He had a point. “I'll see you tonight.”
“Shit,” Morelli said. “I need a drink.”
“Check my bedroom closet. Maybe Grandma left a bottle.”
I WATCHED JEANNIE with Dougie and Mooner for three hours. I ate some more crab puffs. And then I called Ranger. He didn't answer his phone, so I tried his pager. Ten minutes later, I got a call back.
“I want to get this bracelet off,” I told him.
“You could go to a locksmith.”
“I'm having some additional problems with Stolle.”
“And?”
“And I need to talk to you.”
“And?”
“I'll be in the lot behind the
office at nine o'clock. I'll be in a borrowed car. I don't know what kind, yet.”
Ranger disconnected. I guess that meant he'd be there.
Now I had a problem. All I had was a Glock. And Ranger wouldn't be afraid of the Glock. He'd know I wouldn't shoot him.
“I need some stuff,” I said to Dougie. “I need handcuffs and a stun gun and some pepper spray.”
“I don't have any here,” Dougie said, “but I could make a phone call. I know a guy.”
Half hour later, there was a knock on the door, and we all pushed the refrigerator out of the way. We opened the door, and my upper lip curled back.
“Lenny Gruber,” I said. “Haven't seen you since you repossessed my Miata.”
“I've been busy.”
“Yeah, I know. So many rotten things to do, and so little time.”
“Dude!” Mooner said. “Come on in. Have a crab puff.”
Gruber and I went to school together. He was the kind of guy who passed gas in class and then yelled out, “Hey, that stinks! Who cut the cheese?” He was missing a molar, and his pants were never completely zipped.
Gruber helped himself to a crab puff and put an aluminum attaché case on the coffee table. He opened the case and inside was a jumble of tasers, stun guns, defense sprays, cuffs, knives, saps, and brass knuckles. Also a box of condoms and a vibrator. I guess he did a good pimp trade.
I picked out a pair of cuffs, a stun gun, and a small can of pepper spray. “How much?” I asked.
His eyes were locked onto my chest. “For you, a special deal.”
“Don't do me any favors,” I said.
He gave me a price that was fair.
“Deal,” I told him. “But you'll have to wait to get paid. I don't have anything on me.”
He grinned, and the missing molar looked like the black hole of Calcutta in his mouth. “We could work something out.”
“We'll work nothing out. I'll get the money to you tomorrow.”