Chapter 16

Michelle opted for the professional non-office look; nice trousers, turtleneck sweater under a blazer, and sensible boots. She had let her hair grow a bit and now sported curls on top with shorter sides; less Mitch the Bitch, more Michelle NoLastName.

Entering the building department for Hamilton Township, Mercer County the dark skin man behind the counter with short hair smiled, "Where's Hector?"

"He's knee deep in plans expressing his anger in Spanish expletives, some I've never heard."

Malcolm chuckled, "Best be far away. What has my friend upset?"

"Either one of your inspectors is being a bit too aggressive on inspections around Pennington or someone is trying the skim the contractors."

Malcolm looked troubled. "Does this inspector have a name?"

"He's quick flashing all the legal documents but not giving his name."

"Better not be one of ours. They are required to hand out identification cards as well as wear their proper ID badges. What is this rogue doing?"

"He's requiring all Rangeman security devices are removed saying they are not approved by the county."

"Yeah, that's why half of our buildings are covered by Rangeman now. What else?"

"Suddenly our systems failing seemingly to support his claims. Our helpful inspector is pushing Global Security products."

Never heard of them, they aren't on our approved list.

Apparently they are a new company. Ironic isn't it? He claims Rangeman isn't approved but pushing one that isn't.

Malcolm typed on his keyboard. "Certification request submitted for Global three weeks ago. Denied by county fire marshal for poor construction citing the control panel is out of date and a potential fire hazard."

Michelle shook her head in disgust. "There's more. He's requiring incorrect placement of smoke and CO2 detectors, redesign of the fire suppression systems, and a surcharge for security systems on utility poles, citing new regulations by the electric company. Finally he's charging fees for state security permits."

Malcolm shook his head, "There is no state permit."

"Probably the permit fee goes into his pocket. Hector and his team are finding the failed systems are being vandalized. The damage is very specific, done by someone who knows how to bypass the control panel making it appear the system still works."

"I can't help you; it's more police business. Appreciate the heads up, so what CAN I do for you today Michelle Rangeman?"

"This inspector has building plans. The contractors on the homes with vandalized systems have not given him copies. The plans are coming from here. Can you run a search for who signs for plans? I have five contractors' names and building site addresses."

Malcolm shook his head yes and began typing. After several minutes Malcolm's uttered, "Damn…Hold on, I'll print the names."

"There's more than one?" Michelle's heart sank. As she waited for the printout she asked, "Do you remember any of them?"

Malcolm looked off, "Maybe one, white male, trim, brown hair cut tight, brown eyes. Not much to go on, but at least he's not a brother."

Michelle smiled, "Gotta start somewhere."

She didn't look at the list of names, just put them into her portfolio and continued on to her next appointment, to sign a security contract with an office building east of Princeton.

At 11:00 her phone rang. "Hola, mi hermano, que pasa?"

Hector chuckled, "Ranger is upstairs with Tank."

"Ranger?"

"Si."

"No doubt you are tracking me; you know it will take a bit to come in. Tell Les I have another contract, three story office complex in Penns Neck."

Walking into Tank's office, Tank, Lester, Ranger, and Hector were waiting for her. She wanted to walk up and kiss Ranger but held back, "Be professional Michelle," she told herself.

Lester had his twinkle eyes on high, he was up to something, "Beautiful, I hear you have something personal for me?" Yes, he also wiggled his eyebrows.

She knew he had reverted by the nick name Beautiful and eyebrow tilt to rile his cousin, Ranger. "Unless you want me to kick your ass, you'll call me Mitch or Michelle." Without another word she handed him the contract.

Tank smiled, he knew what the two were doing. They loved each other like siblings and fought like siblings as well. Tank started the meeting, "Hector?"

Hector began, "I've talked with ADT and Guardian, and they too are having trouble with systems being vandalized."

"New home construction only?" Tank asked.

