A/N: I know you want Ranger back, but you have to wait just like Stephanie! All in good time… Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving Day!

Disclaimer: Characters (except Max!) property of Janet Evanovich and are used without permission solely for entertainment purposes.

Chapter 25

Thursday morning it was Hal waiting patiently for me in the lot parked next to my Jeep. He said Lester had told him about the nymphomaniac FTA over a beer last night. It wasn't fair for Lester to have all the fun, so he wanted to ride along today. And he wanted donuts!

We arrived at the office with an extra dozen donuts. I said hello to the girls and belatedly remembered to introduce them to Hal - I kept forgetting they didn't know all the Merry Men's names. I asked Connie if there were any new FTAs for me, then we sat while we ate a few bakery delights. Lula wanted to know if I planned to make any apprehensions today - I guess she was worried I'd leave her out since Hal was with me. I told her I didn't think so but promised to call if anything changed.

As we left the office I decided to go talk to Jay Renkovik's mother. I tentatively asked Hal if he'd stay in the Jeep while I talked to her. He was a big guy, and intimidating even without his RangeMan black and utility belt. He wouldn't agree until we pulled up in front of the small row house, then he nodded without arguing. The front door was only ten feet from the curb and he would hear me if I yelled.

Mrs. Renkovik let me in after only a brief hesitation after I explained that her son had missed his court date. It was my job to find him and take him in, but since his crime wasn't major he could probably get bonded out again. She didn't seem to understand so I want a little further and explained if he wasn't found she would forfeit the bond money - and since she'd used her house as collateral it might get nasty.

That changed her attitude. I guess she hadn't been listening when they explained that part of the bond agreement. She knew her house was worth more than the bond but hadn't realized she could be forced to sell or refinance to pay it off.

What had she thought they'd do? Let her make payments?

She decided to be very helpful after that. Jay finally had a girlfriend, it turned out. Mrs. Renkovik didn't have a very good opinion of her - in fact she suspected she was a 'working girl' - but she was pretty sure that's where Jay was hiding out. She had her name and a vague idea of where she lived. When I left I had the feeling Jay was on his own if he needed another bond.

I told Hal what happened in the car on the way back to the office, then had to repeat it all for Lula. I gave Connie the girlfriend's name and approximate address and she ran a search, promising to call when she had an address. It shouldn't take long. We agreed to pick Lula up around three this afternoon to go check it out. That left us several hours to kill so Hal and I drove around some, re-checking the nympho's 'friends' places for signs she was visiting. No new cars. No do not disturb signs. No strange noises.

Hal asked if we could make a quick trip to the music store in the mall, as a CD he wanted had come in. I never turned down an excuse to go to the mall. The trip ended up not being all that quick. Hal bought three CDs besides the one he'd ordered and then we browsed for lunch in the food court. The CD player in my Jeep was dead, though, after we ate so we went back to the apartment to trade it for the RangeMan SUV.

Lula was ready and pacing the sidewalk when went to pick her up. She climbed into the back of the SUV grumbling as soon as Hal stopped. She was fuming and muttering about Vinnie doing something disgusting in the bathroom. I tried really hard not to hear any of the details. Instead I concentrated on the CD Hal was playing. It was different. The CD was called Once, by a foreign band called Nightwish. The best I could think to describe it was 'rock-opera', if that was even a genre.

Lula wound down from her rant and there was quiet from the back for a few minutes.

"What kind of music is this?"

I gave Hal a look that let him know that question was all his. He told Lula the name of the band. She'd never heard of it either.

After another couple of minutes, she said, "This part makes me think of a movie I saw."

I nodded. It did me, too.

"That part of Lord of the Rings - I don't remember which one - where they riding horses really fast."

"No," I disagreed before I could stop myself. "It's more like Pirates of the Caribbean."

"I know you don't mean the last one. They only had two damn songs in that whole movie!"

"Okay, maybe not the last one. Maybe it was one of the first two."

"Nuh-uh! It sounds more like fairies on horses!"

Lula was all spun up again. I half-turned in the passenger seat so I could watch her waving her arms around and saw that Hal was grinning.

He noticed me looking and shot me a bigger grin. "Les was right. Riding with you is a lot more fun." When Lula paused for breath he told her the music wall all original, and not on soundtracks from any movie. We just listened to the music after that.

Jay's girlfriend lived in a ground-floor apartment of an old brick building several blocks off Stark. After a brief discussion we decided to have Lula go to the door on the off-chance she might know the girl. I waited at the mouth of the alley so I could watch the windows and the fire escape down the side of the building. Hal pulled on a black leather jacket and sunglasses in an attempt to blend in and slouched against the wall of the building halfway between the front entry and the alley where he could hopefully assist either one of us.

