Seven Up - By Janet Evanovich Page 0,72

through a yard and came out at Ferarro's Bakery. I got an almond danish and leisurely walked hone, eating my pastry. I was almost to my parking lot when I saw Joe and Bob loping down St. James. I immediately started jogging and gasping for air.

"Where were you guys?" I said. " I lost you."

Morelli shook his head in disgust. "That's so sad. You have powdered sugar on your shirt."

"Must have fallen from the sky."

"Pathetic," Morelli said.

We passed Benny and Ziggy in the hall when we returned.

"Looks like you were out jogging," Ziggy said. "That's very healthy. More people should do that."

Morelli put a hand to Ziggy's chest to detain him. "What are you doing here?"

"We came to see Ms. Plum, but no one was home."

"Well, here she is. Don't you want to talk to her?"

"Sure," Ziggy said. "Did you like the jelly?"

"The jelly is great. Thanks."

"You didn't break into her apartment just now, did you?" Morelli asked.

"We wouldn't do a thing like that," Benny said. "We got too much respect for her. Right, Ziggy?"

"Yeah, that's right," Ziggy said. "But I could if I wanted to. I still got the touch."

"Have you had a chance to talk to your wife?" I asked Benny. "Is she in Richmond?"

"I talked to her last night. And she's in Norfolk. She said things are as good as can be expected. I'm sure you understand this has been upsetting for all concerned."

"A tragedy. No other news from Richmond?"

"Sadly, no."

Benny and Ziggy trotted off to the elevator, and Morelli and I followed Bob into the kitchen.

"They were in here, weren't they?" Morelli said

"Yeah. Looking for the heart. Benny's wife is making his life a living hell until the heart is returned."

Morelli measured out a cup of food for Bob. Bob inhaled it and looked for more.

"Sorry, fella," Morelli said. "That's what happens when you get fat."

I sucked my stomach in, feeling guilty about the danish. Compared to Morelli I was a cow. Morelli had washboard abs. Morelli could actually do sit-ups. Lots of them. In my mind's eye I could do sit-ups, too. In real life, sit-ups ran a close second to the joy of jogging.

EDDIE DECHOOCH HAD Grandma stashed someplace. Probably not in the Burg because I would have heard something by now. Somewhere in the Trenton area. Both phone-in locations were local.

Joe had promised not to file a report, but I knew he'd work undercover. He'd ask questions and he'd have cops out there looking a lot harder for Eddie DeChooch. Connie and Vinnie and Lula were tapping their sources, too. I didn't expect anything to come of it. Eddie DeChooch was working alone. He might visit with Father Carolli once in a while. And he might be drawn to the occasional wake. But he was out there alone. I was convinced no one knew his lair. With the possible exception of Mary Maggie Mason.

For whatever reason, two days ago, DeChooch had come to call on Mary Maggie.

I picked Lula up at the office, and we motored off to Mary Maggie's condo building. It was midmorning and traffic was light. Clouds were coagulating overhead. Rain was expected later today. No one in Jersey gave a rat's ass. It was Thursday. Let it rain. In Jersey we cared about weekend weather.

The Low Rider rumbled in the underground garage, the vibrations bouncing off the cement ceiling and floor. We didn't see the white Cadillac, but the MMM-YUM silver Porsche was occupying its usual slot. I parked the Harley two lanes over.

Lula and I looked at each other. We didn't want to go upstairs.

"I feel funny about talking to Mary Maggie," I said. "That mud thing wasn't exactly a moment of shining glory for one."

"It was all her fault. She started it."

"I could have done better, but I was caught by surprise," I said.

"Yeah," Lula said. "I could tell that by the way you kept yelling help. I just hope she doesn't want to sue me for a broken back or something."

We got to Mary Maggie's door and we both turned quiet. I took a deep breath and rang the bell. Mary Maggie opened her door, and the instant she saw us she tried to slam the door closed. Bounty hunter rule number two—if a door opens, get your boot in there fast.

"Now what?" Mary Maggie said, struggling to get my boot out of the way.

"I want to talk to you."

"You've already talked to me."

"I need to talk to you again. Eddie DeChooch kidnapped my grandmother."

Mary Maggie