A/N: Thank you for the continued support and interest in this story! It's slow going but it will get there for our favorite characters :) let me know what you think! Any and all mistakes are mine since I do my own editing so let me know if there are any discrepancies or questions you have. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own the usual suspects.

Plum & Prejudice

Chapter 17:

"It was not in her nature, however, to increase her vexations by dwelling on them."

"Come on, Steph! Two more, push them out!" Marianne calls from above me as my arms tremble, and I struggle to get the last two push-ups. The sweat is freely dripping down my forehead and off my chin to the stinky rubber mat beneath me. I barely manage the last one before collapsing down onto the darkened mat, panting. Marianne claps.

"Great job, Plum! Your new PR," she says with a grin. I squint to look up at her, being mindful of my neck. It's mostly healed, but I still get a twinge now and then.

"Thanks. Couldn't have done it without ya, drill sergeant," I reply, grabbing her hand for an assist off the floor. I can hear the other normal sounds of the gym greeting me, but thankfully this gym only allows persons with an x chromosome. It's become my safe haven in the weeks following Morelli's attack. Marianne laughs at my comment.

"You are a force to be reckoned with. You'll be certified in no time, and I'm happy to help," she responds, handing me a towel and bottle of water. I wipe the sweat from my face and take a couple of deep pulls. I'd never been much for exercise, but it's been a good outlet for me. I'm able to release most of my emotions through a run on the treadmill or with a punching bag. The fitness classes here are also fun. I never thought I'd ever put fitness and fun in the same sentence.

Marianne is a full-time instructor here at the gym and the one who had me sign the paperwork. She has a dark complexion with thick wavy black hair and full eyebrows. Marianne is thin and short, coming in at 5'4", but her petite body size means nothing to the sinewy and lean muscles she has spent years perfecting. She's also the top self-defense instructor here. I've been training with her for two weeks already. I'm becoming a certified instructor to volunteer at the battered women's shelter and teach them some tricks. Jen suggested it after one night of me crying and telling her how defenseless I felt, and I loved the idea. It will also help me feel better about being able to protect myself when I'm alone.

I say my goodbyes to Marianne and head to the locker room. I wave to Lula, who I see on a treadmill on my way out. She's a regular here. Last Tuesday, we grabbed a coffee together, and she told me about her past. Lula used to be a hooker but was brutally raped by a local boxer named Benito Ramirez. She said after that she just couldn't 'ho no more' (her words). She's been coming to this gym for four years now. Apparently, she met Tank at an animal shelter she worked at briefly. He came in to adopt a cat and became enamored with Lula. They've been dating for two years, and he helped get her the bonds office job with Connie and Vinnie. It's nice to see a familiar face here at the gym. I find that Lula and I get along very well.

Inside the locker room, I collect my things. Everything but mace and car keys go in the gym bag over my shoulder. I never head to my car without mace clutched in one hand and my keys at the defensive in the other. I hate to admit how jumpy I've been. Anytime I have to leave a place and go in my car, the anxiety ratchets up even further, no matter where I'm parked or what time of day.

I head out into the chilly January air, thinking I should have put on my jacket instead of just a sweatshirt. It's silly as I'm only making the trek from my car to the warmth of buildings. January in Jersey can be interesting. Some days it's freezing, and other days, you might think Spring is around the corner. Today is a frigid day. As much as I want to tuck my head down to help shelter myself from the wind, I am watchful, scanning the parking lot for any possible threats.

The black Escalade with tinted windows is watching. I can see Hal and Manny inside. I do an awkward, half-closed fist wave. I've met most everyone on my security rotation. RangeMan men seem to have a lot in common: buff, attractive, polite, and quiet. The men don't say much, and I wonder how much they know about why they're watching me.

I sigh as I slide into my car and crank the engine. For now, the Burg is abuzz with the news of Morelli being charged with sexual assault. My name has not been mentioned as of yet since the trial has not occurred. My stomach turns uneasily at the thought. I'm not sure how I will react facing Morelli again. Uncle Joe told me that he's been suspended without pay from the force and has been bonded out by Les Sebring. Thank God Vinnie didn't bail that asshole out. I have a feeling Vinnie was threatened on that account. I can't say I'm upset at the thought.

I drive off to my apartment, lost in thought. Today is the day I'll be presenting my findings to the FBI regarding E.E. Martin. My boss wasn't too happy when I took time off in the middle of this investigation, but I had a doctor's note. My plan is to officially resign today as well. I've held off because they might just ask me to leave now rather than having me work out the notice.

