Chapter 20 - Lee's Bad Day

As Amanda headed for home, Lee headed out to see if he could find TP. It was a nice day so logic told him that he would find TP at the park. His logic won out again as Lee circled the park and could see TP sitting at one of the park picnic tables. Lee parked the Porsche and walked to where TP was. He seemed to be engrossed in a puzzle book but as Lee got closer he said "Lee my boy. Great to see you. Take a seat."

"Hey TP. Am I interrupting you?"

"No, I recently was introduced to these logic puzzles and find them fascinating. Have you ever done one?"

"No TP, I can't say that I have."

"Well I can't seem to get enough of them. Anyway, I heard that you have had some excitement. Word on the street is that you first caught Rostov and then you set him free. Is there something you need to tell me Lee?"

"Awww, TP, I had to let him go. They kidnapped Amanda and held her for the exchange. They thought they were kidnapping me though."

"I see. So you are developing a soft spot for Amanda are you?"

"TP! They were going to kill her but they thought they were going to kill me. Well I told you that she has 2 small children at home. I couldn't let that happen, could I?"

"No, you are right Lee; you couldn't do that. So is she okay now?"

"Yes, though she just witnessed her first real murder today so she is a bit shaken up."

"OH? Who got murdered?" TP asked.

"Rostov's partner, Ivan."

"You don't say? That makes sense though."

"How so?"

"Well I have heard that Ivan was in the middle of a major double cross of Rostov."

"How Major?" Lee asked.

"I heard that he had a deal going with the East Germans. A pretty interesting deal too."

"Oh? What kind of deal?"

"Well I'm sure you know that Rostov is out to steal the super computer?"

"Yes, that is what we have determined."

"Well Ivan decided that he could be a very wealthy man if he could deliver the Super Computer, Rostov and ummm, well YOU Scarecrow to the East Germans."

"What? Are you telling me that he intended to kidnap both me and Rostov."

"That's what the word on the street is. I would guess that just because he is dead, it won't make the East Germans less interested either."

Lee got up and began pacing while rubbing his two fingers together.

"Any idea how he intends to get us out of the country?"

"There are some German diplomats who are visiting the country to learn more about our developments on Cancer research. The plan is to ship you both back in crates on the plane when it leaves for Germany."

"TP, where do I find Rostov?"

"Well Lee my boy, I always have found that most of the time we look for something missing in all the wrong places. Most of the time, the object that we seek is usually right in front of us."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that he isn't hiding. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't know you are here with me today. He has gotten a huge ego over the years and he thinks that he can't be caught so he has grown careless. Very careless."

"So you think he is following me?"

"It could be. There is a good chance that as he is following you, the East Germans are following both of you. Be careful Lee. Rostov is dangerous. He didn't get his reputation by being a good guy."

"Thanks TP. I think. I guess I'll go check on Amanda."

"Oh, how is that lovely partner of yours? I have heard lots of nice things on the street about her. I can't believe you still haven't introduced us."

"That's exactly why this will be her last case. She is drawing too much attention and she can't afford to be put in danger all the time like this."

"She seems to be perfectly safe with you Lee. I heard that she has great instincts and has helped you out quite a bit."

"Yeah" Lee said as he swiped his hand through his hair.

"Well TP, I gotta go. Let me know if you hear where Rostov is, huh?"

"Will do Lee. Oh and make sure you say hi to Mrs. King for me, okay?"

"Sure TP."

Lee got up from the picnic table and began walking to his car. He couldn't help but glance around him to see if he was being watch though. It was unsettling to know that this whole time, he likely had been being watched. He wondered what part in all of this that Dirk played. At the moment, the most important thing was to go check on Amanda. Lee knew that he wouldn't be able to concentrate on anything else until he made sure she was safe. It seemed that keeping her safe was becoming a full time job, a job that Lee Stetson had definitely not signed up for. In some ways, it felt good to be needed though. Lee was so absorbed in his thoughts that he never saw the red car that purposely swerved and smashed into the side of his Porsche. As Lee tried to keep control of his car, a tire popped and he couldn't stop the car from spinning out as he smashed into a truck head on. Lee's head hit the steering wheel and he was knocked out. The driver in the red car watched the scene for a few minutes to make sure Lee wasn't moving and then he slowly backed his car out from the scene and slowly drove away.

TBC

A/N: I just wanted to give a huge thanks and acknowledgement to Pam and Cindy for the wonderful comments made on FB about my stories. It really means a lot to me. Also, another huge thanks goes to AlaskaFan at the Forums for also plugging my Holiday Stories. It is nice to know that my work is appreciated. The stats tell me that people are reading but since people don't choose to review, it is never easy to know if they are enjoying what they read or not. I'm glad a few people like my format and my original stories. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.