A/N Everything you recognize belongs to Janet Evanovich. Thank you to Kathy's amazing beta skills, Heather for all her sound advice and encouragement and Lisa who did a little of both! A huge Thank You to the readers, you guys make all the hard work worth it!

~Chapter 20

***Dec 2

SPOV

I woke up not feeling well. Crap, I hope I'm not getting sick. I eat a few crackers hoping that will help while I get ready for my day. My grandmother is coming to AC next weekend and we have it all planned. We want to spend our time in a hotel room just outside the city. We are going to hang out in the room as much as possible and use disguises anytime we need to go out.

I hope I get through this illness, whatever it is. I don't want to have to cancel. Lex and I make our way into the house and prepare for the day. Dr. King is talking about trying to see his grandkids for the holidays. Jason got time off so we are just waiting on Sarah. I helped decorate the tree last weekend so having everyone home will be nice. I'll be ready to pop so the distraction of the holiday will help make the time go faster. I'm feeling pretty good about everything as far as the baby goes. I can't wait to meet this little one. I have made preparations to have her at home with my doula and Dr. King. He says he remembers delivering babies in his residency. Let's hope his memory holds out. I have read the 'what to expect' book for pregnancy and the first few months of 'What to expect' in the first year. I think I'm ready.

"How are you feeling Stephanie?" Dr. King greets me for breakfast. Yay! He remembers my name. It's going to be a good day.

"Just okay." I tell him honestly. "I feel like I'm getting sick so I want to stay away. I don't want us both to feel bad."

"You look a little pale. Let me take a look at your abrasion," he says and I'm shocked he remembers the incident. I had been getting up from the Adirondack chair on the patio when I fell back. I landed back on the seat but my elbow scraped down the armrest. I have a little scrape that felt like a rug burn. It didn't even bleed so I thought it was no big deal. I was sore for several days but now that he's mentioned it, it does still hurt. I hold my elbow out to him and he looks under the Band-Aid. I hadn't really thought much about it. I have had scrapes and much worse my whole life.

"Well, my dear. I believe you have an infection starting. Let's get this cleaned up." he says, leading me over to sit at the table. "Wait here, I have a med kit with everything we need." He leaves the kitchen and comes back a minute later with the supplies he needs. He scrubs the wound with Betadine and I try to keep from squirming. Crap, this hurts. "You need an antibiotic." he says after he takes my temperature. "You have a low grade temp."

"What can I..." I start before a contraction hits me and I am unable to finish asking what antibiotics are safe for the baby.

"I was afraid of that. Just breathe. Focus on your breathing," he tells me. "We need to call Danielle. I bet you this isn't Braxton Hicks. An infection can cause you to go into labor. You are just fine. The baby is fine. She's just going to be a bit early. You were dying to have your Christmas present early" he tells me in his calm reassuring voice. I'm thankful that he's here and that he's calm. I would panic if I wasn't listening to his soothing voice. I make it through the contraction and stay sitting on the kitchen chair while I place the call to my doula. I explain to her that an infection is probably making this the real thing. She tells me to relax and breathe and she'll be here in fifteen minutes.

I feel wetness on the chair and wonder if I peed my pants or if my water broke. At this point either is possible. That is not discussed when women report on the 'amazingness' of being pregnant. Nope. Peeing yourself and the many trips to the bathroom day and night is not discussed.

"I need to go check to see if my water broke." I tell Dr King. "Call Sarah and Jason and leave messages. I'm going to my cottage."

I waddle back to my cottage with Lex shadowing behind. He's whining so I bet he can sense something is up. Smart dog. I have another contraction in the bathroom and now I'm quite sure I'm in labor. I'm hoping for more time now that childbirth is imminent. I was in a rush to meet my little girl before but now, I'm scared of what's to come . Seeing my sister and best friend go through it was enough for me to have a healthy appreciation of how hard this is. I don't have the option for drugs staying at home. I do have a plan where I can be rushed to the hospital if need be. Women all over the world have babies at home, I try to tell myself. Most of those are in third world countries and I'm now starting to see holes in my reasoning. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. I repeat until I hear Lex bark then the cottage door opens. I hear the voices of Dr. King and Danielle. I start to calm down.

