Chapter 21: The Arranged Marriage
After Peter left, Tank got on the phone to call Lester. He answered, "Hey, Tank, what can I do for you?"
"Lester, I need you in my office now," Tank told him, then hung up.
A few minutes later, a knock sounded on the office door. "Enter," Tank yelled. "I need you to get me information on a Randel Thompson, and I need it as soon as possible," Tank told him.
"Right, will get it to you soon," Lester said and then left.
Tank shook his head. "Stephanie has lost so much already. I can't let her lose me either," Tank said to himself. He exited the office, locked the door, and then went upstairs to his apartment.
Pierre entered it and saw Stephanie eating tuna fish with pistachio ice cream. Tank kissed her on the top of her head and noticed Spots coming up to him. "The doctor said you shouldn't eat much canned tuna," Pierre said.
"It's not canned," Stephanie replied between bites.
He gave Spots a quick pat and sat down next to his wife. All of a sudden, his cell phone rang. "Hey, Tank, we have the information. Thompson had set a building on fire when he was 18, and the judge gave him a deal to do a hitch in the army. He did his time and worked his way up the ranks to become Ranger's training officer in the Rangers," Lester said over the phone.
"Got it, thanks, Lester." Tank hung up and saw his wife looking at him. He rubbed a hand over his head and down his face.
"What did Lester find?" Stephanie asked.
"Lester discovered that Randel set a building on fire when he was 18. Then the judge gave him a deal, and he did a hitch in the army. He was also Ranger's training officer in the Rangers. So that is why Ranger got mixed up in this mess," Tank explained.
"We need to let Joe know about this," Steph told her husband as she put the dirty dishes into the dishwasher.
"Right, okay little one, give Morelli a call and see if he has time to talk to us," Tank said as he got up and went into the bedroom to change.
While he was doing that, Stephanie got her cell phone and called Joe. "Cupcake, what is going on?" he asked when he answered the phone.
"We have some information about Randel Thompson if you are interested?" Stephanie asked.
She was expecting him to wait for her to explain. Instead, he said, "Yeah, I am on my way. Stay there with He-Man." Joe hung up then.
About fifteen minutes later, Tank got a call. "Morelli is here and waiting for you," Lester told Tank.
"Right, Steph and I are on our way. Take him to conference room one," Tank said and then hung up.
"Little one, let's go. We got work to do," Tank said as he looked at his wife, who was getting further along every day.
He held out his hand and helped her up. They got into the elevator and went down to three. The two of them walked into the conference room, where they saw Morelli looking at all the tech inside the room. He saw a computer and a big screen monitor.
"Wow, I am definitely in the wrong profession," Joe mumbled. Morelli looked at Stephanie. "How are you feeling?" he asked her.
"Better," Stephanie told him.
"Okay, here is a file. We know that Randel Thompson set a building on fire, the same fire that killed my dad. He was investigating a building when the fire started in it. The arson investigator found proof that Randel Thompson set the fire while my father was inside. My father never made it out. The judge gave Randel Thompson a deal, and he joined the army. He would wipe his charge away. Randel Thompson was Ranger's training officer for the Rangers," Tank explained as he handed over the file of Randel Thompson to Morelli.
"Are you men looking for Ranger and Randel Thompson? Vice could use your help to track them down. I got a statement from your grandmother. She says that it was Ranger that shot your mom, Cupcake. I don't know where he is, but one of the bullets in your mom matched Ranger's gun. I am a sorry cupcake," Morelli said. "Can I keep this file, Tank?"
"Yeah, just let me make a copy of it," Tank said.
"Tank, I am going back upstairs. Joe, thanks for coming in and just maybe we can get to the bottom of what is going on." Stephanie gave Joe a quick hug and left the conference room. She was feeling emotionally raw from learning Ranger had killed her mother.
Morelli and Tank went to his office, and Tank gave him a copy of the file. "We will keep looking and finding answers, and if we find anything, we will let you know." Tank and Morelli shook hands.
Morelli was about to leave when he asked Tank, "Why didn't you two walk out of the Plum's house instead of getting married?"
"Morelli, you know what Steph's mom was like and how she did not like being told no. You know that if you tell Helen Plum no, there would be trouble. My mom is the same way. Well, trust me, you do not tell the women no. You have not met my mom yet, but I will introduce you will meet her someday. You will understand," Tank told him. Just then, Tank saw his mom. "Speaking of," Tank said.
"Pierre, where is my daughter-in-law? I brought some food for her and my grandchild."
"She is inside, mom. Mom, this is Detective Morelli. Detective Morelli, my mother, Janice Sherman. Mom, just to let you know that Stephanie has only been able to eat tuna fish and pistachio ice cream," Tank told her.
"Nonsense, she will be able to hold down this shepherd's pie. Now give me your keycard. I will have someone buzz you in," Janice told Tank. Tank gave his mother his keycard and rolled his eyes.
"Don't roll your eyes at me, Pierre," Janice said as Tank and Morelli watched Janice Sherman walk into Rangeman.
They waited until Janice was gone before talking. "Wow, your mom is more intense than my mom and Helen combined," Morelli said with his mouth hanging open.
"Do you get why Stephanie and I could not tell our moms that we did not want to get married?" Tank asked Morelli.
"Yeah, I get it now. Wow, I am sorry," Morelli said. He noticed Stephanie walking up to Pierre's side.
"Pierre, if I had my gun, I would shoot your mother in the foot," Stephanie said as she approached her husband and Morelli. "She said I couldn't eat the tuna and ice cream. It's not canned tuna. Ella gives me flaked tuna from fresh fish. Besides, they proved that even canned tuna was safe for pregnant women to eat. It has essential nutrients for the baby. But your mother wouldn't listen to me."
"Good luck, and I mean that," Morelli said as he got in his car and drove away.