Taking Action
Chapter 14
Up in her bedroom, Amanda's face was only inches from his. The inviting way she was looking at him made him uncomfortable. If he would slightly lean in, would she also lean in? Maybe not when he had first arrived, but the situation had changed, it seemed.
Shaking with nerves, he balled his hand into a fist and forced himself to think logically.
He had accomplished what he set out to do, which was to update Amanda. Now that he thought about it, he wondered why he and Billy got Amanda involved in this sordid mess to begin with. Of course, it had started to be a simple job, like they always were, but it never turned out that way.
Looking at her now, he saw the covers and pillow was no longer separating them. Slowly his hand reached over and he brought the covers up once more to modestly cover her.
"Lee?" her eyes were inquiring, not sure she was getting the right message.
"It's chilly, Amanda," he said gently.
"I- I wasn't actually feeling cold, Lee," she stated evenly.
"I know, Amanda. But it's better this way."
Lee took a deep breath in. He knew being with her this way was becoming far too tempting for him.
"So now that we've covered the weather, " he tried to smooth everything over with a light smile, "maybe I should go..."
And forced himself to stand.
Amanda could not hide her disappointment, "You're leaving?"
Lee was slightly surprised at her reaction being that ten minutes ago she hadn't even wanted him upstairs. However, it was best he not bring that point up.
"Amanda, it's one in the morning."
"I don't remember you ever being aware of the time before," she pointed out.
So she did want him to stay. And he wanted to. But he had already convinced himself that it was best this way. She already had someone and he had a career, a different lifestyle, and...and it could never be. And unlike other women, he couldn't just callously walk away from her afterwards. He knew it would affect her. Walking up to the window, he smiled, determined to keep his departure light.
"I guess I'll have to go out the way I came in," he casually announced as he pointed to the window, "Wish me luck."
"You need luck climbing down my trellis?" Amanda questioned, a hint of surprise in her eyes.
"No, I need luck driving away from your street, " he teased, "After all, Amanda, you live in a pretty rough neighborhood."
Amanda gave one of her dazzling smiles, enjoying his jesting once again, "Really, Lee, and just how rough is my neighborhood?"
Lee was glad his last image of her tonight would be a smile.
"I just saw someone stealing hubcabs from a car," he claimed sardonically as he pointed out the window, "...and the car was still moving!"
Amanda gave a sweet, short laugh, "Hah! That certainly is a rough neighborhood, Lee!"
Then with a wink, Lee was gone, and she like Lady Victoria, looked forward to her next meeting with the man of mystery.
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The supposed hideout of Richard Ryland was located on the northside of Richmond, considered one of the roughest areas in the state. Lee drove down the backway of Chamberlayne Avenue which was very narrow, little more than an alley.
He and Amanda had been joking last night that she had lived in a rough neighborhood, but this was the real thing. The lack of street lights made the seemingly crime-ridden area perfect for muggers and burglars. Lee jokingly thought that when residents shut their windows, they would, in all likelihood, hurt somebody's fingers.
At least he was smart enough to come here alone without Amanda.
Walking softly to the door of the hideaway, Lee tried the knob. It was unlocked, another bad sign. Opening the door slowly he crept in. The entry way led to a hallway, and as Lee walked down it with the nuzzle of his gun pointed to the ceiling, he didn't notice a small side table on the entry way and bumped into it, almost sending some car keys and mailings to the floor.
For a second, Lee froze, his ears attuned to any sounds in the house. Nothing. But the closer he got to the living room, the closer he felt an awful feeling in the pit of his stomach. He knew exactly what he would find because even before he turned the corner, he recognized the smell of death. The only question was, whose body would it be.
Keeping his back against the entryway, Lee burst into the living room his gun in ready-to-shoot position.
But he wouldn't be needing his gun.
Dead on the floor was a stocky man with a thick neck and a buzz cut. Probably Richard Ryland. Lee bent down to examine the body. There was one gunshot wound straight to the heart. Death must have been instantaneous.
Standing up, Lee looked around the living room. Despite Richard Ryland's appearance, he obviously kept a neat place. Every knick knack was in its place, bookcases dusted and tables cleared of items. Something about it seemed strange, though. It was almost as if it were too neat.
Lee then moved into the bedroom; it was the complete opposite.
