Chapter 27

I woke with a start to the sound of a phone and then the low voice of Ranger as he asked for a report. I was instantly alert as I then felt him get out of bed.

"What's happened, what's wrong?"

At least as he dressed in cargos and a T-shirt he gave me a reply.

"Someone broke into the safe house"

It took a second for the significance of that to sink in and then I remembered that Xander had been at a safe house.

"Xander?"

I was making to get up from the bed when he came and sat down next to me, pushing me back down.

"He's okay but I need to be there to find out how that happened. I'll be back as soon as I can"

Even as I thought that I wouldn't be of any help anyway he was gone leaving me in the darkened room. I was too worried to sleep, my mind racing with what had happened. Had someone followed Xander as he drove there or had someone picked up a sighting of his car? Then I was wondering who it was that was responsible for finding Xander and why. Okay, there were only two possible reasons that I could come up with. Someone was looking for me or for Cassie. In the end my thinking was driving me nuts, so I switched on the bedside light and went through the routine of using the bathroom and then dressing. I wasn't sure what I was going to be doing but after putting on the coffee machine I ended up in Ranger's office.

I knew I couldn't do anymore on Jethro but there was still the Peralta family to finish looking into and I realized that I hadn't even started on Samuel Chiconi. So that was what I focused on as I drank my coffee. Samuel Chiconi had been born in 1920 in Morrisania, a residential neighborhood in the southwestern Bronx. Chiconi had lived with both of his parents and four brothers, one older and three younger. He'd joined the army at the beginning of the war and during his service had ended up in Europe. There was very little detail of what he did during that time, but he was discharged from the army in the February 1946. He came back to find that two of his brothers and his father had been casualties of the fighting and one brother who had lost a leg.

Life changed for him, he had a mother and a disabled brother to look out for. In four years, the explosion in commercial activity brought on by the war had reignited the city's economic engine, carrying it to a level of economic power and dominance like nothing before or since. By the late 1940s, New York had become the world's largest manufacturing center, with 40,000 factories and over a million factory workers. It was the nation's largest wholesaling center, accounting for a fifth of all wholesale transaction in America. It was the world's biggest port, handling 40 percent of the nation's waterborne freight, 150 million tons a year. And it was the world's financial capital, trading hundreds of millions of dollars each day. It was, above all, home to the immense corporations that now dominated life in the United States and, increasingly, around the world. One hundred thirty five of the nation's 500 largest industrial companies, including Standard Oil, General Electric, U.S. Steel, Union Carbide, IBM and RCA, were located in what was now called "headquarters city."

Work was easy to find for Chiconi but from what I found in his history he rarely stayed at one job for long. Maybe the war had affected him, made him unable to settle back into a normal life. I knew from conversations with the Merry Men how war could affect someone mentally. Nowadays it was referred to as PTSD and taken seriously but I doubted that anyone took any interest in the damaged soldiers who returned after World War 2. Organized crime was particularly active in its heyday of the 1950s. The year 1951 saw a number of notable organized crime events, and it seemed that Chiconi was attracted to the idea of making money through an easier way. He was never associated with any of the notorious gangs but his penchant for expensive items grew along with his wealth. That was when he first met Albert Peralta, when he was arrested for the theft of a large quantity of gems from a jeweller's warehouse. Peralta was able to get him off the charges when Chiconi came up with an alibi.

To cover his expanding wealth, it looked as though Chiconi had deposited his money into Swiss bank accounts, but he also seemed to fall from the ever watchful eye of the police. In fact by the 60's there was very little to find about him other than a strong friendship with Albert and what appeared on the surface to be a quiet life. He'd never married, though had several long term relationships, no children but he was a family man. He'd looked after his mother and disabled brother until they had died, providing them with a home and staff to care for them.

To be honest Chiconi hadn't been an outright villain. As he'd aged it was almost as if he'd settled down. Maybe he was a good choice to be the executor of Albert's will, someone who could manage the two sons. It just didn't make sense to me why he was so important to the three Peralta men. I just knew that I was missing something, so I delved a little deeper into Chiconi's known associates when the police were most interested in him.

