During the last trimester of her pregnancy, Stephanie got put on bed rest. She developed pre-eclampsia. Her blood pressure was lower when she stayed inactive for several hours daily. Stephanie complained about her ankles resembling sausages at her latest appointment with the obstetrician.
Fortunately, Stephanie was at home to spend quality time with Nando. Lester and Hector were getting a tour of the vineyard with Enzo. They often referred to Enzo as Vince, making Nando ask who they were talking to. It was adorable when Lester explained that his Papa's name was Vincenzo. They called him Vince, and his Momma called him Enzo.
"How far along are you?" Lester asked when he entered the house. Nando's head was on Stephanie's lap. He was sound asleep.
"Thirty weeks last Friday," Stephanie replied. Her fingers raked through Nando's curls. Stephanie smiled when the locks bounced back in place. "Enzo took Nando for his first haircut six months ago. I thought he'd lose these curls."
"He's adorable," Lester said, lifting Nando from the couch. The boy tucked his head into Lester's neck. Nando loved his Uncle Lester. He loved Hector too.
"I'm sorry I can't show you the sights. Are you still staying for another week?" Stephanie asked.
"Absolutely," Lester replied. Nando's curls tickled Lester's neck and cheek. The soft locks smelled of mild soap and the unique smell of Nando. Stephanie smiled when Lester inhaled Nando's scent. "I love the baby smell."
"You wouldn't think that while changing pooped diapers," Stephanie replied. "His baby scent is going away. Where are you going tomorrow?"
"We are spending the day with you and Nando," Hector said. Lester shook his head. All those years, he thought Hector didn't understand English. Hector laughed about it and said Ranger knew all along.
"There's so much to see. It's a shame you're wasting your time with me. I'm already bored. The doctor wants me to rest for the rest of my pregnancy. I filed the paperwork with the winery and Rangeman a few days ago. I'm officially on medical leave," Stephanie replied. Stephanie loved her friends. It was generous to offer their time with her. She hoped they didn't regret their decision to sit with Stephanie and watch silly Hallmark movies she streamed online.
"When are you going to visit us in the States?" Lester asked, hoping she'd agree to visit after the baby was born. He understood the reason for bed rest. Lester noticed Stephanie's swollen ankles when he arrived. His sister experienced the same issue during her pregnancy.
"I'm not permitted to travel until Keira's born," Stephanie replied. "It's too dangerous for us." Stephanie rubbed her stomach. Keira had the hiccups. It was funny but slightly uncomfortable. Keira stretched, then rolled. Hector sat on the floor to rub Stephanie's aching feet. She smiled at Hector and enjoyed the foot massage.
"The FBI asked Rangeman for assistance," Lester said, watching a foot or hand move across Stephanie's stomach. "We could use your help."
Stephanie knew it was time to tell Lester her secret identity. It was her discretion to share it with her Rangeman partners. "Lester, I can't help. I declined the job," Stephanie replied.
Lester thought about her words, then realized what Stephanie had said. "Collins said he offered the job to Shadow, who declined for medical reasons," Lester said, looking at Stephanie through unclouded eyes. "Stephanie, are you Shadow?"
"Yes," she replied. Stephanie didn't tell Lester that Hector already knew. "I really want to help, but the case hits too close to home. As you see, I can't travel to get a plant in place."
"Do you know the parties involved?" Lester asked.
"Unfortunately. Do you remember when Joe Morelli hid Dickie Orr in his house, leading me to believe Dickie was dead?"
"You got accused of murdering him, right?" Lester asked. Stephanie nodded. "Is it like that?"
"Not quite. But Valerie's ex-husband Steve Sutton, Dickie Orr, Terry Gilman, Joe Morelli and Joyce Barnhardt have a similar scheme. The best way to increase the likelihood of stopping them is to infiltrate using Terry Gilman or Joyce Barnhardt. I'd bet my odds on using Barnhardt. She wouldn't be able to resist the temptation of getting her meat hooks into someone's money."
Stephanie found Steve Sutton hiding in Poland. Like Stephanie, Steve returned to his roots. His great-grandparents emigrated to New York a few months after Stephanie's grandparents left Italy. Stephanie had Zero watching Steve Sutton. Zero returned to Italy after leaving resigning from Rangeman. He worked at the winery with Enzo and Dino. Stephanie got Zero and Dino to tag Steve with a tracker. Steve abandoned the babysitter when she got pregnant. That child was given up for adoption.
"How do we infiltrate the group?" Lester asked.
