with these photos. They love their house, and they feel safe there. I don't want to take that away from them."
"Yes, but you're being stalked by a crazy person."
We were standing in the small front hall, and Bob was pressing against me, snuffling into my leg. I looked down, and there was a big wet spot of Bob drool just above my knee. I scratched the top of his head and ruffled his ears. "I need to get out of my parents' house. Take the action away from them."
"You know you can stay here."
"And endanger you?"
"I'm used to being endangered."
This was true. But this was also the basis for almost every argument we had. And it was the primary reason for our breakup. That and my inability to commit. Morelli didn't want a bounty hunter wife. He didn't want the mother of his children regularly dodging bullets. I guess I can't blame him.
"Thanks," I said. "I might take you up on it. I can also ask Ranger to put me in one of his safe houses. Or I can return to my apartment. If I go back to my apartment I need to have a security system installed. I don't want to come home to any more surprises." Unfortunately, I didn't have the money for a security system. As it was, it didn't matter because I couldn't bring myself to come within fifty feet of the cootie couch.
"What are you going to do tonight?"
"I need to stay in my parents' house and make sure no one breaks in again. Tomorrow I'll move out. I think they'll be safe once I'm gone."
"You're going to stay up all night?"
"Yep. You could come over later if you want, and we could play Monopoly."
Morelli grinned. "Monopoly, hunh? How could I pass that one up? What time does your grandmother go to bed?"
"After the eleven o'clock news."
"I'll be over around twelve."
I fiddled with Bob's ear.
"What?" Morelli asked.
"It's about us."
"There's no us."
"It feels like there's some us."
"This is what I think. I think there's you and me, and sometimes we're together. But there's no us."
"That feels a little lonely," I said.
"Don't make this more difficult than it already is," Morelli said.
I packed myself off in the Buick and went in search of a toy store. An hour later, I was done with my shopping, back in the car, heading for home. I stopped for a light on Hamilton, and a split second later, I was rear-ended. Not a big crash. More like a bump. Enough to make the Buick sway, but not enough to push me. My first reaction was my mother's standard reply to anything that was going to make her life more complicated: Why me? I doubted there was much damage, but it was going to be a pain in the ass all the same. I yanked the emergency brake on and put the Buick in park. Probably I needed to go out and do the examine-for-dents bullshit. I blew out a sigh and looked in my rearview mirror.
I couldn't see much in the dark, but what I could see wasn't good. I saw ears. Big rabbit ears on the guy in the driver's seat. I swiveled in my seat and squinted out the rear window. The rabbit backed his car up about ten feet and rammed me again. Harder this time. Enough to make the Buick jump forward.
Shit.
I released the brake, put the Buick in gear, and took off, through the red light. The rabbit was close behind. I turned at Chambers Street and ran up and down streets until I slid to a stop in front of Morelli's house. I saw no lights behind me, but that didn't guarantee that the rabbit was gone. He could have cut his lights and parked. I jumped out of the Buick, ran to Morelli's front door, and rang the bell, then I pounded on the door, and then I yelled, "Open up!"
Morelli opened the door, and I jumped inside. "The rabbit is after me," I said.
Morelli stuck his head out and looked up and down the street. "I don't see any rabbits."
"He was in a car. He rear-ended me on Hamilton, and then he chased me here."
"What kind of car?"
"I don't know. I couldn't see in the dark. I could just see his ears sticking up over the wheel." My heart was racing, and I was having a hard time catching my breath. "I'm losing it," I said. "This guy's really pushing my buttons. A