Chapter Two: Background Search
Glad you are enjoying this story. Stephanie makes her appearance.
Ranger awoke earlier than usual. Not usually a side sleeper, he found himself curled up against Stephanie's back and buttocks. He considered waking her for morning fun, but she needed her rest. They had taken a night off for dinner and dancing. The dancing was a good diversion from her gym rehabilitation. The dances had not only helped her rebuild her broken body, but the sensuous movements had done more for her libido than any pineapple upside down cake or chocolate anything. He eased himself out of bed and into grey sweats.
The gym was still empty at 0400 but within an hour sleepy men would be staggering in to work out before reporting for duty. Starting with a series of stretches and a run on the tread mill his heart rate and breathing were only slightly elevated, he needed a good long run outdoors, if only he had the time. With his body warm he began his weight lifting routine. Almost as if Hal, the tall blond, was on the same wave length he entered the gym and moved to the punching bag to hold it for Ranger. Usually Tank did the honors but Tank was out of town. After working up a sweat, Ranger began his cool down with a series of kicks and lunges followed by yoga poses before returning to his apartment for a shower.
Stephanie was still sleeping, her curly hair framed her face. He sat on the bed and watched her sleep. He was quite content to have her living with him and some day in the near future he'd make her his wife. He had just months on his government contract and had no plans to renew. He was looking forward to a life with her. The decision to change their living arrangement came suddenly. It was like being hit by a bus, no actually it was being hit by a bus. The morning started with her mother's usual nagging her about marrying Joe Morelli and starting a family. The Burg wife lifestyle was fine for her sister Valerie, but Stephanie would never be a typical Burg woman.
Her first capture of the day was chasing Darren Brooks through the land fill and a zillion ripe baby diapers. She had seen big tank trunks on the road with "liquid manure" written on the sides. She felt like she had been swimming inside one. Darren had gotten away, or maybe she let him get away. It was bad enough wondering how she would get herself into her POS car and not smear baby poop and rotting garbage across the seats, let alone an apprehended fugitive.
She tossed her clothes and shoes into a garbage bag, no way she was going to try to clean those and paddled off to the shower. So far her daily register was sub zero, no apprehension but expenditure of gas for her current car and the loss of fairly new jeans, shirt and expensive running shoes. She needed a capture.
Statistics would say Fred Allison would be an easy capture. The voice inside her head said, "Old men are never easy." The senior apartment receptionist relayed Fred was on the Atlantic City tour but was due back within the hour. After an hour of thumbing through AARP magazines in the front lobby, she heard the bus coming. As she opened the inner glass door and was reaching for the outside door the bus driver had a seizure and plowed into the center's front door.
Stephanie, the doors, glass and aluminum door frames went flying into the lobby. It wasn't until the police, Carl Costanza and Big Dog, arrived on the scene and saw the ambulance attendants load the unconscious, bloody and broken Stephanie on the gurney did the word go out. Carl used police radio to tell dispatch to find Morelli. Stephanie was seriously hurt this time. Rangeman monitors the emergency bands and immediately contacted Ranger.
Both Joe and Ranger were at the emergency room's ambulance entry an unconscious and bloody Stephanie was rolled in. The two men reacted differently. Joe was mad. He began stomping his feet and waving his arms, " Damn it Stephanie, you've really gone and done it this time. I'm taking up all my time chasing after you. You are incompetent, you don't train, you are a danger to yourself and Trenton. I can't take this any more. I want a woman who will be my wife and bare children, not some crippled or disfigured train wreck." Stephanie never heard a word of his compassionless rant, but TPD Gazarra did and word of his self centered spew spread through TPD and through the Burg.
On the other hand Ranger felt fear, real fear that Stephanie was truly hurt. He saw the lacerations, the broken bones, and all the blood. For five days she lay in ICU in and out of consciousness. He never left her side.
Rising from the bed edge, Ranger carefully adjusted the blankets over Stephanie then left for a shower and shave. He heard Ella quietly enter the apartment with the food cart. Breakfast will be waiting for him.
The elevator door opened on the Rangeman's 5th floor at 0530. The only difference in staffing at this hour was Stephanie's research cubicle was empty. Every other monitor and cubicle was active and manned. Ranger eased himself into the chair and typed in four names Mrs. Jenkins had not included on her list. He started with Jerald Jenkins Sr, founder of JJ Enterprise. In 40 years he took a one man operation and built it into a multi million dollar construction company that worked throughout the Mid Atlantic states. He was ruthless, left a trail of upset business associates, often pissed off labor unions and the Mob, but no major work stoppages or contract troubles were found. He was generous with charities, belonged country clubs in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Florida, had homes outside of Trenton and Aspen, condos in Florida and the Bahamas and a townhouse in New York City. His personal entertainment credit cards were filled with purchases from various high end woman's boutiques , florists and jewelers as well as night clubs and escort services throughout the Mid Atlantic states.
