Chapter Five
The next day, after an overnight layover in St.
Louis, Lee and Amanda arrived in Wichita promptly at 11:00 A.M. They stopped to rent a car and get
directions to the Wichita Royale Hotel, where they planned to stay. Half an hour later, Lee and Amanda were on
their way.
"I can't believe Smyth gave us detailed
directions to Nancy Michaels' house, but not to the hotel. We lost fifteen minutes of time waiting for
the rental clerk to find the directions on his map," an angry Lee lamented
as Amanda drove.
"I hope you're getting this out of your
system. It won't do us any good if
you're still upset. I think Dr. Smyth
is more concerned with Nancy Michaels than our hotel," Amanda said in an
attempt to calm down her partner.
"Smyth will find a way to blame us for
it. I swear, that man does these things
on purpose, so he'll have a reason to separate us," Lee continued. He took a look at the directions. "Turn left at the next stoplight."
"I'm surprised that you let me drive. Usually you'd insist on taking the
wheel," Amanda said, trying to change the subject.
"I can barely sit in this thing, let alone
drive it. This makes the 'Vette look
like a limo. You'd think, at eleven in
the morning, the rental places would have a better selection of cars."
"The man at the last counter explained
that they don't get the cars in for the day until noon." Amanda reminded
him as she turned into the hotel parking lot. As soon as Amanda parked the car, Lee quickly eased out. They retrieved their luggage from the trunk
and walked to the hotel lobby.
"Good morning, Sir," the desk clerk
addressed Lee as he and Amanda stopped at the front desk.
"We have a reservation under the name
Stetson," Lee told him.
The clerk checked the reservation book. "Yes, Sir. You are in the honeymoon suite, room 411."
"The honeymoon suite?" a surprised
Amanda asked.
"The man who made your reservation
insisted on it," the clerk answered as he handed Lee a set of keys. "He told me to give you a message. 'Do as you are told, or this will be the
last time Scarecrow and his beloved work together as partners.' Strange man," the clerk stroked his
chin, "he kept talking in riddles
and rhymes. I hope you have a nice stay."
"Thank you." Amanda said as she and
Lee went to the elevator.
An hour later, Lee and Amanda parked in front
of Nancy Michael's house on Belmont Street. They exited the car and proceeded to the front porch, where Melanie sat
on a swing reading a book.
Amanda tapped the young woman's shoulder. "Excuse me, but is your mother
home?"
Without looking up from her book, Melanie said,
"If you are the Avon lady, we're not interested."
"I'm not the Avon lady," Amanda
assured her. "My name is Amanda
Stetson. My mother is a friend of your
mother's. Her name is Dotty West. My husband and I are here to visit your
mother on my mother's behalf."
Melanie looked up from her book and studied
Amanda's face. "I recognize you
from the picture Mrs. West sent us. My
mother is out back. She likes to sit
out there with her flowers." Melanie paused for a few seconds. "I'll take you to her."
Melanie led Lee and Amanda through the house to
the backyard.
"Mama, this is Amanda, Mrs. West's
daughter," Melanie announced.
"I've heard so much about you," Nancy
said. She took a look at Lee and asked,
"Who is this good looking fellow?"
"That's my husband, Lee," Amanda
answered as she and Lee took turns shaking Nancy's hand.
Nancy looked up and smiled, "It's nice to
finally meet you."
"Same here," Amanda returned her
smile.
"If you would excuse me, I think I'll go
back out front," Melanie announced.
"Okay, Sweetie," Nancy said as
Melanie left the backyard.
Nancy pointed to a carafe and some cups
arranged on a nearby table. "Would
you like some coffee?"
Amanda nodded. "That would be nice."
Nancy stood and reached for the coffee
pot. Shakily, she struggled to lift
it. Amanda noticed and said, "Why
don't I pour the coffee? I don't want
you to overexert yourself, for us."
As Amanda poured the coffee into the cups,
Nancy said, "You remind me of your mother. Did Dotty send you?"
"Yes, she's very concerned about you. Mother said you were very ill."
