Chapter 10

By 3:30 that afternoon, everything was ready and waiting for their guests. Efraim had taken refuge in his third floor study because Francine was pacing and driving him crazy as she checked and rechecked everything.

"B?" Francine yelled up the steps, knowing he could hear her.

"Yeah?" He yelled back, refusing to go downstairs one more time.

"Are you coming down?"

"No."

"B?"

"What?" He yelled, frustration tingeing his voice.

"Do we have enough wine chilling?"

"Yes, we do. Everything is ready."

"B?" She called up, her voice soft.

Efraim sighed and got off the couch in the study and came downstairs. Francine was standing at the bottom of the steps, chewing her bottom lip, her eyes downcast. He stopped in front of her and tilted her head up with his fingers. He sighed as he took her in his arms.

"Hon, everything is going to be wonderful. The house is beautiful, more beautiful because you're here now. Dinner will be excellent and if I say so myself, my poached pears will be the hit of the evening. Now, why are you worried?"

"I want everything to be perfect. This is my first dinner for our friends as your wife, and I don't want anything to go wrong." She told him, mumbling into his chest.

"You worry too much, Francine. How could anything go wrong. It won't. I suggest you take a nice long, relaxing bath, I'll put on some music for you, light some candles and even leave you in peace for a while. Okay?"

"Oh B, that sounds wonderful!" He took her hand, pulling her up the steps. He left her in the bedroom while he walked into their bathroom and filled the large tub. Finding the bath salts that she used, he sprinkled them in, inhaling the scent that said Francine to him. Lighting the candles she had put in the bathroom when she had moved in, he lowered the lights and went out into the bedroom to turn on the stereo and find a piece of music that she liked. He found a piece for cello and turned it on, the sound filling the room with it's haunting tones.

Francine came up behind her husband and wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you B, you take such good care of me."

"It's my pleasure Francine, believe me. Come on, lets get you in so you can relax." He held her robe while she stepped into the bath, sighing as she sunk in the warm, scented water. He kneeled down and kissed her quickly then leaving the bathroom. If he stayed another second, he'd be in the tub with her and then he'd have to dry the ceiling again.

He walked through the house himself, noting the changes that had taken place since he had been a child. Francine had wanted the walls washed in the same warm colors that had been in his apartment, and they had a painter take care of that while they had been on their honeymoon. He sighed, filled with a deep satisfaction that this was his home, his and Francine's.

He laid wood in the fireplace, getting it ready to light. Wiping his hands on the back of his jeans, he yelled up the stairs that he'd be right back, he grabbed his coat and walked down the street to the small florist shop.

Buying several bouquets of white tulips he headed back, noticing that the Plymouth mini-van across the street was still idling it's engine. That's odd he thought as he unlocked the front door and went inside. He yelled up the steps that he was home, waiting for Francine's answering call. He found several vases in the pantry closet and put the tulips in water, setting them on the kitchen table for Francine to put where she wanted them. He took the one red rose he bought and bounded up the stairs, dropping his jacket on the chair in the bedroom.

He laid the rose on her pillow, grabbed his robe and went upstairs to the other bathroom to take a shower. When he came back downstairs, his hair spiked from the towel drying he had given it, his wife laughed at him and with her finger, beckoned him to the bed where she lay, her robe open, her body pink and glistening, the red rose resting between her breasts.

He climbed on the bed and Francine reached up and finger combed his hair, pulling him down to kiss her.

"You are full of surprises, Mr. Beaman, just full of surprises." She wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him.

"Only for you, my love! I take it you like the rose?"

"Yeah, I like the rose B."

He laid down beside her and snuggled her into his arms, pushing her robe out of the way so his hand could trail over her hip. "I set the alarm for 5:30, why don't we take a little nap, get dressed and start warming things up, okay? This way we'll be ready and wide awake when everyone gets here. Okay?"

Francine kissed him again, closing her eyes on a sigh. "B, you have the best ideas."

"Yeah hon, I think so too!" He answered, his traditional answer to her traditional declaration. He closed his eyes and fell asleep, his wife in his arms.

"Is that the door B?" Francine called out from the kitchen over the clatter of glasses.

