Disclaimer: All characters belong to Janet Evanovich except for Jonathon Wescott, he's mine.
Thank you Kashy, for your patience and tolerance and for keeping it real, without your guidance this story wouldn't be possible.
Warnings: Rated R for Adult language and situations, angst, violence and character deathHindsight
Chapter Three
They woke at the first light of dawn when Ranger's cell phone rang. He answered it with his customary 'Yo', listened for a moment and got out of bed. She heard the sound of his clothes rustling as he got dressed. He bent down and brushed the hair from her face as he kissed her tenderly. "I have to go, I'll call you later."
She smiled, snuggled into her pillow and instantly fell back asleep.
Hours later, she slowly awoke. She was lying on her side hugging the extra pillow to her chest. She smiled a satisfied smile, stretched, and then snuggled deeper into the covers.
As she lay there, she thought about the night before and wondered if maybe it had all been a dream after all. Judging by the soreness between her legs, she knew it wasn't and giggled.
She knew she and Ranger had broken down some invisible barrier they had erected between themselves and she suddenly felt completely free.
She thought about some lyrics she had once heard, Love is sometimes denied, sometimes lost, sometimes unrecognized, but in the end, always found with no regrets, forever valued and kept treasured.
She didn't have any regrets, but she did have plenty of questions. Should she tell Ranger how she felt about him? How did he feel about her? He said he loved her and there were no qualifying statements when he said it. But just how did he love her?
Were they a couple now? Was last night a one-night stand, just like the last time? Would it be years before they 'did it' again?
Okay, she was beginning to feel a little sad now. She looked over at the bedside clock, noting that Ranger must have reset it after the power outage, and saw that it was only 9:00. It wasn't too late for the traditional Sunday morning donut feast at her parents' house!
She threw the covers off and languidly walked into the bathroom to shower. She shampooed, conditioned, exfoliated and shaved. She turned the massager to pulse and luxuriated in the pounding sensations as it worked the kinks out of her shoulders and neck.
When the water began to turn cold, she stepped out of the shower and, after toweling off, wrapped the towel around her body. She quickly towel-dried her hair and, using just a little hair gel to tame the frizzies, she tossed it into a ponytail. She applied some blue eyeliner, two coats of mascara and some cherry flavored lip-gloss.
She selected a peach colored matching bra and panties set from her dresser drawer, and then she threw on a pair of low rider jeans and a dark blue stretchy v neck t-shirt. She accessorized with a black wide leather belt with silver studs and cubic zirconium stud earrings.
She dropped a couple almonds and a grape into Rex's food dish, checked all the windows to make sure they were locked, and left the apartment being sure to secure the dead bolt.
She didn't want to wait for the elevator, so she took the stairs and exited the building through the back door, hopped into her Mitsubishi Lancer, put the key in the ignition and turned it. But the engine didn't catch. There was some mechanic clicking, then nothing.
Making sure it was in park, she tried again. Still nothing. She reached down and pulled the lever to release the hood, got out of the car and checked to see if she might be able to spot the problem.
She didn't know a lot about cars but she knew the basics. She jiggled the battery cables and distributor cap, hopped back in, turned the key, but there was still no sound from the engine.
"Damn!" she exclaimed, "Valerie's going to beat me to all the good donuts!"
Reaching into her purse she got out her cell phone. The battery was dead.
She rolled her eyes. 'Great,' she thought.
After closing the hood and locking the car door she went back upstairs. She went straight to her phone and contemplated whom to call.
Her first thought was Lula, but she was no doubt recovering from being run over by a Merry Man named 'Tank'. She wouldn't call Ranger; he had been called out early in the morning and was probably sleeping. She decided to call her father since she knew he didn't attend Mass with her mother and grandmother anyway.
She started to dial when she heard a distinct 'kerthunk' in the bedroom. She froze. Someone was in her apartment!
She quietly hung up the phone, put her hand in her purse and withdrew her gun. Releasing the safety, she held it out in front of her, just like Eddie Gazzara had taught her.
She tiptoed over to the bedroom door and listened. She couldn't hear anything. Maybe it was her imagination.
She cautiously opened the door and peeked inside. She couldn't see anyone. She looked under the bed. All she found was dust bunnies from hell, a missing earring and an old sock.
She opened the closet door and looked inside. Empty. There was only one more place to look. The bathroom.
