Chapter 8: Finding Your Way Back Home
March 11, 1985
Amanda sat on her couch trying to clear her head. It had been a crazy morning. Beyond crazy. Like a light bulb going off above her head, inspiration hit. At least Amanda hoped it was inspiration. This may just be the stupidest idea ever.
Going over to the drawer in the kitchen, she fished around until she found what she wanted – a letter from Lee from when he was in Europe. The information she was looking for was thirteen years old, she could only hope that didn't mean this was a futile attempt at getting some order back in her life.
Picking up the phone, she tried to ignore the shake in her hands. She let out a breath she hadn't even realized she'd been holding when the receptionist answered with "International Federal Film. Can I help you please?"
The quaver in her voice unmistakable, Amanda asked, "May I speak with William Melrose, please?"
"Please hold," came the nasally reply.
An advertisement came over the phone for the IFF's next film, which was apparently on the effects of gopher tunnels on building structures. Amanda may have laughed had her mind not been several thousand miles away.
She was surprised to hear a new voice on the line, but clearly not that of Billy Melrose. "Francine Desmond," came the voice. "May I help you?"
"Y-yes," stuttered Amanda. "I'm looking for William Melrose. My name is Amanda King and I'm a friend of Lee Stetson's."
"Please hold."
A minute later, a deep, kindly voice came over the line, "Mrs. King? This is Billy Melrose."
"Hello, Mr. Melrose. My name is Amanda King. I was a friend of Lee Stetson's years ago. I'm not sure if he still works for the Agency, but I think I need some help, and I thought …" Amanda stopped suddenly to take a breath.
Impatiently looking at his clock, Billy noticed the time as 11:15. Surprising himself with his next move, he said, "Mrs. King, it's nearly lunchtime and it's a slow day here today. Would you like to meet for coffee?"
Amanda smiled slightly for the first time all day. "Yes, please. Where ever you want."
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"I should have known," Billy thought as he saw the pretty brunette walk in the door. While not strictly Lee's type – she was not blonde or quite as curvaceous as Lee normally liked his female companions, this woman was clearly attractive enough to have caught Lee's eye. He waved at her and she walked over.
As she sat down, Billy took in her eyes and was a bit surprised at what he saw there. Up close, she was not nearly Lee's type. Beyond the dark hair and smaller curves, her eyes showed an intelligence and inner strength not normally present in Lee's women. Today, her eyes also showed turmoil and something at Amanda pulled at Billy's heart strings and before he even knew her problem he was ready to help her.
"Hi," she said softly.
"Hello, Mrs. King. I'm Billy," he extended his hand.
Taking it uneasily, Amanda replied, "Please call me Amanda."
Billy smiled at her warmly, causing Amanda to feel slightly more comfortable.
"As I said on the phone," Amanda began, "I'm not even sure if Lee works there anymore, but I need help… I think."
"Lee does still work with us, but since you didn't call him,
I didn't invite him to our lunch." Billy replied.
"I haven't talked to Lee in years, honestly. I had your name from a letter Lee had sent more than a decade ago. I hope you don't mind…"
Billy cut her off, "Not at all. Do you want to share your problem with me, Amanda?"
"I'm married.…" she paused again, trying to determine how to tell this story. Even Lee didn't know most of this. "I got married fifteen years ago. But ten years ago, my husband moved to Eustocia. I haven't heard from him since except for birthday gifts for our two sons the first few years after he moved. But even those stopped about eight years ago. We're still on good terms, or were, when we last spoke. My husband called me this morning. I don't know what's wrong, but he said he's back in the U.S. but can't see me or Philip and Jamie. And if I should get any phone calls, I should deny knowing his whereabouts. This is strange as I don't know his whereabouts except that he's here in the states. But it was what he said after that which caused my concern." Amanda stopped again and Billy stared at her amazed at how quickly she said all of that. Finally, she continued, "He said my saying I don't know where he is is a matter of life and death. My husband isn't, or wasn't, prone to exaggeration, Mr. Melrose."
Billy's eyes widened. He'd seen the report over the wire this morning, but frankly he'd put it aside for the morning. The assignation of the Eustocian president wouldn't even have been Agency business if there hadn't been an American implicated in the murder. An American who Billy was beginning to suspect might be Mrs. King's husband. He was glad that he had decided to meet Mrs. King, even though he was still unsure why he had decided to do so.
Taking her hand in his, Billy's voice was soft. "Amanda, we'll take care of this. Just go home for now and we'll call you."
Amanda's eyes flooded with tears, but her voice strong she said, "My husband is a good man, Mr. Melrose. He went to Eustocia to help people. I don't know why people may be trying to kill him, but you need to know that he is a good man."
Billy smiled at her loyalty to a man she hadn't spoken to in years. "I understand, Amanda. And please, call me Billy. If anyone calls for your husband, do as he asked and don't tell them where he is. I promise someone from the Agency will call you by the end of the day."
Amanda smiled warmly at him, "Thank you, Mr.… I mean, Billy. Thank you."
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Opening the door to the Q-Bureau, Billy smiled at the man inside. His feet propped up against the desk, he was staring out the window.
"I thought I told you I wanted that report on my desk by 5, Stetson!" Billy barked.
Lee sat up straight, then seeing the smile on Billy's face, relaxed.
"What's up, Billy?"
"Well, seeing how much you enjoy paperwork, I have a new case for you."
Like a little boy at Christmas, Lee's eyes lit up, and he leaned forward in anticipation. Taking a seat across from him, Billy's tone softened. "I got a call from a woman this morning asking for our help and I think she may be related to a case that came over the wire this morning from Eustocia."
Lee looked on in interest, but to Billy's surprise did not react. He had assumed that Lee might make the connection to Amanda's husband. But Amanda had said it had been years since they'd spoken. Maybe Lee didn't know.
"So what's up, Billy?" Lee prodded him on.
Billy handed Lee the report he had received and waited a few moments for Lee to read it. Lee perused it quickly and then turned to Billy expectantly. "What's this woman got to do with this?"
"I'm not sure, but she said her husband moved to Eustocia ten years ago and she hasn't heard much from him since. But she got a call from him this morning saying that he was in the states, but if anyone called her looking for him, she shouldn't let them know where he is."
"So you think this guy is the American who assassinated the President?"
"I think he's the guy accused of it."
"So you think he's innocent?" Lee asked in surprise.
"I'm not sure. I'm withholding judgment for now. But she seems very convinced he's innocent and I feel like I should trust her."
Lee looked at him skeptically. "You do? Some strange woman you don't know contacts you. You don't find that suspicious enough as it is? Maybe she's involved."
Billy looked at him squarely in the eye and Lee realized he was being tested. He rethought through his words to decide where he went wrong. "You know her?" he asked. Billy shook his head no. "You know how she got your number?"
Billy nodded his head and then simply said, "You gave it to her."
Lee stood up, "I what! This woman is lying to you, Billy! I've never given anyone your number. You know I wouldn't do that!"
"Sit down, son," Billy said, his tone paternal.
Lee sat down looking at his friend warily.
He handed Lee a piece of paper. "Here's her contact information. You need to talk to her."
The paper fell out of Lee's hand and fluttered to the floor.
"Amanda?" he questioned, his voice barely a whisper. Then concern and love clear on his face, he looked straight at Billy. "Is she alright?"
"Surprisingly so, considering. But you should see her," Billy repeated, then rising and leaving the office.
Lee leaned over to take the paper in his hand again. "Amanda," he whispered once again. "What happened?"
To Be Continued…
