See Part 1 for Disclaimer, Notes, etc.
Chapter 7
Amanda looked around at the women preparing for work in the small dressing room. Most of the employees were exotic dancers dressed in a fashion that left little or nothing to the imagination.
"Are you the new girl Hank sent over from the Pink Elephant?" a petite woman with a high-pitched voice asked.
"I…" Amanda started.
"Of course you are? Bunny, isn't it!"
"Yeah." Amanda looked down at the woman.
"I told Hank that I would give you a test run as a waitress and see how my clientele liked you, but you are quite pretty. His 'beautiful' and my 'beautiful' sometimes have different meanings," she laughingly told Amanda.
"I would love to start out as a waitress." Amanda felt a wave of relief knowing her new job duties.
"I wouldn't mind giving you a swing at the dance floor--you meet my expectations quite well. The tips are a lot better than you would get from serving a bunch of drunk, horny men," the woman babbled as she looked Amanda's figure up and down.
"Really, the waitress position would be a good place to get my feet wet." Amanda forced a smile to her lips.
"Suit yourself. I have a few rules for my waitresses. One, you don't get overly friendly with your customers— that's what the dancer's are for. Two, if you have a problem with one of them being overly aggressive, you find a bouncer and let him take care of it. Three, you don't drink while you work. Do you understand?"
Amanda nodded. "Yes, ma'am."
"Good. You should change out of your evening clothes, since you don't want to flaunt yourself just yet. Over there are some waitress uniforms. I expect you can find one that fits you until I can order a new one for you." She turned and left Amanda to change for her new duties.
Rupert gingerly walked into the establishment, determined to find his wayward niece. She had been difficult to follow from her hotel, but his driving skills were still top notch. His dimming eyes squinted through the smoke to rest upon her figure exiting a room from the back. She was dressed in a cocktail dress that left very little covered. He shook his head and headed for the back of the bar. He wanted to keep an eye on her, but at the same time, he didn't want her to know he was there.
Amanda tugged at her short skirt as she made her way to the bar. She glanced back at the table where Mark had taken up residence. The same man that she had noticed earlier today from the Marriott lobby was sitting with him.
"Here's your tray, missy. You get the back half of the bar. I assume you have experience in this type of thing, or Hank wouldn't have sent you." The bartender shoved the tray into her hand.
"Thanks." Amanda went to her station. She knew she was to be Mark's waitress, and wondered how she was going to wiggle out of that one.
A wolf call escaped the mouth of a very drunk young man sitting two booths behind Mark.
"Stop your staring and go get the man a drink," a booming voice barked from behind her. Amanda turned to look at the burley man; she assumed this was her new boss, Skip. She nodded and went to the obnoxious young man's table.
"Can I take your order?" Amanda peered down at the drooling man.
"I'd like you on the rocks, babe." He slid his hand up her leg.
"Perhaps a nice cup of coffee." Amanda smiled as she removed his hand from her leg.
"Nah! I think maybe a 'sex on the beach' is in order," the man growled as he returned his hand to her thigh.
Amanda remained calm and kept her back to Mark and his friend.
Rupert watched with growing anger at the audacity of the young man. 'I may be old, but I could still give him a good fight,' he thought to himself as he stood to go rescue his niece.
Amanda was about to remove the man's hand once again, when she looked up to see Rupert's red face.
"Hello, honey. I didn't realize you took a job here." Rupert smiled and placed a comforting hand on Amanda's arm.
"Yeah, Rupert. I needed the extra cash," Amanda snapped back as her mind recovered from the shock of seeing him.
"Are you with him?" the young man asked as he gave the old man a disgusted look.
"Hey, buddy. She likes her men a little more seasoned and experienced." Rupert gave him his best smile.
"I bet I can show her a better time than you any day." The young man started to stand and show Rupert just what he meant.
"Settle down, son. How about I buy you all the alcohol you can handle tonight, if you leave this little morsel for me." Rupert placed his hand on the man's shoulder and retrieved a few bills from his pocket.
