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“Thank goodness you answered,” Lula said. “Are you okay? Where are you?”
“Bob and I are at Rangeman. Breakfast meeting.”
“I got up and you weren’t in the apartment. And then I got to the office, and you weren’t there either, so I was afraid Grendel stole you just like my clothes and stuff.”
“I haven’t seen Grendel,” I said. “What’s going on with Nutsy?”
“He was still sleeping when I left.”
“I have some business to take care of here, and then I’ll be in the office later this morning.”
“Okey dokey. I might go shopping and get some houseplants to brighten the apartment up.”
“I’m not good with houseplants,” I said. “They always die.”
“No problem. I got a green thumb. You know what else might be good? An aquarium.”
“No! No aquarium. I do not want an aquarium.”
“Salt water is best. The best fish live in salt water.”
“No aquarium. No, no, no, no.”
I hung up, and Bob and I walked down the hall to Ranger’s office. Bob bounded in and rushed up to Ranger for ear ruffles and head scratches.
I sat in the chair by Ranger’s desk. “Lula is stuck in my house. I don’t know how to get rid of her.”
“You could tell her to leave,” Ranger said. “That usually works.”
“And then there’s Nutsy.”
Ranger leaned back in his chair a little. “Tell me about Nutsy.”
Twenty minutes later, Ranger had the whole picture.
“Do we believe him?” Ranger asked.
“Good question. I believe some of it. He’s got a bunch of stitches where he was shot. And it kind of holds together if you know Nutsy. He claims to have the bag of jewelry. I think we should check it out.”
“I don’t have anything on my schedule until this afternoon. Let’s start with the bag of jewelry. Tell Nutsy we want to talk to him.”
Nutsy was still in my apartment when I called.
“Don’t go anywhere,” I said. “I’m downtown, but I’m on my way home.”
We took my fleet car with Ranger driving. He was in Rangeman black fatigues and windbreaker. I was in black jeans, a pink fittedV-neck T-shirt, and an extra-small Rangeman fleece jacket. Ella enjoyed dressing a girl for a change.
“What’s in this for you?” Ranger asked me. “What have you got to gain by proving Plover committed a laundry list of crimes?”
“Nothing,” I said. “What’s in it for you?”
“Nothing,” Ranger said.
“But we’re going to do it?”
“I don’t like unfinished business,” Ranger said.
“And there are the cats. If something terrible happens to Nutsy’s mom, who will take care of the cats?”
