I am not American so I don't really know much about the different law enforcement agencies there. All I know I saw in different films and television series. I just wanted to remind you that this is fiction and in this particular AU, these things can happen.
On that note, enjoy.
Usual disclaimer goes here...
20. Interfering G-Men
Ricardo wasn't wrong when he said that the FBI might want to talk to me. They descended on our office the following Wednesday, took over our largest conference room and insisted that I go over all of my findings with them so they could understand how I found something that they all missed.
I was initially intimidated by their superior attitudes and the fact that they tried to treat me like a criminal. After about an hour of their questions, it dawned on me that they were really interested in how I put the connections together and found what they missed. I was getting tired of their attitude towards me, and after explaining something to Agent Franks for the third time, I snapped.
"Why are you here Agent Franks? I have answered your questions, explained my findings and you are still treating me like I'm the one who has done something wrong. I have things to do, so if you don't need me anymore, I will go."
"I'm sorry Miss Plum, but you cannot go until we are satisfied with your explanation on your findings. Mr Manoso has been informed that you have been sequestered by the FBI to aid in our research against your client. Any interference from him or you could result in collusion charges against this company."
"What is so hard to understand about my findings? The payments for office supplies, especially reams of paper didn't correspond to the printer supplies. If they were going through that much printer paper, they would have also needed additional printer cartridges. Also, there were no corresponding purchase orders for these reams of paper. They were paid for using petty cash and no receipts were ever provided.
"The fact that there were no receipts or purchase orders for these items stood out to me, so I marked the payments with some sticky notes to revisit later. Later on, I did a bit of mathematics and realised that they ordered 4600 reams of high-quality paper this way.
"After a bit of research, I found that on average, a ream of paper costs between $8 and $12, depending on quality. The price quotes for that quantity would lower the price from $4 to $6, and the price listed in the financial records was $20/ream. That's almost $100,000 of paper, none of which seems to have been used, if the printer cartridges haven't been replaced lately.
"I don't know why the paper stood out to me, but it just didn't feel right. I go through no more than 1 and a half to two reams of paper a year at college. This office goes through a few reams per month at most, and that's only if we have to print reports for federal agencies. It just stood out to me."
Agent Franks and Agent Bartlett listened to everything I said with blank looks on their faces. When I was finished my rant, they looked at each other, seemed to have some sort of silent communication and then Agent Bartlett excused himself.
I sat down in frustration, waiting for some sort of reaction from these men. I clasped my hands on the table and started fidgeting with my fingernails.
Agent Bartlett returned several minutes later, followed by an angry looking Ricardo Manoso. As he walked past me, his expression softened and he patted me on the shoulder before sitting down beside me.
"Mr Manoso, we've asked you to join us because we have a proposition for you, your company and Miss Plum. After listening to Miss Plum's explanation over the last few hours, it has become clear to us that she has a natural talent for ferreting out fraudulent financial entries that have been hidden in plain sight.
"Our forensic accountants spent the past three years going through these same financial records and they found nothing. Miss Plum spent an afternoon with the same records and easily spotted an unexplainable discrepancy.
"We would like to contract your firm on a case-by-case basis to help us when our usual team are unable to turn anything up. Miss Plum may be able to make links that we cannot, and we're very interested in paying for and benefitting from those skills."
Ricardo looked at the agents and then at me while he thought about his reply.
"First of all gentlemen, Miss Plum will be returning to college in just over two months. Secondly, if it is Stephanie's involvement that you want, why bother dealing with my company?"
Agent Bartlett sighed, looked at me and then answered Ricardo's question.
"We are aware that Miss Plum is a student. We have done a thorough backgroun check on you and know everything from where you are currently living in New Brunswick and that your ex-boyfriend who is in a coma. As for involving your firm, we don't want to list Miss Plum in our records directly because they are public record. It would be safer for her if only a company name was used."
I was watching this conversation happen around me knowing it was about me, but I wasn't sure how to intercede and put an end to it. The Agents were talking about me like I wasn't there and Ricardo was doing his best to protect me, but I needed to speak up for myself.
