Plum Danger

Summary: Stephanie's just lost the most important person in her life and a new terror has entered it. Can she solve the case and save herself from the danger or will Stephanie's bounty hunting days be over?

Author's Note: Please remember to review, they keep me writing! :)

Disclaimer: All characters in this story were created by Janet Evanovich, save for the ones I've created for purposes of my storyline.

Chapter 6

After a while of me trying to compose myself, Ranger got up and wrapped a large fluffy towel around my shoulders.

"How about you go get dressed, and I'll have Ella bring something down for you to eat?" said Ranger.

"Okay."

I waited to get up until Ranger had vanished. I used the corner of the sink to pull myself up. When I looked in the mirror, I grimaced. My hair was a tangled mess of curls. My face was blotchy and my eyes red and puffy from crying. I looked like a wreck. I half-heartedly dragged my fingers through my tangled curls, then gave up in favor of putting on dry clothes.

I opted for another pair of black sweats with a navy blue t-shirt. I didn't bother with makeup, but I managed to tame my hair enough for a ponytail. By the time I had finished with my hair, Ranger was back and was setting a tray on the small table in the kitchenette. I sat in the of the chairs and Ranger set a bowl of soup and a small plate of crackers in front of me. I grimaced as the smell drifted up to my nose.

"Eat, Stephanie," said Ranger, spearing a leaf of lettuce with his fork.

I picked up a couple of crackers and broke them into little pieces over the soup. I swirled the cracker bits around the soup with my spoon and then I choked down a spoonful of the soup. I kept eating, not wanting the soup, but knowing Ranger would probably find some way of force feeding me.

"You could have brought some Taskykakes," I grumbled.

"Those aren't going to do you any good right now, unless you'd like to throw them right back up. I did bring some cut fruit, though," said Ranger, revealing two small bowls of cut up mixed fruit.

I stabbed at my fruit with my fork, until I caught Ranger watching me and ate a bite of watermelon. I'd rather have my fruit in the center of a doughnut or in a cake or pie. I only had a few more pieces before I gave up on the fruit. I pushed it back to the center of the table.

"I took the box upstairs while I was up there. They may have the preliminary searches done by now. I also had Hal share the evidence with the officer who took over Morelli's case, Officer Joel Branson. I'm having a search run on him right now. I've never heard of him before, so it's safer to check him out first. The email you got is also being checked out, but whoever it is probably covered their tracks well," said Ranger. "You can come upstairs and see what's happening if you want to."

"I guess I could come up," I said, then had a thought. "Am I still going to be able to track down FTAs? I need my job. I have bills to pay."

"I can have a bodyguard assigned to you," said Ranger. "as long as you'll be careful and carry a gun."

I almost laughed. Ranger knew perfectly well what happened when I chased skips. I usually ended up rolling in garbage or handcuffed to things or whatever else they thought of to torture me with. I did have a bunch of FTAs I was supposed to have brought in, and who knows how many more had gone FTA since Joe had died. Vinnie was probably pissed that I hadn't shown up for work in who knows how long.

"Fine," I said, "but I don't have my gun. I left it in the cookie jar in my apartment."

"No, it's in your purse," said Ranger.

I rolled my eyes. Of course Ranger would make sure my gun was removed from the cookie jar. I bet it was fully loaded now too.

"I don't expect it to stay in your purse, though."

"Okay."

Ranger got the leash from the doorway and handed it to me.

"Come on Bob, we're going for another walk," I said, clipping it to Bob' collar and following Ranger out.

In the control room, there was nothing new to report. There had been no fingerprints on anything from the gift box, only mine on the keys. The email sender's tracks had been carefully covered. Officer Branson had a perfect record. He was new to Trenton, but he didn't look suspicious at all. Pretty soon, I began to get bored and tired. It wasn't that late, only around ten, but there wasn't anything to do and sleeping would kill time, so I went back to my apartment.

As tired as I had thought I was, I spent a lot of time rolling around until I finally drifted off to sleep what seemed like hours later.

In the morning, I found a covered tray on my table and a folded piece of paper.

I brought you breakfast. Tank will be watching you today. He'll be in the control room when you want to leave.

Ranger had snuck into the apartment while I was asleep. He would be sneaky like that. I wondered how many bugs he'd left while I was asleep. There were probably enough trackers on me to keep watch over a small army. I didn't think it was necessary. I wasn't going to leave my bodyguard behind, not unless I had a good reason to.

I ate a few bites of the scrambled eggs and half a piece of toast and downed it with orange juice. Then I dressed in all black and headed to the coffee table. The two files I had been working on were sitting on the coffee table next to my shoulder bag. I shoved them in the bag and headed out with Bob on his leash.

Tank was waiting in the elevator when I pushed the button to call it, so there was no trip to the fifth floor. Tank unlocked a black Rangeman SUV, but I hesitated.

