SEVENTEEN

The shopkeeper and I retreated back into the jewelry store as the first cop car pulled up. The next half hour involved a flurry of activity. I'd given my official statement to a cop and had just been told I could leave when Tank and Ranger walked through the door. Ranger caught my eye and motioned me to hang on a second.

They spoke with the shopkeeper first, all business. A few minutes later, Ranger walked over to me, leaving Tank to continue talking business with the owner.

"Are you okay?"

I nodded. "I only came in to get the rings cut off. I think the universe is colluding against me."

Ranger nodded toward the hole in the floor where a busy CSI attempted to dig out a bullet. "Don't speak too harshly of the universe. You didn't get shot."

"He wasn't trying to shoot me, just scare me into giving him my rings. He didn't believe they were really stuck."

"How'd you convince him?"

"When I told him they were from Walmart he no longer cared to have them."

Ranger paused. "They're from Walmart?"

"Tank didn't tell you?"

"No."

From the corner of my eye, I saw Tank stiffen where he stood, still speaking with the owner. He shook her hand and then began slowly sidestepping toward the door. Ranger watched him with just his eyes.

I put a hand on Ranger's arm. "It was six in the morning on New Year's Day. He didn't have many options. They are fake wedding rings, why does it matter?"

"I know it's insignificant, but it matters to me."

"Why?"

"Because I like to convey a certain persona and Walmart wedding rings don't fit into that image."

I rolled my eyes. "Good thing for you everyone thinks they're Morelli's and I'm about to get them removed."

I approached the shop owner. "I'm really sorry you got robbed," I told her.

"It's a job hazard," she replied with a shrug. "It's why I have insurance and an alarm system. Plus," she dropped her voice to a whisper, "when I do get robbed, these sexy Rangeman guys show up."

"I don't suppose we can get back to the business of cutting off my rings?"

"I'm sorry, but the robber took my only ring cutter. The police need to photograph and catalog everything he took as evidence before they can return it to me."

Ugh, figures. "Thanks anyway," I told her, returning to Ranger. "The robber took her only set of ring cutters. Looks like you'll have to bear the shame of my Walmart rings for a bit longer."

"Babe," he replied with just a hint of a smile.

My cell phone rang and I looked down to see Morelli's number.

"Hello."

"I heard you got held at gunpoint during a jewelry store heist."

"That makes it sound a lot more exciting than it actually was," I replied. "I happened to be at the jewelry store on Hamilton, getting my rings cut off, when it got robbed."

"So, you're officially divorced from Ranger?"

I sighed. "Not exactly. The robber sort of barged in before the rings could get cut off, and he stole the ring cutter, so now it's in police custody. I don't suppose you feel like tampering with evidence and stealing it for me?"

"How about you just go to a different jewelry store?"

I heard someone say something to Morelli, unable to catch the actual words.

"I need to go," Morelli told me. "Two gangs decided to discuss their differences with bullets this afternoon. I'm up to my eyeballs in bodies."

"So, I don't suppose you'll be available for a dinner date tonight?"

"Cupcake, I'll be lucky if I can go home before midnight."

I hung up, sighed, and looked at Ranger. "I don't suppose you want to be my dinner date?"

"What's the occasion?"

"I have a skip who works the dinner shift waitressing at Dolly's Diner."

"And you have to order dinner in order to bring her in?"

"Well, no, but I need to eat. Might as well kill two birds with one stone."

Ranger rolled his eyes. "Count me in. I don't want to miss an opportunity to see you in action."

I sensed the sarcasm. "Watch it," I warned him, "or I'll start spreading it around the Burg that the Walmart rings are from you."

"No you won't. Your mother would kill you."

He had a valid point. "I'll pick you up at six for dinner," I told him before leaving.

I drove a couple blocks to the bonds office and parked.

"Did you see what all the fuss is about up the street?" Lula asked as I walked in.

"Some jewelry store got robbed," I replied as I sat down. I pulled last night's search results out of my messenger bag.

"What's that?" Connie asked.

I filled her and Lula in on my discussion with Lucas and Greenridge the day before. "I tried to research other suspicious fires, but there's so many and I can't find anything to tie them all together."

"Let me see those results," Connie said and I handed over the papers.

After a few silent minutes, Connie divided the papers in four piles. I looked at her expectantly. "A bunch of these fires involved buildings previously owned by the same real estate companies," she explained, returning the papers to me. "Three fires at apartment buildings owned by LandTrenton, two fires at NJ-Highrise properties, and two more at Rental NJ buildings. Rental NJ owned the Boulder Street property before the city bought it out. The last stack are miscellaneous fires that might not be connected."

I looked over the paperwork, wondering how I missed this. "Can we find out who owns these companies?"

Connie began typing and soon gasped. "All three are owned by the same holding company, GNRTech LLC. I can't seem to find a public list of investors in GNRTech, though."

"All those fires can't be coincidence," Lula remarked.

I agreed. "Unfortunately, we may never know if Fortecelli set those fires. Even if I find him, he's not likely to admit to additional arsons."

"Can I see the papers?" Lula asked and I handed them to her. She scanned them over for a few minutes. "I know two of these addresses. They were drug dens, just like the place on Boulder Street."

"Really?" I took the papers back. "Greenridge did call Fortecelli a vigilante. I think I want to talk to some neighbors of these other properties."

Lula and I climbed into my SUV and drove to the closest address. After talking to neighbors at the third address, I decided to assume all the buildings involved were crack houses.

"So, was Fortecelli legitimately trying to clean up the streets or was he just trying to eliminate his competition?" I asked Lula once we were back in the SUV.

"From what I understand, Cookie and Crumbs didn't need to worry about competition," Lula replied. "The folks I talked to seemed to think their products were superior to most other suppliers."

