Disclaimer: I think you all know the drill by now… Characters property of JE except for Max and Yoshi - they're mine.
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Chapter 36
Morning found me awake far too early. I tried to go back to sleep but I was too restless. Around six-thirty I gave up, got out of bed and took a shower. I took a little extra time after putting on my usual makeup and actually styled my hair for the first time in a week before getting dressed in clean jeans and one of my new shirts. The thermometer on the fire escape said that it was cold even though it was sunny out, so I looked for a heavier jacket. Then I headed out, determined to get things done today.
The bakery was busy with the before-work crowd, so I had time standing in line to decide on my order. A woman in front of me got a mocha latte, taking the lid off to stir in extra sugar, and I found myself staring at it. The color was so close to Ranger's skin…my thoughts wandered, wondering how he was doing and if he still needed medical care, and it wasn't until the woman behind me cleared her throat impatiently that I realized the line had moved. I quickly placed my order and gave myself a mental shake. I needed to keep myself busy or lose my mind.
I sat in the Jeep in the parking lot and dug my notebook and the sheet of paper on which I'd scribbled the ticket information out of my purse. I was relieved to see I'd written the phone number and address of the travel agency down, and called to see when they opened. They already were, so I headed over, eating a donut and drinking my coffee on the way.
The agent had the ticket ready for me. Also included in the folder was a list of suggested items to make the trip more pleasant. I scanned it and noted it listed a camera and personal items like toiletries and medications. There was also a short form listing information such as emergency contacts and your doctor's name and number. There was space for listing medications and any medical conditions or allergies, and a bright-orange envelope to tuck it into. The envelope suggested keeping it in a wallet or purse where it would be easily accessible in case it was needed. It was an excellent idea and I made a mental note to point it out to Mom.
It was still early when I left the travel agency. The bonds office would be open but it was too early for Connie to know if there were any new skips, so I headed to Valerie's. The kids would have left for school by now and it might be a good time to check in with her.
My timing was good. She'd just finished feeding Lisa, and Albert had gone to work. The house was quiet and she still had coffee. We sat at the kitchen table while Lisa played with a soft activity book in her high chair, and Valerie showed me the phone she'd gotten for Grandma.
"The folding phone was a little bit more expensive, but I think it will be easier for her to use," she said. "The buttons are bigger and covered so they won't get bumped in her purse. And I got this, too, but couldn't decide if Grandma would like it or not."
She held out a lipstick-red cover for the phone with a rhinestone design framing the outside screen. It practically screamed Grandma's name. I had to laugh.
"Are you kidding? Grandma will love it!" It was perfect. It would even match her favorite red wool coat.
A smile spread across Valerie's face. "You think so? Oh, good! I was worried she might think it was too much."
I looked at her and we both burst out laughing. It felt good. I couldn't remember the last time I'd laughed with Val.
Valerie had already activated the phone and tested it to make sure it worked. We put our phone numbers into the contacts list and I added the new number into my cell. I also wrote it in my notebook to give to Mom later. Then I played with Lisa while Valerie boxed it up and wrapped it to give to Grandma. She'd decided to give it to Grandma Thanksgiving morning so she could get used to it before the trip.
The pleasant visit with Valerie left me in a good mood as I cruised to the bonds office. Connie was still looking a little sleepy but she was smiling a lot so I teased her about her weekend. Lula was cheerfully going on about her weekend, too, which had been especially good because Tank had spent Sunday with her.
Connie had four files for me. There were two for RangeMan but Lula had already called Tank for those. I looked through the files and found a familiar name -- Norvil Thompsen, the crazy old coot who threw food. The last time I'd gone after him I'd been with Ranger. He'd managed to stay clean but I'd ended up with egg in my hair and the shortest haircut I've had since third grade. It wasn't an experience I wanted to repeat.
Tank and Lester arrived for the new files, bringing Connie some paperwork she'd requested and dropping off a couple of body receipts, too. Lester sat down with me and chatted while Tank took care of business and spent a little quality time with Lula out back. A few minutes after they left again I remembered to ask Lula about the disposable cameras.
"Oh, I brought it to show you and nearly forgot," she exclaimed, rummaging in the tote bag she'd brought to work. "My neighbor Carly across the hall works at that new electronics store and got me a good deal on this."
She hauled a box out of the tote and handed it to me. It was a small digital camera.
