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Chapter 12: Someone Was Watching

Ranger was back in town and he knew Tank was with Stephanie. He considered, for a moment, calling and taking Tank's place. There were a couple of things he wanted to check out though, and he knew he could do a more efficient job if he worked solo. He'd keep to his original plan of seeing her late in the afternoon.

He still had connections with the Mob in Trenton. And there were favors still owed him. He could visit some old "friends" and ask for information, but he chose what turned out to be a simpler and very effective method. He made a visit to Plum Bail Bonds and spent some time with Vincent Plum.

Vinnie was a good bail bondsman. He kept a close eye on Trenton's underworld and it helped him in his business. He was also the son-in-law of a prominent member of one of Trenton's Mob families. Ranger asked Vinnie some pointed questions and quickly confirmed everything he'd been told about the local crime families. The one difference, though, was that the Grizzoli family was gaining power, not losing it, and the person behind that power was Terry Gilman, not her uncle Vito. The same Terry Gilman who had a history with Joe Morelli and Stephanie Plum. He wondered if the FBI agents investigating Stephanie's abduction had made the connection. He doubted it.

He left Vinnie's office and went to the Trenton Free Public Library. It was hard to factor in the effect of adrenaline, but he estimated that the place where Stephanie had been held was fairly close to the library. He systematically began walking the blocks around the library, remembering the meager description Stephanie had given.

...

Mañoso was close. So close she held her breath for a moment. If they were kids playing hide and seek she'd say he was hot, very hot. She laughed out loud. They were far from children, but yes, he was very hot.

She had made an error in judgment. Maybe taking her revenge out on Stephanie had not been the smartest move. She hadn't counted on Carlos Mañoso. She'd have to take a step back and recalculate. This wasn't over. She was going to have Stephanie Plum where she wanted her no matter what she had to do, and she was going to enjoy every bit of the process this time. That bitch would pay. One way or the other.

Watching him get closer and closer gave her an idea. Maybe she'd go after the infamous Ranger. She'd have double the fun, and if she worked things out carefully, she'd still destroy that Plum bitch.

But not if Mañoso discovered the basement. He was only a storefront away and carefully making his way down the block. Would Stephanie have been able to describe it so that he would recognize it? That idiot Morty and his cousin Jimmy had not been careful enough with their captive. They'd paid the price, though.

She pulled her weapon from her Michael Kors and lifted the window. He was a half-block away and she didn't have a good angle, but she couldn't let him find her special place. She had plans to use it again in the very near future. It wouldn't be traceable back to her; she'd covered her tracks well. But she didn't want or need the extra attention her little space would be getting if Mañoso found it. She didn't have to kill him. Even scaring him off would be good enough for the time being. She raised her weapon.

But then she saw him stop and take his phone out. He was either making a call or taking one. She couldn't tell from her limited vantage point. He talked for a moment before he disconnected and turned to walk back the way he'd come. She breathed out a big sigh, and started to seriously reconsider her plan.

...

The Bat Cave. He smiled as he remembered the first time Stephanie had called him Batman. He was far from a superhero, but it amused him that she thought of him that way. The house in front of him bore little resemblance to the mythical Bat Cave, but maybe a little to the stately Wayne Manor. And they would be getting married here, soon. He needed to apprise Ella of that fact. She'd only have three days' notice, because he was going to do as Stephanie asked. He'd get the license as soon as her captors were caught. He opened the door and stepped inside.

The fresh flowers that had been placed to welcome his fiancé weren't so fresh any longer. His eyes lingered on the table against the far wall. Next to the dried and drooping flower bouquet was the huge box of chocolates he'd come to retrieve. He imagined Ella had left them when she'd taken care of the dinner that was never served. There was no sense letting them go to waste. He'd enjoy watching Stephanie devour them as much as she'd enjoy actually eating them. He left the house with renewed determination to bring Stephanie's captors to justice.

Ranger entered his apartment and paused, not sure what he was smelling, but fairly certain the odor was not toxic. He walked slowly toward the kitchen and the sound of Stephanie muttering. She'd called to find out when he'd be back. He should have guessed she was up to something.