I arrive at my apartment before I know it. I park and quickly make my way upstairs. I still have fading bruises from the attack, so I always come back here to shower first before going to work. I didn't use to be a morning person, but I haven't been sleeping well, so I've just been getting up and getting a workout first thing in the morning.

I take my shower quickly, hardly noticing the bruising as I think about my day ahead. Talk to the FBI, resign, and who knows what.

I grab a granola bar for the road and hit a Dunkin' Donuts on my commute in for my coffee fix. I roll in promptly at 9 am and give my boss a finger wave as she narrows her eyes at me. Tina glances at me sympathetically from her cubicle and rolls her eyes. She knows I'm resigning today. I spoke with Tina over the phone to briefly explain what happened with Morelli. Tina is furious.

I get my folders in order in between sips of coffee. I don't have many personal effects here, so I'll just breeze out of here later. In one folder, I have my nicely typed and printed resignation short and to the point. The other folder is much thicker and holds my findings to present to the FBI. My stomach is in knots thinking about what I'm about to do. Marge makes her way over to my desk.

"Stephanie, I'm so glad you're feeling better and can join us today," she says quickly, no ounce of sympathy in her voice, "the FBI said they might wrap it up today. You're the last one they need to talk to." I gulp.

"Oh really?" I ask, trying to get an air of nonchalance in my voice, "any tips when I go in?" She seems a bit irritated. Her red curly hair is a mess around her aging face. The crow's feet around her eyes are prominent, and she has noticeable jowls. Her skin is pale, and her lips are pressed into a thin line.

"Just keep the company's best interest in mind. When you finish, you'll come to a debriefing with myself and Michel," she explains with a glint in her eye. I have no idea what that means, but I nod.

As soon as Marge walks away to talk with another employee, a shadow comes over my desk. I turn to see a tall man in a suit. He's trim and has light honey-colored hair brushed to one side and sharp cinnamon-brown eyes that don't miss a thing. He clears his throat as I stare.

"Miss Plum?" he questions, a slight smirk coming to tip up the right side of his mouth. I give a nod.

"We're ready for you in the conference room if you'll come with me," he explains, not bothering to introduce himself. I turn towards my desk, roll my eyes at this gentleman's manners, and grab my folder. I stand and brush the invisible wrinkles out of my pencil skirt. Today, I'm wearing a grey pencil skirt with a modest slit on the left side with a deep royal blue long-sleeve turtleneck tucked in that clings to all my curves perfectly. My Jimmy Choos clack on the tile as I follow Mr. FBI to the conference room. I see a stocky man standing at the entrance. He gives the tall FBI guy a slight nod but doesn't acknowledge me.

Tall FBI takes a seat at the far end of the conference room while the stocky one shuts the door on us. I notice one female with dirty blonde hair in a gray sports jacket with a light blue top underneath sitting at one edge, skimming through some files; she doesn't look up as we enter. I'm guessing they've been through this routine enough times.

Mr. FBI clears his throat, his cinnamon eyes meeting mine.

"I'm Special Agent Beruman, and this is Special Agent Lancaster. We're with the organized crime division, and we also work closely with RICO," Agent Beruman explains, his eyes only leaving mine once when they flick over to the woman sitting at the end of the table. Growing up in Jersey, I'm familiar with the Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organizations Act. A lot of the local 'families' got their storefronts busted after it was passed. Since then, they've become more creative at not getting caught. I give a nod as I clasp my hands over my folder. I'm not sure what they've uncovered so far, but hopefully, what I have will help. I'm about to speak when he gives me a look that cuts me off.

"First, we just have some questions to ask you, and then you can make any comments," he says, that smirk coming to the corner of his mouth again. I resist the urge to roll my eyes, but I remain quiet. I wonder how much of this meeting will be a waste of time.

"How long have you worked for E.E. Martin, Miss Plum?" he questions, and I can tell he already knows the answer. I take a deep breath and let it out through my nose to control my annoyance. My emotions have been volatile lately. Marianne taught me some breathing techniques to help me.

"I've worked here since August of last year," I reply as I quickly tally it in my head to make sure I'm accurate, "about seven months." He makes a 'hmm' sound and scribbles something on his notepad.

