10 Ten Big Ones (20 page)

'How about Ranger? Have you heard from Ranger?'

'Not a word. '

Rats. He wasn't supposed to be back for at least another week, but I didn't want to take any chances on being caught in his bed.

Or even worse, in his shower!

Connie's eyes fixed on my hat. 'That looks like Ranger's hat. '

'He gave it to me. ' It was a perfectly good fib. If he gave me his truck, why not his hat?

Connie looked like she bought it.

'I wish Ranger would get his butt back here, ' Connie said. 'I'm not happy about you going after Rodriguez. What land of a person would carry a thumb around with him?'

'A crazy person?'

'It's creepy. If you want, I can call Tank to go with you. '

'No!' Last time I went out with Tank he broke his leg. Then his substitute got a concussion. I was hell on Ranger's Merry Men. Bad enough I was squatting in his apartment, I didn't want to compound the damage by wiping out his workforce. And if I was being totally honest, I'd have to admit that time spent with Tank was uncomfortable. Tank was Ranger's right-hand man. He was the guy who watched Ranger's back. He was entirely trustworthy, but he rarely spoke, and he never shared his thoughts. I'd reached a sort of telepathic state with Ranger. I hadn't a clue what was in

Tank's mind. Maybe nothing at all.

`I'm a lot more worried about Junkman than I am about

Rodriguez, ' I said to Connie.

'Have you seen Junkman?'

'No. '

'Do you know what he looks like?'

'No. '

'Do you know why you're on his list?'

'There's usually a reason, ' Connie said.

'I can identify Ward as the Red Devil, and I bounced Eugene

Brown off my Buick. '

'That could be it, ' Connie said. 'Or it could be something else. '

'Like what?'

Connie shrugged. 'I don't know gangs, but I know something about the mob. Usually when someone's targeted for takeout, it's about power... Keeping it or getting it. '

'How does that relate to me?'

If it's an entire gang that's out to get you, you move far away. If it's only one member, you can eliminate the problem by eliminating the member. '

'Are you suggesting I kill Junkman?'

`I'm suggesting you try to find out why Junkman has you on his list. '

`I'd have to penetrate the Slayers. '

'You'd have to catch one and make him talk to you, ' Connie said.

Catch a Slayer. It sounded like a lad's game.

'You could hide out until Ranger gets back, ' Connie said.

What she meant was, I could hide out until Ranger gets back and eliminates Junkman for me. Ranger was good at solving problems like that. And it was tempting to let him solve mine, but that's not the sort of thing you do to someone you like. That's not even the sort of thing you do to someone you hate. Not when the problem is solved by murder.

I'd already been there, and it didn't feel great. I was pretty sure

Ranger had once killed a man to protect me. The man had been insane and determined to end my life. His death had been ruled a suicide, but in my heart, I knew Ranger had stepped in and done the job. And I knew there'd been an unspoken agreement between

Ranger and Morelli. Don't ask, don't tell.

Morelli was a cop, sworn to uphold the law. Ranger had his own set of laws. There were things that fell in the gray zone between

`I'll think about it, ' I told Connie. 'Let me know if you hear from

Ranger. '

I'd parked in the small lot behind the bonds office. I left through the back door, got into the Lincoln, and I called Morelli.

'What's happening with Anton?' I asked. 'Did he make bail?'

It's set high. I don't think anybody's going to step forward for him. '

'Have you talked to him? Did he tell you anything interesting?

Like about Junkman?'

'He's not talking, ' Morelli said.

'Can't you make him?'

'I could, but I misplaced my rubber hose. '

'You said Junkman was a hired gun, right? That he was from LA. '

'We're not sure if that information is right anymore. The source hasn't turned out as reliable as we'd hoped. We know there's a guy out there who uses the tag Junkman. And we know he's working his way through a list. That's really all we're sure of. '

'And I'm on the list. '

'That's what we were told. '

And that's what Anton confirmed. It would be helpful to know why I'm on the list. '

'Whatever the reason, it would help your cause if you'd quit your job and look like a non threatening housewife. Or maybe go away for a couple months. These guys have a short attention span. '

"Would you miss me if I went away?'

There was a long silence.

