Chapter 13

The morning was a lesson in the consequences of my choices. It started at the crack of dawn when I woke up to Ranger standing at the side of the guest bed. Scared the bejeezus out of me. He gave me a moment to get my bearings - strange house, new room - and for my heart rate to come back down out of the stratosphere. Then he handed me the baby Glock and announced that he was going for a run. I needed to guard my own body for the next hour. No sweat.

The baby Glock rested on the nightstand while I rested in my thinking position. I suppose running was Ranger's thinking position. We both had a lot to think about. At least I hoped that we were both thinking about things.

"Stephanie, Stephanie, Stephanie," I mumbled to myself. My head shaking back and forth.

Last night had been a clusterfuck. Not at all how I'd seen the evening going. I hadn't intended to spill my guts to Ranger or to throw down some sort of ultimatum. That wasn't my intention. But I'd spent a good hour and a half last night thinking over everything I'd said, while I tossed and turned in the guest bed, and unfortunately it was all true. I'd thought I'd done a good job of managing my feelings for Ranger. Putting the relationship in a tidy little box that was clearly labeled. But it turned out that the box had been leaking for a really long time without me realizing.

Was it just because Morelli was officially out of the picture, and my heart was trying to fill in the blank with Ranger? Or was it because Morelli's parting words to me were still ringing in my ears? Those were the questions I'd asked myself over and over. The conclusion I came to was a big fat nope. I was just an idiot. Because I'd accidentally fallen in love. I hadn't realized how far gone I was until last night, when my stomach dropped a little each time I tried to explain our relationship - or lack thereof - to his family.

Where the heck were we supposed to go from here? That was the question I'd left off on last night, and it was the question I pondered for a good thirty minutes while the sun rose. Unfortunately I was still sans answers by the time I gave a huge sigh and dragged myself out of bed. This seemed like a situation that called for denial. Good thing I had lots of practice at it.

My guess was Ranger hadn't found any answers on his run, either. At least, there were no heartfelt proclamations when he returned. His run had taken an hour and a half. He was still winded and dripping with sweat, and we didn't speak while he pounded two glasses of water and then disappeared into the master suite. I was showered and caffeinated and ready to go when he emerged. Even then, our conversation was limited, which wasn't unusual, and it was business-focused. Seemed Ranger was okay with the denial plan.

We'd start the day with capturing Vincent Guzman, then try to catch Chris Fitz with his pants down - hopefully only metaphorically - and then bring in Kate Fitz so she could get rebonded. That should take us through mid-afternoon, at which point Ranger wanted to come back to Newark so he could continue to coordinate the Gabriella situation from afar.

I spent the car ride to Trenton wishing that I had a Zen state like Ranger's. It would come in handy in times like these. Instead, I'd nearly gnawed a hole in my bottom lip by the time we pulled into Cluck-in-a-Bucket. We stood in the morning rush-hour line to order a breakfast biscuit and a Mocha Latte Chiller for me, and a black coffee for Ranger.

We found a table in the corner where we could both have our backs to the wall. I ate and sipped while I kept my eyes on the door. Ranger pretty much stayed in the zone. When it felt like we'd been waiting for half an hour, I sneaked a peek at his watch. It had been six minutes.

I guess I let out a sigh, because Ranger slid his gaze to me. "Problem?"

"Patience isn't my best thing."

That got me an actual smile. He covered it by taking a sip of his coffee.

Luckily I didn't have to wait much longer. At precisely 9:01, Vincent Guzman walked in and took a spot in line. I inclined my head toward him and Ranger nodded.

"How do you want to do this?" he asked.

"I'm going to let him get his breakfast first. I figure I'll catch him right outside the door, in the parking lot."

"Let me know if you want help. Otherwise, it's all you." Ranger tossed our trash and got up to stand near the door. It's not easy to look nonchalant when you're Ranger, but he did the best he could.