"No, also remodels. I have reported our eleven vandalized systems to the sheriff; ADT has had four, Guardian three. The others weren't going to report theirs, but when I told them of ours, they changed their minds. "

Michelle was listening while wondering why Ranger was sitting in on the conference. She didn't have time to worry about Ranger right now and got up and walked to the window, touching the wall on the way. Taking out her phone she called Larry Morris. The others watched her. All knew Michelle sometimes thought in a different universe, seeing problems before others.

"Mr. Morris, Michelle from Rangeman, I talked with you yesterday. You said the wall board you were being forced to purchase, other than the cost, why don't you like it?"

"For one, it 20% more expensive. All building materials are out of sight, but 20% on one of my homes will be $7,000. I'm not building million dollar homes, mine are more modest. $7,000 will mean I'll have to skimp on other areas to make a profit."

"I understand, but is there something wrong with the dry wall?"

"They don't have a label for manufacturer or origin country. In 2004 and 05 the market received drywall from China; when the material was exposed to humidity, if off-gassed hydrogen sulfide which corroded copper wires and pipes behind the walls. Homeowners were forced to replace the drywall, wiring and copper pipes.

In addition the lesser quality drywall core is often synthetic which means it burns faster and hotter adding to the smoke's toxicity. Another problem with that synthetic core, the darn stuff mildews easily as well, not just wet areas, but throughout the house."

"Is the hydrogen sulfide a health risk?"

"Stinks like rotten eggs, but doesn't appear to be as unhealthy as say formaldehyde from pressed wood. We also put an encapsulating first layer on drywall which would retard the smell, but the back side would gas-off affecting the copper pipes and wires.

Finally Michelle, whoever is manufacturing the drywall has a cheap ruler; the stated width and the actual width are different. If you mix brands as often happens, your walls end up uneven. Last week I had to refuse an entire shipment because the lesser sheets were mixed in. Checking the invoice, sure enough they tried to jack up the price of the inferior sheets in the mix."

"Who was the supplier?"

"My usual, B&G, but when I called to complain they explained they ran short a month ago and purchased drywall from another source."

Who was the other supplier?

"Allied Products."

Michelle turned and pointed to Lester, "Allied Products, have you done business with them?"

"Not any more. A year ago a different rep from Allied happened by wanting to supply our other supplies. I was, ah, encouraged, to use them as a supplier. I fell for it the first time as their prices were pretty good, or so it seemed. When the products arrived they weren't industry standard. They sell common products; for example, in faucets I want brass drain pipe not plastic, I want chrome dressing not plastic, I want sweat joints not threaded yet the material they supply costs 10-20% more than what I'd pay for the same product from a DiY store. I want distributor quality, not common retail. I tried to return them to Allied but they blew me off."

Michelle listened, "Sir, basically they forced you to buy average quality at premium prices.

"Yeah and often sub-average. I fell for it once. Not anymore."

"Have they threatened you?"

"Not in so many words but it is implied saying I was under contract to them."

"What do you do?"

"Pay a bribe and tell them to get lost."

"I won't ask how much as it's not my business, but is it a one-time payment?"

"Sometimes."

"What about the inspection process?"

"I only deal with four inspectors I know. They work for the county and have all the documents and ID badges. They are honest and professional. If they aren't the ones on site, I cancel the inspection and call Malcolm at county and get my guys. This isn't my first rodeo; I know there are unscrupulous inspectors. It's the smaller contractors who are hit."

"Do you know any of the smaller contractors?"

"Not right off hand. If I remember or hear anything, I'll call. By the way, why is Rangeman asking?"

"A building inspector just happens to find Rangeman equipment not working correctly during inspections and insists they be removed and replaced with another brand."

"What brand."

"Global Security."

"Haven't heard of them."

"Apparently they are new."

"Damn, this doesn't sound good. "

"I take it you haven't installed a security system yet."

"This isn't a spec house, the homeowners are involved. They are still debating a system."

"Just for your information, ADT and Guardian are also being targeted."

"Are the police involved?"

"Coming on board."

"Michelle, thank you for the headsup. I'll let you know if I receive a visitor."