"What do your duties primarily entail?" he asks, his cinnamon eyes sparkling as he lifts one eyebrow. Again, I take another deep breath. He is really testing my patience. I don't know why he's getting me so worked up. I'm sure this is all standard. Maybe it's the folder I'm sitting on that has enough info to bring the whole company down. I sigh.

"My official title is Acquisition Specialist," I say, "I meet with different accounts and determine which lingerie we will buy and market. What is chosen impacts how successful the company is that season. I had just graduated before getting this job, so I also asked my boss for additional tasks on the financial aspects." He nods and narrows his eyes.

"Financial aspects? Can you elaborate on that?" he requests, notating again on his paper.

"Sure. I would look at the monthly financial reports, the cash flow sheet, the accounting ledger, and the income statements," I explain, "I'd mostly do it when the accountant was out on vacation or when it was the end of the month and extra busy." Beruman looks highly interested in this. I see he's not making any other statements, so I continue.

"I found some figures that weren't adding up," I say, and his eyes shoot back to mine after he had just noted something else, "I had a hinky feeling, so I started digging into it." He looks incredulous.

"A hinky feeling?" he questions, and I realize he doesn't take it seriously. I sigh and decide to make it even more difficult for him to believe. I keep my straightest face.

"Yes, I get these feelings sometimes. I call it my Spidey-Sense," I respond, completely serious. I see his jaw drop slightly, and he can't tell whether to believe me.

"So, I found this front company; it's called Sunset Curves," I inform him, as though everything is normal, "this company does not exist based on what I could find, and the amounts debited and credited to them made no sense. I was able to pull financials all the way back ten years under the guise of education."

Special Agent Beruman sits back; his pen is forgotten on the table. He rubs his jaw and glances over at Lancaster. Lancaster has been silent through this entire conversation, and now I see her paying attention.

"The shell company changes names every five years, but more digging revealed the same account number. I was able to find that it's in the Cayman Islands connected to the name Victor Griswall," I inform them, "I've been compiling this information for almost three months. E.E. Martin has been very sloppy with their record keeping. I believe the Grizolis are behind all of this."

"Shit," Beruman mutters, running a hand through his hair. Special Agent Lancaster lets out a tinkling little laugh.

"We've been monitoring E.E. Martin for three years, finally just got enough information to get the warrant for this search we've been conducting for two weeks, and it turns out some new grad has compiled enough evidence to take them down in three months?" Lancaster surmises, dropping her pen down. She turns to Beruman.

"Damn, well, at least now we should be able to wrap this up soon," Beruman agrees, rubbing his jaw again. I grin widely at both of them. I push the folder across to Beruman.

"Here's all the information," I say, indicating to the thick folder. Agent Beruman grabs it and opens it to start skimming.

"Will you feel comfortable testifying if necessary?" Lancaster asks, her clear blue eyes assessing me. I shrug.

"If necessary, but I doubt it will be with all of the carelessness they've done," I say, "if I testify I'll become a target."

"There's always witness protection," Beruman speaks up, "but I think you're right. Just glancing through these documents."

"If they ask you anything when you leave this room, just tell them the standard questions and that you didn't know anything else," Lancaster coaches. I nod.

"You are free to go now," Beruman says, standing. He gives me a grin.

"Thanks for doing our job for us, Plum," he tells me, moving around the table. He holds out his hand, and I shake it. I smile and nod.

"No problemo."

I head back out to the work area. Michel and Marge usher me quickly to Michel's office. Michel is a thin, medium-tall Haitian with a thick accent. My findings show that he and Marge get pretty large salaries. I'm guessing they're inflated as payment for their discretion. Marge is looking at me with beady eyes, and Michel seems a bit nervous as well.

They ask the standard questions and seem relieved when I lie to them about knowing anything going on. I can tell they are about to dismiss me.

"While I'm here, I just want to thank you both for the opportunity to work at E.E. Martin right after graduating. I've learned so much," I say genuinely, "unfortunately, I will be resigning as of today. I'll give you my official two weeks notice as soon as I get back to my desk." Both of their mouths gape open.

"But Stephanie, you do so much fine work here! There is plenty of room for you to grow," Michel pleads, looking frantic, "don't ruin your career with this move." I roll my eyes mentally. He's so far off the mark. I know E.E. Martin will be closing soon due to this investigation.

"I've been offered a really great opportunity," I reply, "I've already made my decision." I thank them again and walk back to my desk.