I slipped outside and did more waiting. Finally, Vincent came out carrying his to-go bag. I fell into step beside him. "Vincent?"

He paused and looked at me. "Yeah. Do I know you?"

"My name is Stephanie. I'm here to help you reschedule a court date to take care of that pesky felony assault charge."

"Nah, I'm not going to court. That charge was bogus, anyway. I told the stupid cop that those morons kept forgetting to give me my honey butter."

"How can they expect you to eat a breakfast biscuit without honey butter?"

"Right?" He threw up a hand in exasperation. I grabbed it and slapped a cuff on it, and he blinked in surprise. "Whoa. What the hell?"

I stepped behind him, taking the cuffed hand with me, and pulled his other one back behind his back. The second bracelet closed around his wrist. He managed to hold on to his to-go bag.

"Who the hell are you?" He was half outraged, half confused. One hundred percent indignant.

"I told you. I'm Stephanie. We're going to go down to the station to get your court date rescheduled. You can eat your breakfast biscuit on the way."

"How am I supposed to do that with my hands behind my back?"

Huh. I shrugged. "Guess you can eat it when you get there."

We marched over to the SUV where Ranger was waiting. I got Vincent settled in the back, and then slid into the passenger seat next to Ranger. He handed me the rest of my Mocha Latte Chiller. "Nicely done, Babe."

We dropped Vincent off at the station without incident. Once back in the SUV, I smiled down at the body receipt in my hand.

"Is rent taken care of?" Ranger asked.

"Yep. Between Roger and Vincent, I've got enough to cover the month. I still need Kate Fitz, though. She's my grocery and donut money."

"We've got two hours to kill before Chris Fitz shows up at the motel. What's the plan?"

"It'd be really great if I could exchange this receipt for a check, and then go to the bank."

"I'd really prefer that you not go to the bonds office."

"I know." I appreciated his phrasing. I could at least delude myself into thinking I had some free will. Probably he'd resort to forbidding or physically restraining me if I argued the point, but I was hoping there was a better idea. "Do you think you could spare a man to help run an exchange?"

Ranger sent a text, and within ten minutes, we were pulling to a curb behind a Rangeman SUV. A man in black got out and walked over to my window. I handed him the body receipt, he nodded to Ranger, and then he was off.

We waited at the curb for the Rangeman guy to return with my check. I slurped down the rest of my Chiller. Ranger stayed in his zone and spent a couple of minutes scrolling and typing on his phone.

"Any Gabriella news today?" I asked him. "Any more sightings?"

"Not yet."

"Do you think she's still in town?"

"I think if she was going to leave town, she would have done it a week ago. There are too many people looking for her. She's still here for a reason, and I don't think she'll leave until she gets what she needs."

"Do we have any ideas what - or who - that could be?" My top theory was still that she was looking for Ranger. But I didn't have any evidence of that, just a gut feeling.

"No. I talked to my Commander again, and he's been working with the Marshals. Neither of them had any updates. I shared that we'd spotted Gabriella in Trenton, and that was news to them. They're in the dark, too."

"What are we going to do with her when we find her?" I made myself say when, not if.

"Depends on what information she has."

I waited for more, but there was none. That was that. Conversation over.

I crossed my legs. Drummed my fingers on the center console. Checked Facebook. Uncrossed my legs. Sighed.

"Babe, it's only been twelve minutes."

Finally the Rangeman SUV returned. Ranger drove me to the bank and I deposited both checks via the drive-thru. I looked at the account balance on the receipt I'd been given and allowed myself a moment to bask in the warm, fuzzy feeling of seeing four digits before the decimal.

"I think we should check out a couple book stores," I told Ranger.

"I'd have guessed you'd want to splurge on shoes."

"Not for me. For Gabriella."

"Explain."

"She has a chest of drawers in her apartment that's basically serving as a library. Her roommate said she was always reading."

He considered this. "Couldn't hurt. I'll put the word out to my men and have them check out the stores in the Burg."

