Lester heard what Ranger just asked, what is going on between you and Alex? Lester looked at Alex, he was attracted to her, he knew she was attracted to him. He had seen the signs, she was even flirting with him and teasing him on a certain level. It has been all innocent teasing and flirting. She has been hurt and on a level that I can't do anything to cause her to go backwards. Nothing was going on between us accept for her learning how to trust me, Lester thought. Lester started walking down the hall towards the front door with Alex following him.
"Lester?" Ranger asked again, "If you have done anything…"
Lester didn't let Ranger finish out the threat, "I haven't done anything, Alex has a trust issue, she's learning she can trust me. That's what is going on." Lester told him as he reached the front door and opened it up.
"So she trusts you enough to be undressed around you?" Ranger snapped the question at him.
Lester gave a bark of laughter, "No, she wanted proof of the clues Bobby left in our apartment." Lester waited till Alex came out and then he locked up. "She went dumpster diving to find the proof about what I figured out. Trust factor is hanging on by a thin rope with her."
Ranger could hear both of them laughing. He had to chuckle to himself and he heard the sirens blaring behind him. "Damn it!" He started slowing down, "I'll call you back, I'm getting another speeding ticket." Ranger hung up.
Ranger made all the necessary lane changes to get over and slowed to a complete stop on the shoulder of the highway. Fifteen miles, fifteen miles and I'd be back if it wasn't for the damn cop, Ranger thought. Ranger had made that drive plenty to and from, but this was the first time he had really had to be back in Trenton like it was yesterday. I should have checked back in. No, I couldn't do that, I was stuck on Jose's damn Psych couch. Damn it Jose, why did you have to get that stupid PHD in criminal psychology.
Ranger watched as the Cranbury Station, New Jersey police officer stepped out of his cruiser and hoisted up his belt. Lord! Is he going to take all day to shift that gut to get to my car? He saw the police officer start a slow trot as he came up on the driver's side of Ranger's BMW. The officer paused right before the back of the vehicle to peer inside. I don't have anyone else in here, come on damn it, get it over with. Probably he has never seen a BMW in his damn life come through this middle of nowhere place.
Waiting a little while longer Ranger was finally graced with the police officer's presence at the driver's window.
"License and Registration. You are aware that you were traveling in excess of a hundred miles an hour." The police officer said in a southern twang. Ranger looked up, Holy shit! I got pulled over by a fat Elvis Presley cop. The sideburns and all. Ranger reached for the license and registration, and then handed them out the window for the man. He saw the ring on his right hand ring finger. A gold nugget ring that was in the shape of EP.
The police officer put the license and registration on the clip board and then radio'd into dispatch and read off the name and the number. "What was the rush?"
"I have an emergency with my company in Trenton and have to get back there." Ranger told him looking up at the officer's name badge which read Presley. Ranger looked away, he was trying so hard not to laugh now. This is nuts, Elvis Presley is dead. Ranger looked back at the badge one more time to make sure he wasn't seeing things the wrong way.
Stephanie was sitting at the table with Lula in their room at one of the casino hotels in Atlantic City. She was eating the breakfast Lula had gone and gotten.
"Bobby still zonked out?" Lula asked.
"Last I checked." Stephanie said. "Those pain killers must work real well." It was the only thing Stephanie and Lula had come up with that could make Bobby be docile and cooperate with them, when he wasn't having a tantrum about the pictures they took while they had been at the shore in Vinnie's house there.
Lula picked up the bottle off the table, "But we're running out, we need some more shit."
"I don't know where to get any of that other than a pharmacy."
"We're running out bread here as well. That petty cash helped, but batman is going to find us soon. I just have this feeling." Lula said, looking around the room expecting Ranger to jump out behind something and get them.
A thump and a load groan sounded in the bedroom off of the suite they were in. Both of them looked towards the door.
"How pissed do you think he'll be this morning?" Stephanie asked.
"I ain't dealing with him, this was your idea anyway." Lula said.
"Do you think he'll want breakfast?" Stephanie asked, watching the door. Not really wanting to go check and see about all the grunting and banging going on.
"Shit! You better go make sure he ain't tearing anything up in there. We can't afford to pay for anything that gets messed up." Lula said looking at the door with Stephanie.
Stephanie stood up, "we'll just go see how our little boy is doing in there."
"There ain't gonna be no we, it's gonna be a you. I agreed to help put him in that dress at the shore, I agreed with pills, with the shocking his ass till the taser broke. I ain't going in that room. I'm gonna sit my happy ass right here and finish breakfast." Lula said turning quickly back to her food. "Ain't nothing going to get me to get up and look in that room." Lula kept shaking her head no, "No way."
"STEPHANIE! LULA!" They both heard Bobby yell.
"He's still upset." Stephanie said.
"You better go shut his ass up." Lula said.
"Chicken!" Stephanie told her as she walked slowly and cautiously towards the door. Stephanie opened the door to the bedroom, Bobby was laying on the floor cuffed and shackled, his head snapped and looked at Stephanie.
"Stephanie," came the low deep seeded growl out of Bobby's throat.