I sit down and finish up some miscellaneous things when I feel my phone vibrate. I check to see it's Tina. I look up to find her staring at me. The text just says, "Done?" I nod and quickly type a text back asking if she wants to meet after work at our favorite bar. She's all for it.

xxx

Five o'clock rolls around. I stand, stretch, and sigh. I don't believe I will miss this company whatsoever. Just five minutes before, I handed Marge my typed resignation. She didn't seem very happy but kept quiet. I grab my bag, put my jacket on and meet Tina at the elevator. She gives me a little hip bump and smiles.

"I know the holidays are over but do you think Jared will make me one of those cranberry margaritas?" she questions as we ride down. I laugh.

"I'm not sure, but I bet he will if you ask," I respond, grinning at Tina. Before we exit the lobby, I make sure to have my mace in hand. I see the little look Tina gives me, but she stays silent. I see the dark RangeMan SUV across the street. I give them a little finger wave and motion down the road. I can't tell who's in there from here, but it's probably Cal and Junior if the rotation is the same.

Cal is a tall man. I'd guess 6'3" or 6'4" with all of the RangeMan required muscles, and to top it all off, his head is shiny bald and directly in the middle of his forehead is a flaming skull tattoo. I felt terrible because I laughed the first time I saw it. Cal assured me that I had a better response than 90 percent of the population. Surprisingly, I find him to be one of the more talkative RangeMan. He helped me a few days ago when it turned out I had a flat tire. I've made it a point to try to say hello or interact with the guys at least once a day, and for the most part, they've been receptive. Getting some of them to talk is like pulling teeth, so it's good I can talk enough for the both of us.

Tina loops her arm in mine as we walk to Krug's Tavern. The street is well lit, and knowing that the RangeMan vehicle is following, I'm only slightly on edge. The cold air feels good against my face, and we arrive in silence. Krug's looks just the same as we left it as we step inside. The holiday decorations still adorn the bar and some of the booths. A Santa Hat is atop the deer mounted in one corner, and Christmas lights twinkle behind the bottles of alcohol sitting behind the bar.

I spot Jared's silvery red hair from the doorway and smile. Tina and I make a beeline for the left side of the bar and claim our usual stools. It feels good to be doing something so ordinary. We take off our coats and hang our purses on the hooks under the bar. The bar is bustling for this time of day. The after-work crowd has come in, and it looks like Tina and I got here just in time. A huge group of people is piling into the bar now.

Thankfully Jared catches sight of us and grins before making his way directly to us. He stops and clasps both his hands to his heart.

"Be still my beating heart!" he exclaims in that smokey voice as he waggles his eyebrows up and down, "who are these two lovely ladies gracing my bar?" Tina and I both laugh. Tina does a fake pout.

"Don't tell me our favorite bartender forgot us so quickly?" Tina questions in a hurt voice. With that, Jared tilts his head back and lets out a resounding laugh. He looks back at us with a wide grin and the dimple on his right cheek.

"How have you two been? It's been dull around here without you," he comments as he cleans off the bar top in front of us. Tina and I look at each other and shrug.

"E.E. Martin is under investigation," Tina says, "it's been crazy at work." Jared nods.

"Well, I hope that's winding down so I can see your pretty faces more often," he replies with a wink, "Fries tonight? And what to drink?" Tina leans forward on both her elbows, looks around conspiratorially, and exaggerates a whisper.

"You still doing that mistletoe margarita?" she asks, "I've been dreaming about that drink." Jared chuckles and nods.

"Just for you," he replies with a wink and looks over at me. I bite my lip.

"I'll just take sparkling water with lime," I order with a smile. Jared nods and goes to put in our order.

"No drink for you today?" Tina asks, sounding a bit surprised. I shrug. The truth is the idea of having a drink doesn't appeal to me much at the moment. It dulls my senses and reaction time.

"I just want to stay alert," I reply with a tight smile, "doesn't mean I can't still have fun!" Tina nods.

"How's it going with Vince?" I question to avoid any other questions she may have for me. I'd seen her hunky man twice since he seems to be on my security rotation. She sighs dreamily, and I can see the love written on her face.

"It's going so well," she says, "he officially moved in with me last weekend." I raise my eyebrows.

"Wow! Congrats, Tina," I reply, feeling surprised. She blushes, unusual for Tina.

