Chapter 21
Sandra was surprised to get a call from Monica at Rangeman. "Hey, Sandra. I was wondering if you'd like to go out with the girls for dinner and dancing tonight?" Monica asked.
"I was ordered not to associate with anyone from Rangeman," Sandra replied.
Monica laughed, "As if you'd listen. Robin and Anna got angry when they heard the lame excuse for terminating your employment. Like who didn't want to get a piece of that fine Cuban ass? We're jealous you got to kiss him."
"Oh my gosh. It was like fireworks, and the lips were soft. The Bulgari shower gel he uses makes me melt," Sandra gushed. Monica was gagging behind her hand. It's not that she didn't find Ranger attractive. It was more like he was the wrong sex. His wife, Stephanie, was more her type.
April, Robin and Anna stuffed their fists into their mouth to stop laughing. "Anyway, are you going to hang out with us tonight?" Monica asked.
"I wouldn't miss it for the world on one condition," Sandra replied.
"Anything."
"You sneak me into Rangeman tonight," Sandra requested.
"Done," Monica readily agreed. "I'll grab a Rangeman uniform for you to wear."
"Sweet." Sandra asked if someone could pick her up since she didn't have a car. Monica volunteered for the job. She'd borrow one of the Rangeman SUVs.
~~~
Big Dog was out on surveillance with Junior. The men got partnered together when Hal got pulled off work in the field.
Eddie and Carl worked the morning monitor shift. They wondered what the Rangeman women were plotting. "What are they doing?" Eddie asked as he pointed to the women exiting the medical suite.
"Uh oh. Whatever it is, it's not good," Carl replied.
"Gazarra," Eddie said, answering the phone. "Yes, ma'am. I'll cancel the alarm. It's no problem."
"Another person forgot to deactivate their alarm fast enough?" Carl asked.
"Yup. Her dog had to get outside. She opened the door without thinking," Eddie replied. "Have you seen the baby yet?"
"Nope. They're only letting two people see him at a time," Carl stated.
"Yes, two people at a time, but only four people in an hour. You have to wear a hazmat suit, gloves and mask," Eddie added.
"Bummer. I guess it's necessary when you're dealing with a preemie."
Eddie shrugged. "I'd feel bad if her son got sick because of me," Eddie confessed.
Carl nodded, understanding that the baby is more susceptible to infection until his lungs develop more.
"Yo," Eddie answered.
"Dr. Sam Pritchard is arriving at 1300 to check on Ric and Stephanie. Please let her into the building," Ranger ordered.
"Yes, sir," Eddie replied. Eddie relayed the message to Carl in case he was on a break when the doctor arrived. They exchanged idle conversation as they waited for their replacements.
Carl laughed when Eddie's phone rang again. "Yo," Eddie answered.
"Hey, Eddie. I'm lonely. Can you get Tank to cover for you?" Stephanie asked.
"Steph, I'm not sure I can ask him to cover for me," Eddie replied.
"Okay, bye," Stephanie said. She smirked as she dialled Tank's extension.
"Yo," Tank answered.
"Hey, Tank. I'm lonely. I asked for Eddie to visit, but he didn't want to ask you to watch the monitors for an hour. Could you please keep me company?" Stephanie asked.
"Would you like me to bring food?" Tank wondered.
"If you don't mind," Stephanie sweetly replied.
Tank entered Ranger's office and closed the door. Ranger sat at his desk, staring at the computer screen. "Boss?"
"Sandra tried to file sexual assault charges this morning. Morelli approached the chief with audio proof she threatened Stephanie," Ranger replied.
"The charges?" Tank asked.
"Dismissed. Our lawyer has proof that she assaulted me, should the footage be required. Stephanie can file a restraining order," Ranger added.
"What is Morelli's angle?"
"Righting some wrongs," Ranger replied.
"Stephanie's acting suspicious," Tank stated. Ranger looked at his friend. Tank looked tired from lack of sleep and stress. He raised an eyebrow. "She's overly… sweet."
Ranger tipped his head back and laughed. "Somebody is in trouble," Ranger laughed.
"That's what I thought too. Stephanie claimed to be lonely. Take your wife some food and keep her company. "I'll pick up Julie," Tank said before exiting the office.
"Shit!" Ranger groaned. He grabbed some sandwiches and chocolate cake to give Stephanie. Ranger took the elevator to the second floor. He knew Stephanie was furious, and some of that anger got directed at him. "Babe," I'm here to keep you company.
"Hey, Carlos," Stephanie sweetly greeted her husband. Ranger knew that she was ready to blow.
"How is Ric?"
"Small talk, Carlos? Really? You don't want to address the elephant in the room?" Stephanie asked.
"Elephant?" Ranger asked. Ranger placed the food on the tray beside the hospital-style bed. He climbed into the bed beside Stephanie.
