Explanations
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Chapter 23
Olivia was already waiting for Amanda in the gazebo for their little morning tea talk. As expected, there was an elegant flowery teapot along with two matching cups and saucers on top of a silver tray. Beside the antiquated items were four varieties of pastries.
To Amanda, it was like a throwback to the Victorian era, especially since Olivia was dressed in a starched floral print dress complete with pearls. Olivia didn't even look up when Amanda entered the gazebo.
"Thank you for meeting me, Amanda," Olivia stated as she began pouring the tea, "do you take anything with your tea? Cream? Sugar?"
Amanda settled into the cushy, floral chair across from Olivia, "No, just plain, please," she politely responded back, trying to appear as if she were enjoying this little impromptu tea party.
Once Olivia handed Amanda the teacup, she got down to business immediately.
"I feel an apology is due," she began.
"Oh?" Amanda looked confused, "Alright, I suppose you have a point. I'm sorry, Olivia if I-"
"-no, I meant from me, Dear," she interrupted as she took a sip of tea, "I could have been a better hostess, but it has been a terribly horrible weekend for my family and me, what with the tragic murder of my maid, Dean's exceptionally rude departure, and the arrest of my contemptible daughter-in-law. I've just been beside myself with grief and embarrassment."
She then gave a deep sigh.
Amanda gave the standard conciliatory look, "I can understand why you've been so distracted, Olivia. It has been an awful weekend for you. But you are very strong and courageous and I know you will get through this."
Olivia nodded as if she expected Amanda to say something like that, "You're too kind, Dear. Dean always said you were an optimist."
"Yes, well...Mother always said that when there is one negative thought in our minds, we need to counteract it with three positive thoughts," Amanda philosophized.
Olivia's smile seemed stiff, "Sounds like your mother is very wise."
"Oh, she is. She was the best mother when I was growing up and the best support system now that I'm grown with two young boys of my own," Amanda reasoned, "But I know you didn't invite me here to talk about my family, and I don't mean to appear as though I'm rushing you, Olivia, but you did say you wanted to tell me something important about Dean?"
Olivia's smooth face crinkled a bit, "I will get to that soon enough, Amanda, but I'd like to ease into a serious conversation and not just blurt out what I need to say. Let's enjoy our time together, shall we? There is something about having a cup of tea that soothes one's soul. Wouldn't you agree?"
I suppose," Amanda agreed, as she took a sip. She hoped this wasn't going to be a long drawn out conversation. She was anxious to get back home, "and I appreciate all the trouble you went through to set up this lovely tea time with me, but truthfully, I'm anxious to get upstairs and finish my packing. As I've stated previously, I do have boys waiting at home for me and I miss them terribly."
But Olivia sat back in her cushioned seat, "I do understand what you are saying Amanda, and I commend you for having a family you care about. If only I could say the same for my family," she sighed. She then placed a custard tart on a plate and handed it to Amanda, "My family seems to disappoint me time after time, including this weekend. I'm still shocked over the arrest of my daughter-in-law. I never did care for her, mind you, but I can't believe she would kill my maid simply because Eunice had been blackmailing her about a silly engagement ring."
"Oh, you don't know?" Amanda questioned, as she took a bite of the tart, "Le—I mean Agent Stetson and I found another motive for Liz wanting to kill Eunice. Turns out Liz had a huge gambling debt and didn't want the family to know!"
Olivia's eyes slightly widened, "Is that so? No, I had not heard that. Aren't you and Lee the clever ones to figure it out!" she enthused. Then she leaned in and in a low tone added, "but of course you two would have the best investigative skills, being government spies and all!"
Amanda almost choked on her tart as her eyes became round, "I'm not sure...or, um, why would you ever say that, Olivia?"
The matriarch gave a smug smile, "I have vast power and influence, my dear, and I use it to my advantage whenever I can. So naturally, when Dean told me about you, I had you checked out, in case my son and you became more serious, which happily never occurred."
Amanda tried not to appear offended, "You won't ever tell Dean about my real work life, will you?"