I'd just printed off those names when I heard the door to the apartment open and voices coming through to me. I was keen to know what had happened at the safe house so as I entered the lounge was surprised at how angry Hector sounded. That he was talking in Spanish didn't help my nerves, so I was looking anxiously at Ranger as he was removing bottles of water from the fridge. As he turned, I saw that he was annoyed as well, which only had me worrying even more about what had happened.

"El estúpido idiota"

"I know Hector and so does he, now"

Okay I could manage to understand what Hector had said but who was he talking about.

"What's happened?"

I asked, which had both of the men turning and looking at me, I think surprised to see me standing there. I was scared of what they were going to tell me especially when Ranger walked up to me and wrapped me in his arms.

"We worked out how someone knew where you were"

That was good, wasn't it? So why were they so annoyed?

"They were locating you through Xander"

I'm sure that I tensed at what Ranger had said because that didn't make sense to me because I knew that Xander would never betray me. Had I made such a stupid mistake by trusting him?

"They were looking for a woman named Chloe. They knew that she was with Xander so by finding him then they assumed that they'd find her"

I stood away from Ranger and tried to make sense of what he was saying. Did he say that someone was looking for Chloe? That woman was only ever known to the people in Hoquiam, but it also meant that they weren't looking for Stephanie Plum.

"How did they find Xander?"

I was sure that I heard a grunt from Hector but chose to ignore him waiting for Ranger to tell me.

"It seems that Xander had a tablet with him"

Okay, I could remember seeing him with that. The first time that I'd noticed it was when we were in that café in Spokane, and he showed me a map that he was looking at. Had that been what someone was tracking?

"He's a computer geek, always has been, and has a penchant for playing a particular online game, Overwatch. It seems someone discovered the username he was playing under and then just followed the IP address"

Even as he said that I could tell that Hector was still annoyed and I suppose he had reason to be. It was a stupid mistake to have made, one that I would have thought Xander would have been aware of. At least now we knew how I'd been found in Chicago, but it threw suspicion right back to the people in Hoquiam.

"Is he okay?"

"Yes. Bobby's patching him up down in the infirmary"

The door was opening again, and I watched as Bobby, Les and Tank walked into the room. I wasn't sure why they were here but if it was to discuss what had happened at the safe house then I wanted to know what they'd found out. We ended up sat at the table, which to me implied that whatever this conversation was going to be about was going to be serious.

"Bobby?"

"He's fine, he looks worse than he is. That guy used his fists to cause the most pain and the least damage"

I closed my eyes as I imagined what Xander had gone through, realizing that he'd been through all of that because of me. Why was it that people got hurt around me and this case because of me? All of those emotions started creeping inside of me. I had no idea why someone was looking for me but already a close friend had been hurt. Maybe it was how I was behaving or even my body language that alerted Ranger, but I felt as his hand snaked up the outside of my thigh and caught hold of mine. That had me looking at him, at the frown that he aimed at me. It was as if he could read my very thoughts.

"Santos, did you get from Xander why that man was there?"

I knew that question to Les confused me, but I had a feeling that Ranger wanted me to know something that he thought would reassure me.

"He wanted to know where the woman was who had worked at Jenson Wagner's office. Xander admitted that he thought that she was called Chloe"

I nearly said something but stopped myself as I tried to remember what I'd seen or heard in Jenson's office that would warrant someone to be looking for me. Most of the cases that I'd written up for Jenson and filed were low level issues. Some divorces, a few property acquisitions, wills and the occasional liable suits. Anything more important had been because of Gregory. Finding Charlie and then looking for Robert with the last case identifying the human trafficker.

"So, someone is looking for me because I worked for Jenson?"

"Babe. I know what you're thinking and you're wrong. You didn't do anything wrong, and don't even think that what's going on is your fault. This isn't about you but what you may have seen or heard"

I heard his words, but it didn't take away the guilt that I felt. It didn't seem to matter where I was or what I did trouble had a way of following me.

"Tank, what do we know about the man who broke in?"

"Nothing. Neighbors must have noticed him skulking around outside, so we didn't have long with him before the police showed up. No ID or phone on him but Ram lifted his prints so is processing those now"

"He wasn't your usual low life, dressed similarly to us which I suppose was why Xander let him in. Not armed but looked as though he could do someone some damage. He was wearing a mic and bud so was obviously in contact with someone else"

I frowned as Les added his comments assuming that meant that he was well muscled. If he wasn't armed, then what would he have done had I been at that safe house with Xander, grabbed me like what had happened in Chicago? Which meant that Ranger was right, for some reason someone thought that I knew something and wanted to talk to me.

