Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own this world I'm playing with. It's Janet's. But I promise to put everything back where I found it. Even Ranger.

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Chapter 10

We had barely reached the office when I noticed the small drop of blood trailing down Haley's arm. Damn.

She looked down to see what I was scowling at and went a shade paler. "Does this mean you have to do the bandage thing again?" she whimpered.

"Yeah. Maybe we should get you back and see about stitches instead."

"No! Just let me bleed to death. No stitches."

I rolled my eyes. "Don't be such a big baby."

"I'm not being a baby! I just hate needles."

"Come on inside. Connie should have some first aid stuff."

I angled out of the Cougar and headed in, Haley shuffling behind me like a beaten puppy. Connie and Lula on the other hand did their impression of bloodhounds as we walked through the door. I could almost see their ears perk up.

"Hey white girls!" Lula exclaimed. "How about a donut?" She waved a couple glazed, gooey treats as enticement.

"White cream?" Haley asked.

"O' course. And a Boston Crème for Dr. Evil."

"No donut until we redo your arm," I glared at Haley. "I don't want you throwing up on me."

Haley's blue eyes widened a little, taking on a teary look. She looked adorable and pitiful. I should never have taught her the Bambi eyes. Hell, I knew it was a ploy and I was still fighting the urge to give in.

"She needs a shot of courage," Connie chimed in.

"No," I repeated. "Bandage first." I pushed her down onto the couch. "Connie, you got that first aid kit? I need to get her arm fixed."

Connie reached into her desk and produced the kit in question. I began the task of pulling up the bandages. Actually it wasn't that bad, she'd just pulled one of the butterfly thingies loose that was holding everything together. I pushed it back down, ignoring the squishy feeling in my stomach at the sight of the blood and scabbing. I'd seen worse, and sadly enough the worse I'd seen was usually on me.

It didn't take long to retape the bandages and add some fresh gauze, but I still thought we ought to have a real doctor check it out.

"You're done," I announced. "We are going to the doctor later, though."

"Hmm," Haley ignored the comment and headed for the donuts. "Thanks, cous."

"So, what went on last night? We heard you were at the hospital. Word is you got shot by the Slayers," Lula told me.

"Nope," Haley snatched the crème-filled donut and scampered over to sit on Lula's desk. "There was drive-by at Underground when I was getting off work. I got nicked with a ricochet or something before Tank decided to play body shield."

She had Lula's attention. "Tank? That fine lookin' hunk that works with Ranger?"

"The one and only. He and Bobby took me to the hospital."

"Geez," Connie rolled her eyes. "You two have all the luck, I swear. Steph here gets the two finest asses in Trenton chasing her, and now you're here like two days and you got full-body exposure to one of the nicest hunks of male I know."

Lula was eyeing us both critically. "Must be some genetic hormone type thing."

"It's a gift." Haley flipped her hair and winked. I snorted.

"Funny, I thought it was more of a curse. Not like we can claim we've got anybody stellar running around."

"Ranger," Haley pointed out. "And Joe used to be. His case of total bastard-itis is kind of a recent development. A pity that."

"Speaking of Joe…" Connie's eyes had narrowed. "What was that about Macy's parking lot?"

"Yeah!" Lula stalked toward me, a High Inquisitor in shocking pink spandex. "Seems you punched out Morelli and then were seen having lunch with Ranger?"

"Hey!" Haley yelped indignantly. "I punched him!"

Lula's eyes widened and she looked Haley up and down in disbelief. "You got to be kiddin' me."

"Well, it was kind of a sucker punch, but he deserved it."

"How'd you get a punch off on someone like him? He's a tough guy." Connie was giving Haley an appraising look. I could see why- Haley looked like a piece of fluff. Curly brown hair, big blue eyes, barely 5'2 and disgustingly perfect figure. I really don't get everyone's twins observations.

Haley's grin was almost evil. "I distracted him."

Now she had even my attention.

"What did you do?" I demanded.

