“HOW ABOUT NOW?” I asked when we were in the car. “Do we bring Morelli in now?”

“No, but I’ll have him keep Ernie off the plane.”

“Are you going to let Frankie go fishing?”

“No. I’ll have Morelli detain him.”

Ranger drove the short distance back to Rangeman and went directly to his office. He sent Morelli a text about Ernie and Frankie, and he accessed a program on his computer that listed all assets for Ernie Sitz and Harry Hammerstein.

“Omigod,” I said. “Harry’s last name is Hammerstein? I never knew. I just knew him as Harry the Hammer.”

Ranger limited the assets to properties within a hundred miles. Sitz had seven, and Harry had sixteen. I looked over Ranger’s shoulder at the list.

“This one,” I said, pointing to a building on Harry’s list. “The warehouse in Cherry Hill. It was owned by Sitz and went up for auction a year ago.”

Ranger went to Google maps and looked at the satellite view of the property.

“It’s in an industrial park that’s mostly abandoned,” Ranger said. “The warehouse is off on its own. Good location to hold someone hostage. Smart. You don’t want to kidnap someone and cross state lines. I think it’s worth looking at.”

Ranger called Tank and told him he needed two cars and four men in ten minutes.

“I’ll be traveling with Stephanie,” he said. “We’ll need full security. Vests and belts. And I’ll need a thermal drone.”

Ranger and I went in his Porsche Cayenne. The other two cars were fleet SUVs. Tank was driving one of them. We took I-295 south and reached Cherry Hill midafternoon. The entrance to the industrial park wasn’t gated. The warehouse Harry owned was toward the back end not quite a quarter mile down the road. Tank and the other Rangeman SUV hung back, and Ranger and I drove past the warehouse. No cars parked in the adjoining lot. No lights shining from the office windows in the front of the building. No visible activity. We parked alongside the other two Rangeman vehicles and got out.

“I want to know what’s inside the warehouse on the next block,” Ranger said. “Send the drone up.”

One of the men opened his laptop and another removed the drone from a box in the back of the SUV. He set the drone on the ground and in minutes it was in the air, humming its way across the parking lot. It hovered over the warehouse and sent back thermal images.

“Five men in a large room and four more in a smaller room,” the guy with the laptop said.

Everyone crowded around to look at the screen.

“I’ll take point,” Ranger said. “Tank will watch Stephanie’s back. We’ll worry about the four men in the smaller room. I’m hoping the five men in the large room are our hostages. We’re not sure this break-in is justified, so use restraint.”

The drone returned and everyone suited up in body armor and gun belts. Tank handed me my vest and utility belt.

“Are you sure you want me along on this?” I asked Ranger.

He shrugged into his vest. “I didn’t think you would want to miss it. And more important, I need you to justify the break-in. You have the papers that allow you to go after Ernie Sitz. Stay close to Tank. We’re going in looking like the RoboCop SWAT team. I’m hoping we look serious enough to make this a nonevent.”

I stuffed myself into the vest and buckled the utility belt on. It contained a flashlight, a knife, a stun gun, pepper spray, and a couple extra clips for the Glock I had strapped to my leg. It probably contained other stuff too, but I didn’t look all that close.

I glanced down at the belt. “I don’t see any granola bars,” I said to Ranger. “And where’s the kitchen sink?”

“Babe,” Ranger said.

We drove across the street and parked close to the back door to the warehouse. Ranger unlocked the door, and we went in, moving quickly through the building. Ranger at point, motioning clear, the rest of us following. No one speaking. We reached a door at the end of a corridor, and we all stopped and watched Ranger. He tested the door. Not locked. He opened it and we all rushed in, guns drawn. Okay, my gun wasn’t drawn, but I rushed in with everyone else.

Four men were playing cards at a small table. They all jumped up when we came in. One of them pulled a gun and immediately thought better of it, dropping the gun on the floor.

“Do you speak English?” Ranger asked.

“A little,” one said with a heavy accent.

Ranger switched to Spanish. The four Rangeman guys looked like they understood everything. I understood nothing. One of the card players pointed to the door at the far side of the room. It was steel with multiple locks.

Ranger’s men cuffed the card players and sat them on the floor. Ranger removed a key ring from one of them, crossed to the door, and unlocked it.

