Chapter 6
Amanda pulled up outside of Joe's apartment just before ten o'clock. She sat for a
moment to gather her thoughts, then stepped out of the car and made her way up the walk
to the front entrance of the building. As she was about to enter, she heard a call from up
the street and turned to look.
"Hey, Mom," Jamie cried, racing up to her. Philip followed more sedately behind, as
befitted his stature as older brother. Amanda admired her sons, marveling at how much
they had grown in so short a time. She met Jamie with a hug and a kiss on top of his
head, and Philip with a more casual, "Hey, Pal," and a smile. "What are you two doing
out front?"
"Dad's parking the car, and we're bringing in the grocery bags!" Jamie chirped brightly,
shifting the paper bag in his arms. "Philip, get the door!" he shouted to his brother.
"Chill out, monkey breath," muttered Philip, rolling his eyes as he pushed open the heavy
door.
"Philip, don't call your brother monkey breath," Amanda scolded. She followed them up
the stairs to Joe's apartment and took Philip's bag from him while he unlocked the door.
As they entered the apartment, Amanda heard Joe's voice drifting up the stairwell.
"Amanda, is that you?" He appeared around the railing and bounded up the last few
stairs. He grabbed her shoulders anxiously. "Amanda. What's wrong? You really had
me worried, calling so early this morning."
"Let's go inside, it won't take long. I'll explain everything," Amanda soothed. "By the
way, where's Carrie? Didn't you say she was going to take the boys to the movies so we
could talk?" Amanda gazed around the room searchingly.
"She's just finishing up getting ready. She won't be out for a while yet," Joe replied with
a long-suffering sigh. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "She takes twice as
long to get ready as you ever did," he said, shrugging. Amanda smiled in commiseration
as he led her to the sofa. "Come here and have a seat. You look a little tired. Are you
sure you're okay?" he asked, a frown knitting his brow.
They sat down on the couch, and Amanda took his hand, speaking in hushed tones. "Joe,
something has come up at the Agency. I can't really tell you too much," they shared a
secretive smile, "but it has to do with Estoccia again. I can tell you that there is a senator
who's been, well, smuggling certain things to someone there. We need to find the go-
between. It's got to be someone who looks squeaky clean on the surface, because we
haven't even got a clue." She sighed and sat back against the cushions. "I feel like I'm on
a wild goose chase. I know you don't have anything to do with it, but…" she glanced
over at him apologetically.
"Amanda, you're just doing your job. Let me think…" Joe went over to the window and
pulled back the curtain, lost in thought. He stared absently at a dark blue sedan parked
across the street. "I'll have to dig around a bit, and I'll check with the Prime Minister, but
it's going to take some time," he shrugged doubtfully, turning to face her. "I'll do what I
can. Are you authorized to tell me the senator's name?" he asked hesitantly, searching
her face.
Amanda stood slowly, a contrite smile pulling at the corners of her mouth. "Joe-"
"Oh hi!" gushed a cheery voice, accompanied by a petite blond woman dressed casually
in form-fitting jeans and a pink sweater. "You must be Amanda! It's so nice to finally
meet you! I'm Carrie Stockton, Joe's fiancée. Let me get Philip and Jamie and we'll be
out of your hair!" She breezed back out of the room and Amanda heard her calling for
the boys.
Amanda exchanged a discomfited look with Joe and gave a half-laugh, looking down at
her meshed fingers. "I guess that was Carrie."
Joe tried to cover his embarrassment with a cough. "She gets a little excitable
sometimes," he said, grimacing.
Amanda could see he was having trouble meeting her eyes. "Joe, don't worry about it.
I'm sure she's…very nice." She took a deep breath and turned to the door. "Well, that's
really all I wanted to talk to you about," Amanda said, tucking her hands in her skirt
pockets self-consciously. "I guess I just need you to nose around a little, see what turns
up. I'm going to head back to the office." Joe opened the door and stepped out into the
hall with her. At the top of the stairs she paused and looked back at him with her hand on
the railing. "Call me if you find out anything, okay? And I am sorry that I had to involve
you again," she said remorsefully.
Joe nodded slightly, and lifted a hand in farewell. Amanda continued down the steps,
murmuring testily under her breath, "Excitable, huh? I can only imagine…" She let
herself out the main entrance to the building and crossed to her car. She opened the door
and slid in, deftly pulling out of the parking space and merging with traffic.
Across the street the men in the blue sedan watched. "Should we follow her?" asked the
thin, balding man in the driver's seat.
His partner blew out a stream of cigarette smoke and smiled sardonically. "The tracking
device I put under her car will take care of that. Plus, it's equipped with a little 'insurance
policy'," he said smugly. "We have to meet with our contact…should be any time now."
He flicked his cigarette but out the window. "We've covered our tracks too well for them
to have any details on our operation. The King woman was probably just snooping
around. But just in case," he smiled wickedly, "we'll know where to find her."
End chapter 6
Chapter 7
Amanda pulled into the Agency parking lot, a troubled frown on her face. Something
was bothering her and she couldn't put her finger on it. She entered the building, smiled
absently at Mrs. Marsden, and headed up the steps for the Q-Bureau. She collided with
Lee at the top of the stairs, nearly losing her balance before he caught her.