"Mr. Morris, this guy is cagey about giving his name, be careful."

After hanging up, Michelle continued to look out the window.

Tank cleared his throat and she spun around, "Sorry."

Michelle turned to Hector, "¿Senior Mago, qué has encontrado? (Mr. Magician, what have you found?)

Hector held up a finger and dashed out of the office.

Ranger looked at Michelle, first surprised she asked a question in Spanish but also wondering where Hector had disappeared.

"Deep throat," she responded before he asked the question.

"What?"

"We've nicknamed the super-secret search engines on the security computer," she smiled.

"Since when do you speak Spanish?"

"I don't but I got tired of asking him what he has found in his research. I figured if he could learn English, I could try to speak Spanish."

Ranger chucked, "Babe, Hector was born in New York City. He has spoken English all his life but prefers people to believe he speaks Spanish only. Good intelligence gathering tool."

"I'm just now finding this out?"

Hector returned only to be greeting by Michelle hissing, "¡Tu rata!"

¿Qué?

"Que my ass, you I will meet on the mats."

Hector glanced at Ranger and decided not to give a reply. Clearing his throat, "Allied Products is a subsidiary of several other subsidiaries but it comes out, Don Vito Grizzoli."

Tank nodded, "I'm not surprised. Global Security is Terry Gilman, Allied is Vito Grizzoli. We already know Penchent Concrete is a Grizzoli owned business."

Ranger explained to Michelle, "When Penchent started they tried to get government contracts but their test batches failed government standards. They were a bit stingy on the cement in the mix. They corrected the error…eventually. They made their money working with builders and remodelers, always supply questionable quality concrete that fails after ten years."

"So they start their companies…..cheating…eventually going legitimate?" Michelle wondered.

"Eventually, but not before knocking others out of the playing field," Ranger replied.

"So the attack on Rangeman is their way of getting their foot in the door in security systems?"

"With the higher percentage of hits against our systems, it seems a bit more like revenge to me," Tank added.

"We need the rogue inspector's name."

"Name! Wait!" Michelle dug in her portfolio. "I stopped at county building to talk to Malcolm hoping the trail of wayward building plans would give us a name. He reviewed several requests for our sites that have been damaged and came up with five suspicious names." She glanced down and immediately jumped to her feet, "Minchia!"

Lester shook his head, "It's bad, she's swearing in Italian again."

Gritting her teeth Michelle read: "Anthony Cravetti, Anthony Davidi, Anthony Romano, Anthony Gravelli, and Anthony Plumeri."

"Ok, so his first name is Anthony."

Michelle was still pacing, "I doubt that. Anthony Plumeri was my grandfather's name when he first came to this country. He changed it to Anthony Plum."

"Babe, it may be a coincidence."

"No, Ranger, you don't believe in coincidences and neither do I."

Tank spoke too softly, "This is an attack on Rangeman and maybe Michelle."

00000000

As Michelle left Tank's office Ranger was close behind. "Babe, have lunch with me?"

"We can go to Bonefish?"

"Don't you want someplace closer?"

"I try to stay north of 95, away from Trenton and especially the Burg."

"Do you think you need to now? It's been a while."

"After what was just said in there, I'm more concerned about being seen with you. People will see you and wonder who you are with."

Once at the restaurant, Ranger asked, "Why don't you leave Trenton? I know The Deacon would hire you in a minute."

"And leave my family….my Rangeman family? Ella and Luis are my parents, Tank is my BIG brother, Hector my normal size brother and the rest of the guys are my friends or cousins. They stood by me when I was nothing; they helped form Mitch and Michelle. Carlos, you have a daughter, parents, sisters, brother, in laws, nieces and nephews, this is all I have…here. Daddy, Grandma Mazur, Angie and MA are in Florida."

"You could move to the Miami office."

She didn't answer instead concentrated on her fish. The Cobia, a Caribbean fish, asparagus, and salad were perfect for a late afternoon meal. She wouldn't need dinner.

Ranger was amused watching her eat something other than a meatball sub, "Enjoying your meal?"

