Lean Mean Thirteen (Stephanie Plum 13)

Morelli was behind me, smiling. “Need a ride?”

FIFTEEN

I PLUGGED THE key into my front door lock, and Morelli drew his gun. “The apartment is monitored,” I told Morelli. “Range-Man would call if someone entered.” “Humor me,” Morelli said. "Ranger handed you over to me, remember? It'd be

embarrassing if you got kidnapped on my watch."

“Admit it. This is weird.”

"Beyond weird, but if Ranger and I draw a line in the sand that can't be crossed right now,

everyone will lose."

r />

Forty minutes later, there was nothing left to be searched. We'd covered every square inch and found nothing.

“Let's run through this one more time,” Morelli said. “Dickie s got forty million dollars stashed somewhere, and everyone but the Easter Bunny is looking for it. Dickie leaves the safe house and comes straight here and starts searching. He thinks something is here, but it looks like he doesn't know where. The conclusion we've reached is that he hid something out in the open, and it got moved.”

“Except I don't remember moving anything. And nothing seems to be missing.”

We went to the kitchen and hauled out cold cuts and bread and made sandwiches.

Morelli looked over at the small security camera in my foyer. “Sharing you with Ranger doesn't even rate high on my 'hate this' list compared to being beamed into his control room while I make a sandwich.”

“Did you report Dickie s kidnapping?”

“Yes. There's a bulletin out on him.”

My kitchen phone rang and I answered it on speaker.

“Stephanie?” the voice said. “I'm surprised you returned home.”

'Who is this?"

“I've been wanting to speak to you, but you've been very uncooperative.”

“Well, here I am. What did you want to speak to me about?”

“You have something I need. You have the key.”

“I have a bunch of keys. Which one are you interested in?”

“I'm not amused. You know which key.”

“The key to the forty million dollars?”

“Yes. Now listen closely. If you give me the key, I'll allow you to live. If you choose to be difficult, I'll make sure you have a horrific death. You've already seen some of my work. The next victim will be your ex-husband. He's served his purpose. And as you know, I like to keep things tidy.”

“How am I supposed to get the key to you?”

“I think it would be nice if you brought it in person.”

“Not going to happen,” I told him.

“Do you think I'm scary?”

“Yes.”