"I'm not just ill, Amanda," Nancy
confessed, "I'm dying."
"Is there anything we can do for
you?" Amanda asked, distress evident in her voice. "How is Melanie coping with
this?"
"It's always been just the two of
us," Nancy said sadly. "It's
going to be really hard on her when I go."
Amanda reached over and placed her hand gently
on Nancy's arm. "My mother wanted
us to tell you that you and Melanie can call on her if you need anything."
"Tell her, thank you." Nancy patted Amanda's hand and nodded. "We'll keep that in mind."
Lee decided that it was time to move onto the
other purpose of their visit. "Ms.
Michaels . . . " he began.
"Please, call me Nancy," she
answered.
"Nancy, this isn't just a social
call." Lee's eyes met hers. "Amanda and I work for the Agency. Our
boss, Dr. Smyth, sent us here."
Nancy stood there in shock. She never thought that she would ever hear
the words "the Agency" again. Sitting back down in her lawn chair, Nancy asked, "Do you mean
Austin Smyth?"
"Yes. He wants us to find Melanie and bring her back to DC."
Nancy sat there for a few minutes. "Why does he want you to do that?"
Amanda explained, "He told us that you had
been his partner and had suddenly disappeared while he was on an overseas
assignment. He discovered that you were
dying and he wants to take care of Melanie when," Amanda paused
awkwardly. "Well, when you're
gone, so that she has a better life."
"Better than what?" Nancy wanted to
know.
"He thinks you're a traitor," Lee
told her bluntly.
"You mean, so she doesn't end up like
me? Austin really thinks I'm a
traitor?" she asked with disbelief.
Both Lee and Amanda nodded yes.
"I can't believe this. He thinks I'm a traitor," she shrugged
her shoulders and turned to study the bed of tulips before her. "I knew he would be devastated when I
left, but I never thought he would think bad things of me. Austin and I were more than partners. We were husband and wife."
Lee and Amanda were speechless. Dr. Smyth had been married to his partner.
"You see, the penalties were very strict
for agent partners who became romantically involved. Austin and I fell in love and married in secret. I was forced
to leave him all those years ago, but I'm no traitor." She sighed and pointed toward the door,
"Why don't we go inside and I'll tell you what happened?"
Lee helped Nancy to her feet and escorted her
inside. She led a stunned Lee and
Amanda into the living room. As soon as
everyone was comfortably seated, Nancy began her story. "Austin was on an overseas
assignment. One month before his
return, I went to see my doctor and discovered that I was pregnant. After my appointment, I went to work . . .
"
Nancy
strolled into the Georgetown foyer. Nothing could ruin her great mood. Noticing her good friend, Marge Marston, she said, "Morning,
Marge. Today's password is 'blue
ribbon.'"
Mrs.
Marston handed Nancy her ID pass. "Nancy, you're in a chipper mood today."
"Marge,
I just received the most wonderful news," she bubbled with
excitement. "Are you free for
lunch this afternoon?"
Mrs.
Marston nodded. "Is that when I
get to hear your good news?"
"I
wish I could tell you right now, but I can't. Don't want the wrong people to overhear."
"I
understand. How about Nedlinger's at one?"
"That's
fine. I better get down to the Bullpen
and see if Harry needs me for anything."
Nancy
was on her way to the elevator when Mrs. Marston called after her, "Wait a
minute, Nancy. Martin Miller wants to
see you in his office."
"What
does Old Man Miller want with me?" a curious Nancy asked.
"I
have no idea, but you better go see him right away."
Nancy
nodded. "I will." Then, she added with a smile, "See you
at one." Nancy entered the
elevator and pressed the button to the bottom floor, the location of Martin
Miller's office.
Nancy
entered the office. Marshall Henderson,
Martin Miller's assistant, sat talking with his boss. Suddenly, the conversation stopped and Henderson rose and left
the office.
"Agent
Michaels, how nice of you to join me." Martin Miller motioned to a chair. "Please sit down," he sarcastically said as Nancy entered his
office.
