A Little Push
by matahari2
Summary / Disclaimer, Etc.: See Chapter One.
Chapter Three - Suggestions Considered
In Billy Melrose's office, Lee and Amanda had brought up her questions about disguised weapons and faked or stolen ID badges, and the three of them were in the midst of discussing possible ways to uncover each, hopefully before the start of the pope's Youth Rally on Friday, now only two and a half days away, when Francine Desmond burst into the office, bearing catalogs.
"What are those?!?" asked Lee.
"Mail order catalogs - you wouldn't believe what your average Joe can buy these days! I just came back from the Research Department. They had pulled these at a local newsstand, looking into possible means of concealing or disguising weapons. Look, here's one: '1/2 ounce Pepper Pen-looks like a fountain pen. Easy to carry in your pocket or purse.' That little item is only effective up to 6 feet, but it definitely could have its uses. And then there's the 'Pepper Pager - it contains two 10% pepper spray canisters and has an effective range of 8 to 12 feet and holds 10 to 12 one-second bursts. Looks like an ordinary pager...giving you a distinct tactical advantage.'"
"Good grief, Francine. Do you mean to tell me it says that right there in the catalog?" Lee interjected.
"Here, let me see that!" Amanda requested, taking hold of the open catalog. "Look what's on the opposite page here - blowguns! Look, it says they're '.40 caliber, with seamless T-6061 aircraft aluminum tubing....you can expect ranges over 250 feet and muzzle velocities as high as 350 feet per second or more...the darts can penetrate ΒΌ" plywood.' Any one of these things could be pretty dangerous, and easily disguised. I mean..."
"A-mannn-dahhh," Lee interrupted, stretching out her name in annoyance. His sidelong glance darted to Billy and Francine, and back to Amanda as he continued, "Pepper spray is an irritant, for sure, but it's not life- threatening. And how are they going to conceal a blowgun? The smallest one they show there is eighteen inches long!"
Amanda was a little disappointed at his reaction, and said, dejectedly, "I know that, Lee. But what about someone who is carrying a cane, or someone who's on crutches, or someone in a wheelchair? Couldn't a blowgun be hidden that way? And what if they switched the canisters of pepper spray for some kind of poison or something? Isn't that possible?"
"Yeah, you're right, I suppose it is possible," Lee had to admit. "Francine?"
Francine made eye contact with both Lee and Billy, then turned on her heel and left the office, shouting back over her shoulder, "All right, back to Research! Later!"
As Francine exited, the receptionist came in with a small pink slip of paper. "Mr. Stetson, you just received a call from a Mrs. Farnsworth. She said to tell you she's here in DC, and she'll call again in about half an hour."
Taking the message slip, Lee said, "Thank you. When the call comes through, just put it through to the Q Bureau, all right?" Then he turned to Billy and pondered, "I wonder what Emily's doing here. I hadn't heard about any joint operations with MI-6, had you, Billy?"
"No, but there must be some reason. Mrs. Farnsworth doesn't usually choose DC for a relaxing holiday," Billy replied. "Just keep me posted after your call. I'll let you both know whatever else Francine and the Research staff are able to figure out," he stated, dismissing them from their impromptu meeting.
As they left the bullpen and headed toward the closet-elevator, Amanda turned to Lee and asked, "Lee, unless there's something you need me for this afternoon,
would it be all right if I went ahead and took off for home? See, I have plans for this evening with an old friend who's just in town for a day or two, and..."
"Oh, sure, taking off early is fine, Amanda. I can let you know later if we turn up anything interesting," Lee stated, matter-of-factly. But then he couldn't seem to stop himself asking, "So who is this old friend, anyway? What's her name?"
"His name...is Reed Davenport. We knew each other in college," she said, knowing she was holding back part of the answer.
Lee knew it, too. "Old boyfriend?" he asked as the elevator doors opened and he pushed aside the coats for them to enter.
OK, spill it, Amanda. "Well yes, I guess you could say so. We dated for about 3 months or so...that was before Joe and I met. Anyway, he transferred to Stanford, and I haven't seen him in a long time. We still send Christmas cards and stuff...but anyhow, why are you asking?!?"
