'It was either that or kill myself,' my mother said. 'Your sister just called from the airport. She said they were all on a plane... Valerie, the three girls, and cuddle umpkins. And they were going to Disney World, and she had to disconnect because they were about to take off. I could hear the announcements over the phone. I sent your father over to her apartment, and it's all locked up.'
'So there's no wedding?'
'No. She said she didn't lose enough weight. She said she was sixty pounds short. And then she said something about cuddle umpkins having an asthma attack from her wedding gown. I couldn't figure out what that was about.'
'What about the reception? Is there a reception?' 'No.'
'Never?'
'Never. She said if they liked Disney World they were going to live there and never return to Jersey.'
'We should get the cake,' I said. 'Be a shame to waste the cake.'
'At a time like this, you're thinking of cake? And what's wrong with your new cell phone?' my mother asked. 'I tried to call you, and it's not working.'
'It got blown up in Joe's garage.'
'Be sure to give me your new number when you replace your phone,' my mother said. 'I'm sorry you didn't get to play the cello for everyone.'
'Yeah, that would have been fun.'
I disconnected and looked across the table at Morelli. 'Valerie's going to Disney World.'
'Good for her,' Morelli said. 'Guess that leaves the rest of the day open. It'll give you a chance to look up my pants leg again.'
Here's a basic difference between Morelli and me. My first thought was always of cake. His first thought was always of sex. Don't get me wrong. I like sex... a lot. But it's never going to replace cake.
Morelli topped off our coffee. 'What did your mother say when you told her about your cell phone?'
'She said I should tell her my new number when I got a new phone.'
'That was it?'
'Pretty much. Guess your garage wasn't big news.'
'Hard to top the Mama Macaroni explosion,' Morelli said.
Last night, Morelli's garage had been cordoned off with crime-scene tape, and men were now carefully moving around inside the tape, gathering evidence, photographing the scene. A couple cop cars and crime-scene vans were parked in the alley. A few neighbors were standing, hands in pockets, watching at the edge of Morelli's yard.
I saw Laski cross the yard and come to the back door. Laski let himself in and put a white bakery bag on the table. 'Doughnuts,' he said. 'You got coffee?'
Two uniforms followed Laski into the kitchen.
'Was that a bakery bag I saw come in here?' one of them asked.
I started a new pot of coffee going and excused myself. The house was going to be filled with cops today. Morelli wasn't going to need Nurse Stephanie.
I took a shower, pulled my hair back into a half-assed ponytail, and dressed in black jeans, a black T-shirt, and the Pumas. I grabbed the black sweatshirt and the keys to the Buick and returned to the kitchen to give the good news to Morelli.
'I'm going to work,' I told him. 'I wasn't able to get through everything yesterday.'
Our eyes held and I guess Morelli decided I was actually going in to work and not going in to boff Ranger. 'Are you taking the Buick?'
'Yes.'
'Let Ryan go over the car before you touch it.'
That worked just fine for me. I wasn't in the mood to get exploded.
I had three complete files in front of me. Barroni, Gorman, and Lazar. I had Runion running on the first of the search programs. I had my pad half filled with notes, but so far, nothing had added up to anything resembling a clue.
I knew by the sudden silence that Ranger was in the control room. When the men were alone there was constant low-level chatter. When Ranger appeared there was silence. I rolled back so I could see into the room. Ranger was standing, quietly talking to Tank. He glanced my way and our eyes met. He finished his conversation with Tank, and he crossed the room to speak to me.
His hair was still damp from his shower, and when he entered my cubicle he brought the scent of warm Ranger and Bulgari shower gel with him. He leaned against my desk and looked down at me. 'Aren't you supposed to be in a wedding?'
'Valerie took off for Disney World.'
'Alone?'
'With Albert and the three kids. It's almost ten o'clock. Aren't you getting a late start? Have a late night?'
'I worked out this morning. I understand you had an interesting evening. You stopped sending signals abruptly at six-oh-four. We heard the fire and police request go out on the scanner at six-ten. Tank reported to me at six- twelve that there were no injuries. Next time call me, so I don't have to send a man out.'