"Give Joyce something she always wanted," Stephanie replied. When Lester continued looking confused, she said, "Ranger."
"All Joyce wants is his money." Stephanie rolled her eyes. That was the point. Dangle the attractive carrot in front of Joyce, and she would take the bait. Since it was Ranger, a man Stephanie slept with, made it more appealing to Joyce.
"Plus, Joyce enjoys playing with her prey," Stephanie said. "Ranger would need to have sex with Joyce to get her guard down." Stephanie didn't enjoy the possibility of Joyce getting her greedy paws on Ranger's money. Thankfully, Joyce doesn't know Ranger got his access to the Rangeman accounts revoked after accepting his demotion.
"I'll get Bobby to issue the order," Lester said. He passed Nando to Hector, who gladly accepted the child.
Nando opened one eye to see who held him. After kissing Hector's cheek, Nando put his head on Hector's shoulder and slept. Stephanie smiled when Nando grabbed a lock of Hector's hair to hold.
"Bobby and Tank want to talk," Lester said. Stephanie rolled her eyes and motioned for him to get on with the conversation. "Okay. I'm putting you on speakerphone. Watch the language because Nando's in the room sleeping."
"Why can't I say fuck?" Bobby asked. Nando giggled.
"Man says bad word, Momma."
"That's why," Stephanie said, laughing at Bobby. "He has a natural radar for cuss words."
Enzo tried to take Nando from Hector, who growled. "Chill, Hector. You can hold him," Enzo said, backing away from the couch. "I'll go into the other room. I'm not supposed to hear this conversation." Enzo went to the kitchen to prepare dinner for everyone. He only had to put the casserole dish in the oven to reheat Caterina's ravioli.
"Is the room clear?" Tank asked.
"Yes," Lester replied. He explained the case to Bobby and Tank, who knew the FBI contacted them. Lester was Rangeman's liaison with the government agencies. "I asked Stephanie for help, but she had already declined the case."
Tank was quick to understand. "Well, I'll be damned. I never realized you had those skills, Little Girl. Why didn't you say anything?"
"It was a secret, Tank. Now that the cat's out of the bag, I can lead you in the right direction. Collins and I were keeping tabs on a new cybercrime initiative. It took time, but I recognized the account they used to hide the money," Stephanie explained.
"The one Dickie had?" Tank asked, catching onto Stephanie's wavelength.
"Exactly. The password to access the account had changed. I can hack into it, but we must catch the players in the act. Joyce is the bottom feeder. She hooks the bait. Terry accesses the accounts. Joe gets his uncles to launder the funds through their companies. Dickie transfers the money to the offshore accounts," Stephanie replied.
"If you know the process, then why haven't they been stopped?" Bobby asked.
"We haven't linked the incidents to them," Stephanie replied.
"Stephanie and I have a tracker in place. We're waiting for someone to take the bait," Hector explained.
"What do you need?" Bobby asked.
"Joyce wants Ranger. He's the only person who could trick her into activating the tracker," Stephanie replied. She suggested a plan, then let the men decide how to approach the situation.
They added Ranger to the conversation. He didn't want to seduce Joyce but was willing to help the case. Ranger thought Bobby's plan - which was Stephanie's idea - was to open an account containing two million dollars. He would leave the information accessible to Joyce.
"Barnhardt plays the long game," Ranger said. "It would take weeks to get her primed to strike."
"Are you accepting the assignment?" Bobby asked.
"Yes," Ranger replied. "I'll have to bathe in bleach, but it would be worth ridding Trenton of those criminals."
"Hector and I set the bait, Ranger. Lead her to the trap," Stephanie said. "Hector will give you the details."
"Stephanie, may I have a word?" Ranger asked.
"Word!" Nando replied, giggling. He woke up when Stephanie said Hector's name.
"Cute," Ranger said.
"No cute. I handsome," Nando replied, sounding too much like his biological father.
Ranger's heart ached for the boy he never met. He was soft-spoken but able to get his words across. Would Ranger recognize his son when he saw him? "I'm sure you are. Stephanie, can we talk?" Ranger tried to imagine who Nando resembled. He hoped the boy looked like him.
"Sure. I'll call you later, Bobby. Thanks for the help, Tank," Stephanie replied. She waited for the others to disconnect from the call before removing Ranger from the speakerphone.
"Babe," Ranger said.
"Stephanie," she quickly corrected. "What do you want?" Stephanie had no patience for his bullshit. She got over what he had done to her.