"Don't forget Mary Maggie Mason's shop next door to the bonds office."

Ranger almost smiled. "Hal and Zero have been watching the blocks around the bonds office. I can't wait for their reactions if they find out Gabriella's been camped out twenty yards away this whole time."

We went to the Quaker Bridge Mall first. Although I'd brushed off Ranger's teasing, I didn't dare look inside the shop windows when we passed the store that sold the fun shoes I loved. I really did sort of need new shoes, but not as bad as I needed to not get evicted. And the kind of shoes I needed could be found much cheaper at Target.

No sign of Gabriella at the Barnes & Noble in the mall. Nor at the one off Robbinsville Road. She also wasn't at Red Brick Books or Books-o-Rama. I was feeling restless and a little frustrated when I swung back into the SUV after our last stop.

"Want to drive around and look for the ice cream truck?" I asked Ranger.

"Sure. We'll look for it between here and the motel."

I was still ice-cream-less by the time we pulled into the parking lot. But it was ten after noon, and I was thinking that the opportunity to catch a cheating scumbag might be even better than a scoop of Rocky Road. Derek was manning the front desk again, as expected.

"Remember me?" I asked him.

His eyes darted over my shoulder to take in Ranger, who stood by the door. Then back to me. "Uh-huh."

"Did Chris Fitz check in?"

"About fifteen minutes ago."

"You have that key for me?"

Another quick glance to Ranger, and then Derek nodded. He slid the key across the desk to me. "Please don't get me fired."

Chris Fitz was in Room 12. Even numbers were on the opposite side of the strip of rooms from the one Ranger and I had used yesterday.

"It's only been fifteen minutes. Do you think we should hang out for a little bit, and give him time to get down to it?" As much as I was dreading the potential to see any naked bits, the look on the cheating scumbag's face when we busted him would make it worth it.

"This place is pay-by-the-hour," Ranger said. "I don't think he's doing any wining and dining. I'd say if we don't go in now, we might miss it."

The curtains were drawn on the little front window. I was getting ready to unlock the door, but Ranger stopped me with a hand on my shoulder.

"Forgetting something?"

I had the key card in my hand. Ranger had a gun in his. I did a small eye roll, but I pulled out my stun gun and held it in the other hand while I unlocked the door and threw it open.

Chris Fitz's shocked face was everything I'd been hoping for. He even let out a little scream. And I didn't even have to see any naked bits. In fact, no one was naked.

Chris was reclining on the bed, on top of the covers. A box of half-eaten pizza sat beside him, and he'd spilled soda down his shirt when he startled at my entrance. The TV was showing an action movie. There were candy bar wrappers on the floor beside him, and an open bag of bite-size Snickers bars on the bedside table.

"Jesus, Mary and Joseph!" he shouted, clutching his chest. "Who are you? What's going on?"

"That's my line," I said, somewhat weakly. He'd taken me by surprise with the Coke and pizza, when I'd been expecting a skanky mistress. Don't ask me why, but in my mind's eye, there had been nipple tassels.

"Chris Fitz?" Ranger asked.

"Yeah. Who the heck are you?"

"I'm here on behalf of your wife," I told him. Not entirely a lie. Only like eighty-five percent.

He paled. "Kate knows I'm here?"

"She said that you were having an affair. She thinks you've been coming here with your mistress."

"Oh, fudge." His eyes went wide and he raked his hand through his hair. "I'm not. I swear, I'm not. I would never cheat on my wife."

"Then what is this?" I gestured at the room.

"Sometimes I just need some time to myself, you know?" His voice was laced with panic. "I swear, it started with just one baseball game. I just wanted some peace and quiet to watch the game. But then it worked so well, and no one was the wiser, so I just kept coming here."

"Well, Kate is the wiser."

His hands were pulling at the ends of his hair. "Her parents moved to freaking Florida. They were the only ones who had ever watched our kids. And then they moved thousands of miles away. Do you know what that means?"

