So here's the third Chapter Three. I had fun with Ranger's kid. I still have ideas rattling around in my head so I'm going to WRITE WRITE WRITE!

The control room was just like the Trenton one. Jordan, Tank, and Ranger were standing in front of a computer. Cement-head, or Dale, was at the computer, doing a search. I came up and stood behind Ranger.

"Anything come up?"

"We're looking to see if Summer has any other residence down here. Tank checked out the house that the letter came from but it was empty."

Damn.

"Summer isn't stupid. He probably found a random address in the phone book and used it as a return address. Since the address was Miami, he probably is still in Florida."

Florida was a big state. Miami was a big city. Hell the neighborhoods were big. How were we going to find Jamie?

"We'll find her," said Ranger firmly, "And even if we don't, she'll contact one of us at some point. She never goes a couple weeks without calling me or Tank."

"She told me that she was going to be unreachable for the next month," I said, remembering her letter, "She's going to South America with some of her friends but she didn't say where."

"Unreachable? Did you try her phone?" Jamie always answers her cell phone. Ranger told me that she one time she was in a shootout with three guys and still answered her phone. The only time she doesn't answer is if she's unconscious…or dead. I shuddered at that last thought.

"No. She said she'd be unreachable so I assumed that meant her phone as well. Oh and I'm suppose to tell you that she went back to the diving board." I added.

Ranger's mouth creased into a smile. "The diving board? I remember that."

"What happened?" I asked. She had mentioned that before when she was here and I never found out what it was about.

Ranger's smile widened. "Sorry babe, I signed a blood oath not to reveal to another soul about what happened on the diving board."

Jeez.

We did searches into the afternoon. We found an apartment, a house that Summer rented out, and we found his mother's house. Jamie met him here, so I guess he still lived here. Ranger said we'd wait until late to go snooping. I don't know why he was bringing me with him and Tank and Jordan, but I suspected it had to do with Jamie being my sister and Ranger wanting me to be in on the investigation and know what was going on.

At three o'clock Ranger looked at his watch and stood. "Come on, babe," he said to me. I followed him out of the control room and down the garage. He angled himself into a shiny black Porsche and I got into the passenger seat.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"My daughter gets out of school in ten minutes. I thought I might surprise her."

Omigod. I get to meet the offspring of Ricardo Carlos Manoso. The spawn of Batman. The Wizard-Child. Daughter of the Cuban Sex God. Jamie told me about her. She said his daughter was funny and smart and a knock-out to-be. Apparently she and Jamie got close when Jamie met Ranger's family.

The Porsche wound through neighborhoods of stucco houses and richly colored apartment buildings. Finally he pulled in front of a large school. Avocado Middle & High School. Funny name.

"First year of middle school," said Ranger.

Ranger parked on the curb right in front of the school. Mini-vans and sedans were lining up along the sidewalk, ready for the after school rush. The bell rang and kids piled out the doors and down the front steps. Ranger got out of the Porsche and I followed. We were standing on the sidewalk, and I was about to ask something when I heard "DADDY!" and a little girl ran up and jumped into Ranger's arms.

Jamie had been right. Ranger passed on a lot of genes to his daughter. Same 200-watt smile, same hair, same skin tone, same eyes. Her legs were wrapped around his waist and his arms around hers, holding her up. She sat back in his arms and crossed her arms over her chest.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Have you seen Jamie recently?"

She grinned mischievously. "Yeah a couple weeks ago, she came by and we skipped school together." Her eyes widened, "Is she okay?"

"Summer got a hold of her. She's not answering her phone." His daughter's eyes widened some more. She caught sight of me standing behind Ranger and the mischievous smile came back. She looked back at Ranger.

"Girlfriend? Wife? Maid? Friends with benefits?" This kid was too smart for her own good.

Ranger set her down on the sidewalk and crossed his arms over his chest. She had to crane her neck back to look up at him. "How do you even know what 'friends with benefits' means?" he asked, one eyebrow raised.