Nancy
sat and asked, "You wanted to see me, Sir?"
"I
want to talk to you about your marriage to Austin Smyth."
A
dazed Nancy couldn't believe it. 'How
did he find out?' she wondered. After
taking a few seconds to compose herself, she said, "I have no idea what
you're talking about. Austin and I are
just partners."
"Don't
give me that. I have proof that you and
Agent Smyth are married," Miller barked. He took an envelope from his desk. He opened the envelope and removed a slip of paper and several
photographs, and handed them to Nancy.
Nancy
looked at the items. They included a
copy of her and Austin's marriage license, their wedding picture, and several
other more compromising photographs. Studying each item carefully, she demanded, "Where did you get
these?"
"That's
need to know, and you don't," Miller said with a cruel smile. He raised an eyebrow, "You are aware
that it's against agency rules for partners to marry."
Nancy
nodded her head. "I'm very aware
of that detail, Sir."
"The
rulebook says that partners who marry are immediately terminated and charged
with insubordination and whatever I deem necessary. Normally, I'd throw the book at you both, but I'm willing to make
a deal."
Nancy
gulped, "What kind of deal are you talking about, Sir?"
"I'm
giving you a choice, you can stay here with your husband and take your
punishment, together, or you can disappear, out of his life never to be heard
from again. If you stay here, I promise
that I'll make both of your lives miserable. I can 'produce' evidence that'll make it appear that you and Smyth are
working with the Russians. However, if
you leave, I'll take Austin under my wing and give him the training and
guidance he'll need to become head of the Agency. No charges will be brought up against either of you," he
lowered his voice, "and no one will learn the truth." A sinister edge punctuated his words as he
added, "I'd hate for anything to interfere with your health."
Nancy
looked at him in disbelief. She
couldn't believe what he'd said. She
put her hand on her stomach. If she
stayed here, not only would Austin's career be ruined, something might happen
to her baby.
Miller
noticed Nancy's placement of her hand, and took advantage of her shock at the
turn of events. "I know you are
expecting a child. You underwent the
semi-annual Agency physical last week, and I just received the results this
morning. You don't want to stay here and possibly lose your baby, now, do
you?" The tone of his voice was
threatening. "Taking the second
option will be the best for everyone involved." He got out two envelopes and handed them to her. "These envelopes contain your
resignation from the Agency and the letter you'll leave Agent Smyth. You need only to sign the resignation letter
and copy the other letter in your own handwriting. Now, which option are you going to take?" He looked at Nancy, waiting for her to make
her move.
Nancy
opened the envelope containing the letter of resignation and signed the letter
inside. "Does this answer your
question? I would do anything to keep
Austin out of trouble, not to mention, protect the life of our child. But, you knew that, didn't you?"
He
never answered her question. "After you copy the other letter in your own writing, you are to
finish the day. Come back here at
five. To make sure you do as you are
told, after you leave the Agency today; I will accompany you to Los
Angeles. In addition, I will tap
Smyth's phone lines, bug his apartment, and read his mail. Keep that in mind if you ever try to contact
him, because if you do, both of you will be brought up on charges. Do you understand?"
"Yes,
Sir." Nancy said with tears in her eyes as she began to copy the letter .
. .
Nancy paused. She took a couple of breaths and continued, "After I left his
office, I went to my cubicle and cleared out my desk. I decided to get out of there as soon as I could, without him
knowing. I left the Agency and cleared
my belongings from Austin's apartment and my own. I met Marge for lunch and told her everything. She promised to keep quiet. She gave me the address of her sister in
Wichita, Kansas. After we said goodbye,
I went to visit Dotty. She wanted to
help, but for her own good, I couldn't let her get involved. I used her phone to make airplane
reservations under an assumed name. By
the time I was supposed to meet Miller in his office, I was in Wichita." With the memory still fresh in her mind, she
started to feel overwhelmed. Holding
back her tears, she finished her story. "I stayed underground until I gave birth to Melanie. Marge called and told me that Austin and
everyone else from the Agency had stopped looking for me. That it was okay to come out of hiding. For her safety, I insisted that she not keep
in contact with. I've been here ever
since."