"Nope, it's not hon. I promise to tell you!"

"Are you sure?" She called again.

Getting up, he walked into the kitchen, pulling a bottle of wine up from the cooler and uncorking it. Pouring a glass, he handed it to his wife and poured a small amount for himself. Clinking his glass to hers and raising an eyebrow at her, he waited until she took a sip before tasting his. At her sigh, he gave her a quick kiss. "Calm down hon, everything is going to be perfect for you tonight. I promise. I personally guarantee it! Alright?"

"I'm sorry B, I just want it to be perfect for you."

"Honey, where ever you are is perfect for me, understand? These are our friends and no one will be grading you. I promise." He pulled her up against his chest and made her walk into the living room with him. He took her wine glass while she sat down, handing it back to her and sitting beside her. "You look beautiful tonight, Francine."

"Thank you Efraim. And you look very handsome yourself." She reached out and ran her hand over his chest, smoothing the black polo shirt that was tucked into black pants. She looked down at the pale pink sweater she wore and her pleated, off white slacks and smiled. She had gone through several changes of clothes before Efraim had gotten up and pulled the pink sweater out, stating it was one of his favorites. She had found the chemise she wore under it and gotten dressed, shaking her head at him.

She let her head rest on the back of the couch for a moment, feeling the eyes of her husband on her face. She smiled slightly, knowing that he liked to watch her. She turned and smiled at him, grinning as he winked at her.

"Better?" He asked her, smiling back at her.

"Yes, I'm sorry I was panicking."

"No panicking allowed! Not in this house!"

"I'll remember that the next time. Are you going to start the fire?"

Efraim put his glass down on the table and stood up, stretching his arms over his head. He knelt down by the fireplace and lit the fat wood sticks he had placed in amongst the logs. The fire leapt to life, crackling and snapping. He pulled the fire screen into place, watching, mesmerized by the flickering of the flames. He roused himself from his reverie, stood up as he dusted off his hands.

"Nice fire, B. You make a good fire."

"I'm a boy scout, remember?"

"Hardly," she laughed as he grinned at her. "You were probably never a boy scout."

His hand flew to his chest, his expression mock pain. "You strike me to the heart, my love! Of . . . ."

". . . course you were a boy scout. I know, I know!" Francine finished with him, laughing. "Come on, help me get the salad's plated and ready to go so we won't have to worry about that later."

"Yes ma'am!" He gave her a smart salute and marched into the kitchen, Francine walking in behind him. They set up salads, and Francine put a few appetizers into the oven as well as pulling the cheese from the refrigerator to warm up. She had set the three vases of tulips around the house after she had thrown her arms around Efraim's neck and kissing him for thinking of flowers. One she had set on the table in the entrance, another on the mantle over the fireplace and the last on the buffet in the dining room. She gave a last walk through the house, happy that everything was ready.

The doorbell rang and Francine flew to the steps and came downstairs. Efraim beat her to the door, stopped and put his hand out to her. She smiled and walked over to him as he opened the door.

Amanda and Lee came in on a gust of cold air, a few snowflakes following them in. "Hello Francine, Efraim, we thought we'd come a bit early and give a hand!" Amanda hugged Francine and Efraim, Lee rolled his eyes at Efraim as Francine took coats and jackets.

"This feel as funny to you as it does to me?" Lee asked Efraim.

Efraim nodded in agreement. "Yeah, some. But this is Francine's first time having people over and she's been wound up pretty tight, it will do her good to have Amanda ohhing and ahhing about the house. Want a beer? Oh, you know, let me check something out. Is your car out front?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Did you notice a blue mini-van across the street?"

"Yeah, warming the engine, why?"

"It's been warming it's engine on and off all damn day. I noticed it earlier. Let's take a look at that low tire on your car." Efraim opened the door and walked out, Lee right behind him. He leaned over, looking at the tire. "I'll walk to the other side so you can look over my shoulder at the car, see if you can make anything out." Lee nodded his agreement.

Efraim walked around the front of the Land Rover, angling himself so Lee could look over his shoulder at the mini-van. Efraim looked at the tire, stood up and looked at Lee. They talked about tires for a moment, Lee shrugged and shook his head, Efraim taking that as the signal that Lee couldn't see anything.

