Valerie
Grandma Edna sold her house. It was on the market for three weeks before a young couple snapped it up. Stephanie and I convinced Grandma to keep the money Grandpa left for us. She needed it more than we did.
I asked Grandma to move in with me. She politely declined and moved into Mom and Dad's house. Stephanie and I couldn't understand why Grandma would want to endure that torture. The morning bathroom fights were horrendous. Dad and Grandma barely tolerated each other before Grandma moved in. Grandma convinced Dad that she could keep an eye on Mom.
Dad compensated by spending more time at the lodge or Rangeman to escape the women. I loved Grandma, but she started acting inappropriately around the guys. Stephanie and I had to warn her several times to keep her hands to herself. It took a few months before it sunk in. I never realized how much Grandpa Harry kept Grandma under his control.
Who knew Stephanie inherited Grandma's inability to sit still? Ranger keeps Stephanie entertained without resorting to controlling her actions — not that I thought Ranger was a control freak. Ranger encouraged Stephanie to fly but stay safe. I loved how they mutually respected each other. It was the same dynamic I shared with Pierre.
Stephanie and Ranger were raising their children to be true to themselves, wanting them to create the type of adults they hoped to become. I laughed whenever Liana ran around the control room with her Nerf gun, shooting the balls at the men who were talking instead of working. Ranger told her it wasn't appropriate. Liana would smile at her dad and say, "Me pway," making him grin.
After eating lunch with Pierre, I returned to my desk on the first floor. When I answered the phone, Connie said, "Hi, Val. Morelli skipped his court case. Vinnie needs Rangeman on the case."
"I'm sorry, Connie. Rangeman will not accept the file. Morty Byers is ex-cop. Give it to him," I replied.
"No can do," Connie said, "he's in the hospital with a burst appendix."
"Rangeman doesn't want the case. Find someone else," I replied before ending the call. I wasn't surprised when Connie called again, demanding to speak to Ranger.
Rolling my eyes, I forwarded the call to the boss. I imagined Connie attempted to use every favour Ranger owed to manipulate him into accepting the file. Rangeman would not risk their stellar relationship with the TPD. Going after one of their brothers was not good business.
Connie called for a few days, hoping to convince Ranger to take Morelli's file. My brother-in-law and Tank wanted to capture and beat the asshole for what he did to Stephanie and me. I couldn't blame them. Each time Connie called, Ranger declined the file.
Joe Morelli took advantage of Stephanie's and my vulnerability. I should have done what Stephanie did and left Trenton in my rearview mirror. It was too late. I made the mistakes and had to live with my decisions. Morelli was Angie and Mary Alice's biological father, and I hoped he realized there were more important things in life than fucking random women.
Lester and Bobby grabbed the Rangeman FTA files from Vinnie's. They laughed and had to stop by to see me. "Guess who Vinnie hired as the BEA," Lester said, slapping his knee. Apparently, whoever Vinnie hired made Lester laugh hysterically. Bobby's shoulders shook from silent laughter.
"Not Jeanne Ellen. She works for Les Sebring. Doesn't she pick up files for Vinnie?" I asked.
"You're right. It wasn't Jeanne Ellen. She refused with a resounding NO," Lester replied, still laughing hard.
Bobby chuckled, "Steph would get a kick out of it, too."
Then I knew. "Oh my gosh. Vinnie hired Joyce Barnhardt," I said. Lester nodded and laughed harder. Bobby shook his head and tugged on Lester's arm. They wanted to share the news with Stephanie.
My sister beat them to the punch. She sent me a GIF of a hyena. How did Stephanie know? Instead of sending Stephanie a message, I called. "Hi, Val," Stephanie answered, giggling. "I saw Lester and Bobby enter the reception area, laughing. I heard. Joyce is not going to capture Morelli."
"What makes her think she can do this?" I wondered.
"I have no idea," Stephanie replied. "Morelli won't fall for her schemes."
"Any news on the bitch?" I asked, referring to Natalia Vicenza. She never arrived in Costa Rica by plane. Tank suggested Natalia could have travelled by boat or private jet. Anything was possible.
"Nothing," Stephanie replied. "The FBI approached us. We've taken on a drug-running case. It seems Jorge Araya is responsible for sneaking drugs into the States. We're trying to figure out how it's happening."
