Scarecrow and the Wolf
By: Pam (mailto:pmarquard@triad.rr.com)
Disclaimer: The characters in this story are the property of Warner Brothers Productions and of Shoot the Moon. The story is based on Sergei Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf", as revised by Gabrielle Hilton and performed by Sean Connery and the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra/Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, under the direction of Antal Dorati, on a CD produced by The Decca Record Company, Ltd., London, England. No infringements are intended, and the only money that passed hands was when I bought the CD!
Summary: The fur and feathers fly as a new case takes a classical turn.
Rating: PG
Timeline: Fall, early first season.
Feedback: Absolutely! I want to know what you liked and what didn't work for you.
Archive: Ask beforehand, please.
Author's notes: This is a songfic of a different ilk. Inspiration came on a Friday night last fall, at a high school football game. Our team was well ahead, and when the band began their halftime show, which included excerpts from "Peter and the Wolf", my mind started to wander. This story is the result of that little sidetrack.
M My thanks to Merel, eman, and the others who beta read this for me. Good beta readers are a blessing!
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Chapter One
This is the story of Peter
and the Wolf. There is a bird, light
and delicate, with feathers like silk, a dumb duck with a broad bill and large
webbed feet, and a pussycat. She is
smooth, but greedy and vain.
There is a wolf, with sharp
teeth and sharp claws, who is always hungry. There are hunters, searching the woods, firing their shotguns. There is a wise old grandfather. And he worries about Peter all the time.
And, of course, there
is Peter.
**********
Lee strode through the bullpen doors and headed toward his desk, feeling on top of the world. Things had been going exceptionally well for him lately. After a busy week's work, he'd broken the Prospect case. Billy was delighted that he'd been able to turn it around so quickly. Now he just had to finish up his report, and he'd be done.
He picked up the phone to call Amanda. It was only Thursday afternoon, and if she could do the typing for him Friday morning, he'd have a shot at a real weekend for the first time in recent memory. As her phone rang, he smiled to himself and thought of his four little black books. Should he blow the whole weekend on one name, or would it be better to have a little variety? A vision of the weekend's activities began to form in his mind as he listened to the ringing.
"Hello?"
The sound of her voice on the other end of the line intruded into Lee's randy reverie. Annoyed, he came back down to earth. "Uh . . . Listen, I have a report that needs to be typed up as soon as possible. Can you get to it tomorrow morning?"
Amanda sighed. Not so much as a 'Hello'. The man had no manners. "Oh, Lee, I'm sorry. I can't. Tomorrow I'm chaperoning Jamie's class field trip to Rock Creek Park. They're doing a project called 'Nature All Around Us', and they're supposed to be at the park to have a picnic and collect some specimens."
Lee was vexed. He was really looking forward to getting an early start on the weekend, and Amanda was the only other person he knew of who could actually make sense of his handwritten notes. If he tried to finish it himself, with his typing skills, he'd be stuck at his desk for half the weekend. "Amanda! This is important. Isn't there some way you can get out of this school thing?"
Standing in her kitchen, Amanda was torn between exasperation with Lee's 'request' and guilt at leaving him high and dry. "I can't 'get out of it', Lee," she said, as firmly as she could manage, "and Mother's leaving early for a weekend with Aunt Lillian, so she can't take my place. But I suppose I could drive my car to the park instead of riding with the kids, so I could drive straight to the Agency when the kids leave. If you can meet me there a little after one o'clock, we'll go over your notes."
Lee had another thought – maybe he could get the early start he'd hoped for anyway. "Amanda, would it be all right for me to bring the report to you at the park, before the kids get there? I sorta had some plans for the afternoon, and once you've had a chance to look over my notes and ask any questions, you really don't need me around while you finish it up."
"Well, sure, Lee," Amanda said, rolling her eyes. She'd heard enough around the IFF water cooler to have a good idea what Lee's 'plans' entailed. Pulling her mind back to the conversation, she continued. "I guess that would work out okay. "The kids are arriving at the Nature Center, right off of 16th Street, at 10:00. When and where did you want to meet?"