Even though she wasn't standing behind the curtain taking a shower, the scene from Psycho played out in her head. With her gun drawn and her heart pounding in her chest, she threw open the door. The tub was empty.
She returned to the bedroom. Something was 'off' and just didn't feel right. Her spidey-sense was screaming. Then she saw it. The wind was fluttering the lightweight chintz curtains into the room. Her bedroom window leading to the fire escape was open. She distinctly remembered making sure she had shut and locked all her windows that morning.
It was déjà vu. She remembered a couple years ago, right after she had caught Joe Morelli when he was FTA. She had come home and found her window open then too. Jimmy Alpha was hiding, waiting for her to return home so he could kill her.
She was used to people breaking into her apartment but this time she was shaken. Memories of Ramirez flooded over her. What made it worse was that she had only been gone five minutes.
She picked up her phone and called Ranger, not caring if she would wake him. "Yo"
"Someone broke into my apartment," she pressed out.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"I-I-I'm okay," she stammered, "Just a little s-s-scared".
"Be there in ten," he said and disconnected.
She walked back into the living room and, with her gun still clutched tightly in her hand, paced back and forth, trying to take deep breaths to calm herself.
She heard the tap…tap tap, which was Ranger's unique knock and opened the door.
"You didn't check to see who it was." Ranger said.
"I knew it was you," she replied, "It was your knock."
"You need to be more aware of your surroundings, anyone can mimic a knock on a door," He cautioned as he walked into the foyer. "Stay here while I do a quick walk-through."
She rolled her eyes and sighed in exasperation. "Usually I do peek first but I was expecting you, it was your knock, so I knew it was safe to open the door." She said as she walked back into the living room, laid her gun on the coffee table and plopped down onto the couch. She sat on the edge, fingers laced through her hair, her tears silently cascading down her face.
Ranger sat down next to her and pulled her against his chest, wrapping his arms around her, stroking her arm. "Tell me what happened."
She went over the morning's events and told him about her car not starting, her dead cell phone battery, coming back up the stairs to use the home phone, and hearing the noise in the bedroom.
She told him how she used her gun and performed her best Cagney and Lacy impersonation, checked out the bedroom, closets and bathroom and then found the window open. She told him about the déjà vu she felt as she remembered Alpha and Ramirez.
"I know, I know… I panicked," she hiccupped.
He held her head against his chest; using his thumb to wipe away her tears. "The most important thing is that you're safe now. I'm worried though, next time you might not be so lucky. Although there have been no direct threats to you, we need to re-evaluate the circumstances," he paused. "First the bonds office was broken into and now your apartment."
She knew where this was going. She stood up, and began to pace. She narrowed her eyes as she stopped and looked at him. "We don't know for certain someone broke in," she said, "could be I thought I had locked the window and was just imagining things."
"Yes, that could be," Ranger said. "But with your track record and uncanny ability to attract stalkers and lunatics, it's doubtful."
He stood up. "Let's go check your car."
She grabbed her pocketbook, reached in and retrieved her keys. She locked her apartment door behind them, and they walked downstairs to her car.
Ranger walked around the car inspecting it thoroughly, looked underneath and, taking her keys from her, slid behind the wheel. He inserted the key and turned it. The car started immediately, its engine humming.
Rolling her eyes and throwing her hands up in the air, she turned around in a circle. "I swear, I'm losing my mind. A half hour ago that car wouldn't start. I tried it three times!"
"I think this is a clear indication someone is playing with you," Ranger said. "For now, I'm going to assign a bodyguard to watch over you to insure your safety."
Seeing the panicked look on her face, he took her by her shoulders and bent down to look into her eyes. "At least until we know more about the break-ins."
Offering her his arm, flashing his full on smile, he said "Until I make the arrangements, I will be your escort for the day, unless you would prefer Lester or Tank."
She didn't like any of this one little bit. She let Ranger lead her over to his car and got in when he opened the door for her, fastened her seat belt and decided to let him know how she felt.
"I really don't think this is necessary. There haven't been any bombs, mayhem or death threats." Trying to lighten the mood she continued, "Unless, of course, this is your way of wrangling a second date out of me."
It was as though she'd never spoken. He backed the car out of the parking space, eased into traffic, then he turned to her. "Where to?"
Sighing, she said, "My parents' house."
His eyes widened ever so slightly. "Grandma Mazur going to be there?"
