The Meet up

Chapter 7

So Lee had been assigned to The Enchanted Florist flower shop to discover why the manager, Jean Sutton had been murdered. Instead he found himself pointing a gun at Conrad Barnhill and Amanda when they revealed themselves to him from behind the counter.

Amanda looked as surprised to see Lee as he was to see her.

"Lee?" she questioned, looking perplexed as she and Conrad slowly brought their hands down and Lee had no choice but to shoulder his gun.

"Amanda, what are you doing here?" he asked as he stepped up to them, "the police had this place sealed tight. You have no authorization to be here!"

Amanda was watching Lee's every move as he approached them. She couldn't seem to concentrate on his words. Just hearing his ever pleasant low voice sounded like heaven to her. She forced herself to turn and look over at Conrad, who seemed as frightened as ever. It would not do to frighten Connie.

She cleared her throat. Outwardly, she was cool and collected, but underneath, her heart was beating rapidly at Lee's presence.

"I could say the same for you, Lee," Amanda challenged him. "the police HAD sealed this place tight. So what are you doing here?"

"I asked first," Lee challenged, with a professional tone.

"I asked second," she told him, "and the number 2 is bigger than 1."

Lee looked confused, "That doesn't even make sense!"

Conrad suddenly stepped forward.

"H-hello, Mr. Stetson," he interjected, nervously, "Remember me? I'm Conrad...Conrad Barnhill...um, if you recall, we did that mission together over in London...well, not a mission together...we were on opposite sides...but, nevertheless we were in the same room together..."

Lee hated the distraction as he looked impatiently at Conrad.

"Of course I remember you, Barnhill!" he snapped.

"Lee!" Amanda interrupted, "Connie's on our side! No reason to be rude!"

"Rude?" he looked incredulous, "I'm never rude!"

Amanda stared him down, "Then what do you call pointing a gun at him? And at me?"

Secretly Lee had thought his reunion with Amanda would be a happy one, but instead here she was berating him, like...like he was a child!

Well, he'll show her that he could be a professional agent!

So ignoring her, he feigned a smile at Conrad.

"Riiight, of course, Conrad Barnhill," Lee politely acknowledged.

Then he diplomatically held out his hand. Conrad stared at it.

"You're not going to slap me with that hand, are you?" Conrad asked hesitantly.

Yup, Lee thought to himself, it definitely was Conrad Barnhill and he hadn't changed a bit.

"Not unless you pull out a fake gun on me again," Lee straight-faced him, reminding Conrad that he had once pretended to be holding Amanda hostage while pointing an unloaded gun at Lee.

"So you DO remember me!" Conrad looked pleased as he then bravely shook Lee's hand.

Lee's eyes then wandered back to Amanda and his eyes softened, causing Amanda to quiet the thumping of her heart. Oh myyy, Amanda thought, trying to breathe again. She had truly missed him. And now standing before her, he seemed taller, more handsome, more dangerous than she remembered.

"So..." Amanda attempted small talk, "I see you're back from your mission, Lee..."

"I am," he stated, his green eyes ensnared hers with a steady gaze, "I just got back from my mission in Paris."

"Paris, eh?" Conrad said, sounding enthused, "Of course you would be over there! That's a typical spy locale! There's a lot of mysterious intrigue that happens over there, I bet."

Lee had forgotten about Conrad for a second and now turned to him, "Yeah, I suppose you could word it that way."

"Was your mission successful?" Amanda asked pleasantly, seeming to want his attention back, "Did you enjoy your time in Paris?"

A slow smile appeared on Lee's lips which made Amanda sway a little.

"Yes, I did, Amanda; the city was lovely over there," he had a faraway look, "although it rained a bit over there. Even so, I'm glad to be back."

And though the conversation was light, the underlying tension of attraction between Lee and Amanda was palpable.

As he spoke, she looked at him with almost a dreamlike look. Lee had a way of causing sensations to riot within her. His presence gave goose-bumps down her back. While he had been away, she had missed this feeling of excitement, of not knowing what was around the corner. Of not seeing him.

