Disclaimer: See earlier chapters!

Authors note: Hey everyone! Thanks to the reviewers, I'm getting warm fuzzies listening to your comments! Comments are always appreciated just try not to flame. What did you think of the layout of the other chapter, better or worse? Should I just keep it the way it was originally or how it was in the last chapter orkeep it like it is in this chapter (with the ruler lines seperating the paragraphs)?

Enjoy everybody…

Chapter 7 has arrived!

Chapter 7

They let me go soon after the questioning, Waider and Johnson disappearing into the room behind the questioning room, probably to talk to the cops who watching me speak through the fake mirror.

I walked through the cop station with a million thoughts running through my mind.

Why was I the target to set up?

Why did this woman hate me?

How did they set me up so well?

What did I ever do to deserve this?

Why is the beating in my heart so fucking erratic?

Beyond everything I was utterly terrified that I would go down for this murder, for something I didn't commit.

I ran into Eddie again and asked for a ride, which he complied to as long as I tell him what the fuck was going on.

After I had told Eddie everything, from the start to the finish he looked worried,

"Steph, I believe you but the evidence they have is enough to put you away." He said anxiously.

I bit my lip, "I know, what am I going to do?"

Eddie shook his head, "I honestly don't know."

I sighed and looked out of the window, watching the passers by fly by in a blur, "Did you tell Joe you saw me?"
He shook his head, "He's off duty today, are you going to ring him when you get home?"

I narrowed my eyes something inside me sinking, "Yeah I guess…"

I didn't need to tell Eddie that Joe had informed me that he would be working today with a 'big meeting' hence the blowing off of lunch.

Eddie dropped me home with a promise that he would look into the case and do everything in his power to help prove my innocence.

I smiled, a lump appearing in my throat, "Thank you."

I gave him a big hug and kiss on the cheek before waving to him and running upstairs to the apartment.

The first thing I did was check my answer machine, hoping that another mysterious message would appear.

"You have 3 new messages, message 1…"

"Stephanie Plum, what is this I hear that you're the prime suspect in a murder investigation? Why do I have a daughter that gets interrogated, Susie Ann's daughter doesn't; she lives with a nice husband with two children. Why can't you do that Stephanie? Why? I expect you for lunch tomorrow so you can explain yourself young lady!" My mom's strict tone came on the line and I winced. She sounded furious.

"Message 2…"

"Hey, chica, I guess I missed you, phone me later, 'Kay? We're having a fab time, going to see the Ranger's tonight, thinking of you!" Lula's excited voice echoed around my apartment and I smiled.

At least she was having a good time.

"Message 3…"

"Cupcake, I'm sorry again but I can't make it for lunch tomorrow, I promise I'll make it up to you when I can. I'm going out of town until Tuesday. I'm leaving in an hour, something came up in the case. Call me when you get this message…" Joe's voice came on sounding sad and unhappy.

I knew better.

There was no fucking case, there was no fucking meeting and he was going out of town for some other reason.

I deleted all the messages and sighed, a little disappointed I hadn't gotten another message from the person who set me up. I would like for her to ring me just once so I could ask why the fuck was she choosing me?

I started to walk away from the machine when a terrible thought ran through my head.

I checked my saved messages and felt my blood run cold.

"You have no saved data…"

My knees turned weak and all of the hairs on my arms and neck stood up.

The stupid bitch knew what she was doing, I'll give her that.

She had broken in and deleted the messages.

I slid to the floor and held my head in my hands.

There goes the evidence.

After I had composed myself and sorted my mind out into my favourite place, denial mode, I turned the tv on, ready for the Rangers, and went into the kitchen to find some food.

I decided on ordering in and called Pino's and made my usual order of a large pepperoni pizza with all the toppings minus the anchovies and mushrooms.

I slouched in front of the tv and cracked open a Corona smiling as the titles came on.

The intro music was just starting to play when there was a knock at the door.

That was fast, I thought and sprinted to the door.

I opened it and everything went black.

