I looked expectantly at Ranger. I wasn't sure why Lester was in his office trying to plant bugs around, but I was thinking it was going to be a good story. I wasn't quite prepared for what Ranger came out with though.

He looked reluctant. I guessed that Ranger wasn't used to sharing information. Or talking much in general. Probably he was using up his monthly allotment of words tonight and would resort to pointing and nodding for the rest of the month.

"I'm looking for a guy named Ziggy. His brother Zip works for me. Mostly in the office, not sure if you've met Zip. Ziggy disappeared a week ago, and Zip's instincts tell him that something is wrong. Ziggy's an accountant, works for a firm downtown. Devoted uncle to their sister's kids and didn't show up for dinner on Monday like usual. Ziggy's firm does the tax reports for Petiak, Smullen, Gorvich, and Orr. Every Monday, the partners hold a meeting offsite, and Ziggy was scheduled to attend. The last time anyone saw him, he was on his way to the meeting. The four partners swear Ziggy didn't show, but I don't believe it. Zip doesn't believe it."

"Oh no," I said, horrified. "I hadn't heard that he was missing."

"He's a grown man. Police don't suspect foul play. No reason to broadcast it."

"Why do you think the partners are lying?"

"There's something not right about the firm. Dickie has legitimate credentials and experience, but he's the only one. His partners have law degrees from Panama and didn't sit the bar test here. Right now, I can't tell if Dickie is dumb or dirty," Ranger told me. His eyes looked apologetic like he was breaking bad news. Sorry Stephanie, your husband is either dumb or dirty. Knowing Dickie, possibly both. What had he gotten himself into? I almost worried about him for a second there before I remembered about Joyce, and all the women before her. God, I was an idiot. How could I not see it? I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts.

"Did the bugs work?" I asked Ranger.

"The meeting was cancelled. We listened until a little bit after ten, and then packed up. Nothing was happening except the sounds of Dickie typing and making phone calls."

"So you knew that he'd called me?"

"Yes. All except the last one."

"Did he call Joyce?"

Ranger hesitated before answering. "Do you really want to know, babe?"

"He called Joyce, didn't he?"

"Yes."

"Bastard," I hissed. Ranger squeezed my hand.

"We weren't listening when Dickie disappeared and the bugs don't auto record. I was looking for Ziggy, and focusing on the other partners, not Dickie. The bugs are still there now, but the partners are being cautious since police were called in to investigate, and not talking in the office."

"So what now? How do we find Ziggy and Dickie?"

Ranger took a little plastic bag from his pocket. It contained what I suspected was another bug.

"Do you think you can plant this on Peter Smullen?" he asked me. My jaw dropped.

"You're not serious," I told him. "Why?"

"We need more information. I know that the partners are behind Ziggy's disappearance. I suspect he stumbled across something he shouldn't have. The partners panicked, and then either Dickie came across the same information after getting suspicious once Ziggy went missing, or he just got in the way. Either way, Smullen knows something and he's the only one that I know for sure is still in the country."

"I think the police think that I killed Dickie," I said to Ranger.

"Eddie doesn't, Morelli doesn't. Marty had to ask you were you were to rule you out. We can supply them with your video footage if they request and you agree. You never left your house, your alarm stayed set all night including external doors, you'll be fine." He picked up a file on the table beside him and handed it to me. "For tomorrow," he said.

I opened the file. There was a photo of Peter Smullen. I'd only met him a few times but recognised him easily. The file said that he was forty-six years old (I'd have guessed older – the beer gut and receding hair line wasn't doing him any favours), and was married with two adult children. His children and wife lived in Colombia and he kept a bachelor apartment in Hamilton Township. Ranger's file also contained Smullen's usual schedule. He hit Starbucks at 8am every morning before heading to the law firm, so I'd try and catch him at one of those locations.

It was late, but I wasn't tired thanks to my nap. I had a feeling that my body clock was going to be out of whack for a while yet. Maybe I'd stay up all night and convert to being a vampire.

"I'd better go so you can get some sleep," I said to Ranger.

"You can stay. I don't sleep a lot," he said. I looked at him. He had a five o'clock shadow, but otherwise looked alert. I hesitated – my husband was a lying, disappeared scumbag, but it still didn't feel right being alone in another man's apartment. But that was Dickie's manipulation, I told myself. There was nothing wrong with it. Ranger and I were just friends, and he was helping me out. And I'd be able to help him and Zip find Ziggy too.

I thought of all that I had to do and felt overwhelmed. I kept thinking of Dickie with other women and wanting to cry, then I'd flash back to the photo of him and Joyce and wanted to rage. I needed to stay angry. I'd had an STD test as part of the standard pregnancy planning that my doctor had recommended, so I knew that I was clear relatively recently, but I probably needed to go again. I sniffled and realised that tears were leaking out of my eyes. Ranger reached across and silently handed me a tissue.

"It'll be okay, babe," he told me softly. "I'm sorry I wasn't a good friend to you."

"Did you know that Dickie was cheating on me?"

"No. But I could have found out if I'd wanted to."

"Can you make Joyce disappear for me?"

"Yeah. But that's not going to solve your problems, babe. With Dickie, there will always be another Joyce."

"How do you know?" I sniffled and sat up straighter.

"I'm a man," he shrugged.

"Did you ever cheat on your wife?" I asked him.

"No. There wasn't a lot of opportunities out where I was. And I'm loyal. I was a shitty husband in many ways, but I was faithful to Rachel until our divorce. Then I went a bit wild. But I have nothing on Lester."

I perked up, sensing a story. Before I could ask, Ranger's phone rang. He glanced at the screen and seemed to shift into security mode.

"Report," he commanded. "Good work. We'll head there now." He hung up and looked at me. "There's a break in at your house. A team is on their way. We're heading to the control room downstairs."