"No date nights?" I guessed.

"No date nights. No baseball games. No reading the Sunday morning paper while I'm in the bathroom, because Joey has to go to the bathroom every time Daddy does." He was off the bed now and pacing. "No single moment of peace and quiet! The kids are always. There. Do you know what that's like? Do you?"

"No," I answered honestly. "But your wife does."

He sat back on the bed and put his face in his hands. "She's a freaking saint. The stress never gets to her."

"I think it does," I told him. "I think you need to talk to her about it. Definitely you need to go home and at least tell her that you've been coming to this rat trap to eat pizza, and not… you know."

He nodded miserably. "Yeah."

"Maybe it's time to find a new babysitter."

"Yeah," he agreed again. Still with his head in his hands.

"Now would be a good time to have that conversation."

"Right." He stood from the bed and gave the bag of Snickers a forlorn look. "I guess I should go."

"I think it would also be a good idea to give your wife the day off tomorrow. It's Saturday. Volunteer to stay home with the kids and send her out for a mani pedi and a massage."

"Right. Right," he mumbled. He ended up grabbing the bag of Snickers from the nightstand and walked to the door with it.

"And tell her Stephanie Plum is going to swing by in the afternoon to help her reschedule her court date."

"Sure." He edged past Ranger toward the door.

"You'll probably want to pick up flowers on your way home," Ranger told him.

"And for God's sake, make sure you save her some Snickers," I added.

Chris left, and I turned off the television. I stood staring at the rumpled bed and greasy pizza box. Then I narrowed my eyes at Ranger. "Men are so stupid."

I brushed past him to the door, not wanting to see the smile I had a feeling he was wearing.

Derek looked nervous when I breezed back into the main office. I slapped the key card down. "Thanks for your help. Chris Fitz had to check out early. You'll want to send housekeeping in to turn over the room."

"Okay. Here's your other key." He slid another key card across the desk to me. "Room 17. Same one you had yesterday."

"Oh, no," I said. "We don't need the room today. We're all set. Thanks."

"No, wait," Derek said. "I'm supposed to tell you that you want this key."

I paused, staring down at the key in front of me. Ranger stepped up beside me. "Who told you to give us this?"

Derek paled under Ranger's hard stare. He backed up a bit from the desk. "She said I'm not supposed to say. I'm just supposed to give you the key and tell you that you want it."

"She?"

Ranger and I looked at each other. We were thinking the same thing. Without another word to Derek, Ranger swiped the key off the desk. He cupped my elbow, spun me around, and marched me off in the direction of Room 17.

"You think it's her?" I asked under my breath. Then I dropped my voice to a whisper. "Gabriella?"

"Let's find out. Get ready."

I took a deep breath, steeling myself. "I'm ready."

He cut his eyes to me and I could have sworn I saw the corners of his mouth twitch. Probably it was an optical illusion. "I meant get your gun in your hand."

"Yep. I knew that." I rummaged through my bag and came up with my stun gun. "This is going to have to do. No matter who's on the other side of that door, I really don't think I'm going to be able to shoot them."

Ranger looked like he was contemplating what an argument about the gun thing was worth to him. But then we were standing in front of Room 17, and he was out of time. He positioned me behind him, with his body between me and the door. He looked back at me, I nodded, and he slid the key into the door.

He had his Glock in his hand while he pushed the door open. I couldn't see much past his broad back, but I knew he was taking in the room at a glance. Then he let go of the door, used his free hand to grab my wrist and pull me forward, keeping me behind him. He kicked the door closed behind us.

"Holá, Ranger. ¿Qué pasa?"

I shook off Ranger's grip on my wrist and moved up to his side. Sitting on the foot of the bed in front of us was Gabriella Ayala. Her eyes flickered to me, and then back to Ranger.

"You are a difficult man to talk to alone."