16 Sizzling Sixteen (20 page)

Excuse me?

Explosives, Ranger said. On a timer and a trip wire. If Id opened the drawer another half inch, your hamster would be an orphan.

How much time do we have?

Seven minutes.

Shit!

I turned and tripped over Dragers briefcase.

Take it, Ranger said, grabbing my hand, yanking me forward into the hall.

We ran flat out down the hall and through the room with the cubicles. We burst out the door and ran to the elevator. Ranger had it on hold. It was still at our floor. We jumped into the elevator, and Ranger hit the button for the ground floor.

How much time do we have? I asked him.

Four minutes, he said. Plenty of time.

We exited the elevator into the lobby, crossed the lobby, and left the building. Ranger reset the alarm with the fob, and we got into the SUV.

Two minutes, Ranger said, pulling away from the curb.

The fifth-floor windows blew out when we reached the corner. Ranger hooked a U-turn and parked so we could watch the building. There was a second explosion, the alarm was wailing away, and fire spilled out the open windows.

Ranger called his control room. Tell all responders to the Meagan Building alarm to secure the exterior of the building. Under no circumstances are they to go inside until the fire marshall declares the building safe.

Two Rangeman SUVs arrived and parked half a block from the burning building. A police car was simultaneously on the scene. Ranger made another U-turn and drove back to Rangeman. He parked in the garage and looked over at me.

You can really haul ass in those heels, he said. The memory will give me sleepless nights for a long time.

That got a smile out of me. Sorry to interfere with your sleep.

Theres a solution to the problem, Ranger said, getting out of the car. You can finish your wine upstairs, and we can discuss it. He opened the passenger-side door, took the briefcase from me, and grinned. Babe, you have panic written all over your face.

Youre a dilemma.

We rode in silence to Rangers floor, he opened his door, and I went to the kitchen and retrieved my wine.

I would have liked more time at Wellington, Ranger said.

He dropped his jacket and gun belt onto the kitchen counter, poured a glass of wine for himself, and refreshed mine.

They were shredding bags of papers when I was there with Vinnie. Probably, there wasnt anything left to see.

Ranger took his wine into the dining room and dumped the contents of Dragers briefcase onto the table.

Bank statements, Ranger said. And a list of businesses owned by the firm. He leafed through the bank statements. Looks like a pattern of outgoing wire transfers to a New Jersey LLC called GBZakhar, and someone has checked them off on the latest statement.

He took the statement to the combination office and den attached to his bedroom and typed Zakhar into his computer.

GBZakhar doesnt have a Web site, he said. Lets go to the Jersey state business gateway site.

Ranger worked his way through the site and finally came to a guide for requesting public record information. He gave a credit card number, and information on GBZakhar was displayed on the screen.

This is interesting, Ranger said. Do you recognize the name of the registered agent?

Walter Dunne. One of the Wellington lawyers found executed behind the diner.

GBZakhar gives a Newark P. O. Box as its address. And they list four company officers. Herpes Zoster, Mickey Mouskovitch, Rainbow Trout, and Gregor Bluttovich. I expect the first three names are fake. That leaves Gregor Bluttovich, Ranger said.

Blutto! Gritch said he heard Sunflower talk about Blutto. Gritch didnt know if it was a first name, last name, or nickname.

I was leaning over the back of Rangers chair, reading off the computer screen, trying hard not to kiss his neck. It would be absolutely the wrong thing to do, but it was so tempting. He always smelled great, like his Bulgari Green shower gel. How it stayed with him all day was a mystery. His black T-shirt spanned his biceps. He wore a watch as his only jewelry. His back looked athletic under his shirt. I thought it would look even better without the shirt. All I had to do was touch my lips to his neck, and the shirt would be gone.

Babe, Ranger said, if you dont back up a couple inches, were going to be finding out about Bluttovich in the morning.

I didnt move. I was contemplating.

Babe?

I stepped away from his chair. I was reading the screen. Lets see what you can pull up on Blutto.

Ranger had state-of-the-art computer programs that left most people with virtually no secrets. He could get medical records, credit histories, shoe size, litigation, you name it.