"I guess I could deal with that," the young man sneered as he took the money from Rupert and headed for the bar.
Amanda started to open her mouth, when Rupert placed a finger to her lips. "How about you sit with me a minute, sweetie?"
"Sure," Amanda hissed through clinched teeth as she took a seat across from Rupert in the booth.
"I've missed seeing you. I just wanted to see if you were all right." He reached across the table and took her hand.
Amanda nodded her head towards Mark's table. "I've been kinda' busy."
"I see." Rupert gave her a lavish wink.
Amanda squeezed his hand. "I need to mingle a little."
"Why don't you do an old man a favor and get him a stiff drink? I'll be waiting for you."
"A stiff drink?" Amanda tilted her head as she asked.
"Yeah, how about a Jack and Coke." Rupert smiled with a twinkle in his eye.
"Okay, Rupert. I'll be right back." Amanda slipped back to the bar to retrieve his drink.
Rupert listened intently as the two men bantered quietly at the booth, two up from him. They were arguing about when the time was right for Scarecrow to go, and that the list may have to be updated soon. He heard something about the Agency in D.C. needing a clean up detail; that everything was being handled by an inside contact at the Agency. Rupert kept his outward features that of a sweet old man, but inside, he was enraged by the danger Billy had put Amanda in.
Amanda watched Rupert from the bar, while she fended off unwanted hands.
"Hey, Bunny. Here's the old man's drink. Just a quick note of warning—Skip doesn't like his help working our customers." The bartender slightly held her wrist as he handed her the drink.
"Working our customers?" Amanda asked as she looked at the stern expression on his face.
"You know, your 'sugar daddy' over there is off limits during working hours." The bartender nodded towards Rupert.
"Oh!" Amanda gasped as she realized his meaning. She gave him a sweet smile and nodded her understanding.
"Rupert, you have got to go," Amanda whispered in his ear as she placed his drink on the table.
"Why?" He patted her hand.
"I'm not allowed visitors." Amanda motioned towards the bar.
"Hey, Lady! We need some service over here!" Mark called from his table.
"Oh. My. Gosh!" Amanda mouthed towards Rupert.
Rupert grabbed his chest and moaned. Amanda immediately thought he was having a heart attack by the look of pain on his face. She put her arms around his shoulders. "Are you all right?" she pleaded with him to answer.
Rupert started to cough. "I think I need some fresh air, this cigarette smoke is starting to get to me."
"Hey, Babe! We need some service!" Mark bellowed.
"Gotta help the old man," Amanda mumbled as she guided Rupert out of the booth. She placed his body between her and Mark, and headed straight for the front door. Once outside, she glanced down the street hoping the cabby had waited for her.
"Hey, get back here!" She heard Skip yell out the door.
Amanda felt a flood of relief at the sight of the yellow cab still by the curb. She increased her speed as Rupert straightened and ran with her.
"Let's go!" Amanda pushed Rupert into the waiting cab and closed the door.
The cabby turned in his seat to face her. "What took you so long?"
"Step on it!" Amanda looked back to see Skip getting closer to the cab.
"Is that your hubby?" the cabby asked, with a look of astonishment on his face.
"I don't have time for small talk. I said step on it!" Amanda pointed her finger towards the road.
"Geez, you don't have to be so pushy," the cabby said as he started the cab and took off into the down town streets.
Amanda turned her attentions to her friend, once the bar was out of site. "Rupert, are you all right?"
"Just fine. I can still think on my feet pretty good, huh?" Rupert gave her a beaming smile.
Amanda gave him a stern look. "Rupert! You scared me half to death."
"I'm sorry. I was just worried about you being in there all by yourself," he said, shrugging his shoulders.
"Hey, lady. Where do you want me to take you and your gentleman friend?" the cabby asked as he tried to repress a laugh.
Amanda looked down at her attire and realized she couldn't be seen at the Marriott this way. "Where are you staying, Rupert?"
"I'm at the Holiday Inn across town. I think we have a few things to discuss." Rupert smiled as he noticed her obvious discomfort with her clothes.