"Carlos, yes this is wonderful. Why didn't I eat this before?"

"It's not Burg food."

"Nor am I a Burg woman anymore."

"You never were, Babe."

"I tried to be," she chuckled. "How I messed up the first 34 years of my life. I can't thank Tank enough for rescuing me. He and the others made me a new person."

"No, she was always there; he just cleared away the debris. I contributed to the debris, I'm sorry."

"Carlos, I keep telling you, it's all in the past. We both were wrong, running a mine field, trying to achieve separate objectives. We can't keep those dead issues out and beating them over and over. We have to move forward."

He was quiet for a minute. She has let go of the past, why can't he? "Michelle, I'm trying to let go of the past, the pain and the wrongs I inflicted on you. I'm drawn to you like I was before. I want to start back together with you, but not where we left off, I want to jump ahead, start anew."

"What are you saying Carlos?"

"Michelle….ah, I never hear you use a last name. Are you still Plum?"

"Initially I tried to give up the name and planned to change it, but now that I've reconciled with Papa I don't want to hurt him. I understand Helen has gone back to using Mazur."

"Helen?"

"She was never a mother to me and I refuse to use the term."

"That's why you don't use a last name, just Michelle from Rangeman."

She laughed, "Actually initially I called myself Mitch without a last name. People would get upset so I started adding "from Rangeman." When they'd ask why no last name I'd explain I was one of two women working for the company, I didn't need a last name."

"Babe, I'd like to work towards giving you a last name."

"Oh?"

"Manoso. I still have work to do on me, but knowing that you will be with me will encourage me to continue will make the task go faster. Ranger is not dead, he's just in the redevelopment stage, Ranger 1.1."

I think you are farther along than Ranger 1.1; let's say 3.0 or 4.0."

"I want to develop a committed relationship with you….for as long as you'll have me which hopefully will be until eternity."

"You know my stand now. No shack-ups, no recreational sex."

"I know Babe. I'm not asking you to marry me now, but it is my goal, hopefully short term goal. Right now I need to find a place in this world. I don't know if I can be helpful to Rangeman or a hindrance. I want to be relevant when I ask you to be my wife."

"Carlos, perhaps together we can find a way for you and for me, but we must work together, no hiding from one another anymore."

"Yes, I'm walking through a new door, one I never expected to find or open. It is a bit frightening as it's all new. My training doesn't cover these contingencies."

"That's why I'm here. God made woman not to be dominated by man, but to be is helper; not just a domestic helper but to help him in the world. If you want me, I'm here. I'm strong enough now I don't need to rely upon you to save me from myself. I can be your helper, partner in business and life."

"You have helped Rangeman already. Your ideas for the Trenton office have been profitable; maybe the other offices could use a review."

"Maybe. Have you considered starting a new Rangeman office?"

"Ah…"

"I know, only men you served with," Tank explained. "But there must be men or women within Rangeman or those coming out of services that have potential. All they need is Rangeman 101 education."

"More than level 101."

Laughing she said, "OK, 401 and post grad. Trenton could be the training office."

He looked thoughtful.

"Is there a service that Rangeman can add? We've hinted at investigation, Charlie and I have done some work together. He has had some experience with it in the Army, though he wasn't CID. Maybe he knows people coming out. There's also a K9 force."

"Dogs?"

"Yeah, Tank is pretty scary, but he might need help. "

Carlos sat and listened with a smile on his face. "They might in a fight over a bone."

She didn't roll her eyes, but thought about it. "What about bank and financial fraud?"

He scrunched his nose. "No, that would take too many number crunchers."

"Carlos, Rangeman remained confined here because of Trenton's size. Twenty three percent of Mercer County's population is there. I suggested the expansion to Hamilton Township and Princeton as together they added another 16%. To move beyond we encounter less dense populations and profitability drops. If Rangeman expands it has to expand to a denser population."

He tented his fingers and put his elbows on the table, "Maybe you should be running Rangeman."

