Disclaimer : The story and the characters are the property of Janet Evanovich. I do not make any profits from this.

I tried to ignore Lula's ogling eyes as I entered the office. I wonder if that women didn't realized her obvious state or if she just didn't care that it showed. I wasn't really sure I wanted to know either. Connie wasn't as bad, she used to be but I've worked for Vinnie a couple of years now and I guess she have gotten used to me stopping by every now and then.

I asked Connie for some new files and she turned around quickly and started fumbling for them. She was nervous. I sighed. I don't know what's with women these days, as soon as they see muscles they can't remember their own names. I used to like having that effect on women but I've grown tired of it over the years. Now I see my body as my most important instrument, I need it to be in shape to survive in my line of business. To be honest, I only like having that effect on one woman these days...

The next second I heard the door open behind me. I turned around and saw Steph step inside looking around at us. She locked eyes with me and I felt a jolt of something I couldn't identify go through my stomach. Every time I saw her I was surprised at my own reaction, why does she affect me so?

'I had a friend working the emergency room last night, and she told me you came in with a little guy who was all busted up' Lula told her. I could see how Steph was about to roll her eyes but stopped herself.

'Kloughn. And he wasn't all busted up. He just had a broken nose. Don't ask.' She explained.

I almost couldn't stop myself from laughing. Albert Kloughn, how does she do it? How does she manage to run into every freak this town has to offer? It's unbelievable. At least this one's not dangerous, always a good thing.

Vinnie stuck out his weasel head from his office.

'Who's this clown?' he asked.

'Albert Kloughn, he's an attorney.' More like trying to be one. I could see Steph looking at me surprised. Just when she was about to ask me how the hell I knew who he was, she stopped herself, she knew better than to ask... I have my ways.

'Let me guess,' Vinnie's voice said. 'You need another pair of cuffs.' He looked directly at Steph and I made a mental note to find out exactly why she would be out off cuffs.

'Wrong. I need an address. I need to talk to Dotty Palowski.'

Connie fed the name to the search system and after a while the information started coming. 'She's Dotty Rheinhold now. And she's living in South River.' Connie printed the page and handed it to Steph. 'She's divorced with two kids, and works for the Turnpike Authority in East Brunswick.' Not that the information was bad, but with my search resource at RangeMan we'd know what salary she had, what the last item she bought at Wall mart was or if she behaved as a child. Vinnie didn't care to update his systems very often.

Steph grabbed the file and turned towards the door. 'Gotta run. Things to do.' she said hastily and exited. I had a strong feeling she really just was avoiding questions. I followed her outside; she was still standing under the overhead awning not to excited about going out in the drizzling rain.

'It might be good to keep more than one bullet in your gun, babe' I told her.

'You heard about the snakes?' she asked me.

'I ran into Costanza. He was looking at life trough the bottom of a beer glass.' To express it mildly. He had bought one to many beers at Shorty's last night and was drunk as shit. He told me the story of how Steph had found a bag of snakes outside her door and freaked out. She shot on of them and ran out of bullets so instead she crawled up on the kitchen counter as the snakes spread in the building.

He also, with a slurring voice, explained how she has the 'whole fucking town wrapped round her little finger without even knowing it', as soon as they get a call regarding her they all stop breathing, praying that she was still alive. 'Everybody cares about her, she just has that effect of people' he told me before downing another beer. No shit Sherlock, don't I know it.

'I'm not having much luck finding Annie Soder.' She changed the subject.

'You're not the only one.'

'Jeanne Ellen can't find her, either?' she asked and I could swear I heard a bitterness her voice when she mentioned Jeanne Ellen. Guess I couldn't blame her, every woman who ever met Jeanne Ellen got a cloud of bitterness over their heads.

'Not yet.'

Our eyes held for a moment before she spoke again. 'Which team are you on?'

I looked at her beautiful features and smiled on the inside. I've heard people call Jeanne Ellen 'Rangerette' behind our backs and how some people think we secretly lived together and run Trenton's underworld together. Steph was jealous. And it only made me want to kiss her more. Before I could stop myself I reached out and tucked a stray curl behind her ear. I didn't want to remove my fingers just yet so instead my fingertips brushed her temple and I carefully ran my thumb at the line of her beautiful jaw.

'I have my own team.'

'Tell me about Jeanne Ellen'

I felt myself smile. 'That information would have a price.'

'And the price would be what?' she asked.

Oh the prices I could imagine. My smile widened. 'Try not to get too wet today.' I said and left her. I had to leave before I did something irrational... like kiss her.

I had been sitting on stakeout with Tank and Lester for three hours without so much as a cat passing by. My ass was numb, I was bored out of my mind and I was silently hoping for circus to walk by, a firebomb or a drag queen to walk by in high heels... well for just about anything to happen. Not that it showed on the outside. I'm good at hiding things like this.

Just as I felt another yawn coming on my cell rang. I smiled when I saw what the caller ID read. 'Babe calling'.

'Yo,' I answered.

'Call Jeanne Ellen and find out what she did with my car. Now!' She screamed and hung up. I figured it was best to obey, so I called Jeanne.

After another couple of hours of absolutely nothing my phone chirped again.

'Yo,' I answered once more.

'I owe you nothing, the deal is off' she said in a raging voice.

I stayed quiet for a while. I didn't trust my voice enough to speak... please say this wasn't happening. I need that night.

'Having a bad day?' I had to strain every part of me to sound normal.

'My bad day has nothing to do with this.' She answered and hung up.

I sat still for a couple of beats with the phone still to my ear before I called her back.

'I've been under a lot of stress,' she said. 'I might even be sick with a fever.'

'And?'

'And what?' she asked.

'I thought you might want to retract the part where you tell me the deal is off.' I answered.

She stayed quiet for a long time and eventually my patience ran out. 'Well?'

'I'm thinking.' She said defensive.

'That's always dangerous.' I said and disconnected. I couldn't help it. I was angry.

I looked over to Tank and Lester who were watching me with questioning looks. 'What?' I bait at them.

'What deal?' Tank asked me.

'None of your fucking business.' I said and turned the key to the ignition. 'We're done here.' The guy was a no-show anyway. And I needed a cold shower before I would go and do something stupid.

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