They heard a car turn the corner, both turning as a low slung sports car flew down the street, it's headlights illuminating the mini-van and back lighting the person in the drivers seat. Efraim raised his eyebrow at Lee who nodded and they both turned and went into the house.

"So, it's looks like we have a babysitter." Lee said, shaking his head. "You know, I think it was there last night when Dave dropped me off."

"Damn, and I didn't see it." Efraim said, annoyed with himself for missing it.

"I didn't think anything of it either. You normally don't use a family vehicle for something like that."

"True. If it's still there later, we'll check it out." Efraim said, not liking the fact that his house was being watched. There was a knock at the door, he could hear Amanda and Francine in the kitchen talking and laughing. He patted his chest, swearing because he wasn't wearing his gun. Lee put his hand up and stood behind the door as Efraim opened it to find Dave Geiger stomping his feet.

"It's damn cold out here Beaman, what's taking you so long to open the door? Hey, Lee, how are you? Here, Beaman, a bottle of wine and these," shaking a bouquet of yellow roses, "are for your wife." Dave looked at both Lee and Efraim, his eyes narrowing. "What's wrong?"

"You notice the mini-van across the street?" Efraim asked.

Dave shrugged. "I may have, why?"

"It's been warming it's engine across from my door all day long."

"Damn, that's not good. Anyone in it?"

"Yeah, a car driving past backlit it, there's a man in the drivers seat." Lee told him, taking his coat off and handing it to Efraim. Dave did the same.

"We looking to do anything about it?"

Lee and Efraim looked at one another and shrugged. "We haven't really had time to talk about it. Look, lets take the wine out to the kitchen and you can give the roses to my wife and maybe she'll be nice to you, but don't count on it."

Dave laughed as he headed into the kitchen. "There she is! Our lovely hostess! Francine, you become more beautiful everyday. Now, if only I could steal you away from your retched Navy husband, you'd be radiant!" He presented the roses with a flourish, looking up at Francine as she eyed him with some rye amusement.

"Dave, you are a scoundrel and a fibber. You'd be scared to death if I was married to you!"

"That ain't the half of it! I don't know how Beaman does it!" Francine threw a dish towel at him while everyone laughed.

"I'll be serving you special tonight Dave. And we can't forget your 'blind date' either, can we?" Francine reminded Dave as she linked her arm in his and walked with him into the living room.

"Oh, my last supper. Any chance of a repeal from the governor?" Dave asked, shaking his head.

"Not in this house, pal. Unless you can convince B to intercede for you." Francine told him, patting his arm while she looked over her shoulder and winked at her husband. Efraim smiled back, enjoying the teasing that Francine was giving to Dave on his behalf.

"Hmmmm, I don't know Francine. You'll have to let me know what you think, after all, this was your bet with Dave over the Army-Navy game." Efraim reminded her, egging her on.

"Oh! You're right B! Have a seat Dave. Comfy? Drink?" Francine sat on the arm of the chair trying to make Dave squirm. She was doing a good job of it.

"Arsenic?"

"Too fast." Francine countered with a pat to his cheek. Lee and Amanda sat down on the couch, big grins on their faces as they watched a playful Francine. "B's sister Lucy told me her friend is here for two weeks. I told her you would just love to take her to see some of the sights. And I told her what a gentleman you are, how kind and courteous and gallant."

"Francine, I'm telling you. I'm not telling you anything! Fine. I'll take her out. I'd be happy to do this for you." He crossed his arms over his chest, figuring that Francine had been pulling his leg. He sighed and smiled at Lee and Amanda. Francine looked over at Efraim and winked and Efraim just shook his head. Dave was in for a surprise.

Efraim got Dave a beer, and they sat and talked while they waited for Lucy. About half an hour later they arrived, Lucy full of apologies for being late, but the baby had been fussy and she didn't feel right about leaving a babysitter with a cranky baby.

"Who's watching the baby for you, Luce?" Efraim hugged his sister and took her coat.

"Mom and Dad." Efraim laughed while everyone else tried to control the looks on their faces. "I think Mom and Dad can handle the kid, Lucy, what do you think Russ?"

