Valentine's Day, Chapter 14
By the time I got back to my apartment that evening, I was beat. I wanted nothing more than a bath, a beer, and a round of Ghostbusters. It was time to turn my brain off for awhile and let it rest. Too much thinking wears a girl out. But when I walked in, the annoying light on my answering machine was a-blinking away, as if to say, "Check me! Check me! Check me!" I considered ignoring it, but decided it might be important, so I sighed and then hit "Play."
"Stephanie, this is Connie. Call me when you get in. I might have some information about the you-know-what."
I had to laugh at her attempt at caution. Of course, with all the people coming in and out of my apartment on a regular basis, it might not be a bad idea. I picked up the phone and dialed her number. She picked up on the first ring.
"Oh, Steph, thank goodness you called. I've about been busting a gut here. Hey, where were you, by the way?"
"Tank and I met with someone who might be able to help figure out what's going on. But, what did you find out?"
"Well," Connie continued, "you know I was asking around about Deborah? Well, I called some of my 'family' connections, and guess what? I found out something that might be interesting. Seems little Ms. Foulbanks had herself a connected boyfriend. Something about it seems a little hinky, too."
I could tell that Connie was excited and thought she had hit the jackpot. I wasn't so sure. "How do you think that relates to Ranger, though?"
"Ok, so the boyfriend, or rather ex-boyfriend, is one Aldo Pelaratti. His step-uncle is The Dominic Pelaratti, head of the Pelaratti family. But what's really interesting is that Aldo has disappeared off the face of the earth. Sounds fishy to me."
"So what do we do about it?" I asked Connie. I still wasn't convinced that this really had anything to do with what was bugging Ranger.
"I've got some people looking into it, to see what we can find. I'll let you know as soon as I hear anything. We exchanged good-nights and hung up.
I decided to forgo the beer and movie, and just headed to bed. It had been a long day and I was exhausted. I found myself staring at the ceiling for a long, long time. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Ranger at the Christmas party. Ranger with his arm around Deborah Fairbanks. Ranger with is blank, scary eyes.
"Ranger, come back to me," I whispered as tears flowed down my face.
The next morning I was feeling a little better. I had a name to check out: Aldo Pelaratti. It didn't ring any bells, but that didn't mean anything. I was encouraged knowing that Tank and William were working their contacts. I had finally dropped off last night, and felt so much better after a decent night's sleep. I slung a Pop Tart in the toaster, hit the button on the coffee maker, and dialed up Joe.
"Hey, Joe, it's Steph."
"How're you doing, Cupcake," he asked, concern evident in his voice.
"I've been better, but I'm ok. I was wondering if I could pick your brain," I answered.
"Anytime. Want to meet for lunch? I could go for Pino's." I had to laugh. Joe could eat Pino's twice a day.
"Sure, Joe, lunch would be great. Noon?"
"See you then, Cupcake." I listened to the dial tone in my ear. Where do these men get their phone manners? I smiled as I hung up. It felt good to be called Cupcake again. I had missed that. Guess I missed being special to someone.
I decided to spend the morning doing research. I put in a quick call to Rangeman to see if the coast was clear. Hal picked up and assured me that Ranger and Deborah Fairbanks were out for the day, and not expected to return until evening. I told him I'd see him in a few, and headed down to the car.
When I walked out of the door to the parking lot, I got a funny feeling. Ranger was always telling me I had to be more aware of my surroundings, and I guess some of it was finally getting through. I scanned the area, but didn't see anything out of place. No suspicious cars. No men in trench coats lurking by the Dumpster. Nothing I could put my finger on, but something just felt off. "Get a grip," I told myself and headed to the car. As I unlocked the door and was sliding in, I saw a car pull away from the curb and head slowly down the block. "Coincidence," I told myself, and started towards Rangeman.