Chapter 10:

Stephanie took a deep breath before she started to speak. Probably as much to settle herself as to prepare for the pain that would come from speaking. She spoke slowly enunciating carefully.

"You know I was saving to buy Vinnie out," she directed at Joe. He nodded. "I finally had enough and I made an offer. He told me to go to hell. I was prepared for that and handed pictures of him with Joyce to his father-in-law. That's what set him on the run. Probably I should have planned a bit better because he sold the business to Ranger at a cut rate price. I didn't know anything about it until Ranger approached me and offered me a managing interest in exchange for part ownership." She paused as if catching her breath.

"So how'd you get the company from Ranger?" Khari asked. "I'm guessing he didn't give it up without a fight?" Stephanie winced slightly and took another deep breath before answering.

"That's the strange thing, he did. I tried to blackmail him and he laughed at me. I thought for sure at that moment that I was dead but he said that I had balls and he liked that in a woman. He said that he would sell it to me on one condition. He found a deck of cards somewhere and said that if he got the higher card things would stay as they were. If I got the higher card I could buy the business for what I'd saved. I pulled the higher card." She shrugged effectively ending her story.

"Bullshit," Shiloh said laughing.

"Nah, I think it's true," Khari said. "Only a true story could be that stupid."

"Why didn't you tell me this before?" Joe asked.

"Would you have believed me? I know you wouldn't have. You knew that I was saving for the business and assumed that I bought it from Vinnie. Why should I tell you anything different?" Stephanie shook her head sadly. "As stupid as this makes me sound - hand to God - it happened." Everyone stood silently absorbing the information until Khari broke the silence.

"Did you attacker give you any indication of what he thought you knew?" he asked.

"No. He seemed giddy once the blood started pouring from the cut he was making in my tongue. He just rambled about how Ranger must have told me something and he would find out what it was." She shivered as she spoke and Joe wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Her face took on a pained expression again and Joe asked in a whisper if she needed something for pain. She shook her head.

"Let me know, okay?" he said gently. She nodded.

"Do you remember anything about him? Did you see anything that might identify him?" Khari asked.

"No, except that he was male and had really dark skin," Steph said focusing on some distant point of the room. She was going over the incident in her mind. He lifted his arm and she heard her shirt rip and..."Wait!" All eyes were on her as she clutched Joe's arm.

"He had a tattoo on his forearm. A pig in a leather jacket and hat. Harley Davidson." She looked around the room her eyes wild. I know I've seen it before. I know I've seen him before." Her words started to run together as she became excited. "It was dancing. I thought it was dancing when we were struggling and it distracted me."

Khari threw a meaningful look Shiloh's way and they headed out into the hallway.

"Who else is gonna have a tattoo like that on their forearm?" Shiloh asked as the door closed behind her.

"Why would he do it?" Khari asked. "I never thought he was crazy and I can't see any motive other than crazy for attacking Stephanie. I know he didn't kill Ranger because we were on a job at the time. Why would he kill Lester and then cut him up? With the bloodlust that Steph describes I'd think he'd want him alive and screaming for the slice and dice."

"Maybe we should go kick his ass," Shiloh whispered as Carl exited the room and approached them.

"Yea, that'll do a whole hell of a lot of good," Khari responded.

"You know who it is, don't you," Carl asked.

"Boy, you're really quick," Shiloh jeered. Khari shot her a warning glance.

"Tone it down, Page," he said in a low voice. He turned to Carl. "We have an idea of who it might have been but I'd really like to talk to him first."

"I can't let you do that. This guy has killed twice and tried to kill Stephanie. This a police matter and I think you should let us handle it." Carl stood a little taller as he spoke. Shiloh rolled her eyes.

"Cut the macho cop crap..." Shiloh began. She stopped when she caught Khari's hostile glare.

"We don't know who it is. We're just guessing. You know, Shiloh, the more I think about it the more convinced I am that we're wrong about this. " Khari hoped that she would follow him.

"You're right," she said sadly. She turned to Carl, "Sorry we can't help you." The glint in her eye told anybody that she was anything but sorry.

"I hope that you two know what you're doing," Carl said ominously before stalking to the elevator. They watched as he got on and the doors closed. Shiloh giggled nervously.

"We ready to bust Baron's ass?" she asked.

"Hell yea," Khari said as he started for the stairs.

Baron Brown was at home watching wrestling when Khari and Shiloh pulled up. Khari hurried to the open door and pounded as hard as he could startling Baron and causing him to spill his beer. Khari and Ranger had met Baron's brother, Bobby, while in the military. When Ranger had first started Rangeman, Baron had worked for him. He now mostly freelanced with his brother Bobby on special op assignments that Ranger would hand down. Baron was 6'2" and built like an ebony brick wall. Khari could tell that age and time no longer spent at the gym was catching up on him. The belly was prominently displayed like a bubble in the middle of a level on his body.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Kaplan?" Baron asked irritated. "You can give a man a fucking heart attack doing mess like that."

"It's gonna be the beer and pork rinds giving you the heart attack. What were you doing earlier today?" he asked deciding to waste no time with pleasantries.

"Why you want to know?" Baron asked suspiciously.

"Some crazy running around with a tattoo like yours tried to cut Stephanie Plum's tongue off." Baron looked genuinely surprised.

"Why the hell would I want to do that? I don't even really know the girl." He held up his hands. "Besides I been here all day."

"Anyone see you here?" Khari asked.

"Fuck, Khari, you a cop now? You come back with a warrant and maybe I'll answer some of your questions." Baron's face softened. "Bobby told me about Ranger and Lester and I know it hits you hard but don't go looking where there's nothing."

"You know anyone else with a tattoo like that?" Khari asked teetering on the brink of an accusation.

"Nah," Baron admitted, "Can't say that I do. I can tell you for damn sure that I was nowhere near Stephanie Plum today. I wouldn't even know where to find her. I liked both Ranger and Lester and it's a damn shame about them especially since Ranger was my main source of income." Khari found himself believing the sincere and sad look on Baron's face and sighed heavily.

"I'm still gonna have to tell the cops what I know," he said sadly.

"I know. I know that Ranger and Lester look like they're connected but are they? Lester was always hopped up on that shit. It could have been an honest to God accident." Baron leaned back heavily in his chair.

"It's too much of a coincidence," Khari said shaking his head.

"Sometimes when things are too much of a coincidence that's just what they are. Tell Lita I'm real sorry and I'll try to get up to see her. Close the door on your way out," Baron said effectively dismissing them. Khari stepped outside and turned to Shiloh.

"What if they really aren't connected?" he asked.

"How could they not be?"

"Maybe that's how they couldn't be. It's too obvious. Maybe we're looking at the wrong angle altogether. Life was a game to both of them. You heard Steph, he cut cards for a business. Maybe the game just took a wrong turn?"