Lucy's husband Russell nodded and rolled his eyes at his wife. He held out his hand and introduced himself to Dave.

Francine looked at the young woman who had come in with Lucy and Russell. She was almost as tall as she was, blond with green eyes. Francine held her hand out and introduced herself. "Hello and welcome. I'm Francine Beaman, John's wife. I'm so happy you could come tonight!"

"Thank you for having me. I'm Margaret Randall. Lucy and I were roommates in college."

Efraim walked up and hugged her. "Maggie! It's so good to see you again. I haven't seen you since Lucy's wedding. How are you?"

Margaret blushed when Efraim hugged her, her eyes closing on a big sigh. Francine gave a slight smile; she'd bet anything that her husband had never known that Miss Margaret Randall had a crush on him. "I'm fine John, it's good to see you again too. And congratulations. I wish you and Francine every happiness." She handed a wrapped gift to Francine. "A belated wedding gift. I hope you enjoy it."

"Thank you Margaret. Come in and meet our friends. B? Would you take care of drinks for everyone?"

"Will do my love!"

Francine introduced everyone while Efraim brought and refreshed drinks. Efraim sat on the arm of the chair that Francine was in, his arm resting on her shoulder. He watched as Francine opened the gift from Margaret. A sketch rested in an antique silver frame. He leaned over to get a closer look. Francine smiled widely, recognizing her husband as a young boy sitting in the old tree in front of the family's Maryland home.

"Margaret! This is beautiful. Did you sketch this?" She handed the work to Efraim who smiled as he looked at the picture and handed it to Amanda.

"Peg had some pictures that she had taken the day they moved into the house, and we were looking at them and there was one of John, I guess you were about nine in the photograph? Well, I sketched it from memory and I thought it would be an appropriate gift for your marriage to John." She blushed as she told Francine, Francine understanding more than Margaret's words said.

"I love it, thank you. It's the perfect gift." Francine hugged Margaret, liking the gentle soul she saw in her.

"Maggie, I had forgotten that you liked to sketch. It's a wonderful gift, thank you." Efraim kissed her cheek and tweaked her nose, treating her much as he did Lucy. Francine felt a twinge of sympathy for Margaret, having a crush on her roommate's big brother and having him seeing her as another kid sister. Francine put the frame on the mantle, admiring the drawing yet again. It had been done with a hand and an eye in love. She would cherish it always.

The evening moved along as everyone sat at the dining room table after dinner, sipping coffee and laughing and talking. Efraim watched as Dave and Maggie talked. He grinned to himself, only to catch his wife's eye. He gave a slight shake and tilt of his head in Dave's direction. He watched Francine's eyes glance in Dave's direction. She smiled and looked back at Efraim, her eyes full of laughter. Dave seemed smitten with Maggie.

The telephone rang and Efraim jumped up to grab it. He listened and handed the phone to his sister. "It's Mom." The table grew quiet while Lucy listened to her mother. She said good-bye and handed the phone back to her brother and looked to her husband.

"Mom said the baby has a temperature and it hasn't come down. I think we had better go." To everyone seated at the table she sighed. "Alice has had trouble with her ears and I think I'm going to have to give the doctor a call. I'm sorry to cut our evening short, it's been so nice to get out of the house and speak to adults again!"

Everyone rose from the table and went into the living room. Efraim pulled out coats and jackets for his sister and brother in law, handing Maggie's to Dave. Hugs, thank you's and good-byes were said as Efraim, Lee and Dave walked them out to the car. Amanda and Francine waved from the front door, then went back in the house as it was cold and a light snow continued to fall on and off.

The three men waved as Lucy, Russell and Maggie drove off. They took note of the Plymouth across the street, steam rising from the roof and hood, telling the three that the engine was hot. Lee raised an eyebrow at Efraim and Geiger and opened Efraim's front door.

They walked in and they could hear Francine and Amanda in the kitchen putting things away. Efraim leaned against the stair rail and looked at Lee and Geiger. "Well, any suggestions? Feel like hunting tonight?"

