Ranger
Stephanie reluctantly stayed in our apartment on the seventh floor while I stayed outside of Pete's Pub. Lester sat beside me in the car. He refused to stay at Rangeman while his sister was inside the bar. I drove one of the vehicles we used for undercover ops. It was a dark brown Ford Taurus with tinted windows. I parked it in the dark corner of the parking lot. Lester and I were waiting for Morelli to arrive.
"Is he for real?" Jeanne Ellen said through the mic. "Hey, Pete. Can you hold my seat while I use the washroom?" I watched Pete pull the tumbler off the counter and tuck it below the bar. Her drink won't get spiked on his watch.
"Sure," he replied. The shoes clicked on the wooden floor as Jeanne Ellen walked across the bar to the restrooms. Lester watched Jeanne Ellen's movement through the app on his phone. I raised an eyebrow. He motioned that Hector had given her a pendant that contained a camera. I had one clipped to my Rangeman jacket. It would start recording when I pressed the button on my fob.
Jeanne Ellen exchanged a few words with the other woman in the washroom. She pretended to use the facilities. "Okay. I'm free to speak. Target entered through the employee entrance at the side. He removed his wedding ring when he saw me. I think he's expecting us to hook up," she quietly said. "Can you see everything?"
"Do whatever you feel is necessary to get the intel," I replied. Lester tipped his phone to show me the live video. "Affirmative. Stay safe."
"Mmhmm," she said as she turned on the tap. I heard the door bang against the wall. Lester raised an eyebrow when a woman wearing a top revealed the D-cup breast implants. The fabric barely covered her nipples. Her denim skirt left nothing to the imagination.
"Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare ya," a woman said as she snapped the gum inside her mouth. Everything about the woman screamed she was a hooker.
"No problem." I heard the snick of the door closing. "Creepy," Jeanne Ellen whispered. A man passed Jeanne Ellen, looking at her appreciatively before disappearing behind the women's washroom door.
The shoes clacked across the wooden floor as Jeanne Ellen returned to the bar. A few minutes later, we heard Joe ask, "What's a pretty woman like you doing in a dive like this?"
I smiled when I read Stephanie's text message.
Stephanie: Does that line ever work?
Me: Babe
Stephanie: Ya. I know, Batman. It works on desperate women. Is Lester recording all of this? Hector won't let me watch.
Lester raised an eyebrow. It wasn't like me to pay attention to my phone unless it was an emergency. I smiled and told Stephanie that hearing the exchange was bad enough. "Does that line ever work?" Jeanne Ellen asked, making me grin.
"Usually," Joe replied. "Why are you here?"
"I was looking for a skip, but my intel must have been wrong. He isn't here," she replied, sticking to the script. Lester snickered when he saw Morelli staring at Jeanne Ellen's breasts. We saw Jeanne Ellen's outfit in the washroom mirror. She wore a tight maroon top with leather pants to display her figure.
"What did he do?" I got Lester to share the display. Jeanne Ellen leaned around Joe, attempting to see if her phantom skip was inside the bar.
Jeanne Ellen shifted to look at the bar. Pete pulled her glass of soda from beneath the bar and slid it back in front of Jeanne Ellen. She sipped the coke she ordered after arriving at the bar. "Beat his wife after she caught him sleeping with her friend," Jeanne answered. "The wife said he frequented this place nightly."
Ice clinked against the glass before it thunked onto the bar top. "Another?" Joe asked. "Can I buy you a drink? I see you could use a refill."
"Sure. I'll take a rum and coke," Jeanne Ellen ordered. A minute later, I heard the two glasses getting set on the surface by the bartender. "What are you doing here tonight? I heard a rumour that you're married."
"Separated," Joe smoothly replied. "She stopped putting out. A man has needs." Lester snorted at Joe's lie.
"I'm sorry about your wife. It must be difficult." We listened to the mundane conversation about Valerie and the girls. Joe seemed fond of Isabelle. I suspected it was for the potential payday when Isabelle inherited Stephanie's fortune.
"Have you run into the thugs?" Joe suddenly asked.
"I run into them on Stark St. It has many thugs lurking in the alleys. Which ones are you talking about?"
"The ones at Rangeman. I know the building houses thugs and criminals. Did you hear about the ex-gang banger, Hector, breaking into the Trenton Police department to steal records?" Joe asked.
Jeanne Ellen gasped. She shakily asked, "Is he the one with the teardrop tattoo?" Lester shoved a fist into his mouth to prevent Jeanne Ellen from hearing his laugh. She was laying it on pretty thick. Her shudders were the icing on the cake. Jeanne Ellen was playing her role well. Joe was too occupied with her breasts to hear the sarcasm.
"He is. I've been trying to pin something on those thugs for months." Joe continued to explain how he planted trackers on the Rangeman vehicles whenever he saw them. He had asked the hookers on Stark St to call him whenever one of our SUVs appeared in the area. It explained how Joe managed to keep an eye on my men whenever we removed and disabled his tracking devices.
