me standing too close to Ranger.
I swung out of the truck, beeped it locked, and marched up to the house. I opened the door, and Bob rushed up to me and bounced around. I gave him some hugs and got some Bob slobber on my jeans. I didn't mind about the slobber. It seemed like a small price to pay for unconditional love. And besides, you could hardly notice the slobber mixed in with the grass and dirt stains and God knew what else. Bob sniffed at the God knew what else and backed off. Bob had standards.
Morelli didn't rush to greet me. He didn't bounce around or slobber or exude unconditional love. Morelli was slouched on the couch, watching the Three Stooges on television. 'So, ' he said when
I came into the room.
'So, ' I answered.
'What's with the truck?'
'What truck?'
He cut his eyes to me.
'Oh, ' I said. That truck. That's Rangers truck. He's letting me borrow it until I get the Buick back. '
'Has the truck got a VIN?'
'Of course it has a VIN. '
Is the VIN legitimate would have been a better question. Ranger has a seemingly inexhaustible supply of new black cars and trucks.
The origin of these vehicles is unknown. The vehicle identification tag is almost always in place, but it seems possible the Bat Cave might contain a metal shop. Not that Ranger or any of his men would actually steal a car, but maybe they wouldn't ask too many questions upon delivery.
Ten Big Ones
Page: 66
'You didn't offer it to me. '
'Because I wanted you to stay in the house today. One day, '
Morelli said. 'Was that too much to ask?'
'I stayed in the house for most of the day. '
'Most of the day isn't all of the day. '
'What about tomorrow?'
'It's going to be ugly, ' Morelli said. 'You're going to be on a rant about women's equality and personal freedom. And I'm going to be waving my arms and yelling, because I'm an Italian cop, and that's what we do when women are irrational. '
'It's not about women's equality and personal freedom. This isn't political. It's personal. I want you to support my career choice. '
'You don't have a career, ' Morelli said. 'You have a suicide mission. Most women try to avoid murderers and rapists. I have a girlfriend who goes out trying to find them. And if murderers and rapists weren't bad enough, now you've pissed off a gang. '
These gang people should get a grip. The least little thing and they're all bent out of shape. What's the deal with them?'
'That's how they have fun, ' Morelli said.
'Maybe the police should try to get them involved in a hobby, like woodworking, or something. '
'Yeah, maybe we could get it to replace all the drug dealing and killings they're doing now. '
'Are they really that bad?'
'Yes. They're really that bad. '
Morelli shut the television off and came over to me. 'What the hell happened to you?' he said, looking more closely at my jeans.
'I had to run Roger Banker down. '
'What's this in your hair?'
`I'm hoping it's dog drool. '
Ten Big Ones
Page: 67
Tour grandmother is insane. '
'You're right. My grandmother doesn't count. '
`I'm sure there'll be a time in my life when I want to stay home.
This isn't it, ' I said.
'So I'm ahead of my time?'
I smiled at him and kissed him lightly on the lips. 'Yeah. '
He pulled me close to him. 'You don't expect me to wait, do you?'
'Yep. '
`I'm not good at waiting. '
'Deal with it, ' I said, pushing away.
Morelli narrowed his eyes. 'Deal with it? Excuse me?'
Okay, maybe I said it a little more authoritatively than I'd intended. But my day hadn't been all that great, plus I was feeling just a tad defensive over the foreign substance in my hair that might have been drool, but then maybe not. I could have ended the conversation there, but I didn't think it was smart to back down on the issue. And truth is, I was working my way out of Morelli's house.
`I'm not staying home. End of discussion. '
'The hell this is the end, ' Morelli said.
'Oh yeah? Well end this. ' And I
I swung out of the truck, beeped it locked, and marched up to the house. I opened the door, and Bob rushed up to me and bounced around. I gave him some hugs and got some Bob slobber on my jeans. I didn't mind about the slobber. It seemed like a small price to pay for unconditional love. And besides, you could hardly notice the slobber mixed in with the grass and dirt stains and God knew what else. Bob sniffed at the God knew what else and backed off. Bob had standards.
Morelli didn't rush to greet me. He didn't bounce around or slobber or exude unconditional love. Morelli was slouched on the couch, watching the Three Stooges on television. 'So, ' he said when
I came into the room.
'So, ' I answered.
'What's with the truck?'
'What truck?'
He cut his eyes to me.
'Oh, ' I said. That truck. That's Rangers truck. He's letting me borrow it until I get the Buick back. '
'Has the truck got a VIN?'
'Of course it has a VIN. '
Is the VIN legitimate would have been a better question. Ranger has a seemingly inexhaustible supply of new black cars and trucks.
The origin of these vehicles is unknown. The vehicle identification tag is almost always in place, but it seems possible the Bat Cave might contain a metal shop. Not that Ranger or any of his men would actually steal a car, but maybe they wouldn't ask too many questions upon delivery.
Ten Big Ones
Page: 66
'You didn't offer it to me. '
'Because I wanted you to stay in the house today. One day, '
Morelli said. 'Was that too much to ask?'
'I stayed in the house for most of the day. '
'Most of the day isn't all of the day. '
'What about tomorrow?'
'It's going to be ugly, ' Morelli said. 'You're going to be on a rant about women's equality and personal freedom. And I'm going to be waving my arms and yelling, because I'm an Italian cop, and that's what we do when women are irrational. '
'It's not about women's equality and personal freedom. This isn't political. It's personal. I want you to support my career choice. '
'You don't have a career, ' Morelli said. 'You have a suicide mission. Most women try to avoid murderers and rapists. I have a girlfriend who goes out trying to find them. And if murderers and rapists weren't bad enough, now you've pissed off a gang. '
These gang people should get a grip. The least little thing and they're all bent out of shape. What's the deal with them?'
'That's how they have fun, ' Morelli said.
'Maybe the police should try to get them involved in a hobby, like woodworking, or something. '
'Yeah, maybe we could get it to replace all the drug dealing and killings they're doing now. '
'Are they really that bad?'
'Yes. They're really that bad. '
Morelli shut the television off and came over to me. 'What the hell happened to you?' he said, looking more closely at my jeans.
'I had to run Roger Banker down. '
'What's this in your hair?'
`I'm hoping it's dog drool. '
Ten Big Ones
Page: 67
Tour grandmother is insane. '
'You're right. My grandmother doesn't count. '
`I'm sure there'll be a time in my life when I want to stay home.
This isn't it, ' I said.
'So I'm ahead of my time?'
I smiled at him and kissed him lightly on the lips. 'Yeah. '
He pulled me close to him. 'You don't expect me to wait, do you?'
'Yep. '
`I'm not good at waiting. '
'Deal with it, ' I said, pushing away.
Morelli narrowed his eyes. 'Deal with it? Excuse me?'
Okay, maybe I said it a little more authoritatively than I'd intended. But my day hadn't been all that great, plus I was feeling just a tad defensive over the foreign substance in my hair that might have been drool, but then maybe not. I could have ended the conversation there, but I didn't think it was smart to back down on the issue. And truth is, I was working my way out of Morelli's house.
`I'm not staying home. End of discussion. '
'The hell this is the end, ' Morelli said.
'Oh yeah? Well end this. ' And I
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