Since we were out anyway, I decided to swing by Clay Thompson's place.

"We gonna try to haul him in again?" Lula asked.

I glanced at the stairs to Thompson's apartment as we rolled past. A couple guys with a ladder were attempting to repair the broken steps. Thompson wasn't anywhere to be seen. "I think I'll let them fix the stairs, first."

"Probably a good call," Lula agreed.

I dropped Lula off at the bonds office and then headed to my parents' house to pick up my laundry. My mother met me at the door with my clothes in a bag and my coat in her hand.

"Thanks," I said, peeking into the bag. "Did you press these?"

My mother's mouth grew grim. "I had calls," she said. "You were held at gunpoint at the jewelry store on Hamilton?"

"I was at the jewelry store when it got robbed. I wasn't held at gunpoint."

She glanced at my left hand.

"And the robber stole the ring cutter," I added.

"Why me?" my mother asked. I think she directed it at God.

I thanked her again for my laundry, pulled on my coat, and headed home.

A few minutes before six, I pulled into the Rangeman garage. Ranger stood near the elevator, waiting for me. I filled him in on Connie's discovery regarding the other suspicious fires.

"She couldn't seem to find any public listing on the investors in GNRTech," I finished.

"I'll have someone look into it," Ranger replied.

The front lot of Dolly's Diner was full, so I parked around back. All the tables and most of the stools were occupied. Ranger and I stood near the entrance, waiting for a booth to open up.

"That couple has paid and been finished for several minutes," I grumbled, nodding toward the booth at the far end. "They're just talking."

Ranger shot me a smile. "Would you like me to make them leave?"

"How are you going to do that?"

Ranger shot the couple a glare that, if directed at me, might have made my blood run cold. It only took a few seconds for the man facing us to squirm in his seat, and suddenly he and his date were putting on their coats and exiting. The man carefully avoided eye contact with Ranger as they passed us.

A bus boy cleared the table as Ranger and I took it.

"And you thought you'd lost your touch," I told him with a grin.

Regina approached our table with a smile and handed us menus, then took our drink order.

"That's my skip," I told Ranger quietly after she walked away.

"Do you have a plan?"

"After I pay the bill, I quietly introduce myself and ask her to come with me at the end of her shift."

The tiniest hint of a smile pulled at Ranger's mouth. "And if that doesn't work?"

I shrugged. "I'll end up chasing her down and probably roll in garbage for the second time today."

Ranger grinned. "The second time?"

I gave an abbreviated version of my attempt to bring in Thompson this morning.

"Babe." I could tell it took him great effort not to laugh at me.

Regina reappeared with Ranger's water and my Coke and took our orders. I stared at Ranger as she walked away.

"Did you just order a bacon cheeseburger and onion rings?"

"I believe that's what I said."

"You feeling okay?"

Ranger rolled his eyes. "Tonight is an indulgence." His eyes roved across my chest in a way that sparked a rush of heat directly to my core. His voice dropped and he leaned slightly forward, "Especially since I can't indulge in what I really want."

After we finished eating, Regina took the bills I handed her and went to get my change. I pulled one of my business cards out of my pocket and when she returned, slid it across the table to her.

"I represent your bail bondsman and you're in violation of your bond. I don't want to cause a scene. When your shift ends, I'd like you to come with me to get your court date rescheduled."

Regina paled, her eyes darting to the door.

"If you run, you'll lose your job. I'll chase you down, make a scene, and handcuff you in front of everyone. Do it my way and no one needs to know. You can simply call off sick tomorrow."

Regina glanced at Ranger and then back at me. "Okay, but when it comes time to handcuff and frisk me, I want him to do it." She nodded at Ranger.

"We're not cops. We don't frisk people," I replied.

"Could you let him frisk me anyway?"

I sighed. "Sure, he'll frisk you, as long as you come quietly."

Underneath the table, Ranger kicked me softly.

"Deal," Regina said. "My shift ends in half an hour. You want some pie or something while you wait?"

"Sure, what's good?"

"The lemon meringue is my favorite, but the blueberry cobbler with vanilla ice cream is our most popular dessert."

"One of each," I replied.

"I'm not frisking her," Ranger hissed as soon as Regina walked away.

"You don't have to. Once she's in handcuffs, there's not much she can do about it."

Half an hour later, Ranger and I slipped into our jackets and made our way to the front of the restaurant. I bent down, pretending to tie my shoe, as we waited for Regina to hang up her apron and put on her coat. She retrieved her purse from under the counter and walked out the door. Ranger and I followed a few steps back.

"So, how does this work?" Regina asked as we reached the rear parking lot. "What about my car? I'll need it to get home and my boss will wonder why it's still in the lot."

"Ranger will drive you in the SUV. If you give me your keys, I'll follow in your car and park it outside the police station. That way it'll be there for you tomorrow."

"I guess that works." She dug in her purse and handed me a set of keys. Then she looked at Ranger. "It's okay if you need to be a little forceful when you cuff me. I like it rough."

I tried not to laugh as I handed Ranger a pair of flexi-cuffs. Regina looked at them and frowned. "What, no metal handcuffs?"

"Sorry to disappoint," I replied as Ranger secured her hands behind her back with the plastic cuffs. I tossed him the keys to the SUV and he caught them one handed.

"He didn't frisk me either," she added, pouting.

"Yeah, I lied about that part," I admitted.

I followed Ranger to the police station and collected my body receipt for Regina. Then I drove Ranger back to Rangeman.

"Thanks for being my dinner date," I told him as I pulled into the parking garage.

"Anytime," he replied, then added, "as long as it isn't dinner at your parents'." He leaned over and kissed me softly before getting out.