Ten Big Ones (Stephanie Plum 10) by Evanovich Janet

Author:Evanovich, Janet [Evanovich, Janet]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9780755388462
Publisher: Hachette Littlehampton
Published: 2011-10-12T23:00:00+00:00

Nine

Lula and I were in a neighborhood that looked a lot like parts of the Burg. The homes were modest redbrick row houses, their front stoops set into sidewalk. Cars were parked on both sides, narrowing the street to barely two lanes. It was early afternoon and not much was happening. We drove past Pancek’s mother’s house, looking for the Civic. We did a four-block grid but came up empty.

By late afternoon we’d talked to Pancek’s mother, two former neighbors, his former girlfriend, and his best buddy from high school. No one was giving Pancek up, and we hadn’t run across his car.

‘We’re all out of Tastykakes,’ Lula said. ‘It’s either time to go home or time to go shopping.’

‘Time to go home,’ I said.

Pancek’s best buddy was married, and I couldn’t see the wife putting up with Pancek. The girlfriend thought Pancek should rot in hell. That was a direct quote. His neighbors barely knew him. That left his mother. I had a feeling Mrs Pancek knew more than she was telling us, but from today’s performance it was obvious she wasn’t ready to rat on her son.

We’d run down all our leads, and there wasn’t anything left to do short of staking out the mother’s house. I was all in favor of a job well done, but Pancek wasn’t worth a stakeout. A stakeout was a major bummer.

Morelli called on my cell phone. He didn’t waste time with hello or how are you. Morelli got right to the heart of it. ‘Where are you?’

‘I’m in Newark, looking for a skip.’

‘I don’t suppose you’d consider staying there. Maybe getting a room.’

‘What’s up?’

‘We have a dead guy here. Gunned down on the street, and then had his nuts surgically removed.’

‘Gang member?’

‘Big time. Cut. Had a J freshly carved into his forehead.’

‘Would that be J for Junkman?’

‘That would be my guess,’ Morelli said. ‘Are you scared yet?’

‘I’m always scared.’

‘Good. I’m drinking Pepto-Bismol by the case. I hate this. Every time my pager goes off I get an eye twitch, terrified that someone found your body.’

‘At least we don’t have to worry about me getting my nuts surgically removed.’

There was a moment of silence. ‘That’s sick,’ Morelli finally said.

‘I was shooting for levity.’

‘You failed.’ And he disconnected.

I told Lula about the killing, and we went in search of the turnpike.

‘These gang guys are crazy,’ Lula said. ‘It’s like they’re alien invaders, or something. Like they don’t know how to live on planet Earth. Hell, they’re not even hot aliens. Not that it would matter, but if they were hot looking they’d at least be interesting, you see what I’m saying?’

I wasn’t seeing what she was saying. I was taking slow, even breaths, and I was working at controlling my heart rate.

I dropped Lula off at the office, and I drove to Ranger’s building. I could see someone in the lobby, talking to the guard at the desk. A car pulled out of the garage, and the gate slid back into place. Too much activity, I thought.

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