"Would you like me to call her relatives in Trenton?" I offered.
"Not yet." Stephanie explained, "We don't want to tip anyone off. Sal Bocha is her uncle. He was better known for making book than slicing fillet. The man Morelli claimed was at the scene is Louis Milano. He was best friends with Natalia's father."
I wondered if Stephanie suspected Sal and Louis were part of how the drugs got shipped into the States. It wouldn't surprise me if the men helped Natalia ship and distribute the drugs to the dealers on Stark Street. We couldn't build a case of conjecture and guesswork. "Let me know if you need help," I said.
Stephanie ended the call after promising to involve me when necessary. I can hook into the Burg's gossip grapevine. What I couldn't learn, Grandma would find out. She had a lot of friends. Someone must know something about the activities of Sal Bocha and Louis Milano. I wanted to contact Grandma, but Ranger would get angry if I interfered with his investigation.
Tank would never forgive me if I interjected myself into the case uninvited. I had to wait for them to ask for help. Being an FBI file, I couldn't know the specific details. It was above my pay grade, and I didn't have the clearance to participate.
My sister had the government clearance I heard was invasive when they dug into her life. There wasn't anything the FBI and military didn't know about my sister. I was sure they knew everything about me, too, but I preferred to remain in the dark. Denial Town has a hotel room reserved for me. Chances were that the FBI wouldn't want me touching the case with a ten-foot pole since I got accused of murdering Steve.
Speaking of Steve Corelli, I was the sole beneficiary of his life insurance policy. It was more than enough to bury him. I gave the remaining money to the hospital. His parents refused to accept anything from me. I couldn't blame them. They lost their son and blamed me for his death. It wasn't my fault he got mixed up in the Corelli-Vicenza feud. Amy and Paulo moved to North Carolina to avoid seeing me around town. At least, that's what they told Mom. I believe they left town to keep Natalia Vicenza from locating them.
Stephanie, Hector and Ram went to the street to observe and collect intel. My sister had a spidey sense about things. She could pick up on clues the other men overlooked. I was in awe of Stephanie.
The team returned after two hours on the streets. Stephanie shook her head and explained what she had observed. Joyce Barnhardt approached two hookers on the corner of State and Comstock. She disappeared into the roach motel across the street and looked worse for wear after returning. Joyce exchanged sexual favours for intel. I covered my mouth when Stephanie explained what she saw. "It was a train wreck," Stephanie said.
"How so?" I asked.
"Joyce resembled one of those sex dolls. Her lips were swollen, and she exited the hotel on wobbling legs. I wanted to vomit. Hector heard the hookers, Lula and Jackie, talk about Morelli and the ten grand they would get if they went after Morelli themselves. Jackie told Lula she was crazy. It sounded like Lula was going to join the party of trying to capture Joe Morelli. Lula said all she had to do was stun Joe the next time he asked for a blowjob. It sounded like Morelli always visited her on Thursday afternoons," Stephanie explained.
"Isn't tomorrow Thursday?" I asked, checking the computer for the date. I grinned at Stephanie. "How do you think it would go?"
"Only two ways it could go," Ram replied. "She catches the cop, or someone catches her. The word on the street is women, hookers, are disappearing. Morelli was investigating the complaints, especially since a few of the women were his confidential informants."
Stephanie interrupted, "You mean his free hookers."
"Yes, his give-me-a-blowjob-and-intel-and-I-won't-arrest-you informants," Ram said, smiling, "are missing. They are presumed to be dead. Shoshanna Brown said the women spent a night with the boxer, Benito Ramirez, then disappeared."
I shuddered when Ram described Ramirez. The man sounded like a sick man. "Do you think the boxer hurt the women?" I asked.
Stephanie replied, "Yes. Valerie, I need you to stay far away from this case. I can't have you calling anyone for information. It would be best if you stayed safe. Think about the girls."
My sister straightened her shirt. Sighing, Stephanie removed the gun from the back of her pants. "What happened to your holster?" I asked. Stephanie shook her head, placing a finger against her lips.
Lester arrived with Liana. She removed her Nerf gun from the holster on her waist and shot at Ram. "Gotta, Tee Wam," Liana proudly said.
"Are you wearing Mama's holster?" I asked.
