My mother gave me a padded envelope. 'Before I forget, this just came for you. A young man dressed in black delivered it while you were in the shower.'
'One of them RangeMan hunks,' Grandma said.
I looked in the envelope and found the two cell phones I left in the parking lot, plus the keys to my Mini. I went to the living room and peered out to the street. The Mini was parked at the curb. I went back to the kitchen and finished the lasagna.
'Are you going shopping for a new band outfit today?' I asked Grandma.
'I gave up on the band,' Grandma said. 'I threw my back out with all that wiggling around. I had to sleep on the heating pad all night. I don't know how those rock-and-roll people do it. Some of those people are as old as me.'
'Nobody's as old as you,' my father yelled from the living room. 'You're older than dirt.'
'Yeah, but I'm pretty good for being so old,' Grandma said. 'I'm thinking I might be better with getting a gig as one of them piano bar singers. I could wear one of them slinky dresses with the slit up the side.'
When I was done with the lasagna I plodded upstairs to my bedroom, flopped onto the bed, and crawled under the covers. I was exhausted. I needed a couple hours of sleep before rejoining the hunt for Julie. Probably there were better-equipped people than me out there, but I'd make whatever contribution I could.
Grandma hovered over me. 'Are you awake?' she asked.
'I am now.'
'We're eating. I figured you'd want to know.'
'I'll be down right away.'
I sat on the edge of the bed and called Morelli. 'Anything?'
'No. This guy is good at disappearing.'
'I think part of his success is that he thinks ahead and then he moves fast. He was already on the plane heading north before the word went out in Miami. He was out of the parking garage with me in the trunk of his car before anyone realized the panic button was left behind. And he had a car ready and waiting to make an exit from the motor home. And I'm betting he knew exactly where he wanted to go.'
'Most people at this stage would just keep driving. Put as much distance as possible between point A and point B.'
'He talked about going to Mexico to start a new life, but I don't think he can do that until he gets his fantasy together. I think he has to get rid of Ranger first.'
'I can identify with that one,' Morelli said.
I disconnected Morelli and called Ranger.
'Are you okay?' I asked him.
'I'm managing.'
'Any luck?'
'It's like the earth swallowed this guy.'
'He needs to eliminate you before he can move on.'
'Many have tried. None have succeeded. Tell me about Julie.'
'She was a little bedraggled-looking, but she seemed healthy. She's a lot like you. Brave and resilient. She said she hadn't been molested. I think women might be something Scrog needs to acquire to play his role, but I don't think he's a sexual deviant. He's constructed this weird world for himself. It's like he moves in and out of a game. And he kills people who get in his way. I think Julie will be safe with him. At least for a while.'
'Do you have any idea where he might be hiding?'
'I don't think he'll go far. He gets food and spare change by robbing convenience stores. He goes out early in the morning and brings back a couple bags of candy bars and snack cakes. You might be able to do something with that. And he's going to be stalking you. Aside from that, I just don't know.'
'What's your plan?'
'I don't have much of a plan. I'm at my parents' house right now, but I think I'll go back to my apartment tonight. Morelli's in his own house, and you don't need to camp out anymore. That leaves Rex all by himself.'