toiletries were still in the bathroom. I checked pants pockets for the bug, but didn't find it. I walked out of the bedroom and caught Ranger at the living room window, looking down.
He was standing hands on hips, watching two men direct a flatbed tow truck up to the
Porsche. His car alarm was wailing away, and the men were ignoring it.
Ranger unlocked and raised the window, unholstered his gun, took aim, and shot one of the
men in the leg. The guy crumpled onto the pavement and rolled around, holding his leg. The
flatbed driver jumped out and helped drag the wounded guy into the truck, and they drove
away. Ranger aimed his gizmo at his car and silenced the alarm.
“Do you feel better now?” I asked. “You got to shoot someone today.”
“I've still got the touch,” Ranger said.
"Smullen's clothes are here, but I didn't find the bug. Did you come up with anything
interesting?"
“No. He doesn't have a home office. Not even a laptop squirreled away somewhere.” The lock tumbled on the front door, and Smullen s girlfriend pushed into the apartment.
She had a brown grocery bag in the crook of her arm, and she was out of breath from the
stairs.
“What the fuck is this?” she said to Ranger and me.
“We came to visit, but you weren't home,” I said to her.
She cut her eyes to Ranger. “Who s the hot guy? Is he a cop?”
“No. He's Ranger.”
‹cWhy s he dressed like a cop? What is this, Halloween and no one told me?“ I glanced back at Ranger. ”You aren't going to shoot her, are you?"
“Thinking about it.”
“Was Peter involved in anything shady at work?” I asked her.
“Sure. He was a lawyer.”
“I mean really shady. Like illegal. Trafficking in drugs, for instance.”
She set the bag on the kitchen counter. "I don't think so. Why would he do something like
that? He was making a fortune just being a lawyer."
“Did he have another office somewhere? I noticed he doesn't have a home office here.” "He works at the law office. What's the deal, anyway? I'm calling the cops. You jerk-offs
broke into my apartment. Hey, wait a minute. You aren't going to kidnap me, are you?
Omigod, you've got Peter, right? That's why he hasn't come home. You've got Peter! Help!"
she yelled. “Help! Police!”
“Go ahead,” I said to Ranger. “Shoot her.”