"See," she continued, turning the box over and showing me the features shown on the back, "its real simple to use. It has a big screen on the back instead of an itty-bitty viewfinder, it came with a case and a memory card, and it uses regular batteries. With Carly's discount it was less than what a few of those disposables cost. Grandma can take the card to any photo place and get the pictures printed when she gets back."
I looked at the descriptions and Lula was right. It looked easy to operate.
"This is great!" I told her. "Grandma will love it." I filled Connie and Lula both in on the phone Valerie had gotten, and they agreed that with the new toys to play with, maybe Grandma wouldn't have time to get into too much trouble on the trip. I could only hope!
Lula was going to give it to me to take to Grandma but I thought Lula should give it to her in person. Lula would enjoy seeing her reaction, too, so she decided to wrap it and take it to Grandma between Thanksgiving and Sunday so she'd have time to play with it. I made a note of what kind of batteries the camera used. Since I needed batteries for my stun-gun anyway I'd get an extra set for Grandma to pack.
From the bonds office I headed to the store and bought batteries, the items I'd put on the list in my notebook, and a few food items. I took my groceries home and changed the battery in my stun-gun before I forgot, then headed to my parents' house.
Mom was making tuna salad sandwiches when I got there. Grandma was upstairs.
"Is Grandma okay?" I asked, surprised she wasn't in the kitchen with Mom.
"She's fine. She's been up there all morning trying to figure out what she should pack for her trip." Mom rolled her eyes but she was smiling faintly. "She's really excited about this trip, Stephanie. It's kept her occupied all weekend."
From Mom's smile I took that as a good thing. I showed Mom the suggestion list for packing and pointed out the emergency information sheet and envelope. She agreed that it was a good idea and said she'd make sure it got filled out and tucked into Grandma's purse. I checked to make sure Grandma wasn't coming down and told Mom about the phone Valerie was giving her, and wrote the number in the address book she kept under the phone. Then I told her about Lula getting the camera. Mom was a little surprised Lula wanted to do that for Grandma, but then mentioned that Grandma always got a kick out of riding with me when Lula was along.
We called Grandma downstairs to eat, and I gave her the tickets and the list. We talked about some of the suggested items while we ate. Mom was great, sidetracking Grandma about shoes when Grandma started fretting about finding her old camera and buying film. When we were finished Grandma went back upstairs and I helped Mom clean the kitchen.
"Have you decided if you want to bring anyone to dinner Thursday?" Mom asked. "You can bring Lula or some of your friends from the security company."
I already knew Lula and Tank had plans for Thanksgiving together, but I hadn't thought about the other guys. Did they have plans, or family close by? "I'll ask some of the guys, okay? I know Lula has already made plans with Tank but I don't know about anyone else."
"Okay. I bought a big turkey before Valerie told me they wouldn't be here, and if it's just the four of us at Thanksgiving we'll be eating leftovers for a month."
Well, I loved turkey sandwiches but that many leftovers would make my mother crazy.
On my way home I called Tank and picked his brain about the guys. Woody and Max he knew for sure didn't have family close. Hector was working Thursday but was going to visit his family Friday. He wasn't sure about the others. I'd just have to talk to the guys individually.
Back at my apartment I divided my time between phone calls to the Merry Men and reading my files. After talking to Cal I called Mom and asked her how many people she wanted to cook for, and explained how many of the guys had no family close, or in some cases, just no family. Mom told me to invite all of them -- it couldn't possibly be any crazier than when Valerie's brood was there. Dad overheard and said they could come watch football, too, if they wanted.
I passed the invitation along to the guys and they were more than a little surprised. I got several texts in the next few hours to accept and say thanks for the invitation. I called Mom back and told her to prepare for an army. She actually sounded excited.
By the time I crawled into bed I'd accomplished all but one item on my list, had done research on two of the new skips and the one repeat, and tired myself out. I went to sleep thinking of Ranger and had very pleasant dreams…
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Hector showed up outside the bonds office Tuesday morning and rode with me until mid-afternoon. I spent the morning knocking on doors and asking around about my skips. Most of the time we spent in the car we spoke Spanish. I still had a little lag time when Hector talked too fast but mostly I could keep up. We ate lunch at Rosa's and Anna was impressed with my progress. Hector was grinning proudly and it made me feel really good.
Later in the afternoon Lula and I caught one of the skips drunk at his girlfriend's house. Lula sat on the overly-protective woman while I cuffed the inebriated man, and we hauled him back to jail. After that, we spent some time in a bar where another skip was a regular, but he didn't show. We called it quits after eleven and I went home to bed.