"Hello? I go to a public middle school plus high school. I know these things." She had a point.

Ranger shook his head and introduced me. "This is my partner in bounty huntering, and friend, Stephanie Plum. Steph, this is my daughter Jazz."

She grinned and shook my hand. "Are you Jamie's sister?"

"Yeah."

"Cool. She told me a lot about you and all the cars you blew up."

I grimaced and narrowed my eyes at Ranger. "Is that the only thing I'm known for around here?"

Ranger grinned but before he answered Jazz piped up. "That's not the only thing. Dad told me about the restaurant you blew up. And the funeral home. And the person. Who's Mama Mac?"

I rolled my eyes. "She was this horrible ancient Italian lady with a mutant mole on her face. And I didn't blow her up. Constantine Stiva did."

She laughed at me and started to climb into the back of the Porsche. A voice behind us made her stop.

"Jasmine Clara Williams just what do you think you're doing?" I turned around to see a blond, leggy, gorgeous woman in a blue suit and heels. "You know you're not suppose to get in cars with strangers." Her voice was so cold you could almost feel the chill.

"I'm going with dad," said Jazz, glowering at who I assumed was her mother.

She didn't answer. She looked over at Ranger. "What are you doing here?" she cast a look at me and her eyes did a once over. It didn't look like she approved of what she saw. Stupid bitch, I wanted to say.

"I'm visiting my daughter," Ranger said, voice quite, eyes narrowed, "is that a problem?"

A small, humorless smile spread across her lips. "As a matter of fact, it is. As I recall correctly the court ordered that you weren't allowed to come near her without my consent, what with your dangerous job and all."

I just stood there on the sidewalk, unnoticed. There were daggers being shot from both sets of brown eye and I didn't want to get caught in the line of fire.

"And who is this," said the woman, gesturing towards me. I felt my eyes narrow but didn't respond. She looked at me again, the smile still hanging from her mouth.

"I see you've lowered your standards, Ric," she said, looking me up and down again. I wasn't looking my best, but not my worst either. I was in my usual outfit of jeans and stretchy white tee shirt, and doc martins. My hair might not be in the best state, but hell I just got off a plane. Cut me some slack. I was exhausted from searching and worrying about Jamie. My eyes narrowed some more but it was Jazz who beat me to the retort.

"Oh shut the hell up Mom! You wouldn't know pretty if it smacked you in the face! And I'm going with dad whether you like it or NOT!" with that, she climbed into the back of the Porsche and slammed the door.

We left her standing dumbstruck on the sidewalk. Ranger pulled away from the curb, not looking back. Me on the other hand, I was still fuming.

"No offense Ranger and Jazz, but she's a BITCH." I said.

"Don't worry about it," said Ranger, "I've known that for a while."

"She's been like that ever since—" she stopped talking suddenly. Ranger's grip tightened on the wheel. I assumed she meant ever since they got a divorce. Ever since Ranger's ex-wife cheated on him.

We arrived at the Ramgeman building a little past four. To make up for Ranger's ex showing up, Ranger took us to get ice cream. He wasn't going to have any until Jazz bought him a double scoop of strawberry and told him to sit his ass down and that we weren't leaving until he ate the entire thing. You gotta admire the girl.

"Is Uncle Tank here too?" Jazz wanted to know as we all piled into the elevator.

"Yup," said Ranger. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. She smiled and leaned back against him. I felt like I shouldn't be right here in their father-daughter moment, but I think they were oblivious to my presence.

The elevator doors pinged open and revealed the control room. Tank was at a computer, but didn't turn around. The mischievous smile took over Jazz's mouth and she crept up behind Tank.

Apparently she had inherited Ranger's skills as well. Tank didn't turn around. He was totally oblivious. Jazz crept right up behind him.

"HI UNCLE TAAAAAAANK!" she yelled. Tank jumped about three feet in the air, landed on his feet and whirled around.

