Liliana and Isla are progressing well. As Grandma predicted, I'm having two boys and one girl. Some days, I swear the boys are trying to kick their way through Isla's abdominal wall. She's taking it in stride. The boys grew rapidly after the doctor removed the underdeveloped fetus. Isla's enjoying the pregnancy, whereas Liliana can't wait until the pregnancy ends. In less than six weeks, I will meet my sons and a few weeks after their births, my daughter will arrive. I can hardly wait to hold my children in my arms. Tyler is more impatient than I am. He wants to see his sister and two brothers.
I'm reviewing client contracts when someone taps on my door. I look up, smiling at the man standing in my doorway. His presence still makes my neck tingle, but not in the same way as it does for Zack. "How did it go?" I ask.
"As expected," Ranger replies. He tosses a copy of today's edition of Trenton Times on my desk. I read the headline, "Detective Joseph Morelli Dies In A Bar Fight," and toss the paper away. I'm unwilling to read the article, which likely makes Morelli a victim instead of the initiator of the bar fight.
"Was it Pete's Pub?" I ask, mentioning Tony Morelli's favourite watering hole.
Ranger's lip curls in amusement. "It was," he replies. "Aren't you going to read the article?"
"No." I feel Ranger assessing me, wondering if my curiosity will get the better of me and read the article which likely disparages me, making me the bad guy and Morelli the remarkable, patient man who had to put up with me for many years. I stare at Ranger, daring him to remove that piece of trash from my desk.
Ranger grins and retrieves the newspaper. He folds and tucks it under his arm. "The article mentions your name," Ranger announces.
"Why am I not surprised?" I retort. "Someone likely blames me for the assault, too." I'm curious about the details in the article, but not enough to waste my time to read it. If Ranger thinks I need to know something written by the man who penned me the "Bombshell Bounty Hunter," he has to tell me himself. I won't give him the satisfaction of reading what I'm positive is a nasty column.
"It mentions you charging him with assault, and he beat the charges. A sympathetic judge believed Morelli was a victim of circumstance and didn't deserve to have you tarnish Morelli's reputation. The case never went to trial," Ranger replies. I'm vibrating in anger. I can't believe Morelli got away with assaulting me.
"Grrrr…" I scream, tossing my stapler across the room where it hits the wall, leaving a dent in the pristine paint. Ranger raises a brow.
"A few of your skips didn't appreciate Morelli getting away with assault and took matters into their own hands," Ranger adds. I feel my anger ebb and my frustration wane. "Someone tried to stop Morelli from beating Mooner."
"Why would he hurt Mooner?" I ask. "Mooner is a nice guy. He is too much of a pothead, but he isn't a violent man. I can't see him going after Morelli."
"Dougie, Eula and a few other men and women, who you helped during your employment with Vinnie, confronted Morelli after Gazarra let it slip that Morelli assaulted you," Ranger replies. "The police don't have video proof of who placed the final blow. It seems the camera outside Pete's Pub stopped working. They couldn't find fingerprints, other than Morelli's, on the weapon."
"What did they use to stop Morelli from hurting Mooner?" I ask.
"If you think about it, you'll realize you already know the answer," Ranger says. "Unless you want to read this." Ranger offers me the newspaper. I shake my head.
"Crowbar," I reply. "But who gave Morelli the killing blow?"
"Nobody saw who did it," Ranger says.
"Does someone think I have anything to do with it?" I ask, hoping I'm not under suspicion for murdering Joe.
"No. We have proof you weren't in Trenton during the incident," Ranger replies. I furrow my brow, wondering how they have proof. "You were at Casa Rosa with Liliana and Isla for dinner. I have a date and time-stamped footage to prove you could not have been in Trenton during the incident. The TPD received that footage within minutes of dispatch, sending an ambulance and officer to the scene."
"You pulled the video and sent it?" I ask. "Never mind. I don't need the answer. You're pulling me into this story more than I want."
"Are you curious about who killed Morelli?" Yes, and Ranger knows I'm curious. He tucks the newspaper tightly beneath his arm. The answer isn't in the article.
I stare at Ranger for several minutes. He's capable of ending Morelli's life without getting caught, but I didn't think he was the man responsible. Hector, as an ex-gang member, has lots of friends on Stark Street who are active in the Latin gang. Junior and his brother, Chas, are also aware of these connections. But Hector and Junior live in Miami and came to dinner with us as our guards. Ranger's eyes twinkle, and I know he's indirectly responsible. Maybe he was not responsible for Morelli's death, but he didn't intervene to prevent the inevitable action of the swinging crowbar.
"It wasn't you, but you know who did the deed. I don't know him, and we have never crossed paths," I reply.
Ranger gives me his two-hundred-watt grin. I must have given him the correct answer. "Proud of you, Babe," he replies before leaving my office.
I'm unsure how to feel about Joseph Morelli's death. On the one hand, I'm glad he can no longer interfere in my life. On the other hand, I'm sad about the loss of life. Joe's death is nearly identical to his father's death. Instead of fighting bar patrons, Joe fought with my old skips until some avenging angel swooped in to stop Joe from hurting Mooner. Will someone take credit for murdering the cop? I allow my mind to wander, attempting to determine who is responsible. "Why do I care?" I mumble.
