Lean Mean Thirteen (Stephanie Plum 13)

“Sure. See you at eight.”

“I have a date,” I said to Ranger. "It turns out I'm very in demand. Everyone wants to talk to

me. The police, Joyce, Peter Smullen."

“Did Smullen say why he wanted to meet with you?”

“He said he wanted to talk about things. Like, maybe the fact that I planted a bug on him. ”And Joyce?"

“She was here this morning, demanding to know where I stashed Dickie.” "As in chopped-up body parts you fed to your neighbor's cat? Or alive and living in your

closet?"

“I don't know.”

“You should find out. Maybe she knows something we don't.”

“Maybe you should talk to her,” I said to Ranger. “She likes you.”

“You'd throw me into the shark tank?”

That got me smiling. “Is big, bad Ranger afraid of Joyce Barnhardt?”

“I'd rather face the python.”

“Joyce doesn't have a long attention span. “I’m surprised she's still involved in this.” Ranger's phone buzzed, and he answered it on speaker mode.

“You have a meeting on the calendar for one o'clock,” Tank said. “Do you need a ride?” “Yes.”

“I'm in the lot.”

“I'll be right down.”

Ranger took the Cayenne keys from his pocket and placed them on the counter. He counted

out four hundred dollars and placed that on the counter as well. "Caesar is designing a system

for a new client tomorrow morning, and a female point of view would be helpful. He'll pick

you up at nine. I'll send a uniform with him. The money is an advance on salary for services

you'll provide."

He backed me against the wall, leaned into me, and kissed me. His tongue touched mine,

and I felt my fingers involuntarily curl into his shirt as heat rushed through my stomach and

headed south. He broke from the kiss and looked down at me with a suggestion of a smile.

Just a slight curve to the corners of his mouth.

“That's an advance on services I provide,” he said.

He grabbed his jacket and left.

SEVEN

Since I was no longer desperate for money, I decided to spend the afternoon on activities designed to keep me out of jail. I heard what Morelli was saying… that Dickie was just a missing person and I shouldn't worry. But people had been sent to jail for less. I knew this for a fact. I helped put them there.