"We canvassed the neighborhood and there was a car parked several streets over that disappeared. Only description was that it was large and dark"

I could understand if Ranger was feeling frustrated with the whole situation because I sure as hell was. Nothing that I'd come across when I was working with Jenson would warrant this happening to me.

"I spoke with Greg. He's going to go through all of Jenson's cases whilst Steph was working there. He also suggested that it might be better if Xander returns home though knowing Greg, I wouldn't put it past him to try and set a trap"

I knew that I had no say in what Xander did and that Greg was his boss. It wouldn't stop me from missing him though. At least he might be safer back with Greg than being here near me. No one had anything else to add and Ella coming into the apartment seemed to be the excuse for the men to leave. It certainly felt later than breakfast time having been up so early, and I was feeling hungry. Ella had taken on board my request for a change in what I ate so I was content to have the same as Ranger, bagels and cream cheese.

It was after we'd cleared everything away and I was debating what to do with myself for the day when Ranger answered his phone. Him looking at me while he listened had me worrying slightly.

"There are two police officers downstairs asking to speak with you"

"Me?"

I couldn't think of a single reason for the police to want to talk to me and I did wonder if one of the officers was Morelli.

"Not Joe?"

Please say that it isn't Joe because if it was then I would refuse to see him, I didn't care if he was here as a police officer or not.

"No, not Morelli. Let's go see what they want"

It seemed that Ranger wasn't giving me much choice because he soon had his arm around my waist leading me out of the apartment to the elevator. I don't know why but I felt so nervous as the elevator descended and by the time that we reached the open door to a room behind reception I was close to panicking. Was this some sort of trap, were they here to say that I was guilty of something? Probably stupid thoughts on my part and I made a real effort to try and appear confident as we walked in. I looked across the room to see two men dressed in suits sat at the table and was relieved that I didn't recognize them.

They both stood up at seeing me and the older man of the two held his arm and hand across the table.

"Miss Plum? My name is Stan Willoughby and I'm an officer from a police division working out of New York City. My partner here is John Darrow"

As I nodded my head acknowledging that I was Stephanie Plum I reached over and shook Officer Willoughby's hand before sitting down opposite them. I was aware that Ranger introduced himself but wasn't really listening to what he said to them. Instead, I was trying to figure what the two officers were doing here.

"Ma'am. We work with Internal Affairs and are investigating the circumstances surrounding a resident of Trenton. To do that we need to talk to you about an incident that occurred on March 24th, that you were witness to"

That date was ingrained into my memory because that was the date that grandma had died, the date when my world had fallen to pieces. I took a deep breath waiting for what the two officers would be asking me.

"To make this easier I'd like to record our conversation. Are you alright with that happening?"

I nodded my head and watched as Willoughby placed a recording device into the middle of the table. After switching it on he gave the time and date and who was present in the room before he looked directly at me.

"Miss Plum. I wanted to verify some details that were contained in your witness statement from the car fire that occurred on March 24th"

I was sure that I was frowning because I wasn't aware that I'd actually given a statement and certainly hadn't signed anything.

"What statement? I never gave a statement"

Okay, that had Darrow going through a file in front of him and pulling out a sheet of paper that he placed in the middle of the table.

"This statement Miss Plum"

I reached across the table and picked up the sheet of paper, turning it so that I could read what was written. My eyes immediately went to the bottom of the sheet and saw a scribble for where a signature should have been. As I started to read the contents, I immediately recognized what had been written.

"I didn't write this or sign it"

"Miss Plum this was provided by the detective in charge of the case"

I guessed that and could remember when Joe had presented me with that sheet and told me to sign it.

"Joe Morelli expected me to sign this, but I refused because it isn't true"

"The report stated that the statement was dictated by you, due your injuries, which was why the signature isn't very clear"

I took a deep breath as I realized exactly what Joe had done. That statement had said that I'd driven my grandma in my car and left her in it while I went to look for someone who could give me some information on the whereabouts of an FTA. Basically it verified the accusations that Joe had made against me. He'd argued that I was totally upset with what I'd done and couldn't remember and to stop making up a story to try and cover up my guilt.

