Ranger put me in the Cayenne and handed Hansen and Lula over to Tank. We drove the
length of the alley and turned onto Chambersburg Street.
“You're always so quiet” I said to Ranger. “What's with that?”
Ranger didn't move, but I suspected he was rolling his eyes.
“Well?” I said.
“I like quiet.”
“Quiet, quiet, quiet,” I said. And I gave Ranger a shot to the arm.
“Don't do that,” Ranger said.
I gave him another shot.
Ranger pulled to the curb and cuffed me to the sissy bar over the passenger side window. “Are you going to have your way with me now that I'm handcuffed?” I asked. 'Would you like that?"
“Absolutely not.”
Ranger smiled, put the Cayenne in gear, and pulled away from the curb. “I saw that smile,” I said.
On the one hand, I was feeling very flirty and clever. On the other hand, in a dark, back
corner of my mind I suspected I was one of those people who gets obnoxious on wacky
tobacky. No matter which was right, I couldn't seem to stop.
“So,” I said, knowing I was pressing the issue. "Don't you want to have your way with
me?"
"More than you could possibly imagine, but right now you're wet, and you smell like pot.
You're lucky I let you in my car."
'Where are we going?"
“I'm taking you home, so you can take a hot shower and get dressed in dry clothes.” “And then?”
“We'll see.”
Oh boy.
Ranger was in the kitchen making a sandwich when I straggled in. I'd steamed myself in
the shower until the water ran cold, and then I'd slipped into jeans and a T-shirt, letting my
hair dry on its own.
He looked over at me. “How are you feeling?”
“Hungry and tired.”
“You had a full morning. You burned a house down to the ground.”
I took two slices of bread, slathered them with mustard, and added ham and cheese. "Technically, Lula started the fire. It was an accident. She winged a bottle of ether, and it