Amanda and Francine silently stared at each other until they heard the hallway door close behind Brewer and the MP. Then the women embraced. "Oh, Francine, you were wonderful! Thank you so much!"

Francine replied, "So were you, Amanda. Good job!"

They released their hug and Francine picked up the torn photo. Her eyes glistened. "Amanda, I'm so sorry about Phillip's picture. I'll send it down to Documents and get it repaired. Once they get done with it, you won't even be able to tell it was damaged."

Amanda reached for the box of tissues on the table. She grabbed a couple and dabbed her eyes. "It's okay, Francine. I have an extra copy at home."

Billy, Lee and Dotty joined the women from the observation room next door. Billy said, "Amanda, Francine, excellent work! I've never seen an interrogation scenario quite like that. I think you might have invented a new technique."

Amanda smiled. "Thanks to Mother. And Cagney and Lacey. If she hadn't made that comment, I never would have thought of it."

Dotty beamed. "Amanda, you were brilliant! Just brilliant!" She hugged her daughter tightly. As they hugged, Amanda's eyes met Lee's. He smiled proudly and mouthed the words 'good job'. Amanda smiled back and whispered, "Thanks".

Francine said, "Billy, should I brief the TAC Team on Phillip's location?"

"We have two problems here. First, the address Brewer gave Amanda is where he suspects Gregory is holding Phillip, but we don't know for sure if he's keeping him there. Second, it's 7:50 and Gregory said he would call at 8. Even if Phillip is at this location and we could get mobilized, we can't get to him before Gregory calls with instructions."

Lee ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "Then we'd better get back up to the Q Bureau so we can take Gregory's call. Have we established the link to Amanda's home phone?"

Francine said, "Yes, it will divert to the IFF line. And we are ready to record and trace the call."

The group walked down the hallway and entered the Agency-only elevator. They emerged at the bullpen level so they could access the closet elevator that would take them to the Georgetown foyer. As they passed the bullpen, Dotty leaned in to Amanda and whispered, "Amanda, is that where all the other spies work?"

"Yes," Amanda whispered back.

"That's more like what I was expecting. Very clever setup you people have here." They stopped at the Georgetown elevator doors. Lee pressed the button and they waited for the car to arrive. As the door opened, she added, "Even an elevator disguised as a closet. It's fascinating!"

Francine said, "I'm going to the bullpen and intercept the call myself. We can't afford any errors."

Billy replied, "Good idea, but come upstairs as soon as the call is done so we can determine how to proceed. And once again, Francine, good work."

Francine smiled. "Thank you. See you in a few minutes."

7:55PM MONDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1987

Billy, Dotty, Amanda and Lee entered the Q Bureau. "Now we just wait," Lee said as he started to pace.

The phone rang precisely at 8 o'clock. Amanda and Lee simultaneously reached for their desk phones and pressed the IFF lines at the same time. "Hello?" Amanda answered tensely.

"Mom!"

"Phillip! Phillip?"

Gregory's voice came though the line. "Just wanted you to know your precious son is still alive and well, Mrs. King. Here are your instructions. Your mother, Mrs. West, is to take the list and go to the alley on 53rd between B Street and Bass. She is to be there by 8:30. No backup, and no wires. We will be watching and we will check her. Also, no jewelry. We know your clever outfitters hide trackers and bugs in jewelry. One of my associates will be there to give her further instructions."

Amanda said, "Gregory, I am NOT sending my mother! Gregory? Gregory!" The phone clicked.

Immediately the phone rang again. Lee pushed the button and activated the line. "Yeah." He listened for a moment then said "Thanks, Francine," and hung up. "No luck on the trace. The call wasn't long enough."

Amanda turned to Dotty. "Mother, he wants you to deliver the list."

Dotty's eyes grew wide. "Me? Why me?"

Billy replied, "Because the last time we had an encounter with Gregory, it was to make a hostage trade. We deceived him. He probably figures that there's no way we can trick him again if he uses you as a courier."