"No. Joe Morelli would never listen to what I had to say and to be honest he said it was my fault regardless of what stupid story I tried to make up. No one would listen to me and I, I"

"Officer, Miss Plum was totally distraught with the whole incident and was in no condition to make herself heard"

I wiped the tears from my eyes, grateful for Ranger explaining my situation at the time because I really couldn't find the words to express how it felt as though I was in a living hell. The two officers exchanged looks before Willoughby sat back in his chair and looked at me.

"Then tell us now, if you can"

That was all that I had ever wanted to do, to tell people what had happened on that day.

"I hadn't slept well the night before so didn't make it to the bonds office till late morning. I only had one skip to bring in, but Lula could tell that something was upsetting me"

"What was that Miss Plum, what had you upset?"

I looked from my hands that were sat on the table to Willoughby opposite me. I wasn't sure why he was asking me that unless of course he felt it had something to do with work.

"I'd been to my parents for dinner, at my mother's insistence, and Joe Morelli had turned up. The whole conversation from them revolved around how bad I was at my job and that I needed to pack it in and settle down with Joe. I felt as though the whole evening had been focused on that, so I felt upset because everything that I said was turned on me"

"Was detective Morelli your boyfriend?"

That was more than just a question, it was as though it was totally new to him, but I wasn't going to let his question sidetrack me.

"No, he wasn't. We had been together on and off for some time, but I'd told him that we were finished, that we weren't good for each, but he just wouldn't listen"

How dare those two officers come here and start to question me about a relationship that had never had a chance of working, when they'd never spoken to me about it. Then again that was the story of my life, never being taken seriously.

"We went in Lula's car because she prefers it to my usual car wrecks. So I left my car parked on the opposite side of the street to the office. She took me to the Tasty Pastry first and bought a box of doughnuts before heading to the park. We sat and talked, well she talked the most, about the last few weeks and how everything had gone well bringing in skips. Okay, a couple gave us some trouble, but I got them back to the station. I felt better about myself after that, so we went to collect that last skip. I think Lula had paved the way because Delia was super cooperative. After leaving the station we went back to the office for me to pick up my car. Lula dropped me off and continued driving and I opened the passenger door and had just put my bag on the seat when I heard Connie shouting of me.

I crossed the road and followed her into the office where she handed me a new file. She mentioned that my grandma had been looking for me, so I decided to give her a call when I got back to my car. I left to cross the road, but my car wasn't there and like an idiot I was just stood where I thought I'd parked it. Lula had turned round and was driving past so she stopped and asked me what was wrong. She hadn't seen my car pass her, so I jumped into hers and she started to drive down Hamilton. Lula put out a message through her Whatsapp group to be on the lookout for it"

"Group?"

I'd never really explained to anyone who was in that group or why Lula was friends with them, probably because very few people had any respect for those women who worked the streets. Okay, some of them were absolute bitches and I hated it when I had to find one of them and take them into the station but usually, I got on with them okay.

"They're women who, err, tend to work the streets. They're a good source of information and to be honest they're a loyal group of women"

I watched as Darrow raised his eyebrows at me as though disbelieving me but Willoughby, well he had a slight smile on his face.

"Anyway, messages started to come through that had us heading down near the docks, so we drove around looking for my car. I nearly missed it because it was parked in an open area where some wrecked cars were. Lula stopped the car and after making sure there was no one around I got out and started to walk toward it"

"So you didn't see anyone?"

"No. It was the flames that caught my attention. I noticed flames in the back of the car and it was as I got closer when I recognized that there was someone inside. I ran to the car knowing how quick the fire could spread to try and get that person out. That was when, I could see through the window, it, I, I couldn't believe who was inside"

"You recognized the woman inside, Edna Mazuur?"

I nodded my head unable to speak because even thinking about it brought back all the memories from that day. I tried to say something, to say how I'd had to go around to the other door before getting inside and pulling on grandma to get her out. Nothing came out except for the sobs. I felt Ranger rubbing his hands down my arms until eventually he just pulled me to him and held me. I don't know how long it took for me to calm down. I hadn't realized just how much telling that story would affect me.

