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“Yeah, I love these Sunday morning runs,” Morelli said.
“What’s the plan for the day?”
“I promised Anthony I’d help him put in a new tub. He’s renovating his bathroom.”
Anthony is Morelli’s brother. He’s been married a couple times to the same woman. They have a pack of kids. And if I had to give an honest description of him I’d say he’s a likable asshole. The tub will probably take an hour to install, but Morelli will be gone all day. Anthony’s house is a black hole. Morelli will get sucked into playing ball with his nephews, drinking beer with his brother, and by afternoon the house will be filled with guys from the neighborhood watching the game on Anthony’s big flat-screen.
Bob flopped onto the floor, panting and drooling, and Morelli went upstairs to change. When Morelli returned to the kitchen, Bob had stopped panting and I was on my second coffee. Morelli’s hair was still damp from his shower. He was wearing a T-shirt and jeans, and it was Sunday, so he hadn’t shaved. Morelli with a day-old beard looked sexy and sinister.
Bob went with Morelli, and I went back to my apartment to feed Rex and get clean clothes. I didn’t see Diesel’s Ferrari in my parking lot when I drove in. Probably out looking for his man.
I entered the building, stepped into the elevator, and pressed the button for the second floor. I got a chill when the doors closed, and I caught the lingering odor of dirt and carnations. The elevator doors opened, and I looked out at the hall. Empty. No zombies. Just the same sickening stench. A flash of panic ripped through me when I got to my apartment. Someone or something had scratched brains and die into the paint on my door. And there was a red smear across the door and on the knob. I suspected it was blood.
The door was still locked, so at least they hadn’t been able to get inside. I opened it, stepped in, and called, “Hello?” No one answered. I had a gun in my cookie jar, but I didn’t have any bullets. I had a couple steak knives in my kitchen, but I couldn’t see myself sticking one in someone’s eye. And I was all out of brave. I grabbed Rex’s cage off the kitchen counter, locked my apartment, and used my phone to take a picture of the mess.
I hustled down the stairs and out to Big Blue. I had a dilemma now. Where should I go? I didn’t want to go to my parents’ house if I was being stalked by a brain eater. They had enough problems managing Grandma. No reason to add some pseudo-zombie sneaking around, trying to get into their house.
I needed to show the picture to Morelli, but I didn’t want to ruin his Sunday. I was afraid he’d feel compelled to abandon Anthony and go over every square inch of my hall with CSI. I also didn’t want to hang out in Morelli’s house all by myself. I supposed I could spend the day at Anthony’s, watching the bathtub get installed, but, honestly, I’d rather have my brain sucked out by one of the zombies.
I had no idea how to get in touch with Diesel. He came and went like the wind. He gave me cellphone numbers that never worked. His cars had phony license plates. And I wasn’t sure what he could do for me anyway.
That left the Holiday Inn or Ranger’s. I didn’t have money for the Holiday Inn, so it was going to be Ranger’s. He lived in a one-bedroom apartment on the seventh floor of his high-security office building. I’ve stayed there before when I needed a safe haven.
I called Ranger, and he answered with his usual “Babe.”
“I’ve got a situation here,” I said. “I was wondering if Rex and I could hang out at Rangeman for a short time.”
“How short?”
“Anywhere from a couple hours to a couple days.”
“I’m in North Carolina with a client. I probably won’t be back in town until midweek or later, but I’ll notify the control room that you’re on your way. You know the drill.”
“I do. Thanks.”
I drove into the center of the city and turned onto a side street that was mostly residential. Ranger’s building is a discreet redbrick midrise that blends in with the rest of the neighborhood. The underground parking is gated and patrolled.
I flashed my card at the gate, watched it roll away, and drove through. Ranger’s reserved parking is at the back, next to the elevator. The rest of the garage houses employee vehicles and the Rangeman fleet. I parked in one of Ranger’s spaces, hauled Rex out of the back seat, and stepped into the elevator. I looked up at the security camera and smiled hello. I slid my card into a slot by the door, and the elevator took me to Ranger’s private floor.
His apartment is professionally decorated in blacks and browns. Walls are white. It’s uncluttered to the point of being impersonal. The furniture is sleek and comfortable. His sheets are two hundred thread count. His bathroom has fluffy white towels and Bulgari shower gel. His kitchen is small but well stocked. His housekeeper sees to it all.
I let myself in and walked down the short hall to the kitchen. I put Rex on a section of countertop and gave him fresh water, a shelled walnut from a bag in the cupboard, and fruit salad from the fridge. Ranger eats healthy.
I felt comfortable knowing everyone was safe. Rex was safe. Morelli and Bob were safe. My parents and Grandma were safe. I’d removed myself from all those places. If a zombie was out there looking for me and my brain, he’d have no reason to disturb anyone I loved.
I watched Rex take his food out of his food cup and put it into his soup-can nest. After he had all his food stored away, he burrowed into his bedding material and disappeared. Okay, that was fun, but now I had nothing to do. I could go to the mall. I could go to the shore. I could take a nap.
I was leaning toward the nap when my mom called.
“Your grandmother is missing,” she said. “I came home from church, and no one was home.”
“Where’s Dad?”
“He’s at the lodge working a pancake breakfast. The man won’t butter his own bread at home, but he’s all about making pancakes at the lodge.”
“Grandma goes out all the time.”
“She left me a note. She said she was going to see her honey. And her suitcase isn’t in the attic with the rest of the suitcases. I think she’s going to Florida. I tried calling her, but she won’t answer.”
