Stephanie
Kenny Mancuso was still missing. Where the heck was he hiding? I was frustrated with the CID's investigation. They didn't spend enough time or resources to catch Mancuso. He stole munitions from the military and sold some to drug lords in Mexico. With that kind of armoury, it wouldn't take much for them to kill the special operatives who arrived to exterminate the cartel members. I personally didn't want my husband to cross their path.
Andy Broderick, Tank's contact in the CID, said they couldn't find evidence of Mancuso in Morelli's basement. But the men noticed the room was too clean for a man cave. Indentations were missing in the area carpet, proving it was new to the room. The couch got covered in dog hair, but the Morellis didn't own a pet. All the doorknobs, walls and other hard surfaces got thoroughly cleaned, and a hint of bleach lingered in the air. "Are you serious?" I asked. Tank briefed everyone at the morning meeting.
"Their scanners didn't pick up any fingerprints, which is unusual. The hairs are for a shaggy red dog. Our intel showed Brian Gaspick owns a dog with similar hair," Tank explained.
"Do they think Mancuso is hiding at Gaspick's house?" Lester asked.
"No. Manny and Junior accessed Gaspick's house to find evidence on or inside the sofa, but it was clean. Junior found a receipt in the filing cabinet for a professional furniture cleaning service. Not a single hair was found inside the sofa bed," Tank explained.
"What about the mattress?" I asked. "Never mind. Gaspick replaced it, right?" Tank nodded.
"I want teams of two surveilling each of the Morelli's homes around the clock," Ranger ordered. "Mooch and Anthony Morelli know our Trenton men and vehicles. Fly in Ghost and Deuce from Miami. Get Monitz and Parker from Atlanta."
"Boston?" Bobby asked.
"No," Tank and Ranger replied. "Slick got too close to a few men. I have Alejandro Montez watching them."
Alejandro Montez was Lester's cousin on his father's side. I smiled at Lester. When I caught his eye, I winked. He grinned. Ranger caught my eye and raised an eyebrow, making me giggle. "Does Rangeman Boston know Alejandro is Lester's cousin?" I asked. My husband's grin was radiant.
"You picked up on him," Ranger stated.
"Yup. He's the right man for the job." I closed my eyes for a few seconds. "Have Jandro keep an eye on Josef Gomez. Josef is asking a lot of questions and conducting an investigation." Neither Lester nor Ranger asked how I knew Alejandro preferred Jandro to Alex. I was certain they could read the answer on my face.
"And if he's guilty of betraying Rangeman?" Lester asked.
"Ship him to Mexico, where Mancuso sold the guns." I could see Josef entering the small town and getting shot before stepping into the local bar. "You should send him anyways."
"I like how your devious mind works," Lester said, laughing.
"My mind isn't devious. I can see Gomez causing serious harm to his coworkers," I replied honestly. "Do you have a list of all the Morelli family members?"
Tank pushed a document across the table. Carlos and I compiled the list of family members who would help hide Kenny. He wouldn't stay with his parents or immediate family, such as cousins. My spidey sense kept focussing on Bella Morelli. "Babe?"
"Ranger, do you still have the intel on Bella Morelli?" I asked.
"On the laptop," he replied. "We can dig into the details after our meeting."
"Does anyone have anything to add?" Tank asked.
"Yes. Since I'm not attending my Zumba or yoga classes, I need a way to exercise. I've been using the treadmill and rowing machine, but I need to learn self-defence and kickboxing. Could I have Lester and Hector train me?"
Carlos could teach me. Though, every time he tried, it ended with us having sex. I didn't want to give the men inside the gym that kind of show. We concluded the meeting after Lester and Hector agreed to train me.
"Boss, Jeanne Ellen Burrows is here to see you," Hal said, blushing. "She refused to make an appointment." Where have I heard that name before? Who was she?
"Have someone bring her to my office. We are not to be disturbed," Ranger ordered. Jealousy ripped through my mind and heart. I followed the men as they exited the room. Ranger grabbed my hand when I walked past him. "Babe, you're coming with me. Jeanne Ellen works for Les Sebring and often does distractions for Rangeman."
He didn't answer my silent question of who was she? Was she Ranger's ex-girlfriend? His fuck buddy before he met me?
We held hands and walked up the stairs to the fifth floor. A gorgeous woman with dark eyes and hair was sitting in Ranger's chair. I politely smiled when we entered the room. Ranger closed and locked the door behind us. Jeanne Ellen jumped up from the chair and ran to Ranger for a hug. He kissed her forehead, making my heart break. "Babe, not many people know this, but Jeanne Ellen is Lester's sister, my cousin. After her husband got killed a few years ago, she moved to Trenton. To keep her identity safe, she kept her married name. We encouraged the rumours of her romantic involvement with me," Ranger explained.
"Due to the nature of my late husband's military career and his enemies, my background check only shows what we want it to show," Jeanne added. "Which states I'm an only child, and my parents passed away when I was young, causing me to bounce around foster homes."