Fifty-two years old, Ranger said. Born in Varna, Bulgaria. Came to this country in 92. He has four ex-wives and is currently unmarried. He has seven kids distributed among his ex-wives. The oldest is thirty-four. The youngest is six. He was a police officer in Varna for fifteen years. No work history after that. He owns property in Newark and Bucks County. I know the Newark area. It has a large Russian immigrant population. The Bucks County property is in Taylorsville. Hes affiliated with three other holding companies. He had a double bypass two years ago. He was charged with assault with a deadly weapon last year, but the charges were dropped.

What was the weapon?

A chain saw. He cut a guys leg off. He claimed it was an accident.

This is not a nice man.

I have a couple contacts in Newark. See if you can find some crackers and cheese in the kitchen, and Ill make some phone calls.

I went to the kitchen and poured myself another glass of wine. I found some brie and something else that was creamy and herby. Im sure all bought by his housekeeper, Ella. I put the two cheese wedges on a cutting board with water crackers, apple slices, and fresh strawberries and brought them in to Ranger, along with the bottle of wine and our glasses. I set everything on Rangers desk, and I spread brie on a cracker for myself.

Ranger took his headset off. This is nice.

I take no responsibility. Ella had everything prepared.

Ranger sliced off some mystery cheese and ate it with an apple slice. No empty-calories cracker for Ranger. Ranger was into health.

I talked to two people in Newark, Ranger said. The opinion of both is that Gregor Bluttovich is dangerous. Bulgarian mobster. Nicknamed Blutto. Large ego. Terrible temper. Probably criminally insane. Both contacts used the word psycho to describe Bluttovich. He has a mid-size operation, and hes overextended. Word on the street is that hes eliminating squeamish business partners.

Like Wellington?

Yes.

Where would Vinnie fit in this?

Bluttovich owns Wellington. So Vinnie scammed Bluttovich. And its not healthy to scam Bluttovich.

How not healthy?

As not healthy as you can get.

Dead?

Very dead, Ranger said.

What am I supposed to do?

And then?

Rangers eyes locked onto mine.

If I didnt know better, Id think you were trying to get me drunk, I said to Ranger.

Not drunk, Ranger said. Just relaxed and naked.

I was distracted by an icon blinking on his computer screen.

Why is the little flame flashing? I asked him.

Im hard-wired to the control room. One of our systems just sent in a fire alert.

He tapped a key and an address appeared.

Hamilton Avenue, I said. Omigod, thats the bonds office!

Ranger put his headset on and talked to the control room, verifying the fire. He took his headset off, swiveled away from his desk, and stood.

I suppose this is the end of our romantic moment, I said to him.

Its okay, he said. Youll have a lot more opportunities for romantic moments.

He closed the space between us and kissed me. Our tongues touched, and I pressed against him.

Its only a fire, I whispered.

He paused for a beat. Youve seen one, youve seen them all, he said. And he stripped my white stretchy shirt off. He kissed me again, and when he broke from the kiss, my eyes inadvertently strayed to the computer screen. Babe?

I cant help it. All those blinking things on your computer are distracting.

He reached over, hit a key, and the screen went black.

I know theyre there, I said.

Ranger tugged my shirt back over my head and smoothed it down. Im good and Im motivated, but I know enough not to try to please a woman whos distracted. He kissed me lightly on the lips and pointed me toward the kitchen. You owe me.

This car smells like fried chicken, Ranger said. And something else that isnt good.

Connies stink bomb, I told him.

TWENTY-FIVE

RANGER TURNED ONTO Hamilton, and I could see the glow from the fire. My breath caught in my chest and my eyes filled with tears.

Call Connie and Lula and Vinnie and make sure theyre okay, Ranger said.

I dialed Connie first. She answered on the second ring, and I breathed a little easier. I told her about the fire, and told her to stay home until I got back in touch. I called Lula next. She was home as well. I called my apartment twice before Vinnie picked up.

I didnt know if I was supposed to answer your phone, Vinnie said.

I wanted to make sure you were okay. The bonds office is on fire.

Crap! Vinnie said. Ill be right there.

