"I can't believe it. I was so fucking angry when he didn't show for Analise's recital." Lita's thick Brooklyn accent was made thicker by sobs. "I hated the asshole but I didn't want him dead. Doesn't matter how bad a father he was he was still Analise's father." Khari was at an uncomfortable loss for words. The police had asked him to call Lita and ask her to come to identify the body. He hadn't wanted to do it but he couldn't let her hear about her ex-husband's death from the police.
"I'm really sorry," Khari said lamely. Lita breathed heavily for a moment composing herself.
"Thank you, Khari. I appreciate you calling to let me know."
"There's another thing, Lita. The police want someone to come identify the body. Can you do it?" Khari held his breath during the lengthy pause.
"Shit, Khari, could you do it? I'm gonna have to tell Analise and I know she's not gonna be up for the trip. I can't tell her that her father is dead and then leave her with a babysitter while I take off to New Jersey." Khari thought about seeing the body and then closed his eyes and attempted to slow his racing heart. He took several gulps of air.
"I'm sorry, I know how afraid you are of dead bodies and you know that I wouldn't ask it if it wasn't important. Maybe one of the other guys could go? Is Lester still there? Lester could do it." Lita was pleading now. Khari took another deep breath.
"I'll ask Lester," he knew that Lester would say no but it was worth a shot. He mentally went through a local list of women that Ranger had been with but they had never been around long enough to warrant more than a brief introduction. The man is lucky he didn't die of VD, Khari thought. The irriational thought had him giggling hysterically to himself.
"Are you okay, Khari?" Lita asked. He swallowed the giggles.
"Yea. I'm just overtired and still in shock," he answered. "If I can't find someone I'll do it myself. Tell Analise that I'll be up to see her as soon as I can."
"I'll do that. You were always more of a father to her than her own. I hope that helps her through this," Lita said gratefully. Khari smiled.
"Tell her that I love her." His voice cracked with emotion.
Khari was brought back to the present by the clink of a coffee cup hitting the table. He shook his head to rid his mind of the cobwebs and realized that Shiloh was talking to him.
"What did you say?" he asked wearily turning to focus on her.
"You're miles away. Inquest didn't go well?" she asked in her lazy, Southern Virginia drawl. When Khari had first met Shiloh Page she'd been a senior at Georgetown University. Her father had held one of the Senate seats for the state of Virginia for several years. Ranger had underestimated her at first. At 26 years old she was all of 5'4" and 130 lbs. She had short blond hair and dark blue eyes and was attractive enough but in no way intimidating. Ranger had figured that she would be a good connection to the White House as there had been buzz that her father was soon to be appointed to the Presidents Cabinet. The political connection hadn't panned out but Shiloh had proved to be a valuable asset to the organization. She was a tracking genius almost able to predict where people were going before they knew where they were going.
"Accidental death. Stroke caused by steroids." Khari took a long drink of his coffee burning his tongue.
"Bullshit," Shiloh said, her blue eyes serious.
"That's what I thought. You know, Shi, I can't help but think we really didn't know him. Part of me says that he'd never do drugs and the other part says 'How do I know?'" Khari answered.
"What bothers you most about the way he died?" Shiloh asked. Khari sighed. She would know that he'd gone over every detail of the autopsy and inquest.
"There's none of the damage associated with long term steroid use. Ranger was a big guy. Why would he all of a sudden try steroids? Why not pills? He shot the steroids into the back of the right upper arm. He was right handed. It would have been easier to do the left arm. None of this adds up, Shi, and I swear I replay every second in my mind. How can this not make me crazy?" he could feel the frustration building.
Shiloh opened her mouth to respond and the outer door opened. She relaxed in her chair and took a drink of her coffee. Darrin O'Malley strode in and stopped when he saw Shiloh and Khari at the table.
"Hey," he said amiably, making his way to the coffee pot. "How'd the inquest go?"
"Accidental death," Khari said feeling as if he'd never stop repeating it.
"Yea, I figured. Weird. Isn't he the one who kicked your ass off that shit, Khari?" Khari glanced nervously at Shiloh. He was pretty sure that she hadn't known and wasn't sure what she'd think of him now that she knew.
"Yea," he answered nervously. Shiloh's expression was a study in casual disinterest. He relaxed kicking himself mentally. It had been a long time ago and Shiloh had never been the sort of person to hold the past against a person.
"What gonna happen to us with the boss gone?" Darrin asked. "Someone taking over the business?" Khari hadn't considered that Rangeman might close without Ranger.
"We're fairly profitable. Whoever inherits would be wise to appoint a managing interest and keep the place going." Shiloh answered.
"It'll probably be Analise. Lita may not want the bother of keeping Rangeman going," Khari speculated. The three were sobered by the idea that they might be out of job.
"I've got a skip to pick up," Darrin said moving toward the door. Khari and Shiloh sat silently for a moment.
"Who would kill him?" Shiloh asked calmly. She leaned back in her chair and cradled her coffee mug. She propped her jean-clad legs up on the chair next to her.
"Who wouldn't?" Khari asked miserably.
"Good point."
"That reminds me. I ran into that chick that Ranger was chasing at the inquest. The one with the cop boyfriend? Shit, her last name is Plum." he struggled to remember the name but his mind was still clouded.
"Stephanie?" Shiloh offered. She'd never met Stephanie Plum but she'd heard the stories. She especially liked the one where the woman had been naked and chained to her shower rod and had called Ranger. Ranger had thought that it was a ploy to get him into bed and had joked before he left not to wait up for him. Shiloh chuckled. There had been no reason to wait up; he was back in 15 minutes.
"That's her. She's convinced that someone killed Ranger and asked me to help her look into it. While we were talking she mentioned that she owns Vincent Plum Bail Bonds. Didn't Ranger buy that right before the owner went on the run?" Shiloh kept Ranger's holdings in order and contracted for whatever work they needed.
"Yup. He still owns it. He did a controlling interest deal with someone. Stephanie, I guess. Anyway, he told me that I could leave that one to handle itself. Maybe he decided it wasn't worth the hassle and outright sold it to her?" she speculated.
"That's probably it."
"What's she like, anyway?" Shiloh asked curiously.
"You know, typical. Like all you women. Has her brains in her pushup bra." He smiled mischievously.
"What did you say?" Shiloh asked stunned.
"You want me to repeat it?" he answered smiling.
"Actually I just want you to realize why I'm hitting you." Khari laughed.
"So where are you going to start, Sherlock Kaplan?" she asked.
"I don't even know. Any suggestions?" Khari asked smiling broadly. Shiloh pulled a notebook and pen out of her bag.
"I'd make a list. First we'll list anyone who may have wanted Ranger dead." Shiloh held the pen poised and looked at Khari expectantly. Khari considered the many people who might want Ranger dead and was hit with a flash of inspiration.
"Lester Santos." Shiloh wrote out the name. "And I think that maybe we need to go talk to him."
"Lita's brother? Ranger fired him ages ago. Why would he choose now to take revenge if that's the case?" Shiloh asked.
"He'd still be in the picture through Lita and Analise. You remember that fight that they had just before Ranger fired him? No one knew what that was about but Lester was doing some pretty good body damage," Khari reminded her.
"Holy shit, you're right. That was vicious. Let's go see what he has to say."