"Thank God," I sighed. "I thought you were an ex-girlfriend. Hi, I'm Steph."
Jeanne Ellen laughed. "Jeanne Ellen, but family calls me Jeanelle. Lester told me about you," she replied. Ranger growled. "Don't get grumpy, primo. I never told Tia Mariela about your wife."
"Why the urgency to meet today, Jeanelle?" Ranger asked.
"I've heard things on Stark St. Morelli's been flapping his gums. The TPD discovered files and evidence missing from their storage room. Detective Morelli blames Rangeman for the security breach. He claimed your man, Hector, entered the TPD after disabling their cameras to steal the evidence and folders from the file room," she replied. "Jose said you'd want to know. I asked him to pass along the message, but he insisted I tell you since you're home." Jeanne blushed when she mentioned Jose.
Ah. Jeanne Ellen and Jose are dating. "What evidence is gone?" I asked.
"Everything Rangeman released to the TPD for joint cases," she replied. Shit! My spidey sense screamed that Joseph Morelli stole them. Doesn't Rangeman have copies?
"Even if Rangeman had copies of the paperwork, Morelli could argue we stole the original files," Ranger added.
"I was afraid of that," I said. Jeanne Ellen raised an eyebrow. "We have men on the streets with ears to the ground for gossip. Rangeman is trying to prove their innocence and Morelli is actively tarnishing their reputation. It's time to get down and dirty."
"What do you have in mind?" Jeanne Ellen asked.
"Plan B." Ranger raised an eyebrow. "Time to use a distraction. I can handle it if I wear a wig and contacts," I offered.
"No," Jeanne Ellen replied. "I'll do it. Tell me what you need done."
"I received a package from General Plum. He wants us to test a new technology for covert undercover operations." Carlos walked around his desk and pressed a button. The cabinet behind his desk swung open to reveal a safe hidden in the wall. He stepped in front of it to block our view and entered a lengthy code. Ranger opened the safe door to remove the wooden box inside.
"What is it?" I asked, leaning around him to get a better look. Carlos closed the safe, then snapped the cabinet into place. He sat on his chair and pulled me onto his lap. "Pull up a chair," I told Jeanne Ellen. She moved a chair closer to the desk and sat across from us.
Ranger removed the lid, then pulled a velvet box from inside. "Undetectable tracking and surveillance gear. The signals they discharge is out of range for the detection devices in Morelli's possession." He passed me a tiny microphone. "The range is a few hundred meters. Twice the distance of our devices."
"Could anyone hijack the signal?" I asked. Hector had explained how he could access other listening devices in the field. He installed the programs on my laptop. However, I could only hear the conversation if I was in proximity to the devices or if Hector had a parabolic dish to pick up the signal.
"No. Each set of earbuds has to get programmed specifically to receive the signal from the microphone. These were preprogrammed," Ranger explained.
I pointed into the velvet case. "But there are six pairs of earbuds with one microphone."
"They're synchronized to work together. We can hear the conversation through the mic, but we can't communicate between us." I was confused about how they could warn their undercover man of danger. Ranger removed a second velvet box and opened it. "The secondary device is programmed for one earbud pair."
"Hmm. Let me see if I understand. You can communicate with me if I wear this earbud for your mic. Then my microphone would send the communication between the target and me to the team," I said. Ranger nodded. "But wouldn't the two signals cause feedback for someone?"
"That's the beauty of this technology. Zero interference, echoes and feedback noise."
Carlos, Jeanne Ellen and I planned a scheme to get her close to Joe Morelli. I called Lester, Hector, Bobby, Vince and Rodriguez into the office. We agreed to wait a few days for Morelli to notice Jeanne Ellen. Ranger removed the mic and earbuds for Jeanne Ellen to use and placed them in an empty case. "Don't lose them," he warned.
"I won't," she replied. "Watch for my signal."
"And that is?" Lester asked.
"Check the skies," Jeanne Ellen joked, winking at me. I watched her leave the office and laughed.
"What?" Lester asked.
"She told you to watch the skies for her signal. Who receives their messages that way?" Lester looked confused. "Come on, Batman. It's time for lunch," I replied, saying Batman louder than the other words. I grabbed Ranger's hand and dragged him to the break room.
"I get it," Lester called after us. I laughed.
Ella placed a container in the refrigerator with my name written in permanent marker on the lid. I pulled it out and opened it. "How did she know?" I asked.
Ranger smiled when I placed the dish into the microwave to reheat. "Babe, you and Lester ate extreme wings with sriracha for dinner last night. I know you love spicy food. Ella found a recipe for the arrabbiata sauce. She assumed you'd like the spicy sausage too."
"Penne with arrabbiata and spicy sausage is my favourite pasta dish," I said. Ranger wrapped his arms around me as I waited for my food to heat. Vince and Lester ran into the break room when I removed the plate from the microwave.