"Sir," Amanda began, "couldn't an agent who Gregory wouldn't recognize go in my mother's place?"

"Doubtful, Amanda. I'm sure Gregory knows your mother."

"You mean the Russians know who I am?" Dotty exclaimed, shocked.

"I'm sure they do," Lee answered. "You probably have a section in Amanda's file. Or you may even have your own file. One way or the other, you can bet they know who you are."

Amanda was indignant. "Well, we're going to have to figure something else out. He already has one member of my family held hostage; he's not going to take another one."

Francine opened the door to the Q Bureau and entered. "Billy, I think I have an idea."

"Let's hear it."

They all gathered around Lee's desk as Francine explained her plan. Dotty would set out to execute the plan as Gregory requested with a dummied Matryoshka List. Two agents would accompany her but remain out of sight. At the same time, a small team would go to the location Brewer revealed in the hopes that Phillip would be held there. They would infiltrate the location, and arrest Gregory for kidnapping. Once they knew Phillip was safe, the agents with Dotty could move in on her location. Keep the unit small, less chance of being seen. "Since the rules will likely change very quickly, stealthy is better than strong on this mission," Francine said as she finished describing the scenario.

"Gregory said he'd know immediately if the list was genuine," Amanda said. "Mother will get hurt if he knows the list isn't real."

"We placed a few actual names on the dummied list so it will hold up under an initial scan. Of course, it wouldn't hold up under careful scrutiny. But, in this scenario, it won't get that far," Francine replied.

Dotty chimed in, "If I have to go alone, how are you going to keep track of me?"

Francine smiled, "Let me show you something." She walked into the vault and came out with one of Amanda's blouses.

Dotty exclaimed, "Amanda, there's the blouse I gave you for your birthday. I've been looking for it everywhere! I was going to take it to the cleaners because I haven't seen you wear it in awhile."

"Well, Mrs. West, it's been here with our quartermaster. He outfitted it with an experimental satellite tracker called a Global Positioning System, or GPS for short. He's hidden computer chips in the buttons on the shirt. Amanda's tried it out a few times. It works well, and is completely undetectable. You can wear it, and we can triangulate your location to within 100 yards."

Amanda interjected, "Now wait a minute. Mother is not going to do this. I can't let her go up against these thugs! No way! It's insane!"

Lee walked over to Amanda and took her hands in his. "As insane as a housewife heading off into the Virginia countryside…by herself, I might add…to take on a Russian spy posing as a cooking show host?"

Amanda said, "Lee, this is different. This is my mother!

"Amanda, Dotty will be okay. We will be able to track her. She'll be safe. This will work. Trust me."

"Then I'm going with her. I won't just sit here—"

"Amanda," Billy interrupted, "You're too close to this situation. And you shouldn't be involved either, Lee, given that…well…you know…"

"Billy, surely you can't expect us just to wait around while our…I mean...Amanda's family is in danger. We're pros, Billy, we can do this. In fact, if we want to pull this off, there's no one better to do it. Dotty will be much more comfortable knowing that Amanda is right behind her. And Phillip will be scared enough as it is. He doesn't know what's going on. Some stranger doesn't need to go charging in there, he needs to see someone he knows and trusts."

"People, there are rules!" Billy looked around the room at each of them, his eyes resting on Dotty. "Mrs. West, do you think you can do this?"

A determined Dotty replied, "Yes, Mr. Melrose, I'll do anything to save my grandson. But I would feel more comfortable if Amanda and Lee were allowed to come along."

Billy looked at Lee, then Amanda, resignation in his eyes. "All right, then. But just know that if something goes wrong, it's going to be on all our heads."

8:27PM MONDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1987

Dotty drove the Wagonneer toward the meeting place. "Amanda, are you still there?"