"Wow," Amanda said, trying to get the
image of a brokenhearted Dr. Smyth out of her head.
"Nancy, I'm sorry that happened to you,
but I've gotta ask this. Did Dr. Smyth
always talk in rhymes and riddles? Was
he cold and sarcastic?" Lee asked, a sheepish smile upon his face.
"No, he was a warm, fair, and honest
man. He always watched out for me while
we were in the field. He was
compassionate, sincere, and filled with love." She paused. With sadness
reflecting in her voice, she continued, "The man you're describing sounds
like Martin Miller. He said he would
take Austin under his wing. I can't
believe Austin turned into him." She shivered at the thought.
"He certainly has, but at least, now, we
know why." Lee said.
"I guess my leaving was the final
straw. The day of our wedding, Austin's
whole family was killed in a fire. All
he had left were his career and…well, me. Austin had worked too hard for his career to be ruined. I had to leave for his sake and the sake of
our child." Nancy burst into tears.
"Don't be too hard on yourself,"
Amanda said as she walked over and slipped her arm around the older woman's
shoulders in an attempt to comfort her. "You did what you had to do. We know what the Agency is like. We understand and we'll help you to make him understand."
Lee ran his hand through his hair. As much as he hated Smyth, he could identify
with how the man must have felt at the sudden disappearance of his wife. Lee shuddered at the thought. Against his better judgment, he heard
himself saying, "Amanda's right. "We'll help you reach him."
Marshall drove down the street. He pretended to go to a movie with
Ricky. As soon as Ricky had sat down in
his seat and distracted by the film, Marshall left the movie theater. Although the Michaels woman's house was
within walking distance, Marshall took the rental car. The Wichita Mall proved itself the perfect
hiding place; large enough to allow him to hide, yet, small enough to make a
quick escape. It had an empty store to
hide in, and plenty of things to distract Ricky and keep him from asking
questions. Parking the car a couple of
houses away, he got out and walked to the Michaels' house. On the front porch sat a beautiful young,
blond girl. She was reading a book.
"Excuse me, are you Melanie
Michaels?" Marshall asked. Melanie, caught up in her book, ignored him.
Marshall took out a bottle of chloroform and a
washcloth from his pocket. He put a
little of the chloroform on the washcloth and covered Melanie's nose with it as
she started to struggle. Within seconds
Melanie passed out, Marshall took the book out of her hands, lifted her up, and
carried her to his car. He didn't
notice that he'd dropped his movie ticket stub, or that it had gone under the
porch. Marshall started the car and
drove off with Melanie safely stowed in the backseat.
"I guess, I'd better go get Melanie and
explain all of this to her," Nancy said as she got up. "I'll be right back."
"I still can't believe that Dr. Smyth was
ever able to feel love," Lee admitted.
"Now that I think about it, it explains a
lot of things to me," Amanda told him. "Especially his reaction to our marriage. I thought for sure that he would separate us."
Before Lee could respond, Nancy screamed. Lee and Amanda jumped to their feet and
rushed to the front yard.
"Melanie's gone," Nancy cried
hysterically. "Her book's still
here. Melanie wouldn't go anywhere
without telling me; her car's still in the driveway."
Amanda put her arm around Nancy to console
her. "Let's go inside. I'll get you a cup of tea, then Lee and I
will call Dr. Smyth."
An upset Nancy shook her head. "No, don't call him. Call the police first, better yet let me
call some neighbors. Maybe she went to
talk to one of them."
Lee, Amanda, and Nancy went back inside. Nancy tried to lay down on the sofa, but was
too agitated to stay still. Amanda went into the kitchen. Ten minutes later, Amanda returned with a
cup of tea and two coffees.
"Did you call the police?" Amanda
asked Lee.
"Yes, but they said that they couldn't get
involved until Melanie was missing for 24 hours. I then tried calling Smyth from his office, but Ms. Tyler said he
wasn't in," Lee told her.
