Disclaimer: Janet, they all have 6 packs. Can't one of them be flabby? Oh, yeah, Ranger fired him!
Its a Small World
Patricia stepped off the plane. She caught a cab and directed him to a small restaurant. Sitting in the back was her contact. He had a folder by his hand on the table. He rose as she approached. They quickly hugged and sat down. They ordered and got down to business.
Silvio looked at his mentor. He had trained under her so many years ago. He gave all the credit to her for his expertise with computers. She was a legend in the investigative world. She had a spidey sense that was scary. Any team with her as a member usually found their objective very quickly. She could cut through the chaff and find the prize.
He nodded to her. He had found enough discrepancies in Sandy Appleton's file that he was concerned. She was involved with at-risk adults. Patricia's first concern was for her clients. She asked for details.
Silvio spoke without the need to read. "Linda, she never existed before last year. I checked her residences. Two of them were vacant lots. Her degree never came from that college. She paid cash for the down payment on her townhome and cash for her motorcycle. She has an impossibly small loan on her car. She had bank accounts that never existed and her current account always has money added on the 5th of each month. I traced the money trail and it disappears in New York. If I had to guess, she is in the Witness Protection Program. I have seen this pattern before."
Patricia nodded knowingly. She had suspected something all along. Thanking Silvio, she left before eating. She paid the bill on the way out. She had a late plane to catch.
~~~oOo~~~
Stephanie wandered aimlessly through her house. She loved it, but now it just seemed like a millstone around her neck. She didn't want to leave, but she was feeling the need to go.
She was not sleeping well and kept dreaming of people picking her locks and entering her home. She kept her drapes drawn and frequently peeked out.
The street appeared normal. She identified all the vehicles on the street. Q was following her around the house. She had sensed her anxiety and talked to her the whole time. Unlike Rex, she had an opinion about everything. Stephanie was unsure if she was being given advice or backtalk. It was past Q's bedtime and she wanted company.
~~~oOo~~~
Patricia let herself into her house. She closed and locked the door. She put her hand in her pocket to put her keys there and felt the business card. She pulled it out. Thinking quickly she decided her next move.
She would ask Rangeman to do an in depth report on Sandy. She already knew what it would show but she wanted someone else to flag this person.
She felt bad. Sandy was a nice person and a very good worker. She was excellent with the clients, but business was business. Her clients could be in trouble if someone was looking for this woman. She got ready for bed. She had a plan.
~~~oOo~~~
Ranger was sitting in his office. He and Tank had just finished another late night meeting. They were feeling more relaxed tonight than they had over the past month.
They felt that the office was starting to resemble a true Rangeman outlet. They were deciding if Manny was up to taking control. He would have lots of help from Trenton for awhile. The core team was committed to making this office work.
Ranger looked at Hector's file. He had been fixing problems at the client premises all week and was almost done. Tomorrow Hector would tackle the Elizabeth Fry office. He had a seat on the plane home tomorrow.
Ranger sighed. He might even sleep tonight.
The gym was noisy. Every machine was in use. The men had all been put on training schedules and so far were working hard. Bobby was coming next week for re-testing. Ranger had advised the staff of this fact. Nobody was using elevators anymore and there was a new attitude in the building.
Ranger's phone rang. It was 5:30 am. He had just stepped off the treadmill and was covered in a light film of sweat. He had a towel around his neck. With one hand he wiped his face with the towel and the other flipped open his phone.
Ranger answered in his usual tone. "Manoso. " The voice on the line hesitated. Ranger saw that the call had originated from the Elizabeth Fry office. He opened the door and signalled Tank to join him. Once again in the quiet of the hall, he spoke. "May I help you?"
This time, the voice on the other line was clear and concise. "I have a small problem and wonder if you could run one of my employees again. Your searches did not pick up anything, but I have reason to believe that the information is not correct."
Ranger had put the phone on speaker. Tank was listening carefully. Ranger asked quietly. "Who are you looking at?" The voice spoke again. "Her name is Sandy Appleton." Tank nodded. He would get Lester on it right away.
Ranger spoke again. "Thank you for your call. Is this a good number or should I check back with you in person?" Patricia hesitated. "If you think it is necessary, please come here. She is scheduled to be in the building all day." Ranger thanked her and hung up.
Quickly he jumped into the shower, dressed and then headed to his office. He wanted to see that file.
Tank had already briefed Les by phone.
Les turned to his computer and smiled. He loved to ferret out deceit. He rubbed his hands in glee. His fingers flew over the keys. His smile grew larger and larger. He printed off the results and headed for Ranger's office.
Ranger and Tank took a look at the search results. Enough things didn't add up and considering the vulnerable population she was around, they couldn't take any chances on her intentions. They started to formulate the take-down.
Hector was in the garage getting ready to head to his last service call. He was just about to climb into his truck when his phone rang. Ranger needed him to delay. He was going to be having some serious back-up. Ranger told him to gear up. What the hell?
Thanks Megan. That one sentence did it.
Sorry readers. You have to wait until tomorrow for the next chapter. Myrna