Chapter 4

This was a new question, in all the times I have done distraction jobs Joe had never asked to come along. At first, we fought about my doing them. Then, after he realized these were jobs and I was going whether he liked it or not, he generally would just plop himself in front of the TV and pout. But tonight he wanted to go along. "I'll have to clear it with Tank. It's his call, but I don't see a problem with it."

Joe handed me my phone and waited.

"Tank here."

"Hi! You have a problem with Joe tagging along tonight?" I asked.

"That would actually be great. Bobby just broke 3 ribs an hour ago and I was scrambling to find his replacement. Morelli will do nicely." This was the longest conversation I had ever had with Tank and did he actually say "actually?" But, mine is not to question why when it comes to Tank. I closed my phone turned to look at Joe.

"You're now part of the team"

"The team?" he asked. "Hell, I don't want to work for Rangeman. I just want to tag along and watch you work."

"Well, Bobby can't make it … something about some broken ribs and Tank needs someone to fill his spot."

"What does Bobby do?"

"He and Lester watch my back inside the bar. Once I get the guy leaving with me, one of them will be walking out in front the other covering the exit. Hal and Cal wait outside and do the takedown once we have all cleared the bar."

"I can do that," Joe agreed and we were off to the meeting place.

We were across the street from the Blue Fish going over the plan in the 7-11 parking lot. Tank basically gave Joe the same run down I just did. Lester said he would take lead and Joe agreed. Tank handed him the file to review. After a few minutes Joe closed the file and stared at me.

"What?" I asked, a little worried everything had been going surprisingly well up to that point.

"Do you not remember this guy?" Joe asked.

"No, should I?"

"He was in between us in school. I played football & baseball with him and he was madly in love with you."

"That was a long time ago Joe. I'm sure he doesn't remember me."

"Cupcake," Joe stepped closer, "you have a way of sticking in a guy's head. He was suspended and kicked off the team when you wouldn't go to the spring Dance with him. His anger management issues aren't new. As soon as you approach him I guarantee he will remember you and know this is a set-up."

"I'll tell him my name is Jennifer."

"Is this going to be a problem?" Tank asked.

"No!" I said.

"Yes!" Joe confirmed at the same time.

"No, I have it under control. Wire me up and let's roll." Everyone eyed Joe and Tank handed the wire over to him and walked away.

Joe, with cop face firmly in place, asked "Who normally does this?"

I quickly decided a little white lie was in order. "Bobby," I told him and as his hand reached up under my breast, I added, "but he normally puts it lower."

"I'm sure." Joe grunted and moved away and headed into the bar.

"Can he do this?" Tank asked me.

"He'll be fine" I assured him with more conviction than I felt.

I spied Joe. He was sitting at the bar nursing a beer for effect. Lester doing the same at the other end. Joe had company and my second look confirmed – yes, Joe was talking to my FTA Russell Riggins.

"Morelli? Joe Morelli is that you?" Riggins asked as he sat down next to Joe.

Joe looked up and over at Lester. Lester gave him the "I don't know" shrug and Joe turned his attention back to the target.

"Riggins," Joe acknowledged, "it's been years."

"Yeah, heard you're a cop now. What're you doing in this dive?"

"Long day, trying to forget about it," Joe told him raising the beer. "Not sure I'd be good company tonight. We should catch up some other time."

"I hear you man. Beer's on me next time" and Riggins took the spot further down the bar.

I gave Joe a look and he nodded for me to get it over with so I took the empty seat Lester had vacated to move by the door. The bartender popped in and gave me a smile before asking, "What can I get you?"

"Vodka rocks," I told him, which means I get ice water. Riggins turned and took a look at me.

"Hi!" I greet him with a smile

"Hi yourself," he replies and I start to worry that maybe Joe was right and he recognized me, but then he introduced himself. "I'm Russ. Let me buy that drink for you."

"Thanks Russ. I'm Jennifer. It's nice to meet you."

We exchange small talk and finish our drinks when I drop the line, "Looks like I got stood up tonight. You got any plans?"

"Whatever you want honey."