Stephanie grabbed his crotch and squeezed tight. "Yes, darling. The big fucking elephant in the damn room. Listen to me closely, sweetheart. If you ever, I mean EVER touch another woman's breast, body, lips, hair, or whatever fucking part she tries to press against you, I will fucking castrate you. Do you understand?" Stephanie asked, twisting his balls slightly.
Sweat dripped off Ranger's face as his wife torqued his balls. "I understand. What if they need assistance with the mic?" Ranger stupidly asked.
"That, my dear, falls under the category of touching another woman," Stephanie sweetly said. "You get another woman to assist. I don't care if the woman is gay. You do not touch her breasts."
"What about the female clients?" Ranger asked.
"Shaking her hand is acceptable. Hugging her or kissing her cheek is not," Stephanie explained. "Unless it's Julie, your mother or sisters."
"I told you she kissed me," Ranger defended.
"Sandra never would have got the opportunity if she wasn't in your office all alone with you. I'm hiring a private nurse for Ric," Stephanie stated.
Ranger raised an eyebrow. He wasn't aware she considered getting extra help. "Whatever you want, Babe." Stephanie's stomach grumbled. Ranger passed her a sandwich. She released his balls to grab the sandwich. Stephanie ate the chocolate cake as she stared at Ranger. "The men hug and kiss you."
"You're missing the point, Carlos. Okay, let me word this differently. I'm alone in my office with one of your men. I need help placing a mic. They insist on helping. As his hand is touching my bare breast, he leans in to kiss me on the lips. How would that make you feel if you entered my office, catching us in the act?" Stephanie asked.
Ranger clenched his jaw and fist. His face displayed his anger. "I'd kill them," he growled.
"Exactly. That's how I felt when I opened your office door to see you kiss the woman I never wanted the core team to hire," Stephanie snapped.
"Babe, I'm sorry," Ranger said. "I didn't realize how it would look."
"How it would look to your men or me?" Stephanie asked. "You shouldn't be putting yourself into that position."
"To you, Babe. I never want to hurt you," he sadly replied. "You're right. I placed myself in that position. Recording her actions doesn't excuse the act. Please forgive me, Babe."
"Carlos, I love you. I would never put myself into a position to cause you to doubt my love for you. Pregnancy hormones didn't help," Stephanie explained. "I forgive you because Hector showed me the video. You didn't reciprocate or enjoy placing the mic."
"I love you, Babe." Ranger kissed her forehead, eyelids, cheeks, nose and chin before kissing her lips. "You, Julie and Ric are my world."
"Excuse me, Stephanie. Your private nurse arrived," April announced.
"Bring her in," Stephanie replied.
"Celia?" Ranger asked.
"Hi, Carlos. Where's my patient?" Celia asked.
"Your nephew is in the smaller examination room on the right," Stephanie replied, pointing towards the first door. "The lights are dimmed to protect his eyes."
"Mama and Papa are here too," Celia announced.
"That's great. I can't wait to see your parents again," Stephanie replied.
Bobby entered the room with another guest. "Stephanie, Dr. Sam Pritchard Is here to check you and Ricardo," Bobby announced.
The doctor appeared to be in her early thirties. Her auburn, curly, short hair accentuated her tight curls. Sam's eyes were an intriguing blue-grey colour. She barely came up to Bobby's chest. Stephanie could tell that Bobby was interested in the petite doctor.
Dr. Pritchard asked all the typical questions before she examined Stephanie. She got Stephanie's biometrics. "Everything looks good. I need to check your incision," Dr. Pritchard stated.
Bobby and Ranger gave them privacy to talk. "Dr. Pritchard, do you associate with the staff at the Point Pleasant Medical Centre and Emergency Services?" Stephanie asked.
"No. The hospital has excellent emergency staff, but some of the nurses don't respect patient confidentiality," Dr. Pritchard replied. "Please call me Sam, Mrs. Manoso."
"Only if you call me Steph," Stephanie reciprocated.
"Your incision looks good. No sign of infection, which is great considering you left the hospital before you should have," Sam chastised. "Do you have any concerns about your care or other questions regarding the care you received?"
"I'm wondering if you could check into someone for me. I had a nurse named Becky Balsam. Something about her made me anxious, and I had to bring my son home sooner than he was ready. My friends, Bobby and April, have been caring for him. Can you make sure he's okay? I'm afraid I caused permanent damage by moving him here this morning," Stephanie confessed.
"You recently hired a private neonatal nurse to care for your son. I thought I recognized Celia Manoso earlier," Sam stated.
Stephanie grinned. "It wasn't too difficult. She's my sister-in-law," Stephanie added.
"I see. I should have made the connection," Sam laughed. "I'll check on your son."
"Thanks." Stephanie patiently waited for the doctor to return. April sat with her until the doctor finished her examination.
"Your friends are providing excellent care. With another registered nurse in the building, your son should be fine. I'll come back every few days to check on your son," Sam stated.
"Thank you for putting my mind at ease," Stephanie said.
