The Concert
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NOTE: This chapter shows Morelli being mildly unpleasant.
If you're a Joe fan, you may not like it...you've been warned! :-)
previously on The Concert: Junior's face was shiny with perspiration and if he hadn't been so black he'd be looking pale. Why are the guys so scared of Ranger, anyway? I mused.
Junior said, "I hated K-stan. If I fu-mess up this job, Ranger might send me back, Ms Plum. Please!" He added, almost a whisper, "Boss sent Lester Santos to a pig farm once! His own cousin. A pig farm! In Somalia, they say." He looked grim.
I patted his arm. "No worries. Let's go watch the show."
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Chapter 7 Somthing's Goin' On
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Junior
Don't get me wrong—I like Ms Plum—uh, Stephanie, gotta learn to call her Stephanie when Ranger's not around... But yeah, I like her, she's pretty and brave and for some unknown reason, hot. A hot little white girl who makes the boss smile. All good, right?
So I like the woman fine. But bodyguarding her ass is the assignment from hell. Odds are, it's gonna go wrong and my ass will be kicked from here to—shit, who knows where. Boss has a rep for beating the crap outta guys who make stupid mistakes, but no...he just sends them to the buttholes of the world. Indefinitely.
Well, yeah, okay, we get beat up by him sometimes...but not 'cos the dude is mad. No, he's just sparring, ya know? Training. I'm even pretty sure he tries not to hurt anyone too bad, but only Tank and that blond kid, what'sisname...Anthony, can get in the ring with Ranger and survive.
Right now we're moving around the perimeter of the arena seating. Ms Plum has my wrist in a choke hold and she's dragging me somewhere. It's damn dark in here and the band is both lame and loud. White men, playin' guitars badly.
Stephanie looks over her shoulder and smiles at me like she heard my thoughts. Man, she is a smokin' piece of...um, well.
We get halfway up the side of the venue, come to a wide tunnel entrance and a man steps out in front of Stephanie, a shadow coming out of the dark. I pull her back against me and save her from a nasty collision. But the man grabs her arms and hisses, "Cupcake! We gotta talk!" He drags her out into the lobby, me attached to her like a leech. Sicko conga line, man.
In the subdued lighting I recognize the cop, Morelli.
... ... ...
"Cupcake! We need to talk," he says again.
"Your time for talking ended when I caught you and Terry in bed together, Morelli."
"Man, you're going to hold a grudge forever about that? This feud you have going against Terry is absurd. It was just a little fun, if you satisfied me in-"
" You and your friggin "boys" always seemed satisfied when we were together."
TMI, Ms Plum.
"And I am NOT feuding with Terry!"
"Well, with me then? How long can you hold a grudge, anyway? What about my feelings, my,well—my reputation? Huh? You just ran right to Ranger, what's with that? You need to get over yourself and then we can get on with our lives, Cupcake."
"I did not run right to Ranger..."
"And you know what," he interrupted, "if you weren't so damn independent, so hardheaded, you'd settle down and be a mom like every other girl from the Burg. Be a little less assertive, you could still be Mrs. Joe Morelli. If you're lucky." He smirked.
"I like my independence, Joe. Oh and hey, Gilman is not a mom, is she? No, huh uh, she's a freakin' Mob hit man!" Stephanie was shrieking, partly because the music was so loud and mostly because Morelli is an ass and she was pissed off. Unfortunately the last sentence was delivered during a lull in the set and it echoed around the concrete lobby, causing people to turn and stare.
I decided I better intervene. "Miss Plum." I grasped her elbow to steer her away from the cop. Ooomphf. Reflexively she elbowed me in the gut. Hard. I gasped and let go. Morelli took advantage and he pulled her to his side. "Get rid of the goon."
"He's not a goon, he's Junior. Junior, this is Joseph Morelli, TPD."
I nodded politely. He ignored me.
He loomed over Stephanie and whispered loudly (music was going again...) "Something isn't right with this job tonight. Ranger is up to something!"
"Oh yeah, Joe? Like, what?"
"I'm not sure...no clue actually...but those guys with him are not ATF, are they?"
"Did he say they were?"
"I was given to believe...but I think they are Homeland Security, or Antiterrorism Task Force."
"Geez, Joe, ya think?" Her pretty voice dripped sarcasm. And Jersey. Took me years to get used to the accents up north here.
Morelli and Ms. Plum both suddenly turned at looked at me. I gave them my patented Rangeman blank look, said, "Sorry, boss don't confide."
Morelli mumbled a crude curse in Italian and stormed off in a huff. Ms. Plum stayed and stared at me. The woman knows the boss doesn't confide...but he does present detailed briefings as needed. Then she too stomped off into the yelling, singing crowd.
I followed, of course. Orders.
tbc
