Chapter 6
Monday Evening
After the meeting, Lee rounded the
table and caught up to Amanda, placing his hand at the small of her back and
leading her out to the corridor. "Come on, let's get you back to your car,
and then I'll follow you home, all right?" he offered with a tentative
smile
"Sure. Thanks," Amanda
answered, continuing to walk toward the elevator. "But Lee, you really don't
need to follow me." She turned to look up to him as she pushed the 'up'
button. "Look. . .you've had a long day, too. It's not that far, anyway,
and besides, I can. . ."
Lee held up his hand and cut in,
"Just humor me, all right?" His eyes made a quick sweep of the
hallway before he leaned down to face her at eye-level, taking hold of her arms
as he pressed his point. "You've already been hurt once today, Amanda
King, and I'll feel a lot better when I know you're safe at home."
She knew the look in his eyes, the
same penetrating stare he'd given her that day a few weeks ago, when she'd come
within inches of being killed by Serdeyich. There was no point in arguing with
those eyes, so she gave in, ducking her head and whispering, "Okay. . .for
you."
Lee accepted her agreement with a nod
and a relieved smile, as they heard the soft 'ding' announcing the elevator's
arrival.
*****
Immediately after the meeting, Dieter
placed two phone calls from one of the workstations, one to his Interpol
contact and one to the BKA in Wiesbaden, bringing each of them up to date on
the status of the investigation. He asked that they pass any additional
background information to William Melrose at the Agency, especially anything
having to do with Erich Bauer's relatives who might have emigrated to the
United States. As soon as he'd finished, he looked over toward the conference
room, then out into the empty hallway, finally peering through the blinds into
Billy Melrose's office.
The door to the office stood open, and
Billy stood up behind his desk. He asked, "Mr. Volkenauer, may I help you
with something?"
Dieter stepped just inside the doorway
and waved his hand to the side. "No need to trouble yourself, Herr
Melrose." He cast a quick glance back over his shoulder as he went on,
"I was just looking for-"
"Mrs. King?" Billy assumed.
At Dieter's slight nod, he told him, "You were probably on the phone when
they left. I overheard Scarecrow saying something about taking her back to her
car and then following her home."
Dieter smiled in a vain attempt to
cover the pensive look that passed over his face at the mention of Lee
Stetson's code name in connection with Amanda. "Ah," he said simply.
"He was concerned for her safety."
"Yes. . .I'm sure he was,"
Billy agreed with a knowing grin. "Now, why don't I give you a ride back
to your hotel?" he offered, rounding the desk and flicking off the light
switch.
"Danke schön," Dieter replied, as the two men made their
way out through the bullpen.
*****
On the drive over to the south side of
the Mall where she had parked her station wagon, Amanda was unusually quiet.
Once, when they came to a stoplight, Lee shifted in his seat to take a good
look at her. She stared straight ahead, and her worried look was unmistakable.
Tenderly wrapping his hand over hers, Lee waited for her to meet his gaze
before he asked, "Hey. . .are you all right?"
"What? Me?" she asked,
pointing to herself and waving off any concern about her well being. "Oh
yeah. . .I'm fine. I still have a little headache, but yeah, I'm okay. I was
just wondering. Lee, what about my family?"
He gave her hand a gentle squeeze and
assured her that she didn't need to worry. "Amanda, everything's all right
on the home front, so just relax, okay? While you were in with Doc Kelford before
the meeting, I had a little talk with Billy. Agents are already watching your
house."
"Oh? Well, thank you," she
replied, a small smile appearing on her lips.
The stoplight turned green and Lee
looked ahead and released her hand as he moved the car forward in the early
evening DC traffic. Several seconds passed before either of them said anything.
"Amanda. . ." Lee began, and
realized he'd heard her say his name at the same time.
Each of them smiled at the verbal
collision, and Amanda deferred to him, saying, "You first."
Lee took a slow breath and said,
haltingly, "Amanda. . .about this morning. . ."
Amanda turned in her seat, holding up
her hands as she broke in, "Lee, you don't have to say anything. . ."
"Yes I do, Amanda," he
insisted. "I want you to know. . .I'm sorry. I was way out of line. You
were absolutely right. Volkenauer's a decent guy. I can't argue with you about
that. And if you want to go out with him, well. . .that's your decision, and
it's. . .it's none of my business." As he finished, he looked away for a
moment, then focused his attention on the road in front of them.
Amanda was crestfallen, feeling as
though she'd had the wind knocked out of her sails. 'None of his business? Is
that what he thinks?' she pondered sadly. She felt an overwhelming urge to tell
him it was all right, that she was glad he cared. She reached across to touch
the sleeve of his jacket as she tried to say, "But Lee. . ."
He darted a quick glance in her
direction, refusing to let himself off the hook. "No buts, Amanda. It's
your decision, and I had no business being a jerk about it."
"Okay. Apology accepted,"
she replied with a weak smile, but her downcast eyes and sagging shoulders
showed the disappointment she felt.
Absently rubbing her fingers over the
leather armrest, she turned her head to look out of the window for a moment,
then returned her gaze to her partner's profile. "Lee? May I ask you
something?"
"Mm," he assented, tipping
his head to her.
"All right, just for the sake of
argument. . .say for instance, that I'd concede that it's important to me that
you care, well. . .that you have a certain concern for my welfare," she
began, hesitating like someone gingerly stepping through a minefield. "If
I were to ask your advice about whether I should go out with Dieter. . .what
would you tell me?"
Lee's breath caught at her question.
He was silent for a moment, uncertainty clouding his features, as he pulled the
'Vette to a stop behind her station wagon. Taking his silence to mean either
indifference or embarrassment, Amanda fiddled with the door handle nervously,
in a hurry to let herself out of the car. She'd already opened the door to the
station wagon by the time Lee caught hold of her arm and pleaded with her,
"Amanda! Wait. It's not what you think."
Amanda turned her face to him, and the
hurt look in her eyes nearly tore him apart. She pulled her arm out of his
grasp and held up her hand, shutting out his explanation. "It's okay, Lee.
Never mind. I shouldn't have brought it up." She seated herself in the car
and pulled on her seat belt, then gave him a tense smile. "Anyway, thanks
for the ride. See you tomorrow," she finished, closing the door and
turning the key in the ignition before he could say another word.
As he started his car and began to
follow her home, Lee slapped the steering wheel with the heel of his hand,
cursing himself and wishing he'd been able to say the words in time. Shaking
his head slowly, he whispered to the lonely car, "No, Amanda. . .I'd say,
no, don't go."
|
|
NEXT CHAPTER |