I’m not sure what I expected to see. Five emaciated men, crying with joy at being rescued. Maybe in cages. Maybe shackled.

Ranger pushed the door open, and I followed him in. The room was half the size of a basketball court. Cement floor. High ceiling. Brightly lit. Five cots with sleeping bags and pillows. A card table with four chairs. Wastebasket next to it filled with Dunkin’ Donuts and Mike’s Burger Place bags. Games were stacked up by the table. Monopoly, Scrabble, Trivial Pursuit, Candy Land, Axis & Allies, checkers. Large flat-screen television in front of a big leather couch. A basketball hoop had been screwed into the wall opposite the television.

Three men were watching television and two were shooting hoops. All of the men were naked. I didn’t know three of the men, but Hal and Wayne Kulicki looked like they’d each gained about twenty pounds.

Hal was one of the basketball players. He cupped his hands around his privates when he saw me, and his face got red.

“This looks like Club Med for hostages,” Ranger said. “All it needs is a pool and a hot tub.”

“It’s not that good,” Hal said. “They cheaped out on the sports package for the television.”

“Are you going to call Morelli now?” I asked Ranger.

“Yep,” Ranger said. “Time to call Morelli.”

“This is more secure than it looks,” Hal said. “There’s only one door. It’s always locked and the men never come in alone. Always four of them with guns. We have nothing to use as a weapon. No knives or forks. They feed us burgers and donuts. There aren’t any windows. The walls are concrete. We have one bathroom with a shower. No towels or toothbrushes. Makes you wonder what was originally stored here.”

“Are there more guards than those four?” Ranger asked.

“There used to be eight in total,” Hal said. “They would work in shifts. Three of us speak Spanish and from what we could hear through the door, four of them left to go back to Colombia yesterday. The four out there now were leaving tonight. I didn’t take that as a good omen for my future.”

“Do you know who’s in charge of the Colombians?” Ranger asked.

“Ernie Sitz is involved. I don’t know beyond him.”

Ranger gave me a corporate credit card. “We passed a Target when we got off the highway. Find some clothes for the men. Pajamas, shorts, anything. Tank will drive you.”

I returned forty minutes later. Local police were already at the warehouse. Morelli pulled in behind me.

“You went shopping?” Morelli asked, looking at my Target bags.

“The kidnap victims are naked. I went out to get them some clothes.”

“Makes me happy,” Morelli said.

I led the way to the basketball court and handed the bags over to the men. Underwear, T-shirts, sweatpants, and flip-flops.

“You’re pretty casual about all these naked men,” Morelli said to me.

“You’ve seen one and you’ve seen them all,” I said.

“Is that true?”

“No,” I said to Morelli. “Absolutely not.”

Ranger joined us. “Were you able to find Sitz?” he asked Morelli.

“Yeah. We found him at Newark Airport. He was stuffed into a garbage container.”

“Is he okay?” I asked.

“No,” Morelli said. “He’s dead. I don’t know any details.”

Ranger and I exchanged glances. Harry the Hammer was cleaning house. That included friends and foes and partners. He was tidying up loose ends that could tie him to the kidnappings. Classic mob behavior. There were four Colombians left behind who may or may not know anything about Harry. And there was Frankie from Central GP.

I caught a flash of black in my peripheral vision and turned to find Wulf standing a short distance away. He was in full Wulf regalia. Black cape. Black suit and dress shirt. Blood-red pocket handkerchief.

“Thank you for locating my charge,” Wulf said.

He crooked his finger in a come-here gesture, and Ryan Meier ran over to him.

“Oh man,” Ryan said to Wulf. “Am I ever glad to see you.”

“Your father’s been worried,” Wulf said.

Wulf spread his arms wide, flaring his cape. There was a flash of blinding light, a crack of thunder, a lot of smoke, and when the smoke cleared, Wulf and Ryan Meier were gone.

“I didn’t see that,” Morelli said.

I agreed. I didn’t see it either.

“I saw it,” Hal said. “It was awesome.”

Ranger stayed stoic, but I knew he was mentally rolling his eyes.

“I’ll take Hal back with me,” Ranger said to Morelli. “He’ll be available if you need to talk to him.”