"Yes, Mother," Amanda replied through the car phone's speaker. "Francine and I are tracking your location. Just pull over when you see a parking space."

"Okay. You know how much trouble I have parallel parking this thing."

"I know, Mother, just take your time and do your best."

Dotty saw a parking space. Luckily, it only took two tries to successfully park the Wagonneer. "I got it!"

"Good work, Mother! Now listen, once you turn the car off, we won't have voice contact, but we're still tracking you through the GPS you're wearing. So it's just like I'm there with you, okay?"

"Okay, Amanda." Dotty took a deep breath. "I'm getting out of the car now. I love you, Darling."

"I love you too, Mother. Be careful!"

Dotty turned the key, and the car phone beeped as the power source was cut. She looked around at the bad neighborhood as she exited the car with the dummied Matryoshka List in hand and headed into the deserted alley.


Across town, Billy and Lee crouched behind a row of garbage cans and surveyed the dingy office building across the street. There was light seeping around a blackout shade in one of the upstairs windows. "That's the address, Lee."

"No signs of anyone. Maybe they've restrained Phillip and left him alone."

"No, Gregory wouldn't be that careless. My guess is that one of his musclemen has gone to meet Mrs. West, and the other stayed behind to guard Phillip. Gregory would never dirty his hands with either task."

The building's door opened, and Parolow emerged. He stretched, then reached into his coat pocket. He produced a pack of cigarettes, removed one and lit it. Lee and Billy crouched lower behind the cans and watched. After a moment, Parolow walked down the steps and looked around. He turned and sat down on the steps.

"He must be waiting for Gavrikov to arrive with the list," Billy commented. "How do you want to proceed?"

"Let's work our way around to the rear and see if there's a back door. If Gregory is still inside with Phillip, maybe we can catch him off-guard."

8:35PM MONDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1987

Amanda looked anxiously at the clock on the dash of the delivery van that she, Francine and Efraim Beaman were using as cover. She glanced at Francine but said nothing. Francine, aware of Amanda's restlessness, turned toward the back of the van. "Beaman, any movement yet?"

"Nothing yet, Francine. She's still standing at the mouth of the alley," Beaman replied, his eyes never leaving the van's built-in computer system.

"Something's gone wrong, Francine, I just know it. Maybe they made her change clothes or something and the blouse is just lying there on the sidewalk."

Francine opened her mouth to fire off a typically snarky comment, but caught herself. She knew how scared Amanda was, and she had to admit she was a little nervous herself. "Oh, Amanda, you know how unreliable these Russians can be." Francine immediately realized her faux pas, and cringed. "I mean, you know, with their timing." She closed her eyes and decided to quit while she was behind.

Beaman exclaimed, "She's moving!"

Dotty peered down the alley. It was 8:35, and so far she hadn't seen anyone other than two 'ladies of the night' and a disheveled-looking man who had propositioned her. He had made her very uncomfortable but she was able to get rid of him with her best grandmotherly 'you've-really-screwed-up-this-time' glare. Now she was unsure what to do. Suddenly, from behind her, the silence was broken.

"Mrs. West."

She jumped and uttered a sharp "Oh!" as she turned to find a pistol aimed at her midsection. "Uh, hello," she said nervously to the large man. "I was beginning to think you weren't coming."

"I had to ensure you weren't followed. You have the list?"

Dotty handed him the envelope she was carrying. He opened it and took out its contents, giving the paperwork a quick glance before sticking it back in the envelope. Then he reached out a hand and began to pat Dotty's chest. She instinctively jumped back.

"What in the world do you think you're doing?"

"Just looking for any unwanted equipment." He found the Wagonneer keys in Dotty's pocket and threw them down the alley.

"Now why did you do THAT?" Dotty demanded. "How am I supposed to get out of here?"

"That is the least of your concern, Mrs. West," he muttered as he continued his search.

Once he determined there was no wire or bug, he gave her the once over, looking for any jewelry. "You are clean. We will walk this way," he motioned down the street with his gun.