Danielle gets me settled on the bed and checks me over. She agrees with Dr. King in that the infection probably started this whole thing. I'm going to have the baby today. At least I'm only a day short of being 36 weeks. "The baby is big enough to be okay. Thirty seven weeks is full term and anything before 35 is probably going to require the NICU," she assures me.

I feel better and spend the day trying to nap between contractions. I call my grandmother to tell her the good news.

"Guess what?" I ask her when she answers. She gasps.

"Is my baby Great Granddaughter here?" she says excitedly.

"Not yet but soon. I'm in labor. When I see you next weekend, you'll get to meet her too."

"Oh that's wonderful but I wish I could be with you now," she says and it saddens me. I wish she could be here too.

"I can talk to you as long as you want. Are you able to talk?" I ask, knowing that I need her to have the privacy talking to me at this time will require.

"I was supposed to go with Carol and Myrtle to the grocery store later but I can cancel. I don't really need anything and they can go without me. I'll just tell them I'm going to try to figure out a way to photograph any dirty pictures I get on Snapchat. Hey, I have to stay up with technology." I laugh out loud.

"Oh Grandma!" I say, still smiling.

She hangs up and a few minutes later, calls me back. We keep the line open and she helps Danielle and Dr. King reassure me and helps me breathe through the contractions. Lex helps too by curling up close to my head. He stays touching me the whole time giving me the support I need. He's an amazing dog.

Seventeen and a half hours later, Ava Clair Harrison comes into the world. It is a little after 2:00am on Saturday, Dec 3rd. She weighs 6 pounds and 5 ounces and is 19 inches long. Her APGAR score is a perfect ten. Thank God. I'm exhausted and I'm thankful my labor didn't last any longer than it did. The pain, although bad, was worth it now that I have little Ava in my arms. I can hardly complain about anything while holding my little miracle. I'm momentarily struck by how much she looks like Ranger. She has deep blue eyes, but I'm sure they'll change since I'm guessing Ranger doesn't have the recessive trait for anything. Thankfully, I am able to get her to latch on to breast feed. Danielle is an advocate and explained to me that the latch is important. She said that Ava can develop bad habits and make it difficult and painful if I don't correct it early. I listened and she helped me a lot. It's such a strange feeling to breastfeed and I can't stop staring at her. I love watching her. The books said that when she sleeps, I should sleep and I make a plan on doing just that.

The first few days are rough. I am tired and my crotch hurts like hell. Thankfully, Dr. King brought me food and all I did was sleep and care for Ava.

By the fourth day, I was finally out of the zombie stage of sleep deprivation and ready to brave the world. My pain level is low and I'm able to venture out of the cottage to come up to the main house. Dr. King is doing fine. He hasn't had a bad day in awhile which makes me glad the medication continues to work for him. I checked to see that he has been taking it and the house seems like it's in pretty decent shape. I talked to Sarah a couple of times and she made sure she talked to him a couple of times per day while I was recovering. I know she's busy right now with her caseload but she knows I am out of commission. Dr. King surprised us and actually helped me out more these last few days. We discuss Christmas and since I'm no longer pregnant, Ava and I, as well as Dr. King will fly out to California for a week. This will make it easier on Sarah. With work, she wasn't sure she was going to be able to come after all and Jason, well, he can fly out there as easily as he can fly to Cape May. I know it's not ideal to fly across the country with a newborn but Dr. King wanted to go see her out there and he really has been a big help.

We plan on traveling as light as we can and if we need something, Sarah will buy it for us when we arrive. That settled, I think about the plans we have for this weekend. I'm going to be driving up to AC to meet my grandma a few blocks away from her hotel. She's going to ditch her tour group and sneak away in disguise.

***Dec 9

I pick my Grandma up at a side street off the boardwalk. When she gets into my car she reaches over the console to hug me tight. Honestly, I really didn't know what she was going to do for a disguise, I was expecting anything from a showgirl costume to a nun. What she has on shocks me even more. She has on baggy jeans, a big hoodie, sunglasses and a skull cap pulled over her hair. She looks like a street thug except for the gold chains. My mouth hangs open in shock. It is so good to see her!

She looks into the back seat to see little Ava still sleeping in her rear facing car seat.

"She's still pretty much sleeping and eating only." I tell her.

"She's beautiful!" my Grandma says. Changing our plans to go back to Cape May was really good. It really makes sense since Ava came early. I'm only gone a few hours and at the cottage, we have privacy and everything Ava needs.