"Do you know where the old log cabin is?" Lee asked. He'd know he could count on Amanda to get the report done for him.
"Sure," Amanda replied. "You mean the Miller Cabin, on Beach Drive, right?"
"That's the place. I'll meet you at the picnic table behind the cabin about 8:30, okay?"
"Sure, Lee," Amanda said. "That'll give me plenty of time to look over your notes. The class will be touring the Nature Center first, so it won't matter if I'm running a little late. But I really want to be there when they go outside to meet Rocky."
Lee hesitated. "Rocky?"
"You know," Amanda supplied. "Rocky the raccoon - the Nature Center's mascot. He's the hit of every school visit, and the kids can't wait to see him."
Lee didn't know quite how to respond. "Well, I'm sure you'll get back in plenty of time to meet Rocky, Amanda. Can you have my report ready and on Billy's desk by three o'clock tomorrow afternoon?"
"I think I can manage that," she replied.
"Great! I'll see you tomorrow morning, then." Lee hung up the phone and leaned back in his chair, fingers interlocked behind his head and feet propped up on his desk. He'd have the notes to Amanda and be on his way by 11 at the latest. Plenty of time to get the weekend off to a good start, and he had just the thing in mind. He pulled one of the black books out of his desk drawer, located the number, and began to dial.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was early morning
when Peter walked out of the house. He
opened the gate and went out into the big green meadow. On a branch of a tall tree sat a pretty little
bird. "All is quiet and beautiful this
morning," she said. The bird was
Peter's friend.
**********
It was nearly 9:30 before Lee pulled into the parking lot. Looking around for Amanda, he spotted her slim figure perched on a picnic table behind the cabin. Her back was to him, and she was looking out over the creek. Putting a smile on his face, he approached her quietly from behind, stopping only when he was within arm's reach.
"Good morning, Amanda," he said as he laid a hand on her shoulder. "Have you been waiting long?"
She jumped in alarm at the sound of his voice and the unexpected warmth of his hand through her sweater. She'd been speculating on why he was late, afraid that he'd gotten into trouble of some sort but aware that the explanation was likely something much more mundane. In the short time they'd worked together, she'd learned that he wasn't what one could call a 'morning person'. Of course, the rumors that followed him through the halls of the Agency like a wake follows a boat made him sound like some sort of wolf, prowling the Washington social scene on a regular basis and bringing his prey home with him at night. She blushed slightly at the thought. 'Not my cup of tea, for sure.'
She banished those thoughts from her mind and flashed him a brilliant smile as he sat near her. The packet of files was tucked under his right arm. "Oh, Lee, good morning! Isn't it the most beautiful fall day you could imagine? I've been here a little while, but it didn't feel like I was waiting for you. Well, of course I was waiting for you, because we were supposed to be meeting and I was here and you weren't, but it wasn't really waiting, because I was enjoying it so much. When I got up this morning, I could just tell what a wonderful day it was going to be, and I just had to get myself into the outdoors as soon as I could so I just grabbed my purse and sweater and a thermos of coffee and dashed out the door to the car to hurry down here and after I got the boys to school and explained to their teachers that I'd be meeting the group here, I just came on over to the cabin so I could enjoy my coffee and have a chance just to soak up all of the scenery and now you're here too, and I'm nearly finished with my coffee and everything seems to have worked out just right, don't you think?"
He shook his head in amazement. "Uh, yeah, sure, Amanda. Whatever you say." How could anyone be so effusively cheerful this early in the day? And how did she manage to fit so many words into one breath? "Are you ready to get started?"
They spent the next 40 minutes going over his notes, until both felt sure that Amanda understood everything that she needed to know about the case. "I guess that wraps it up, Amanda," Lee said as he stood and stretched his muscles. "Now, you'll have it typed and to Billy by three, right?"
"No problem, Lee," she answered. "It's really straightforward, now that I understand what all your new little symbols mean."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Just then, the dumb
duck waddled by. He was glad that the
gate had been left open, as there was a deep pond in the meadow, and he wanted
to swim.
