Chapter 4

"Lee, we've been on the road for over an hour, and you haven't said more than two words to me since we left the Agency. What's with you?" Francine asked Lee, a little petulantly.

Lee shook his head slightly as if just remembering Francine was with him, then glanced over at her and replied, "Oh sorry, Francine, I've just been thinking over a few things."

"Well, you've been a million miles away. Care to let me in on what's so interesting?"

Lee cleared his throat and answered, "Sorry, it's need to know," while he wondered what Francine would think if he told her just who it was that had him so preoccupied.

"Come on, Lee, what kind of deep dark secrets could you have that I don't already know?"

"You'd be surprised, Francine," he replied with a small grin.

'Then I've got the weekend to discover them,' Francine thought to herself.

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Lee and Francine made it to the resort a little before five o'clock. Lee went up to the front desk to check in while Francine used the time to look over the layout of the place and to start a casual surveillance of the guests in the main foyer. 

Lee walked up to the registration desk and addressed the man behind the counter, "Good afternoon, I'd like to check in please. I'm Mr. Stimson and my wife and I have a reservation for the weekend."

The desk clerk pulled out the reservation book and perused it for a moment, "Ah, here it is." Then he looked up in surprise and said, "Oh, you're the couple who wanted to switch from the honeymoon suite to a two bedroom suite."

"Wanted to?" Lee nearly shouted at the clerk before lowering his voice. "What do you mean, wanted to? We have to have a two-bedroom suite." Lee glanced at Francine and indicated her with a wave to the clerk as he replied with a chuckle, "You see, the little missus likes variety, so she insisted on having choices, if you know what I mean, in our room. So I said to her, anything you want darlin'. Just want to make you happy. So, if I'm going to be happy this weekend, you have got to put us in a two-bedroom suite." 

The clerk looked at Francine then back at Lee with a knowing smile, but with a look of resignation replied, "I understand, sir, but we just don't have any available. I'm sure that your bride will be very happy with the honeymoon suite."

Lee shook his head and grumbled, "I can't believe this." Addressing the clerk in a clipped tone, he responded, "OK, we'll take it."

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"Here we are sir, ma'am, the Union Suite," the bellhop announced as he opened the door to the room with the key. Lee walked in after him and looked around, wishing Amanda was with him, memories of their wedding night flooding his mind, while Francine stayed out in the hallway.

"Lee, honey, haven't you forgotten something?" she asked in a questioning tone.

Lee's tender reverie was interrupted. "What?" he blurted out.

Francine gave him a disgusted look before replying, "Darling, aren't you going to carry me across the threshold?"

Lee glanced over at the bellhop who was busy with their luggage. "Oh yeah, that," he said as he walked over to her. He casually picked her up and carried her into the room before dropping her unceremoniously on her feet. "Satisfied?" he whispered.

"What is with you, Lee?" Francine whispered back.

They were interrupted by a discreet cough. "Here is your key, sir," the bellhop said. Lee took the key from him and pressed a few bills into the man's palm. "Thank you, sir. If you need anything else just call the front desk and we'll do our best to make sure your stay is comfortable," he said as he walked out and closed the door behind him.

Francine turned on Lee, her blue eyes blazing, "Lee, are you trying to blow our cover? Nobody is going to buy that we are newlyweds if you don't pay more attention to me and less time daydreaming."

"Come on, Francine, it was just the bellboy. Who cares what he thinks?"

"I do. And I know Billy would. Lee, we're on assignment. So get your act together before you completely mess it up."

"OK, Francine, scout's honor, I'll be on my best behavior from now on," Lee replied sarcastically. "Now, why don't we change, get down to the bar and get on with our surveillance?"

Lee and Francine found a small table at the edge of the bar that allowed them a good view of the other guests at the bar and also those who were on their way to the restaurant and pool area. They had been busy checking out the other guests for about thirty minutes, when suddenly Lee got the feeling that he was being watched. He very carefully turned his head and noticed a quick movement out of the corner of his eye. However, when he turned around completely, he could see nothing out of the ordinary. He coughed discreetly and in a low tone said, "Francine, I think we're being watched. I'm going to go out into the foyer to the phones and see if I can spot anything."

Lee got up and casually made his way to the bank of phones in the foyer. Picking one up, he scanned the room, but saw nobody. If somebody was watching him, whoever it was, was good. He went back into the bar and shook his head slightly when he sat down next to Francine. After a few hours of nursing their drinks, and not spotting Opitz or seeing anything suspicious, the couple went into the restaurant and had dinner, before going back to the suite.

"Well, tonight was a bust. I guess we'll have to start again in the morning. Good night, Francine," Lee said as he grabbed his suitcase and walked to the bedroom.

"You're going to bed already? I thought maybe we could play cards or talk or something, Lee."

"I'm bushed, Francine, and we have a busy day ahead of us tomorrow." 

Francine called out, "Hey, who says you get the bedroom, Lee? Shouldn't we flip a coin or something?"

Lee turned around and faced her, his hand on the doorknob. "Don't you know the senior agent always gets the bed, Francine?" Laughing, he shut the door behind him, oblivious to Francine's glowering expression.

Sitting down on the edge of the bed, Lee picked up the phone and quickly dialed Amanda's number. He couldn't wait to hear her voice, and tell her he loved her. "Hmm, maybe she's at the apartment," he muttered when she didn't answer. He hung up and dialed his number, but still there was no answer, and now Lee was getting worried. He looked at his watch; it was past 11. 'Where could Amanda be?' he wondered.

He sat there a few minutes, thinking, when suddenly the phone rang. He grabbed it. "Hello?"

"Hello, sweetheart," Amanda replied. "Oh Lee, I'm so frustrated being away from you this weekend. I can't stand this separation. I miss you so much."

"Amanda? I just phoned you and didn't get an answer. Where were you?"

"Oh, I just got out of the shower, Lee."

"I was so worried, Amanda. I don't like being this far away from you, either. I need to see you, touch you, kiss you." He lowered his voice and said huskily, "Make love to you."  

Amanda sighed and smiled into the phone. "Oh, Lee, I love you so much. Promise me you'll try to wrap up the case quickly, OK?"        

"Yes ma'am. I'll do my best."

"You always do, Lee."