Takedown Twenty (Stephanie Plum 20)

“That’s not much. I bet I can put you in a really bad mood.”

“Don’t do me any favors.”

“I think there’s a good possibility your mom is hiding Uncle Sunny.”

“Hiding?”

“In her house.”

“Are you kidding me?”

“No. I’m serious. I thi

nk he’s sitting there on a rubber donut, scarfing down blood sausage and pasta, watching Ghost Hunters episodes with Bella.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“Have you been there lately?”

“No. Not since I was shot.”

“Maybe you should go over and check it out.”

“No way. I don’t want to know. This conversation never happened. If I found him at my mother’s house I’d have to accuse her of harboring a fugitive.”

“That would be awkward. Do you think I should go in and root him out?”

“No! I think you should go to the beach. Get some frozen custard.”

“Do you want to come with me?”

“I can’t. The cable company is supposed to come fix my television. If you’re not here when they come they never come again.”

“There’s only a one percent chance that they’ll show up anyway.”

Morelli mumbled something about God and vengeance and the cable company, and hung up.

I couldn’t see his mother’s house from where I was parked, but I could see cars coming and going down the street. I was sitting there thinking the beach would be a terrific idea if I had a car that got more than three miles to a gallon when Ranger pulled up behind me in his 911 Turbo. He got out and walked over.

“Either you ran out of gas or else you’re trying to execute a stakeout in this blue elephant,” Ranger said.

“I think Sunny might be holed up with Joe’s mom and Grandma Bella.”

“That would be awkward.”

“My exact words! Did you come to rescue me again?”

“Among other things. I kept waking up last night thinking about the giraffe. Why is there a giraffe running loose on Fifteenth Street?”

“I don’t know. The first time Lula and I saw him there was a black SUV chasing him. They both turned the corner, there was gunfire, and when Lula and I went to investigate there was a guy lying in the road with a dart stuck in him. The guy died at the hospital.”

“And the giraffe is still hanging out?”

“Yep.”

“And there’s been no mention in the media?”

“Nope.”