"I thought all I was supposed to do was deliver the list. Where are we going?"

"You cannot be released until we determine its validity. If it is real, you and your grandson will be released. Eventually. If it is not, then Mrs. King will be very sorry. And so will you."


"She's moving," Beaman continued. "Very slowly. Probably walking."

"In which direction?" Francine asked.

"East. Down Bass."

"Francine," Amanda said nervously, "shouldn't we head in that direction?"

"Not until we hear from Lee and Billy. Just be patient, Amanda, and don't worry. We're still tracking her."


Phillip had been working on the bowline knot since he had been tied up, but it had been slow work. 'These guys sure tie knots tighter than the guys,' Phillip thought. The little bit of slack he had been able to manage by flexing his forearms had helped him, but his progress was not as fast as he would have liked. It also didn't help that the tall man, Gregory, kept coming in with the phone to prove to his mom that he was still okay. While he had been working on the knot, he had been thinking a lot about his mom, Lee, and the situation he now found himself in. He supposed Jamie was partly right, although he didn't think his mom was a cop. Since he'd been kidnapped by the Russians, and they wanted to trade him for some list his mom took from them, he deduced that she must be a spy. If he had not found himself in this situation, he didn't know if he ever would have actually believed that she was.

He had gotten quite a bit of slack worked into the knot, and he stopped for a moment to rest his hands. His wrists were raw from the rope sawing back and forth across them. After a minute, he resumed his task. He was close now, and he didn't want to screw up and just tighten the knot again. He felt around for the end of the rope he needed….and…there! The rope came loose! He pulled his arms around and started rubbing them, willing life back into his limbs. He bent over and started working on his legs. They had used simple square knots to secure his ankles to the legs of the chair, and they were much easier to release.

Just then, he heard footsteps on the stairs. He threw the rope that had held his wrists into the corner next to the door. He laid the ropes that had held his ankles back over his feet, and loosely wrapped them around his ankles and behind the chair. The charade wouldn't hold up under any kind of inspection, but he hoped it worked long enough. He heard a key turn in the lock, and quickly placed his hands back behind the chair.

The door opened, and Gregory strode in and closed the door behind him. "A status update for you, Mr. King. Your grandmother is headed here with Gavrikov and the Matryoshka List. But I must apologize. Usually I am a man of my word. This time, however, I will not be. The two of you will accompany me back to Moscow. I will deliver the list, along with two bargaining chips, and the KGB will welcome me back into the fold."

"What do you mean by bargaining chips?" Phillip asked, working very hard to mask the nervousness in his voice. He had to stall just long enough for the right moment to make his move.

"Oh, you will be traded for some of our captured agents," Gregory replied with a wave of his hand. "Or you will be auctioned off to a country that is at odds with the United States to do with you as they wish. Either way, you and Mrs. West will make excellent hostages."


Billy and Lee had worked their way around to the back of the dilapidated building. They crept up the rickety steps to the back door and Lee tried the knob. To his amazement, the door was unlocked. They looked at each other and readied their firearms. Billy did a silent 3 count with his hand. 1…2…3…and Lee opened the door. They stepped quickly into the makeshift office. One of the floorboards creaked loudly under Lee's foot. He cringed as they both stopped and listened. Nothing. Then suddenly they heard a 'SLAM!' right above where they were standing.


Gregory and Philip heard a loud creak come from downstairs. He paused and turned toward the door. They heard nothing else. "So, Mr. King I hope you are ready for a long trip to-," he said as he turned back toward Philip.

Suddenly Gregory felt arms around his waist and a quick pull to the right. Phillip's legs swept under his and knocked him to the floor. In a flash, Phillip rolled around and had the advantage. Using his leverage, he thrust Gregory's right arm up and slightly out, scooted forward, then flipped Gregory over in a tight waist tilt, a move he had learned during wrestling practice late last week. Phillip kept Gregory's left arm pinned underneath, and kept his arms wrapped around Gregory's hips. Gregory struggled, but Phillip had executed the wrestling move perfectly, and Gregory was pinned.