Knowing how Ranger felt about Grandma Mazur she smiled. "Sure, I suppose so, where else would she be?"
Ranger pulled the truck up in front of her parents' house, turned off the motor and sat back in his seat.
Stephanie knew what he was up to and there was no way she was going to let him get away with it. She narrowed her eyes at him, "If I have to endure a babysitter, then I say that babysitter has to go wherever I do, not sit in the car hiding from Grandma Mazur."
His eyes widened ever so slightly and she knew she had him where she wanted him.
Reluctantly, he opened the door and stepped out. Pointing his key fob at the car, he set the car alarm and followed her up the sidewalk and into the house.
Her father sat in his favorite recliner in the living room, enjoying the Sunday paper, and the dining room was empty.
Turning to Ranger, she said, "Sunday mornings are usually spent in the kitchen hovered over a box of donuts from the Tasty Pastry."
She poked her head into the kitchen, surprised to find it empty except for her mother.
"Hi there Mom, I hope it's okay that I brought a friend along this morning."
Her mother was at the counter, slicing vegetables. "Now you know better than that Stephanie, it's always a pleasure entertaining your friends."
Stepping into the kitchen, Stephanie pulled up a chair out and sat down. Ellen indicated a chair for Ranger and set out sugar, cream, napkins, spoons and cups of coffee in front of them both. Indicating the large box of donuts, she said, "Help your self to a few donuts."
"Thank you, Mrs. Plum, I've already had breakfast." Ranger glanced over at Stephanie, "I was up quite late last night and I do appreciate the coffee."
"The pleasure is mine. Carlos, and please, call me Ellen." Putting forth her best Burg manners she continued, "If there's anything else I can get you, just let me know."
"Where's Grandma?" Stephanie asked.
"Esther Moyer came and got her so she could go dress shopping," Ellen said, "Your grandmother has another one of her hot dates and needs something called a dominion outfit."
"What's a dominion outfit?" Stephanie asked.
Reaching for a celery stalk, Ellen continued to chop the vegetables. "It's so she can play some game called S&M."
Stephanie's eyes grew wide and she very nearly choked on her donut. "Do you mean a Dominatrix outfit?"
"Yeah, that's it!" Her mother replied.
"Do you know just what that is?" Stephanie asked hesitantly.
"No, what is it?"
Stephanie cut her eyes to Ranger, watching as his eyes widened marginally and his lips curved up into his almost-smile. She thunked her head on the table several times and wondered why she had forced him to come inside the house with her. "Ranger will explain it, Mother."
Ranger held his hands up in the air in the universal gesture of surrender. "You're on your own on this one."
Just then the front door flew open and Valerie, Albert and the girls arrived in their usual chaotic manner.
Angie stomped into the living room and plopped down on the couch, her arms folded across her chest, and glared up at the ceiling.
Mary Alice, who thought she was a horse, galloped into the kitchen, took one look at the donuts, whinnied and said, "Horses don't eat donuts."
Ellen reached into the refrigerator and handed her a carrot. Mary Alice took the carrot, whinnied again and trotted off.
Lisa was snuggled into her car seat and somehow had managed to sleep through all the noise and confusion.
"That isn't what I said, Val," Albert whined, "I mean that is what I said but that isn't what I meant."
"Albert said I'm fat!" Valerie wailed, throwing herself into a chair.
"No I didn't," Albert replied, "I said you were round in all the right places. I didn't mean to say you were fat, Snuggleumkins, you're just fluffy."
Stephanie exchanged glances with her mother. They both knew that the fireworks were about to begin.
Taking this as their cue to leave, she stood, took Ranger's hand and pulled him to his feet. "I have to go to work, I'll call you later."
"Why are you working on a Sunday?" Ellen asked as she followed them to the door.
"I have to catch the skips when I can, Mom. Most everyone has Sundays off and sometimes it's just easier on the weekend."
"I'm making a nice pot roast for dinner," her mother said. "Why don't you come back later and bring Carlos with you?"
With Ranger close behind, she practically ran out of the house. "We'll think about it," she yelled over her shoulder.
Waving from the front stoop, her mother yelled, "Maybe Grandma Mazur will model her Dominatrix outfit for you."
Climbing into the truck and securing her seat belt, she turned to Ranger. "Do you want to go back for dinner tonight?"
"Babe," he said.