"That building is filled with intimidating men. The largest guy is six and a half feet tall and built like a tank. I wouldn't be surprised if that's how he got the nickname." She leaned into Joe, then lowered her voice to whisper, "I heard their cars are hot. As in stolen, hot."
Stephanie: Was she wrong about Tank?
Me: No. You never asked about the cars.
Stephanie: I saw the sales receipts.
Me: Babe.
"Didn't you date Manoso?" Joe sneered.
"Ranger doesn't date anyone," Jeanne Ellen replied. "We had one night together. It was magical until he left. I thought he would spend the night. But he only wanted to scratch an itch."
"I can assist. Women don't call me the Italian Stallion for nothing," Joe bragged.
Jeanne Ellen bought Joe a few more drinks. Joe didn't realize she had ordered double or triple shots to ply him with more alcohol. Once Jeanne Ellen got Joe where she wanted him, she asked to have a quickie in the backseat of his car. He drunkenly accepted her offer.
"Just move the files into the trunk," Joe said. "I'll open it for you." Jeanne Ellen wisely refrained from touching the folders. She waited for Joe to grab them.
"Are those stickers?" Jeanne Ellen asked when she looked into the trunk. It was our code word for the missing TPD files. She lifted the pendant necklace to angle it for Lester to view. We could see the labels on the folders. Morelli had the stolen documents in his trunk. I wondered if the evidence was inside the vehicle.
"Nah. Just a few files I borrowed from the precinct to conduct an investigation," Joe replied. Jeanne Ellen got him to confess.
"What investigation?" she asked with interest.
Joe was too drunk to keep his thoughts to himself. "The one regarding a close family friend. I'm trying to prove the intel from Rangeman got fabricated."
Lester and I exited our vehicle. We waited until Joe Juniak and the TPD chief, Angelo Russo, appeared at Morelli's car. He had the folders inside a banker's box in the trunk of his police-issued service vehicle. Russo dismissed Jeanne Ellen. They didn't need her statement. I activated my camera to continue the recording.
"What do we have here?" Angelo asked. He pulled on a pair of latex gloves and handed another pair to Joe Juniak. Together, they removed files from the box for the technicians to check for fingerprints.
"I don't know," Joe replied. "I've never seen those before. One of the thugs at Rangeman must have planted them." Sure, it was a possibility, but we never touched the car. It usually got stored in the impound lot overnight. We were curious why Morelli was driving it tonight. He only drove his service vehicle while working.
I watched a few forensic technicians dust the box and files for prints. They scanned them into a computer to wait for the results. A few officers and Joe's prints were on the files. Joe Juniak looked my way. I raised an eyebrow and looked pointedly at Morelli.
"Check for the VGTG evidence," Juniak said. Rangeman found dirt on Vito Grizoli and Terry Gilman. The intel we gathered helped the DEA build a case against their associates, shutting down the drug supply line into Trenton.
Russo removed an evidence bag from the bottom of the box. "It's empty," he replied. After rifling through the trunk, he found a weapon stashed with the spare tire. Russo carefully lifted the gun. It resembled the weapon they recovered at the scene of a drug bust, but someone had removed the tag. "Grab the fibre," Russo ordered.
The technician used fine pliers to pull the pale brown string from the chamber. "It appears to be consistent with the twine the ballistics department uses," the man said. He scanned it into the computer and received a hit. "It's a match."
Joe Juniak sent someone a message. I didn't know what he planned, but I bet it had to do with checking Morelli's van at his Slater St home. Ten minutes later, Juniak's phone pinged. He read the message, then showed Russo. Both men were fuming.
My phone vibrated against my hip. I removed it from the utility belt and read the display.
Stephanie: Well? Did they find it?
Me: Yes.
Stephanie: And the stuff he hid in Valerie's van?
Me: Yes.
Stephanie: When are you coming home?
Me: Soon.
I smiled when Stephanie commented on my one-word answers. We couldn't have done the op without her input.
Stephanie: Oh. Get someone to check Terry Gilman's car. You'll find the incriminating evidence hidden inside the backseat. She has a fob to release the magnetic latch. It opens like a cedar chest. You may want to check Helen's house too. She has a metal box where she stores valuable paperwork.
Me: Babe, you never disappoint.
I waited until police chief Angelo Russo placed cuffs on Morelli and pushed him into the back of Gazarra's police cruiser. Once Eddie drove away, with a cussing Morelli in the back, I approached the men. "Juniak, you're aware of the situation?" I asked.
"Yes. What do you know?" he asked. I showed him the message from Stephanie. Juniak contacted the DEA agents to monitor Terry Gilman's travels. They would need the warrant to search her car. Because Joe removed the files and evidence from the TPD, none of the documents or proof could be used to incriminate the Grizolis. Morelli compromised the case the DEA, the TPD and Rangeman had worked on for over two years. Juniak dismissed Russo to speak with me privately. I wasn't about to have a conversation where anyone could hear us.
"Rangeman," I said. Juniak nodded and followed us to the building. I dialled Stephanie's number.
"Yo, Batman," she answered. "What's up?"
"I'm bringing Joe Juniak back to Rangeman."