"Did you try his private line?"
"I was just about to. Why don't you call and tell him. Maybe he'll take the news better from
you," Lee suggested.
"I agree." Amanda went to the phone and dialed Smyth's private number. After two rings, Smyth answered the phone.
She identified herself and reported, "Dr.
Smyth, we have a bit of a problem. It
seems that . . . I don't know how to tell you this, but it appears that Melanie
Michaels was kidnapped while we were talking to Nancy." Amanda said the
words as delicately as possible, expecting the worst. After a few seconds, Amanda hung up the phone.
"That didn't take long," Lee noted.
"He only said that he's taking his private
plane and he'll be here as soon as he can," a stunned Amanda responded as
she shook her head.
"Guess he's waiting until he gets here to
yell at us," Lee said, rolling his eyes to the ceiling.
Chapter Six
Three hours later, Austin Smyth stepped out of
a limo and turned to tip the driver. He
noticed that Scarecrow and the housewife were talking to neighbors. Satisfied they were doing an effective
search, he picked up his garment bag and walked to the front door. As soon as he got to the door, he knocked.
The door opened. Nancy stood in the doorway, leaning to one side for support. Despite the paleness of her skin and her
thinning hair, she looked as beautiful as the day he had met her. "Come
in," a nervous Nancy said as she led the way. She couldn't believe that Austin was here. The only thing that kept her from running
away was the fact that her daughter
could be in danger.
"Why did you leave?" Austin,
temporarily forgetting why he'd come, calmly asked the one question that had
been burning in the back of his mind for seventeen long years.
As she and Austin sat, Nancy said with tears in
her eyes, "While you were away, Martin Miller found out about our
marriage. He gave me two options. Have your career ruined by staying, or leave
and save the position you worked so hard to reach."
"You should have waited for me to come
back." Austin said softly, looking
into her eyes.
"He'd have thrown me in a holding
cell. I couldn't warn you. An Agency holding cell wouldn't have been
the best place for me in my condition. My two concerns were you and our unborn child." Her hands balled up
in agitation.
"Melanie?" Austin questioned, knowing
what her answer was going to be..
Nancy nodded. "She's the only thing that kept me alive. She reminds me so much of you," she told him longingly.
Before anything else could be said, the phone
rang.
Austin and Nancy raced to the phone. "Hello," Nancy said as their heads
moved closer, so both could hear the conversation.
"I've got Melanie," a male voice
said.
"Who is this?" Austin demanded.
"It's nice you could join us Smyth. This is Marshall Henderson. I'm the one who told Old Man Miller about
your marriage to Nancy. You see, it was
the only way I could protect myself. I
couldn't have Nancy tell him that I was working for the Russians, now, could
I?"
"I have no idea what you're talking
about." Nancy exclaimed. Then, pleading, she asked, "Where is
Melanie? Is she safe?"
"She's safe. I'm keeping her until you die. The only way you're getting her back is if you keep quiet about my
double-dealing. Do you both
understand?" The desperation was
evident in his voice. He was still
worried after all these years.
"Yes," Austin and Nancy said.
"Good," Marshall answered, and then,
the dial tone was heard.
"I'm all Melanie has. She'll be devastated if she's not here
when…when I…" She looked
pleadingly at Austin. "I
had…" Nancy started sobbing. "I want Melanie with me when I
died. I had no idea Marshall Henderson
was working for the Russians."
Austin took her into his arms. "I'll get her back. I promise you," he said in fierce
determination. "I'll get her back." He turned to Lee and Amanda, who had been
standing in the doorway since the beginning of the phone call. "Go back outside and see if you can
find any clues that might help us find the girl. I don't care if you've already searched. Search again."
Lee and Amanda left Nancy and Smyth and headed
out front. They searched the yard over
and over again.
"Lee, I think I found something,"
Amanda announced. Lee rushed to her.
"What is it, Amanda?" Lee demanded.
