Chapter 2

When they arrived at the Spanish Embassy, there were beautiful lights of red and yellow in the garden, the same color as the Spanish flag.

It was a little past 7:00 pm, and the evening was in full swing. There was a large crowd dancing, eating, and drinking. Lee wasn't too happy when Billy decided that he and Francine would go in together and Amanda would go there alone. Billy felt if anyone was watching, they would see she was alone and hopefully not suspect her of any suspicious activities.

Lee and Francine went over to the bar, which was at one end of the dance floor, while Amanda stopped to admire some poinsettias in the hallway. When she entered the hall, a swarthy dark Spaniard startled her by grabbing her by the hand and began speaking in Spanish to her.

"Señora, por favor, dance with me."

Amanda smiled graciously and said the only thing in Spanish she knew. "No Habla Español."

The Spaniard ignored her response and dragged her out to the dance floor, where a slow rumba was playing. The man began to swing his hips seductively and pulled Amanda close to him. Amanda was not sure what her reaction should be. She debated If she should refuse or continue and follow the man's movements. After a quick assessment, she decided her best course of action would be to follow his lead.

Meanwhile, at the bar, Lee was ready to throw the Spaniard out the window. His jaw was clenched so tight that the vein in his neck looked like it was going to pop.

Francine stood there smirking at Lee while she stared at him amused. She suspected that Amanda and Scarecrow were an item, but after seeing his reaction confirmed it.

"You can stand here all night with steam coming out of your ears, or dance with me. This way you can pretend we are talking and check-in with Amanda," she suggested.

Lee unclenched his fists, grabbed Francine's hand, and headed for the dance floor as he ordered, "Good idea, come on!"

Amanda continued to smile at her dance partner until his hands began to roam over her body as he got pulled into the mood of the dance more.

She gulped. "Uh, Senor, no-no'' She tried to grab his hands to keep them from roaming. The Spaniard smiled and whispered endearments to her in Spanish, which Lee could hear from Amanda's wire.

"Amanda, the guy is already drunk and being a boar. See if you can lead him over to where Francine and I are."

"Um, ok but… I have my hands full right now," she whispered. Amanda looked frantically around to see where Lee was.

The rumba dance finished, but Amanda's partner still held her dancing. When out of the blue, she was saved by another gentleman who cut in.

He said something to her handsy partner in Spanish, which made him leave rather quickly. He then addressed Amanda in a British accent, "I hope you are not disappointed with me interrupting your dance."

"Thank you, I don't mind at all! I was getting uncomfortable. My name is Amanda…What is your name?"

"Roger Atkinson… but I think you would much rather have a drink over at the bar."

"Yes, that would be a nice idea. I could definitely use one now."

Amanda's new dance partner guided her over to the bar as Lee and Francine were making their way back there, too.

Arriving at their destination, Roger deposited Amanda safely, and then deftly disappeared.

Lee felt a little more relaxed now because Amanda's new dance partner seemed to be less aggressive.

"How about a drink, Francine?"

"Sure, I think you could use one about now," she commented dryly.

The bartender addressed Amanda, "I enjoy pink champagne. Would you like some?"

Amanda swallowed quickly and said, "I prefer a martini."

The bartender replied, "The person you are looking for is not here. You need to go to the French Ambassador's New Year's Eve party at his home. To be admitted into the party, you must say to the guard, 'Let them eat cake.' While there, your contact will say to you, 'Have you been to Paris in the Spring?' and you will need to reply, 'Yes, and the Eiffel Tower was delightful.'"

"Ah, ok. Thank you for your help!"

The bartender gave Amanda a martini. She took a sip and addressed Lee under her breath for the wire. "Did you catch that? We have to go to the French Ambassador's house now!"

Lee and Francine came up beside Amanda, and Lee asked for some wine. He spoke to her over his shoulder, trying not to make eye contact. "You leave to go out to the van and Francine and I will meet you at the French Ambassador's estate. And try not to pick up the first Frenchman you meet there, ok?!"

Through clenched teeth and trying to look happy, Amanda hissed, "I did not pick up that Spaniard! He just grabbed me and started dancing!"

"All right, all right, just do me a favor you two love birds, and stop your little tiff. Maybe we'll get through this night without Lee imploding," Francine returned in a snarky manner.

As Lee and Francine exited the building, the valet quickly took Lee's ticket. They didn't have to stand in the cold very long before the 'Vette was returned to Lee unscathed. As Francine went around the car to the passenger side, her feet slid on an icy patch of pavement, which caused her to trip off balance. Francine hit her head on the car as she fell with a thud to the ground hitting her head again. Lee ran around the car over to Francine as she lay there unconscious.

"Francine, are you ok?" Not receiving any answer, Lee leaned over her to check to see if she'd been injured anywhere. He couldn't find any gunshot wounds but noticed a rather large bump on the side of her head. He shook her and Francine stirred. "Where am I? Why am I on the ground?" she groggily asked.

"Looks like you are down for the count, Francine."

The valet quickly called for the supervisor who then offered to call an ambulance. After seeing what happened, Billy came running up from his car on the street and helped Lee get Francine up.

"I heard what happened over the earpiece, Scarecrow. I'll go with Francine to the hospital. It looks like it's just you and Amanda, plus the team in the van. I can't call anyone this late. Once I get Francine settled, I'll get back to you ASAP."

"Ok, Billy." Lee contacted the team over his wire, then instructed the van with Amanda to wait and have her ride with him to the French Ambassador's home.