I gave him the number and he hung up.
'He's created an odd world for himself,' I said to Ranger.
'If the stakes weren't so high I'd probably think some of this was funny.' Ranger returned to the computer. 'You need to get some bounty hunter clothes.'
'I don't know where to go to get bounty hunter clothes.' I looked at my watch. 'And I haven't got a lot of time. I'm supposed to be at my parents' house at six. Maybe I could wear your clothes.'
'You're welcome to wear my clothes any time of the day or night, but I don't think that's what Scrog had in mind. I'll send Ella out shopping. She knows your size.'
'Are you getting anything on Meri?'
'Not at first look, but I think her history feels constructed. It's too perfect. I'm going to give this to Silvio.'
Stephanie Plum 12 - Twelve Sharp
Nineteen
'I made lasagna today,' my mother said. 'Your father wanted Italian. It's in the oven staying warm. And there's extra gravy on the stove. Maybe you can help your grandmother with the bread and salad.'
'I already got the bread and the salad,' Grandma said. 'And I got some antipasto going. We got salami and olives and anchovies and cheese.'
It was five minutes before six o'clock, and my mother was counting down. 'Grated cheese? Butter? Olive oil?'
I pulled the butter and cheese out of the refrigerator and got the olive oil out of the cabinet. I set them all on the table. The red wine was already uncorked. A bottle at each end.
The front door opened, and Morelli and Bob walked in, and bang we were off and running for the dining room. My father was first to sit. My grandmother skidded in right behind him.
'We don't want dinner to run over,' my grandmother said. 'Sally's coming here at seven and we're going to rehearse.'
My father was concentrating on the dish of lasagna, tuning my grandmother out. He mumbled something, and we all leaned forward to hear.
'Say again?' I said to him.
'Gravy.'
My mother sent the red sauce down to him, and he poured it over everything and dug in, never raising his head. At first glance the best you might say for my parents' marriage is that my mother never stabbed my father in the ass with the carving knife. If you look closer, you see they've found a lifestyle designed for the long haul. My father makes a huge effort to ignore my grandmother. My mother has a few rituals that make my father feel like he counts. And there's an underlying affection that's expressed mostly through tolerance.
Morelli filled his plate and passed on the wine.
'Working tonight?' I asked him.
'I don't think these are days when I'd want to risk impaired judgement.'
I admired his work ethic, but I had no intention of following it. I really needed a glass of wine.
'Did you find any stolen property?' I asked him.
He pulled a file card out of his shirt pocket. 'I got two hits. I have the details here for you. And the license numbers. You might not want to put too much stock in the license. If you have a smart thie
f, he'll swap out the plate. Should we be working harder to find these vehicles?'
'Yes, but you should be careful when approaching. I'll explain it all later.'
I called Ranger and gave him the camper descriptions. I disconnected, and Morelli watched me clip the phone onto my jeans. I now had two cell phones and the panic button clamped onto my waistband.
'New phone?' he asked.
'Goes directly to the Batcave.'