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“I have a situation,” I said. “I could use some help.”
“Babe,” Ranger said.
Depending on the inflection,babemeans many things in Ranger-speak. It can be as simple ashelloor as complex astake off your clothes. In this case it meant that he was listening.
I gave him the short version of Connie’s kidnapping.
“You realize that paying ransom doesn’t always guarantee a happy ending,” Ranger said.
“It’s all I have right now. We don’t know for sure how Paul Mori got the coin. The caller said he stole it. It’s most likely that Mori found it in something brought in for dry cleaning. He had a reputation for keeping found objects.”
“Have you checked security cameras?”
“The cameras at the bail bonds office aren’t operational, and I haven’t personally checked for cameras at the dry-cleaning store. Even if Mori had cameras, I have no way to access them. And if I could access them, combing through hours, probably days, of files would take more time than I have.”
“So, you’re concentrating on the coin.”
“Unfortunately, Sparks isn’t cooperating. I could have Lula sit on him or have you throw him out a window, hoping to get him to change his mind, but that feels wrong. It isn’t as if he’s a bad guy. I mean he’s not dealing drugs or mugging old ladies.”
“Does he know the circumstances?”
“No.”
“That might make a difference,” Ranger said.
“He might also blab it all over town. I can’t risk it. That’s why I need to get into Sparks’s apartment.”
“You’re going to steal the coin,” Ranger said.
“Yes. There’s only one door to his apartment and it’s a metalfire door. There are double-hung windows but he’s on the fifth floor of an eight-story building. It’s a corner building. Very visible. I need help getting in.”
“No problem,” Ranger said. “When do you want to do this?”
“Tonight. He stocks merchandise at Scoopers on the night shift. Night shift starts at nine o’clock.”
“I’ll pick you up at nine o’clock,” Ranger said.
“Where?”
“Wherever you are.” And he was gone.
Ranger and I have a complicated relationship. There’s a lot of attraction between us that has on occasion been satisfied. Currently there’s no satisfaction. At least not sexual. He was my mentor when I started working at the bail bonds office and his role in my life has expanded since then. Early on he decided if he wanted to continue to enjoy my company, he needed to help keep me alive, so he started placing tracking devices on my cars. I found them annoying at first, but I’ve gotten used to them, and the truth is they’ve come in handy multiple times.
“I’m available if you need help with the B & E,” Grandma said. “I’m good at sneaking around in the dark.”
“Thanks for the offer,” I said, “but this should be a simple operation. Ranger will get me in, we’ll find the coin and lock up after ourselves.”
My phone buzzed with a text.
“What’s it say?” Grandma asked.
“It says,We’re done with him. He’s all yours.I imagine this is referring to Brad Winter.”
“The cute blackmailer,” Grandma said. “What with everything else going on, I’d completely forgotten about him.”
I checked my watch. It was almost one o’clock. “Does Mom know you’re here?” I asked Grandma.
“Yep. I called and told her that after church I had to fill in for Vinnie. She’s bringing sandwiches.”