Good question. Really good question. "Oh...no reason. You are my partner and my friend, after all, and I just care what happens to you, okay?"
Just then the elevator door opened onto the Georgetown foyer, and the two stepped out, when Amanda accepted Lee's feeble answer with "Okay. Well, I'll see you later...tomorrow, I guess. Good afternoon, Mrs. Marston."
Twenty minutes later, at his desk in the Q Bureau, Lee took Emily Farnsworth's call. He smiled and exclaimed, "Emily! It's great to hear your voice, but I have to admit I'm a little curious. What brings you to this side of the pond just now?"
"Good afternoon to you too, Lee," she gently reprimanded, then continued, "The papal tour's next stop is London, so we thought it best that we coordinate efforts between the UK and USA intelligence agencies, to provide seamless security coverage for when His Holiness arrives on British soil."
"Oh, I see. Makes a lot of sense. Would you like to come in to the Agency, or would you rather meet somewhere else?" Lee inquired.
"Well, Lee dear, unless you have 'plans' for this evening, we could meet over dinner at my hotel, the Jefferson, at 16th and H Streets, say, at 7:00?"
"That will be just fine, Emily. I have no plans for this evening but to dine with you."
"Excellent, Lee. I'll see you this evening. By the way, how is my lovely 'niece'?*** Is there a chance she can come along as well?" Emily prodded.
"Amanda? Uh, well, I'm afraid she can't come tonight. Seems she does have 'plans' for the evening...with some guy from her distant past," he said, disdainfully.
Emily didn't fail to notice his tone of voice, but decided not to press the point. It could keep. At least until dinner. "Ah, well...perhaps I will get another chance to see her before I leave. I'll see you at 7:00 then."
TO BE CONTINUED
*** Author's note: In an aired episode ("Legend of das Geisterschloss") about one year before this, Amanda had to pose as Emily's niece, in order for Lee and Amanda to follow up on clues she'd left behind when she (Emily) was taken captive in Salzburg, Austria.
by matahari2
Summary / Disclaimer, Etc.: See Chapter One.
Chapter Three - Suggestions Considered
In Billy Melrose's office, Lee and Amanda had brought up her questions about disguised weapons and faked or stolen ID badges, and the three of them were in the midst of discussing possible ways to uncover each, hopefully before the start of the pope's Youth Rally on Friday, now only two and a half days away, when Francine Desmond burst into the office, bearing catalogs.
"What are those?!?" asked Lee.
"Mail order catalogs - you wouldn't believe what your average Joe can buy these days! I just came back from the Research Department. They had pulled these at a local newsstand, looking into possible means of concealing or disguising weapons. Look, here's one: '1/2 ounce Pepper Pen-looks like a fountain pen. Easy to carry in your pocket or purse.' That little item is only effective up to 6 feet, but it definitely could have its uses. And then there's the 'Pepper Pager - it contains two 10% pepper spray canisters and has an effective range of 8 to 12 feet and holds 10 to 12 one-second bursts. Looks like an ordinary pager...giving you a distinct tactical advantage.'"
"Good grief, Francine. Do you mean to tell me it says that right there in the catalog?" Lee interjected.
"Here, let me see that!" Amanda requested, taking hold of the open catalog. "Look what's on the opposite page here - blowguns! Look, it says they're '.40 caliber, with seamless T-6061 aircraft aluminum tubing....you can expect ranges over 250 feet and muzzle velocities as high as 350 feet per second or more...the darts can penetrate ΒΌ" plywood.' Any one of these things could be pretty dangerous, and easily disguised. I mean..."
"A-mannn-dahhh," Lee interrupted, stretching out her name in annoyance. His sidelong glance darted to Billy and Francine, and back to Amanda as he continued, "Pepper spray is an irritant, for sure, but it's not life- threatening. And how are they going to conceal a blowgun? The smallest one they show there is eighteen inches long!"
