Chapter 15 (Erdi99)

Steph's POV

Jackson Townes straightened in his seat. "We will need a minute." He said to the detectives, before motioning for Ranger and me to follow him. Once outside, he turned towards Ranger "Good thing you called me in." Then turned towards me. "This is how this is going to go: When we get back in there, let me do the talking. You don't answer any questions unless I tell you to. Ranger gave me the cliff notes. Anything else I should be aware of?"

"No, I don't think so."

"Okay Good. I think they are fishing, so let's not give them any reason to dig anymore. Let's get back in there."

We all take the same seats again and wait for Farnum to continue. "As I was saying, Miss Plum, you are a suspect in Detective Morelli's murder as well as the murder of Amanda Young."

I freeze. Amanda? Murdered? I just saw her two days ago. "Amanda?" I ask in barely a whisper, and when the detective nods, I push away from the table and put my head between my knees. Something I have seen doctors on TV do when patients are having a panic attack. "Oh God, oh God, oh God..." I think I am going to be sick.

"Shhhh, Babe." Ranger's soothing words accompany his hands rubbing up and down my back. I can faintly hear Jackson talk as well, but I cannot hear the words. There is a rushing in my ears that doesn't seem to be going away. "It's going to be okay. We will get to the bottom of this," Ranger whispers into my ear. It is weird how I can hear him but nothing else in the room.

Another person died because of me. Guilt washes over me in waves when that thought crosses my mind. I can barely breathe. My foolish pride and concern over what the busybodies of the Burg would say. I always say I am not like my mother, yet here I am worrying about what they would say if I involved the police over a stalker. Had I only gotten the police involved sooner or called Ranger.

Joe may not be missed, but Amanda most certainly will be. Amanda was great. She was a little younger than me, with a great family who loved her. She had many friends, and they were planning to go to Europe next summer. And now she is dead, because of me.

Obviously sensing where my head is going, Ranger whispers, "It is not your fault."

Through the rushing in my ear, I hear, "Stephanie, we would like you to answer some questions." I just nod in acknowledgment and then take a couple more minutes to get myself together. My father always said I had an excellent poker face when it came down to it, so that is what I put on when I sit up while gripping Ranger's hand beneath the table like my life depends on it.

Chancing a glance at my godfather, Joe, it clearly shows on his face that he is not happy with how Farnum is handling this.

"Miss Plum, we have witnesses who stated that they saw you and Detective Morelli having a heated argument outside your parents' place. What was that about?"

I look at Townes, who just nods. "He and my mother decided that Joe and I should get married. I did not want that."

"Where were you when Detective Morelli was murdered?"

Once again, I look at my lawyer, who nods in return. "Here at RangeMan."

"Any witness who can corroborate this?"

"Farnum, you have been in this building multiple times. You know as well as I do, there are cameras all over the place to prove she was in this building all night." Ranger growls.

"Manoso, if you cannot stay out of this, we will have to ask you to leave." That was the first time the other detective, Jasper, said anything. But by the look on his face, he likes Ranger as much as Farnum does. "Besides," he adds with a snarl, "We both know that you can fake video evidence."

"We will provide you with the necessary evidence to show that Miss Plum did not leave the building," Townes interjects before Ranger can say anything else.

Farnum scribbles something into his notepad, before looking back up at me. "Where were you three nights ago?"

"Here," I answer, after checking with Townes.

"I know where you are going with this detective, and I am telling you that it is not going to work. You are barking up the wrong tree. Miss Plum was in this very building when both murders were committed, and as I said, we will provide the evidence to corroborate this." Then Townes looks at Joe. "Captain, I think you need a better leash on your detectives since they are only here because Miss Plum is staying with Mr. Manoso, and you and I are both aware of the animosity between the three of them. With that said, this interview is done. Reach out to me directly, if you have any more questions."

The three of us don't say anything until we get to Ranger's office and the door is closed. "They are on a fucking witch hunt, and it has nothing to do with Stephanie's stalker."

"I agree." Townes nods and takes a seat in one of the chairs in front of Ranger's desk.

"What are you talking about? What history do you and the detective have?"

"Farnum and I go way back to our Army days. In between missions, I would help in Ranger School. I was an instructor and Farnum a new recruit. He didn't have what it took to become a Ranger, so I canned him. He is holding it against me still." Ranger shrugs and walks around his desk. "We have since clashed on multiple occasions while working together on cases, and last year he got a search warrant and raided RangeMan."

"He raided RangeMan?"

Townes chuckles. "Yes, but afterward I got to rake him over the coals for obtaining the search warrants with falsified evidence. He was a Detective Sergeant First Class, got demoted to Detective Sergeant, and served a three-month suspension."

With a sigh, I come to sit in the chair next to my lawyer. Then it hit me. Something we did not address before we walked into that room. "I uh, I cannot pay you." Looking at his suit, shoes, and watch, he probably makes about two hundred dollars an hour, if not more.

"Don't worry, Babe, it is taken care of."

My eyes grow as big as saucers. "What? No, I cannot have you pay for this!"

"You need an attorney, and you need a good one. Jackson is that."

"Ranger…" I sigh. I will bring this up later when we are alone upstairs. I cannot have him pay for this. Staying here isn't cheap. That is why I help Ella, but I still have to figure out a way to pay for my bodyguards and now apparently my attorney too. Maybe it is time to take out a loan.

"No argument, it is done."

Before I can say anything else, there is a knock on the door, and after Ranger calls out for the person to enter. Manny walks in. "The transcript, Boss."

"Thanks." Ranger nods and immediately hands it to me.

Morelli: What do you want?

Unknown: You cannot have her.

Morelli: Who?

Unknown: You cannot hurt her any longer.

Morelli: WHO?

Unknown: She doesn't want you. She said so. You treated her like a whore, taking her virginity at Tasty Pastry.

Morelli: You mean Stephanie?

Unknown: You don't deserve her. She is mine. She loves me.

Morelli: Buddy, I got bad news for you!

Unknown: I have some bad news for you too. Your engagement is over.

I read it two more times before I handed it over to Jackson. "This guy knows about Morelli taking my virginity at Tasty Pastry."

"You said Morelli wrote about it in the bathroom stalls."

"But no one believed him, and I never told anyone, apart from my sister and my parents, that what Morelli was sprouting around town was the truth."

"So, your sister or your parents must have told someone," Ranger concludes.

"My mother wouldn't. She called me some choice words after I confessed to her what Morelli and I did, and she would not have told a soul, because 'What would the neighbors think?'" I say that last part in imitation of my mother. "My sister may have, but I have too much shit on her that our parents don't know about, so she wouldn't."

"And your father?" Townes asked.

"The only person he would have told is Joe, especially after I ran Morelli over with Big Blue." Ranger's eyes meet Townes, and they seem to have a silent conversation. "Oh, come on, you don't think it is Joe Juniak? He is my godfather, for crying out loud. And Ewww, while he may not be related to me by blood, this would be…. I don't even want to think about that."

"Anything is possible, Babe. You said upstairs that it is someone who may have your number and with whom you spend time together. Your godfather would certainly fit the profile."

Shit.