"I suggested we go back to his place and talk about it in private. If he was off duty. He said he was and it was fine. He was probably already planning what to talk about in which position when I nailed him."

Typical he'd think I'd just cave like that. Then again, I usually did lately. Mainly I'd felt guilty about the Slayer stuff… Ugh. I wasn't in the mood to think about this.

"Hey, Connie, you said you had a new file?" I asked hopefully wanting to redirect the line of conversation. I handed her my body receipt for Mooner.

"Right here," Connie pointed to the corner of her desk and started writing my check.

"Quit gossiping! I don't pay you to talk about Ranger's employees!" Vinnie bellowed through the door.

Connie scowled and started rifling through her desk. "God damn it. He put another bug in here…"

Lula started sifting through the mess on top of her own area. Haley joined in the effort. I took the lull to look through my new file.

Agnes Chandler, age 74. Guh, I hate getting old people. It never goes well. I scanned down the rest of it. No priors, arrested for braining a couple police officers with her purse when they pulled her over for imprudent driving. And she lived outside the city limits, more into the suburbs.

"Haley, you up for a scenic tour?" I asked.

"Sure," She licked some frosting off her hand. "Just hope you don't mind if I pass out in the car."

"No problem. Let's head out."

"You need any more help?" Lula asked. Connie shot her a dirty look.

"You have work to do." She gestured a freshly painted nail to the large pile of folders sitting by the filing cabinets.

Normally I'd have bailed Lula out, but the look on Connie's face wasn't one I wanted to argue with. I liked my kneecaps exactly the way they were.

"Yeah, but that's an old lady. You have to watch the old ones on account of they're wily. It takes extra help to nab an old one."

She did have a point. I looked at Haley, who was yawning. Yeah, just the kind of alert back-up I'd need. Then again, it was a little old lady arrested for hitting someone with her purse…

And deChooch was just a little old guy in need of Viagra. Uncle Mo was just a sweet candy shop owner.

"I might need help if Haley passes out," I said thoughtfully, keeping my eyes on Connie.

"Hey, I can do babysitter! I can sit yo' ass off!"

"I don't need baby-sat!" Haley was scowling. So was Connie.

"I need these files done."

"We'll keep this visit short, Connie," I crossed my heart and did the Boyscout motion. "An hour, tops."

She sighed but finally nodded.

"I found it!" Haley yelled, holding up a small bit of electronics she'd pulled from the underside of Lula's desk. Connie took it from her, placed it on the floor, and stomped on it with a satisfying crunch.

"Dead bug!" Haley laughed.

"Dead ferret, if he ain't careful," Lula muttered, glaring at Vinnie's door darkly.

"We have an hour, girls. Better get headed out," I announced.

It took a little debate but we ended up taking Lula's red Firebird, mainly because none of us were sure she'd fit in the Cougar. Haley got the back seat again, or what passed for a backseat rather, because she was the littlest. Hah, it doesn't always pay to be skinny.

She didn't mind though, having lasted all of 3.5 minutes before passing out into a pain-free coma. We had just hit the city limits, Usher's voice blaring around us, the bass rattling our teeth, when somewhere up there God tipped over his heavenly bucket o' rain and released a full out douwnpour.

"Shit!" Lula cursed, kicking the wipers into high gear. "I hate driving the this crap."

"We could go back," I said uncertainly, clutching the 'oh shit' handle.

"Nah. We already half there. Another twenty minutes…"

"So, I heard you got a new boyfriend?" I suggested for a change of topic.

Lula laughed and waved a hand in the air. "We just friends right now. But he is damn good in the sack…"

Several minutes passed as she caught me up to date on her love life. I'd almost managed to forget the urge to panic that driving in blinding rain usually causes.

Then the other car flew out of some hidden side road from hell. A huge Oldsmobile mammouth the size of Big Blue and probably just as sturdy. I caught sight of the hood ornament a split second before it slammed into the rear passenger side. I don't even know if I screamed. I think someone did, but it could have been the shriek of twisting metal and tires. Glass shattered, a flash of pain, and everything went dark.