No! I just got here with Ranger. Well handle it. I dont want you to leave the apartment.

How bad is it?

Its bad. Ill call you back when I know more.

Ranger parked a block away, and it was difficult to see much of anything other than billowing smoke and flames shooting into the black sky. The street was clogged with fire trucks, EMTs, and police cars. Men shouted instructions. They were already getting water to the fire, but the closer we got, the more it became apparent that nothing was going to be saved. There was a series of small explosions and everyone pulled back.

Ammo, Ranger said.

Thank goodness we had the yard sale, I thought. The ammo that was left was minimal. And the dynamite had all gotten cleared out. The explosions stopped and the firefighters moved closer. They were concentrating on containment and minimizing the damage to adjoining properties.

This is out of control, Ranger said. Were going to have to do something about Bluttovich.

Like what?

Short-term, we need to encourage him to forget Vinnie. Long-term, we need to neutralize him. Provide law enforcement with a reason to put Bluttovich away for a very long time.

Rangers attention shifted off me. I turned to see what caught his eye and spotted Morelli walking toward us.

You dont have to stay, I said.

Its my job, Ranger said. Rangeman manages security on the bonds office.

Morelli ambled over. He nodded to Ranger as Ranger walked off to find the fire marshall, and he gave me a tight smile. Are you okay? he asked me.

Yes, I said. The fire trucks were already here when I arrived.

Thats a relief, Morelli said. I was half afraid you and Lula started the fire. He looked around. It wasnt Lula, was it?

No, I said. I checked.

Morelli looked me over. Thats your viewing uniform.

Yes, and the heels are killing me. Im ready to go home. Would you mind following me? Ranger thinks I need an escort.

I DETOURED AROUND the fire, and twenty minutes later, I rolled into my apartment parking lot with Morelli on my bumper. We got out of our cars, and Morelli walked me into the building.

I took my shoes off and pushed the elevator button.

Probably, I should walk you all the way to your door, Morelli said. Maybe I should even go inside and check under your bed for monsters.

The elevator doors opened, and Vinnie was standing there wearing my panties.

Going up? he asked.

Morellis jaw dropped. What the hell?

I got locked out, Vinnie said. I went downstairs to do my laundry, and when I got back to the apartment, the door was closed shut.

Those are my panties, I said.

Vinnie looked down at himself. I figured you wouldnt want me running around naked. All my clothes are in the washer.

And you decided panties were the way to go? I asked.

It was the only thing that fit. They got elastic.

Morelli grinned at me. Ive seen you in those panties, and they look a lot better when you wear them.

Hows the bonds office? Vinnie wanted to know.

Burned to the ground, I said.

Oh jeez! Vinnie said. Crap. Shit. Damn. He punched the elevator wall and stamped his foot.

This isnt a good picture, Morelli said.

Yeah, and I dont want the underwear back, either, I said.

Maybe you should come home with me, and let Vinnie have the apartment to himself, Morelli said.

I bit into my lower lip. I left Vinnie alone in my apartment for a few hours, and he was wearing my panties when I came home. I got stomach cramps thinking about what might happen if I left him overnight.

Thats probably not a good idea, I said to Morelli. I cant afford to throw away any more underwear.

Understood. I hate to leave you, on a sinking ship, but I dont know what more I can do here, unless you want me to arrest him for indecent exposure, Morelli said. He grabbed me and kissed me, moved me back two steps into the elevator, and pushed the button for the second floor. Let me know when he leaves. We can go shopping and replace the underwear with something really skimpy.

Vinnie and I got off at the second floor, and I let us into my apartment.

You cant walk around like that, I said to Vinnie. Youre freaking me out. I rummaged through my closet and came up with an old robe.

I saw that, Vinnie said, but I didnt think Id look good in it.

Have you seen yourself in the panties? Its why people go blind. Not only dont they fit, but youre all lumpy. Its a hideous sight.

Cripes, Vinnie said. Just tell me how you feel.

I held the robe out to him.

Vinnie put the robe on and got a beer out of the fridge. I bet that fire was arson.

Without a doubt.

Drager is going to be pissed. Has anybody called him? Do you think I should call?