"Yes, I think we do! Cabby, will you take us to the Holiday Inn?"
"Sure thing, we'll be there in a jiffy," the cabby stated.
Rupert turned to face Amanda. "I overheard a few interesting things this evening."
"I'll just bet you did, Uncle. Why don't you wait and tell me everything once we get to your room," Amanda said sternly, but giving him a sweet smile.
Rupert nodded his understanding. The three occupants of the car remained quiet for the rest of the ride.
As the cab stopped in front of the Holiday Inn, Amanda stepped out.
"How much do we owe you?" Rupert asked as he slid across the seat to exit the cab.
"She's already paid me." The cabby shook his head at the sight of the odd couple then drove off into the night.
"Come on, Rupert. I'm about to freeze to death out here." Amanda grabbed his hand and headed for the lobby.
Kevin finished the last piece of his pizza, then, tossed the empty box onto the floor. His eyes fell upon the telephone next to his bed. 'Should I call, Mr. Melrose? Lee definitely isn't going to,' he thought as his conscious began to argue with him. 'On one hand, he is my partner and needs me to support him; on the other hand, I'm not sure he is doing the right thing. What if he's getting us into something that we have no business in? What if he's blinded by his obvious attraction for his last partner, and is about to make a huge mistake by digging too deep into I.A. business?' Kevin hung his head in his hands and tried to make sense of the whole situation.
"I need a drink," Kevin mumbled as he grabbed his coat and headed for the lobby.
Amanda pulled her chair closer to the heater in Rupert's room. "Okay, Rupert. What are you doing here? Did you talk to Mr. Melrose? Don't you know how dangerous it could be for me to be seen with somebody from the Agency?"
"Calm down, Niece. I talked to Billy like you wanted me to. He sure was upset to find out you were here, and not in Atlanta. Then, he told me that my nephew wasn't around to keep an eye on you. I'm only acting as a responsible Uncle, so don't get your feathers all ruffled." Rupert gave her a soft smile and pulled his chair next to hers.
"I'm sorry, Rupert. It's just that this assignment has gotten all of my emotions in a jumble." Amanda patted his leg.
Rupert placed his hand on hers. "I overheard the two men you were watching tonight."
"What did they say?" Amanda turned her full attention to her friend.
"They were arguing about when to move Lee to the top of some list. Then they discussed something about a mole inside of our Agency." He furrowed his gray eyebrows. "Are you going to tell me what all this is about?"
"Oh my gosh, Rupert. I'm going to have to get to the bottom of this quick." Amanda gasped at the thought of Lee's time running out.
"Amanda." Rupert grasped her hand tightly to regain her attention.
"Rupert, I need you to go back to D.C. and tell Mr. Melrose what you overheard. He needs to be aware that the walls have ears," Amanda pleaded.
"You're not going to tell me what's going on, are you?" Rupert nodded his understanding.
"I'm sorry. I wish I could, but there is too much at stake for me to risk bringing in someone else. I have to do this on my own. Do you understand?"
"I don't like it, but I do understand." Rupert nodded again as he watched her rise from her chair.
"I need to get back to my hotel before anyone realizes I'm gone." Amanda headed for the door.
"I think you might need this." Rupert opened his suitcase and handed her a long windbreaker.
"Thank you!" Amanda grabbed the coat and wrapped it around herself as best she could.
Rupert opened the door for her. "I'll walk you out and help you get a cab."
"Thank you for everything." Amanda placed a soft kiss on his cheek.
"You be careful. I don't want my niece, or my nephew, to take any unnecessary chances with their lives." Rupert gave her a stern look.
"I promise." Amanda placed his hand in hers and walked down the hall.
Kevin was finishing the last of his drink, when he looked up from the young brunette that was trying to hold his attention. He did a double take. "That can't be her. Who in the hell is the old guy?"
"Hmm…What are you talking about, sugar?" His newest female companion asked as she played with his hair.
"I have to go." Kevin abruptly pulled away from her and followed the couple out the door.
