“I put Rex in it when I cleaned his cage.”

He had one hand resting on the steering wheel and the other on the back of my seat. His finger traced a line down the nape of my neck. “What’s next? Am I taking you home?”

Okay, I have to admit I was tempted to strip my shirt off and straddle him. I’d actually done this once in his Porsche 911, and it was a complicated undertaking. He was driving his SUV tonight so it would

be easier, but the consequences would be the same. Mind-blowing gratification followed by Catholic guilt and the munchies. I could probably handle the Catholic guilt, but I couldn’t handle the three extra pounds the munchies would produce.

“Well?” Ranger said.

“Let’s see if we can flush out Uncle Sunny.”

Ranger put the Cayenne in gear and drove the short distance to Joe’s mother’s house. He parked across the street and one house down, and we sat silently watching the neighborhood. No activity. Lights on in all the houses. No Lincoln Town Car parked at the curb.

We got out and stood for a moment in front of the house. Upstairs windows were dark. Lights were on downstairs in the kitchen and living room. Shades hadn’t been drawn. We moved closer, keeping in the shadows. Joe’s mom and Grandma Bella were on the couch. Joe’s mom was watching television. Bella was head down, snoozing. No sign of Sunny.

“Maybe he’s asleep in an upstairs bedroom,” I said.

Ranger stepped out of the shadows and went to the front door. “Let’s find out.”

Joe’s mom answered on the second knock. She looked at Ranger and then at me standing by his side.

“We’re looking for Sunny,” Ranger said.

“He’s not here.”

I looked into the living room and saw Bella’s head snap up with a snort. Her raptor eyes focused on me, and she sprang off the couch and rushed over to us.

“You!” she said, pointing her finger at me. “You devil.”

“I thought we discussed this,” Joe’s mom said to Bella. “Stephanie is not the devil.”

“She come to get my nephew. She’s no good. And she’s stupid. She come too late. Sunny’s already gone. I spit on her.”

“We don’t spit on people,” Joe’s mom said to Bella. “And we especially don’t spit on people when they’re in my house.”

“How about the porch?” Bella asked her.

Joe’s mom looked like she was getting a migraine. “Are we done here?” she asked Ranger.

Ranger looked at me. “Would you like to search the house?”

“Not necessary,” I told him. “If Joe’s mom says Sunny isn’t here, then he isn’t here.”

We retreated to the car, and sat there for a moment.

“Any ideas?” I asked Ranger.

“Babe.”

“Any ideas about finding Sunny?”

“If he’s as frustrated as I am, he’ll be at Rita’s,” Ranger said.

Twenty minutes later we were parked across from Rita’s house. Lights were on. Shades were drawn. No car in the driveway.

“Let’s talk to her,” Ranger said, getting out of the SUV.

I scrambled to catch up to him. “Just like that? No snooping first?”

Tags: Janet Evanovich Stephanie Plum Mystery
Source: readsnovelonline.net