Physical Evidence
NOT CUPCAKE FRIENDLY. Angst. Sexual situations. Adult Language. Babe HEA!
Not mine. No profit. Belong to JE.
Special thanks to my wonderful Beta, Jacqueline!
Chapter 6 – April 19, 2010 – 1:30 pm
"You're under arrest. Please place your hands on top of your head and turn around and face the wall." Ranger did as he was told. "You have the right to remain silent…" Detective Quinton started reading him his rights.
"What are the charges?" Tank asked to no avail.
"Nice bite mark. Where'd you get it?" Detective Quinton growled at Ranger. Tank glanced at Ranger's neck, but showed no reaction.
"I'm Trent Carver, Mr. Manoso's attorney. I believe my client has a right to be advised of Ms. Plum's condition. Why is he being arrested for it?" The RangeMan legal eagle asked smoothly as he came upon the scene.
"Your client sexually assaulted Stephanie Plum and then beat her into silence. Unfortunately for him, she is still alive and now he is here trying to finish the job." Detective Quinton growled.
"You think it's unfortunate that Ms. Plum's alive?" Trent asked. "I assure you, as a representative of the company that values her as an employee, we do not. In fact, as CEO of RangeMan Enterprises, Mr. Manoso is in charge of Ms. Plum's medical care. He is here to ensure that she is given the best medical care available. If you need a copy of the document…"
"Mr. Manoso is not going anywhere near his victim. She is not capable of protecting herself at the moment, but she was quite clear thirty minutes ago when she arrived home beaten, bloody and hysterically told her fiancé that you raped her." Detective Michaels explained.
"Her fiancé?" Ranger inquired. I knew Morelli was behind this!
"Detective Joseph Morelli, the man she lives with and is going to marry." Detective Quinton filled in. "The man who owns the house where she collapsed after reporting your vicious attack. The man she chose instead of you. You couldn't handle being rejected? Is that what happened? She informed you of her engagement and you attacked her?"
"She is not engaged to anyone." Tank spoke up. "She broke things off with Morelli two months ago."
"We know. Morelli filled us in." Detective Michaels offered. "It seems that he and Ms. Plum worked things out and decided to get married after their much needed break. It gave them time to realize that they both wanted a future together. She was set to move her things back in this evening before she was attacked."
"What exactly are you charging my client with, Detective?" Trent asked.
"He is being charged with aggravated sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual contact, kidnapping, and criminal restraint." Detective Michaels answered. "We are taking him in. You can meet us at the station."
"Believe me, I will." Trent promised. He locked eyes with Ranger, silently communicating to him to keep his mouth closed. Ranger gave a barely there nod.
"No worries, Ranger. I've got your back." Tank assured him.
Detectives Michaels and Quinton flanked Ranger as they each grasped hold of an arm and led him toward the emergency room doors. Joe Morelli came bustling in from outside and after laying eyes on Ranger, he lunged for his throat.
"You sonovabitch!" Joe shouted. Eddie Gazzara and Carl Costanza both ran in behind Joe and restrained him to keep him from trying to get his hands around Ranger's neck. "Let me go! Get off me!"
"Calm down, Morelli." Eddie scolded. "Let Michaels handle this."
"Don't think you are going to get away with this, Manoso! I will make you pay! You will never touch a hair on her head again!" Eddie and Carl pulled Joe down the hall and away from the ER doors. Michaels and Quinton escorted Ranger through the doors and out to the squad car.
As Michaels rounded the vehicle to go to the driver's side, he left Quinton the job of securing Ranger into the back seat.
"You are so going to prison for 20 years, you piece of shit! The physical evidence is overwhelming. As soon as we take pictures of your bite mark and verify that the semen found on Ms. Plum matches your DNA, you are fucked!" Quinton taunted. "Joe knew something like this might happen one day." She mumbled to herself as she slammed his door and seated herself in the front passenger seat.
Ranger situated himself comfortably in the seat, as much as being cuffed behind his back would allow. First name basis with Morelli? Interesting. Wonder if he's sleeping with her? He thought back to the charges listed against him. Aggravated sexual assault: a first-degree offense, maximum of 20 years in state prison; Aggravated criminal sexual contact: a third-degree offense, maximum of 5 years in state prison; Kidnapping; Criminal restraint? What the hell are they talking about?
"I've heard about you. You're supposed to be some bad ass thug that scares the shit out of every low-life scum that walks Stark Street. Women walk into walls around you or some shit! Why would you need to rape someone if you're so lusted after?" Quinton taunted. "Was it power you needed? Or control? Or was it just retribution from the rejection you felt after she chose Joe?" She laughed. "You have to drag some woman into an alley and force her against a wall to feel like a man? Is that it?"
Ranger tensed. How the hell does she know about the alley? Fuck! I knew I should have gotten Stephanie out of there. I had a bad feeling about being exposed like that and I ignored my instincts again. He knew he had to get a hold of Hector. If anyone could sneak into and out of the cop's house undetected, it would be him. Morelli is behind this. He either hired someone to follow Steph around or he did it himself. Ranger thought about the picture wrapped up in a box with old magazine pages. The cop turned stalker. What if Morelli was the one who snapped that picture of them in her parking lot? Steph's first instinct was that Morelli dropped that package off at her apartment. Steph's spidey sense could have been telling her something. Did Morelli hire Andrew Taylor? Is that why Morelli went ballistic at the crime scene? Ranger prayed that Hector would find some kind of proof of that. I'm so sorry, Babe. Please be okay.