"Is that grandma's recipe?" Vince asked. I shrugged.
Ella entered the room and smiled. "I got the recipe from Tori Lombardi," she replied.
"Momma gave you the family recipe?" Ella nodded and tapped Vince's cheek. She pulled a plastic container off her cart and placed it into his hands.
"There's enough for you and Lester."
I sat at the table to eat while Lester impatiently waited for his food to reheat. The container was too large for the microwave, so Lester had to settle for Vince to heat his food before Lester could have his.
"It tastes as good as grandma Plum's," I said after eating the last bite.
"Yup," Vince replied with his mouth filled with the spicy pasta.
Lester savoured his lunch. He enjoyed every mouthful of the pasta and sausage. When he finished eating, he rinsed off the plates and loaded them into the dishwasher. "Man, that was amazing. I hope Tia Ella makes it again."
"I'm sure she will," I laughed. "It's my favourite. I'm unsure how she figured it out, but I bet you anything that Aunt Tori told her. When did they become friends?"
Vince messaged his mother. He grinned when she explained in a text. Vince said, "They met in the specialty store in Newark last week. Ella was replenishing her spices and banana leaves to make tamales. My mom and Ella discussed spicy food. Before they left the shop, they exchanged numbers and email addresses." His phone buzzed again with another message. "My mom told Ella that you loved the recipe."
"Aunt Tori had no way of knowing I was coming to Trenton."
"Nope. Ella knows how much Lester loves his spicy foods. She hoped he would enjoy it, but didn't make the pasta dish until more people could eat it," Ranger explained as he read the message off his phone.
My heart started racing. Too many people from my past knew I was in Trenton. It was a mistake to come here. "Steph, you know my mom won't tell anyone you're here. I doubt my dad said anything to her," Vince said. His phone rang before he could continue comforting me. Vince answered the call, then gave the phone to me.
"Hello?"
"Hey, little girl. Nobody knows you're here. I haven't told anyone," Uncle Jimmy said.
"How did you know?" I asked.
"I know you, and I talked to your father. I'll send your favourites to the building tonight," he promised.
"You don't have to do that."
"True, but I want to. Have Vince drop by at six to pick up the food."
"Roger," I replied, then hung up. I returned the phone to Vince. "You need to pick up our dinner by six." Vince shook his head.
"Dad never agreed to cook dinner for me. He must like you better," Vince teased.
"Probably," I replied, laughing. "Jimmy never told your mom. We should be able to keep my location secured for a few more weeks."
Carlos and I exchanged a glance before leaving the break room. I was worried about people finding me in Trenton. Our sting operative with Jeanne Ellen was going down tonight, and I was nervous for Jeanne Ellen.
Ranger passed me the laptop when I sat on the couch in his office. I noticed he had closed the door when we entered the room. We had research to conduct and Ranger didn't want us to get interrupted. He lightly kissed my lips, then sat behind his desk to do important CEO business.
I occupied my afternoon by filtering through the mundane lives of the Morellis. Anthony Sr was worse than I had heard through the grapevine. The number of women Anthony screwed was astronomical. Did he or the women use birth control? How many illegitimate Morelli children lived in the neighbouring towns? Gross. What the hell? I couldn't be reading that right.
"Babe?" Ranger asked when I gasped.
"Did you know that Michael Morelli is probably Joe's brother?" I asked. Ranger raised an eyebrow. "Everyone calls him Mooch. Michael Sr was out of town when Sophia Morelli got pregnant. Anthony Sr slept with his sister-in-law when his brother was away on business."
"I can assure you that I will never sleep with your sister," Ranger replied.
I rolled my eyes at my husband. "That's reassuring," I deadpanned. "I know you won't cheat on me. I trust you. Even though your female clients throw themselves at your feet."
"Which I find annoying." He pushed the hair off the back of my neck to kiss me. His lips were warm against my skin. When Carlos licked the path of his lips, I nearly came in my panties. Goodness.
"Batman, we have a job to do," I unconvincingly said.
"So do I, but you're not letting me work," he joked. I was afraid someone would walk into the office. "Babe, I locked the door."
What the hell? I leaned away from Carlos to set the laptop on the coffee table. He took it for the invitation that it was. Within a few minutes, I was moaning his name. Several minutes later, he whispered, "Stephanie," as he released inside me.
We returned to work after Carlos got a warm soapy cloth from his washroom to clean between my legs. I laughed when he passed me the panties he stored in his desk drawer. "Aren't those your emergency pair?" I joked.
"Babe." I put myself together before going to his desk to open the drawer. Carlos had extra bras, panties, shirts and yoga pants tucked inside. "Ella left them for you."
I snorted. Carlos dropped the damp cloth and towel in the hamper inside the bathroom. "Why?"
"She knows I can't keep my hands off you when we're alone." It was more like Ella knew Carlos was too impatient and tore off my clothes. "That too," Carlos said, laughing. I wasn't embarrassed because it was the truth.