"Jesus fucking Christ on a MOPED," he said, hand over heart. And then he grabbed Jazz and swung her over his shoulder. Jazz was laughing her head off, and even I was giggling a little.

"Christ on a moped?" I asked Tank.

He shrugged. "Something Jamie says."

"Speaking of Jamie," said Ranger, "have we made any progress?"

"I called some of her friends. They all told me the same thing. She contacted them a week ago and told them she would be unreachable for a while and not to worry. Tonight we should find out more."

Ranger nodded. Tank dumped Jazz onto his chair and started tickling her. She squealed with laughter and struggled to get away.

"I don't think she can breathe," said Ranger, eyeing his daughter gasping through her laughter, "you better lay off a little."

Tank released Jazz and grinned at Ranger, "Kill-joy," he said.

Jazz hugged Ranger around the waist. "Can I stay here with you and Stephanie and Tank? Please please please? With sugar and a cherry on top?"

"I don't sugar and cherries are very appealing to mister Health Nut over here," I said, "I think you better promise sprouts and tofu."

"With sprouts and tofurkey and whole grain wheat bran muffins on top?"

"Well when you put it that way, yes, you can stay. But you'll have to clear it with your mother first. I don't want her calling the police."

Jazz did a victory dance and took Ranger's cell phone out of his pocket. She dialed a number and waited. "Mom? It's Jazz. I'm going to stay with Ranger and Stephanie while they're here ok? Bye." I don't think she even gave her mother time to respond. She just hung up the phone and gave it back to Ranger. She grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the elevator.

"Now me and Stephanie are going to go get to know each other while you workaholics have no fun."

When we got back to the apartment I was sharing with Ranger, Jazz and I sat down on the couch.

"So," she said, sitting criss-cross facing me, "How long have you known my dad?"

"A few years," I said.

"How did you meet?"

"I just started bounty-huntering and he was my mentor."

"Have you ever been his girlfriend?"

For a night, I suppose. "No,"

"hmmmm….Well those are all my questions. Do you have any?"

Omigod. This could be my ultimate weapon. "Why did your mom and Ranger get divorced?" I pretty much knew, but I wanted to get her side of the story.

She sighed and slumped her shoulders. "It was all my fault they got divorced." She said.

Uh oh. "Why?"

She sighed again. "It was when I was four. I have a pretty good memory so I sortof remember what happened. Mom kept having men over when Dad was at work. She told me they were uncles. So one day me and dad are eating ice-cream outside and I see one of the men so I start calling him. 'Uncle Jerry! Uncle Jerry!' I yelled. He didn't hear me but dad looked at me and asked who it was. And, being the stupid four-year-old I was, I said 'Uncle Jerry comes over all the time when you're not here and sometimes I hear funny noises coming out of mommy's room.'

"That night I was told to go to bed but I heard mom and dad screaming at each other all night. After that they got divorced."

Omigod. "Jeez," I said.

"Yeah."

From Jazz I found out that Ranger and Tank grew up together, Tank was Ranger's best man. Jazz told me that she was a 'mistake' but her mother's mother, being a devout catholic, wouldn't let her get an abortion. Ranger's favorite color was orange, go figure, and Tank's favorite food was Macaroni & Cheese. Tank's father walked out on him and his mother and three sisters when he was twelve. Ranger grew up with three sisters, a brother, his parents, and his grandparents in all one house in Trenton. His mom's side of the family lived in Miami. He, his brother, and Tank joined the army together and when Ranger and Tank got out of the Ranger's, Ranger went to Miami to see family and met his ex, Tiffany. Cripes.

Ranger first started Rangeman in Miami, eventually handing it over to his brother and establishing another branch in Trenton to be closer to the family he grew up with. Tank followed him to Trenton and together they built Rangeman up to what it is now.

"Wow," I said.

"No freaking kidding," said Jazz.