We spend a glorious weekend talking and it was very refreshing to be with her, mentally and physically. She's stayed the nurturing loving grandmother ever since I got pregnant. Little glimpses of her over the top persona surface at times but she's very much in control when she allows that.

We spend the weekend making healthy treats and taking photos. I only let her take close ups of Ava. I didn't want any background scenery and I made sure her location was off. I have her main cell forwarded to our burner phone in case the tour ladies or my Mother called looking for her. Her main cell is in her hotel room plugged in to power.

The first night she gets really quiet. We have just finished dinner with Dr. King and are settled back in my cottage. "I need to tell you a few things. I know you don't want to hear anything about Joe or Ranger, but you need to hear this," she begins and my stomach flips.

She goes over to her bag and pulls out a newspaper. It's the Trenton Times and I'm on the cover. AGAIN! It's the same photo of Joe yelling at me. From the angle the reporter took the photo from, you can see the wound on my back. They printed it in color and you can see the blood soaking through my clothes. I always thought that if I had on a better winter coat, I may have been saved. The short thinner coat had ridden up and allowed that metal piece to cut into me easier. There was an inset photo, it was enlarged to view the piece of metal protruding out of my back.

"That piece of metal was part of a sculpture. It was handmade and from a drug family in Mexico. It was a gift, an Eagle Warrior. It was also the single piece of evidence that linked a global drug case from Colombia and Mexico to Trenton. They were into everything. Bombs, drugs, you name it. All bad. You cracked the case and a lot of people are looking for you. Some to interview, some to question and others to silence you. You have to stay hidden. They have made significant progress on the case and can proceed without you but they would like to question you and protect you. The surgeon who removed it documented it with photos so there is no real need for you to come back. Joe is now reinstated with the TPD. He was really close to losing his badge but you saved his patoot once again." She pauses and takes a breath. "Now Ranger. He seems to have a strong interest in finding you. I don't think he knows about Ava. I'm not sure what to think. He helped Valerie. She and Albert were going to lose their house and Ranger stepped in to give them money. Valerie didn't say much more but she defended him and you. I don't want to upset you but I thought you should know. I'll keep my eyes and ears open. You don't have anything to worry about. You're safe here," she says and all I can do is sit there, stunned. I have a lot to process.

"I had been helping Valerie. I gave them money a month or so before I left." I tell Grandma. "I knew she was trying to catch up on late payments. I had given her a lot of money and wondered how that wasn't enough. How far behind had they gotten?"

"She wouldn't say. She was embarrassed." Grandma tells me.

I take another deep breath and put on a smile.

"I can never come back. Ranger made sure of that. Just keep an ear out in case anyone gets a lead on me." I tell her and change the subject to ask about the men in her life. Nothing like getting her distracted to get off the subjects of Joe and Ranger. I don't want to waste my time with Grandma talking anymore about my life before I left Trenton. I'm happy here and I don't want to dwell on the past.

The weekend flies by quickly and before I know it, it's Sunday. I look at her sadly, knowing that it's time to take her back. I plan to stop for lunch on the way. I found a little place off the beaten path and the three of us found an out of the way booth so we could hide away from any other guests.

I pull up to a different hotel around the corner and Grandma looks at me. I wish she could stay longer but she assured me that there would be another bus trip in a few months. She gives me a long hug.

"Hang in there sweetie. You are doing an amazing job. I'm so proud of you. Ava is the most beautiful baby," she tells me and I can't keep the tears from falling. I watch as she swaggers, yes, swaggers down the sidewalk toward her hotel. A smile peaks out through my tears. I really love that woman. I make the short trip down the coast happy for the time that I had with her.

***Dec 13

RPOV

I sit in the conference room with Lester, Woody and Manny. The four of us are picking up a skip that has managed to evade Vinnie's new BEA for weeks. Gustav Sandoval is expected to attend his nephew's funeral. Gus is 82 so I don't have much worry that we won't be able to handle it. I'm more concerned that we will cause the viewers to have cardiac arrests. This whole file has Stephanie written all over it. Not only would she have been able to find him quicker, she would have come with us and smoothed things over. The Burg has yet to embrace Rangeman and still treats us as outsiders. The nephew was a cousin by marriage to the Plums. That's the only reason I'm doing this. I wouldn't have even accepted this case if it weren't for that connection. I know it's a long shot, but I still keep hoping Steph will show up one day.

