Sizzling Sixteen (Stephanie Plum 16)

“That’s the funeral director, Melon,” Lula said. “I was watching him from inside.”

A black Cadillac Escalade with tinted windows rolled to a stop in front of the funeral home. Sunflower turned from Melon and got into the Escalade’s backseat. One of the gunners got into the front passenger seat, the other got in next to Sunflower, and the car moved off down the street.

I put the Jeep in gear and followed the Escalade. I kept my distance, staying about a half block behind. They went all the way down Stark, took State Street to Broad, and I lost them on Broad. Too much traffic on Broad. I lost them when I couldn’t run a light.

“I got a bad feeling about Bobby Sunflower,” Lula said. “Some people just make you scared inside, and he’s one of those people.”

I turned off Broad and made my way through the Burg to Hamilton and the bonds office. I dropped Lula at her car and headed for home. I was a block from my apartment building when Mickey Gritch passed me going in the opposite direction. Black Mercedes with purple pimp lights flashing around his license plate. Hard to miss. I cut my lights and made a U-turn on Hamilton. I put a car between me and Gritch, and I put my lights back on.

Gritch turned right on Olden, crossed the railroad tracks, and wound around, ending on Stark. He took the alley behind the funeral home, parked behind the limo, and got out. I was around the corner, on the dark side street, watching with my lights off. Gritch got out of his car, walked to the back door, and knocked. The door opened, Gritch walked in, and the door closed.

I checked my rear view mirror and saw that a car had pulled up behind me. My pulse quickened, and I was about to step on the gas when Ranger angled out of the car and walked to the Jeep.

I got out and stood next to him, and my pulse didn’t drop back. Ranger at close proximity on a dark and deserted street would make any woman’s heart race.

“You scared the bejeezus out of me,” I said to him. “I didn’t know it was you at first.”

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“Chet was monitoring the fleet, and he saw you make a U-turn and start tailing Gritch.”

“And you were in the neighborhood?”

“No. I grabbed my keys and came out to watch you in action.” He did a full body scan on me. “Is this a new look?”

“Lula and I were here earlier, and Lula thought I’d fit in better if I was a ’ho.”

Ranger put his hands to my waist and slid them up bare skin to where I had my shirt rolled and tucked into my bra. He loosened my shirt and smoothed it down.

“You looked cold,” he said.

I was pretty sure he was referring to the state of my nipples, and because it was Ranger, I was also pretty sure he knew cold had nothing to do with it.

“I saw Bobby Sunflower leave here about forty-five minutes ago. And now Gritch is here,” I told him.

Ranger looked at the back of the building. “And you think Vinnie might be here?”

“The windows are blacked out upstairs. Originally, I thought the embalming rooms were up there, but Lula saw Bobby Sunflower come down the stairs.” I reached into the Jeep and got my sweatshirt. “I didn’t get a chance to check out anything other than the public areas.”

Ranger looked at his watch. “Viewing hours are over. The outdoor light was off when we drove by the front of the building. We can hang here for a while and see what goes down.”

I zipped my sweatshirt and leaned against the Jeep with Ranger. He wasn’t a guy who made a lot of small talk, and I’d gotten used to the silence. We stood like that for about ten minutes, and the door opened and Gritch stepped out. A second guy appeared in the doorway. He flipped the inside light off, and the mortuary parking area was plunged into darkness. We heard the back door click closed, and moments later, car doors opening and slamming shut. Ranger pulled me away from the Jeep, under cover of a building. He leaned into me and shielded me with his body. He was dressed in his usual black. Black T-shirt, black windbreaker, black cargo pants, black running shoes, black gun. His hair was dark brown and his skin was light brown. Ranger was a shadow.

Two car engines turned over, and headlights flashed on. The Mercedes rolled past first. The big Lincoln followed. They took the corner and headed for Stark Street.

Ranger stayed pressed against me, his hand at my waist, his breathing even. His lips brushed my ear, and my cheek, and found my mouth, and the contact produced a rush of heat and desire that filled every part of me. Since we were standing on a public street in a part of town that had killings nightly, I suspected this wasn’t going any farther than kissing.

“Are you playing?” I asked him.

“Yes,” he said, “but that could change.”

I felt my fingers curl into his shirt, and I made an effort to uncurl them. I put a couple inches between us, and I smoothed out the wrinkles I’d made.

“I need to find Vinnie,” I said.

Ranger looked over at the building. “Get in your car and lock the doors. I’ll go inside and look around.”

“I’m sure the funeral parlor has an alarm system.”