Now we're getting somewhere! I just wanted everyone to know that the phone call was all I got. There was no case attached to it that I felt I was a part of. Everything after the call is purely my plot to move my story along.

I wanted to dedicate this chapter to Janarden. I really enjoyed your review and I was sad that I couldn't tell you that in a reply. This is for you, Babe.

Not mine, but the mistakes are. I'm human.

Okay, out of all the things that could happen when I had this stupid idea, ending up in the backseat of an SUV with a bag over my head wasn't one of them.

I figured I'd do some digging, find a few leads, give them to the police (while shoving it under Joe's face as well as my boss's…) and skipping off.

But noooo. Life would be too easy that way.

"The boss isn't going to like this." The one in the driver's seat said.

Hey, what about me? I didn't like this.

"We had to take her. It's for her own good. Besides we're taking her to a better place now."

Oh shit. That's what my mom said when my grandfather died. I'm going to die. It's official.

And I never did get to try that new Ben and Jerry's flavor.

The minute this hair brained scheme of mine hatched, I've been going nonstop. My ego drove me to the crime scene. Eddie Gazarra was already there trying to do crowd control. Eddie and I grew up together in the Burg. He's a few years older, his blonde hair is thinning and he married my cousin Shirley the Whiner.

"Eddie!" I called out.

He looked up and waved. I smiled as he approached.

"What are you doing here?"

"What's going on?"

His face looked grim. "Got a bad case of the deads over here. Three bodies and we may have found a fourth."

"Christ." I said, making the sign of the cross. I may be a lapsed Catholic, but some things still stick.

I told Eddie about the phone conversation I had with the ADA. He grimaced but told me that Mr. Burns was the lead lawyer on this case and was turning over every stone.

"I just find it weird that he would get your number."

I shrugged, palms up. "People are crazy these days. Probably wanted to stay under the radar. Can you tell me anything?"

Gazarra told me that the place was a hotspot for local drug deals. There was a turf war going on and the building was directly in the line of that war. The latest victim wasn't on the list of players that the police have been collecting through investigations and CI's.

"We think he may be a new player, but we aren't sure."

I looked around. The neighborhood was pretty run down. The gangs had taken over the street and the smart people were fleeing to other housing. There were a few bystanders milling about, but other than that, it was pretty deserted. The police will do that to a place.

"Is anyone talking?"

"Not to us. I'm not surprised. We aren't the most popular people in this neighborhood."

I nodded in understanding.

"Hey, sorry about Joe." He said, changing the subject.

I shrugged. "The guy's a douche."

"Yeah, well, he shouldn't have gone behind your back like that." He paused. "So are you two broken up?"

I shrugged again. I hated him, sure, but I wasn't sure I wanted to end the relationship over this.

I left soon after that, feeling stymied. Where did I actually begin an investigation like this? I went home to google everything that I could find about this case.

There wasn't much. Mostly the police were thinking that it was rival gangs and left it at that. But there was still something that was nagging at me. He didn't fit the type. Donny Johnson was working his way to be valedictorian of his high school. He was the cleanest kid of that neighborhood. He volunteered. He worked to support his mom and siblings. I just didn't get it. I found the obituary for the young boy and decided to talk to his mother.

A few days later, I was dressed in black and made my way out. The funeral home was a few streets over from the murder scene and it was barely better than the ones over there. I found a spot close to the building and went inside.

Most of the rooms were empty. I followed the signs to the back room where the wake was being held. There were a smattering of people in the room and there was a woman standing by the casket. The mother. Her skin pale. Face was sallow and drawn. Her brown eyes were flat and unseeing.

I weaved my way through to the front, said a quick prayer and turned to give my condolences. I shook her hand and introduced myself.

She looked confused. "You knew my son?"

"No, I didn't. I'm working on his case."

Her face got hard. "You with the police?"

"No, ma'am. I'm a… private investigator. I just don't want his case to be lost. I don't think your son was a drug dealer."

"Good." She said, her eyes flashing with emotion for the first time. "My son wasn't doing or dealing drugs."

"I believe you."

We talked for a few more minutes and I found out that he was on his way home from one of his volunteer gigs when he was shot down. "The police say its gang related because it was in the heart of the turf. Cops don't know anything."