"I'm sorry," he replied. Stephanie rolled her eyes. She didn't want anything from Ranger. "I am in love with you."
Snorting, Stephanie replied, "You have one seriously fucked up way of showing it, Ranger."
"Momma says a bad word," Nando said, making Ranger smile.
"The men miss you. Are you coming home?" Stephanie interpreted it as Ranger missing his friend. She couldn't rekindle her friendship with Ranger yet. He had lots of work to do before she would trust him again.
"Ranger, I am home. My life is here with my husband and son," Stephanie replied. "I'm not saying I would never visit the States, but I'm never going to live there." Stephanie wiped the tear on her cheek.
"You make Momma cry," Nando yelled in the phone. "Bad man."
Stephanie giggled at Nando's reprimand to Ranger, who was proud of his son. Nando was protecting his Mom. "May I have a picture of him?" Ranger asked.
"You're working an undercover role, and I can't risk people learning about my son," Stephanie replied. "Once we've solved the case, I'll arrange for you to see Nando. Remember, Ranger, you might have helped create the child, but you are not his father."
"Would you ever forgive me?" Ranger asked. Ranger wiped the tears off his face. He would never know the love of his son.
"I have already forgiven you, Carlos. But that doesn't mean I trust you. Nando and I don't need your money or support. We have everything we need. Goodbye, Carlos," Stephanie said, then hung up the phone. She returned the device to Lester.
Enzo entered the living room during Stephanie's conversation with Ranger. He quietly asked Nando to go with his uncles to the playroom. Nando kissed Stephanie. "I love you, Momma."
"I love you too, sweetie," Stephanie replied. She waited until Hector carried Nando from the room before breaking down.
"Everything's gonna be alright, Steph," Enzo whispered. He held Stephanie on his lap, carefully reducing pressure on her stomach and legs. Enzo shifted until they were lying on the couch, with Stephanie closest to the back. He wouldn't risk her falling to the floor. "Keira doesn't like you crying." His daughter kicked against Stephanie's stomach, where it pressed against Enzo's abdomen. Enzo rubbed his hands over the bump, which relaxed Stephanie.
He heard the soft snores from his wife, indicating she had fallen asleep. Enzo reached into his pocket to get his phone. He tapped a text to Hector, telling him it was safe to return with Nando.
"Move, Papa," Nando demanded. Enzo smiled as Nando carefully climbed onto the couch to lie beside his Momma. Stephanie instinctively wrapped her arm around Nando. Within a few minutes, he fell asleep. Lester moved the coffee table a few feet away from the couch. The three men sat with their backs against the sofa to protect Stephanie and Nando from falling. Enzo knew Stephanie would wake up within a few hours.
~~~~~
Ranger sat at his desk, reviewing Hector's outlined details for capturing Barnhardt, Orr, Gilman and Morelli in Trenton. Steve Sutton was challenging to pin down a location. Ranger suspected he made his way to Europe. He couldn't believe they were stealing money from wealthy men in the Trenton area. It was more alarming to discover they used Stephanie Plum as the account holder for the business, where they would launder the money.
He contacted Hector. "Hola," Hector answered.
"They have their fake business registered in Stephanie's name," Ranger said. Hector laughed. "Is that the bait?"
"Si," Hector replied, then hung up.
"Dios. I don't know if Stephanie is brilliant or insane," Ranger mumbled, shaking his head. It was too good of a trap to miss.
Ranger set up his chequing account according to the parameters set by Hector. He planned to deposit his own money into the account, but the money suddenly appeared with the deposits ranging in dates over the past ten years. Ranger shook his head, wondering how Hector pulled it off. He called Hector to ask.
"I didn't," Hector replied. "Shadow is responsible. When you opened the account number at the branch I listed, Shadow's hack automated everything."
Ranger wasn't an idiot. He was the best of the Rangers since General Frank Plum held the title. General Plum was a complex man to read. Ranger suspected Frank was Ghost.
Pieces of the puzzle started falling into place. Stephanie disappeared with Frank during the computer hack tests with the military. Frank was protecting the hacker the government hired to breach the firewalls to access the computers. The programmers would use the holes exposed by the hacker to fix the firewall.
How had he missed the signs? Ranger realized it was because he wasn't aware of his surroundings. His favourite saying had never been more applicable. Ranger never saw what was staring him in the face. Stephanie Plum was Wonder Woman.
Hector connected with Stephanie because they spoke the same language, which wasn't Spanish. Though Ranger recently learned Stephanie spoke fluent Italian and Latin, meaning she understood every word he said in Spanish.