The time is set and we arrive at 1530. The viewing starts at 1600 and the line is already forming for slumber room 1. My men and I circulate the room looking for Gus. So far, nothing. I see the moment her silver, curly head comes through the door. Edna Mazur. I do another quick scan of the room. I don't see Stephanie or her parents. I'm not even pretending to look for Gus.

I watch Edna as she passes me. Our eyes meet. She's giving me a look. A look like she's disgusted with me. That's suspicious. So far, Edna has been firmly on the side of Stephanie bashing, a tamer side but still not happy with Steph's troubles. Her daughter Helen more than makes up for Edna's shortcomings in that regard. Her sister Valerie was initially also vocal about how Stephanie ruined their good name. I resist a snort. I think Vinnie has done irreparable damage to the Plum name and that had nothing to do with Stephanie. However, Valerie changed her tune when I instructed her to stop the Stephanie bashing. I shake my head. So, why is Edna so mad at me? I know why she should be angry with me but the only way she would know is if Stephanie told her. She's living in Steph's old apartment, she may know more than we think. When we interviewed her family, we kept clear of her. Her inappropriate comments and wandering hands were enough for all of us to write her off as a crazy old lady. Maybe we misjudged her? I decide to approach.

"Good evening, Mrs. Mazur." I say as I cut off her path to the casket. She was no doubt going to pry the damn lid off to make sure all was well with the deceased. Her disgusted look deepens. Interesting.

"Have you heard from Stephanie?" I ask her directly when she fails to return my greeting. She stares back at me unflinchingly. Gone is her extravagant personality. I am dealing with the tough as nails mama bear who is assessing a threat.

"Ranger" she finally responds, not yet breaking her gaze. Her answer is clipped. Her usual demeanor is off and I'm taken aback. She's really pissed at me.

"I asked if you have heard from Stephanie." I repeat.

"I heard what you said and I haven't." she replies and I'd bet my last dollar she's lying. I want to question her more and I grab her elbow to guide her out of the room so we can talk without the benefit of onlookers and nosey Burg busybodies. She walks with me to the next room and Lester joins me. Woody and Manny stay in place watching the exits.

I take a deep breath. I need to bait her. She's going to play it cool and I need to get a reaction out of her.

"I think you have. I think you know where she cowered off to. Where she's hiding." I begin and see a flicker of rage pass across her face before she schools her features. I think we have been underestimating this woman. She remains silent.

"If you and the rest of her family would have supported her, maybe she would have stayed here. You turned your back on her and she left. You're the reason she left." I say heatedly.

"You asshole!" She comes at me. She has her arms up ready to strike when Lester pulls her arms behind her back. She twists and I pray she doesn't break anything. In the scuffle, her cell phone drops out of her coat pocket. It hits the floor with a thud. She is still subdued by Lester and glances at the phone worried. Now I hope we didn't break her screen. I lean over to pick it up and the action of turning it over lights up the screen. I freeze. I see a photo on the screen. My mind is racing. The screen saver is an infant that looks like Julie. What the fuck? I look at her and she screams. "No. Don't." I put the phone in my pocket and turn for the door. "Let her go after I leave. Stay and pick up Sandoval. I'm offline." I say to Les just before exiting the room.

Upon reflection, I don't recall the drive back to Haywood. I don't remember how I managed to get through rush hour traffic and park in my spot. I don't recall if I walked up all seven flights or if I took the elevator. I was too busy mentally recalling every possibility of what this means. I could only dare to hope. Not only did Steph have our child, but Edna is the connection to her. I don't put my keys in the dish, I don't remove my shoes or my dress coat. I don't do anything until I get to my office and sit in my desk chair. I reach in my pocket and pull out Edna's phone. I look at the screen. It only gives me 10 seconds before it shuts off. It's password protected with a six digit code and I don't want to jeopardize locking it up. I pull out my cell and text Pedro. I want him here right now. I want to know if he can break the pass code. It's an Apple phone, probably a burner so I don't hold out much hope. Pedro was hired quickly after Hector left. He's Diego's younger brother and a computer whiz kid. He's only 19 but his skills rival Hector's. Diego had come in toward the end of this debacle but Steph had managed to make a friend out of him despite the little time they knew each other.