"Bite your tongue! Rangeman needs Ranger and the sooner he gets back up in the saddle, the tighter the corporation will become again. I wouldn't mind being the consigliere."

"You don't work for Grizolli."

"OK, consultant and consort to the CEO."

"Babe, consort?"

00000000

As Michelle returned to work after lunch, Ranger telephoned Tank suggesting he set up a meeting. Something Babe said was playing around inside him. Normally Ranger would have set up the meeting, but Tank was the boss at Trenton.

Together the two men drove to Hamilton, on the east side of the New Jersey Turnpike to the 6,000 square foot, 2 story neo-Colonial.

They were shown to the private study by a man shorter than Ranger, muscular but showing a bit of a belly. "Too much manicotti," Ranger mused to himself. The older man behind the big walnut desk rose and shook their hands.

"Mr. Grizzoli," Tank refused to use the man's family title, "Thank you for seeing us on short notice."

Vito Grizzoli turned to Ranger, "News of your death was premature."

"I came close."

After the gentlemen sat, they didn't waste time on further niceties. "Why have you come out this way to see me? My office would have been closer."

"Privacy," Tank answered. "We are having trouble with our security systems near Pennington, home construction and remodels. They are being tampered with."

"Go on."

"After they are vandalized, the contractors are being told Rangeman equipment is inferior pointing to the unreliability. The contractors are being told to install Global Security products."

Ranger was watching Vito's face and briefly saw anger.

Vito responded, "Do you know who is doing the tampering?"

"We believe it may be one individual using a different name for various sites. The inside control panels are being expertly vandalized, the outside surveillance is being burned with lasers. In addition the inspector is suggesting heavily the indoor monitoring, smoke, fire suppression, carbon monoxide monitors might not be placed correctly but he is willing to talk to the appropriate county inspector to smooth out problems, for a fee of course."

Grizolli remained silent.

"Don Vito," Ranger began, "We ask, with respect, that you restrain your employee telling him hands off Rangeman equipment which is in full compliance with all building codes."

"My employee? How am I involved?"

Tank answered, "Perhaps you are not involved directly, but Global Securities is a subsidiary of Allied. Global is your niece's business. While this would make this Ms. Gilman's concern, this inspector is also….encouraging…the contractors to use Allied product which is your concern."

Vito Grizzoli's eyes flashed.

Tank contined, "Mr. Grizzoli, perhaps Anthony, the name Ms. Gilman's employee is using is a bit too aggressive. We ask him to keep his hands off Rangeman equipment if it is already installed."

Tank and Ranger would not threatened Vito Grizzoli, making a request was enough. The meeting was essentially over. On the way back to Haywood Ranger casually mentioned, "Don Vito looked a bit upset."

Tank huffed, "Yeah, several times. He was surprised with the name and is also worried the inspector stepped over the line."

"Maybe or Terry is making a play against him. We need more surveillance off property."

"Hector is already working on it."

Don Vito Grizzoli picked up his telephone. "Terry my dear, I just had an interesting meeting with Mr. Sherman and Mr. Manoso from Rangeman. I'll put it bluntly, reign in your boy. His personal vendetta will destroy you and if it spills to me, I will be very unhappy."

"They can't hurt us."

"Not smart thinking my dear."

00000000

Terry sat across from Joe at Marcello's. They were nearly through their meal and bottle of wine. Terry only sipped her glass, Joes as pouring a third, "Don't you think you've hand enough?"

Joe remained morose, "It's a $75 bottle of wine and I'm not leaving any for the weight staff."

Terry was quiet for a bit then softly said, "I got a call from my uncle today?"

"Oh yeah, what did the godfather have to say?"

"Tank and Ranger stopped by to see him."

"Those fuckers; the baboon and the undead. What did they want?"

"Lay off vandalizing Rangeman equipment."

"What the hell, why do they think it is me?"

"They don't know who, just that is concerns Global which is me and I'm telling you, lay off installed Rangeman security systems."

"That bastardo doesn't know how to die. At least his puttana is gone to the Army."

Terry wisely remained quiet.