Chapter 5

Francine sat at her desk and began writing out her report for their findings earlier that day. She wrote out as much detail as she could regarding the journal Tom was bringing down to Crypto to have translated. She looked at the stack of pamphlets and moved each one as she copied down the title into a neat list on her report. She lifted the name book and flipped slowly through the pages until she found the marked ones. She wrote down all the names that were underlined and carefully scanned the rest of the book for any other markings. When she didn't find any, she put the name book and the pamphlets back into the evidence bag and looked at her report. She didn't notice Amanda wander into the bullpen until she called her name.

"Francine? Have you seen Lee?" Amanda asked.

"Um, last time I saw him was this morning when he was heading downstairs to see Stanley," Francine smiled.

"Shoot," Amanda exhaled. She pursed her lips and looked at her watch.

"Something wrong?" Francine asked. She tapped her pen on her report as she waited for Amanda to reply.

Amanda looked around and sighed, "Well, no. Mother and I were shopping this morning and I didn't have enough time to go home and get my car first so Mother dropped me off. I figured I would be here until Lee was done but Mr. Melrose just told me the intern they assigned to help me just went home sick so there's nothing I can work on right now."

"I thought you were helping Leatherneck?" Francine asked.

"He's over at Station One with the other instructors setting up a new climbing wall. I would have finished the background checks but it looks like Leatherneck took the files with him or he locked them up in his office," Amanda explained.

Francine laughed, "Leatherneck actually has his own office?"

Amanda leaned on the edge of Francine's desk and laughed, "How is it, you two have been a thing for months yet you don't even know where his office is?"

Francine shook her head, "Amanda Stetson, I beg to differ. Leatherneck and I are not a thing as you put it. We're friends and nothing more."

"Uh-huh, friends. Didn't you go away for Valentine's Day?" Amanda questioned with a grin.

"No," Francine insisted. "We went to New York City for the Agency's Foreign Support Summit which happened to be the same weekend. We had our own rooms and yes, we did have dinner together but nothing else happened."

Amanda rubbed her belly with one hand and laughed, "Well, I stand corrected."

"So where is Leatherneck's office?" Francine implored.

"Level Seven near TAC. That way he's close by the shooting range and the Quartermaster Stores if anyone needs him," Amanda explained. "Do you know he puts himself on a rotating schedule based on the seasons?" she whispered with a laugh.

Francine leaned close and asked, "What are you talking about?"

Amanda looked around and said quietly, "Well, he was telling me during the fall, he puts himself on the schedule for the garage, during the summer, the shooting range, during the winter he teaches a few classes and hangs out in the Quartermaster Stores and during the spring he heads over to Station One when he can. That way, he doesn't get bored in one place for too long."

Francine whistled low, "So that explains it."

"Explains what?" Amanda laughed again.

"Why he's never in one place when I'm looking for him," Francine stated. She looked down and remembered she still needed to finish her report. "Amanda, did you need something else? I have to run out soon so I can finish up this report for today."

"No, I guess I can just wait for Lee to finish up," she sighed.

"Oh, he might be down there a while. Stanley put a Do Not Disturb sign on his door which typically means he's planning on a long session," Francine informed her. When Amanda's face fell, Francine suggested, "Tell you what. I need to head in that direction. If you help me out, I'll drop you off."

Amanda folded her arms and studied Francine's face before she asked, "What do you need?"

"I need to go to a store called Maggie and Tuck's to see if I can find these," she held up the bag with the flyers and pamphlets in it.

"Mother and I just came from there. I know exactly where to find those," Amanda nodded.

Francine exhaled, "Great. So I'll pull up and you can run inside, grab all the pamphlets you see. Then I can drop you off at home and it's a win-win for both of us."

"A win-win? Francine this sounds like you don't want to go into the store and you're using me to do your work for you," Amanda admonished her friend.

"Amanda, that is a maternity and baby store. I don't belong in there," Francine stated firmly.

"Why? Because you're not pregnant?" Amanda snapped back teasingly.

Francine pursed her lips and looked around to see if anyone was listening. "Keep your voice down. I don't want anyone getting the wrong impression. I'm just not comfortable in places like that, that's all." She sighed softly and asked, "Will you help me, please?"

"I will, but you need to come inside with me to understand there's nothing to be afraid of," Amanda insisted.

Francine closed her eyes briefly then stated, "Fine." She quickly added, "Thank you," before they left the bullpen together. As they drove to the store, they chatted over some of the scuttlebutt and rumors flying around the Steno Pool. When they reached the store, Francine asked once more, "You sure I have to go in there?"

Amanda nodded her head, "Yes, Francine. Don't worry, there's nothing in there that's going to hurt you." They entered the store and Amanda immediately walked past the registers to a small sitting area surrounded by displays filled with various flyers and pamphlets. "Is this what you were looking for?" Amanda teased.

"Oh, you're back!" the clerk called over to Amanda.

"Oh, no. It's her again," Nervously, Amanda twisted her hands together. When she didn't feel her rings, she immediately panicked but quickly remembered where she left them.

The clerk hurried over to Amanda and Francine. "Were you interested in our information library?" she asked.

Amanda scanned the first row of pamphlets, reached forward and grabbed one as she said, "Yes, I was. I was thinking it's been so long since my boys were babies that I wanted to see if anything had changed in the debate on bottle versus breastfeeding." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Francine visibly flinch.

"Well, we have a class on why 'breast is best' if you're interested," the clerk stated. She eyed Amanda carefully before she leaned close and said, "We also offer support for single mothers as well as solutions."

"But I'm not-" Amanda began but, to her surprise, Francine cut her off quickly. "She's not ready to make any kind of a decision yet. You know how that goes."

The clerk eyed Francine for a moment, then nodded. "I understand. But we're here to help if you need it," she stated before she wandered away to help another customer.

Francine scanned the rows of pamphlets as she watched the clerk disappear. She quickly pulled a few pamphlets on adoption including several on international adoptions. Amanda stood, her mouth gaping open as she tried to figure out what just happened. "Francine, why did you interrupt me?"

Francine craned her neck, looking for the clerk before she whispered, "Because she doesn't know you're married." Amanda twisted her hands together again, uncomfortable her rings were not on her fingers. "Let's get out of here before she comes back," Francine commanded as she linked her arm in Amanda's and tugged her outside.

"What was that all about?" Amanda questioned as Francine continued to guide her to the car.

"That clerk was a little too interested in you," Francine stated cryptically. Once they were safely back in the car, Francine asked, "Where is your wedding ring? I thought you never took that off?"

Amanda glanced down at her hands, ring-free. "My hands are beginning to swell a little and they felt a little tight this morning so I took them off when I took a shower only I forgot to put them back on when Mother rushed me out to go shopping," Amanda explained.

"Well, it's a good thing because that just gave me an idea for this new case that Edwards and I are working on," Francine smiled.

"Really? Something I can help you with, maybe?" Amanda asked, her eyebrows high.

Francine shrugged her shoulders and admitted, "I'm not sure yet but I'm sure I'll have plenty of questions in a day or two."

"Well, I have plenty of time on my hands," Amanda laughed as Francine drove out of the parking lot.