Chapter 5: Stalled

Ranger waited impatiently for the traffic light to change, his thumbs drumming a steady beat on the steering wheel. He was not in the zone, as Steph called his Zen driving style. It was the beginning of another long day, investigating any possible avenue that might lead to clues about the disappearance of his fiancé. Stephanie had now been missing for three days.

In the beginning, he'd camped out in Detective Frank Bouchard's office, trying to get a jump on any worthwhile leads as soon as they came in, but Bouchard had not been forthcoming. In fact, he'd complained to Police Director Ernie Carter that Ranger was browbeating him and getting in his way, until Carter sat down with Ranger and firmly asked him to back off. The Director promised to keep Ranger up to date, but insisted that Ranger let his detectives work the case.

Ranger backed off, a little, but started his own investigation in earnest. He and Tank had gone through the possibility that someone from his past had surfaced and was out for revenge. They had tracked the major suspects, and were able to locate most of them, and nothing indicated any movement or action from them. It was gratifying to learn that several of his former enemies were now deceased and several more were in prison. He didn't entirely dismiss any of his enemies as the kidnapper, but the fact that no one had contacted him and demanded ransom or anything from him, made that possibility a remote one. He had to believe Stephanie was still alive, or they would have just killed her outright. But why she was abducted and by whom were still huge question marks.

He'd personally questioned every member of Steph's family, including a tedious and trying two-hour interview with Steph's Grandma Mazur. Keeping her mind on track had been a nightmare. Focus was not Edna's strong suit. But she had been a good source of additional people to contact, as had Connie Rosolli and Lula. In the past two days, Ranger had talked to more of Steph's extended family, friends and former skips than Steph had talked to in the last two years. But no one could offer any substantive information regarding Steph's abduction.

Based on Edna's suggestion, he was now on the way to talk to Stephanie's ex-husband. Ranger had met Dickie Orr a few years ago when Ranger was helping one of his RangeMan employees with a missing persons claim. What started out as a favor had become a full-fledged investigation into money laundering and murder. He'd also asked Stephanie to help, and her involvement had exploded the case and nearly gotten both Steph and Dickie killed. It had been obvious to all those involved just how much the two divorcées hated each other. There'd also been the little matter of $4 million in drug money laundered through Dickie's company, and about who would get it after all the dust had settled. It was the first solid possibility of a motive for Steph's kidnapping.

Ranger parked in the underground garage located in the building housing Dickie Orr's new law office. Judging from the dilapidated part of town the building was in, Ranger concluded that Dickie had not been the ultimate recipient of the $4 million. The law office was on the ground floor and Ranger found it easily. Most of the building's office space was vacant.

When Ranger entered the office, he noticed the front desk where a secretary or paralegal would sit was empty, and it looked like it had been for quite a while. There was a closed door behind the front desk, which Ranger quickly entered.

The man sitting at the dented metal desk looked up at the sudden intrusion. It was Dickie Orr, but an aged, balding and overweight Dickie.

"Mañoso!" Dickie exclaimed, surprise evident on his face.

"It's been a while," Ranger said. "How's business, Dickie?"

Dickie glanced around the shabby room, seeing it with new eyes. "It's been better. I've been better. But it beats the alternative." He shrugged his shoulders. "Are you slumming?"

"I'm here about Stephanie."

"I heard about that. The cops were here yesterday. I'll tell you what I told them. I don't know anything. I haven't seen or heard from Stephanie for a couple of years. Not since..." he paused, "...not since my entire life went into the toilet."

"I'm guessing you didn't get any of the money from your last business venture," Ranger said, trying not to smile.

"Not a fuckin' dime. The Feds found some obscure RICO statute that allowed them to deny my claim to any of it. Fucking Feds!" Dickie pushed away from his desk and stood. "Joyce left me when she realized I was broke. I really loved her, but I guess she only loved me when she thought I had $4 million. Now, she's seeing some goombah from the City. Big mob connections. I hear he's loaded."

"That's rough," Ranger sympathized. "But about Stephanie..."

"Joyce hated Steph," Dickie blurted out. "Joyce blamed her for everything. Mainly for us losing the money, but also for her losing her hard-on for me. She kept saying to me, 'What did you ever see in that anemic bitch?'" Dickie shrugged again. "Who knows? Maybe Joyce would have stayed with me even without the money, but she just couldn't get over my past with Steph, and the fact that Steph never got over me. I kept telling her that Steph couldn't hold a candle to her. I mean, just look at Joyce. She's gorgeous, and what a rack on her. God, I miss her."

Ranger quickly closed the distance between them and lifted Dickie by his suit lapels until only his toes were touching the floor. Through clenched teeth, Ranger uttered, "Where is she?"

"Joyce?" Dickie cried. "How the hell would I know? She dumped me."

Ranger shook him until his teeth rattled. "No. Stephanie. Where's Stephanie?"

"I don't know where Steph is," Dickie whimpered. "Really, man, swear to God."

Ranger shook him again. "Did you take her?"