"Hey, Amanda! What's got you so distracted?" he laughed, steadying her with his hands
on her arms. "Are you just getting back?" Lee walked beside her to the door of the Q
Bureau, his hand in the small of her back.
Amanda preceded him into the office, dropping her purse and keys on her desk and
settling into her chair. She leaned forward with her elbows on her desk, cupping her chin
in one hand thoughtfully. Lee followed her in, shutting the door quietly behind him, and
turned to look at her expectantly. When she didn't acknowledge him in any way, his
smile turned speculative.
"Amanda? Did you find anything out?" Lee queried.
She looked up at him and shook off her preoccupation. "I'm sorry, Lee, I was a million
miles away." She covered her mouth with both hands and shook her head. "I feel like
I'm missing something. Something very obvious." Suddenly a thought occurred to her,
and she turned to Lee abruptly. "Are there any pictures of Senator Hartford in the
Agency files?"
He looked startled for a moment. "Sure, the man's a public figure. I'm sure there's a ton
of photos." He looked closely at her. "Do you think you have something?"
Amanda sprang to her feet. "I'm not sure, but I need to look at those pictures. Anything
where he was in a crowd, lots of people around him." She strode quickly to the door,
paused and turned back to where Lee stood, bemused. "Well, are you coming?" she
asked impatiently.
Lee nodded. "I wouldn't miss one of your infamous leaps of intuition for the world," he
chuckled, dimples flashing. "By all means…"
Down in the photo file room, they paged through hundreds of pictures of the senator at
banquets, rallies, and charity events. They had been searching for over an hour when
Amanda suddenly straightened in her chair. "Lee-"
He roused himself from his semi-stupor and leaned over her shoulder to see the screen,
rubbing a hand over his face. "You've got something?"
Amanda was staring fixedly at a photograph of Senator Hartford and his wife Marianne.
They were surrounded by a group of people, obviously attending a funeral. A young
woman stood near the senator, one hand on his arm, the other gripping a handkerchief.
"Lee, who is that woman, on the left," Amanda said in a near-whisper.
"That's his current wife, Marianne," he told her. He looked more closely. "This looks like
the picture from his ex-wife's funeral."
"No, no," Amanda said, shaken. "The senator's left. The blonde."
Lee looked at Amanda, bewildered. "That's his daughter from his first marriage, Carrie
Stockton. I met her a couple of years back at a reception."
Amanda's eyes widened as realization dawned. "Oh my gosh…"
End Chapter 7
Amanda pulled up outside of Joe's apartment just before ten o'clock. She sat for a
moment to gather her thoughts, then stepped out of the car and made her way up the walk
to the front entrance of the building. As she was about to enter, she heard a call from up
the street and turned to look.
"Hey, Mom," Jamie cried, racing up to her. Philip followed more sedately behind, as
befitted his stature as older brother. Amanda admired her sons, marveling at how much
they had grown in so short a time. She met Jamie with a hug and a kiss on top of his
head, and Philip with a more casual, "Hey, Pal," and a smile. "What are you two doing
out front?"
"Dad's parking the car, and we're bringing in the grocery bags!" Jamie chirped brightly,
shifting the paper bag in his arms. "Philip, get the door!" he shouted to his brother.
"Chill out, monkey breath," muttered Philip, rolling his eyes as he pushed open the heavy
door.
"Philip, don't call your brother monkey breath," Amanda scolded. She followed them up
the stairs to Joe's apartment and took Philip's bag from him while he unlocked the door.
As they entered the apartment, Amanda heard Joe's voice drifting up the stairwell.
"Amanda, is that you?" He appeared around the railing and bounded up the last few
stairs. He grabbed her shoulders anxiously. "Amanda. What's wrong? You really had
me worried, calling so early this morning."
"Let's go inside, it won't take long. I'll explain everything," Amanda soothed. "By the
way, where's Carrie? Didn't you say she was going to take the boys to the movies so we
could talk?" Amanda gazed around the room searchingly.
"She's just finishing up getting ready. She won't be out for a while yet," Joe replied with
a long-suffering sigh. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "She takes twice as
long to get ready as you ever did," he said, shrugging. Amanda smiled in commiseration
as he led her to the sofa. "Come here and have a seat. You look a little tired. Are you
sure you're okay?" he asked, a frown knitting his brow.
They sat down on the couch, and Amanda took his hand, speaking in hushed tones. "Joe,
something has come up at the Agency. I can't really tell you too much," they shared a
secretive smile, "but it has to do with Estoccia again. I can tell you that there is a senator
who's been, well, smuggling certain things to someone there. We need to find the go-
between. It's got to be someone who looks squeaky clean on the surface, because we
haven't even got a clue." She sighed and sat back against the cushions. "I feel like I'm on
a wild goose chase. I know you don't have anything to do with it, but…" she glanced
over at him apologetically.