Rupert opened the cab door for her. "Now, don't you make me worry about you. Try and keep in touch, okay?"
"I will. You just make sure you talk to Mr. Melrose." Amanda placed a quick kiss on his cheek then entered the cab.
"I promise. " Rupert closed the door and handed the cabby a few bills for her ride back to the plaza.
Kevin lounged by the door as the old fellow made his way back inside. Rupert's training had made him realize that this young man had been watching him and Amanda.
Rupert stopped in front of Kevin. "Can I help you with something, sonny."
"Ahh…Ahh…I'm just waiting on a cab." Kevin stuttered, taken by surprise.
"I see." Rupert narrowed his eyes at the nervous young man. "Well, perhaps you would have better luck if you stood outside and flagged one down."
"Yeah, maybe you're right." Kevin brushed by him and headed out the door. 'That old coot seemed pretty sharp for someone his age. I wonder what he was doing with Mrs. King?' He stepped up to the curb and hailed a cab.
Within minutes, he was on his way to the Ritz-Carlton. He wanted to check out his suspicions regarding Mrs. King.
Amanda thanked the cabby for the ride, then, ran into the lobby. Looking at her watch, she realized it was close to 1:30 a.m. Hoping that Mark hadn't come back to the hotel yet, she raced towards the elevators. As she passed the front desk, she heard a familiar voice. Turning, she saw Francine checking in.
Amanda changed direction and walked up beside Francine. "Thank goodness Billy got in touch with you," she whispered to the blonde.
Francine turned to see Amanda standing beside her. "Yeah, he told me we had a real mess on our hands, but didn't have time to give me any details." She looked closer at the amount of make-up on Amanda's face, and noticed that she was wearing a coat that looked two sizes too big for her. "What have you been up to, Amanda?"
"Shhh…we can't talk here. Are you all checked in?" she continued in hushed tones.
"Yes. Come on, we'll head up to my room on the 8th floor," Francine replied.
Amanda glanced around, making sure Mark wasn't anywhere to be seen, and walked quickly to the elevators. As soon as they were safely behind the closed doors, and on the way up to Francine's room, she was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.
Neither one of them had seen Kevin enter the lobby. He stood back and watched Amanda and Francine get on the elevators together.
"This is getting more and more complicated by the minute," Kevin muttered to himself. He was sure now that Mr. Melrose wanted the two of them off this assignment. Why else would Francine be here? Not only that, but why was Francine with Mrs. King? He started wondering once more if he should go behind Scarecrow's back and call their boss. 'Maybe I can convince him tomorrow, after we try once more to break into Dobson's files,' he thought as he walked out of the lobby and back out into the night air.
Chapter 8
Amanda noted the calm expression that was etched on her co-worker's face as they entered her room. She was beginning to realize that Lee and Francine had a lot more in common than just the Agency; both had their emotional walls built around their true feelings. Francine, however, was more difficult to read than her beloved. Amanda respected her for her professionalism, but wondered if Francine would ever let her guard down and accept her as a friend. The emotional ride Amanda had been on over the past three weeks suddenly hit her like a tidal wave. Her body was shaking, but not from the cold. She needed to confide in someone—to share her burden. "I don't know how much more of this I can take," Amanda sighed as she took a seat on Francine's bed.
Francine locked the door and turned to face her. She noticed how tired and worn out Amanda looked. Amanda was shouldering the brunt of the load on this assignment. She knew that dealing with Lee was never easy, but to make him believe that she had betrayed their partnership had to be devastating on Amanda. "Amanda, take a minute to collect yourself; then you can fill me in on what's been going on."
Amanda sighed, a tired smirk playing across her face. "Do you want the long or the short version?"
Francine took a seat on beside Amanda on the bed. "Just fill me in on what you can, okay."
