Free 12 Twelve Sharp by Janet Evanovich Page A

wouldn't hurt her. It's still a terrible thing.'
    We all lapsed into silence after that. Not that silence was abnormal at my parents' table. We tended not to multitask body functions. When we sat down to eat, we got to it.
    'Oh man, you're kidding,' Morelli said. 'You want me to do what?'
    It was eight-thirty, and we were walking Bob around Morelli's neighborhood, so Bob could do one last tinkle.
    'I want you to go to the Hole with me. Lula's singing there tonight, and I feel like I should be supportive. And I thought it wouldn't hurt to have an armed cop in the room.'
    'Lula can't sing. I've heard her sing. She's tone-deaf.'
    'Yeah, but she looks good in her dress.' As long as she doesn't bend over. 'And she's singing with Sally Sweet and his band. None of them can sing. They just play loud enough to drown themselves out.'
    'I had plans for tonight,' Morelli said.
    'Would those be the same plans you had for last night?'
    'The basic plan is the same, but I have a few variations I thought I'd throw in.'
    'Look on the positive side. You could try to get me liquored up at the Hole, and I might come up with some of my own variations. I'm an animal when I'm liquored up.'
    Morelli smiled at me. 'Good point.'
    'Did you have any luck getting information for me on Ranger?'
    'No photo. He doesn't have a Virginia driver's license. And no captures on record. Sorry.'
    That's okay. I suspected there wouldn't be anything, but I thought it was worth a try.'
    'What about the woman? Have you talked to her?' Morelli asked.
    'Carmen? I can hear her release the safety on her Glock when I get within two feet of her.'
    'Do you want me to roust her?'
    'No. At least this way I know where to find her. And as long as there's distance between us, I don't think she's dangerous. She's not exactly a sharpshooter.'
    We took Bob back to the house, locked up, and headed off in Morelli's SUV. Morelli used to have a truck, but he traded it in so Bob could ride with him and be more comfy in bad weather.
    The Hole was on Third, in an area top-loaded with bars and pawnshops and adult video stores. Sandwiched between the bottom-feeder businesses were bedraggled drug stores, convenience stores, rooming houses, and fast-food franchises.
    Morelli drove around three blocks, looking for a parking space, finding none. He turned into the alley behind the Hole and found a space reserved for employees.
    'It's good to be a cop,' I said to him.
    'Sometimes.'
    We entered through the back door, skirted around the kitchen, walked past the restrooms, and stepped into a large room, packed with people. The stagnant air was saturated with kitchen grease and smelled like beer and booze and weed. There was a small stage at one end. The stage was set with amps and standup mics. A mahogany bar stretched the length of one wall, and everywhere else there were round tables crammed with chairs. There was at least one person sitting in every chair. The noise level was set at roar. Most of the women were in tube tops and shorts. The men wore jeans and muscle shirts, chains and tattoos. I was still in my jeans and little T-shirt. Morelli was wearing a gun on his ankle and at his back, both covered by clothes.
    Morelli snagged a waitress by the strap on her tank top, gave her a twenty, and ordered two Coronas.
    'You're disturbingly good at this,' I said to Morelli.
    'I had a wild youth.'
    That was an understatement. Morelli had been a womanizer and a bar brawler of the first magnitude. I slipped my hand into his, and we smiled at each other, and it was one of those moments of understanding that happens between people with a long history together.
    I chugged down a cold Corona and stood close to Morelli. The lights blinked, and the What appeared onstage. There was a guy on drums, a guy on keyboard, and a guy on bass. They set up and rapped out a fanfare. No one on the floor paid any attention. And then Lula and Sally came out and everyone turned and gaped.
    Lula was wearing the gold dress and