"A movie stub with today's date and a
starting time of just over three hours ago. Melanie and Nancy were here then. It must belong to whoever took her!" She looked up at her partner and explained, " I found it
under the porch. I'll bet it fell out of Henderson's pocket when he grabbed
Melanie."
"Does it have an address?" Lee asked.
"No, but I bet Nancy knows." Amanda
said as she and Lee hurried back into the house.
Amanda called out as they entered the living
room, "Nancy, we found a movie stub with today's date under the porch. Do
you know where the theater's located?" she asked, handing Nancy the movie
stub.
Nancy examined the ticket. "This is from the Mall Cinema. It's in the Wichita Mall."
"Where's that? Lee inquired
"It's not very far from here. Go onto Lincoln. Go down a block and turn left on Bluffview. Keep on Bluffview. When you get to Harry, you'll see the mall."
"Let's go," Lee said. Amanda, Smyth, and Lee went to the door.
"Wait a minute. One of us should stay with Nancy," Amanda said.
"Okay. Scarecrow will stay." Smyth announced.
"Wait a minute. Why should I stay?" Lee demanded.
"That man has my daughter. I promised Nancy I would get her back. I want King to come with me. You stay here and that's an order."
Lee started to say something, but Amanda gave
him a look. "Let it go. Put yourself in his position."
Lee nodded, knowing that he wouldn't be able to
stay put, and Amanda and Smyth bolted out the door.
Five minutes later, Ricky holding Melanie's
hand, led her out of the mall. "I'm so sorry. I had no
idea my father would do something like this. Do you know why he kidnapped you?"
"I've never seen him before in my
life. I appreciate you helping me get
away." Melanie said, her voice shaking.
"It's nothing. I don't understand it. If
I hadn't seen it for myself, I would have doubted you. My father doesn't go around kidnapping
people. I want no part of this. I only wish I'd rented my own car."
"I think we should call the police when we
get to my house. We better get
moving. I don't want him catching up
with us. Good thing my house's not too
far. Otherwise, we might be in
trouble."
"As soon as my father realizes you're are
gone, he's going to come after us. He
has a bad temper. If I can distract
him, you can still get away," Ricky explained with a serious expression on
his face.
As they crossed the street, back toward
Nancy's, a car sped past them. The car
slowed, then backed up, until it caught up with them.
The window rolled down. "Melanie, are you all right?"
Amanda asked.
"Yes," she nodded, her eyes darting
back toward the mall. "I'm
okay. This is Ricky. His father took me from the house. Ricky helped me get away from him."
"As soon as I realized my father took her
against her will, I helped Melanie out. We were just on our way back to her house," Ricky explained.
"Do you know where your father held
Melanie? Where is he now?" Smyth
asked.
"An abandoned store in the mall, the one
next to the 'Orange Julius' and across from the 'Hallmark' store," Ricky
answered.
"The mall isn't that big. You should find it, no problem,"
Melanie told them.
"You get Melanie home and stay
there," Smyth directed Ricky. "Tell the people there your story."
"Yes, Sir," Ricky said as he and
Melanie continued on their way.
"Sir, there are lots of people around the mall. Henderson's going to realize that Melanie's gone, and he's going to look
for her. He'll probably be in the
parking lot. If he sees you, I don't
think he'd make himself known. You stay
in the car while I distract him. As soon as Henderson's distracted, you come up
from behind," Amanda instructed.
"Good plan, King. I see why Scarecrow wants to work with
you," Smyth admitted.
By the time they entered the parking lot,
Henderson was searching the parking lot. Smyth parked the car as Amanda headed toward Henderson.
She approached Henderson. "Excuse me, but I'm lost. Can you help me?" she asked.
"I'm sorry, but I'm in a hurry,"
Henderson replied, trying to get past Amanda.
"This won't take long. Do you know where the nearest McDonald's
is?"
"Look here, lady, I told you I'm in a
hurry." Henderson yelled, unaware that Dr. Smyth was behind him.
"Looking for Melanie?" Smyth asked in
his usual sing-song tone.