Medical history on senior Jenkins, revealed nothing serious, some sports related injuries, plastic surgery on his nose, hernia surgery, and vasectomy He took a statin for cholesterol, and a blood pressure pill once a day. He was generally a healthy man until the heart valve problem was detected. Operation at Newark hospital was successful but the drive back home proved fatal for him, his wife, his son Jerald and Jerald's driver, Max. The cause was a multi car accident involving a jack-knifed truck, a propane truck and 5 cars.
Mrs. Jerald Jenkins Sr., Claudia, was the daughter of a wealthy doctor from Boston who left his sizable estate to his only daughter. Graduate of Radcliffe, post secondary studies in France, Mrs. Jenkins helped fund her husband's business, was a silent partner, but kept the rest of her money separate. She had used her money wisely, invested it and grown her own wealth. Just as Jennifer stated, the older lady's interests ran to fine art, jewelry, the arts, and other men or women lovers. She was involved in charity work in Trenton and was active in political causes as well as with the politicians.
Mrs. Jenkins medicals included a hysterectomy at age 32, several plastic surgeries to lift body parts and several bouts with depression. She belonged to several gyms and visited spas across the world chasing eternal youth and other things no doubt.
The marriage produced just one child, Jerald Jr. Jerald's education began with several private boys schools before graduating onto Princeton. After high school graduation Jerald Jr took 2 years off to ski, sail the South Pacific and tour Europe. For four summers while at Princeton he worked for JJ Enterprise. Upon completing Princeton he earned his MBA at Georgetown and joined his father at JJ Enterprise.
Jenkins Jr's medicals show drug problems as a teenager, treatment in Arizona, several trips to the ER for broken nose or cracked ribs before age 22, knee surgery from skiing accident age 24. The last few years he'd been popping anti depressant pills, sleeping pills and recently began treatment for Hep C.
Ranger had already run a preliminary search on Mrs. Jenkins before she arrived for their meeting. It was very general: education, police record, local address, place of birth and such. This time he took a more in depth search:
Jennifer Caufield Jenkins, born in Frankfort Michigan, one of two twin daughters born to Arvin Caufield and Anna Pappademas. Arvin Caufield was born Compton California, a 6'7" star high school basketball player and scholar, was recruited by several big league colleges instead chose the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut where he graduated first in his class. HIs first assignment was to Houston Texas where he met Anna Pappademas. Born in Greece, she immigrated at age 6 with her parents to Houston. She played high school basketball and was offered sport scholarships to several universities but chose to attend college at University of Houston Downtown to be close to her parent's restaurant. She graduated with a BA in Elementary Education but did not teach. Instead she married Ensign Caufield USGC. A week after the marriage Ensign Caufield was transferred to Frankfort, Michigan, and 11 months later Anna gave birth to twin girls; Jennifer and Julie.
Five months after the girls' birth, Julie died of SIDS. The Coast Guard compassionately transferred the family to Florida for healing and a new start, as well as for Arvin's career. For two years the family mended in the sun before being transferred north again, this time to Alaska, then Hawaii, Southern California and Washington, D.C. in short order. The next move was to North Carolina where tragedy struck again when Anna Caufield died in child birth. The next transfer for Arvin Caufield and his daughter was to Lake St. Sigo, Louisiana.
"Whoa!" Ranger stopped and looked away from the monitor. His #2 in command, Tank, is from the same town. Ranger split the screen and displayed Tank's information. Yes, same town, some over lapping years. The Caufields moved to New Orleans but returned for an unusual TDY, temporary duty, back to Lake St. Sigo for 4 months when both Tank and Jennifer were 18.
"Uh oh", Ranger wondered, "Is this Jeni, the woman Tank nearly married? Tank was very drunk one evening after learning the only girl he ever loved had died. Ranger returned to his search:
At completion of the temporary duty assignment, Caufield was was transferred to Puget Sound, Jennifer was enrolled at Tulane before transferring to USC, University of Southern California. After completing her master's degree in architecture and construction management, she moved to Germany. She returned initially to a rehabilitation facility outside of Washington DC, then enrolled at Georgetown where apparently she met Jenkins.
When Ranger returned his eyes to the monitor he blew out softly, "Daddy Caufield is Commandant of the Coast Guard, 4 star Admiral. Nice."