"Well, obviously you know that our travel plans changed at the last minute. Mark really caught me off guard with that bit of information. He apparently has plans to meet up with one of his non-Internal Affairs associates. He says that he wants to introduce me to the faculty of the New York office, but I have a feeling that his trip here is more of a personal nature. He told me that I might get to meet this 'friend' of his on this trip. I'm not sure if I'll get to see who his 'friend' is today before the Vice-President's Party, or tomorrow for that matter. I just have this overwhelming sensation Mark is somehow connected to these murders--"
Francine's eyes widened as she processed the information. "Amanda, did you say the Vice-President's party?"
"Yes. Mark told me this morning that he and I have been invited to attend. Why?" Amanda asked when she saw the look of shock cross Francine's face.
"Billy, thinking you were in Atlanta, sent Lee here to cover that party, and also to keep him away from you. Billy only took the time to tell me that I would be attending the party. He apparently neglected to inform me that I was going to have to play baby-sitter to Lee." Francine rolled her eyes and threw her hands up in the air.
Amanda turned distressed eyes towards Francine. "Lee's going to be there!"
"Yes!"
"I thought I saw him tonight when Mark and I were out, but I had hoped that --"
Amanda stood from the bed and walked over to the window.
"Amanda, are you all right?"
Amanda closed her eyes, as her hope of Lee knowing the truth floated out of her mind. She regained her composure and turned back to face Francine. "Yeah…I guess I should have known it was for some type of Agency business he was in town for. You were right about him not always being able to ride in on his white horse and save me."
"Amanda, everything will work out," Francine reassured her.
"I hope so, Francine. I really hope so." Amanda shook her head and returned her attention back to the flashing lights of the traffic far below. "If we all come out of this alive, I swear I'm going to string Dr. Smyth up by his coat tails for not letting me confide in Lee." Amanda voice held just a hint of anger.
Francine watched her fellow agent with admiration. The housewife, turned spy, standing before her always had something good to say about everyone, including Dr. Smyth. Her words of anger towards Smyth revealed a new side of Amanda: a protector of the ones she loved. Francine nodded to herself, finally understanding that Amanda and Lee's relationship ran much deeper than just that of co-workers. She had deep feelings for Lee and was not about to let Smyth, or this mystery man, take him from this world.
"I might just join you in Smyth hanging, if I can't come up with a way to keep Lee away form you and Mark. If Lee has his usual demeanor when he's upset, and causes a big scene tomorrow, we may all be looking for new jobs." Francine's voice mirrored Amanda's lack of enthusiasm. "Other than this huge glitch, what were you saying about Mark?"
Amanda turned to look back at Francine. Walking over to sit on the edge of the bed again, she replied, "I can't quite put my finger on it. From the minute I started this damn assignment three weeks ago, I haven't been comfortable around him. This recent, last minute schedule change…and the way he talks about his associate…I just have a really bad feeling. I guess I won't know more until I meet this guy." Looking over at the clock on the nightstand, she continued, "It's almost two in the morning. I should head back to my room. I just hope I don't run into Mark, especially dressed like this."
"Yeah, I almost forgot to ask. Why are you dressed like that?" Francine eyes over perused Amanda's appearance.
A slight smile touched Amanda's face. "I had to improvise."
"It's definitely a change for you," Francine laughed.
Amanda's tension eased slightly with the familiarity of Francine's taunting. 'I can count on Francine to never change,' Amanda thought as she nodded at her.
"So what's the story behind it? You're not moonlighting are you?" Francine rolled her eyes, sensing Amanda's need for her to remain a strong constant, while everything else in her life was quickly changing.
"No," Amanda sighed, "I followed Mark tonight to some bar called 'Mothers.'"
"Down at the Meat Market!" Francine's eyes widened at the thought of Amanda amongst a bunch of needy men.
"Yes, Francine—the Meat Market. The bouncer thought I was one of their waitresses, hence the attire." Amanda stood and opened her coat for Francine to get a full understanding of the situation she had to deal with. "To make matters worse, I ran into Rupert. He apparently decided to follow me up here as well. He's on his way back to D.C. to fill Billy in on what he overheard Mark and his associate talking about. I can't shake the feeling that I know Mark's associate from somewhere--"
Francine couldn't help but chuckle. The thought of Amanda working the tables at a bar, scantily dressed was quite amusing.
