“Okay,” I said, “we'll take this one.”
“Oh boy,” Lula said. “I'm gonna squash this guy like a roach.”
“No. No, no, no, no, no roach squashing. No unnecessary force.”
/> “Sure,” Lula said. “I know that. But we could use necessary force, right?”
“Necessary force won't be necessary.”
“Just don't beat the crap out of him like you did with the computer nerd,” Vinnie said. “I keep telling you, kick them in the kidney where it don't show.”
“Must be scary being related to him,” Lula said, looking over at Vinnie.
Connie filled in my authorization to apprehend and gave the file back to me. I dropped it into my bag and hiked my bag higher on my shoulder. “Later.”
“Later,” Connie said. “And watch out for garbage trucks.”
I beeped the alarm off, and Lula and I got in the Beemer.
“This is cushy,” Lula said. “Big woman like me needs a car like this. I sure would like to know where Ranger gets all these cars. See that little silver strip with the numbers on it. That's your registration number. So theoretically this car isn't even stolen.”
“Theoretically.” Ranger probably had those strips made by the gross. I punched Morelli's number into the car phone and after six rings I got his answering machine. I left a message and tried his pager.
“Not that it's any of my business,” Lula said, “but what's going on with you and Morelli? I thought that was over with you two when you moved out.”
“It's complicated.”
“Your problem is you keep getting involved with men who have lots of potential in bed and no potential at the altar.”
“I'm thinking of giving men up altogether,” I said. “Celibacy isn't so bad. You don't have to worry about shaving your legs.”
The phone rang, and I answered it on the speakerphone.
“What number is this?” Morelli wanted to know.
“It's my new car phone number.”
“In the Buick?”
“No. Ranger gave me another car.”
Silence.
“What kind of car is it this time?” he finally asked.
“Beemer.”
“Has it got a registration number on it?”
“Yes.”
“Is it fake?”
I shrugged. “It doesn't look fake.”
“That'll go far in court.”
“Have you heard anything about Mark Stemper?”