Family Ties

Chapter 27

Six weeks later...

I was smiling as I headed into the bonds office. I'd gotten a late start, as Tank and I hadn't gotten our skip in until very late last night. Splitting the bounty with Tank on Ranger-level skips had done wonders for my income. As had all the other jobs the guys called me in for. My training continued, and I was really starting to enjoy it for its own sake.

Brennan and Lydia had both been held for trial without bond, given their history of running. I was relieved. I really didn't want to have to do that all over again. Then it turned out that Brennan had a little time left on parole for a previous violation, so was returned to prison.

Ranger had been trying to talk me into working for Rangeman full-time. Things had been going so well for us that I was a little reluctant to rock the boat. I worried that it would change things between us. Last night while waiting for the skip, Tank asked me to reconsider. He'd like to make us permanent partners. I was thinking about it. Whether I did or not, I'd never forget the offer. It was a huge compliment.

I strolled into the office, causing Lula and Connie to pause briefly in their bickering. Lula narrowed her eyes at me. "Girl, what are you so happy about today?"

I smiled. "Is there any reason I shouldn't be?"

"Hmpf. Well, I guess finally hookin' up wit Batman would make any woman happy."

I turned to Connie. "Any files for me?"

"I got files, but Vinnie doesn't want you working on anything until you bring in Trevor Beaumont. There's only three days left and he stands to lose a lot of money."

I carefully laid Beaumont's receipt on her desk. "Hmm, looks like I'm ready for those files."

She picked up the receipt. "You got him?"

Lula spoke up. "Maybe you're the shit!"

I laughed out loud. "On a good day."

Vinnie poked his head out of his office. "Christ, what's all the noise about?"

Connie waved the receipt in the air. "Steph brought in Beaumont."

Vinnie stared at me in disbelief. He broke out of his trance to say "Nice. So get back to work, we're getting backlogged here!"

Connie wrote out the check while I skimmed through the files. "You staying for lunch?"

I shook my head. "Not today, got a hot date for lunch."

Lula grinned at me. "Hot is right! Whew!"

I left the office, rolling my eyes at Connie and Lula fanning themselves. If they only knew the reality was so much better than they imagined...

I parked in the Rangeman garage and headed for the elevator. I was excited about lunch. Ranger and I hadn't seen much of each other for a few days. Seemed like our schedules just didn't coordinate. After bringing in Beaumont, I decided against going to Ranger's. I knew he had an early meeting and I probably wouldn't even see him when he left. I had arrived home to find him asleep in my bed. He'd been gone when I woke up, but he'd left me a note asking me to lunch.

The elevator stopped, and I walked toward Ranger's office. I paused when I noticed Tank, Bobby, and Lester not far from the door, strange looks on their faces.

Bobby was the first to speak. "I don't know if you want to go in there just now, Bombshell. He's been yelling for at least half an hour."

My eyebrows rose as I thought about it. I don't think I'd ever heard Ranger yell. Judging by the worried looks on the guys' faces, it wasn't a common event.

I stared at the door for a minute, making up my mind. A loud crash from behind the door decided me, and I picked up my pace.

"Bombshell-" Lester started, before Tank shushed him.

"Leave her be. She knows what she's doing."

I hoped he was right. I opened the door as the guys walked away. Ranger hadn't even noticed. He was glaring at what remained of the phone as it rested in pieces on the floor.

"Ranger?" No response.

"Manoso!" I barked out. He started, then turned to me. I could almost see him trying to regain control of himself. Finally he assumed his blank expression and waited.

"Tank" I called out.

He appeared at the door at a trot. "Steph?"

I gestured vaguely in Ranger's direction. "He's off the clock starting now."

Tank nodded. "I'll cover."

"Thanks, big guy."

"No problem."

Ranger chose this moment to speak up. "Babe, I can't just-"

I cut him off. "You're not fit right now."

He took a deep breath, but didn't argue. I took his hand and pulled him to the elevator. Once inside the seventh floor apartment, I called Ella and asked for lunch in half an hour.

I turned to Ranger and pointed to the living room. He nodded, and I followed him in. "Okay, you've got half an hour to tell me what's going on."

He took a deep breath, and then another. "I was on the phone with the DA's office."

"Okay."

"Do you know how Sam was burned?" I shook my head as he continued. "After he...when he had already done the other damage, he filled up a tub of hot bleach water. Trying to get rid of the evidence. He held her in there. The docs say she was unconscious at the time."

"How do they know?"

"That water was hot enough to cause serious burns. If she had been conscious, she would have struggled, no matter how afraid she was. But she didn't have any splash burns from a struggle. And he held her by her left arm, which is why that one isn't burned at all."

I took a deep breath and shuddered. "And the call from the DA's office?"

"It worked Steph." I looked at him, confused. "They say they have very little physical evidence. They're worried they won't get a conviction."

Oh no, this was bad. "So what are they planning?"

His jaw tightened. "To use a little girl, traumatize her all over again. I should have killed that bastard when I had the chance."

"Ranger." He regained his focus. "What, specifically, does the DA's office want to do?"

He shook his head. "Sam's been seeing a counselor."

I'd met her. "Sandy."

"Yeah, Sandy. Sam hasn't gone into detail about what happened to her, and Sandy doesn't think she'll be ready to any time soon."

"Okay."

"The DA's office wants Sandy to push her to do so, and they want it on videotape."

I understood his rage, now. I felt it myself. I forced myself to be calm. Ranger and Sam needed me to think of a way out of this.

"Can Lydia be pressured to testify against him? Would the DA's office make a deal with her?"

"You want them to make a deal with Lydia?"

I shrugged. "Her parental rights have been severed, right?" Ranger nodded, obviously wondering where I was going with this. "So she'll never be able to see Sam again. Well, if it gets Brennan convicted and keeps Sam out of it, we should at least try."

"You're right."

"Of course I am. Here's what we do: You tell Sandy to stall the DA's office. You start solidifying whatever evidence there is, and have someone feel out the possibility of a deal for Lydia. I'm going to start backtracking Brennan."

"What are you looking for?"

"I don't know, exactly. Maybe an ex-girlfriend that left him because he hit her kids, some kind of history that relates, anything, really. Would Kappy and my testimony be admissible, on how he bragged about it and made threats?"

"I don't know."

"Find out."

"I will." He stood and pulled me into his arms. We held each other for a long time, not saying a word.

Eventually, Ella brought our lunch. By unspoken agreement, we talked of light subjects while we ate. We were piling up our dishes when he spoke of it again. "Babe, I know I had planned to take you out to lunch. After that damned call from the DA's office, I wasn't even thinking about it."

I smiled up at him. "Don't be silly. We'll just say you owe me a lunch out. Well, I better get busy if I'm going to find anything in time to be useful."

"Yeah, and I guess I have some calls to make. I think I'll call it a day fairly early. Will you be here tonight?"

"Absolutely." I kissed him goodbye and headed back down the elevator.

Once I pulled out of the garage, I pulled out my phone. Time for the part of the plan I didn't mention to Ranger.

"Javi? Stephanie Plum. Listen, can you meet me somewhere we can talk? I need information and a favor."