Hard Eight (Stephanie Plum 8)

“I hope we won't have an adversarial relationship.”

“That would be my hope, too,” I said.

“Would you like to share any information with me?”

I took a beat to think about it and decided I didn't have any information to share. “No.”

Her mouth curved into a small, polite smile. “Well, then.”

Mabel opened her door and peered out at us.

“This is Jeanne Ellen Burrows,” I told Mabel. “She's working for Steven Soder. She'd like to ask you some questions. I'd prefer you didn't answer them.” I was getting strange vibes on Evelyn and Annie's disappearance, and I didn't want Annie given up to Steven until I heard Evelyn's reason for leaving.

“It would be in your best interest to talk to me,” Jeanne Ellen said to Mabel. “Your great-granddaughter could be in danger. I could help find her. I'm very good at finding people.”

“Stephanie's good at finding people, too,” Mabel said.

Again, the small smile returned to Jeanne Ellen's mouth. “I'm better,” she said.

It was true. Jeanne Ellen was better at finding people. I relied more on dumb luck and blind persistence.

“I don't know,” Mabel said. “I don't feel comfortable going against Stephanie. You look like a perfectly nice young woman, but I'd rather not talk to you about this.”

Jeanne Ellen gave Mabel her card. “If you change you mind, you can reach me at one of these numbers.”

Mabel and I watched Jeanne Ellen get into her car and drive off.

“She reminds me of someone,” Mabel said. “I can't put my finger on it.”

“Catwoman,” I said.

“Yes! That's it, except for the ears.”

I left Mabel, filled my mother and grandmother in on Jeanne Ellen, took a cookie for the road, and headed for home, making a fast stop at the office first.

Lula pulled in behind me. “Wait until you see the boots I got. I got myself a pair of biker boots.” She tossed her bag and her jacket on the couch and opened the shoe box. “Look at this. Are these hot, or what?”

They were black with a high stacked heel with an eagle stitched onto the side. Connie and I agreed. The boots were hot.

“So what have you been up to?” Lula asked me. “I miss anything interesting?”

“I ran into Jeanne Ellen Burrows,” I said.

Connie and Lula did a double mouth drop. Jeanne Ellen wasn't seen a lot. She mostly worked at night and was as elusive as smoke.

“Tell me,” Lula said. “I gotta know everything.”

“Steven Soder hired her to find Evelyn and Annie.”

Connie and Lula exchanged glances. “Does Ranger know about this?” Connie asked.

There were a lot of rumors about Ranger and Jeanne Ellen. One rumor had them secretly living together. One rumor had them as mentor and mentee. Clearly there'd been some sort of relationship at some point. And I was pretty sure it no longer existed, although it was hard to know anything for sure with Ranger.

“This is going to be good,” Lula said. “You and Ranger and Jeanne Ellen Burrows. If I was you, I'd go home and do my hair and put some mascara on. And I'd stop at the Harley store and get a pair of these cool boots. You need a pair of these boots just in case you need to walk over Jeanne Ellen.”

My cousin Vinnie stuck his head out of his office. “Are you talking about Jeanne Ellen Burrows?”

“Stephanie ran into her today,” Connie said. “They're working a case together, from opposite sides.”