Family Ties

Chapter 9

I turned to Sonny. "What do you think?"

He shrugged. "Tommy tried every substance known to mankind, and probably a few that aren't. If Kendra thinks Brennan was on drugs, he probably was."

"And dealing?" Ranger asked.

Sonny shook his head. "Not something Kendra has any experience in. But if Lydia said they didn't have any money, he wasn't buying."

Ranger smiled a little, and met Sonny's eyes in the rearview mirror. "That's why it's worth it to check into it. Need a job?"

"Got one, but thanks."

Ranger shrugged, "The offer is open indefinitely."

We pulled up in front of the office. Sonny had left Pat's car there earlier, but I was guessing that was Jack's SUV parked there as well. All three of us headed into the office.

Pat was just finishing up a phone call as we walked in. She smiled as she looked up. "Hey, I was just about to lock up. We're done for the day. Join us for dinner?"

Ranger smiled at her. "We'll have to take a raincheck on that. We actually came to ask you a favor."

"What's that?" asked Jack, coming in from the back of the office. He walked up behind Pat and wrapped his arms around her. She leaned into him with a smile before looking expectantly at Ranger.

"Kendra believes Brennan may have stayed in town to make a drug deal."

"What kind of drug deal?"

"She said he was wired. He'd have been selling."

Jack kissed the top of his wife's head, telling her "Your department" before backing off and taking a seat at the other desk in the office.

She nodded absently, before turning back to Ranger. "You have photos of both of them, right?" At Ranger's nod, she pointed toward the back of the office. "Make a bunch of copies while I make a call."

Ranger headed in that direction while Pat dug her cell phone out of her purse. "Can never... oh, there it is. You two might as well have a seat."

Sonny and I took her advice, and sat down to listen her half of the conversation. "Rene? It's Ransom. I need a favor. ...Looking for someone...no, not one of yours...An outsider looking to deal...see you in 20."

Jack watched, amused, as Pat turned and yelled toward the back. "Ranger! You got those copies yet?"

Ranger returned, carrying a stack of copies. "What's the rush?"

She grabbed them out of his hands. "Places to go, people to see." She walked over to Jack, kissed him a promise, and told him "Back in about an hour."

He nuzzled her neck a bit before letting her go. "Be careful."

She picked up her purse on the way out. As she got to the door, she called out "Hey Steph, ready to go?"

I picked up my purse and started to follow her. Ranger got to the door so fast I didn't even see him move.

"Where are you going?"

"Meeting a friend who can get us some information, he'll know if Brennan was trying to deal." Pat answered calmly.

"He'll know this how?"

"He leads the Califas. They've got their hands in everything these days."

"You're taking Stephanie to meet some drug dealing gang banger?"

I was starting to get offended. I mean, I wasn't crazy about it either, but I wanted to find these people. Besides, hadn't he heard Pat call him a friend? I thought we were partners, and now he's talking about me as if I wasn't there.

Jack spoke up. "Pat knows what she's doing, Ric. Now would be a good time to back off."

Pat narrowed her eyes. "I thought Steph was your partner. You've apparently forgotten what that means. You either trust us or you don't. If you do, get out of the way, we've got work to do. If not, do this your own damn self."

Ranger took a deep breath before turning to me. "Babe?"

"I have to go, Ranger. See you in about an hour."

His jaw clenched, but he nodded, and reached into the small of his back, pulling out a gun and settling it in my waistband. "Be careful."

I followed Pat out to her car, and got in without a word. I waited until we got out of the parking lot to ask my questions. "Okay, who is Rene, and why would he help you? And why did you pick me to go with you rather than one of the guys?"

She smiled a little as she navigated. "Rene runs the Califas, a local gang. He owes me a few favors. As we're not going after any of his crew, he'll be happy to help to pay off at least one of them. His street name is 'Odie'."

"Odie? Like the dog in Garfield?"

She shook her head. "No, because his competitors have a habit of turning up in the morgue, victims of an overdose." I shuddered as she continued. "I chose you because he won't see you as a threat. Bringing one of the guys implies lack of trust. And weakness, that I need one of them to take care of me. I'm not about to give these guys a weakness to exploit."

"Do you trust him?"

She thought about this for a minute. "Within certain limits, yes. If I was after him or one of his crew, I've no doubt he'd do anything he needed to do to prevent that. We've helped each other on occasion, and have an unspoken mutual non-interference policy."

"So, 'Ransom'?"

Pat blushed, and took a deep breath. "Just between you and me, okay?"

I nodded, curious.

"I've known Odie since I was in high school. His youngest sister was in my class, and I helped keep her out of trouble and out of the gangs, which he appreciated. He was already heavily into the life, so we were friendly, but not friends. My senior year, I was working part-time for a private investigator, strictly secretarial stuff, but learning how to do the research. So anyway, one day I had this stupid slip that just wouldn't stay up."

"Wait a minute. A slip?"

"Yes and just let me finish this horribly embarrassing story before we get where we're going."

I nodded, and grinned a little at her continued blush.

"So, the elastic was out on my slip, and it wouldn't stay up even after I pinned it, so I took it off. I figured, it was a black skirt so no one was going to see anything anyway. Shit, I haven't thought about this for a long time. Okay, so the slip is in the trash, I'm working, everything's fine."