That one little word could mean everything and anything. She was certain, though, that dinner at her parents that night was not an option.
"Where to now?" Ranger chuckled.
Stephanie pulled the folders from her shoulder bag. "I was planning on chasing skips for the rest of the day if you don't mind."
"Who's first?" He asked.
Looking at the labels on the folders, Stephanie said "I have three. Two first offenders and one repeat. You're going to love this one. It's Lonnie Dodd, he was the second FTA I managed to capture when I first started working for Vinnie. Last time we brought him in, he shot you in the leg!"
Ranger ran a hand through his hair. "Just don't give him your gun this time".
She rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at him. Quick as a flash he grabbed at it, but missed. "When I catch that tongue, I'm going to put it to work, Babe," he said and winked.
Wiggling her tongue at him and giggling, she said, "Lonnie still lists his residence as 2115 Barnes."
Ranger eased the truck back into the street. They took Chambers to Broad, and turned onto Apollo.
When they turned onto Barnes, she was surprised. She didn't think it was possible for the neighborhood to deteriorate any more than when she had last seen it, but it had. There was new graffiti spray painted everywhere, grass was dried up and overgrown with weeds, junk cars sat around in front yards with their hoods and doors hanging open.
"Do you have a plan?" Ranger asked, bringing her out of her thoughts.
"Last time I tried the old pizza delivery routine, and obviously, it didn't work." She paused, "I think I'll just knock on the door and ask if he's seen my lost dog."
He pulled up in front of the house and parked "I have a better idea, let's take a trip down memory lane. Except this time, if we can help it, I don't want to get shot in the leg. You take the back; I'll take the front. People like Dodd always stick to the same routine. Let's not disappoint him."
"Good idea," she said. "But this time I get the front. After all, he's my skip."
"Are you armed?" He asked.
She rolled her eyes. "Yes, and it's even loaded." She was pretty sure she had a least one round in it.
Running a hand through his hair he thought for a moment. "You've learned a lot over the years, I trust you. Just be careful, expect everything and stay focused."
She smiled, "Got it, Obi wan."
He raised an eyebrow. "Obi what?"
"You need to get out more," she laughed.
They got out of the truck. Ranger reached behind the seats and handed her a Kevlar vest and a RangeMan windbreaker. She put the vest on over her t-shirt, secured the Velcro straps and covered it with the windbreaker. After slipping on his own Kevlar vest and securing his utility belt into place, he winked at her and said, "I'll see you later. Stay safe."
She gave Ranger a couple minutes to get into position, tucked her gun into the back waistband of her jeans, and slipped the cuffs into the pocket of her windbreaker. She walked up the sidewalk and knocked on the door. After waiting a minute, she pounded again.
From inside she heard the shuffle of footsteps and a muffled "Yeah, yeah, hold your water, I'm coming".
He opened the door and she stepped forward, placing her foot inside the door. She slightly turned her body to the side and set her stance, putting most of her weight on her back foot. "Have you seen a little brown…."
"So if it isn't the scumbag bounty hunter," he interrupted, leering. "I've been expecting you."
"You're in violation of your bond agreement, Dodd. You missed your court date. I'm here to give you a ride to the police station so you can reschedule."
He snickered. "Fuck you, I'm not going anywhere. Last time you said we were just going to reschedule, I sat there for 3 weeks."
He tried to slam the door closed but her foot blocked it. Pulling his hands back, he shoved her on both shoulders, turned and ran into the house.
She stumbled slightly but didn't lose her footing and ran after him. She ducked as dirty dishes, garbage, a coffee pot and debris flew past her head.
He ran into the kitchen and she followed. A table separated them, and as they circled it slowly, Stephanie tried talking to him. "You won't get away with this Dodd, you might as well save yourself the trouble and come with me now."
He made it all the way around the table, turned towards the living room where a small portable television sat separating the two rooms. Running on adrenaline now, he picked it up and hurled it at her head. She ducked and the TV went sailing out the kitchen window.
Ranger took that as his cue and kicked the back door open, his gun drawn, sweeping the room.
He was just in time to watch as Stephanie dropped to the floor, bracing her body on her hands, and swept Dodd's feet out from under him with her foot.
He hit the floor hard, the impact robbing his lungs of air. Before he could recover, she dropped onto his stomach, her knee on his sternum, and cuffed his wrist. Turning him over and placing her knee in the small of his back, she brought his other hand around back and secured him.