Billy and Lee moved quickly up the steps, Lee on the right side and Billy, slightly behind, on the left. They came to the top of and saw a closed door. Lee braced himself and gave the door a firm kick. The door flew open to reveal Phillip and Gregory, who were down on the floor, tangled together.

"Gregory! Let him go!"

"Scarecrow," Gregory said through clenched teeth, "I don't have HIM…HE has ME."

"Wha….?" Lee stood there for a moment and tried to comprehend what had happened. He cleared his throat and said "Phillip, it's okay, son, it's over. You can let him go now."

Phillip looked up at Lee, then past him. His eyes grew large and he said, "Lee! Look out!"

He wheeled around to see Parolow coming toward him with a club. Lee ducked as Parolow swung the club at his head. At the end of the swing, Billy grabbed the club and swiftly twisted it, jamming Parolow's arms. He quickly moved behind Parolow and pushed him to the wall. "That will be enough of that," Billy said breathlessly.

Lee turned back toward Gregory and Phillip, who continued their struggle. "Let him go, Phillip."

Phillip released Gregory from the hold and jumped up. He moved to the side, and Lee trained his gun on Gregory. "Don't move, Gregory. After what my family's been through today, I won't have any problem putting a slug in you."

Phillip said, "Wow, I guess Jamie was right about you!"

"About what?"

"He thought you were a cop or something. But I think you're a spy. You are, aren't you?"

"Well, yeah," Lee admitted with a little smile. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

Lee reached for his radio mike. "Amanda, we got Phillip. He's all right. We captured Gregory and Parolow. Francine, go ahead and reel Dotty in, and let me know when she's secure."

"Yeah, he said they had Grandma. They were planning to send us to Russia. Lee, what list did Mom take from these guys? Where is Mom right now? Is Jamie okay? And is Mom a spy too?"

"Jamie is okay, thanks to you. As for your other questions, we'll see your mom in just a little while and she can tell you all about it." He put his arm around the boy and led him down the steps as more agents entered the building to round up Gregory and Parolow.

"So Phillip," Lee said as they walked out into the night. "You want to tell me how you ended up on the floor with Gregory in a tight waist tilt hold?"

"Oh, yeah, Lee…well, see…I kinda lied to Mom and told her I was going to play basketball again this year, but I tricked her into signing the release form for wrestling instead. You won't tell her, will you?"

Lee smiled and said, "Phillip, somehow I think there aren't going to be any more secrets in this family."


Lee's voice crackled over the van's speaker. "Amanda, we got Phillip. He's all right. We captured Gregory and Parolow. Francine, go ahead and reel Dotty in, and let me know when she's secure," .

Amanda closed her eyes and said, "Thank God." Then she turned to Francine and said, "Okay, Francine, how are we going to proceed?"

"Amanda, this isn't a 'how we proceed', this is a 'how I proceed'. Billy only agreed to let you come along if you'd stay in the van once it was time to retrieve Mrs. West."

"All right, all right. You know, I get sick of being told to stay in the car."

Francine rolled her eyes. "I didn't tell you 'stay in the car', I told you to 'stay in the van'. Either way, you never do, but you need to this time. Beaman and I can handle this." She turned and looked into the back of the van. "Which direction?"

"Go down 53rd, and then turn onto B Street. They're not moving any faster than they were so they must still be walking."

Francine drove the delivery van toward the location Beaman indicated. Once they turned, they saw them. Gavrikov's had his hand firmly on Dotty's arm, practically dragging her along. Francine pulled the van up to the curb and she and Beaman jumped out, guns drawn. "Hold it! Don't move any farther!"