Lee was still trying to overcome the confusion he felt upon seeing her. But mixed in there was a feeling of joy She always gave off an aura of happiness with her optimistic smile and positive demeanor. But it was her eyes, yes, her eyes. They were extraordinary. Almond shaped, intelligent, warm and so very compassionate. As he watched her, each breath he seemed to take in scorched his lungs. He was surprised by his reaction to her and he was bothered by it as well.

"I've always liked Paris, too," enthused Conrad, unaware of the tension, "over there the street lamps are fancy and the French seem to have a different word for everything!"

Both Amanda and Lee gave Conrad puzzled looks. But at least he managed to bring both of them back to the present.

"Well, now," Lee tried to sound very businesslike "what are you two doing here?" he addressed them both, but he was looking at Amanda.

"You first," Amanda challenged again, with stiff-backed dignity.

Lee gave a lazy smile, which made Amanda want to melt into a puddle.

"Alright, I suppose I will go first, "he volunteered, "and although I can't go into specifics, what I can tell you is that I'm investigating the murder of the shop manager of this flower shop."

"So THAT'S why there was all this police stuff around!" Conrad realized. Then his eyes looked scared, "oh wow, a mur-der!"

"But why are YOU investigating that murder?" Amanda asked Lee, "Was the shop manager working for the Agency?"

"Amanda, you know I can't answer that, especially in front of a civilian," Lee head-gestured over to Conrad, "but I've already said more than necessary... What about you two? The shop is closed so obviously you're not here to buy flowers."

"No," Conrad said, "we were trying to find out who almost ran me over."

Lee gave a 'huh?' look

"You've lost me after the word, 'no'," he told him.

"I think I can explain it," Amanda piped in, "You see, every morning, Conrad walks this way to work. So yesterday someone purposely pushed him into the street just as a vehicle was coming by!"

"A truck," Conrad corrected, "...and a big, ominous one at that!"

"So THAT'S why you think someone is trying to kill you? " Lee looked doubtful, "That's a pretty weak assumption, isn't it?" he asked Conrad, as if it were hard to fathom the idea that someone wanted Barnhill dead, "it could be that someone just accidentally bumped into you."

Conrad drew himself up taller, "Well, Amanda thinks there's a strong possibility of attempted murder! She even saw skid marks!"

"Skid marks?" Lee still looked unconvinced, "welllll, that says it all, doesn't it?" he asked rhetorically sarcastic. Then after thinking about it, he added, "but what does this have to do with the murder in this flower shop anyway?"

"Actually we didn't know someone was even murdered in here," Conrad told him..

"But you saw the police signs outside that said to keep out," Lee said.

"That's true, Mr. Stetson," Conrad agreed," but we figured the police may have closed this place down for a violation. Or maybe a robbery had occurred. We never thought it was for a murder."

"The bloodstains on the ground didn't give it away?" Lee asked sarcastically.

"Oh, Lee; we weren't going to stay long; just have a quick look around," Amanda inserted quickly, "I mean, it's not as if we were here to steal a bouquet of mums or anything! We just wanted to see if there were any clues as to why someone would want to shove Conrad into ongoing traffic!"

"And checking out a flower shop would answer certainly that question," Lee stated wryly.

Conrad took that statement as serious, "So far, no, but we've only started."

"Hmmm...a flower shop proving a person was almost run over by a truck," Lee deadpanned, "You know, from anyone else, the idea sounds ridiculous, but coming from you two...it ALMOST makes sense!"

"It's actually very simple, Lee," Amanda explained, " every day Connie has a regular morning routine, but three days ago, he had deviated from his regular routine when he dropped by this flower shop, so I thought to myself that maybe this flower shop is the key as to why someone was after him.'"

"...I'm hoping it's all a misunderstanding, because, really," Conrad's look was incredulous, "why would someone be after me? I'm a nobody."

"Conrad Barnhill," Amanda lightly lectured him, "I've told you before and I'll tell you again... you ARE somebody," she paused slightly, "We just don't want you to be that somebody who someone wants to kill!"

"Oh, thank you, Amanda, for saying that" he smiled, somehow feeling better.