"Amanda, you're just doing your job. Let me think…" Joe went over to the window and
pulled back the curtain, lost in thought. He stared absently at a dark blue sedan parked
across the street. "I'll have to dig around a bit, and I'll check with the Prime Minister, but
it's going to take some time," he shrugged doubtfully, turning to face her. "I'll do what I
can. Are you authorized to tell me the senator's name?" he asked hesitantly, searching
her face.
Amanda stood slowly, a contrite smile pulling at the corners of her mouth. "Joe-"
"Oh hi!" gushed a cheery voice, accompanied by a petite blond woman dressed casually
in form-fitting jeans and a pink sweater. "You must be Amanda! It's so nice to finally
meet you! I'm Carrie Stockton, Joe's fiancée. Let me get Philip and Jamie and we'll be
out of your hair!" She breezed back out of the room and Amanda heard her calling for
the boys.
Amanda exchanged a discomfited look with Joe and gave a half-laugh, looking down at
her meshed fingers. "I guess that was Carrie."
Joe tried to cover his embarrassment with a cough. "She gets a little excitable
sometimes," he said, grimacing.
Amanda could see he was having trouble meeting her eyes. "Joe, don't worry about it.
I'm sure she's…very nice." She took a deep breath and turned to the door. "Well, that's
really all I wanted to talk to you about," Amanda said, tucking her hands in her skirt
pockets self-consciously. "I guess I just need you to nose around a little, see what turns
up. I'm going to head back to the office." Joe opened the door and stepped out into the
hall with her. At the top of the stairs she paused and looked back at him with her hand on
the railing. "Call me if you find out anything, okay? And I am sorry that I had to involve
you again," she said remorsefully.
Joe nodded slightly, and lifted a hand in farewell. Amanda continued down the steps,
murmuring testily under her breath, "Excitable, huh? I can only imagine…" She let
herself out the main entrance to the building and crossed to her car. She opened the door
and slid in, deftly pulling out of the parking space and merging with traffic.
Across the street the men in the blue sedan watched. "Should we follow her?" asked the
thin, balding man in the driver's seat.
His partner blew out a stream of cigarette smoke and smiled sardonically. "The tracking
device I put under her car will take care of that. Plus, it's equipped with a little 'insurance
policy'," he said smugly. "We have to meet with our contact…should be any time now."
He flicked his cigarette but out the window. "We've covered our tracks too well for them
to have any details on our operation. The King woman was probably just snooping
around. But just in case," he smiled wickedly, "we'll know where to find her."
End chapter 6
Chapter 7
Amanda pulled into the Agency parking lot, a troubled frown on her face. Something
was bothering her and she couldn't put her finger on it. She entered the building, smiled
absently at Mrs. Marsden, and headed up the steps for the Q-Bureau. She collided with
Lee at the top of the stairs, nearly losing her balance before he caught her.
"Hey, Amanda! What's got you so distracted?" he laughed, steadying her with his hands
on her arms. "Are you just getting back?" Lee walked beside her to the door of the Q
Bureau, his hand in the small of her back.
Amanda preceded him into the office, dropping her purse and keys on her desk and
settling into her chair. She leaned forward with her elbows on her desk, cupping her chin
in one hand thoughtfully. Lee followed her in, shutting the door quietly behind him, and
turned to look at her expectantly. When she didn't acknowledge him in any way, his
smile turned speculative.
"Amanda? Did you find anything out?" Lee queried.
She looked up at him and shook off her preoccupation. "I'm sorry, Lee, I was a million
miles away." She covered her mouth with both hands and shook her head. "I feel like
I'm missing something. Something very obvious." Suddenly a thought occurred to her,
and she turned to Lee abruptly. "Are there any pictures of Senator Hartford in the
Agency files?"
He looked startled for a moment. "Sure, the man's a public figure. I'm sure there's a ton
of photos." He looked closely at her. "Do you think you have something?"
Amanda sprang to her feet. "I'm not sure, but I need to look at those pictures. Anything
where he was in a crowd, lots of people around him." She strode quickly to the door,
paused and turned back to where Lee stood, bemused. "Well, are you coming?" she
asked impatiently.
Lee nodded. "I wouldn't miss one of your infamous leaps of intuition for the world," he
chuckled, dimples flashing. "By all means…"
Down in the photo file room, they paged through hundreds of pictures of the senator at
banquets, rallies, and charity events. They had been searching for over an hour when
Amanda suddenly straightened in her chair. "Lee-"
He roused himself from his semi-stupor and leaned over her shoulder to see the screen,
rubbing a hand over his face. "You've got something?"
Amanda was staring fixedly at a photograph of Senator Hartford and his wife Marianne.
They were surrounded by a group of people, obviously attending a funeral. A young
woman stood near the senator, one hand on his arm, the other gripping a handkerchief.
"Lee, who is that woman, on the left," Amanda said in a near-whisper.
"That's his current wife, Marianne," he told her. He looked more closely. "This looks like
the picture from his ex-wife's funeral."
"No, no," Amanda said, shaken. "The senator's left. The blonde."
Lee looked at Amanda, bewildered. "That's his daughter from his first marriage, Carrie
Stockton. I met her a couple of years back at a reception."
Amanda's eyes widened as realization dawned. "Oh my gosh…"
End Chapter 7