“Of course,” Stanley said.
“What do you think?” I asked when we were alone in the hall.
“I think we need to finish the building. If no one else places Mo with Larkin, my inclination is to put it on hold. Larkin didn't feel like he had secrets.”
Stephanie Plum 3 - Three To Get Deadly
8
Ranger and I went back to the Bronco and stared at the apartment building.
“False alarm,” I said. No one else had recognized Mo.
Ranger was silent.
“Sorry about your car.”
“It's only a car, babe. I can get a new one.”
It occurred to me that it might be significant Ranger had said he could get a new Beemer as opposed to buying a new Beemer. And it also occurred to me that it might be pointless to suggest filing a police report or informing an insurance company of theft.
“You think we should stake out the building?” I asked.
Ranger looked the length of the street. “We could hang around for a while.”
We slouched down, arms crossed over our chests, seat pushed back to give more leg room. Ranger never said anything when we waited like this. Ranger had a conversational potential only slightly greater than Rex's. That was fine by me because I had my own thoughts.
I was bothered that Mo had gone back to the store. Even if the store was the most important thing in my life I'm not sure I'd have risked a visit. Mo was carrying a plastic bag, which could have been filled with anything from underwear to ice cream cones. He also hadn't smelled all that good. He'd smelled musty. And he'd smelled like sweat and dirt. Either he'd been working hard in the garden, or else he was living on the street.
I was still speculating on these possibilities when at twelve o'clock Ranger got us drinks and sandwiches from Sal's.
My sandwich looked like brown bread and grass. “What is this?” I asked.
“Mixed sprouts, shredded carrot, cucumber and raisins.”
Raisins! Thank God. I was afraid someone had scooped my sandwich out of the rabbit cage.
“Bedemier has to be staying somewhere,” Ranger said. “Did you check out the possibility of a second apartment?”
“Did that first thing. Drew a blank.”
“Have you canvassed motels?”
I gave him an openmouthed, goggle-eyed look that said, Ugh! No!
“It would pass the time,” Ranger said. “Keep us out of trouble.”
Ranger's sense of humor.
“Maybe Mo is living on the street. Last time I saw him he smelled like a cave.”
“Hard to check on caves,” Ranger said. “Easier to check on motels.”
“You have any ideas on how you want to do this?”
Ranger pulled a section of the Yellow Pages out of his pocket. “Sal didn't need these,” he said. He handed half the pages to me. “You get the first half of the alphabet. Show the picture. Ask about the car. If you find him, don't do anything. Call me.”
“What if we zero on this?”