I had tried to assure Hector that he wasn't to blame for this clusterfuck but he wouldn't listen. Last I heard, he was back with his former gang. The repercussions from this shit show are wide and far reaching.

I reflect on the moment I saw the photo. I knew, I knew instantly that Steph found a way out. She found a way to keep our baby. Knowing that she had to give up everything to do it made me physically ill. Knowing that she had to stay hidden from me, well, that's something I can't face right now. What I can do is find them and try to make this right. I don't have a lot of hope. Actually, I think I'll need a miracle. I stare at the photo for hours thinking how happy this makes me. The abortion weighed on my soul. I had given up hope that I would ever get out from under the crushing weight of it. Now, I don't have to. It's gone. In one instant, I can live again. I have a child with Stephanie.

I sit in my chair mesmerized. I can see from the photo that she's a newborn. She's a girl, judging by her pink clothes. She has Steph's nose but everything else is me right down to the coloring of her skin and hair. Her eyes are blue but they'll probably change. I know my heritage is strong and every single one of my nieces and nephews looks Latino even when one parent is fair skinned. I take a break and look for the baby pictures I have of Julie. I log into my icloud. I know I have some that I saved there. I scroll back until I find one where Julie was a few months old. I compare the photos. It's hard when they're this young. They change so much in such a short amount of time. I keep scrolling back. The youngest picture I have of Julie is a few weeks old. She is laying on a baby chair looking up at the camera. I stare at the image of Julie, she's looking at whoever took the photo. Just staring, unsmiling with her matching skin tone and dark hair. They could be sisters. Fuck, they are sisters. I'm distracted out of my thoughts by the door. Pedro must be here. I get up to meet him at the door, I take the phone with me not able to bear letting it out of my sight.

I quickly tell Pedro what I want. He's still for a moment and then reaches for the phone. He looks at the photo and hands it back. He proceeds to tell me that he cannot unlock it. He could probably find someone that can but it would take time and wouldn't be without risk. He leaves without any more questions. Since he started because Hector quit, he has no idea what this means. He doesn't know this innocent little face pushes away the darkness in my life and what it'll mean to everyone here at Rangeman. We all need our Babe back and it looks like she comes with a miracle.

I plug the phone in anywhere I am. This is my lifeline and I refuse to go anywhere without it. I don't want to miss a call if Stephanie tries to call her grandmother. I only hope that Edna can't get her a message and alert her that I have her phone. I put a full detail on Edna in plain view. I want her to know we're watching. We are also investigating where she has been and everything she has been doing since last May.

***Dec 14

I can't focus. I can't work. Word has spread pretty quickly around the building. I had a meeting with my core team plus Diego this morning and updated them. I also showed Ella the photo and she gives me the knowing look that tells me I'm an idiot. I'm worse than that but I don't think my Tia would call me an asshole.

Later that afternoon, I happened to see a text message pop up when I was staring at my daughter's photo. It says "I'll call u Thurs I have something to tell u." The message disappears and I have no way to make it come back. So much information that I want is on this phone and I can't get to it. I do have hope. I hope with every fiber of my being that she calls tomorrow and that she'll talk to me.

Lester walks in with Tank on his heels. "I have the info on Mrs. Mazur. It looks like she was in Atlantic City last weekend. She went on one of those senior bus tours. I tried to talk to her but she won't say a word," he says and drops the file on my desk. He sits on my couch and Tank remains standing while I look through the file. The photo could have been messaged to her or taken in person. "Do you think Steph's in Atlantic City?"

"I don't know. It seems too high profile. She would get recognized." I tell them. "I saw a text flash across the screen that said 'I'll call u Thurs' and I am hoping it's Steph and that it's tomorrow Thursday, not next week Thursday or next month Thursday. Fuck, I can't take this. I want to grab the old lady and torture it out of her and be done with it." I put down the file. "Keep digging into Edna and see if anything else turns up." I say and Les and Tank leave me alone. All I want to do is find them.

***Dec 15

I spend the day looking for more photos of Julie to compare. I even called Rachel for her to send them to me. I was more convinced when I saw the hospital photos of Julie. They were so similar. After that, I was like a caged animal. I still couldn't focus on work. I went to the gym to work out and that helped a little. I was able to work out some of my aggression. I forced myself to eat and by evening, I was pacing again. I knew we were getting close. I could feel it.