~~~
Monica drove to Sandra's house to pick her up for dancing. Sandra smirked when she saw Monica drive the Rangeman SUV. "Did you invite any of the sexy men?" Sandra asked.
"Nope. It's girls night only," Monica replied.
"I heard the Manoso bitch had her baby," Sandra stated.
"Where did you hear that?" Monica asked. Other than the Rangeman staff, nobody except the hospital workers knew about the child.
"My old friend from college, Becky Balsam, works at the hospital where the child was born. Becky told me because she knew I worked for Rangeman," Sandra smugly stated. Monica would need to get the message to Stephanie. "Where's Robin and Anna?"
"They are meeting us there. Robin had to work a monitor shift and Anna is the designated driver," Monica answered.
"I didn't mind monitors as long as I didn't have to work with that bitch," Sandra snarled. "Stephanie has got to be the phoniest person I know. People that nice to your face are the biggest backstabbers." Monica couldn't believe the crap Sandra shovelled.
"I've got a secret entrance into the club without paying the cover," Monica announced. Monica parked at the back of Club Montenegro, where there was a black door at the back that had a peephole and nothing else. Monica rapped on the door. Two quick knocks, a slap followed by four slow knocks.
"Is that the secret code?" Sandra questioned.
"Something like that," she replied. A tall, bald, Latino man answered the door. He opened the door without smiling at the women. "My girlfriend should be here soon." The man nodded and shut the door behind them.
Ernesto guided the women into the club through the storage area. He spoke through his mic to get the door on the other side opened. Monica and Sandra followed the new escort through the entrance. The lights were slightly muted, as they are in most clubs. Some ambient lighting set the mood.
Joe Morelli sat at the bar of Club Montenegro as he waited for his informant to arrive. The man should have arrived at the club already. Morelli doubted he'd show.
Robin caught his eye. She placed a finger to her lips, asking for him to remain quiet. Joe raised an eyebrow, questioning why he got silenced. Robin pointed behind him. He peeked over his shoulder and found Sandra approaching the bar.
"Hey there, sexy," Sandra said to Joe.
"Hi, Sandra?" he asked.
"Yup. I'm Sandra," she replied. "What are you doing here?"
"I was supposed to meet a friend, but I doubt he'll be here. Any luck on your mission?" Joe wondered if she got anywhere with the plan.
"Not yet. The bitch had the baby last night, but she was gone by the time I got to the hospital. It seems she somehow got the hospital to release her preemie baby," Sandra replied.
"What were you going to do?" Joe asked, the cop in him taking over.
"Snatch the brat, of course. The father would do anything to get him back," Sandra answered with pride.
"You were going to take a premature infant from the hospital to bend the father's will. Did I understand that right?" Joe asked.
"Yup," Sandra said. She leaned over the bar to order a drink.
While Sandra was distracted, Robin whispered in Joe's ear, "We've got a plan to get her away from Cupcake. I'll tell you everything if you help." He nodded, willing to help get the vile and dangerous woman away from Stephanie.
Robin slipped away, returning fifteen minutes later with Anna. Joe saw the strawberry blond girl and couldn't stop staring. "Hey, Sandra," Anna greeted. "I see you already attracted some men."
"I've met him before. I think his name is Joe?" Sandra asked. "He used to date the bitch."
Anna's mouth popped open, finally making the connection. She didn't know him personally, but she heard all about the man. "Nice to meet you. I'm Anna," she said, shaking his hand. A jolt went through her arm. Anna's eyes snapped up to meet Joe's eyes. She wondered if he felt it too.
Joe's eyes opened wide as he stared at his hand. "Could it be?" Joe wondered. It was too much for him to hope. "Would you like to dance, Anna?" She nodded.
"Just one dance, okay?" Anna asked.
"Sure. You have pretty grey eyes," Joe said, guiding her to the middle of the busy dance floor.
"Thanks. Did you really date Stephanie? I thought she was involved with a cop before she disappeared," Anna wondered.
"I'm the cop," Joe replied. "Your friend, Sandra, said Stephanie had the baby."
"Yup. Last night. She brought him home this morning," Anna stated.
"She wasn't due for another few months. Is the child alright?" Joe asked, concerned about Stephanie and the boy.
"Both are fine. Thanks for the heads up. Stephanie appreciated your help," Anna confessed. "There's something you should know about Sandra. She's not a nice person."
"What did she do that was so bad?" Joe whispered into her ear.
"Ended many marriages by getting the husbands into her bed. She'd video them having sex then send it to the wives," Anna replied.
Robin excused herself from Monica and Sandra to join Anna and Joe on the dance floor. She leaned into Joe's back to whisper in his ear. "Did Anna tell you our plan?" Robin asked.
"No," he replied. He listened to Robin explaining the plan. "Please tell me you're not kidnapping her. I'm a cop. I'll need to report this crime."
"No kidnapping involved. We're simply sending her home," Robin whispered.
"I shouldn't be saying this, but I'm in," Joe responded.