A/N: The world of Stephanie Plum does not belong to me.
The Audit
"Yeah." Ranger answered his phone. "Shit. I'll be right there."
"Everything okay?" Stephanie asked.
"Yeah. The IRS agent is at my office a little earlier than expected. Are you going to be okay here?"
"I'll stay with Morelli for the night. I don't think I'll get my apartment back tonight. You're getting audited?"
"Babe." Ranger planted a kiss on the top of her head and left her standing among the crowd of police, emergency responders and onlookers.
Ranger was back at the office fifteen minutes later. Duncan was waiting for him at the elevators on the fifth floor.
"He's in my office reviewing some documentation." Duncan told Ranger.
"Is there anything we need to worry about?"
"Not that I know of."
"What is he looking at?"
"Some of our write-offs from the last couple of years."
"Do you know what specifically?"
"Not really."
"Do I need to meet with him?"
"Not yet."
Ranger didn't like the wait. If there was something wrong with his books he'd rather know what it was. There was soft knock on his door.
"Yes." Ranger put down the documents he was reviewing.
The door opened and Duncan came in followed by a man in a suit. The man was all business, his posture a little too straight to be that of an auditor. More likely he was an investigator. Ranger stood as the man approached. When the man got to his desk he held out a hand. Ranger shook it.
"Carlos Manoso." Ranger introduced himself.
"Richard Klein."
Ranger waved for the man to take a seat. They all sat.
"Mr. Manoso, I was hoping to talk a little."
"What would you like to know?"
"Could you tell me a little about what kind of work you do here."
"We provide security services. Mostly private security monitoring and some personal security. And other security services as requested." Ranger provided.
"Well that is in line with what you have provided to the IRS." Richard Klein pulled out his pad of notes.
"Mr. Klein, I would appreciate it if you were more direct."
"Very well. I was curious about your write-offs. I see a lot of the usuals but then I see an odd number of vehicles being claimed."
Ranger remained quiet hoping the man would get to the point.
"I was looking through the documentation and I'm a little inclined to believe the claims are fraudulent."
"Fraudulent?" Ranger repeated.
Richard Klein referred to his notes. "Yes. I show that six cars were claimed in the last two years and more in the previous years."
"Yes."
"The documentation describes incredible circumstances under which the vehicles were lost."
Ranger raised a brow.
Richard Klein looked down at and read off his notes. "Firebombed, crushed, stolen. In fact there were a large number of incendiary devices involved. There was a particularly creative incident in which a garbage truck was blown up and in the process it was launched into the air and landed on a Porsche, crushing it flat."
"The police report was included in the documentation, correct?"
"Yes. But you can understand my hesitance to believe the report."
"I suppose, but I assure you that is a real report. You are welcome to check with Trenton PD."
Richard Klein nodded. "I will Mr. Manoso. I was more curious to know the activities that led to such circumstances. I noticed a particular name associated with these incidents. Stephanie Plum?"
"She is hired on contract every so often. She works as an apprehension agent and sometimes her cases lead her into dangerous circumstances."
"You don't honestly-" They were interrupted by a phone call.
"Please excuse me." Ranger picked up his desk phone. "Yes... Okay." Ranger disconnected and redialed. "Are you okay?... I'll be there in five." Ranger hung up again and turned to Richard Klein. "Would you like to go on a field trip?"
Ranger pulled along the curb a few cars down from all the emergency vehicles and police. Some of the uniforms standing around collecting money from others. Ranger gave a glance at
the flabbergasted Richard Klein. Richard Klein was staring at the smoking pile of char that used to be the SUV he loaned Stephanie.
Ranger spotted Stephanie in the middle of the scene and walked towards her. She spotted him as well.
"It was a molotov cocktail and boom. There was a bomb under the car."
"Babe."
"A bomb?" Ranger turned at the voice behind him. Richard Klein had followed him.
Stephanie eyed him.
"This is Richard Klein, an IRS investigator."
"Hi. I'm Stephanie Plum."
Stephanie shook the investigators hand.
"This happens often?" He asked her.
She sighed. "More often than I like."
Richard Klein nodded. "Well Mr. Monoso, I believe I have enough to complete my report." Richard Klein looked again at the radius of debris and the remains of a vehicle. He also saw the almost casual way the emergency responders went about their work. This was definitely a regular occurrence.
A/N: Just a thought.