Remembrance of Things Past
While Amanda's crumpled form lay in the floor, the man paced. The memories were flooding back vividly.
It had been the first time anyone had said no to him. They had been at a movie, reviewing it for their drama class, who would act it out soon. It had been before he had joined his brother. She had been beautiful their senior year-she still was-and he had just moved there a few weeks before. They had hit it off instantly and he had inadvertently fell in love with her smile and incessant rambling.
He had asked her to come home with him that night, he remembered. She had lightly said no. He could hear her words even now, "We just met a few weeks ago, and I told you, I'm dating someone."
Her words had made him mad, and he had grown more persistent, grabbing her by the arms. She had slapped him and ran. That was when he began stalking her. He was sure she had all but forgotten the night that followed that.
She had turned him down yet again and he had been thrown in jail for several years. He swore he would get revenge. She had been the cause of everything-he always got what he wanted, every woman he had ever known knew that.
Then he had begun working for his brother. Now he was glad he had. He had waited a long time for this. He never would have found her if he hadn't promised his brother he would keep an eye on Scarecrow. Now she would pay for choosing someone else over him.
SMKsmkSMKsmkSMK
Lee was wearing a path into the carpet of Billy's office. Billy and Francine could only watch and listen as he ranted.
"How could I have let this happen?! He's got her because he wants me and will probably kill her if I don't come! But, we're so blasted understaffed that we can't get any leads!"
Billy motioned for Francine to leave so he could speak with Lee privately.
"Lee, get a grip! We'll find her. We will get a lead soon!"
"Billy, you don't understand. I can't go on without her...she's my wife." He said this last part very softly, almost sobbing.
Billy misheard him, "I know she's your life," he consoled, not really understanding.
This time Lee said it more forcefully, "You sill don't understand Billy. She's my *wife*."
Billy stood, "Oh boy." He muttered (though he was glad his favorite agent had finally found someone), then asked more loudly, "When did this happen."
Lee pulled himself together and began to tell his story, revealing parts even Amanda didn't know, or at least, he hadn't told her.
"When I first met Amanda and got to know her, she was cute, but her talking got on my nerves, or at least I acted like it did. Now it's one of the things I love most about her. Truthfully, I was glad for her company, and though I didn't want to admit it at first, I admired her and knew that she would make a good agent. I'm not sure when I realized I was falling for her. But my feelings for her changed each time something happened to her. I was scared I would lose her. Soon I found that I was beginning to make excuses just to drop by her house. I finally proposed while we were being held by Addi Birol."
Billy interrupted, "I think I already know when you two got hitched. I had been wondering when you first mentioned it, but I think I but it all together. It was that case with the paintings and your ex-con pal where you and Amanda were so anxious to go on your vacations-or should I say, vacation."
Lee merely nodded, "Then, Amanda got shot. I've never been that worried in my life-until now."
"It must have been a bummer-"
Francine strode in hurriedly, unannounced, and Billy had the good since to shut his mouth. He was happy for Lee, but if word got out, it would shoot through the bullpen like wildfire.
"I think we may have found something. A large house in a ritzy neighborhood. Serdyich's mother lived their until her death and the house was sold to what the land lady described as a "normal American with just a slight unidentifiable accent."
Lee stood, clenching and unclenching his fists. "She's there, I know it."
*Hang on Amanda, I'm coming for you!*
While Amanda's crumpled form lay in the floor, the man paced. The memories were flooding back vividly.
It had been the first time anyone had said no to him. They had been at a movie, reviewing it for their drama class, who would act it out soon. It had been before he had joined his brother. She had been beautiful their senior year-she still was-and he had just moved there a few weeks before. They had hit it off instantly and he had inadvertently fell in love with her smile and incessant rambling.
He had asked her to come home with him that night, he remembered. She had lightly said no. He could hear her words even now, "We just met a few weeks ago, and I told you, I'm dating someone."
Her words had made him mad, and he had grown more persistent, grabbing her by the arms. She had slapped him and ran. That was when he began stalking her. He was sure she had all but forgotten the night that followed that.
She had turned him down yet again and he had been thrown in jail for several years. He swore he would get revenge. She had been the cause of everything-he always got what he wanted, every woman he had ever known knew that.
Then he had begun working for his brother. Now he was glad he had. He had waited a long time for this. He never would have found her if he hadn't promised his brother he would keep an eye on Scarecrow. Now she would pay for choosing someone else over him.
SMKsmkSMKsmkSMK
Lee was wearing a path into the carpet of Billy's office. Billy and Francine could only watch and listen as he ranted.
"How could I have let this happen?! He's got her because he wants me and will probably kill her if I don't come! But, we're so blasted understaffed that we can't get any leads!"
Billy motioned for Francine to leave so he could speak with Lee privately.
"Lee, get a grip! We'll find her. We will get a lead soon!"
"Billy, you don't understand. I can't go on without her...she's my wife." He said this last part very softly, almost sobbing.
Billy misheard him, "I know she's your life," he consoled, not really understanding.
This time Lee said it more forcefully, "You sill don't understand Billy. She's my *wife*."
Billy stood, "Oh boy." He muttered (though he was glad his favorite agent had finally found someone), then asked more loudly, "When did this happen."
Lee pulled himself together and began to tell his story, revealing parts even Amanda didn't know, or at least, he hadn't told her.
"When I first met Amanda and got to know her, she was cute, but her talking got on my nerves, or at least I acted like it did. Now it's one of the things I love most about her. Truthfully, I was glad for her company, and though I didn't want to admit it at first, I admired her and knew that she would make a good agent. I'm not sure when I realized I was falling for her. But my feelings for her changed each time something happened to her. I was scared I would lose her. Soon I found that I was beginning to make excuses just to drop by her house. I finally proposed while we were being held by Addi Birol."
Billy interrupted, "I think I already know when you two got hitched. I had been wondering when you first mentioned it, but I think I but it all together. It was that case with the paintings and your ex-con pal where you and Amanda were so anxious to go on your vacations-or should I say, vacation."
Lee merely nodded, "Then, Amanda got shot. I've never been that worried in my life-until now."
"It must have been a bummer-"
Francine strode in hurriedly, unannounced, and Billy had the good since to shut his mouth. He was happy for Lee, but if word got out, it would shoot through the bullpen like wildfire.
"I think we may have found something. A large house in a ritzy neighborhood. Serdyich's mother lived their until her death and the house was sold to what the land lady described as a "normal American with just a slight unidentifiable accent."
Lee stood, clenching and unclenching his fists. "She's there, I know it."
*Hang on Amanda, I'm coming for you!*