Eleven on Top (Stephanie Plum 11)

“Was that a bakery bag I saw come in here?” one of them asked.

I started a new pot of coffee going and excused myself. The house was going to be filled with cops today. Morelli wasn't going to need Nurse Stephanie.

I took a shower, pulled my hair back into a half-assed ponytail, and dressed in black jeans, a black T-shirt, and the Pumas. I grabbed the black sweatshirt and the keys to the Buick and returned to the kitchen to give the good news to Morelli.

“I'm going to work,” I told him. “I wasn't able to get through everything yesterday.”

Our eyes held and I guess Morelli decided I was actually going in to work and not going in to boff Ranger. “Are you taking the Buick?”

“Yes.”

“Let Ryan go over the car before you touch it.”

That worked just fine for me. I wasn't in the mood to get exploded.

I had three complete files in front of me. Barroni, Gorman, and Lazar. I had Runion running on the first of the search programs. I had my pad half filled with notes, but so far, nothing had added up to anything resembling a clue.

I knew by the sudden silence that Ranger was in the control room. When the men were alone there was constant low-level chatter. When Ranger appeared there was silence. I rolled back so I could see into the room. Ranger was standing, quietly talking to Tank. He glanced my way and our eyes met. He finished his conversation with Tank, and he crossed the room to speak to me.

His hair was still damp from his shower, and when he entered my cubicle he brought the scent of warm Ranger and Bulgari shower gel with him. He leaned against my desk and looked down at me. “Aren't you supposed to be in a wedding?”

“Valerie took off for Disney World.”

“Alone?”

“With Albert and the three kids. It's almost ten o'clock. Aren't you getting a late start? Have a late night?”

“I worked out this morning. I understand you had an interesting evening. You stopped sending signals abruptly at six-oh-four. We heard the fire and police request go out on the scanner at six-ten. Tank reported to me at six-twelve that there were no injuries. Next time call me, so I don't have to send a man out.”

“Sorry. My phone went with the garage.”

Ranger flipped my top drawer open. I'd left my gun and stun gun and pepper spray in the drawer overnight.

“I forgot to take them,” I said.

“Forget them again, and you don't have a job.”

“That's harsh.”

“Yeah, but you can keep the key to my apartment.”

TWELVE

Ranger took my pad and read through my notes. He looked over at the thick printouts on my desk. “Files on Barroni, Gorman, and Lazar?”

“Yes. I'm running Runion now. I think he fits the profile. If you haven't got anything better to do, you might go over the files for me. Maybe you'll see something I missed.”

Ranger slouched in the chair next to me and started with Barroni.

I finished Runion a little after noon. I printed him out and pushed back from my station. Ranger looked over at me. He was on the third file.

“How long are you staying?” Ranger asked.

“As long as it takes. I'm going to the kitchen for a sandwich.”

“Bring something back for me. I want to keep reading.”

“Something?”