"Thank you. We were basically living together and decided it just made more sense," Tina explains, "I swear, Steph. I've never felt like this before with a man." I smile and nudge her knee.

"I'm so happy for you, Tina. If it feels right, I say go with it," I reply, "It might be fast to the outside, but none of us are in your relationship." She smiles at me.

"I appreciate your support. Now we have to find you a man," she suggests with a wink, "any of the RangeMan catch your attention?"

Before I respond, Jared is back with fries and our drinks. He says a hasty enjoy before heading to help the mob at the other end of the bar. It really is busy tonight. I squeeze my lime into my water as Tina takes a sip of her cranberry drink.

"Mmm, this is just as good as the first time," she says appreciatively before dunking a fry in ketchup.

"Well, uh… there is one RangeMan," I hedge, knowing it will catch Tina's attention. It's not like there's really a RangeMan, but Ranger has been on my mind quite frequently since our last encounter and reading his letter.

"You can't just stop there, chicky, tell me the tale," Tina demands as she eats another fry. I smile as I munch on a few fries myself before taking a sip of my water. I then proceed to tell her everything about what happened with Ranger. It feels nice to get it out finally since I never told Valerie. I didn't want to taint her view on Ranger and Steve. She was already going through enough. Tina's eyes are wide by the end, and her drink is almost finished.

"Wow! So after all of that, how do you feel about him?" Tina questions, swirling the remains of her drink around as I take a few gulps of my water.

"Honestly, I'm not sure. My feelings have definitely changed towards him," I explain, "but he did push Steve away from Valerie, and he obviously thinks poorly of my family, especially my mother." Tina nods.

"All valid, but Steph...I hate to break this to you," she says with a sigh, "your mother was horribly drunk and loud that night. She kept going on and on about Steve and his money. Also, about finding someone for you. On the other hand, Vince only has good things to say about his boss. Apparently, everyone in that company looks up to Ranger."

"The worst part is Tina...I know all of that about my mom!" I reply morosely, "I just didn't like him pointing it out after he so rudely dismissed me at the ball. He said I wasn't even pretty!" She laughs at this.

"Come on, Steph. A blind man would think you're gorgeous," she says, still chuckling. I roll my eyes. I'm finishing my water when Tina nudges my leg with her knee.

"Check out who just rolled in," she comments in a whisper. I narrow my eyes at her and try to turn discreetly. I see Agent Beruman, the stocky guy, and Agent Lancaster. Before I turn away, cinnamon eyes meet mine.

"Guess they're staying close by and wanted dinner," I say with a shrug as I take one of the last fries, leaving the other one for Tina.

"I guess, but Special Agent Beruman is one fine man," she mentions as she tries to get Jared's attention.

"Sure," I reply absentmindedly as I check my phone for the time. It's half past six already. I'm ready to call it a night.

"One more drink, or you good?" Tina questions as Jared meanders over to us.

"I'm good." Jared acts sad to hear we've finished already but gets us the check quickly. We've pulled on our coats and are about to exit when a hand on my shoulder startles me. I turn and shrug it off quickly, putting space between myself and whoever it is. I'm ready to fight. I stop when I realize it's Agent Beruman.

"My apologies for startling you, Miss Plum," he says, cinnamon eyes gazing into mine, "I wanted to say hello." I press my lips together as I try to get my pounding heart under control.

"Hi, Special Agent Beruman," I reply, not trying to drag this out. He smiles at me.

"Please, call me Aldo," he says in return, "um...I wanted to give you my card. Call anytime if you think of anything else. And...uh...maybe when we're all wrapped up, we could get dinner sometime." I feel my jaw drop slightly at his statement. He shifts from foot to foot a bit nervously.

"Oh...I...thank you," I say, quite unsure how I feel about this, "maybe...will do. See you later." Flustered, I turn and link arms with Tina as we exit. She's laughing even as we're already halfway back to where we parked.

"That was eloquent, Steph," she giggles. I think she's about to stop, but a fresh round emerges from her lips. I feel the heat in my cheeks.

"I was caught off guard!" I explain, "besides...with everything with Joe... I'm really not sure I want to dive back into dating." Tina pats my arm, and her laughing stops.

"You will soon." I nod, wishing for that to be true. We're silent as we end back at our cars. She gives me a tight hug.

"I'm always here for you, Steph," she says into my ear. I give her a squeeze.

"Thanks, Tina. You know the same goes for you," I reply with a smile, "see you tomorrow."