Knock Knock

Chapter Two

The moment was interrupted by knocking at my door. Grabbing my Taser I moved to the door but Hector stopped me pointing to the battery indicator. It was dead. Uh! He handed me his Taser.

Looking through the peep hole I called. "What do you want Joe?"

"Aren't you going to open the door Cupcake?" came his placating response.

"No. What do you want?"

"I want to talk."

"So talk."

"Come on, you don't actually believe I would cheat on you do you? They're a bunch of thugs. They can't be trusted."

Hector tapped me on the shoulder and showed me the screen of the laptop he was holding. There were hundreds of photos and as he clicked through them I could see they were all of Joe with various women. The main woman was Terry Gilman.

"Cupcake? Come on, let me in." He was getting frustrated now.

"I've seen the photos Joe. There really isn't anything left to talk about."

"Look Cupcake, it's not like you haven't been screwing all of Rangeman, probably some of their client too." He started on a rant.

So enraged I couldn't speak, before he knew what was happening I swung open the door, stunned Joe and closed and locked it again. Joe is an Italian man who has enough pride to fill Italy so he was not going to be happy with me. Still angry but surprisingly functional I stomped over called my cop friend Eddie. Before he could say anything I said "Joe's at my door yelling at me. He won't accept we've broken up for good because he's a cheating scumbag. I want a report made because I don't think this is the last I've heard from him."

"I'll be right over." He said on a sigh before hanging up.

Turning with hands on hips and glared at Hector. "Why was I not told before now?" I said. With a confused expression he fiddled with the laptop and handed it to me. Taking a few deep breaths I managed to squash the urge to throw it against the wall. Stomping to the couch I flopped down and typed what I had said.

He typed "Boss thought if he told you it would look like he was keeping tabs on Joe when all of this has been found through other surveillance."

"Who else knows?"

"Boss, Tank and me. Tank try talk boss into telling you. Many heated mat sessions over this."

"How far back do the photos go?"

"Two years."

I jumped up and started pacing my living room, I wanted to punch something, stomp my feet and scream at the same time. Ranger knew for two years! He sent me back to…no I had to stop that thought I couldn't handle thinking about that aspect right now. After pacing a bit more and taking a few deep breaths I turned back to where Hector was still sitting on the couch. "Are we friends?"

I guess he understood what I said because he shakes his head frowning as he types "You are my sister. That is more than friends. It's family."

I'm a little surprised at this but after thinking about it I'm not, all the Merry Men treat me like a sister and I them like brothers. I sat back down on the couch again took the laptop and typed. "Then as your sister you should have found a way to tell me without disobeying Ranger."

Looking chastised "I do not like to see you hurt."

Sighing I typed "It hurts most that you knew and did not find a way to tell me. What if I had married him? Or he has given me some STI? I am not totally blameless, I should have ended it long time ago; I am not in love with him. He called me a whore, which made me angrier than him cheating." Taking another deep breath I typed "I will deal with Ranger."

"I promise honesty in future. What are you going to do about Joe and Ranger?"

I sat thinking for a few minutes "I think the burg will want to see some evidence. Maybe over the next week or so a few printed ones shop and up on noticeboards and shop windows like Tasty Pastry and Giovacini's." Taking another second to think I continued to type. "Can we send some photos to the Trenton Times anonymously?"

Hector is a technology genius. He grinned and nodded grabbed to laptop. "Will you let me do this for you to make up for not telling you?"

When Eddie arrived Joe was gone. He took my statement with the occasional curse word or growl at the events of yesterday. Every so often he would send a curious glance at Hector, still on my couch and focused on the laptop but he never voiced the questions in his eyes.

After Eddie left Hector and I walked around my apartment pointing at things and saying their name in both Spanish and English.

It was just before lunch when I dropped him back at Rangeman in Rangers Porsche Cayenne and the list from Bobby tucked in my handbag.

Walking into the bonds office I thrust the bucket of chicken at Lula and Connie before they could overwhelm me with questions. To many exclamations of outrage I explained what happened and what was said. When I got to the part of stunning Joe at my front door this morning they were cheering. A few seconds after I finished telling them everything Lula was rummaging around her handbag and pulled out her Glock. "Let's go shoot his cheating ass. Ain't nobody mess with my girlfriend and get away with it!"

"No shooting! If you want to help I've already got something in the works." Both women leaned forward their voluminous cleavage almost spilling over and the question of will it or won't it momentarily distracts me.