Wednesday I was solo most of the day until I called Lula to help me nab another skip in the early evening. We ended up with a two-fer when we discovered he'd been meeting someone. They got into an argument and beat each other to a pulp and had no fight left in them when we stepped in. Now the only skip I had left was Norvil the food-flinger, and I had a plan for him.
Thursday I got to my parent's house early to watch the parade with Dad and Grandma. I tried to help Mom in the kitchen but she insisted everything was under control and kicked me out. She'd borrowed folding tables and chairs from Dad's lodge. The tables were set up with pretty vinyl tablecloths and candle centerpieces, and the folded chairs stood waiting along the dining room wall.
Valerie came in around eleven with her present. Mom came in to watch Grandma open it, and we all laughed when Grandma squealed in delight. Val spent a few minutes showing Grandma how to make and answer calls, got a hug from both Grandma and Mom, and left to go to her mother-in-law's house. I hoped her day went okay.
Woody, Bobby, and Hal showed up a half an hour later with a big flat-screen TV they claimed had been sitting in RangeMan storage since it was confiscated during a 'redecorating' job. They had it hooked up in less than ten minutes and Dad was set for football heaven. Cal and Max arrived and asked if it was okay to bring beer, and Dad decided all the Merry Men were great guys even if Cal's tattoo was a little weird. Grandma was giving her new phone number to all the guys and generally reveling in being surrounded by gorgeous men out of uniform.
We ate Thanksgiving dinner at one. Mom took my 'army' comment literally, I think, because she'd gone all out. Besides the huge turkey she'd done a spiral-sliced honey ham and all the trimmings. They guys had brought wine, too, although I didn't see it brought in. They thanked my parents for the generous invitation and toasted Mom for the delicious meal, making her blush. Dinner conversation was lively and accompanied by a lot of smiles, and we all ate too much. It was great.
The guys had worked it out so everyone could have a part-day off. Hal and Bobby watched part of the football game, then they left - carrying desserts, because Mom wouldn't hear of them missing out - and a little later Lester and Hector arrived. Mom made sure they got plenty to eat and after a bit we all had dessert together. Tank and Lula stopped by and Mom coaxed them into having dessert, too – not that it took much convincing.
Lula whispered to me that she'd brought the camera, and did I think it would be okay to give it to Grandma tonight? I told her it was up to her, so she went to Tank's SUV and brought it in. Grandma gave Lula a teary hug and they sat down together to figure out how to work it. For the next couple of hours the Merry Men were all targets for the shutter-happy duo but none of them seemed to mind - some of them even posed.
Woody and Hector somehow managed to talk Mom into letting them wash dishes and help put the food away when things started winding down, and the other guys made quick and quiet work of the folding tables and chairs, even going so far as to load them up in Woody's truck to be returned the next day so Dad wouldn't have to do it.
Lester found a few quiet minutes to ask what was on my schedule for Black Friday - like, did I intend to go shopping? I told him no, and explained about the egg-throwing crazy man I needed to pick up. He grinned and said it sounded like fun, and promised to pick me up in the morning - but not too early.
When everyone was getting ready to leave Dad tried to remind the guys to take the big flat-screen TV, but they just waved him off. "No one was using it, it was just taking up space," Tank told him. "You might as well enjoy it." Dad was still grinning an hour later when I went home.
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When Lester knocked Friday morning I was up, dressed, and working on my hair. The coffee had just finished brewing when I went to let him in.
He came in empty-handed with a shell-shocked look on his face.
"I was going to bring you breakfast, but traffic was insane and all the food places are jam-packed.," he said apologetically. "I thought only the shopping centers would be mobbed today."
"Mostly women are doing the shopping," I explained with a smile as I motioned for him to forage in the kitchen. "That leaves boyfriends and husbands babysitting children on their own for food and entertainment for the day, so, yeah, all the food places will be busy. So will movie theaters and arcades."
He looked at me with dismay and I laughed, ducking back into the bathroom to finish messing with my hair. After a minute I heard him opening cabinet doors.
I pulled my hair into a ponytail and wrapped it around itself to make a messy bun. I shoved the few stray hairpins I'd found into it to hold it, then picked up the big triangle of fabric I'd cut out of an old t-shirt and tied it over my hair. It looked a little weird but if it kept my hair from getting egged I could put up with it.
