Joseph Morelli is my ex-fiancé.  He's also a cop.  I've known him my whole life.  We broke up because he doesn't want me to be a bounty hunter.  He says I'm a walking disaster.  I'm not.  I'm just having a run of bad luck.  I can't help it if people break into my apartment, or every car I own is destroyed or I find dead people.  None of this is my fault.

Morelli forced a smile out.  "What are you doing here?  And with him?"

"I'm shooting the piece of cardboard."  Couldn't he see that?  "Ranger's here to make sure I don't shoot myself in the foot."

"You looked quite cosy."

He was jealous.  As flattering as it is to have two guys fighting over you, Ranger and Morelli were the two worst guys to be fighting.

I stepped around Ranger and grabbed Morelli by his tie.  If I were thinking straight, I would have asked him about the tie.  But, of course, I didn't.  We reached a secluded corner.  I didn't let go of his tie until Morelli looked at my hand, then slowly up to my eyes.

"What is your problem?"

"My problem?  You looked as though you were about to do the nasty in the middle of a shooting gallery with a guy whose address is a vacant lot."

"Get real."  Amazingly enough, the thought hadn't entered my mind.  I think I was trying to keep all thoughts of sex out of my head. 

"I know you don't care what I think, but the guy's trouble, Steph.  He'll lead you into a situation, and leave you there."

I could feel my anger rising.  I just wanted to slap his face, but I managed to control myself.  I gave him one of my mother's classic hoity-toity looks.  "Thanks for the advice."

I dragged myself up the stairs to my apartment.  I live in a little one bedder with my hamster, Rex.  It was after six-thirty.  I wouldn't be able to get Grandma to the viewing by seven.  I was pretty sure I could get her there by half-past, if I tried really hard.  I hoped I had enough time for a shower.

I slipped the key in the lock and the door swung open.  Rex was running on his wheel.  The light on my answering machine was going berserk. 

I dropped my bag on the table and flicked on the lights. 

"What are you doing here?"

Morelli took a sip of beer.  "I came to talk to you."

"We talked today."

"You know that isn't what I meant."

"Fine then," I said in a huff.  Morelli looked as though he was waiting for me to sit down before he started, but that wasn't going to happen.  I needed to maintain some control over the situation.  I leant against the kitchen bench and raised an eyebrow at him, which said begin.

He stared down at the beer in his hand.  Words seemed to be failing bad boy Morelli.

"I miss you, Steph," he finally said.  "I cannot stand this.  I hate treating you like an acquaintance.  God, I love you!"

I was not expecting that.  He wasn't going to say anything else.  I wasn't planning on saying anything, either.  How do you respond to something like that?

"Are you going to say anything?"

"I would like to talk." Not.  "But, I have to go."

"You're not meeting Ranger are you?"

"No, I'm going to pick up Grandma.  I'm taking her to a viewing."

Morelli paused for a long moment.  "You're not dating Ranger, are you?"  He crossed the room and grabbed my by my shoulders.

"No.  It's a purely professional relationship."  Except for the time I slept with him.  And that kiss in the gym.  "I'm a bounty hunter, he's a bounty hunter.  We're both bounty hunters together."

"It's too dangerous."

"What's too dangerous?" I asked, pushing against his chest.  "Working, or working with Ranger?"

"He's a bad influence."

"You just don't like him!"

"The man gives you cars.  And for what?  Sex?"

"Don't be ridiculous."  I couldn't quite meet his eye.  I think he noticed it.

"The bastard trades you cars for sex?  I swear if I see the two of you together ever again, I am going to-"

"Get out!" I yelled, pointing at the door.  "Get out, now!"

I sank down onto my couch.  I was exhausted.  A day doing nothing really takes it out of you.  I was about to reach for Morelli's bottle of beer when I noticed that he had taken it with him.  The bastard took my beer!

I was being shaken.  I was very comfortable and someone was rude enough to shake me awake.  I opened my eyes, and saw Ranger staring down at me.

"What?" I asked.  I couldn't decide if my voice was slurry.

"You're drunk.  What happened last night?"

"I drank some beer." 

"Why?"

"Morelli."

"Have a shower.  I'll be back soon," he said as he fished the keys of him BM out of his pocket.

"No.  I have to pick up a failure to appeal."

The corners of Ranger's lips turned up in a Ranger-smile.  Then he started to laugh.  I frowned at him. 

"Have a shower, Babe." 

Then he was gone.

I was back at the bloody gym.  Ranger knew how much I hated the place.  I think, no, I know he enjoyed seeing me suffer.

