“For starters.”
“Did you tell Morelli about your conversation with Wulf?” Ranger asked.
“No. I thought it would just muddy the water. He’d have yet another useless lock put on my door. And he’s already got everyone looking for Waggle.”
“Babe,” Ranger said, giving my ponytail a playful tug.
I drove away from the deli with my Rangeman escort close behind. Don’t look, I told myself. Pretend he isn’t there. Ignore him.
I parked in front of the bonds office, and he parked behind me. I got out of my car, and he beeped and waved. I gave him a little wave back.
“Who’s on your bumper today?” Lula asked when I walked in.
“I don’t know. They all look the same. They’re completely interchangeable.”
“You sound like Miss Cranky,” Lula said.
“The escort thing is getting old.”
My phone rang, and I looked at the screen. Holy cow. It was Annie Gurky’s number.
“Hello,” I said. “This is Stephanie.”
“This is Annie Gurky,” she said. “I’m thinking that I might want to check in with the judge about my misunderstanding.”
“That’s great. I can help with that.”
“I have a small problem that I have to take care of first. It’s my cat, Miss Muffy. I want her back.”
“Okay.”
“And you need to get her for me.”
Not okay.
“I have it all figured out,” Anni
e said. “My scumbag, philandering ex-husband and his whore, who happens to be my ex-sister, are in Atlantic City for a cornhole tournament. They won’t be back until tomorrow, so I thought this would be the perfect time for you to get Miss Muffy.”
“Why can’t you get Miss Muffy?”
“I tried. I can’t get into their house. It’s all locked up. I could see Miss Muffy through the window, meowing at me. Poor thing.”
“I understand that you love Miss Muffy,” I said, “but I can’t break into someone’s house to steal their cat.”
“She’s not their cat. She’s my cat.”
“It’s considered breaking and entering and robbery,” I said.
“They catnapped Miss Muffy. They took her when I wasn’t home.”
“Don’t you lock your house?”
“The scumbag had a key.”
“How about if I come pick you up and take you to the courthouse to get rescheduled? Then we can find a way to get Miss Muffy back.”
“No. First, I get Miss Muffy, and then I’ll go with you. I’ve done some research. All you have to do is go to the door and holler that you’re a bounty hunter and you’re sure a felon is hiding out in the house. Then you can legally break the door down and get my cat.”