"Ya," Liana replied. She grinned at Ram, who scooped her into his arms.
"Let's get some lunch, sweetie." Liana squealed when Ram ran to the elevator with her. She loved her Rangeman uncles.
It was a busy afternoon at Rangeman. I had to spend an hour in the gym for my assessment with Bobby. Tank went to the weight room with Hal, who was his height and build but had blond hair and blue eyes. Hal was light to Tank's dark. It was almost to the extreme.
The following morning, Stephanie approached me at my desk. She asked for a private conversation. I could tell from the look on her face that it wouldn't be pleasant for either of us.
Stephanie and I went to the fifth floor. I was shocked when she led me into Ranger's office. She closed the door and locked it. "Steph, what's going on?" I asked despite my fear that Ranger got shipped off to god knows where doing god knows what.
My sister sighed before she answered, "Ranger, Lester, Bobby, Tank and Ram are leaving in an hour. They're going to Costa Rica."
I knew what that meant. "Why didn't Tank tell me?" I demanded.
A knock on the door interrupted our conversation. "They just received the order. That's probably your man now," Stephanie replied.
My hands trembled, and my knees weakened as I attempted to stand up. Feeling worried about me, Stephanie answered the door. She let the five men enter the office, locking the door when everyone entered. Stephanie tugged Ranger to the chair. She gently shoved him into the seat to sit on his lap.
Tank lifted me off the chair to sit. I squealed when he pulled me onto his lap. Would the chair hold our combined weight? "Let me hold you, Little One," Tank whispered.
"When do you leave?" I asked.
"In an hour," Ranger replied. "I'm taking my trusted team."
"Why now?" I wondered.
"We have enough intel to neutralize Jorge Araya. Hopefully, it draws out Natalia into the open. We can't afford to have Natalia warn Araya of our pending arrival," Ranger explained.
"The team is going to brief in Fort Benning. After meeting with our handlers, we're flying to Miami. We're travelling to Costa Rica during the night," Tank said.
"I'm staying in the apartment on the seventh floor with the children," Stephanie added. I assumed Stephanie was hinting that I should follow suit. It was a no-brainer.
"Do you mind if I stay in your apartment with the girls, Tank?" I preferred to ask his permission instead of invading his space without his knowledge.
"Not at all," he replied. I was relieved he didn't mind me occupying his space without him being there. Some men got all weird when you stayed in their homes alone. Tank was not one of those men.
Stephanie had more to share. "Hector tried to find where the money moved from the bank in Costa Rica. Whoever emptied the account knew what they were doing. Someone routed the money through many accounts in smaller increments until Hector lost the trace. I'm sorry, Valerie, we can't retrieve it," Stephanie said.
"The money didn't belong to me," I replied. "It belonged to the Corelli family. He left his inheritance to his family but the life insurance to me. Even if you found the money, it would go to Amy and Paulo Corelli."
"Okay," Stephanie said, feeling resigned. Stephanie checked her watch. They talked for forty-five minutes. The men had to leave soon.
"Ladies, keep the children inside Rangeman as much as possible. Rely on the bodyguards to protect the children. Stephanie, I contacted the school about keeping Ricky home until we return. Binkie and Junior promised to keep Ricky entertained," Ranger explained.
"Cal, Hal and Manny are Angie and Mary Alice's bodyguards while I'm away," Tank said.
"Thank you," I replied.
"It's time to go, Carlos," Stephanie said. She kissed her husband thoroughly.
"Don't go crazy, Babe," Ranger said.
Stephanie replied, "Don't get shot."
"Stay safe, Pierre," I whispered.
"Keep your sister sane," Tank replied. I knew Tank was trying to distract me by giving me a job to keep me occupied.
Ranger spoke in Spanish to Stephanie, I couldn't interpret what he said, but Stephanie promised to have Hector and Rodriguez help with the search.
Stephanie and I remained in Ranger's office while the others left. A tear streamed down my cheek. I felt Stephanie press a tissue into my hand to wipe my tears and blow my nose.
"Come on, Val. Let's go upstairs. Ella made us comfort food," Stephanie said. "It's how I stayed sane whenever Carlos got deployed."
"How long will it take?" I wondered.
"At least two weeks and two months at the most," Stephanie replied.