"Enough. I want some time to think about this and I also want to see something in writing that lays out the legal requirements for both me and Mr Manoso's company if we decided to move forward. I want to know how this will affect us and any potential problems we might face as a result."
Ricardo looked at me with pride as I spoke and both Agents nodded their heads.
"I think we can put a package together for you by the end of the week. Agent Franks and I will come back Friday with the necessary paperwork so you can both think about your options. We will meet you both here at noon on Friday and take you for lunch so we can go over the paperwork and answer any questions you might have. You can then have a week to think about our offer."
The two agents stood up and shook hands with both Ricardo and me before excusing themselves and leaving the building. Ricardo and I sat down and stared at each other, neither knowing what exactly to say. Finally, Ricardo looked at his watch and said, "Come on Stephanie, it's almost time to go home for the day. This has been a long and stressful day for you so why don't you let me take you and the rest of my girls out for dinner. Carlos works until 7 so we can collect him on our way to the restaurant. What do you say?"
"I'd really love that. This has been such an overwhelming day and spending time with your family always seems to relax me. It might also give Isabella, Evelyn and I time to plan our weekend. Is there enough time for me to run home and change?"
"Yeah, it's just about 4:30, so why don't you leave now and I will stop and pick you up at 5 on the way past. I'll call Maria so she can get her and the girls ready. This is a nice restaurant, so jeans are not really appropriate. I'll also call Carlos and see if he needs us to bring him a change of clothes."
I thanked Ricardo and walked home as quickly as possible. I walked into my apartment and saw that I had about 20 minutes to get ready. I didn't have time to shower, so I fixed my hair and makeup as best as I could in the time available. I shed my business suit and put on a pretty greyish-blue wrap around dress that tied at the side. I slipped into a pair of sling-backed tan shoes, grabbed my handbag and raced downstairs to find Ricardo and Jonny discussing baseball. Jonny whistled when he saw me and Ricardo complemented me on my dress. The attention caused me to blush as I exited the building behind Ricardo.
We didn't talk much on the drive to meet Maria and the girls at the house, but the trip went quickly. The girls were excited to see me and talk about the weekend. When we arrived, neither of the girls had decided what they wanted to wear, so I was dragged upstairs to help them rifle through their closets.
At 6:15, Maria yelled up the stairs to tell us that we would be leaving in 15 minutes. The girls ran around trying to finish getting ready and I went downstairs to wait in the sitting room. Both Maria and Ricardo were sitting in there, so we passed the time talking about the restaurant we were going to that evening. Ricardo left a little earlier than the rest of us so he could take Carlos a change of clothes. We followed after him a few minutes later and arrived at the restaurant before the men.
The restaurant was owned by a friend of Ricardo's who grew up with him in Cuba. He greeted us warmly at the door and escorted us to our table. He and Maria spoke for a few minutes in Spanish, and then Maria turned to me.
"Stephanie, this is a dear friend of ours, Alejandro. He and Ricardo grew up together in Cuba. We even named our son after him."
I smiled at Alejandro and shook his outstretched hand.
"It's very nice to meet you Stephanie. Maria tells me that you and Carlos both attend school in New Brunswick and that you are working for Ricardo."
I nodded and expressed my pleasure in meeting him, and my excitement to try some of his food. "I love to try new foods. Some of the meals I've had the pleasure to share with the Manoso family were spectacular."
Ricardo and Carlos walked in as we were talking to Alejandro. The two friends greeted affectionately, but I only had eyes for Carlos. He was dressed in a crisp white long-sleeved button-up shirt that contrasted beautifully with his skin colour. He stared into my eyes as he walked towards us, and only looked away when Alejandro spoke to him and shook his hand. They were speaking in Spanish, so I was unable to follow, but at one point, all eyes at the table fell on me. I blushed at all of the attention, but it must have had the desired effects because Alejandro waved and left us and Ricardo and Carlos took their seats.
The table was round and Ricardo and Maria sat side-by side, flanked by their daughters. Isabella sat between me and Maria, and Carlos was between me and Evelyn. We reviewed the menus for a short time before Ricardo made a suggestion.