"Hell, I never want to see her again. Why would I take her?"

"What about Joyce? If Joyce hated Stephanie so much, would she kidnap her?"

"I wouldn't put it past Joyce. She's got a temper on her. But then, so does Steph. I guess I'm attracted to angry women." Dickie tried to relax, but it was hard to look casual when you were dangling in the air.

Just as quickly as Ranger grabbed him, he dropped him. "If I find out that you had anything to do with Stephanie's kidnapping, you're a dead man." He left Dickie sprawled on the floor, sobbing to himself.

...

He got a lot of stares as he walked down the precinct hallway toward the detective offices. No one approached or talked to him, but everyone knew who he was and why he was there. And no one wanted to be Joe Morelli.

Ranger pushed open the door and strode in until he was standing over Morelli's desk, and hence, over Morelli.

Joe looked up and then back down at the folder of reports he'd been reading, a small noise of disgruntlement emanating from his pursed mouth. "What do you want, Mañoso? I'm busy."

"I want information on her case. Bouchard is stalling, jerking me around," Ranger said. While his arms were loose along his sides, his hands were balled up tightly into fists.

"That's because he doesn't have anything to tell you," Joe replied.

"He had to have gotten something from her apartment. Fingerprints?" Ranger queried.

"No fingerprints, at least nothing usable," Joe said. "There is good news, though. The blood on her dining room table isn't hers."

Ranger stared at Joe, taking in what he was telling him. Stephanie must have been able to do some damage before they subdued her. "DNA?" he asked.

Joe shook his head. "No match to anyone in the system." He leaned back in his chair, studying his former rival. "Look, you're just going to have to let them work the leads as they come in."

"Are there leads coming in?" Ranger demanded to know. Joe's head tilted slightly, indicating to Ranger there were no active leads. He leaned forward, flattening his hands on the desk. "How can you not be on this case? It's going on three days, Morelli. She's out there, somewhere..." His voice, while harsh and demanding, also had a note of pleading in it.

Joe shook his head again and stood up. "I'm Vice. It's not my case." He walked around his desk to a wall lined with built-in bookshelves. "I've given Bouchard all the details I could think of, but Steph hasn't worked as a bond enforcement agent in months, so it's not like the old days when she was such a magnet for trouble. I don't have any idea who would nab her. As you know, Steph and I haven't been together in over a year." He gave Ranger a meaningful look.

"You're not totally out of her life," Ranger said. "She's got a soft spot for that mutt of yours."

Joe nearly grinned. "Good ole Bob. Who would have thought it'd be a dog that would keep Steph and I together. I'd always hoped it would be a kid." Joe blew out a noisy puff of air. "It was being with Stephanie that made me realize just how much I wanted kids, and, honestly, I thought we'd eventually end up together."

Ranger took a step forward, and Joe held up his hand. "I'm over it. She's all yours. It took me long enough to realize just how over we were, but I get it. She just couldn't make a commitment." Again, Ranger took another step forward. Joe continued, "Yeah, I know you two are engaged, but do you have a wedding date set yet?" Joe studied Ranger's reaction and laughed. "I didn't think so. I thought it was me who couldn't commit, but all along, it was Stephanie. Good luck with that, Mañoso."

"Let's stick to finding Stephanie and bringing her home," Ranger uttered, his voice low and deadly. "There's got to be something you missed. You and Stephanie were together a long time. Maybe something she once confided to you. Or a person holding a grudge against her. Maybe Joyce Barnhardt?"

Joe snorted. "Joyce and Steph have always hated each other, but it's a hit and miss thing. I can't see Joyce doing anything to Steph unless they had a recent altercation." He looked at Ranger.

"Not to my knowledge," Ranger said. "Is there anyone else?"

Joe looked away and put his hands on his hips. He was quiet for at least a minute. "Well, there is one thing. I don't think she felt one way or the other about Stephanie, but Steph hated Terry." Ranger frowned, so Joe clarified. "Terry Gilman. We dated in high school, and then on and off for years. Steph was always jealous of Terry. When Steph and I broke up the last time, I started seeing Terry again, but realized it was never going to work out. She didn't want kids and, you know, with me being a Vice cop and she being ... well, she being Vito Grizzoli's niece and working for him, I knew I had to dump her. Plus, I was still hoping that Steph and I could reconcile."

Ranger took another step closer, so Joe added, "Only until Steph started wearing your rock on her ring finger. That's when I started dating Alison." Joe picked up a framed photograph from one of the shelves and handed it to Ranger. "Alison is an accountant with an international import/export business. Unlike Steph, she wants to get married and have kids. She's Italian, she's young, and she thinks I walk on water." Joe couldn't help but grin.

Ranger glanced at the photo. It was of a pretty woman in her late twenties, a little plump, with long dark hair, dark eyes and olive skin. And the hint of a moustache.

"Congratulations," Ranger said, as he handed back the photo. He turned toward the door, but said one last thing to Joe. "Call me if you hear anything."

Joe nodded, a sympathetic look on his face.