“I’ll pass that on to the feds,” Morelli said. “They’re about a half hour behind me with the crime lab. Not that I expect they’ll find anything worthwhile here. This warehouse belongs to Harry, and Harry knows how to cover his tracks. I’m sure you already know this. We also got full disclosure on The Cannibal Deli. Harry is listed as an executive producer. He bought into a production company that’s involved. If I’d asked my mother instead of having the department research the show, I could have found out sooner. Apparently, it’s the hot gossip topic in the Burg.”

“Have you talked to Harry?” Ranger asked.

“Harry is on a Caribbean cruise. He gets back tomorrow.”

“Nice,” Ranger said. “What about Skoogie. Any tests back?”

“Skoogie overdosed. Looks like self-inflicted and accidental.”

“Kulicki needs to check in with the court,” I said to Morelli. “He’s my FTA. And when they pry Ernie Sitz out of the trash receptacle, he has my name on him too. He’s way overdue, but Vinnie should still be able to get something back on his bond.”

“I’ll take care of it,” Morelli said. “I’m going to be tied up here for a while. Can you walk Bob for me?”

“What about Anthony?”

“He’s back home with the wife and kids.”

Ranger parked in the lot behind my apartment building.

“This has been interesting,” he said.

“Do you think Harry had Sitz killed?”

“Yes.”

“Do you think the police will be able to prove it?”

“No. Harry will eventually get convicted of something and get sent away for a while, but I don’t think it will be for Sitz. Some loyal lieutenant did Sitz. Probably Connie’s Uncle Jimmy.”

“He’s in his nineties!”

“He’s fearless. He has nothing to lose. He’s too old to die young. And he works with Billy Raguzzi.”

I knew Billy. I went to school with him. He was a quiet, skinny little guy. His nickname was Billy Coldcock. Also, Billy the Eye Gouger.

“Billy is taking up the trade?” I asked.

“Learning from the best,” Ranger said.

I glanced over my shoulder at my laundry basket in the back seat. “I need to check on Rex and make sure nothing is fermenting in my refrigerator.”

Ranger carried my laundry basket to my door and waited while I rummaged around in my bag for my key. He got tired of waiting, produced his own key, and let me into my apartment.

“Thanks,” I said. “And thanks for carrying my basket, and thanks for keeping me safe. It looks like I’m not in danger anymore, so you and Morelli don’t have to keep tag team guarding me.”

“No more than usual,” Ranger said.

He nudged me inside, set the basket on the floor, and kissed me. “I’m cutting you loose,” he said, “but feel free to drop in if you get a sudden desire to use my shower or my bed.”

He kissed me again with enough passion to make me think twice about his offer.

“Jeez Louise,” I said.

“Babe,” Ranger said. And he left.

I stood for a moment regrouping, thinking it felt good to be home. I went to the kitchen and looked into the fridge. No green slime growing on anything. I tapped on Rex’s cage and said “Hello!” Rex stuck his head out, twitched his whiskers, blinked his black eyes at me, and retreated back into his soup can. This all made me feel happy inside.

I carted my laundry basket into my bedroom, brushed my hair and retied my ponytail, applied some lip gloss, and smiled at myself in the mirror.

I was about to leave for Morelli’s house to walk Bob when Grandma Mazur called.

“I’ve got news,” she said. “Don’t tell your mother, but I’m running off to live in sin with my honey.”

“Again?”

“It’s better this time. It’s not one of them Internet honey things. This is a honey from the neighborhood. We’ve been seeing each other at the Wednesday night viewings at the funeral home. I think this is the one. He’s older than me, but he’s a real looker. He’s got a good job too. That’s why we’re going on a sexcation. He just finished a project and came into some money, so we’re heading off to Atlantis.”

“Do I know him?”

“Yep, just about everyone in the Burg knows him,” Grandma said. “He’s related to Connie, and he’s a big deal in the Knights of Columbus. He wears one of them sashes to funerals and everything. It’s Jimmy Rosolli.”

“Don’t go anywhere. I’m coming over. We have to talk.”

“Well, that’s the thing,” Grandma said. “I’m on the plane with my honey, and we’re about to take off, so I have to shut my phone down. I just wanted to make sure your mother wouldn’t worry when I didn’t come home, so I thought you could make up a good fib.”

“No! I’m not fibbing for you, and you don’t want to go to Atlantis with Jimmy Rosolli! Get off the plane NOW!”