Lester snickered when I joined him in the kitchen. He'd found my toaster and pop-tarts and was leaning against the counter drinking coffee while he waited for the pastries to toast.
"So who bought the TV for my dad?" I asked as I poured coffee for myself.
Lester choked and nearly spilled his coffee down his shirt.
"You didn't believe what Tank said?"
"There was still some Styrofoam clinging to the back of it when they carried it in, and not a speck of dust."
"Damn," he laughed. "We didn't think of that. Did your dad believe it?"
I smiled. "Yeah, I think he did, and I don't think could be any more pleased. He was still sitting in front of it smiling when I left. So who bought it?"
"We all chipped in, and Tank has a friend in the business so it wasn't all that much. Your grandma told us about her trip, so she's getting a gift card she can use for spending money or getting her pictures printed. We sent your mom flowers this morning and we're hoping you could help us come up with something else she'd like."
"Actually, she loved just having all of you there. Didn't you see her blush at the toast?"
"Steph!"
"Okay, okay! I'll try to think of something!" I laughed. "The best idea I've had for her lately I've already used." We sat down to eat and I told him about the surprise spa day I arranged for Mom while Grandma was gone. We kicked around a few other ideas but none appealed, so we decided to think on it some more and headed out to catch the old coot.
I'd left the old geezer until today on purpose. His main source of ammunition last time had been his commodities, and he was due for a delivery later this afternoon. Hopefully that meant he wouldn't have much handy to throw right now.
Lester was wearing 'civilian' clothes and looked nice. I'd dressed in old clothes for the occasion, so I convinced him to let me go in first and draw Norvil's fire. If I still needed help he could come up after the ammunition ran out and help me carry him down.
I climbed the stairs and banged on the apartment door. Through the thin walls I heard a window go up. Shit! Was he going out the fire escape?
I popped the flimsy door lock and stepped inside just in time to see the old man drop a bulging trash bag out the open window. He turned to face me with a gleeful cackle.
"I got him this time!" he chortled. "No one gets off clean when they hunt me!"
Crap, he thought Lester was Ranger. He'd probably aimed his trash bag at the black SUV. At least he seemed to be out of ammunition now. I wrestled him into cuffs and marched him down the stairs.
Lester was standing in the middle of the sidewalk, covered in eggshells and goo and surrounded by scattered trash and splattered slime. It was all I could do not to laugh at the bewildered look on his face. I guess he'd never been bombed with garbage before.
We loaded Norvil into the back of the SUV and got in. I pulled the cloth off my hair and offered it and an apology to Lester, and he wiped the worst of the mess off his face and hands.
He stoically endured the old man's cackling on the way to the police station. I took my skip in alone so Lester could stay out of sight in the SUV. I told the desk sergeant he should lock the geezer up and throw away the key. He sighed and told me he agreed. I guess Norvil was still a regular customer.
When I climbed back into the SUV Lester seemed to be somewhat recovered, enough to manage a half-laugh. "I was waiting on the steps and heard the window… I barely had time to look up and blam! I'm covered in garbage. Man, Steph, I owe you an apology."
"For what?" I asked in surprise. I was thinking it was more the other way around.
"When stuff like this happened to you I smugly thought it was because you weren't paying attention to your surroundings. It never occurred to me that your skips are just plain freakin' nuts."
"Trust me," I laughed, "he wasn't the worst. If it helps any I'm pretty sure he thought you were Ranger and he was making up for missing him last time."
That just got a snort, and Lester asked if I minded going back to RangeMan with him so he could get cleaned up. It was fine with me -- I was done for the day.
At RangeMan I followed Lester into the elevator. He sighed and pressed the button for five. "I might as well let the guys get their jollies now. Otherwise they'll just blackmail me with security photos later."
The elevator was met by a group of black-clad men, most of them grinning ear to ear. Applause broke out as soon as Lester stepped out onto the floor. He took it with good humor, pivoting to show them all sides and then bowing. The jokes started flying then.
"Les, man, we knew you were a dog, but you gotta stop rolling in the garbage!"
"Jez, what'd you do? Chase a skip through the landfill?"
"No, he probably pissed Steph off and she tossed him in a dumpster."
I protested that I had nothing to do with it and that earned me a round of teasing, too. Ella came out of the break-room and Tank came out of his office to see what was going on.
Then from behind me a voice said, "Babe, what happened to Santos?"
TBC…
A/N: LOL, guess who!