"Care about what?" Zack asks, entering my office.
"Who killed Joe Morelli," I reply.
"I can't say I would miss him," Zack says. "Now, he can't come here to make your life miserable."
"Was that a possibility?" I ask, narrowing my eyes. Why would Joe travel to Miami? I didn't ask that second question aloud.
"He purchased airfare. His flight was supposed to leave Trenton this afternoon," Zack replies.
"And you kept this from me?" I ask, feeling my rhino mode engaging.
"I didn't know until ten minutes before entering your office," Zack replies. "It seems like someone didn't want Morelli to come here. They staged a bar fight to kill him."
"Really," I say. "And how did you come across this nugget?"
"Chas," Zack answers. "He's returning in a few days."
"Back up a bit. You said someone, the person responsible for murdering Morelli, arranged the bar fight with my old skips. I heard Eddie Gazarra tipped them off. Was he behind the murder?" I ask in disbelief.
"Gazarra did tip them off, but other people overheard the conversation. Chas says Joe's death was a mob hit. I think it has a military flair," Zack replies, grinning as he prepares to tell me the rest of the story. Before he can open his mouth to share, Ranger, Tank, Lester and Hector enter my office. It feels crowded with so many people. Zack vacates his chair to let someone else sit. He moves around my desk and gets me to sit in his lap.
"We received confirmation," Lester says, rocking on his heels.
"What confirmation?" I ask in confusion.
"The crowbar used to kill Tony Morelli is the same one used to kill Joe," Lester replies. "Chief Marino checked the evidence locker, but the crowbar wasn't there. When the forensics team swabbed the crowbar left at the scene beside Joe's body, they found traces of Tony Morelli's blood. Do you understand what that means?"
"Someone from the TPD killed Joe," I reply. "Do you know who's responsible?" I'm afraid it's one of the guys I know. Most of the TPD's staff is my age; a few, like Chief Marino, are fifteen years older than me. I'm not as familiar with them as with Eddie, Carl, Robin and Big Dog.
"We do know, but he isn't with the TPD," Lester says. "The man has a long reach and didn't wield the weapon himself. Someone else, who you never met, had that honour." Lester is implying someone I know is indirectly involved. I'm searching my brain for a connection. Something I stored in the back of my mind to help make sense of this news.
I'm drawing a blank until everything seemingly clicks into place. Harry Hammerstein and Vito Grizolli didn't like either Morelli men, who played both sides of the law. During my research to determine who messed with Rangeman's accounts, I discovered that Tony's affiliation with a rival mob got Terry's mom killed during a turf war. I know Harry didn't like Morelli putting me in the line of fire by withholding vital information in cases involving my skips. Harry the Hammer considered me as part of his family because my cousin Vinnie is married to Harry's daughter, Lucille.
"It had to be one of Harry or Vito's men," I reason. "I'm leaning more towards Vito because of Terry." After saying the words, I think nothing is as it seems. The guys know something I don't, but they won't tell me. I need to figure it out for myself.
Ranger laughs. Great, I'm humouring him again, and I'm wrong. "Do you know anything about Lorenzo Rossi?" he asks.
Smiling, I reply, "Tony went to Pete's Pub to arrest Rossi for assaulting his wife."
"But that's where this gets sticky," Lester says. "Lorenzo Rossi claims he never assaulted his wife. He was charged with it, but says Tony Morelli is the man responsible for assaulting Elena Rossi."
I furrow my brows and search my memories for a hint of that being true. Tony Morelli cheated on his wife with other women, married and single alike, in the Burg. Is there something special about Elena? A memory returns, and I say, "Elena had a miscarriage after the assault. She had to press charges and named her husband as the assailant. I remember Elena left town after reporting Lorenzo for the incident. Wasn't Lorenzo responsible?"
"He did beat his wife when she announced her pregnancy. Lorenzo couldn't have children. An STD caused his infertility. He knew Elena cheated once she got pregnant," Lester replies. "Elena had an axe to grind."
"Why?" Lester is leading me down a path, and I'm too dense to catch on.
"Tony promised to divorce Angie and marry her if she left Lorenzo," Lester replies. I'm wondering how he came across this intel. It seems too fantastical. "Rangeman bought Rossi's Point Pleasant property. We found a box of letters written by Elena to Tony Morelli. She either never sent them, or he returned them to her." This time, Lester motions to my laptop, and I finally get it. He wants me to research Elena Rossi.
"Are you saying Elena killed Tony and Joe?" I enter Elena's name into the computer program, cross-referencing it to Lorenzo. Details of the arrest warrant pop into the search results along with witness accounts of the fight inside Pete's Pub. I'm not finding anything leading me to believe Elena has anything to do with Tony's death…until a surprise tidbit appears. "Holy shit on a cracker," I say.
"She found it," Ranger announces triumphantly.
Lester and Tank walk around my desk to read the monitor. "She most certainly has," Lester says. He tugs a curl and returns to the chair closest to the door. Ranger leans back in his chair and waits for me to pick up my chin from where it landed on my desk.
