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“I know you’re trying to keep me safe,” I said, “but we need the kidnapper to make a move, and he’s not going to make a move as long as I have a big, black, shiny SUV following me. I’m totally wired with the necklace and whatever other illegal devices you’ve planted on me. I have your gun, loaded and handy. I’mgoing to Pino’s to pick up a pizza and then I’m going to Morelli’s to watch the Rangers game. I think you should retire the SUV escort. At least for the night.”
What I didn’t say was that it would feel creepy to have the Rangeman SUV sitting outside Morelli’s house while I was inside with Morelli, probably spending the night.
“You have a red button on your dash, next to the ignition. If there’s a problem, press the red button.”
I looked at the dash. Sure enough there was a red button next to the ignition.
“What does the red button do?” I asked him.
“Your lights flash, an alarm goes off, and a signal is sent directly to my control room.”
“Good to know,” I said.
The Rangeman SUV followed me out of the lot. I chugged off to Pino’s, and Rangeman peeled off in a different direction. I relaxed with a deep breath and enjoyed the luxury of being on my own. I guess if you’re royalty or a movie star you get used to having security 24/7. I was neither of those, and security felt okay at first but claustrophobic after a day.
Pino’s lot was packed at this time of night. At the bar there would be medical workers and cops coming off rotation, families would be in booths, and people like me would be getting takeout.
I knew almost everyone who worked at Pino’s. And I knew a lot of the people who ate there. I parked, went inside, and sat close to the kitchen at the end of the bar. Sonny Mancuso looked up from his workstation, waved at me, and pulled my ticket off his counter. I went to grade school and high school with him and now he was married to my friend Jeannie and working as a linecook. He gave me a sign that meantfive minutes, and I gave him a thumbs-up.
I looked around the room. Connie’s car had been parked in Pino’s lot. Impossible to know if the kidnapper was passing through and found the lot convenient or if he lived in the neighborhood. There were a couple men in the room who fit the description. Stocky, middle-aged. One of them lived across the street from my parents. Probably he wasn’t the kidnapper, although I wasn’t willing to totally rule him out.
Another chunky, middle-aged guy walked in and sat at the far end of the bar. Wavy black hair cut short. Balding. Two-day beard. Gray hooded sweatshirt. He said something to the bartender, and the bartender got a large takeout bag from the kitchen. The sweatshirt guy dropped some money on the bar and got off his bar stool. He looked my way and stared for a moment too long. He smiled and nodded and walked out.
I made communion with the bartender. He was Sonny’s cousin Boomer. I caught his eye and called him over. “Do I know the guy who just left?”
“Doubtful,” he said. “He’s not a regular. Comes in maybe once or twice a month and pays cash. Doesn’t talk to anybody.”
“He smiled at me.”
“No crime there. He probably thought you were pretty. We all do.”
Now I smiled. “You’re just saying that because I’m a big tipper, but I like it anyway.”
Sonny came out of the kitchen and handed me my pizza box. “Is Boomer hitting on you again?”
“He said I was pretty.”
“I can’t argue with that,” Sonny said. “I put the pizza on Morelli’s card, and I gave myself a tip.”
“Perfect.”
“You watching the Rangers tonight?”
“How could you tell?”
“You got a ninety-three on your back,” Sonny said. “Good choice.”
I grabbed my extra-large pizza with two hands, pushed the dining room door open, and walked out into the lot. It was a perfect night. Clear sky with a sliver of moon. Cool enough for a sweatshirt. I got to my car and couldn’t open the door while I was holding the giant pizza box. I was about to set it on the roof of the Whatever when I heard a footfall behind me. I turned in time to see a guy in a hoodie reach out with a stun gun. He tagged me but he only got my oversized jersey. He reached out again with the stun gun but I smashed him in the face with the pizza box and kicked him somewhere in the private area. He doubled over and staggered back a couple steps and I hit him again with the pizza. I pulled Ranger’s gun out of my messenger bag, but the guy tackled me before I could aim. We both went down to the ground and the gun discharged, kicking back into my face. I was momentarily stunned, and when my vision cleared, he was getting into a car on the other side of the lot. I grabbed my cell phone and snapped a picture as he was leaving. I was tempted to take a shot at the car but what if it wasn’t the right car? That would be embarrassing.
I picked the pizza up off the ground and put it back in the box. I closed the box and saw that it was partially soaked in blood. I checked myself out. It didn’t seem to be my blood. I used my cell phone flashlight to follow the blood trail. Either I had given him abloody nose when I hit him with the box or else I had accidentally shot him.
I sucked in a couple breaths to calm myself and I went back to Pino’s. I took the same seat at the end of the bar, and I put the pizza box in front of me. I was impressed with myself because my hands weren’t shaking.
Sonny came over and looked inside the pizza box. “I guess you need a new one,” he said. “Aside from the gash between your eyes and the bruise that’s forming you look okay. I’m thinking you look better than the other guy. The one who bled all over this box. Do we need to go scoop him up?”
“He got away,” I said. “Afraid there’s some blood in your parking lot.”
“Happens all the time,” Sonny said. “Not a problem.”