For a brick building, the walls weren't very sound-proof. I heard Lula's knock clearly even at the alley. Evidently she didn't recognize the girlfriend because I could hear Lula go into her bond-enforcement spiel. I just hoped she didn't have her gun out.

There was some shouting between Lula and the girlfriend, and sure enough, Jay rolled out a window under the fire escape and took off down the alley.

I shouted to Hal as I took off in pursuit. Jay was quick, built like a skinny little rabbit, but he wasn't running at top speed. I suspect it was because his clothes had just been thrown on. It looked like we interrupted some bedroom fun.

I was gaining on Jay and Hal was right behind me when I stumbled in a pothole and lurched forward. I caught a handful of denim as I fell, tripping Jay and bringing him down, too. Unfortunately, his jeans were just pulled on, not fastened. Now they were around his knees - and Jay hadn't wasted time on underwear.

Hal burst out laughing. Jay was rolling around in the grit and broken glass of the alley and swearing, trying to get up but hampered by the jeans. Lula arrived, slightly out of breath. I got to my feet and Hal helped me haul Jay upright. Once Hal had a good grip on him, we let Jay get his jeans up and zipped before we cuffed him. Then we all trooped back to the SUV.

At the station Lula stayed in the SUV while Hal walked Jay in with me. I'd just collected my body receipt and turned to leave when I felt a touch on my shoulder.

"Hey, Cupcake."

Hal's eyes met mine for an instant then he gave a miniscule nod and continued down the hall. He stopped by the door, in sight but out of earshot, leaning against the wall to wait. I turned to look up at Morelli.

Joe's eyes flicked to the end of the hall, then back to me. "Got a new stalker, Steph?"

"Not as far as I know."

"Then why does Manoso have a guard on you?"

"He's not a bodyguard."

"He's one of Ranger's men, isn't he? I've seen him around."

"He works at RangeMan, yes."

"Are you dating him?"

Sheesh! Joe and I broke up months ago, and he was still calling me Cupcake and giving me the third degree over everything. I guess it had become a habit but still, it was getting old. And it was none of his business. He was dating someone else.

"Not that it's any of your business, but no, I'm not dating Hal."

"So you finally got Manoso to admit his feelings for you," Joe started tightly, then he stopped himself and took a breath. He gave me a faint wry grin. "I saw you at Rossini's with him Sunday night. You looked beautiful in that red dress."

"Thanks, Joe."

"So where is he?"

I sighed. "Ranger had to go out of town for a while and for some reason the guys have decided to mother-hen me. They don't seem to mind lending a hand when I need it, though, so I'm not complaining."

"Ranger's orders?"

I huffed and turned away, but Joe's hand caught at my elbow. I gasped and he jerked it away.

"Steph, your elbow is bleeding."

I knew my elbow stung but didn't realize it was bleeding. "I must have landed on it when I fell, I guess."

"Want to use the first aid box?"

I checked the floor around me. No blood drips splattered on the tile, so it must not be that bad. "No. I'll just go home and get cleaned up. But thanks for the offer."

"Anytime. Take care, Cupcake."

It was after five when Hal opened the SUV door for me, and Lula was more than ready to go. Besides not liking to be this close to cops, she also had plans for later and didn't want to be late getting home. We dropped her back at the bonds office to get her car, Hal gallantly waiting until she'd gotten in and roared off before driving me home.

I was beat. My elbow was aching now, and I felt gritty from the fall in the alley. Hal walked me upstairs and I wasn't too surprised to find Bobby standing in my open doorway.

"You know, it's only a skinned elbow," I started to protest.

"I brought Pino's meatball subs," he countered.

I blinked. Okay, that sounded like a lot like a bribe, but I was tired and hungry. So what if they were being overprotective?

"Alright. But I need to take a quick shower first."

They guys didn't mind. Bobby handed Hal a beer and they turned on the TV as I headed for my room. I grabbed a change of underwear, a tee-shirt, and a pair of sweatpants and ducked into the bathroom. I was washed and dressed with my hair in a towel turban in less than ten minutes.

Bobby did a quick cleaning with an antiseptic wash and applied salve and a gauze pad. Instead of tape he wrapped stretchy gauze that stuck to itself around my arm over my elbow. It was more comfortable than tape.

We ate subs and potato chips and pickles in front of the TV, watching a rerun of CSI first and then finding a channel playing Grosse Pointe Blank. Around nine-thirty they left. I locked up behind them and looked around. The guys had cleaned up the dinner refuse. Even the wet towel I'd had around my hair had been tidied away. All I had to do was go to bed.

I pulled my bra out from under my t-shirt, shucked the sweatpants, and climbed under the covers, rearranging the pillows to hug against me. The scent of Bulgari lingered but was fading. I curled myself around it, sniffing back tears.

Four days down…

TBC…