Seeing the duck, the bird flew down and settled next to him.
**********
Lee was ready to say goodbye to Amanda so he could get on back to his apartment to finish up his plans for the weekend when a motion behind her caught his eye. He looked up, surprised to see someone quickly leaving the path beside Beach Drive and coming towards them. As the figure drew nearer, Lee realized who it was. A brief frown crossed his face. Things had been going so well; he didn't need this just as his weekend was getting ready to start.
Amanda turned just as the man reached the cabin. She shot a questioning look at Lee. He seemed to know the strange little man whose worn white tuxedo looked like it had been slept in. In the park. On several occasions.
Oh, well, if he was a friend of Lee's . . . She graced him with a 24-karat Amanda King smile.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The bird, who was very
sweet, said, "What kind of a bird are you if you can't fly?"
"What kind of a bird
are you," the duck said snappily, "if you can't swim?" And with that, he haughtily dived into the
pond.
That led to an
argument. They argued and argued, the
duck as he splashed around the in the water, the bird hopping angrily on the
shore.
**********
Lee sighed and made the introductions. "Amanda King, this is Hans Schmutzig. He's part of my family."
Amanda looked at Lee in surprise. "Family?" she said weakly, then turned back to Hans.
"Oh, I'm so glad to meet you!" she managed, almost with enthusiasm. It was hard to believe, but if Lee said he was family, who was she to argue? Such a strange name; she hadn't realized that Lee had German relatives. "There's really not much of a resemblance, is there? You must be a cousin, or maybe . . ."
"Amanda!" Lee's exasperated interruption turned her head back in his direction. "Not that kind of family. Schmutzig is part of my network. I have people all over the city who keep up with what's going on - a sort of underground intelligence community. They help me out by providing information." He glanced in the snitch's direction and added, somewhat sourly, "Sometimes for a price."
Amanda could scarcely hide her embarrassment. She'd done it again; her foot was firmly entrenched in her mouth. Why did Lee sometimes seem to bring out the worst in her? Well, she'd just have to make the best of it.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Schmutzig," she started. "It must be exciting for you, being out there and helping Lee."
"Yeah, right!" Lee and Hans responded simultaneously.
Hans turned and gave Amanda an appraising, head-to-toe leer. "Frau King, please, my friends call me 'Hands'. You know, I could use somebody like you. Ever vurk in a restaurant?"
Amanda was confused. "Well, yes, when I was in college, but . . ."
"Oh, a college girl, hmm? I guess Lee is looking for smarter companions these days." He glanced at Lee, whose eyes were slowly darkening from their normal hazel to a deeper jade, then looked back at Amanda. "I haf yust opened a new place, und I could use some extra help. It's a really vunderbar place, you understand. Ve serve der schnapps from really nice bottles, mit der original labels on dem und everytink, und ve add almost no vasser to das beer at all." He looked her up and down once more. "Ach, du lieber! Haf you ever done any dancink?"
Amanda's mouth had dropped open. Rendered momentarily speechless; she just shook her head. "Dat's all right. You could start out vaitressink. Die ooniforms are ausgezeichnet! All black on der bottom part - high heels, und fishnet hose, und a kleine little fake leder skirt, und on top, a tight vhite T-shirt. Of course, it's a little trouble, keepink der T-shirt vet, vhile you take care of the customers . . ."
Amanda's jaw dropped farther and her eyes widened in astonishment as he talked. What on earth was this sleazy little man talking about? Did he really think that she would . . . She shook her head in disbelief. The thought wouldn't even form in her mind.
Lee practically growled the warning. "Schmutzig . . ."
The snitch turned his eyes to Lee and found a look that stopped him dead in his tracks. "Ach! Not der type, hmm? Vell, maybe sometink else vill come up." He turned back to Amanda. "Vhy don't you gif me your nummer und I'll gif you a call?"
