Page 124 of Ten Big Ones (Stephanie Plum 10)

Okay, that was fun, but now what? What do people do all day when they have nothing to do?

I flipped the television on and surfed through about forty channels, finding nothing. How could there be so little on so many channels?

I called the office.

'What's going on?' I asked Connie.

'Ranger was in. He's looking for Junkman. He's got a lot of company. Every bounty hunter and every cop in the state is looking for Junkman. You heard about the latest killing?'

'I heard.'

'Did you also hear about Pancek? He was shot in the head last night, at the corner of Comstock and Seventh. Somehow he drove four more blocks before he lost consciousness and crashed his car.

He's at St Francis. It looks like he's going to make it.'

'My fault.' I said. 'I chased him into Slayerland.'

'Wrong,' Connie said. 'You followed him to Slayerland. Since you're not here, I'm assuming you're hiding?'

'That's the plan, but it's getting old.'

'Yeah, you've been at it for what, three or four hours?'

I got off the phone with Connie and shuffled into the bedroom to take a nap. I stood at the edge of the bed and couldn't bring myself to get in and wrinkle the perfectly ironed sheets. I lo

oked to the bathroom. I'd already taken a shower. I went back to the kitchen and shook Rex's aquarium.

'Get up, you stupid hamster,' I said.`I'm bored.'

There was a slight rustling in the soup can as Rex hunkered in deeper.

I could explore the building, but that would involve interaction with Ranger's men. I wasn't sure I was ready for that. Especially since they might be stun-gun ready should I make a break for freedom.

I called Ranger on his cell phone.

Ranger answered with a soft, To.'

To, yourself,' I said. `I'm going nuts here. What am I supposed to do? There's nothing good on television. There are no books or magazines. No cross-stitch, needlepoint, knitting. And don't suggest I go to the gym. It's not going to happen.'

Ranger disconnected.

I punched his number in again. 'What was that?' I said. 'You disconnected me!'

'Babe,' Ranger said.

I did a sigh and hung up.

Ranger walked through the door a few minutes after six. He tossed his keys into the dish and did a cursory shuffle of the mail Ella had brought up earlier. He looked up from the mail and locked eyes with me. 'You're looking a little crazy, Babe.'

I was coming off five hours of television and two hours of hall pacing. I'm leaving now,' I said. `I'm going to the mall, and I just waited around so I could say thank you. I appreciate the use of your apartment, and I'm going to miss the shower gel big-time, but I have to go. So it would be good if you made sure no one stun-gunned me.'

Ranger returned the letters to the silver tray. 'No.'

'No?

'Junkman is still out there.'

'Have you made any progress?'

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