At 2030 the phone lights up, it's on silent so it buzzes too. I answer it immediately but I'm at a loss for words. Before I could get anything out I hear, "hold on Grandma, I have to put your great granddaughter down so I can chat uninterrupted. This little one will monopolize the conversation if I let her." I listen as she soothes the baby and I can clearly hear rustling and little baby noises. "Right sweetie? You will get all of your Great Grandmother's attention. Who can blame her? I wouldn't listen to me either. Ok little one, it's time to go to sleep. Night night sweetie, sweet dreams, love you" kissing noises.

I sit immobile, I couldn't speak even if my life depended on it. All the planning and I can't even form one word. I am fucking speechless. Finally, Steph sighs and says, "Ok, she's down. Oh Grandma, how have you been?"

SPOV

Silence. I look down at my phone to confirm the call is connected.

"Grandma, are you still there?" I ask, concern creeping into my voice.

"Babe?"

I disconnect. Panic fills me as I power off the phone. I'm shaking so badly it takes a few extra seconds.

Breathe, just breathe. Little dots dance in front of my eyes. I sit and put my head between my knees. Thoughts are swirling around in my brain. Thank God I had already put Ava down. This can't be happening. I can't do this. It is several minutes before my head stops spinning. What the hell just happened? How did he find me? "I have to calm down," I say to myself. I have to think logically about this. He answered Grandma's phone. He doesn't know where I am. We have new names. I left no trail, no digital footprint. I have all the proper documentation for our new identities. Grandma's phone is password protected so he can only receive calls. He couldn't have seen my number so as long as he can't break into her phone then he won't be able to trace my number and see its location and the cell towers I'm using. I'm so thankful that I paid attention when I worked at Rangeman.

I need information but I'm scared to chance a call to my grandmother. I'm afraid her landline is tapped. I take a deep breath so I can calm down. Having a panic attack will not be helpful. I let out a shaky breath. I continue to take deep breaths until they aren't shaky anymore.

This new life that I have created for myself and my daughter is now in jeopardy. I have to think of a plan. I need to speak to Grandma. Tomorrow is her day at the Clip N Curl so I can call there and pretend I'm Val. I need to get her a new phone so I can talk to her privately. I'm mentally planning all that I have to do to make sure my daughter and I are safe. I will not let anyone take her from me.

RPOV

One word. One word is all I got out. I guess I should have expected it. Steph has no idea what all went down, all she knows is that we destroyed her life. She doesn't know why or that we're sorry about how wrong we were. FUCK, I say as I pound my fist on my desk. All the relief I felt at hearing her and Ava's voices is gone. I'm no closer to getting her forgiveness or getting back into her life. The thought of her running grips my heart. She'd be in more danger. There are still people looking for her. I can't stay here, I can't focus. It's late but I have to do something. I take the phone and head back to the gym. A couple of hours of pounding the bag may help take the edge off then maybe I can figure out what the hell I'm going to do next.

***Dec 16

SPOV

I had an awful night. Fear made sleep fitful and Ava woke me at her usual times through the night. I feel like a frazzled mess. I have to get some answers today...and some sleep.

I'm second guessing calling the Clip N Curl. If they trace the call then I'm screwed. What can I do? I can buy Grandma a new phone and mail it to Mrs. Bestler. She'll assume there was a mix up and give it to Grandma. I still need to go out of town to buy the phone and it'll take time to get there and back. If Ranger has Grandma's phone, I can send him a message. I can tell him to stop looking for me. Fat lot of good that'll do. He's going to do whatever he damn well pleases no matter how anyone else feels. Asshole. He probably wants to make my life miserable, AGAIN. I let out a breath. "Looks like we're going on a field trip." I say to my fussy little girl. "After I feed you." I add knowing it's time for breakfast.

I thought about what I wanted to say to Ranger and quickly typed it up and sent it. Feeling better about the plan, I get busy making sure we can leave in time for me to get the phone and mail it from Atlantic City in today's mail. Hopefully she'll get it by Monday.

RPOV

I look at the file of what we have so far. Edna was in Atlantic City last weekend and that seems like an excellent place to start. I text Ella so she'll pack a bag for me. I don't know how long I'll be there so I tell her five days. I make a reservation at the hotel where Edna stayed. I plan on starting there and working my way out. I have Lester talking to the other people that went on the tour. Once he gets an idea of where all they went, I can follow up with questions. Her phone was used but only in the hotel. It was only incoming calls. I can't trace the burner phone so that's the one she was probably using. I pull her credit report and also found nothing from the time she arrived to when she left. Either she used cash or someone else paid. I don't know what the primary feeling is right now. Pissed or proud. I rub my jaw in frustration. I'm staring at my daughter's picture when a series of texts come through. It starts with telling me there is a long text coming.

