Chapter Two:
Joe Morelli had never needed a drink in his life. He knew the danger in it. Growing up with a vicious drunk for a father, Joe understood the destruction of alcoholism. He witnessed it first hand- he remembered the physical violence, the screaming, the tears. He thought he might have become that man himself, if Terry Gilman hadn't reamed him after he wrote all about Stephanie on bathroom walls all over the Burg. He had been drunk and wanted everyone to know Steph was his.
Terry told him he was slipping down an ugly dark path of destruction and that only he could stop himself. She told him about Al-Anon. She told him to go to three meetings in three different places and see if it made a difference. If he hated them, he didn't have to attend again after those three. That he needed to do something about the demons his father left within him.
It was advice that saved him.
Of course, she also told him he was a scumbag for cheating on her with Stephanie, and worse for taking Stephanie's virginity in such a callous way, then telling the whole world about it.
"It was a real asshole move. You can be better than that, Joey. Give the Navy the best of you, and get yourself together, or you will be worse than your father and your brothers." Terry left him, saying, "I deserve better. And so does she."
Joe went to the meetings and Terry was right. They made a difference. He worked hard in the Navy, kept his nose clean while he served, and while he would have a beer when he wanted, he never needed one.
It was unfortunate that Stephanie never understood his friendship with Terry. Why she would always be important to him. And he never felt like he could explain.
As Joe sat in his car looking at his mother's ring, tears flowing freely down his face and his nose running.
The baby belonged to Ranger. The life Joe wanted belonged to Ranger. Stephanie was lost to him.
He felt like he was dying even though he was still alive. He used the heels of both hands to clear his eyes and wiped his nose on his sleeve. Then he got out of his car and walked into the liquor store. He needed a drink tonight.
I had ignored my phone as I walked the length and breadth of Manhattan. When I was exhausted, I sat on a stone bench on 5th Avenue. It was placed before the stone wall enclosing Central Park. As I looked south, I could just make out the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The sun was low in the sky- what time was it? Looking at my phone, I saw it was after 3pm and I had multiple missed calls, but none were from Joe.
Joe would never call me again. God, I hope he is okay. I pulled my coat tightly around myself. I needed to take a cab to Penn Station so I could catch the train to Trenton. But then what? I lived with Joe now since I gave up my small one-bedroom apartment when we set the wedding date. The thought of moving in with my parents… Oh my God, I have to tell my parents. I have to cancel the wedding. How could I tell them?
Maybe I should just get a hotel room here- just for tonight- just till I figure out what to do.
I sent a text message to Sally Sweet, since he is my wedding planner, telling him the wedding was off and to cancel everything. Then I turned off my phone. I didn't want to talk to anyone. What could I say?
A black SUV pulled up and stopped in front of me, lowering the sidewalk side window. Lester was at the wheel.
"Hey, Beautiful, can I take you somewhere?" Lester asked.
I walked to the door of the SUV and got in. "How did you know I needed a lift?"
"The control room told me you have been walking all over Manhattan for six hours without stopping anywhere until you sat down here 45 minutes ago. I decided to make sure you were alright."
Clearly, Ranger still had a transmitter in my messenger bag. Of course. And since he was in Florida preparing for an operation, his men were hypervigilant with their Stephanie Watch.
"I am definitely not alright." I wiped away a tear. "Can you take me to RangeMan?"
Once in Ranger's apartment, I stripped my clothes and took a long hot shower, crying out the pain and loss. Joe's face… the hurt… the pure grief… Oh God, I am a terrible person.
After the shower, I dried off, pulled on a pair of Ranger's sweat pants and a t-shirt and walked out to the kitchen. Ella had left food out, but I just couldn't eat. I moved everything to the refrigerator and then crawled into Ranger's heavenly bed. And stared at the ceiling. How could I tell Ranger? What would he say? What if Joe was right?
Lester met with the Merry Men and told Hal and Junior to find and watch Morelli. Cal went to Tasty Pastry and Pino's to pick up Stephanie's favorite foods and snacks and Ella was asked to create all of Stephanie's favorite dishes.
"She looks like she cried for hours and I don't think she ate all day, then when I offered to stop for food before driving here, she said she wasn't hungry." Lester informed them.
"Stephanie said she wasn't hungry?" Bobby shook his head. "She is never not hungry."
"That is my point." Lester rolled his head. "I have no idea what's going on, but something is wrong."
Ramon pulled up the last text message sent before Stephanie shut off her phone- it was to Sally Sweet.
Everyone stared at the monitor.
"Cancel everything. The wedding is off." was displayed on the screen.
"That's it?"
"That's it."
Bobbie pinched the bridge of his nose then looked at Lester. "This is bad."
"That is an understatement."
"She called off her wedding and asked you to bring her here?" Lester nodded.
"You need to call Ranger. Operation or not, he needs to be told."
"I know." Lester rubbed the back of his neck. "I just wish I knew what happened."