'Well?' I asked.

I called Lula next.

'Carol's up in about ten minutes, ' Lula said. 'How are we supposed to get home?'

`I'm on my way. Parkings a pain. Call me when you're on the sidewalk in front of the building, and I'll swing by and pick you up. '

I reached the courthouse and drove around the block. My phone rang on the second pass.

'We're out, ' Lula yelled. 'We got Carol with us, too. And we all need a bar!'

'How did she do?'

'Probation and counseling. It was her first offense, and she'd already paid for all the Fritos she ate. We had a lady judge who weighed about two hundred pounds and was real sympathetic. '

I turned the corner and saw them at the curb. Lula and Cindy were smiling. Carol looked shell-shocked. She was ghostly white, clutching a bag of Cheez Doodles to her chest, and she was visibly shaking.

They all piled into the backseat, with Carol sitting between

Cindy and Lula.

'Carol doesn't know the court session is over, ' Lula said, grinning. 'Carol's in a state. We gotta get Carol a big-ass margarita. '

I drove over to the Burg, and I parked in front of Marsillio's. It was a nice safe place to get a drink. If anybody messed with you at

Marsillio's, Bobby V would kick their butt. Or even worse, he'd make sure they didn't get a table.

We guided Carol into Marsillio's, sat her at a table, and used the napkin to brush some of the doodle dust off her.

'Am I going to jail?' Carol asked.

'No, ' Cindy said. 'You're not going to jail. '

'I was afraid I was going to jail. Who would take care of my kids?'

`I'd take care of your kids, ' Cindy said. 'But you don't have to worry about it, because you're not going to jail. '

Alan, the owner, rushed over with a margarita for Carol.

Three margaritas later, we poured Carol into the Lincoln, and I dumped her at Cindy's house.

'Boy, ' Lula said. 'She was really hammered. '

With any luck she'd throw up a bag or two of Doodles. Don't get me wrong, I love Doodles, but they aren't exactly diet food when you snarf them by the truckload.

It was late afternoon, so I took Lula to the office. I parked in the rear lot, and we went in through the back door.

Connie was on her feet when she saw us. I've got a bunch of files, ' she said. 'Everyone take a couple and put them away. I don't want another file mess. '

I took my stack of files and arranged them alphabetically. 'Joe tells me no one bonded out Anton Ward this time. '

'He's being held on a big bucks bond, and no one has the collateral to cover it. His brother called, but Vinnie wouldn't take the bond. The only way Ward's going to get out is with a signature bond, and no one's going to write a signature on Anton Ward. '

'What's the charge?'

'Armed robbery and accessory. '

'Ain't no justice in this world, ' Lula said. That scrawny piece of garbage will plea-bargain and get off with a couple years. '

Connie filed the last of her folders. 'I don't think he'll plea-bargain.

I don't think he'll talk at all. If he gives up any Slayers, he's as good as dead. '

There was a burst of rapid-fire gunshots from the back of the building, and we all instinctively went to the floor. The shooting stopped, but we stayed down.

'Tell me I'm hallucinating, ' Lula said. 'I don't want to believe this. '

After a couple minutes we got to our feet and tiptoed to the back door. We put our ears to the door and listened.

Perfectly quiet.

Connie cracked the door and peeked out. 'Okay, ' she said. 'It makes sense now. '

Lula and I peeked out, too.

The Lincoln was totally spray painted with gang graffiti and riddled with bullet holes. The tires were shot out, and the windows were shattered.

What I needed was a new life. I felt myself gnawing on my lip again and immediately forced myself to stop.

'You're kind of white, ' Connie said to me. 'Are you okay?'

'They found me. I was driving a new car, and I parked in the back, and they figured it out. '

'Probably watching the office, ' Lula said.

`I'm trying real hard not to freak, ' I told them.

'Play the role, ' Lula said. 'That's what we do. We pick a role and we play it. What role you want to play?'

'I want to be smart, and I want to be brave. '

'Go for it, ' Lula said.

Connie closed and locked the door. She went to the ammo storage area, rummaged through boxes, and came up with a Kevlar vest.

Try this on for size, ' she said to me.