The room was a mess. Not a mess as in someone ransacked it. A mess as in someone is messy. Every flat surface was covered with papers, tossed clothes, boxes and just stuff. Why would the bedroom be such a disaster when the living room was uncluttered and organized like a museum?
There could only be one explanation.
Whoever killed Ryland had purposely cleaned up the living room, maybe to destroy evidence of his presence. Keeping his gun cocked, Lee continued his search of the bedroom. He found a pair of binoculars in the pile of mess. So Ryland had been the one spying on Lee when he was at the consignment store. Lee continued his search. At last he was in front of the closet and cautiously opened it.
A fist immediately popped out from the closet, aiming right for Lee's nose.
But Lee's quick spy reflexes saved him.
He darted his body to one side, looking like a human windshield wiper. Then grabbing the hidden man's arm, Lee jerked the ski-masked suspect out of the closet. They struggled and the bad guy tried for another punch but Lee managed to block the hit by grabbing onto the fist. Then Lee connected with a knife-hand strike to the man's neck.
The bad guy backed off, woozily. Then when Lee came forward to finish off the fight, the bad guy turned behind him, took hold of a lamp and threw it in Lee's direction. As expected, Lee ducked in plenty of time.
And then Lee went into attack mode. He connected with a fist punch to the solar plexus, followed by a palm strike directly to the nose. A sharp crack was heard and blood flowed from the bad guy's nose.
"Yeeooow!" he yelped, obviously in pain, as he fell to the ground on his back, "You broke my nose!"
"That's too bad, Creep," Lee threatened, as he stood over him, "because when I get through with you, your nose will be the best feeling part of you."
Lee then bent down and roughly threw off the ski mask . He then sucked in his breath when he recognized the intruder. Sitting there on the floor was Officer Williams, the policeman whom detective Ed Horton had been conversing with when he, Cassie, and Amanda were at victim's Carolyn MacMurray's house.
"Williams!" Lee yelled accusingly,"You better start talking!"
Officer Williams glared up at Lee, "Go to hell!" His voice sounded nasally.
"Wrong answer, Pal," Lee responded. He reached down and gripped the broken nose with two fingers. Officer Williams' eyes bulged out.
"Last chance and then I start twisting, " Lee was showing he wasn't fooling around, "What do you have to do with the death of Tony Montella, Carolyn MacMurray and May Wong?"
"OW! Stop! I'll...talk!" Williams slurred, obviously in agony yet desperate. When Lee released his hold, Williams held protectively on to his nose, "I ..Oooo...swear, I didn't... kill them!"
"If not you, then who?" Lee asked impatiently.
Williams was delicately touching his nose, "T-try Ed Horton."
"Horton?!" Lee questioned, "Detective Horton, Cassie's partner?"
Williams nodded, "H-he was...original detective on... Ryland rob-bery case," he admitted, as he gently rubbed his nose.
Lee's face turned red.
"So Horton killed three innocent people?" Lee's anger was apparent, "Tell me, Pal, IS THAT WHAT HAPPENED?"
Williams was still having problem breathing, although the initial pain had eased, "N-no, Ryland...killed them all. But Horton got to Ryland...Horton has...diamonds."
"Well, he won't for long!" threatened Lee.
Williams seemed to be breathing through his mouth now
"You ...should...ack!" Williams cringed from the pain, "... worry about..your own partner..."
Amanda!
A singular image exploded in his mind that made him sick to his stomach: It wasn't Ryland that had been watching them through the binoculars that first day in the alley of the consignment store; it had been Horton!
Lee looked enraged at Williams, " Are you saying Horton is going after Amanda?"
"Urgh..."
William was too caught up in his own worries as he flinched as his own blood was everywhere. But Lee needed an answer. Callously he reached out and gave Williams' nose a tight squeeze. Small bones grated against one another. Williams screamed and buckled in sheer terror and pain.
"Yeoooww!"
"Answer me quick, Pal!" warned Lee, holding on tight to William's nose, "Where would Horton take Amanda?"
"Ow...OW...okay!" Williams was hurting, "...His...p-place...maybe..."
Williams could barely breathe through any orifice when Lee finally released his nose. But Lee didn't care about William's suffering. Lee's entire focus was on getting to Amanda before it was too late. In the meantime, there were the sounds of sirens, but Lee was not even aware of them.
He was too busy thinking about what he was going to do to Horton once he found him.
.
.