I shake my head and take a few deep, cleansing breaths. "When did you find out?" I ask.
"Look at Lorenzo Rossi's picture," Ranger replies. "He resembles your grandma Edna more than his parents. His biological mother is Edna's cousin, Ellen Ciccone. She passed away during childbirth. Her husband, Luigi, passed away a few months earlier. Alberto Rossi and his wife were close friends with Luigi and Ellen. They agreed to adopt and raise the child." Ranger is practically reciting the research on my screen.
I'm still trying to get over being related to Lorenzo Rossi. "It shows he was in the military and served in Vietnam at the same time as my dad," I reply, reading the information. "Huh. Small world."
"Frank and Lorenzo served together," Zack adds, pointing to the connection where it shows on the screen.
I read the wedding announcement in the Trenton Times. Lorenzo Rossi and Elena Balotelli married six months after Angie and Tony Morelli's wedding day. I searched a few more newspaper issues around Anthony Morelli's birthday and found the announcement. Elena even threw a baby shower for Angie. It must have broken her heart to lose Tony to another woman.
"What are you looking for?" Zack asks when I check farther back in the Trenton Times's periodicals.
"An answer to my hunch," I reply. I found the article from the previous year. Elena Balotelli and Anthony (Tony) Morelli are at a ball thrown in Chief Ruguzzi's honour. The picture shows a happy couple. "Here it is. I wonder if Angie got pregnant to steal Tony from Elena," I mumble.
"We didn't find that in our research," Lester says.
"Besides uncovering that Lorenzo delivered the fatal blow to both Tony and Joe's skulls with the same crowbar what connections did you make?" I ask.
"You're drawing conclusions," Lester warns. "There isn't proof Lorenzo is responsible for wielding the crowbar."
"Lorenzo's wife was in love with Tony Morelli. She gets pregnant despite Lorenzo's inability to have children. He consulted a urologist to confirm his sterility, and the doctor said Lorenzo couldn't get anyone pregnant. Lorenzo knew his wife had a thing for Tony. I bet he read those letters, too," I reply. "But I think Tony assaulted Elena."
"Why would Tony beat Elena?" Tank asks.
"To make her miscarry and save face with Angie. It's one thing to have an affair, but it's a whole other ballgame when bringing an illegitimate child into the game," I reply. "Anyway, that isn't important. I want to know who conspired with Lorenzo to kill Joe. Dad wouldn't do something that stupid."
"I said he has a long reach, not that he conspired to murder," Lester says. "It isn't a conspiracy to say Morelli needed to be taught a valuable lesson or be put down like a rabid dog."
"So you're essentially saying Dad got Joe killed," I argue.
Lester quickly corrects, "Joe's actions got himself killed. Your father isn't the man with a long reach."
I'm growing increasingly frustrated by the cloak and dagger, or are they smoke and mirrors? Ranger leans forward. He patiently waits for me to look at him. "It seems the sympathetic judge I mentioned earlier isn't so sympathetic," Ranger says.
"What?"
"Justice Ermanno Costa…," Ranger says, pausing for effect. I gasp and cover my mouth. Instead of finishing his thought, Ranger asks, "Do you know him?"
"Yes," I whisper. "He's my godfather."
"Costa knows the law and allowed Morelli to be released for Lorenzo to exact punishment," Ranger says. What Ranger didn't say has made me realize my godfather is responsible for everything.
"Why?" I whisper.
"To protect you," Ranger replies.
"But why kill Tony?"
"It was a two-fold solution. Tony encouraged Morelli to take your innocence in the garage. He raised his sons to take what they want from whoever is available, willing and able. Costa hoped to stop the Morelli boys from following in their father's footsteps. Unfortunately, it didn't work," Ranger explains.
"You said it was a two-fold solution. What was the second part?"
"Costa was in love with Angie and planned to propose. His plans changed when he was deployed to Vietnam. He went on a tour with Lorenzo and Frank. When he returned, Angie was already married to Tony Morelli," Lester replies. "Ending Tony's life was the only way to protect the woman Costa loved."
I sigh and shake my head. "I can't believe I allowed you to drag me down that rabbit hole. If you don't mind, I have lots of work to do," I say dismissively.
Tank, Ranger and Lester leave my office. Hector remains and waits for Zack to get the hint to leave. Zack stands and deposits me on the chair. He kisses my forehead and leaves. I wait until the door closes to focus on Hector.
"My friend disabled the cameras," Hector announces. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," I reply. "I don't understand why Joe wouldn't leave me alone. What was he planning to do when he got here?"
"Kidnap you. If that didn't work, Joe planned to kidnap Mary Alice," Hector says. "He needed to be stopped."
"Does Lorenzo know we're related?" I query. Hector nods. "How long has he known?"
"Since the Tasty Pastry incident," Hector replies. That long? Wow.
"How?"
"Edna told him. Lorenzo kept Morelli from bothering you."
It explains why Morelli and I avoided each other over the years. I'm not sure how to comment. Thankfully, I didn't need to say anything. Hector says, "I'll leave you to work. None of the Morelli men will ever hurt you or threaten your family again."