"I'm sorry"

Yeah, sorry for being a sniveling wreck.

"You have every right to be upset. Are you okay for me to ask you a few questions?"

I nodded my head because I had nothing to hide, in fact, I wanted all of this to be known by someone official.

"What happened when the fire department arrived?"

"Someone pulled me from the car just before it exploded and then there were so many cars and people there. Medics, police and I think Rangemen"

"Were you taken to the hospital?"

Again the shaking of my head as I remembered how Joe had grabbed me away from the paramedic and pushed me into his car.

"No, a paramedic was trying to treat my burns, but Joe made me get in his car. He said, well he shouted at me all the way to my parent's house, how I'd really gone and done it now. That because of me and my job someone was dead"

To be honest everything had seemed surreal, as though I was in a nightmare, and no one came close to me. Well, especially with Joe screaming at me.

"Did you know whose file you'd picked up?"

"No, not at the time. It was Joe who told me a few days later that my new skip was the one who had gone for me, setting fire to my car and killing grandma. The file was in Lula's car, and I never even opened it"

If I remember right, then it was the day before grandma's funeral that Joe had told me about Crocker and was once again screaming at me that everything was my fault because I wouldn't pack in my job and settle down. That everyone hated me for what I'd done, and nobody would want anything to do me because I was a liability.

"If someone stole your car, where were the keys"

A logical question and the one thing that I had been stupid about.

"The keys were in my bag, I'd put them there after opening the car. It was one of those push starts. I never thought, I just crossed the street to see Connie"

Why had I not kept my bag with me? The keys wouldn't have been inside the car and grandma wouldn't have been able to even start it. I would have had my phone with me and been able to talk to her when she'd called.

"Miss Plum is there any reason the woman, Edna Mazuur, would take your car?"

I looked at Willoughby and shook my head, wasn't that something that I was trying to work out?

"My grandma, well she could be a bit impulsive and maybe she had a stupid notion that it would be alright"

I waited for the next question for so long that I looked up to see what the problem was. Willoughby and Darrow were both reading through papers from the file, and it worried me what else they might think that they knew.

"Are you saying that Edna Mazuur was your grandmother?"

I whispered a yes, well I think that I did but all of the time I couldn't understand how they didn't know that. Surely Joe would have put into the report my relationship with the person who had died in that fire.

"Officer, am I correct in assuming that you had no idea that Edna Mazuur was Steph's grandmother or that Detective Morelli knew the Plum family intimately?"

I wasn't sure why Ranger was asking that question. I mean anyone in Trenton could have told these officers that piece of information. It became very obvious though that Ranger wasn't going to get an answer to that. Willoughby was quick to continue his questions at me.

"Miss Plum. I heard that you left town, why was that?"

I closed my eyes and lowered my head because that time had been so bad for me. At the time I couldn't breathe from the guilt of what I was being told.

"After my grandma's funeral, I felt so guilty for what had happened. I couldn't breathe and felt so alone. I had to leave"

I couldn't say anymore to those two men. I couldn't open up how totally defeated I'd felt and that actually leaving Trenton was the last thing on my mind. I'd wanted everything to end but fate had way of derailing me. My head was in my hands having such a feeling of despondency come over me. I wasn't even aware that the two officers had left the room until Ranger pulled me across to sit on him.

"It's over now Babe. They've gone and hopefully with a lot of questions that they need answers to. I know that was difficult for you to do but you faced them, and they know your story now. Look at me Babe"

I didn't feel that I could do that, but I felt his hand on my cheek and as he tilted my face up so that I had to look at him. His eyes were intense as he looked back at me.

"You've been so brave Babe. Your grandma would have been so proud of you"

The full impact of him saying that hit me so hard. My grandma had always been a rock for me even after she came to live with my parents. Her words came back to me that I'd heard on that voicemail, and I understood what Ranger was saying to me. She lived life to the full, saying that you only died once so to make sure that you spent every single day that you were alive living it to the full. She would hate it if she could see how I'd been living, wishing my life away. I had to do her proud just as Ranger had implied.

"How about we visit the cemetery?"

Yeah, it was the right time for me to say what I needed to say to her, words that I hadn't been able to say at her funeral.

"I'd like that"