It takes 6 messages for me to get the whole message. It reads.

Ranger, I am sorry you found out about my baby. Please don't look for us. We are happy and safe.

We have a new life with new names and my greatest wish is for you to leave us alone. I want nothing from you.

I don't need you anymore. I am very proud of what I have accomplished on my own and I now have an amazing child that fills ...

Please leave my Grandmother alone as well and get on with your life.

I wish you luck on repairing your Karma and I hope that you eventually find happiness in the process.

We plan on doing just that on our own. Goodbye, Stephanie

I sit. I can't move. I took photos of each message as it popped up. I wish I hadn't. I have read the message so many times, I have it memorized. A piece of my heart dies every time I read it. I decide to stop by and see Edna before I leave. I need her to believe I'm not going to hurt Stephanie.

I stand outside Stephanie's apartment for a few minutes. I called the control room to make sure she's here before I made the ten minute drive over. Manny and Binkie are in the parking lot and I stop to get an update. All is quiet. She knows we're here and has been unwilling to answer any of our questions thus far. I shake my head. This is what Stephanie is going to be like in 40 years, I know it. I knock on her door. I feel her checking the peep hole then nothing.

"Please, I just want to talk to you." I say when she makes no move to speak or open the door. No answer. "I don't want to hurt her anymore than I have." I add when she still doesn't respond.

"She's better off without you and the rest of the toxic people from her previous life." I hear her say behind the door.

"I know, but I need to make sure she's ok." I plead.

"She's fine," She says simply.

"I need to know for sure. I want to help her."

"Sometimes, helping is staying away," she whispers and Julie's face pops into my head. I feel the shame of not being able to have her in my life. The choices I made regarding her. I can't do that again.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I regret everything. I just want to see them, talk to them. Please, I want to make sure they have everything they need. That they're safe. People are looking for her. I want to protect her from that." I plead again.

"What possibly could you say to her that would make everything okay?" she asks me. I take a deep breath and let it out.

"I can't make what I did to her okay. I can only apologize and help them in any way that I can."

"I can't talk to her right now. You have my phone. I'm not going to lead you to her, if I get a chance to talk to her, I'll pass along that you want to speak to her. She knows your number. Goodbye." she says, ending our conversation. I have to resist the urge to go in and get the info I want, but I know without a shadow of doubt that that will end badly for me. Fuck!

Edna POV

I'm so worried. I don't know all the details but I know I screwed up. I shouldn't have had my cell with me last night. I shouldn't have used Ava's photo on the screen. I should have written down Stephanie's number. AHHHHH. What am I going to do? I've got Ranger breathing down my neck and a constant shadow. I'm going to go crazy waiting until Stephanie can get me a new phone or something. I don't think she'll risk a call to me directly. I'm guessing she knows just what Rangeman will do so she probably knows every move I make is watched. I pace the small living room. Ranger seemed sincere but I don't trust him. Anyone who could hurt Stephanie like that can't be trusted no matter how many pretty words they use. She had to fake an abortion for crying out loud. I think as I hear another knock on my door. I was surprised to find Ruth on the other side of the peephole, I was expecting Ranger or another Rangeman. I open the door with the chain on.

"Hey Edna. Can I come in?" she asks and I release the chain and open the door.

"What's up?" I ask her.

"Can you come over for a bit? I have a cherry Danish and wanted to chat with you for a minute." she says and I agree. I grab my keys and follow her out, locking up behind me. I follow her to the elevator and we head to the first floor, diagonal to where I live.

Once in her mirror image apartment, I sit down at the table and she brings me a cup of coffee and a small plate. I love Ruth. I don't know all that much about her except that she likes to spend her time in the elevator playing operator. She doesn't watch TV so there is no background noise to fill the silence around us.

"I got a call from one of your nieces," she says and I'm immediately concerned. "Her name is Claire." she adds and I calm my nerves. A small smile forms and I know my smarty pants granddaughter has found a way to get back in touch with me. I wait for her to continue. "She asked if I would bring you back to my place before telling you that she called. She wants to call again to speak with you. I guess she doesn't have your new number. I didn't know you had a niece."