I was smiling now. I couldn't wait to hear the rest of it. "Until?"

"It was my turn to make the lunch run. My skirt was opaque in fluorescent light, but in sunlight? Not so much. I get to the restaurant to pick up our order, and Odie's there." She shakes her head. "Of course, he has to make a smart ass comment."

"What did he say?"

She laughed. "He looked me up and down and said, 'Nice. Hey baby, how much?' I was mortified. So of course, I had to make a smart ass comment right back."

"Of course." I managed through my laughter. "What did you say?"

"Well, first I looked him up and down, then I told him 'More than you'll ever have.' So he tells me that money is easy to come by, and asks again, 'How much?' I looked him right in the eye and told him..."

"Oh, come on! What did you tell him?"

She blew out a breath on a laugh as she answered, "A king's ransom."

I looked at her and we both lost it. When we'd finally calmed down, and I'd wiped the tears from my eyes, Pat turned to me again. "If you repeat that story I'll deny every word."

I shook my head, "It's not that bad, really. Ask a Rangeman about my stories sometime. And those are public knowledge."

"Nothing doing, you have to give me a story that's not public knowledge.

I thought about it a minute, then told her about Joe handcuffing me to the shower rod, and having to call Ranger to let me loose.

Her turn to laugh at my expense. "And Ranger didn't make any wisecracks, no come on lines, nothing?"

"No come ons, no wisecracks until much later, when I could laugh about it."

She looked at me like she was trying to decide something. "I thought..."

"What?"

"Nevermind, table it for now. Lose the guns, we're almost there."

I removed Ranger's gun from my waistband, and my own from the small of my back. Funny that Pat noticed but Ranger didn't. Still worried about him. I looked to Pat, and she nodded toward the glove box. I put both guns in just as we were parking in the lot of a pool hall.

Pat caught my eyeroll, and laughed. "I know, very cliche."

I followed her in, and she stopped at a pool table near the back. She turned toward the largest man I have ever seen. Imagine Tank, if he let himself go and gained a couple of hundred pounds, give or take. I think he had four chins, but I couldn't quite see that high, so I could be wrong.

"Zip, we have an appointment with Odie."

He nodded and came toward her. She lifted her arms to the side and let herself be checked for weapons. "She going with you?" He jerked his head in my direction, causing all his chins to wobble. Pat nodded, and he gave me the same treatment. Satisfied, he said "This way." and opened a door at the back.

Zip didn't follow us in. I don't know what I expected from the leader of a gang. Someone like Junkman, I guess. This man was tall, thin, and looked like anyone. Well dressed, he looked like an ordinary businessman. Too well dressed for a pool hall though.

He approached us both, watching me warily. He hugged Pat, telling her "Ransom, it's been a while. How's married life?"

Her smile lit up the room as she answered "Married life is everything I ever dreamed of, thank you. How is your family?"

"They are well. My daughter is nearing puberty, and I'm losing sleep, but she is a good girl. Introduce me to your friend." This was not a request.

"Odie, this is Bombshell."

He took my hand as his eyes raked over me. "She certainly is. Pleasure to meet you. Any friend of Ransom's and all that."

Well, if Pat could be calm under that stare in high school, I could now. So I coolly looked him in the eye, and simply said "Thank you."

The corners of his mouth turned up before he released my hand and turned back to Pat. "So, you are looking for a drug dealer now? Doesn't seem like your style."

She shook her head. "I'm looking for a man who beats and rapes baby girls, who happened to be looking to deal for some getaway money."

He nodded. "Ah, this makes much more sense. How did you get involved?"

"The girl's uncle is a friend. He's actually the one looking, I'm just trying to help." She answered softly.

Odie turned to me. "And you? How do you fit into this?"

"I'm the uncle's partner." He nodded.

"Why the partner and not the uncle?" he asked Pat.

"He and Snake worked together." Odie's eyebrows went up. "His patience is very thin just now, and I didn't want his temper to...complicate our friendship."

Odie smiled. "Thank you. The man's name?"

Pat handed over the stack of pictures. "His name is Michael Brennan. His girlfriend is Lydia Yazzie. They may have left for the reservation, but any information is appreciated."

"Any idea as to substance or quantity?"

"Only that our source believed him to be 'wired'. We suspect he was looking to conduct business on Monday."

"Hmm. Just him, or are you looking for the woman as well?"

"Both of them."

"And if he hasn't left? If I find them, what would you have me do?"

"Hold them. We'll send someone to pick them up."

He nodded. "One of you must accompany the someone." Pat nodded. "This 'baby girl', how old?"

Pat turned to me, so I answered. "Three."

Odie turned to me. "If we find them first, I will call Ransom. I can promise they will be breathing. Beyond that...I make no guarantees."

I met his eyes. "So much the better."

He smiled fully as he turned back to Pat. "I like her. You choose your friends well. I will spread the word immediately. Now, I won't keep you from your new husband any longer."

We both murmured our thanks, and calmly walked out the door. I breathed a huge sigh of relief when we got in the car, but didn't feel too bad when I noticed Pat doing the same.

She smiled at me as we turned out of the lot. "Call Ranger and tell him we're on our way back."