"Bob needs to be walked first," I said.

"Okay, we can take him around the corner quick," said Tank, leading the way to the door that led outside. I walked him over to a patch of grass away from the Rangeman building, and when Bob pooped, I looked the other way and dragged Bob away, pretending I wasn't leaving poop on some random patch of grass.

Tank just shook his head and led the way back to the SUV. I let Bob into the passenger seat and climbed up front next to Tank.

"So, where to first?" asked Tank.

"The office. I need to check on the FTAs I already have and see if there's any new ones," I said.

Connie and Lula were both in the office when I arrived and both looked equally shocked when I walked in the door.

"You're back?" said Connie.

"You're alive?" asked Lula.

"Of course I'm still alive. Are there any new FTAs?" I asked, trying to act like this was a normal day, that I hadn't spent the last who knew how long wallowing in self pity and nearly killing myself in the process so that Lula and Connie wouldn't ask questions.

"I have one new one. The ones you have already still need to be found," said Connie. She handed me a folder and I signed the papers that would give me permission to apprehend the FTA.

"Do you need someone to ride along with you?" asked Lula, sounding eager to escape the office already.

"Um… I kind of already have someone…"

"You went and got yourself a new partner?"

"Not exactly. Ranger assigned someone to watch me today," I said, feeling guilty that Lula wouldn't be able to come too.

"Did you bring my honey with you?"

I didn't even have to answer that question. Lula grinned and ran out to the SUV, her lime-green miniskirt threatening to ride up and reveal even more of her behind than was already on display.

I followed her outside, keeping my eyes averted from Lula's behind. I waited a minute before getting in the SUV to give her a chance to talk to Tank. She waved to Tank when I got in and headed back to the office.

I pulled out the first FTA. Kathleen Sampson, age twenty-eight. She'd stolen underwear from Victoria's Secret, claiming there were too many people in the store and she was going to pay for it later. She had no priors. She should be an easy catch.

Tank waited outside the car while I went up to knock on Kathleen's door. She opened the door right away.

"I'm Stephanie Plum, a Bond Enforcement Agent for Vincent Plum Bail Bonds. You missed your court date and we'd like you to reschedule," I said.

"I already paid for the underwear. There's no need to go to court," she said and started to shut the door in my face. I shoved my foot in the open doorway, probably gaining a bruise, but stopping the door from closing.

"You still need to reschedule the court date. If you come with me right now, we can get you rebonded right away," I said, still trying to be polite.

"No," said Kathleen and pushed the door harder against my foot. I reached around to the small of my back and pulled out my gun, which I had on me for once, instead of shoved in my purse.

"I think you'd better come with me," I said, holding up the gun. Kathleen disappeared for a minute, then I was looking down the barrel of a gun that was much bigger than mine. And then suddenly, the sunlight behind me was blotted out and I knew Tank was behind me.

"I think you should do what Miss Plum asked you to," said Tank, holding up a pair of handcuffs.

Kathleen complied after that, and we had her to the station and I had my body receipt within ten minutes. I kept my head down while I had delivered her and was waiting for my body receipt. The last thing I wanted was more pity, especially from Joe's fellow officers.

The next skip was Wallace Ford, who had been caught stealing money from his job at the bank. I also found him at home but it took a while longer for him to answer the door.

'Whaddaya want?" he growled.

"I'm a Bond Enforcement Agent for Vincent Plum Bonds. I'd like to take you to reschedule your court date," I said.

"I can't leave Fluffy," he said.

"Fluffy?"

"My dog. He's sick and I can't leave him alone. He needs his medicine every four hours," said Wallace.

"You're not going to be gone for four hours. Fluffy will be fine," I said.

"I'm not leaving Fluffy," he said again.

I sighed. "How about I call someone to watch Fluffy while I take you to reschedule?" I said, offering a compromise.

"I guess that would be okay," he said.

I pulled out my cell phone and called Lula. "I need a favor," I said.

"What do you need me to do?" she asked.

"One of my FTAs won't go with me unless someone watches his sick dog. Can you come watch it while I take him to get rebonded?"

"Sure."

I gave her the address and disconnected.

"My friend will be here in a minute. Are you going to cooperate, or do I need to cuff you?"

"No, I'll cooperate," said Wallace.

As soon as Lula arrived, I had Wallace in the back with Bob and quickly left. I didn't want to leave Lula with some stranger's dog for too long. She'd probably scare it to death, especially if it was already sick.

Wallace was in and out as quickly as Kathleen, and we returned to his house. Lula was out the door before Tank had even shut the engine off.

"That dog gave me the creeps," she said. "It looked like it was half-dead already." She shuddered. "Now, seeing as it's about lunchtime, I think we ought to go get something to eat. I'm thinking some nice Cluck-in-a-Bucket."

I agreed, and soon we were all off to Cluck-in-a-Bucket for lunch.