I woke up to the sound of a whisper in my ear.

First it was faint but as I came around I concentrated on the sound.

It was the mystery person; the person who set me up.

I opened my eyes quickly but found darkness and I tried to move but my hands were lightly bound.

I told myself there was no use and I concentrated back on what they were saying,

"That's right Stephanie, you can't catch me, your hands are bound and your blindfolded. Do you think I'd let you identify me when I've been through all of this? Listen to me, Stephanie, your never going to have any evidence to bring me down, I have not left any clues behind only evidence discriminating you. Hope you have a nice time in jail, it's not too good with law enforcement agents by the way. Lot's of angry convicts that hold grudges…enjoy yourself." The voice suddenly disappeared and I could hear the footsteps echo away until I heard a door shut quietly.

I lay still for a couple seconds thinking.

The voice didn't even sound familiar, I couldn't even say I'd ever heard it before.

Maybe that this person had been hired by someone I know or the woman just has some sort of connection with someone I've taken to jail or something.

I sighed and tried to move, my legs weren't bound so I sat up brought my hands up to my face and started yanking on the blindfold until it broke off.

I blinked away the weird purple spots I was seeing and calmed down when I could see I was still in my apartment in the living room.

I looked down at my hands and saw that my hands had only been loosely bound, the woman had no intention of making sure I couldn't move.

I pulled at the binding with my teeth and freed my hands slowly.

After I was finally unbound and back to normal I gathered up the bindings and the blindfold and put them in a small plastic bag as evidence and looked around, wondering where I should hide them.

I knew that if I didn't hide them well that bitch would come back and take them.

I decided on underneath the sofa and got some tape and secured the bag to the underneath of the sofa.

That should be difficult to find.

I rubbed my head as the banging was still hammering like knifes being poked at my brain.

That bitch had hit me on the head.

I felt around at the back of my head, searching for a bump but I couldn't find one.

She knew not to hit me too hard in case I bruised because that would be evidence.

Bitch.

I flopped on the sofa to see that the tv had been turned off and the Ranger's game most likely finished.

I groaned and leaned back, looking up at the ceiling hoping that it would just swallow up me and all of my problems.

Okay, so, I was being charged with murder and there is absolutely no evidence that I have that can say differently.

Suddenly something hit me and I grinned widely.

I had one bit of evidence…

I pulled my shirt up to see a small band aid on my stomach from where I had been cut.

I peeled back the band aid and almost screamed.

It was almost fully healed.

How could a graze nearly fully heal in a matter of 24 hours?

I narrowed my eyes and leaned down and smelt it.

It stank of Manuka honey.

I groaned that bitch had put Manuka cream on my graze because she wanted it to heal quickly.

I nearly burst into tears of frustration.

Why was everything going so wrong?

I put the band aid back into place and turned the tv on, my brain only half concentrating.

I would go to the library tomorrow and do some research on the Lopez murder then I would ask Eddie to have a search around the house or do a little B&E…but with who?

Lula was with Tank in NYC, probably hyped after seeing the Ranger's play.

Ranger was on a job.

I didn't really feel comfortable enough to phone RangeMan and do B&E with one of the men there. They were a little scary without Ranger there.

Connie is always busy especially on weekends.

By Monday they would probably pinned it all on me and I would be stuck in jail.

I sighed, why is my life so complicated?

I turned the tv off again and went into the bedroom, the best thing I could do now was sleep and take my mind off it.

I changed into a plain t-shirt and some panties and got into bed not bothering to set my alarm.

It was Sunday tomorrow and I wasn't expecting to get up early.

Hell no.

Especially the way my life was going, I think I deserved a lie in!

Did you know trying to get to sleep with a million things on your mind isn't that good?

I was awake for at least another hour before I could get to sleep and even then my dreams were plagued with nightmares.

TBC

A/N: I found out that Manuka cream helps heal grazes fast, don't know how true this is but that's what I heard. So, what do you think? Your thoughts are welcome!