Marshall spun around at the sound of his
enemy's voice. As Smyth moved closer to
him, Marshall reached for Amanda. He
pulled out his gun, pointed it at her, and yelled, "Leave me alone or the
pesky lady dies." People started
to gather in the parking lot to watch from a distance.
Smyth drew a small gun from his pocket. "Don't let the size fool you. This is a powerful weapon."
"I don't believe you," Henderson
growled. "You won't
shoot." He tugged Amanda closer to
his side, preparing to pull the trigger. "I'm going to kill her."
Smyth fired his gun, and Henderson dropped,
limp, to the ground. Amanda quickly reached down and picked up Henderson's
gun. The police arrived as people
started to gather in closer around the scene of the shooting.
"What's going on here?" an officer
asked.
Smyth and Amanda produced their Federal ID's
and for the officer. "He isn't
dead," Smyth told him. "He'll
be in a lot of pain when he wakes up, but he isn't dead."
"Sir, we are going to need for you and the
lady to come to the station to give your statements," the officer told
them. He tilted his head in the
direction of another officer, "My partner is calling for another squad and
an ambulance."
Chapter Eight
Forty-five minutes later, after talking to the
police, Amanda and Dr. Smyth returned to Nancy's house. Lee and Ricky greeted them.
"It was all too much for Nancy. She's lying down in her room. Nancy wouldn't allow us to get any help
until you got back, despite Melanie's arguments. Melanie is with her now," Lee gently told them. He turned to Dr. Smyth. "They want you in there with
them."
Dr. Smyth nodded his head. "I'll go join them." He walked into the bedroom.
Melanie ran and hugged him. "Mama told me everything. I'll leave you two alone for a few moments
while I go call the nurse."
Melanie left as Austin went to Nancy's
side. "Nancy, I understand why you
left, but I wish you'd waited for me to come back before you did. We could have faced Martin Miller
together. You could have called me
sometime during these past few years."
"Austin, you worked so hard to get where
you were in the Agency. I couldn't let
the career you dreamed of get ruined because of me," Nancy replied, her
voice raspy with fatigue.
"That didn't matter to me. It stopped mattering to me when I fell in
love with you. I would have given up
everything to be with you." He
knelt at her bedside and gently lifted her hand, stroking the delicate skin on
her wrist as he spoke.
"I didn't want you to make sacrifices for
me." Nancy's eyes shone with
unshed tears and all the love she still held for this man before her
"It wouldn't have been a sacrifice. I only wanted to be with you. You were the only family I had left."
Wonder tinged his voice as he asked, "If you hadn't been pregnant, would
you have waited for me?"
"Yes, I would have waited for you. But I couldn't chance anything bad happening
to our baby." She clutched his hands
in hers as she begged him to understand and forgive what she had done.
"For that reason, I believe you did what
was for the best. Of course, you would
have done the best thing for our child. I always knew you'd be a wonderful mother." He paused and reflected
on all the lost years between them. Hanging his head, he berated himself,
"I should never have stopped searching for you."
"Austin, we can't dwell on the past. What's done is done. We can't change it
now."
Austin brought Nancy's hands in close to his
chest. Gazing into her eyes, he said,
"I love you and never stopped, you know."
Nancy smiled. "I know, and I love you,
too. Please, promise to take good care
of our daughter?"
"I promise," Austin declared as
Melanie reentered the room.
Looking at her daughter, Nancy smiled as she
said, "Melanie, I'd like to introduce you to your father." "He'll take care of you when I'm
gone."
"Hi," Melanie said. "I hardly know you, but I've loved you
for as long as I can remember. Mama
said that you would have loved me, too, if you had known me. I didn't believe her at first, but, after a
while, I understood."
"I love you, too, Melanie," Austin
said as he released Nancy's hands to hug his daughter.
Father and daughter broke from their
embrace. Austin took one of Nancy's
hands, Melanie took the other, then, they closed the circle by taking hold of
each other's. They spent one night
together as a family. They would never
spend another.