I had to agree, thinking specifically of Joe.

"Was there anyone he would specifically want to see on that street? Girlfriend? Boyfriend? Best friends?"

She shook her head. "I don't know why my son would go that way. He knows better. He's a good kid. They won't take me seriously because he's a poor black kid. They say drugs and move on." She looked in the casket. "But I know my son. He wasn't part of that."

I agreed. "I'm going to figure this out, Mrs. Johnson." I handed over my card. She looked confused.

"I don't have a policy with these people."

"That's my day job." I quickly said, forgetting my lie. "I'm just getting my business off the ground."

Maybe it was her grief clouding her reasoning skills, but she believed me. It was a flimsy cover at best.

Soon after, I was leaving the funeral home. When I got outside, I saw that Joe had called.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" He asked when I called him back.

"Whatever do you mean?" I asked innocently.

"Don't butt your way into that murder, Stephanie." He growled. "You'll get yourself killed."

"You're not the boss of me!" I yelled, sticking out my tongue as I hung up the phone.

I sighed. Real mature.

He'd call back, but I wasn't going to pick up. We needed our space right now.

The sun had fallen while I was interviewing the mother and the sudden chill made the street even creepier. I walked quickly to my car.

Across the street, two teenagers were sitting on a stoop. I kept my head down, in hopes that they would leave me alone.

They didn't.

"You don't know what you're getting yourself in to, bitch!" One of them called out.

"We saw you at the building. We know your face now!"

"We'll come for you when you least expect it!"

My eyes got big and fear filled my body. The teens started to cross the street when a black SUV rolled down the street. Rap was blaring out of the stereo and the two men in black were hulking in size. The slowed and turned their heads to the teens. The teens in turn shut up and scurried back under their rock. The driver turned to me and lifted his head to me.

"You okay?" He asked, his brown eyes boring into mine. I nodded.

"Make sure you're aware of your surroundings." And he drove off.

Words I should've heeded.

I went home and continued my investigation. I didn't have many resources, but I was tenacious.

A week later, I was nowhere and ready to give up. Joe and I still hadn't talked about what was going on in our relationship and I wasn't eager to start the conversation. Right now, I was focusing on the case and pounding the pavement for leads.

And all I was getting was big fat zero.

Sighing, I pulled myself out of my car and started again.

"Hey girl." My new friend Lula asked me when I came up with the sandwiches. Lula was a 'ho working the corner and had helped me focus my search. "You spend any more time here and they going to think you's a 'ho too."

"I'm almost finished and then I'll branch out further. Got anything for me?"

Jackie sauntered up. "Oh hell no. Do not tell me this bitch is back."

"Shut up. I'm hungry." Lula took a huge bite out of her sandwich. "Sorry white girl. I haven't heard anything concrete yet. Most of my regulars are still too scared to come back over here."

Damn, I was hoping she'd finally had something. "Okay, well if you find something, you've got my number."

"Sure do, white girl."

I smiled and waved good-bye before heading off to finish my canvas.

A few hours later, I was entering the last building on my list when I felt a sizzle hit my neck.

And here I am.

"Jesus, did you have to taze her?" The driver asked.

"Well how else were we supposed to get her into the car? She's a white girl in a bad neighborhood; Nancy Grace would've been all over that shit."

"Did you think about, oh I don't know, asking her?"

"Which would lead to screaming and then you know the rest. Besides, all he said was 'bring her in', no instructions as to how. Stupid bastard's too vague."

"We're going to get fired for sure."

Now the normal person would be terrified if they had been tazed and then shoved into a truck. Me? I was just curious. Why did they want me? Did this have something to do with my case?

I was about to find out.

The car stopped and I was dragged into an elevator. We got out a few seconds later, I was walked across a room that was full of silence.

I just hoped they were planning to kill me.

They sat me down and left the room.

This was a good sign. If they were going to kill me, they wouldn't make me sit down.

A little while later, I felt a tingle race up my spine and the bag was removed from my head. I blinked and gasped. "You," I breathed.

"Babe."

Yes! Our favorite characters are about to meet again! And yes, the guys have a good reason for why they picked her up like that. The next chapter's going to be in Ranger's POV to get the scoop. Until next time, dear readers!