Lee watched the interaction and felt a strange knot in his stomach. Conrad was looking at Amanda like she could open up the heavens.

Yes, she was great at making a person feel better, but why couldn't Conrad see how infuriating she could be? So what if she was kind and helpful? Couldn't he see that other side of her? That she never listens? That she's stubborn as a mule? And worse, that she is too nosy, sticking herself into situations despite him telling her to stay out of it because she is so...so...he didn't know how to complete the thought but, wonderful at caring was the first thing that came to mind.

"Well," Amanda suggested, "Seeing as we're here together, we might as well work together."

Lee shook his head vigorously.

"Oh noooo we won't!" he disagreed, "We may all be at the same place at the same time, but we are not working together! I am here on a mission here, while the two of you are on...hell, I don't even know what to call it, but both of you are on it!"

"But you know the old saying, Lee..." Amanda tried to sound upbeat, "Three heads are better than one!"

"...Only a three-headed monster believes that!" Lee snapped.

Immediately he felt bad, knowing that Amanda would be thinking he was being grumpy and stubborn, and he hated that she thought that.

He purposely took a calming breath.

"Look," he said evenly to both Amanda and Conrad, "I didn't mean that, sorry."

He couldn't look at her, but she gave him a grateful smile anyway.

Conrad looked hopeful at Lee, "So does that mean we can work together then?"

"Noo!" Lee immediately answered but then tempered it with, "that is, I have my own investigative work to do!"

He looked at Amanda with a look that seemed to want to mind-control her to understand. She stared back at him and suddenly their eyes locked.

They couldn't take their eyes off one another.

Conrad studied both of them thoughtfully, "Am I missing something? Is there something going on between you two?"

Lee and Amanda exchanged surprised looks.

"No!" they responded in shocked unison, as they turned away from each other, and walked away in opposite directions.

"I'm going to check the counter," Lee announced immediately, turning and heading that way.

"I'll go check a different room," Amanda declared just as quickly. as she headed the other way.

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Lee was looking through all the paperwork at the main counter.

Jean Sutton, the manager, had been murdered three days ago at night. It had been done after working hours, when the Agency people had already left. She had been stabbed multiple times in the chest and stomach with a small, sharp instrument, possibly an ice pick or sharp letter opener.

A few droplets of blood on the floor was the only clue that something tragic had occurred here.

Besides that, there wasn't much to look at in the shop. There was a log book of deliveries, a phone with pad, and an index box filled with clients' addresses and phone numbers. He looked through the log book. Nothing jumped out at him. Amanda and Conrad had gone on to investigate the other back room.

He then picked up a picture. It was of a man holding Jean Sutton in his arms and they were smiling happily at the camera. Obviously the man must have been a boyfriend or husband.

From behind him came Conrad's voice, "What are you looking at, Mr. Stetson?"

"I work alone, remember?" Lee shot back, still in a bad mood. He knew it wasn't Conrad's fault, but still...there was a feeling that Conrad was keeping Lee from enjoying Amanda's company.

Conrad stared at the picture, "They look so happy together," he said, referring to the picture of Ms. Sutton and boyfriend, "I only wished I had a picture like that taken with someone I loved. What about you, Mr. Stetson? You have a picture of you with someone special?"

Lee wanted to ignore the question, but sadly he also knew he really didn't have a loving picture of himself posed with someone special. Only one with Billy and him.

"It's only a picture," Lee mumbled back, quickly putting the picture back.

For a split second, Lee's expression turned sad. He was thinking: if anything happened to him in the future, who would be there for him? Who would care? Would there be someone to mourn his death, memorialize him in a speech where he would be described as a person with a good heart, or would the eulogy consists of what a great agent he had been? Now looking at the picture of Jean Sutton again, he felt it was important to find the killer. For Jean Sutton had someone in her life and she would surely be missed.

"Leeeee!" Amanda's voice sounded loud and clear as she called from another room, "Lee! In here!"

Lee's head immediately shot up and quickly putting the picture down, he rushed to the back, with Conrad close behind him.

"A-man-da!" Lee responded back, letting her know he was coming as quickly as his legs could carry him.

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