Lean Mean Thirteen (Stephanie Plum 13)

I looked out the big plate-glass window in the front of the office. “Yeah. She's sitting across the street. Do you want me to talk to her?”

“Yes, but you can't let her know anything about Dickie.”

“What was that about?” Lula wanted to know.

“Morelli thought Bob was missing, but he found him. I'll be right back. I want to say hello to Joyce.”

I crossed the street, the Mercedes's driver's side window slid down, and Joyce looked out at me.

“Hey,” I said. “How's it going?”

“It's not. Why don't you get off your ass and do something? You think I have nothing better to do than follow you around?”

Smullen's girlfriend was in the seat next to Joyce.

“I never caught your name,” I said to her.

“Rita.”

“Going tag team?” I asked Joyce.

“If I keep her next to me, I don't have to worry about her sneaking up and stabbing me in the back.”

“Fuck you,” Rita said to Joyce.

“All right then,” I said. “Guess I'll be moving along.”

Joyce glanced at the black SUV parked behind Rangers Cayenne. “Do you have a permit for a parade?”

“That's Binkie. He's practicing surveillance techniques.”

I went back to the office and dialed Morelli. “Nothing there,” I said.

“I can't believe this happened. I lost my witness. I'll probably get busted back to uniform patrol.”

“He was a witness, not a prisoner. It's not like you could chain him to the toilet.”

“I don't suppose you'd want to come over and cheer me up,” Morelli said.

“You lost a witness and that's the first activity that comes to mind?”

“That's always the first activity that comes to mind.”

“Sorry, but here's the second bad news of the day. It's that time.”

“So?”

“Yeesh.”

“Okay, let's table my love life for a couple hours. I need to find either Dickie or Petiak,” Morelli said.

“Petiak is easy. We just set me out on the curb and wait for him to kidnap me.”

“I'm not excited about that plan.”

“Just for giggles, let's suppose Dickie didn't get snatched. Let's suppose he went after the money.”

“What money?” Morelli asked.