22 Caliber - A Stephanie Plum-inspired Story

Chapter Twenty-Two

Ranger came back into the room. "How about we go after a couple of skips," I suggested.

"How about we don't", Ranger immediately responded. I got up off the couch, winced and turned white. "How about you take a pain pill and then grab some sleep", Ranger suggested.

"I just need to breathe through it. I hate the pain pills because they make me so sleepy. And it's hard to be aware of what is going on around you when you are asleep", I complained.

"That is why I am here, Babe, to guard your back. And sleep will help in the healing process. Being in pain won't help you at all."

"Going after skips while I have your help will also help me. It will make sure I have rent money to tide me over until I can catch skips on my own. One of the three left over – Dorothea Pringle – is a high level bond. Hal and I have already tried twice to get her, but Hal spent more time protecting me than he did trying to catch her and we lost her both times."

"That's what he was getting paid for, Babe."

"Yeah, but it meant I lost my skip. And it means I don't have enough money to tide me over until I am better. You won't be around for forever. You have your own job to do. And until I am better I will need your expertise to pick up these people." I thought I made a good argument. As much as my leg hurt and the pain pills made me sleepy, I had an ulterior motive. I was getting cabin fever and needed to get out of the house.

"I will help you catch skips until you are better, even if we have caught Mario", he said.

"Vinnie will give my files to Joyce if I don't bring these skips in soon."

Ranger thought for a moment. "Okay, I guess I will help you today. But there are conditions. First you have to take a pain pill and have a nap. Then, if you still feel up to going, I will take you."

Good deal.

After my nap and some lunch we decided to tackle Dorothea Pringle. We drove to the Pringle house, but there weren't any cars there. I hobbled up to the front door, accompanied by Ranger. We rang the doorbell but no one answered. The neighbor came out to move her trash to the curb and saw us waiting at the front door. "The Pringles aren't there", she said. "I think the gentleman is at work and Dorothea went out shopping." Thank God for nosy neighbors, I thought. Ranger and I returned to the car to wait.

I called Morelli to let him know where I was. He wasn't happy. "Are you sure you are with Ranger, that you didn't sneak off with Lula?"

"Yes, I'm with Ranger", I answered. I explained to him the rationale behind catching skips right now, it would buy me some time to heal when I didn't have Ranger with me.

"I know the real reason is because you were getting cabin fever. Don't try to lie to me, I know you too well." I smiled. He did know me well.

"Yeah, but needing the money is a real reason, too."

"Okay. I'm not happy, but okay. Let me talk to Ranger." Morelli spoke with Ranger for a couple of minutes. Ranger didn't say much. He just listened, said yes a couple of times, tilted up his lips into an almost-imperceptible smile and then handed the phone back to me. "Make sure you stay with Ranger at all times, okay?" Morelli said. "I may think he's dangerous but he won't see you get hurt in any way if he can help it."

Ranger and I continued to wait. I phoned my parents' house and talked to my grandmother. My mom was out grocery shopping.

"I just got back from the Cut and Curl and you were the talk of the hour", she said.

Oh goody, I thought.

"I told them I saw the wound at the hospital. And I told them you almost died."