"Oh yeah. She lives out of town and doesn't get along with Helen. Long story. I'll tell you sometime. Anyways, she and I talk and we don't want anyone to know. We chat once a week and I have never missed her call. I lost my phone last night and she just assumed that I changed numbers. Is she going to call me here?"

"Yes. She said she'd give me a half hour to get you and then call back. "She seems to buy the story and I'm relieved. The gypsy blood can lie, that's for sure. When the phone rings a few minutes later, she gets up to answer it. She hands me the phone.

"Oh, hi Claire. I'm so sorry I lost my cell phone. I didn't have your number so I was stuck. I'm glad you found me through Ruth here. I'm glad I gave you her number in case you had to get a hold of me." I lie for Ruth's benefit.

"Grandma, are you ok?" she asks me.

"Oh fine dear. I'm glad you called. I bumped into someone at the funeral home last night. My phone must have fallen out. I asked if anyone turned it in. Whoever it was must have kept it. Such a horse's patoot! Why would someone take an old lady's phone?" I tell her cognizant of Ruth's listening ear. "It was password protected. The only thing they can see is the photo of that baby I saw in AC last weekend. She was a cutie so I thought I would save that picture there." I tell her so she knows what happened. "I'm so sorry I lost it and that I'm worrying you."

"Oh Grandma, I called you and he picked up. I freaked and hung up on him. I don't think he can trace it as long as you have a password," she tells me. "If he could, he would have been here by now." she adds. "Ask Mrs. Bestler for a pen and paper. I want you to write down my phone number. Also, ask her if I can send a package to her and have her give it to you. It'll be a new phone." I ask Ruth and she agrees. I tell her that I don't want Helen to know in case Helen is visiting. Ruth is none the wiser. I write down the number and work on memorizing it. I put the slip in my bra for safekeeping.

"I ran into that person you know, I can't remember his name." I tell her and she knows exactly who I'm referring to. "He really wants to see you. He says he needs to apologize. He stopped by this morning and I keep seeing his friends around too. He seems sincere."

"Well, he can stuff it," she says. "I don't care if I never see him again."

"I don't think he's going to give up that easily. He seems really determined to apologize. Maybe it's a 12-step thing. You'll have to tell me again what happened." I say for Ruth's benefit. I already have to make up a story of why Helen and Claire don't get along. I don't want to have to fabricate something else.

"This is such a mess. I may have to talk to him just to get him off your back. I'll think about what is best to do. I'm sorry my drama is sucking you in too. I love you but I have to go. I'm mailing the phone this afternoon. I won't program my number in so remember it. I love you Grandma."

"I'm sorry too Claire. I'm glad you called. Take care. I love you." I tell her and hang up. We got all the info passed without giving Ruth anything gossip worthy, I hope.

SPOV

I stuff my hair into a winter hat and don sunglasses. In winter, lots of clothes are normal so I'm as covered as I can get. There's nothing I can do about carrying Ava but she's covered completely thanks to the winter infant car seat cover. I decide on a small convenience store. I keep my head down and buy the phone knowing the cameras are capturing everything. If I chance a look to scout out where the cameras are, I risk showing my face. I have to tamp down my frustration at the situation. I don't think Ranger will stop looking for me now that he knows Ava exists.

My next stop is the post office. I buy a box and bubble wrap, fill out the address and ask when the package will arrive. She tells me Monday at the earliest. I'm relieved. I'm feeling a little isolated. My only lifeline was my Grandma. Now it's Ranger. Asshole.

I stop at a grocery store in a small town between AC and Cape May. I stop to feed Ava and then grab some groceries. I have such a strong urge to stress eat. I grab a couple of candy bars by the registers. Pissed off that I'm at such a low point. Christmas is in a little over a week so I make the last minute decision to stop at another store to get a small Christmas tree, lights and some decorations. Dr. King has his home decorated but I was so busy that I didn't get around to it. Plus we're leaving to spend Christmas in California so I didn't want to bother. I really need some happy right now so I relent. I want to start traditions with Ava and I just can't bear to skip the basic tree and lights. Maybe a baby's first Christmas ornament too? Now, that cheers me up and I find directions to the closest Wal-Mart.