying 'because you don't want me' just in time. I took a deep breath and hoped he wouldn't pursue it.
He frowned, 'because I what?'
I have screwy luck.
'What?' I said, eyes wide and innocent looking.
'What were you going to say?'
'About what?'
'About me.'
'You?'
'Me.'
'What about you?'
'What were you going to say?'
'About what?'
'Me!'
'What about you?'
Ranger took a deep breath, 'you're not going to tell me, are you?'
I smiled, 'nope.'
He blew out the breath through his nose, then he sat back down on the chair and pulled me onto his lap.
'Alright. I'll leave it.' Ranger stated.
I smiled in triumph.
'For now.' He said.
Dammit.
'Now, talk to me.'
'I really really don't know anything about the box, honest! I haven't seen anyone flunky, and my spidey sense hasn't twinged,' I frowned suddenly. 'Except it did.' I said slowly, 'Yesterday, at the park, and then later, at the Mall.'
Ranger had long since learnt not to dismiss my spidey sense.
'Ok.' He said, 'so he's sticking to public places, lots of people. Hard to spot someone out of place.'
I nodded, 'great. A semi-intelligent stalker; just what I've always wanted.'
'Did you ask your neighbours about the box?'
'No. At first I though it was from Morelli…and then when I smelt it, I freaked out and tried to call you, but your cell was off. So, I rang Ella, and she said you were here. So I came here.'
'Why would you think that Morelli wouldn't just break in like normal?'
'We had a sorta disagreement yesterday.' I said, understatement of the century.
Yesterday had started so well. Ok, so I felt a bit guilty because I got up late, but it wasn't anything a tastycake or two couldn't fix. I'd showered and dressed and my hair had been looking pretty awesome. I'd gone to the park and found my Fta serving ice cream, just like my info said he would be. He came in easily, and I earned myself $750. Eddie told me that Joe had the day off so I decided to swing by his place so we could talk.
According to Joe, we were on-again in a remote way. I wanted to discuss exactly what this meant. I knocked on his door, but he didn't answer. I used my key and let myself in, it was a nice day, and probably he was outside and didn't hear me knock.
He wasn't outside. He was in the dinning room – naked, doing the horizontal mamba with Terri Gilman. On the dinning room table. I must have made a noise, because Joe turned his head to look. 'Cupcake-' He said.
I turned on my heel and fled.
'Babe?' Ranger asked, bringing me once more back to the present. 'You look scary.'
I smiled, not a pretty smile, probably it was a lot like the one Joe saw before I hit him with the Buick when I was nineteen.
Ranger's eyes widened. 'Bad fight?' He asked.
'Bad.' I agreed.
'Then you might wanna go; Morelli and the captain are supposed to be here in a minute.'
'Shit.' I said. I leapt off his lap, and all but ran to the door, but just as I reached for the door handle, the door opened, and in walked the stud himself.
He froze as he saw me. We stared at each other, neither of us saying anything, the whole room deadly silent.
I wanted to yell, I wanted to scream, I wanted to kick him repeatedly in the bollocks. But you shouldn't air dirty laundry in public, and half of Rangeman were here. So I restrained myself, and stared silently.
The captain walked in, 'Stephanie.' He said, smiling easily at me, he hung round with my Dad at the Elks sometimes.
'Captain.' I nodded to him, not quite able to work up a smile, damn Ranger for forcing me into the real world.
I turned and started to walk through the door.
'Stephanie.' Joe said, he sounded agonised.
Good.
I paused – long enough to make it clear I'd heard him – then I walked away.