"Amanda, tell me you're not seriously considering doing that..." Dotty said as they stood together in the kitchen fixing tonight's pot roast with potatoes, carrots and asparagus. Amanda was seasoning the meat while Dotty was cutting the vegetables.
" I am, Mother!" Amanda tried to sound as decisive as she could.
Dotty stopped her chopping to look at her daughter, whom she thought was usually so level headed.
"I can't believe you're breaking up with Dean...why?"
Amanda was now rubbing the garlic all over the meat, "Mother, It's just..." she tried to keep her voice steady, "...it's just that it's time. Dean has been a wonderful companion for me..but...he just wasn't right for me."
"Amanda," Dotty's chopping movements now seemed more forceful, "I could understand if Dean had a drinking problem or liked to gamble, but he has no vices. You know how rare that is these days?"
"Yes, Mother, I am well aware of that," Amanda stated, now beginning to surround the meat with vegetables, "but I don't think he's the one."
"Oh, here we go again, wishing for Mr. Knight in Shining Armor again," Dotty raised her knife in frustration, "Amanda, do you honestly think that one day, out of the blue, Mr. Wonderful will show up?"
Amanda paused.
"It could happen that way, Mother," Amanda looked directly at her mother, "Who knows? I could just be at some place as common as a train station...and WHAM! He suddenly appears!"
"A busy train station?" Dotty said, rolling her eyes to the high heavens, "how utterly unromantic!"
"We all have our own ideals of the romantic, Mother. You'll just have to trust me."
"Trust you?" Dotty decisively cut another potato, "Trust a person who throws away a perfectly good relationship with a man who has been kind and loyal..., for a life of loneliness?"
How could Amanda make her mother understand?. She wanted more from a relationship than what Dean could offer.
"Mother, don't worry about me-I'll make out fine, with or without a man!" Now turning on the faucet, Amanda washed her hands, dried them and then proceeded to take off her apron. Dotty watched her daughter, a puzzled expression on her face.
"Amanda, are you going somewhere?"
"I've just noticed, Mother, that we're short on carrots," Amanda lied, "so I thought I'd drop by the grocery store and buy some additional ones. You know how Jamie loves carrots and hogs them all to himself. If he weren't a little boy, I'd swear he was a rabbit!"
She hoped she sounded very convincing. Right now, she just wanted to get out of the house and have some time alone with her thoughts.
"I hope it's not because of our discussion, Dear. Heaven knows, the last thing I want to do is get you upset."
"No, of course not, Mother!" Amanda assured her, not wanting to hurt her feelings, "It's just the meal would look more attractive if we added more orange to it. After all, didn't that new chef on your favorite TV cooking show say presentation was everything?"
"You do have a point, Amanda. Chef Bennett made it very clear that a meal must look most appetizing to please the palette, "Dotty agreed.
"So carrots it is, Mother!" Amanda went over to the front closet to get her sweater. Dotty had followed Amanda into the living room.
"Oh, and Amanda?"
"Yes, Mother?"
"I think I may have said too much about Dean. You may be right; perhaps you have outgrown him," Dotty reasoned. She then smiled at Amanda, "I know at the end, you will make the right decision."
"Oh, Mother!" Amanda gave her mom a hug for that.
Dotty looked slightly stunned with the embrace, "And what was that for, Dear?"
"For being the mother I've always wanted!" Amanda replied, a big smile on her face.
"I do try to be, Amanda!" Dotty smiled, now switching subjects, "and remember...when you get to the market, only choose the carrots that look yummy. They should look sharp with a smooth form and a hearty color. These tend to keep better. "
"...the same with choosing men," Amanda mumbled, more to herself.
"What?" Dotty looked puzzled and somehow that made Amanda laugh.
"Bye, Mother, I'll see you soon."
"Good-bye Dear. And remember, make sure they're sweet, too!"
"Only the sweet ones, Mother!"
Dotty could have sworn that Amanda snickered as she gave a backward wave. She watched Amanda's backside until she disappeared. Then Dotty watched the station wagon as it pulled out of the driveway, before she shut the front door. However, she should have lingered at the door just a few seconds longer.
If Dotty had, she would have noted a black car pulling away at the same time, menacingly following Amanda's vehicle.
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(Thanks for all the reviewers who let me know which episode the 'bedroom visit' was from! Nice to know readers are so helpful and supportive. I'll have to make time to watch it soon)!
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