"Bobby," Stephanie told him back, "you really need to be quiet. We wouldn't want the hotel security in here. That wouldn't be a good thing."
Bobby moved his head back towards his chest. He had gotten the panty hose off from around his mouth, he looked back at Stephanie. "You know, a body does have needs."
"That's why we gave you depends."
Ranger was laughing more by the time he got back on the highway, he couldn't believe he had an autograph on the speeding ticket that actually was signed by Elvis Presley. He kept shaking his head, he needed a laugh, but it would have been better if he had Stephanie to share it with. She wouldn't believe this one, he decided he was going to have to frame this speeding ticket.
Fifteen minutes later he was dialing Lester to find out where he was. Lester was following the clues and he decided it would be better to have Lester tag along with him. The both of them would be able to put the clues together faster and figure out where they were.
"Talk," Lester said when he answered the cell.
"Where are you?" Ranger asked still chuckling.
"Was going to head out to the shore. What are you laughing at?" Lester asked him.
"I'll have to show you, you wouldn't believe me even if I told you." Ranger told him, "Meet me behind the bond office. I'll get someone to pick up my BMW."
"We teaming on this one?" Lester asked, he hadn't teamed with Ranger alone on anything for awhile now. He always had Hal to deal with.
"Yes, we're teaming."
"Ten four, see you in a few." Lester told him.
Ranger hung up and dialed headquarters so someone could come get his car. He pulled in first behind the bond's office and noticed Stephanie's car had four flat tires. Ranger got out of the BMW and then walked around the cooper looking for anything that showed why the tires had no air. Lester pulled on the other side of the cooper and got out. Looking up, Ranger noticed Alex was wearing Lester's clothes and sported a new pair of shoes.
"What happen to the wheels?" Alex asked.
"Flat tires." Ranger told her.
Lester bent down and looked at the front tire closest to him, "I don't see any slash marks."
"Looks like someone just let the air out of them." Ranger said getting back on his phone.
Lester stood back up, "I think Bobby is paying her back." Lester said grinning, "You are going to let her find this aren't you?" He asked Ranger.
"I'm thinking about it." Ranger walked away from them, getting more reports and nothing seemed to be coming in on credit cards usage, or anything else. He looked back towards Lester and Alex. "They have to be using cash. No trail so far."
Lester handed Ranger the keys. "The ankle monitor works great."
"Yeah, I just love getting the shit shocked out of me. Have my ass tingle for twenty minutes afterwards." Alex snapped.
Ranger walked over to Alex, "We really need to work on your mouth. What's the voltage set on?"
"Three. I haven't tried it any higher yet." Lester stated.
"You go any higher, and I'll have my lawyer on your ass." Alex stated.
"Lawyers are not a problem." Ranger told her.
"Her's might be. Sharlene Tarlton is her lawyer." Lester told him, "I have to make sure Alex is at court at 11:30 on Monday. I was mandated."
Ranger looked at Alex and then to Lester. "You're shitting me?"
"No," Alex said grinning evilly. "I better not get shocked anymore."
"Then stay within five feet." Lester said.
Sharlene Tarlton sat at the table in her office along with her husband and partner in the firm Daniel Tarlton. "Brax, I need those documents. I have to make sure everything is in order before Monday, I need to see what I've had you run to court and file already."
"Coming," Brax walked into the office.
Daniel looked up from the file he was working on, "I don't see anything wrong with this petition for emancipation. We have to make sure we have all the documents stating that she can have it."
Sharlene looked up at Brax as he handed her the file, "Thank you, you are a doll for coming in today."
"Is there anything I can get you two?" Brax asked, "I like working on these cases, these are fun."
Daniel chuckled, "Yes, they are. So much fun they are free, and typically the hardest ones to do."
"Don't Daniel." Sharlene told him pouting out her bottom lip at her husband.
Daniel reached over and took his wife's hand, "I didn't mean it, this one is different and well worth it." He saw his wife's smile and he felt better. "Brax, I think we are fine for right now. Just stick around for awhile."
Sharlene waited till Brax had left the room, "I don't want to screw up. I promised her things that I'm going to deliver this time." Sharlene opened the file and shuffled through the documents.
"It'll work out fine, this isn't like the last one that came in. Alex actually has a future, she can support herself." Daniel looked down at the petition and started asking for documents that went with the petition. Sharlene handed them over one by one. "I need the birth certificate now." Daniel told her. He wasn't looking at his wife and stuck out his hand expecting it to be there. He looked up at his wife when the document wasn't put in his hand. Her eyes were starting to glisten over, and he could see the horror written clearly on her face.
"Sharlene?" Daniel asked.
Sharlene looked over at him, "I gave you the death certificate for her father, read his name off to me."
Daniel looked back through the papers and pulled out both death certificates, "Mother's reads Victoria Lacey Ramono, maiden name Ramono," he flipped over that sheet and then read the other one, "Father's reads Michael Raphael Desenzano." He looked at his wife, "Why?"
Sharlene put her head down on the table, "Shit, shit, shit," and passed Daniel the birth certificate.
Daniel took the birth certificate, and read the parents names. "She has her mother's last name, who the hell is Joseph Anthony Morelli?"