"I feel like hunting every night, but, we can blow our hand if that's a CIA agent sitting out there." Geiger said, hands thrust into his pockets.

"I don't like the fact that he's been there two nights in a row, and he's not good at all about it." Lee shook his head, not sure what they should do. "You get the plate number?"

Efraim nodded. "I didn't have time to call it in, I was busy with Francine today and didn't want to alarm her, she was nervous enough about having company tonight. Let's go upstairs, my laptop is in my study."

The three men climbed the stairs to the third floor study. Lee and Geiger checked out the windows; the Plymouth had re-started it's engine. Geiger raised a brow at Lee as he shook his head.

"Whoever it is isn't professional. Could it be someone casing the house or neighborhood?"

Efraim sighed and leaned back in his chair. "Damn thing's a rental. Right out of Dulles, rented to Patricia Harding two days ago. It's due back in next Friday."

"Anyone know a Patricia Harding? As Efraim and Geiger shook their heads, Lee shook his as well. "I don't either. But that was not a woman I saw in that car earlier, that was a man."

"Yeah. I say we visit," Efraim said, wanting to know who was sitting on his doorstep.

"All three of us?" Geiger asked?

"You want to stay here and have Amanda hold your hand?" Lee asked, knowing that wasn't what Geiger was saying.

"Yeah, right. Well, I'm armed, how about I take the driver's side. Lee, you take the passenger side and Beaman, buddy, you get the back seat."

"Why do I get the back seat? It's my house!" Efraim was indignant that he was being sidelined in front of his own house.

"Because your wife will kill me if anything happens to you. I'd rather deal with you. As it is, I'm going to have to listen to it because I asked Maggie if she'd like a tour of the city. I'm not going to listen to it if you get hurt!" Geiger told him, his hands raised in surrender.

"Jeez, in my own home, relegated to back up. Okay, I'll go out the back and come up from the that angle. Geiger, you take it straight. Lee, feel like going out the window?"

Lee laughed, knowing that he didn't want to answer any of Amanda's questions as to what he was doing, the same as Efraim didn't want to face questions from Francine.

"Are you nuts, Beaman? That's three stories down! Straight down!" Geiger told him, coming back from the roof deck.

"There are bricks pulled out, I used to use them as toe holds when I was a kid."

"You were young, light and agile then!" Geiger said, trying to make him see sense.

"You saying Lee and I can't get down from the roof?" Efraim asked Dave, watching as Lee folded his arms across his chest. Dave waved his hands at them both and went downstairs.

"You sure you can get down from here, Beaman?" Lee' eyes narrowed as he looked over the railing of the deck, shooting a skeptical look at Efraim.

"Yeah, I did it just the other day, it was built that way for a reason: fast escape for the family to flee the British. Now the security light shines on them, you'll be able to see them coming down." They both leaned over the railing looking at the bricks that jutted out from the building. Lee nodded, a big grin on his face. He had felt the restraints of being well known in the intelligence community and enjoyed getting out and flying by the seat of his pants. Lee swung over the railing and made his way down. Efraim did the same, the placement of the bricks burned into his memory.

They jogged down the alley to the cross street and made their way over. Sticking to the shadows, they moved down the street and got into position. Efraim pulled a gadget he had built out of his pocket, it randomly emitted the frequencies of automated car door locks by the manufacturer.

Efraim watched as Geiger walked out of his front door, being careful to shut it quietly. He walked into the street, moving close but passing the drivers door. He gave a nod, and the three men moved. Efraim hit the button and they heard the doors on the mini-van pop.

Geiger was in the drivers door, pushing the driver out of the seat. Lee came in the passenger side and pulled the driver out of the seat, pushing him back towards Efraim. Efraim had him down on his stomach in the empty seating area of the van, his knee on the man's back, Geiger had his gun to his head.

"Thought we'd come over and introduce ourselves since you've been so interested in the comings and goings of my home. Mind sharing who you are?"

The man's voice was muffled, and Efraim reached down, grabbing the man's collar and pulling his head up. The van was dark, but all three got a look at who the man was. Efraim let go, the man's head hitting the floor of the van with a bounce.

"Jonathan Stone. What the hell are you doing here?"