Gavrikov wheeled Dotty around and aimed his pistol at Dotty's head. "Don't come any closer, Desmond, or I'll put a bullet into this fine lady."

Amanda saw the standoff on the street. She grabbed her gun and sneaked quietly out of the opposite side of the van.

Francine said, "Come on, Gavrikov. We already have Gregory and Parolow. We've rescued the boy. You're standing alone now, and you're only making things worse for yourself. Now let Mrs. West go. You know you're trapped."

"Not so," Gavrikov replied. "Mrs. West will be quite valuable on the auction block. Whomever I sell her to will have a direct line to Stetson and King."

Just then Gavrikov felt cold steel against the back of his head. "King has a direct line to you right now, Gavrikov. Now let my mother go."

Gavrikov laughed. "Oh, Mrs. King, such a bad bluff! It's known far and wide in the KGB that you threaten, but never shoot."

"That's because no one has ever had a gun to my mother's head," Amanda said icily. "You will be the one to change my reputation unless you let her go right now."

Gavrikov heard metal click into metal as Amanda pulled the revolver's hammer back.

"I mean it, Gavrikov. The reason I've never shot anyone is because I've never needed to. But I promise you, right now I have no qualms about you being the first."

Dotty felt the man's grip on her arm loosen slightly. She swiftly raised her left leg, and brought her heel down firmly on Gavrikov's instep. He bent over and howled in pain. Amanda saw her opportunity and brought the edge of her revolver's grip down quickly on the back of Gavrikov's head. He fell to the ground, stunned.

"Now let go of the gun. Let it go," Amanda ordered. Gavrikov released his pistol. Amanda stepped over and quickly kicked the gun toward Francine. As it skidded to a halt, Francine bent over to grab it from the ground. Beaman stepped forward and cuffed Gavrikov. Amanda released her revolver's hammer and placed her it in the waistband of her jeans at the small of her back. She grabbed Dotty's shoulders, turning her mother toward her. "Good work, Mother!" They embraced. Dotty choked back tears as she said, "Amanda, I was so scared."

"Me too, Mother. Me too."

10:55PM MONDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1987

Dotty sat in Billy Melrose's office, waiting for him to return and conduct her debriefing. She was glad to have a few moments to process what had transpired that day. She looked out the office window at the bullpen. 'How different this world is from our life in Arlington,' Dotty thought. She saw Billy approaching from the outer hallway.

"Hello, Mrs. West," Billy said as he entered his office and closed the door. "Sorry to keep you waiting."

"Hello, Mr. Melrose. I guess it's time for you to ask me some questions," Dotty said with a smile. "I promise, I'll be much more cooperative this time around."

Billy moved behind his desk and sat. "Just go ahead and tell me what happened from the time you got out of the car until the assignment was over."

Dotty told Billy her version of events, ending with Beaman cuffing Gavrikov. "Then, when more agents arrived on the scene to take that man away, Amanda, Ms. Desmond and I left in the van. Amanda had a spare set of keys, so we went back to the alley and picked up the Wagonneer, and then we came back here."

"Mrs. West, just one question. Where did you learn to stomp an attacker's instep?"

"One of the ladies in my Bridge Club was mugged earlier this year. So one Friday we all skipped our regular Bridge afternoon and took a self-defense class instead."

Billy smiled and nodded. "Well, it was good work, Mrs. West. Great work, as a matter of fact." Billy paused, then said, "Mrs. West, there's something I want to talk with you about. It's part of the reason I wanted to handle your debriefing."

"Mr. Melrose, if you're afraid I'm going to go around telling all my friends about what happened today, you don't have to worry. I can keep my mouth shut. I mean, I like to gossip with the best of them, but-" Billy held up his hand, causing Dotty to stop mid-sentence.

"No, I'm not worried about that. I wanted to talk about Amanda."

"Oh."