"Well! What are you going to do to Officer Prick-but-still-a-Hottie?" Connie broke the cleavage spell.

"Set the gossip straight; don't dramatize it, just facts. Make sure you mention that a copy of the photos of Joe was stolen. Lula can get your friend at the free clinic to spread it that Joe has been by to get a prescription of the little blue pills and that Terry needed treatment for an itch. Connie can you make sure Terry Gilman hears about yesterday, the other women and the trip to the free clinic? The most important thing is that the gossip and pictures can't be traced back to you or me."

By the time I'd finished speaking Connie was already dialling the phone and Lula's fingers were moving lightning quick as she texted, both had a mischievous glint in their eyes.

Grabbing my files and left them to it. However once I was sitting in the Cayenne I thought about what I was going to do with my day. If I went after a skip and caught them I would have to take them to the station and risk running into Joe. It wasn't that I was avoiding him, I just didn't want to listen to him insult me or my friends. Ok so technically it's avoiding, whatever. I didn't want to go to my parents place until the evidence photos were properly circulated through the burg, that way my mother couldn't suggest that it was just rumour and lies. Remembering Bobby's list I headed to Rangeman.

As I got out of the lift Lester who was standing next to Binkie and Hal who were watching the monitors called "Cover you're nuts men, Bomber's on deck." in a booming voice I was sure they could hear on the other levels of the building.

Before I could say anything Bobby walked up behind him and smack the back of his head. I entered Tanks office without knocking, standing in front of his desk I glared at him with my hands on hips. "Two years Tank." I knew he was Rangers closest friend but I thought he was a friend of mine as well.

Tank sighed, stood and pulled me over the couch after he kicked door closed. "I tried to get him to tell you Little Girl." He said as he pulled me down beside him. "I even offered to tell you. So many times we've beat the hell out of each other on the mats over this. Anyone with eyes could see you were miserable with him, that you didn't want the life he and your mother were pushing you towards. I was so worried that they would wear you down, we couldn't let it go on any longer."

Tears were running down my cheeks. "You could have helped me find out without telling me, without disobeying Ranger. I know he is your boss and mate but I thought we were friends too. That hurts more than Joe cheating."

He wrapped me in his arms and pulled me onto his lap for a hug. "Steph I love you like my own sister."

"Did you know?" I asked pulling back and looking up into his eyes. "Did you know that we had a night together after De Cooch? Did you know the next day he sent me back to Joe?" I was full on messy crying now.

"Ah Jeez. No I didn't." Tank pulled my head on his chest and rocked me.

"What's wrong with me Tank? They either cheat on me or they love me just not enough to commit." Tank continued to rock me as he quietly growled threats against Joe and Ranger and murmured reassurances until I cried myself asleep.

When I woke I was sprawled out on the couch a throw blanket over me and Tank was at his desk cursing Ranger being away and leaving him all the paperwork. Getting up I stretched and then wrapped the blanket around me as I walked over. I tugged his arm indicating I wanted him to turn on the swivel chair, when he did I plonked down on his lap and motioned him to turn us back to the screen. Taking a quick look I said "Tank why are you doing this manually, there are software programs that would do this automatically for you." Taking control of the mouse I found the program I'd seen on Rangers computer. "See you have the software you've just never transitioned to it. Watch."

A short time later I'd set up a few staff in the system and shown him the various features. "Little Girl you're amazing it would have taken me all evening just to do half of this. The software is going to save me so much time. How did you know all this?"

I shrugged "I studied business in college. A growing business needs an efficient administration foundation if it's to support the sales and operation side so while I was working in Sales at E.E. Martin I did a course on business administration."

He smiled at me with pride. "Would you consider coming back to work at Rangeman mainly to assist me with administration and sales and the occasional search too?" seeing my hesitation he said "Even if it's just until Ranger gets back. Please Bomber."

Hector and I are going to need a reason to be in contact to keep our activities secret. "I'll help you two half days and one weekend day but in exchange can I borrow Hector for a half day every second day or so for secret legal operations that he doesn't have to report on."

Tank narrows his eyes at me. "What are you up to?" I gave him a 'who me? I'm completely innocent' look there was an intense staring competition which I won when he sighed and said "Three half days and one weekend day and you have a deal."

I kissed his cheek and called "Thanks Tank see you tomorrow" on my way out of his office.