Amanda looked at the blonde, her features returning serious. "I don't find any humor in my having to run around with my butt hanging out just to get information, Francine."
"I'm sorry, Amanda. I guess I'm just tired. What exactly did Rupert overhear?"
Amanda, remembering what she had learned earlier, let the worry show in her voice as she explained, "Rupert overheard them saying that Lee has moved up on the list. I think he may be next. Francine, you need to get Billy to put a shadow on Lee. I can only do so much. I just hope I can find out something before it's too late. If anything happens to Lee and we can't protect him…"
"Actually, Billy said he already had two watch dogs on him. However, I still need to let Billy know about the latest developments. I'll call him in the morning. Go on and get some rest. I'll see you at the party tonight."
Amanda sighed, a little relieved to know that someone was keeping an eye on Lee. "Thanks, Francine. We'll have to play it cool and keep our contact at a minimum. I'll try and rendezvous with you in the ladies room somehow." She rose from the bed and headed towards the door.
As Amanda opened the door and headed into the hallway, Francine followed. "Good luck, Amanda."
"You too, Francine. I think we're both going to need it," Amanda replied as she walked down the hallway.
Amanda managed to reach her hotel room without any incidences. She quickly entered, locked the door, and headed into the bathroom. Amanda let the warm spray of the shower erase the events of earlier that night. Then, she crawled into bed, with the thoughts of having to deal with Lee, once again, at the Vice President's gathering, weighing heavy on her mind. Exhaustion won out; she fell into a fitful sleep.
Kevin awoke to the sound of someone pounding on his hotel door. His eyes squinted as he adjusted the morning light flowing through his window. Glancing at the clock, he noticed it was already 9 a.m. "Damn I must have forgotten to set my alarm last night," he mumbled, as he leapt from the bed to answer the door.
He looked out the peephole to see a frustrated Lee standing in the hallway. "Oh, boy, this should be fun." He quickly undid the lock and opened the door.
"Do you know what time it is?" Lee demanded as he pushed his way passed Kevin and entered the room.
Kevin took a deep breath, and shut the door. "I'm sorry. I had a pretty late night."
Lee turned to look at the young man and noticed he was still only wearing his boxers. Running a hand through his hair, he stated through clenched teeth, "Get some clothes on, will you? I don't have time for excuses."
"Sorry, Lee. I forgot to set my alarm. Give me five minutes and I'll be ready," Kevin grabbed some clothes from his open suitcase, and headed to the bathroom to change.
Lee paced the floor while he waited. "I don't know why Billy had to stick me with another partner. I could've found a million answers by now. But no… I have to be stuck baby-sitting this rookie," he muttered under his breath.
Kevin emerged a few minutes later to find Lee still pacing. "If you're done wearing out this carpet, shall we head back over to the Agency, and see if Stan will let you wear out his?"
Lee stopped and faced Kevin. His eyes revealing he was not in the mood for Kevin's wit, or sarcasm, at the moment. He had more important things to find out about, and didn't enjoy having to keep an eye on Romeo. "Let's stop wasting time, and get some work done, shall we?" Lee snapped and headed for the door.
Kevin grabbed his room key and followed him into the hallway. His little screw up this morning wasn't going to make it any easier to get on Lee's good side. He needed to find a way to crack the code and get into Dobson's files. Maybe, if he could do that, he'd be able to convince the almighty Scarecrow to give up this crusade and head on back to D.C.
They pulled into the New York Agency parking lot, approximately a half an hour later. "Thank God you decided to stop. You've driven around this block three times! Are we going to go in, or what! I'm starved. Maybe Stan has some stale donuts I can steal, since you wouldn't stop for breakfast," Kevin rambled, noting Lee's hesitation in exiting the car.
Lee jaws tightened as he looked at his associate. "We have baby-sitters."
"What do you mean? We have baby-sitters!" Kevin turned in his seat to look around the parking lot.