For the first time, Olivia's smile seemed genuine, "No, it is definitely not worth my time, however, he may find out by other means."
Amanda tried not to look alarmed, "Other means? What do you mean?"
"Seems the dossier I had on you has gone missing before the weekend of your arrival," Olivia nonchalantly stated, "and naturally I had assumed Eunice had stolen it."
Amanda looked shocked, "You had a dossier on me? And do you really think Eunice was the one who had taken it?"
"Who else could it be?" Olivia reasoned, sounding unconcerned, "But of course, you would know that since you had already searched her room. Are you saying you didn't find it?"
Amanda shook her head, "No, we never did. And we looked everywhere around her room!"
"Oh dear, that is quite a shame!" Olivia tsked, casually taking a sip, "So there were no files found in Eunice's room at all?"
"No, none at all," Amanda stated, wondering why Olivia would word the question that way. And then it hit her.
"Olivia," Amanda slowly began, trying to keep the calm in her tone as she made a realization, "You're asking about files, but not because of the one concerning me, are you? You're asking because you're afraid that she may have had a file on you!"
Olivia's voice sounded accusatory "So you did find a file on me."
"No, but it's pretty obvious that's why you wanted you brought me up here. It wasn't to talk about Dean at all, was it?"
"No," Olivia bluntly stated.
"So you lied."
"Yes, I lied. But that's what politicians do best. We lie."
Amanda asked, "So how long has your maid been blackmailing you about your secret?"
Olivia opened her mouth to explain and then shut it again as she contemplated. Finally, she relented.
"The wretched woman has been blackmailing me for months!" Olivia miserably admitted, "You see, Amanda, it all had to do with some bad investments I made after I retired from the Senate."
"Bad investments," parroted Amanda, "You made some very bad investments."
"Yes and I cannot tell you how I've regretted listening to my financial manager! And unfortunately, the resulting fallout forced me to take out a reverse mortgage on this Estate as well as selling most of my stocks. And even though I've cleverly kept those facts out of the press, I couldn't keep them out of Eunice's blackmailing hands!"
"So you have little money left," Amanda concluded.
"It's nothing I'm proud of," she coolly admitted, "and if I'm being perfectly frank about things, it's something I cannot ever reveal to my family. I am well aware that the only reason my family visits me as much as they do is that they hope to get a bigger part of the inheritance. Little do they know is that the joke will be on them!"
Amanda recalled how Daniel and Liz pretended to have a blissful marriage for exactly that reason, so she couldn't refute that claim, "I'm sorry to hear about all this," Amanda consoled her.
With head held high, Olivia announced, "Rubbish! I do NOT need your pity, Amanda!"
Amanda shifted in her seat. She felt all of this was none of her business and wanted to get out of there.
"I didn't mean to offend you, Olivia. And you're right. You don't need anyone's pity. And it is a personal family matter, so I think I should just go. I promise I won't reveal any of what you had told me and I hope your finances turn around soon."
Olivia gave a smug smile, "I do believe my fortunes are about to take a turn for the better. Thank you for listening, Dear."
"Of course, Olivia. Do take care."
Amanda started to stand up, but suddenly the gazebo seemed to be spinning. The feeling didn't go away, and she had to sit down again.
Olivia looked concerned, "Amanda, are you feeling alright, Dear? You look a little...pale."
To Amanda, Olivia's voice sounded so far away, like she was talking to her from another dimension.
She looked over to the matriarch, who seemed a little blurry now.
"No, I'm...I'm not...feeling... very well..." Amanda whispered rubbing her forehead.
The woman seemed to be talking through a fog as her next words took on an ominous sound.
"You don't think I'd just let you leave, do you?" Olivia was asking.
Amanda felt she was talking through a tunnel, "What?" She felt confused, wondering why she couldn't leave. She tried to focus on Olivia as she now understood, "You...drugged me..."
She could barely make out Olivia's hardened expression as the woman then reached out towards the dishes on the table, and with a stiff arm, swung it so hard that it knocked all the lovely ceramic plates and teapot to the ground. Amanda could hear the crash of the delicate china as it broke into hundreds of pieces on the ground.