As per usual, he made me lift ridiculously heavy weights.  I had done biceps and triceps and was now onto lat pull-downs.

I was tired.  My arms were sore.

"Come on, Babe.  Control it."

I dropped my head to my chest and sighed.  I squeaked when I felt Ranger slide on the bench behind me to help with the weights.  He was close enough that I could feel him, but far enough away, that he wouldn't be in the way of the weights. 

Once I had completed the four reps, he slid away from me.  According to Ranger, this created 'definition'.  Quite frankly, I couldn't care if I had definition or not.  I couldn't care if I could only lift ten pounds.

"Self defence now, Babe."

"Ranger," I whined as I sank down onto the bench.  "I'm sore.  I can't move and now you want me to fight you?"

"This is what you wanted."

"Not like this.  And definitely not this badly!  I've forgotten what it's like to be able to feel my arms."

I think I was pissing him off, but I really didn't care.

"What about improving?  Jeanne Ellen has something to do with this, doesn't she?"  He paused.  "So you're just giving up?" he asked in his morale boosting voice.

I paused for a moment.  "Yes." 

Then I was gone.

A few days later, Lula and I decided to scope out Taylor's house again.  We wandered up the drive and knocked on the front door.  No answer.  We went around the back, checking the windows.  Everything seemed fine.  The back door was locked. 

"Don't have your lock pick, do you?" I asked Lula.

"Nuh."

A great wind blew.  You get that this time of year in Trenton.  Lula looked as though she was about to fall.  Somehow, she managed to slam her bag through the window.

"Damn wind.  Almost blew me off my feet."

I sighed as I snapped on a pair of gloves. 

"His house seems fine," I said as I did a quick glance around. 

Taylor lived in a little two-story house.  Kitchen and living room downstairs.  Two bedrooms and the bathroom would be up stairs. 

"I'm going upstairs.  Keep a look out."

"Can do, buckaroo," she sang.

The place was fine, minus the bad smell.  I opened the first bedroom door.  A study.  I'd have to go through his computer files.  I opened the next bedroom door and I almost screamed.  Nigel was lying on the bed in a pool of blood.  I think it was Nigel.  Hard to say since his head was missing.

I'm used to finding dead people.  Some people find gold, I find dead people. 

I ran downstairs to Lula.  "Call the police!  Taylor's dead."

Lula waited the ten minutes it took for the police to arrive.  Then she was gone.  Lula doesn't like the police.  Can't really blame her. 

"Want to tell me what happened?" Tom Bell asked. 

Tom was primary on a case not too long ago.  He had obviously got this one too, lucky man.

We were standing out the front of the house.  I told Tom everything – except for the part about Lula breaking in.  I kept my head down.  Avoiding eye contact is the way to go.

I heard the sound of a door slamming shut and glanced up.  Morelli was standing at the tape signing in.  He must have sensed me, because he looked up.  Our eyes held.  There was an odd look in his eyes.  One I couldn't recognise.  The only word I could use to describe it was wistful.  Maybe he wanted me back as badly as I wanted him.  Maybe he wanted me back more than he wanted me in his bed.

"Found another body?" Morelli asked me.

"Yeah.  He was one of my skips."

He looked down at me.  He had his cop face on.  That expression I saw was long gone.

"Did Bell finish questioning you?"

"Yes.  Did you want to ask something?"

"Where's your car?"

"I left it at the office.  I came here in Lula's.  She took off as soon as the police arrived."

"I think you're good to go, I'll just check with Tom."

He was gone before I could say anything.  A few minutes later, he returned.

"I'll drop you off at the office later.  I have to stay."

"Don't worry.  I'll get a cab."

I was about to leave, when he grabbed my wrist.  "Have you thought about what I said the other night?"

How could I forget the 'I love you, I want you back' speech?  I shook my head.

"I meant every word I said."  He had that look in his eyes.  It was that look when he wanted to kiss me, or have sex.

"I know," I said.  Then I was gone.  About time I got to walk out on him!

I arrived back at the office and threw myself down onto the couch.

"So, did Morelli show up?" Connie asked. 

I just stared at her.

The door to Vinnie's office swung open and Ranger stepped out.

"Yo," he said when he saw me.  "Heard you found your FTA all by yourself.  Soon you won't be needing me."

He was still pissed at me.

I smiled sweetly at him.  "Who knows, maybe I'll be running my own business."

He nodded once.  "You busy tonight?"

I heard Connie gasp, then the flip-flop of a notepad being used as a fan.

I shook my head.

"Good, I'll see you at Pino's at seven."  Then he was gone.