"Mrs. West, I've grown quite fond of Amanda. A lot of us here at the Agency have. I know you're upset with her. But if you are going to be angry with anyone, be angry with me. I ordered her silence, and keeping her Agency life a secret from you and your grandsons has been very difficult for her. You're going to learn more about your daughter over the next few days than you've probably learned in the last few years. So I just wanted to say, please be easy on her. And on Lee. "

Dotty sighed. "Mr. Melrose, I know that I'm going to worry endlessly about Amanda, now that I know what she really does."

"You shouldn't. She's very good, and she has Lee to protect her. He's the best agent I have, and he would die a hundred times over to keep her safe. That's the main reason I wanted you to come along with us this evening. I wanted you to see both of them at work, but especially Amanda. I can't afford to lose her, Mrs. West. Because if I lose her, I lose Lee. Lee was always a good agent, but now he's a great agent. Thanks to Amanda. Their partnership has been one of the most successful in Agency history."

"Are they really that good?"

"Mrs. West, your daughter has saved countless lives, including my own and several others you see out there," Billy said, gesturing toward the bullpen. "And as for Lee, she has saved him in more ways than one."

"What do you mean by that?"

Billy smiled. "You'll see."

"Mr. Melrose, how did Amanda get involved in all this spy business?"

"I'll let Amanda tell you about that. It's quite a story."

Just then there was a familiar knock at Billy's door. "It's open."

The door opened, and Amanda stuck her head in. "Hi, are you two finished?"

"We just completed the debriefing. Come on in and have a seat. Anything else you wish to add, Mrs. West?"

"No, Mr. Melrose, just that I appreciate your help with getting Phillip back."

"You're welcome, Mrs. West. Hopefully we can meet again soon, but under better circumstances than we have in the past."

Dotty smiled and said, "Yes, I hope so too."

They all turned when they heard Phillip's voice as he and Lee entered the bullpen. "So, Lee, when are you gonna show me how to do that cool kick you used on that guy yesterday?"

"I'll show you someday soon, Phillip. I promise," Lee said as they entered Billy's office.

Billy asked, "How are your wrists, Phillip?"

"Just some rope burns, no permanent damage," he said as he held up his bandaged wrists.

Francine walked in and said, "Good news and bad news for our friend Gregory. The good news is he won't be deported, so he won't be headed back to Russia to serve time in Lubyanka again. The bad news is that kidnapping is a federal crime, and he no longer has diplomatic immunity. He'll be prosecuted in the United States, and will be in prison for a long time."

"That's great news, Francine," Billy said. He looked at Lee and Amanda and added, "We're through for tonight. Everyone can go home. And I'm not putting you two back on the active duty roster until Thursday."

"Thanks, Billy. We definitely can use the days off."

"Well, then, I guess we'd better go," Amanda said as she stood. She looked at Lee, unsure of what to say or do.

"Uh, Amanda," Lee said, "I'm going to stay behind and finish a couple of things. I'll call you later, okay?"

Amanda smiled. "Okay. Talk to you later." She turned to her mother and Phillip. "C'mon, let's go home."

Goodbyes and thanks were shared around the office. Amanda, Dotty and Phillip headed for the bullpen door as Lee stood at Billy's office window, watching his still-clandestine family walk out the doors and turn right to head toward the closet elevator. Amanda turned and looked back toward Billy's office. Her eyes met Lee's. He grinned and mouthed the words 'I love you'. Amanda broke out in a smile and gave him a little wave. She disappeared behind the wall, but Lee continued to stare for a long moment. His reverie was broken by Billy.

"You're a lucky man, Scarecrow."

Lee chuckled as he said, "Don't I know it?"

THE END

***AUTHOR'S NOTE*** I hope you enjoyed, and thank you for reading. Many of you have left very nice reviews, and I really do appreciate the feedback. In response to a couple of them, originally I planned to end with the family fallout. But that story began to take on a life of its own, so I decided to end this one, and write a sequel. So "don't touch that dial"! :-)