"There was a struggle between you and me. It will be self-defense when I talk to the authorities," Olivia simply stated.
Amanda's words were barely audible as she accusingly stated, "You... killed Eunice."
Then Amanda heard the sound of a taser being turned on.
She couldn't move from her seat as she used her remaining strength to beg Olivia, "No, no...pleas-"
The sound of the taser was fading, fading from her mind, but that was because Amanda knew she was losing consciousness.
An echo-like sound could be heard from Olivia saying, "Goodbye, Amanda..."
Amanda's body felt as heavy as a boulder. She was too exhausted to fight. Amanda readied herself to feel the deadly effects of the taser as her eyes had begun to flutter shut. But just before they did, she heard the sound of running footsteps, and with her eyes closed, she could make out some grunting sounds along with some kind of struggling happening…
And then her body went limp as she fell to the ground.
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"Amanda! Amanda!"
Amanda could hear Lee's voice. It sounded far away, but seemed to be getting closer.
"Amanda! Are you alright?"
She slowly opened her eyes and saw a fuzzy image of Lee, as his eyes concernedly hovered over her.
Although she was tired and frazzled, Amanda felt mentally elated. She knew she was safe again and that knowledge made her body feel lighter again. She looked left and right. Broken ceramic pieces surrounded her. She was obviously on the floor of the gazebo. Yet she still managed to smile at Lee.
"I'm...fine. I think."
Lee gave a deep relieved sigh as the lines in his forehead had disappeared.
"You gave me a scare. You sure you're okay?"
"I'll...be better soon, I think, but it seems as if you're always asking if I'm okay," she teased.
She liked the way a touch of a smile appeared on his lips, "I wouldn't be asking that question so much if you didn't get into trouble so much!"
Amanda tried to sit up, "Oooo! Ow!" She grabbed onto her head as though it was about to explode.
Lee was already pulling her back down. He had taken off his jacket and had placed it on the ground so that she could use it as a pillow.
"Careful! Just stay down and rest now, Amanda," she heard Lee's soothing voice advising her, "The ambulance will be here soon."
And as if on cue, Amanda could hear the familiar siren.
WeeWooWeeWooWeeWooo….
And it reminded her of when Liz was being wheeled away. Only Liz had been only angry; she wasn't the killer.
Amanda grabbed onto Lee's shirt sleeve, "Lee! Olivia! You must find Olivia! It wasn't Liz who killed the maid, it was-"
"Shhhhh! I know all about it," Lee told her, as she let go of his sleeve, "You see, Amanda, earlier this morning I was thinking about Liz being wheeled away by the authorities. Twice I recalled her insisting she didn't do anything. Why would she be so insistent? That made me suspicious, so when the Police Captain made that last-minute call to me, I began to wonder why he would need to see me again, unless he didn't. So I asked him if it was Olivia who had coerced him into calling me in, and when he validated my answer, I hid in the bushes of the gazebo. I overheard everything."
Amanda recalled the struggling noises she heard before she became unconscious. She hesitantly asked, "I heard a struggle. You didn't hurt Olivia... did you?"
Lee shrugged, "'Hurt' is a relative word, isn't it? She wouldn't go down quietly so I told her, 'I could do it the hard way..."
He then paused. And didn't continue. It made Amanda impatient.
"-You could do it the hard way or what?" she asked, "What was the other option?"
He tilted his head, "There's another option?"
She smiled, "I guess that's the only way people learn sometimes." She did not feel bad for Olivia at all. And Amanda felt she truly had the best agent in the business to protect her, "I'm glad it's really over with, Lee, and you were here for me."
"Always," he promised, then his expression looked concerned again, "So is there anything else I could do for you before the ambulance gets here?"
Amanda took a deep breath in. She felt exhausted, but more importantly, she felt gratitude. It felt good to feel alive, and good to have Lee next to her.
"Yeah," she began, "I've got a splitting headache and you could help clear it up by administering one medicinal Chubby Chewy Candy Bar!"
And when Lee laughed, Amanda felt thankful that she could return his laugh.
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Last chapter coming up!
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