"Why don't we ask Alejandro to prepare a family-style meal for us with several different dishes? That way we can share and Stephanie can try as many things as she likes?"
We all readily agreed as Ricardo went to speak to Alejandro. When he returned a few minutes later, he leaned across Evelyn and spoke quickly to Carlos in Spanish. I watched as the colour drained from Carlos' face as he listened to his father. He turned to look at me and then took my hand and asked me to follow him down a hallway towards the restrooms.
When we got to the end of the hallway Carlos opened a door and walked through, still holding my hand. I tried to pull my hand away from his when I saw who was in the office, but he wouldn't let me.
"My father said that you asked to speak to Stephanie and me. What do you want Lucida?"
"I work here Carlos, and I need this job. I just wanted to ask you and your whore to be discreet when I am around so it doesn't hurt so much to see your betrayal."
Carlos laughed at this remark and I was angry. I wasn't angry about being called a whore, I'd been called worse. I was angry because she suggested that Carlos had betrayed her.
"Lucida, if you want to keep this job, you will never again refer to Stephanie in that way. You will also do well to remember why we are no longer together. You were the one who betrayed me, even if you don't see it like that. I have spent the past 2 months trying to get myself into a position where I could trust again, and luckily, Stephanie and I have been able to get past the wrongs done to us and be together.
"I do not want you to speak to either of us this evening. Alejandro is an old family friend and you'd do well to remember that."
Carlos turned and pulled me out of the office behind him. I looked at Lucida and could see the hatred she had for me written across her face, but she knew she was in a precarious position. When we sat back down, Carlos kept my hand on his lap and tried to reassure me by rubbing his thumb in gentle patterns across the back of my hand.
Ricardo and Carlos had a moment of silent communication that seemed to satisfy Ricardo because he turned to the rest of us and asked what we had planned for the weekend. Evelyn, Isabella and I had discussed this while they were dressing earlier, but we hadn't come up with any concrete plans.
Isabella looked around and said, "Steph, what would you say to going roller skating at Branch Brook Park? We can walk around the park and have a picnic and then go roller skating afterward."
Evelyn liked this idea and pleaded with me to take them there. I hadn't been roller skating in years, but it was something that I enjoyed when I was younger.
"I don't see why not. I haven't been roller skating in years. That park is huge, so I'm sure we'll have plenty of things to see and do before roller skating."
The girls beamed at me and we all chatted throughout the meal about what food we should bring, whether we could get Carlos to skate with us, what time to leave, and whether we should book a place at the skating centre. We agreed that we would shop early Saturday morning for our picnic foods and then make our way over to the park. We also agreed that we would go roller skating immediately after lunch and then return to the apartment for some time in the pool. Everyone was happy with the plan. The girls were excited and Ricardo and Maria were relieved that the girls were looking forward to a weekend without them.
I hugged Ricardo, Maria and the girls before climbing into the car with Carlos and waved as we drove away.
"You know Babe, if you keep this up, my family will choose you over me if we ever break up."
I rolled my eyes and smiled at Carlos' comments.
"Oh don't be such a drama queen Carlos. You know as well as I do that your family will always love and support you, no matter what you do."
Carlos scowled at my drama queen comment, but he must have agreed with the rest of my statement because he didn't bring it up again.
We pulled up in front of my building and had a lengthy goodbye kiss. "Sleep well Babe. I'm going to be out of town tomorrow with Tom so I probably won't see you or talk to you until Friday. Good luck with the G-Men on Friday."
He kissed me one last time before I exited the car and made my way inside my building. Johnny greeted me as I entered from his open door. Since he was still awake, I mentioned that a car would be parked off and on here over the weekend and that I had two young guests. Johnny gave me a garage key and bid me good night.
I was so excited about the weekend with the girls that I didn't spare a thought for my meeting with the FBI. I fell asleep almost as soon as my head hit the pillow and slept through the night.
I doubt I'll get another chapter up until early next week. Thanks for your patience. :)