Lee shook his head and adjusted his rearview mirror. "Billy has assigned us a couple of watchdogs; they've been on us since we left our hotel."
Kevin looked back at Lee. "Why would Mr. Melrose do that?"
"I think we'll find that answer when we get into Dobson's file." Lee opened his car door and headed for the building.
Kevin followed Lee towards the building, and glanced at the two agents Lee was referring to in a near by car. "Why don't you just go ask them?" Kevin asked as he approached Lee's side.
Lee shrugged his shoulders and opened the agency door. "They're just doing their job. I'll get my answers in here."
Kevin nodded and followed him to the Agency counter to have their credentials verified and visitor passes issued.
Stan looked up to see Lee and Kevin in his doorway. "Back so soon?" he commented.
Lee entered the office and stood in front of his friend's desk. "Stan, would you mind if we borrowed your office again? We really need to take another crack at obtaining that information."
"I suppose—I don't have too much to do around my office today. I was actually just heading down stairs to go over some security plans for tonight's party. I'd invite you to join me, but I doubt you'll be hanging around long." Stan looked directly at Lee. He didn't know what his friend was up to, but he was sure it wasn't good. "Melrose phoned earlier, and asked me to have you call him, the minute you got here. He says he that has left you several messages already."
"I'll call him once we get the rookie here set up on your computer," Lee reassured him. He knew Billy was calling to tell them to head back to D.C. and forget the party, but he wasn't quite ready to leave just yet.
"Don't do anything I wouldn't do, okay?" Stan shook his head and left his office.
Lee turned his attention back to Kevin. "Well, what are you waiting for? A written invitation! Get cracking on that code. I want to know just what Dobson's up to."
"Aren't you going to call Mr. Melrose?" Kevin asked. He was growing more and more concerned about what type of trouble he was going to get into hanging around with this new partner.
"Don't worry about that. Just get into Dobson's file," Lee ordered.
Kevin sighed and headed over to the computer. Sitting down at the desk, he noticed a list of names indicating who was attending the party. His eyes fell on one particular set of names: 'Dobson and King.'
Lee noticed the young man pause, and walked over to see what had caught his eye. He picked up the list, and smirked at the new tidbit of information Kevin had found.
"Well, if this isn't an interesting change of events. I just bet that Billy had no idea Amanda was going to be at the party when he ordered us here to New York," Lee chuckled as he realized the predicament his boss was in. 'Maybe, just maybe, I can talk some sense into Amanda tonight,' he mused to himself. Turning his attention back to the rookie, Lee said, "Since Dobson's going to be at this party, and we're going to be there, I want to have something to go on. Don't just sit there, work your magic on that keyboard."
Kevin sighed as he turned his attention to the computer. Any hope he had of getting Lee to head out of town today had just been wiped away. There was going to be no talking his partner out of going to the party tonight. He had no doubts about that.
Billy Melrose sat taping his pen against his desk, and staring at his phone. He had left messages for Lee at the Holiday Inn, and with Stan in the New York office. The two watchdogs had checked in to tell him that Scarecrow was still in New York. So why the hell hadn't he checked in himself? Like everyone else, he couldn't wait for this nightmare to be over.
Francine had called and complained about not being briefed about Lee's attendance at the Vice-President's party. She had also mentioned that Lee's name was quickly rising to the top of the list to be eliminated.
He was pulled out of his thoughts by a tap at his window. Billy motioned for Rag Mop to enter.
"Sorry to bother you—just need to do some quick dusting in here," the custodian apologized.
"That's all right. We all have a job to do, don't we?" Billy replied, with a hint of frustration in his voice.
"You don't seem you're usual self, Sir. If I may say so?" Rag Mop commented.
"It's been a hell of a bad week, Rag Mop," he replied.
Rag Mop took out the duster from his pail and started going over the bookshelf. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"Let's just say that three of my best agents are in the middle of something big, and I'm down here, in D.C., unable to do a damn thing to keep them out of harms way," Billy replied, putting his head in his hands.
