Chapter 11:

"What are you doing?" Shiloh demanded when they got back into the car. "He's OBVIOUSLY the guy we're looking for. Let's go back and get him or kick his ass or call - heaven forbid - CARL. Let's do anything!"

"I could be wrong but I don't think that he attacked Stephanie. One thing that she was very clear about was that she had met the person who attacked her. She's never met Baron. I know she hasn't." Khari said attempting to think through his own logic. Maybe he didn't believe Baron but he didn't want to turn him over too soon. Shiloh rolled her eyes.

"How do you know they've never met?" she asked in a tired voice. "They could have spoken to each other in the grocery store. You'd never know. And don't tell me that you went everywhere with Ranger."

"Anything's possible but I'm going with my gut here and my gut says that I shouldn't call the police in on him so soon. We need to look around a bit more," he argued.

"We're stuck, Khari. Without this lead we have nowhere else to go. This is a blinking red arrow pointing straight at Baron and you're ignoring it. I don't know why we're even doing this." Shiloh crossed her arms and stared out of the passenger side window of the car. The solution was so obvious and Khari was being blind.

"You know, not so long ago you were screaming motive at Steph. You got a motive for Baron? If you do I'd like to hear it. If you don't just shut up for now." Shiloh turned to glare at him, her blue eyes icy and full of hate.

Joe sat at Stephanie's bedside flipping through the paperback that someone had left. He wasn't looking at the pages and had no interest in reading the words. He was thinking back over all the times that Stephanie had come home feeling tense and looking angry after meetings with Lester. He remembered the time that he'd called and she'd demanded to know every word that he'd said. Joe was finding it easy to forgive her for thinking that he'd killed Ranger as he was wondering if she'd killed Lester. Whenever he talked to Khari or Carl he had a sense that he should be overly attentive to Stephanie even speaking for her so that she wouldn't give anything away. He glanced at her to see her staring at him intently.

"Something on your mind, Joe?" she asked.

"Just thinking things over, Cupcake," he paused staring back at the book. "Wondering why anyone would think that Ranger had told you anything that they'd have to worry about." He glanced back up at her. "Did Ranger ever tell you anything incriminating about anyone?"

"He told me that I was an idiot to believe that you weren't sleeping around when I wouldn't give it to you." As Stephanie spoke she saw the fire leap into Joe's eyes and held up a hand, "It was only because he was trying to get me to rationalize myself into sleeping with him. I never fell for it. I was smarter than either of them thought that I was."

"Either of who? Ranger and Lester?" Joe asked. The comment had aroused his curiosity.

"Yea. Lester was nicer about it but they both treated me kinda like the star bimbo. It didn't bother me so much except when something important came up and they'd push me back." Stephanie took the book from Joe and set it on the nightstand.

"Cupcake, you didn't..." Joe couldn't finish the question. Stephanie smiled.

"No, of course not." Joe sighed heavily not entirely sure that he believed her.

Khari stopped his car in front of Shiloh's apartment complex.

"We'll pick this up tomorrow, okay? You may be right but we'll look at it clearer in the morning. Take the night off. Relax. Soak in the tub or whatever you do. I'll pick you up at noon. Is that good for you?" He knew he should apologize for telling her to shut up but couldn't quite bring himself to do it.

"Whatever," she grumbled getting out of the car. "For the record I think we're making a huge mistake."

"Noted," Khari said smiling sympathetically. She slammed the car door and then slammed the entry door to her apartment building. Asshole, she thought. She climbed the stairs and opened the door to her apartment.

"What are you doing here?" Shiloh stood in the open doorway and stared at the person on her sofa feeling the panic rise into her throat.

The phone woke Khari up the next morning. He glanced at the clock and groaned. It had been a late night but it still felt early for 8:20am. He buried his face in the pillow and fumbled around for the phone.

"What?" he asked when he found the receiver.

"Aren't you a ray of sunshine in the morning? It's good for a girl to find these things out." Khari smiled. Aziza. He rolled over onto his back.

"Hey. I must have made quite an impression running off like that for you to call so soon." He couldn't keep himself from smiling broadly as he spoke. He reflected that he'd never been awakened in such a pleasant way before.

"Actually, Khari, this is a business call. Can we meet at the coffee shop? Say a half an hour?" she pleaded. He sat up alarmed.

"Yea, sure, what's up?" Khari asked anxiously.

"Nothing, well," she lowered her voice. "A roadcrew found a body this morning and I think you might know him. His employer in the police files is listed as 'Rangeman Inc.'" she whispered. Khari could feel the feeling of elation sink to his feet and roll away.

"I'll be there. Who was it?" he asked.

"His name is Baron Brown. We're lucky to have figured it out," she answered.

"Why's that?"

"Someone tried to remove his fingertips," she said. Khari could feel the chill rolling through him.