Ch. 7
Joe was pacing the squad room, going over the phone log in his hand. One phone call. One lousy damn phone call, and it hadn't lasted long enough to trace. There were also the original letters sent to the station, all from various locations. Nothing that would help him get a fix on Leslie's location. And for the last three weeks, Leslie had laid low, neither calling again nor sending any more letters. Joe figured Leslie was upping the stakes, trying to make him desperate, more likely to screw up. Well, Joe was desperate. Desperate to have Steph back, desperate to make love to her again, to share a meal and walk Bob with her. But he wouldn't screw up. IF that's what Leslie thought, he was badly underestimating him. Joe clenched his fists then released them in a bid to ease the tension in his body. Obviously it didn't work very well because when the phone rang, he jumped like a goddamn rabbit.
Running low on patience, Joe snatched the phone up. "This is Morelli."
"Are you a gambling man, Mr. Morelli?" Joe straightened up and motioned for an officer to once again turn on the tracing device.
"Not particularly, no," Joe answered icily.
"I am. I love a good gamble. Weighing the odds, figuring out who is going to come out on top."
"I'm running out of patience old man," Joe snarled, his voice low with controlled fury. "Why don't you tell me what it is you want."
"I want to take something of value to you, the same way you took my son from me."
"So you've said. You understand your son was a filthy drug-pusher and arms dealer. But hey, if it'll get you off my back, you can have my truck. I really love that truck. That seems like an even trade for your scumbag son."
"Don't be flip with me, Mr. Morelli. Listen to me, and listen to me good. Your wife is a very fetching woman. She is what I want. No doubt, she is quite valuable to you. But, I'm willing to gamble for her. You want me, but you'll never find me. And, I know for a fact you have your wife well hidden. That's making it difficult for me to get her. You haven't been to see her, and she hasn't been to see you. That's no way for a newly married couple to live. You must be getting frustrated by now, a young, healthy man like yourself with certain needs. I'll come out of my hiding place, if you get your wife out of hers. We'll arrange a meeting. If you can capture me I'm yours, and you can go back to living that blissful newlywed life you were enjoying, while my son rots in prison. But, if I best you, then your wife is mine and I can guarantee that you will never see her again. It's as simple as that. Are you willing to take that gamble? How much confidence do you have in yourself as a cop and a protector?
Leslie was taunting Joe, preying on his self-image as a cop and husband. "Listen bastard," Joe said, his words dripping with venom, "you will never get your hands on my wife. You show your face and I will take you down, make no mistake about that."
"I wouldn't be so sure about that. You'd be wise not to underestimate my power. I can hear the love you feel for your wife. That's how I feel about my son. No doubt you'd hate to lose her, so think about whether or not you really would be able to beat me. Being the fair man that I am, I will give you a chance to think about it. It's about time to end this call anyway. I'll be in touch in a day."
At the sound of the click on the other end of the phone, Morelli glanced over to the cop sitting at the next desk. The officer shook his head, indicating Leslie had hung up before the call was traced.
"Dammit!" Joe yelled, jamming his fingers through his hair. Joe was strung out. He wasn't eating or sleeping. He missed Steph, more than he thought possible. His frustration at not being able to do anything was so palpable there were days he thought he'd choke on it. He wanted this over with now. Still, he couldn't believe Leslie would propose something so stupid as to bring Steph to meet him. He would never risk her that way. There had to be another way and he'd find it. In the meantime, now that he knew for sure what Leslie planned, he needed to contact Ranger.
"Looks like it's time to bring Ranger to the station," Joe mumbled to nobody in particular.