Rag Mop looked at Mr. Melrose curiously. He had said three of his best agents. He would have thought that after Mrs. King had left, he'd be back down to two. He was about to make a comment, when Rupert Simpson entered the office.
"Billy, we need to talk," the old man demanded.
"Rupert, I hope you have some good news to share with me?"
"News, yes, but it's not likely to be good. We can't talk here. The walls have ears—if you know what I mean." The old man turned and headed back out into the bullpen.
Billy shook his head as he stood and followed Rupert. His day wasn't going to get any better.
Rupert waited till they were outside the building to fill Billy in. "Now, before you get mad, I went to New York and checked on my niece," he paused when he noticed that Billy was nodding his head.
"Francine phoned me this morning. Amanda told her you were there. I already know about Scarecrow's name heading to the top of the list. Why don't you tell me why we're talking outside?" Billy said, trying not to lose his patience with the old man.
"Well, son, it appears there is a leak in the Agency. Someone is tipping off the murderers, and getting them information on where these agents are," Rupert explained.
"Great!" Billy huffed. "And just how are we supposed to figure out who that might be?"
"I don't know, but I don't like the idea of Amanda working on this alone." Rupert gave the younger man a look of annoyance.
"Francine's there—she'll keep an eye on things. However, this means we're going to have to come up with something to trap our mole." Billy's head was beginning to pound. "Why me?" he mumbled. Turning back to Rupert, he said, "Thank you for the heads up. Let me know if you hear from Amanda again. But do me a favor—stay in D.C."
Rupert nodded. "Okay, but promise me you'll call me if you need me. Keep in touch." He turned and headed down the street to grab a cab.
Billy watched him turn the corner before heading back into the building. He began to wonder just why he went through so much trouble to keep his agents alive.
An hour had gone by and Kevin still hadn't gotten any closer to getting back into Dobson's file.
Lee had grown tired of wearing a hole in Stan's carpet, and now stood staring out the window, watching the busy New York streets.
"Shazam! I'm in!" Kevin shouted.
Lee quickly turned and headed straight for the desk. "Well, what do we have?"
Kevin frowned, devastated. He knew Lee wasn't going to like what had come up. "Nothing. Not a damn thing. All it has is his birth date, height, weight, and start date with I.A."
Lee pounded his fist onto the desk. "Damn it! I know Dobson's up to something. I just know it!"
"Maybe he's not, Lee; maybe he's as clean as a whistle. Let's just pack up and head back to D.C." Kevin hoped that his partner would see it his way.
"No way in hell. We're going to that party. Come on, we aren't going to do much else here. Get out of the I.A. files and we'll head back to the hotel." Lee shoved his hands in his pockets and turned to face the window.
"Don't you think you should at least check in—" Kevin focused his eyes on his partner's back.
"I'll check in with Billy when I'm good and ready." Lee turned an angry face on the young man and then turned abruptly to leave the office.
Kevin exited back to the Agency screens and turned off Stan's computer. Standing up, he followed Lee. When they got back to D.C. he was going to ask Mr. Melrose for reassignment.
Smoke wafted over the monitors as the dark man listened to his informant on the other end of the phone. "Interesting. Very, very, interesting. So, Melrose let something slip. I'll have to keep an extra set of eyes on Mrs. King. Thank you very much for this information. Were you able to determine where agent Frank Sumter will be tonight? Good, good. I'll make sure I put that to good use. Once again, you're information is most useful."
As soon as he ended that phone call, he began to dial another set of numbers. "Hello, Donneker? I need you to do a job for me. I want you to search Mrs. King's house. I have reason to believe that she may not have left the Agency. Look for anything that might point in the direction of the Agency. Leave no stone unturned. Understand? Report back to me by tonight."
With that, he hung up the phone and sat back watching his monitors. "If Mrs. King is trying to pull the wool over our eyes, I will make sure that both she, and the Agency, regret their little scheme." A smile crossed his lips as he let out an evil chuckle.
To Be Continued….