Using his cell phone, Ranger dialed RangeMan. "I need a pick-up, 2115 Barnes."
Ranger reached down and grabbed Dodd by the cuffs, jerked him to his feet and pushed him toward the door.
Dodd looked over his shoulder. "Well, well. If it isn't Rambo! How's the leg, asshole? "
Ranger shoved him towards the door. "Never better, now move."
He sat Dodd in the middle of the sidewalk leading up to the house while they waited for the pick-up.
Stephanie stood there looking at Ranger, her thumbs in her back pockets as she smiled and said, "Things worked out a bit better this time, don't ya think?"
Ranger laughed and said, "Like I said last night, Babe, it's always an adventure just being with you. It looks as if you've picked up a few skills and learned some take-down techniques."
She brushed off her hands. "The Merry Men have been working with me and giving me a few tips and tricks. I've also been paying closer attention to the guys when I do distraction jobs. Eventually something had to rub off on me."
Taking her in his arms, he bent his head and softly kissed her lips. "I'd like to rub up against you," he breathed.
Bobby and Lester pulled up in a black RangeMan SUV. They loaded Dodd into the back seat and closed the doors. Stephanie walked over to Ranger's truck and waited for him while he spoke to them.
When he returned to Stephanie; he had a small frown on his face. "I'm needed back at the office, Lester is going to go with you in the SUV and Bobby will ride with me."
She sighed. "That's ok, I understand. You have a company to run and work to do. You don't have time to run around with me all day.
Taking her by the hand, he pulled her towards the back of his truck, using his finger to tilt her face up until her eyes met his. "I never consider a moment spent with you 'a waste of my time.' Don't ever forget that."
He took her in his arms, drawing her to him. His mouth descended upon her lips, in a soft but burning kiss. She fisted her hands into his hair and pulled him down closer to her, deepening the kiss. He plunged his tongue into her mouth, running it across the roof of her mouth, tasting her sweetness.
His hands traced the length of her back, sending chills down her spine, until he cupped her ass in both hands. He watched her eyes widen as he pulled her closer again and squeezed.
When he held her flush against him, she could feel his reaction to her press into her abdomen. Stephanie moaned into his mouth and his response was a low growl. After a while, he reluctantly released her.
She stood there for a minute until she regained her breath. "And here I thought you had forgotten about last night again, just like last time."
He tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "I didn't forget about last time, and I didn't forget about last night. I never will. Later tonight, have dinner with me. We need to talk."
He walked her back to the SUV, held her door for her and helped her on with her seat belt. He closed her door and gave it a small thump with his fist.
Lester started the truck and pulled out into the street. "The best ones are always taken."
"What was that? My mind was a million miles away," she whispered.
His smile widened. "Never mind."
"That's nice," she sighed. Her thoughts were jumbled and she couldn't hold still. She wondered what Ranger wanted to talk about. Other than the bone melting kiss behind his truck, he had seemed rather dismissive. It wasn't fair. He could always read her thoughts, yet he remained the man of mystery behind his blank face.
They drove to the Police department on Clinton Avenue to drop Dodd off. Lester hadn't been with RangeMan the first time Stephanie and Ranger had brought him in. She told him all about how he had taken her gun from her and proceeded to shoot Ranger in the leg.
By the time they managed to walk Dodd through booking and collect her body receipt, her ribs hurt from laughing so much. Lester did that for her, he was a ladies' man and always knew instinctively how to break down a girls defenses.
Smiling, he asked, "Tell me then, what's going on between you and the boss? You've have been glowing all day, I've never seen you smile as much and you seem very relaxed."
She blushed all the way down to her toes. "Nothing's going on, we're friends."
Climbing into the SUV, Lester asked, "Would you be my friend?"
Giggling, she fastened her seatbelt. She decided to do the one thing that always worked well as a distraction: Shopping.
"Now that I've got money in my pocket again, there's a little red dress I've had my eye on. Let's hit the mall. I'll even buy you lunch!"
He pulled out into traffic and turned the SUV towards Route 1 and the Quaker Bridge Mall. Upon arriving, Lester slipped the SUV right into the first parking stall outside the main entrance.
Stephanie rolled her eyes, "What is it with you guys?" Lester raised a questioning eyebrow.
She rolled her eyes again. "Never mind."
