Three to Get Deadly (Stephanie Plum 3)

“Yes.”

We locked eyes. We both knew he was lying. It wasn't the sort of promise a cop could keep.

“If I'm not present when Mo is captured there's no guarantee Vinnie will get his bond returned.”

“I'll make every effort,” Morelli said. “I swear, I'll do what I can.”

“Just so we have everything straight . . . I know this isn't a gift. You wouldn't be telling me this if I wasn't already in line to get the information from another source.” Like Eddie Gazarra or the local paper.

“So I guess you're not treating for dessert.”

“What have you got?”

“Both men belonged to the Montgomery Street Freedom Church.”

My first reaction was stunned silence. My second was a hoot of laughter. I clapped my hands. “The Montgomery Street Freedom Church! That's perfect.”

Morelli ate the rest of his sandwich. “I knew you'd like it.”

“It's a natural alliance. Mo wants to get rid of drug dealers, so he goes to the extremist Reverend Bill, and the two of them take vigilantism to a new level. Then, for reasons we aren't sure of, Mo decides to bail out and turn evidence against the good reverend.”

Morelli finished his coffee and wiped his mouth with his napkin. “This is all speculation.”

And I could speculate one further. I could speculate that this wasn't just about drug dealers.

“Well,” I said, “this has been nice, but I need to run. Places to go. People to see.”

Morelli wrapped his hand around my wrist and held my palm flat to the table, bringing us nose to nose. “Are you sure there isn't something you want to tell me?”

“I heard Biggie Zaremba had a vasectomy.”

“I'm serious, Stephanie. I don't want you messing with this.”

“Jesus, Joe, don't you ever stop being a cop?”

“This has nothing to do with being a cop.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

Another sigh, which sounded a lot like self-disgust. “I don't know why I worry about you. God knows, you can take care of yourself.”

“It's because you're Italian. It's chromosomal.”

“There's no doubt in my mind,” Morelli said, releasing my wrist. “Be careful. Call me if you need help.”

“I'm going to go home and wash my hair.” I held my hand up. “I swear. Scout's honor. Maybe I'll go shopping.”

Morelli stood. “You're hopeless. You were like this as a kid, too.”

“What's that supposed to mean?”

“You were nuts. You'd do anything. You used to jump off your father's garage, trying to fly.”

“Didn't you ever try to fly?”

“No. Never. I knew I couldn't fly.”

“That's because from the day you were born, you had a one-track mind.”