"I haven't seen uncle Joe in years. Does he know I'm in Trenton?" she quietly asked.
"Yes. Do you want to see him?"
"Maybe. I'll watch the cameras and let you know," Stephanie replied. I ended the call and smiled, knowing she'd be upset that I didn't say goodbye.
Helen
Valerie called me in tears. It seemed that Joe messed with her birth control, and she got pregnant. Her doctor confirmed it. Why me? I couldn't understand why getting pregnant was worthy of that much sobbing. "Mom!" Valerie shouted. "Are you even listening?"
"Sorry, dear. I got a bit distracted. Why are you upset about another pregnancy? Don't you want to give Joseph a boy?"
"Money is tight enough. How can we afford another baby? We need to get my inheritance. Our house is too small," Valerie whined. "There are only three bedrooms."
"Val, you could get bunk beds or put Isabelle in the basement. You have options. It doesn't have to be the end of the world." I could tell that Valerie never considered making another bedroom in the basement. "Joseph doesn't need all that extra space. I'll hire a contractor to build the room for Isabelle."
"You don't need to do that, mom. We can put a rollaway bed and a dresser in the basement for her." Valerie mumbled about Isabelle being too much like Stephanie and didn't deserve to have privacy. I tittered in annoyance. Regardless of Stephanie's attitude growing up, I had to rise above and be the mother she needed.
I pulled out the big guns and asked, "What would the neighbours think?"
Valerie exhaled a shaky breath. "You're right, mom. But Joe and I can't afford the renovations."
"Don't worry about the money, dear. I'll pay for everything you need. I'm sure we can find bedroom furniture at a thrift shop. Put Joseph on the phone. I'll talk to him," I offered.
"He went out with the guys," Valerie replied. She got interrupted by the ringing in the distance. Valerie called me on the landline, leaving me to believe someone had called her cell phone. "Hello?" I heard Valerie answer.
I patiently waited for Valerie to share the news. "You have got to be kidding. How am I supposed to bail him out? Can't you release him on his own recognizance?" Valerie sniffed a few times before saying, "Thanks for calling, Brian. I'll visit the precinct in the morning. Bye."
"Well?"
"Joe got arrested. They found some missing evidence and TPD files in the trunk of his work car. He goes in front of the judge tomorrow. I can't afford to bail him from jail," Valerie confessed as she started crying again.
"Those thugs must have planted the evidence," I reasoned. Valerie agreed, saying that's what Joe told the booking clerk. Surly, Joseph wouldn't do something that stupid. I promised Valerie that I'd contact someone for more information. "You need to rest and take care of my grandson." Valerie said goodnight and hung up the phone.
I prayed that Valerie was pregnant with a boy. Having another daughter would devastate her, especially after Joseph messed with her contraceptives to make the unwanted pregnancy happen.
My phone book was inside the drawer of the table beneath the phone. I removed it from the spot and flipped to the letter G. I had Eddie's home and mobile numbers recorded beside Shirley's name. "Gazarra," Eddie answered.
"Hi, Eddie. It's aunt Helen. Valerie said Joseph got arrested. You and I know he didn't steal those files. One of the Rangeman thugs planted them inside his car."
"Helen, I can't comment on an ongoing investigation," Eddie replied, then hung up.
I checked the time before calling Angie Morelli, Joe's mother. She answered on the first ring. "Have you heard?" Angie asked before I could ask.
"About the arrest? Yes," I replied. "Those thugs must have planted the evidence."
"Joey said he had never seen them before. He also said they were for the investigation on the Grizoli family." I wondered how Joe would know what the files contained if he never saw them. Someone pounded on the front door. I excused myself to answer.
Angelo Russo, Robin Russell, Big Dog and two detectives I didn't recognize were at the door. "May I help you?" I asked.
"I have a search warrant," Russo said, passing me the legal document.
"Whatever for? I don't have anything here," I insisted.
"It will only take a moment to search, Mrs. Plum." Russo stepped past me into the house. He motioned for Robin to keep an eye on me. "Detective Dembrowski and Big Dog search the basement. Detective Dorsey, you're with me," Russo ordered.
Dorsey was medium height, medium build, and looked to be in his late forties. Dembrowski was slightly taller than his partner. I wondered if they worked homicide with Joseph.
Robin followed me into the kitchen. She pointed at the phone and mimed that I needed to hang up. I apologized to Angie and promised to call her the following morning. We promised to accompany Valerie to the TPD and courthouse.
An hour later, Russo announced they had finished the search. He motioned to Robin, who pulled my hands behind my back. "Mrs. Plum, you are under arrest for interfering in an ongoing investigation. You have the right to remain silent…" I couldn't believe they were arresting me for something I didn't do.
"I'm innocent," I cried.
"Mrs. Plum, we found the missing ballistics and other documents inside the spare bedroom, hidden inside a locked box containing the birth records for your daughters and grandchildren," Russo explained.
"I've never seen those before," I honestly replied. How could they have gotten planted inside that box? I haven't opened it since Joseph got custody of Isabelle. No! He couldn't have. I refused to believe Joseph would do that to me.