"Mr. Schmutzig, I don't think . . ."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Just then, something
caught Peter's eye. The cat. The cat was stalking through the tall grass.
The cat thought, "That
bird is busy arguing, I can probably get her now." And on velvet paws, she crept even closer.
**********
Lee's attention was distracted when he saw Francine approaching from the parking lot. 'Oh, no,' he thought. 'Weren't things going downhill fast enough without her help?' He glanced at Amanda. She seemed to be holding her own against Schmutzig for the moment. He left her to her own devices and went to intercept the tall blonde agent.
"Billy said I'd find you here, Scarecrow," Francine said as she looked at Amanda, who was now slowly backing away from 'Hands', a file folder held tightly in front of her chest like a shield. A disturbingly familiar figure came after her, matching her step for step as he continued his pitch. "What's gotten into your little housewife this morning? She looks like she's seen the devil himself."
'Close enough,' Lee thought. "Lay off her, Francine," he said tersely. "She's had enough for one morning. She doesn't need you digging your claws in as well."
"Lee, I would never do such a thing," Francine purred as she glided smoothly towards Amanda.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Look out!" shouted
Peter, and the bird flew up into the tree, just in time, while the duck quacked
angrily at the cat - from the middle of the pond.
The cat walked round
and round, looking up at the bird and thinking. "Is it worth climbing so high, I wonder. By the time I get there, she'll have flown
away."
**********
Francine padded quietly towards Amanda, who was picking up speed as she backed around the picnic table, still keeping her distance from Schmutzig.
"Amanda, look out!" Lee shouted. There was going to be a collision if something didn't give.
Amanda heard Lee's voice but didn't understand what he had said. It didn't really matter; she just wanted to put something solid between herself and this disgusting lump of a man who wouldn't leave her alone. Lee was behind her, and he was the very thing she needed. She started backing even more quickly in his direction. One step, two steps . . .
"OUCH!" The cry came from behind her, just as she set her foot down on a rock or something. 'Rocks don't yell ouch,' she thought as she turned and darted behind Lee.
"Francine!" she squawked, seeing the other woman for the first time. For some reason, Francine was rubbing the top of one foot while she hopped around on the other high heel, looking something like a drunken jackrabbit on a pogo stick. "What are you doing here?"
Francine's face was red with fury. "Amanda, dear," she started, but another voice cut her off.
"Francine . . . Liebling." Schmutzig's oily, nasal voice grated across her nerves like fingernails on a blackboard. "Do you know my new employee? Ve vere yust gettink acqvainted mit each other. Come, Amanda, don't let Francine spoil tinks betveen us. Come back und let's talk some more."
Francine ignored the obsequious little man as she began advancing toward Amanda, who was now moving in tight circles around Lee in an attempt to keep him between Francine and herself. After a couple of revolutions, Francine gave up the pursuit - it just wasn't worth the trouble, and besides, her foot was killing her.
Lee looked back over his shoulder at Amanda, who now was standing still, with a death grip on his right arm. "Amanda, will you excuse us?" he asked, trying to pry her fingers loose. "I need to see what Francine wants, and I need to speak privately with Schmutzig."
"Oh, sure, that's OK," she twittered with relief. "I really need to be getting back to the class. They're probably about ready for that hike now. And besides, I need to get these to my car." She indicated the files, relaxing her hold slightly when she realized that she'd been gripping them tightly enough to make her knuckles turn white.
She reached down for her purse, but her hands were shaking badly, and the contents spilled out onto the leaf-covered ground. Lee gave Francine and Schmutzig a look that said 'Stay!' and helped her retrieve her things. Purse secure and car keys in hand, Amanda quickly bade them all goodbye, then flitted back up the path to the parking lot without so much as a backward glance.
Francine was slowly recovering from her recent indignation. For $50, she'd just go back to the Agency and let Scarecrow handle his problems by himself, but Billy had sent her to find Lee, and she might as well see what he was up to before they returned to the Agency. She turned back to the two men and listened closely to what the snitch had to tell Lee.
To be continued . . .