Amanda was a little disappointed at his reaction, and said, dejectedly, "I know that, Lee. But what about someone who is carrying a cane, or someone who's on crutches, or someone in a wheelchair? Couldn't a blowgun be hidden that way? And what if they switched the canisters of pepper spray for some kind of poison or something? Isn't that possible?"
"Yeah, you're right, I suppose it is possible," Lee had to admit. "Francine?"
Francine made eye contact with both Lee and Billy, then turned on her heel and left the office, shouting back over her shoulder, "All right, back to Research! Later!"
As Francine exited, the receptionist came in with a small pink slip of paper. "Mr. Stetson, you just received a call from a Mrs. Farnsworth. She said to tell you she's here in DC, and she'll call again in about half an hour."
Taking the message slip, Lee said, "Thank you. When the call comes through, just put it through to the Q Bureau, all right?" Then he turned to Billy and pondered, "I wonder what Emily's doing here. I hadn't heard about any joint operations with MI-6, had you, Billy?"
"No, but there must be some reason. Mrs. Farnsworth doesn't usually choose DC for a relaxing holiday," Billy replied. "Just keep me posted after your call. I'll let you both know whatever else Francine and the Research staff are able to figure out," he stated, dismissing them from their impromptu meeting.
As they left the bullpen and headed toward the closet-elevator, Amanda turned to Lee and asked, "Lee, unless there's something you need me for this afternoon,
would it be all right if I went ahead and took off for home? See, I have plans for this evening with an old friend who's just in town for a day or two, and..."
"Oh, sure, taking off early is fine, Amanda. I can let you know later if we turn up anything interesting," Lee stated, matter-of-factly. But then he couldn't seem to stop himself asking, "So who is this old friend, anyway? What's her name?"
"His name...is Reed Davenport. We knew each other in college," she said, knowing she was holding back part of the answer.
Lee knew it, too. "Old boyfriend?" he asked as the elevator doors opened and he pushed aside the coats for them to enter.
OK, spill it, Amanda. "Well yes, I guess you could say so. We dated for about 3 months or so...that was before Joe and I met. Anyway, he transferred to Stanford, and I haven't seen him in a long time. We still send Christmas cards and stuff...but anyhow, why are you asking?!?"
Good question. Really good question. "Oh...no reason. You are my partner and my friend, after all, and I just care what happens to you, okay?"
Just then the elevator door opened onto the Georgetown foyer, and the two stepped out, when Amanda accepted Lee's feeble answer with "Okay. Well, I'll see you later...tomorrow, I guess. Good afternoon, Mrs. Marston."
Twenty minutes later, at his desk in the Q Bureau, Lee took Emily Farnsworth's call. He smiled and exclaimed, "Emily! It's great to hear your voice, but I have to admit I'm a little curious. What brings you to this side of the pond just now?"
"Good afternoon to you too, Lee," she gently reprimanded, then continued, "The papal tour's next stop is London, so we thought it best that we coordinate efforts between the UK and USA intelligence agencies, to provide seamless security coverage for when His Holiness arrives on British soil."
"Oh, I see. Makes a lot of sense. Would you like to come in to the Agency, or would you rather meet somewhere else?" Lee inquired.
"Well, Lee dear, unless you have 'plans' for this evening, we could meet over dinner at my hotel, the Jefferson, at 16th and H Streets, say, at 7:00?"
"That will be just fine, Emily. I have no plans for this evening but to dine with you."
"Excellent, Lee. I'll see you this evening. By the way, how is my lovely 'niece'?*** Is there a chance she can come along as well?" Emily prodded.
"Amanda? Uh, well, I'm afraid she can't come tonight. Seems she does have 'plans' for the evening...with some guy from her distant past," he said, disdainfully.
Emily didn't fail to notice his tone of voice, but decided not to press the point. It could keep. At least until dinner. "Ah, well...perhaps I will get another chance to see her before I leave. I'll see you at 7:00 then."
TO BE CONTINUED
*** Author's note: In an aired episode ("Legend of das Geisterschloss") about one year before this, Amanda had to pose as Emily's niece, in order for Lee and Amanda to follow up on clues she'd left behind when she (Emily) was taken captive in Salzburg, Austria.