I slipped it on, flattened the Velcro closures, and covered the vest with the hooded sweatshirt.

Lula and Connie stood back and looked at me. I was wearing

Ranger's black hat, black T-shirt, black sweatshirt.

'It's the damnedest thing, ' Lula said. 'Now you just don't smell like Ranger, you're even starting to look like him. '

'Yeah, ' Connie said. 'How come you still smell like Ranger?'

'It's this new shower gel I bought. It smells like Ranger. ' Can I fib, or what?

'I'm gonna go buy a gallon, ' Lula said. 'What's it called?'

'Bulgari. '

I was back to using Ranger's truck. I was parked two blocks from his building, waiting for the sun to set and the building to clear out.

It had given me time to think.

Connie was right. I needed to find out why I was on the list.

Eventually, Street Crimes or the Criminal Intelligence unit would get the information, but I was having a hard time finding the patience for 'eventually. '

I'd had a stupid, crazy idea while I was at the bonds office. It was so stupid and crazy I couldn't bring myself to say it out loud.

Trouble was, the idea wouldn't go away. And I was beginning to think it wasn't so stupid and crazy.

What I needed was a snitch. I needed to find a Slayer who could be bribed into talking. I didn't have a lot of money to use as a bribe, so I figured I'd have to resort to violence. And then I needed to find this Slayer outside of Slayerland. No way was I getting caught within Slayer boundaries.

So how am I going to catch a lone Slayer out of his 'hood? Turns out there's one sitting in jail. Anton Ward. All I have to do is bond him out, and he's mine. Okay, so I don't have all the details worked out, but it has potential, right?

The sun was down, and the streets were empty. Time to take a look at the building, I decided. I locked the truck, I pulled the hood over Ranger's ball cap, and I walked the two blocks to the gate. Floors five and six were lit. And there was a single window showing light on the fourth floor. Only the night guard was left in the lobby. Now or never, I thought. I remoted myself through the gate, crossed the garage, and took the elevator without a hitch. I let myself into the apartment and relaxed.

The apartment was nice and empty. Just as I'd left it. I dropped the keys to the truck in the dish on the sideboard. I shrugged out of the sweatshirt and vest and went to the kitchen.

Rex was running on his wheel. I tapped on the side of the cage and said hello. Rex paused for a moment, whiskers twitching. He blinked once and went back to running.

I opened the refrigerator and looked inside. Then I looked down at my waistline. Still some fat oozing over the top of my jeans, but there was less fat than yesterday. I was moving in the right direction. I closed the refrigerator door and hustled out of the kitchen before the beer got to me.

I watched television for a while, and then I took a shower. I told myself I was taking a shower to relax, but the truth was, I wanted to smell the soap. Sometimes I was able to forget I was living in

Ranger's space. Tonight wasn't one of those times. Tonight I was very aware that I was using his towels and sleeping in his bed. It was a kind of Russian roulette, I thought. Each night I walked into the apartment and spun the barrel. One of these nights Ranger would be here waiting for me, and I was going to take it between the eyes.

I toweled off and went to bed in panties and T-shirt. The sheets were cool and the room was dark. The panties and T-shirt felt skimpy in Ranger's bed. I would be much more comfortable if I was fully dressed. Socks, jeans, two or three shirts buttoned to the neck, tucked into the jeans. Maybe a jacket and hat.

It was the shower, I decided. The hot water and the delicious soap. And the towel. It had me all overheated. I could fix that... But I'd go blind. At least that was the threat when I was growing up in the Burg you abuse yourself and you'll go blind. It hadn't totally stopped me but it had me worried. I really didn't want to go blind. Besides, what if I was in the middle of something and

Ranger walked in? Actually, that sounded pretty good.

No! It didn't sound good. What was I thinking? I was sort of attached to Joe. Maybe. So where the heck was he when I needed him? He was at home. Probably. I could go over there, I thought.

I could walk in and tell him I'd just taken a shower with this great soap that always makes me feel sexy. And then I'd explain to him how I got carried away with the towel...

Good grief. I switched the light on. I needed something to read, but there were no books, no magazines, no catalogues. I wrapped myself in Ranger's robe, curled up on the couch, and turned the television on.