14bis Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich Page A

out of his pack and plugged it into the game. “I’m recharging this,” he said to Carl. “I’m going to plug it in, and when the red light turns green it’s good to go. Do you understand?”
    Carl shrugged.
    Diesel grabbed my hand and pulled me to the door. “We need to move.”
    F LASH WAS PARKED halfway down the alley. We slid to a stop behind him, cut our lights, and we all got out and stood looking in the direction of the Sky building.
    “He’s still in there,” Flash said. “His car is parked behind the building, and it hasn’t moved.”
    “Do you have any idea who’s in there with him?” Diesel asked.
    “I have my girlfriend watching the front, and from what we can tell, Doc Weiner is there with two lieutenants. Mostly, the club runs during the day and empties out at night.”
    The back door to the club opened, and Wulf walked out. Too dark for me to see more than his outline. There was the sound of his car door opening and closing. The Ferrari engine turned over, and Wulf backed out and drove away from us. We all scrambled to get into our cars.
    Diesel wheeled around Flash, and just as he approached the Sky building, there was an explosion that blew out the building windows and doors and rocked the Escalade. I looked behind us and saw Flash put his car into reverse and tear down the alley. Diesel did the same. Flaming debris blocked the narrow road directly behind the club.
    It took me a couple minutes to catch my breath and get my heart to stop racing. “What was that?” I asked Diesel. My voice was an octave higher than normal, and my eyes felt like they’d been popped out of their sockets.
    “My guess is Wulf burned a bridge,” Diesel said.
    Diesel and Flash circled the block but couldn’t pick up the Ferrari. Diesel continued to drive south without success. The trail was cold.
    “I’m hungry, and I want beer,” Diesel said. “Where do I go?”
    “Pino’s will be open. It’s just off Broad.”
    Ten minutes later, we parked on the street several houses down from Pino’s. It was a dark, starless, moonless night that had turned too cold for my sweatshirt. I power-walked the distance from the car to Pino’s entrance and pushed into the heat and noise of the crowded bar. The place was filled with cops and nurses gone off shift, and my phone rang minutes after Diesel and I took a table and ordered food.
    “What’s up?” Morelli asked. “I just got four calls telling me you’re out with a guy who looks like he could kick my ass.”
    “It’s Diesel.”
    Silence on Morelli’s end. I figured he was counting his fingers and toes, trying to get a grip.
    “Diesel,” he finally said. “My life isn’t bad enough, now I have to worry about Diesel.”
    “You don’t have to worry.”
    “Where’s he sleeping?”
    “Wherever he wants. Can we change the subject? How’s Anthony’s ass?”
    “He’s in your bed, right? Maybe I should just shoot him and be done with it,” Morelli said.
    “I think he might be hard to kill. Anyway, you’re supposed to trust me.”
    “Hah!” Diesel said. And he chugged half a bottle of beer.
    “I trust you,” Morelli said. “I just don’t trust him.”
    “He’ll be gone soon. Hang in there.”
    More silence. This wasn’t a good time for Morelli.
    “Okay, here’s the deal,” I said. “He’s gay, but he’s only halfway out of the closet.”
    “What?”
    “Yeah. I’m not his type.”
    “He doesn’t look gay,” Morelli said.
    “How can someone look gay?”
    “They’re usually neat.”
    “Well, he’s a gay slob, what can I say? And on top of that, he can’t get it up. Some sort of war injury. Blew his nuts off.”
    Diesel had eyebrows raised.
    “I have to go,” Morelli said. “Anthony is moaning for pie. I have a Mrs. Smith’s in the oven.”
    “You’re a good brother.”
    “I’m an idiot.”
    And he disconnected.
    “That sucks,” Diesel said. “I could have managed gay, but I really hate not having nuts.”
    “It’s a