She had been shopping with Lula the week before and she already knew what she wanted. She hit Epic Designs and chose a little red beaded cocktail dress, made out of 100 percent silk, with dual thin spaghetti straps that crisscrossed in the back and a semi flared skirt.
Lester stood right outside the changing room door, his eyes watching the other patrons suspiciously as Stephanie tried the dress on.
Next they hit Macy's shoe department where she found the perfect shoes! A pair of red 4 3/4" heel sexy jeweled sandals with rhinestone and gem accents. She slipped them on her feet and walked back and forth in front of the mirrors. Lester whistled a low whistle, his eyes darkening slightly, and she knew they were perfect! A little pricey at $140 but no other shoes would do for the dress she had just purchased.
Her stomach growled loudly and Lester burst out laughing. She threw him a death glare and he tried hard to control himself but it wasn't easy. "Let's eat, I'm hungry," she said.
Before he could open his mouth to reply she put her finger to his lips. "Utter one word, and I promise you, I will stun–gun you. Don't believe me? Ask Hal."
She ordered a 12-inch Philly Cheese steak, bacon cheddar fries and a large Coke. Lester ordered the grilled chicken salad and bottled water.
They took their food to the table and sat down. Stephanie un-wrapped her sandwich and took a large bite, savoring the blend of steak, cheese, green peppers, and juices. She moaned loudly, causing heads to turn.
Lester watched as she licked her lips with the tip of her tongue. "Holy crap, Bombshell, you sure know how to turn eating a sandwich into an experience."
She blushed all the way down to her toes. "I can't help it, believe me, I've tried."
They finished their meals while talking and reminiscing about shared past experiences. As they were clearing their table, a young boy on a skateboard, about 12 years old, stopped in front of Stephanie and handed her a manila envelope. It was sealed and on the outside only one name was written, 'S. Plum'.
Her eyes grew wide and she showed the envelope to Lester with slightly trembling hands. He glanced at it and searched the crowd, looking for something that felt out of place.
He tucked the envelope under his jacket and picked up her packages with one hand, then took Stephanie by the arm. "Leave the mess, we're out of here."
They almost ran back to the SUV, dove in and peeled out of the parking lot.
She didn't need to ask where they were going. She knew they were headed to RangeMan so Lester could show the envelope to Ranger.
They drove into the parking garage, parked in the closest stall to the elevator, which was reserved for times when quick entry into the building was needed. They entered the elevator and went to the 5th floor. After knocking on Ranger's office door they stepped inside.
Lester handed the envelope to Ranger and they sat in the visitor chairs across from the desk.
Ranger carefully put the envelope face down on his desk, opened a drawer and withdrew a pair of disposable rubber gloves. "Report," he commanded.
While Lester reported the afternoon events, Ranger put on the gloves, reached into his top drawer and withdrew a small sharp knife. Being careful to touch the envelope as little as possible, he slit the top open and withdrew the pages within.
Ranger studied the contents, his eyes growing dark and dangerous. "Did you get the name of the boy?"
Lester ran a hand across his chin. "Negative, Sir. I felt he might have been a ploy to get me to move away from Stephanie. I didn't want to take any chances by chasing after him."
With a bare nod, Ranger said, "Gather everyone, meeting in the conference room in thirty minutes." Lester turned and walked out of the office.
Turning to Stephanie, Ranger took her hands in his, pulling her to her feet. "This concerns you too, Babe. I want you there as well."
She was still trembling, her voice hard to control. "What's going on Ranger?"
He pinched the area between his eyebrows and rubbed his fingers over it. "I don't know yet, but don't worry, we'll get to the bottom of it. Go ahead and freshen up before the meeting if you want to."
As she walked out of the door and headed for the restroom, Ranger took the contents out of the envelope again. Being careful not to smudge any existing fingerprints, he studied each one and began scanning them into the computer.
There was a letter and several 8x10 color photographs. He scanned the letter quickly and grimaced, and then slowly looked at each picture.
One photo in particular held his attention. It was taken the night before while they lay in bed together, and had obviously been digitally altered. Stephanie was curled into his arms, his head bent kissing the top of her hair. Her skin was gray and mottled, her eyes seemed to be staring right into the camera, their color the washed out color of a corpse.
He worked on the computer for twenty minutes, saving files and taking notes. Then he left his office to join the others in the conference room.
TBC