"Babe?"

She stood in front of the stove, eyes fixed on a pan that was no longer non-stick. He wasn't sure what the congealed mess in the bottom was, but he thought the recommended cooking time had been exceeded.

"I wanted some comfort food," she said. "I came home and decided to cook us a meal, but something went wrong." She shrugged and turned her palms outward in an I have no idea what gesture. He knew from previous experience, tears were imminent. "I thought we could have dinner and talk," she continued despondently, staring at the burned mess in front of her.

"I think talking over a meal is a good idea," Ranger agreed. He walked to her and leaned past her to turn the burner off before he took her in his arms. "Why don't we go to Shorty's? His pizza is pretty comforting."

She nuzzled into him, and he tightened his embrace. "That would be nice," she said, her words muffled by the proximity of her mouth to his chest. "I have a good lead on Morty, but Tank didn't think I should follow it up without you."

"Tank usually knows best. I've got things to tell you, too, and I want to hear about your lead." He left the kitchen for a moment and retrieved the box of chocolates he'd set on the table in the foyer. Returning to the kitchen, he opened the lid and picked out a plump-looking dark chocolate truffle. Stephanie's eyes widened to the point he knew she'd forgotten her attempted dinner mess. He held the candy to her mouth. "Here, Babe, have an appetizer before we get pizza."

A short time later, they were in a booth at the back of Shorty's. They were sitting side-by-side, with Ranger on the outside edge. That way they both had eyes on the entire place, but he was the one with quick access out of the booth should something go wrong. Shorty's had a varied clientele, and he recognized more than one affiliate of Trenton's crime families. He supposed it was possible that Stephanie's attackers might frequent this place. It would be a lucky break if Morty, the one she'd seen, strolled in.

"Tell me what your lead is, Babe."

"Connie knows a Morty," she said. "We don't know for sure if it is the same guy or not, but it's sounding like it might be. She gave me his address. I need to go over and put eyes on him. If it's the same guy, then we can find out who he is working for."

"That seems like a reasonable assumption," Ranger said.

"It does," Stephanie agreed, her eyes brightening as the waitress walked toward their table with a large loaded pie. She waited until the waitress was gone and she had a piece of pizza in front of her before she continued. "Connie says this particular Morty does contract work, most recently for the Grizzolis. If that's who he was working for, then we have to confront Terry Gilman. I have a hard time thinking it was her that had me taken though."

"We'll check him out and if it pans out, then we can talk to Terry Gilman. I talked to one of the heads of a New York crime syndicate while I was in the City looking for Joyce Barnhardt. The head of the family was a guy named Sal DeCarlo," Ranger said. "He told me something that struck a chord. Vito Grizzoli is an old man, whose business should be shrinking. I did some checking, and the Grizzoli family is getting stronger, more active, in Trenton. Vito seems to be the head of the family in name only. Terry is quietly taking charge, but keeping her uncle as the figurehead."

Stephanie snorted. "I've known Terry since high school. She's never done anything quietly."

"She's doing this quietly," Ranger said. "It may be the twenty-first century, but it's still not acceptable for a woman to run a crime family. That's why she wants it to appear that Vito is still in charge. Which brings to mind another story of a Don whose power is waning." He told her about Joyce, about the headdress of peacock feathers and about the elderly Don with the powdered wig and sword. He watched her relax and laugh at Joyce's expense, and silently renewed his vow to catch those responsible for her kidnapping. He wanted revenge for the pain and fear the scum had put her through. They needed to move beyond this and get on with their lives.

"Tomorrow morning," he told her, "we'll go and visit Morty. If it looks like Terry is involved, then I think we should talk to Morelli, to see what light he can shine on this."

"It's a plan," Stephanie said, reaching for another slice of pizza. "We'll take this new information, sleep on it, and act on it tomorrow."

"It's a plan, Babe," he agreed, his fingers stroking her arm, "although information is not what I had planned to sleep on tonight."