God, men are so predictable and Russ and I walked towards the door. Lester went out two steps ahead of us. Joe was three steps behind. I got Russ outside where he came face to face with Lester and Cal on his right, Hal to the left, and Joe covering the rear. When reality sat in, "Stephanie Plum - you bitch," Joe had Russ on the ground and cuffed before the Merry Men could even react. Tank had pulled me out of the way watching Joe's technique.

"Nice!" Tank called out.

"Get him out of here," Joe told Hal, "and make sure I get those back. I told you he would remember you Cupcake. You're unforgettable," Joe finished, turning towards me with a smile on his face. He walked over to Tank and me, "That was kind of fun. Sorry to jump the take down."

"No sweat man, protecting Steph is rule #1." Tank and Joe did some complex handshake and asked "I'm meeting up with Lula you want to come?"

Joe tilted his head towards me for the answer, "Sure why not."

We followed Tank across town to the Brickyard, a bar where the working class of Trenton go to unwind after a hard week of work or to celebrate the latest promotion. The wait staff wears buttons on their suspenders and they serve a mean chili cheese fry basket. Lulu was already there in a booth in the back. Tank slide in next to her on one side, Joe and I on the other. To my surprise, about 30 minutes later Hal, Cal and Lester rounded out our table.

Seeing my surprise, Lester volunteered, "It's Friday night Steph and we just did a takedown … one I wasn't sure was going to happen. Man," he said looking at Joe, "when he started talking to you, I got worried you were right and Steph was made. But," turning his attention back to me, "she pulled it off like a pro," clicking his beer bottle with mine before addressing Joe again. "And you were like quick draw with those cuffs."

That was the comment Lula decided to pick up on when she added, "Yeah Officer Hottie and Steph here, they must get kinky with the cuffs at home, cause my girl's got some mad skills with them too." Good thing I was already two beers in for the night the buzz I had going keep me from dying of embarrassment on the spot.

Joe, of course, just ignored the statement and moved on. "Steph was great tonight. I thought Riggins recognized her when she sat down, but she kept her cool and got him out of there. He only put two and two together because I was right behind and closing rank."

"So," I asked. "What happened to Bobby tonight?"

It was Hal who spoke. "He was sparring with Cal and he should have known to protect his right. Cal always goes for the right."

"Bet he won't make that mistake again," Cal added with a laugh. I must have looked horrified cause Tank added, "Boys will be boys."

We finished a couple more rounds and enjoyed the easy company of our group. Joe fit in with these guys as easily as he does with our Pino's crowd. We were getting ready to leave when Ranger walked in and saw us all. Not many people would be able to read an expression change on his face, but both Tank and I saw it. I smiled at him as Joe and I continued our exit from the group. I would let Tank deal with it. I was tired.

On the way home Joe broke the silence. "I've got to admit Cupcake that was fun tonight. I'm glad I got to see you work. And who knew the Merry men had personalities?"

"I did," I said with a smile. "It takes a lot to break them down but once they loosen up they are a lot of fun."

"I've always just seen them working."

"On high Stephanie Alert," I added.

"Yeah," Joe continued, "apparently they take that seriously."

"Rule #1," I laughed.

"Don't laugh Steph. You trust those guys and that's good."

"They're my team Joe. Lester and Bobby are always with me inside. They're there keeping me safe, making sure the bad guys don't turn jerk on me. Hal and Cal, they are ready for the takedown. If the guy was a little fresh, Hal has been known to drop him. Tank has ears on me and if I get nervous, it's him talking me through it."

"I don't think I know Bobby," Joe said.

"Bobby's about your size height wise, maybe a bit smaller. He's usually the one I spar with in the gym, sometimes Zero, but usually Bobby. It's fun to try out the stuff Tank teaches me on him and I'm comfortable with him so it's easier than with Zero, even though they are about the same size. I have no idea why he would spar with Cal today, they're in a different weight class."

"That's the point," Joe interrupted my babbling, "in combat you are not pitted against an equal size enemy. Any good warrior can take down an enemy of any size."

"Warrior?" I asked and added an eye raise of my own.

"What else do you want to call them?" A wide grin spread across his face, "Let's go to bed Cupcake. We've got our first takedown to celebrate and I've got my cuffs back."