Chapter 4: Steph's Decision
When Ranger and Stephanie got to the door of her apartment she noticed that it was open.
Ranger pulled Stephanie to the side of the wall, put his finger to his lips and then slowly pushed the door open. He went in and leaned against the wall closest to the kitchen. He saw Rex on the floor, dead. He continued till he could see the living room which was totally trashed. Ranger pushed the door to the bedroom clear.
"Babe it is clear, come in" Stephanie did she saw Rex dead on the floor. She rushed up to him picked him and held the little guy. Ranger heard her crying and could see the tears, and came up to her. He knelt down and put his arms around her.
"Babe, we can take him with us, but we can't stay here." Ranger gently urged her to get up.
Stephanie looked around and found a small box; she then put Rex in it.
"Morelli, this is Ranger someone messed up Stephanie's apartment you might want to get here" Ranger stated over the phone.
Ranger got Stephanie to go outside with him and waited for Morelli. Ranger looked at the lighted parking lot. He took a deep breath, and then he put Stephanie in the front seat and waited.
When Morelli got there, he had just left Haywood, he asked, "How bad is it?"
"Well we can't stay here, and look." Stephanie said and then handed Rex's dead body over to Morelli.
"I am sorry Steph I know you loved this little guy, I will have a quick look around, did you guys touch anything?"
"Just found this box so I could put Rex in." Stephanie put her head in Ranger's chest.
Ranger was still standing by the passenger side door when Morelli came back down.
"Well you are right it is a mess, I bet the fire at Haywood and this are connected somehow. I will look into both, now where are you to going to be." Morelli looked at Ranger in the eyes.
"We will be in a hotel" Ranger told Stephanie, "but right now we have to go somewhere and take care of this little guy." Ranger then looked into the small box that Rex was in. Ranger then shut the door, he got into the driver's side and they drove away.
Tank was sitting at his kitchen table when he saw Ranger pull up.
Tank opened the door right away.
"Hey something else happened." He said and then he saw Steph's puffy eyes and looked at the box.
"Rex" Tank then looked inside the little box and saw the beloved pet of Stephanie.
"We need to bury him; can we use your yard?" Ranger asked Tank.
"Of course come on in Ranger where are you two going to stay?" Ranger looked at his old friend and replied, "For now in a hotel."
"I have a spare room if you two want you can stay here for a while." Tank told him.
"Yes, we will thanks Tank" Stephanie jumped into the conversation.
"Babe"
"Ranger it is better here, then in a hotel more security." Stephanie told her future husband while looking him in the eyes.
Ranger then leaned on the sink and shook his head, "All right we will stay here. Let's go so we can bury an old friend." Ranger, Steph, and Tank who had the shovel went into the yard, and buried Rex.