Chapter 19
Lee opened the front door as he scratched the back of his neck. "Hey," he acknowledged Francine standing on his doorstep.
"Hey, yourself," she teased. "Well, I'd have to say that look either says you had a rough night or you're hungover… I'm leaning toward the rough night." Francine flashed him a smile before she stepped into the house.
Lee inhaled loudly, "Long night for sure. I was hoping their first night home… the boys were gone… it was quiet… that it would be peaceful. I don't know what I was thinking." He shook his head as he scratched the back of his neck again.
Francine chuckled, "Didn't sleep much, I take it?"
"Much? I think I averaged about twenty minutes every three hours. I don't know how Amanda did it. As soon as the girls were back to sleep, so was she. Me? I spent the next hour or so trying to go back to sleep, but instead, I found myself focusing on every little sound they made," Lee grumbled.
Francine glanced around the quiet house and asked, "Where are they? I expected you to greet me carrying one of them, at least."
"Asleep, with Amanda. Dotty just ran out to the bakery to get something," Lee tipped his head to the side and added, "Let's get some coffee. I don't know about you, but I need some."
Francine followed Lee into the kitchen and settled herself onto one of the stools. She dropped the file folder she was holding onto the countertop. "Thanks," she replied as Lee handed her a steaming mug.
Lee took a large gulp and asked, "Is that the file I asked Billy for?"
"You mean the one on Sorenson's girlfriend, Gina Castro? Yeah, it's the full autopsy, as well as the background on her. She did have a little bit of a colorful past, you could say," Francine confirmed. She pushed the file in Lee's direction and sipped her coffee as Lee scanned the pages. "I saw it, too," she stated softly when Lee stopped mid-page.
Lee sputtered on his coffee, "She was pregnant? Is that what this is all about?"
Francine shrugged her shoulders and blinked her long, mascara-covered eyelashes, "I think so. Based on the information in there, had she and the baby survived, he'd be about ten years old."
Lee scratched his head and inhaled sharply. "So, his revenge is personal," Lee exhaled.
"I guess. I think he started with you and Amanda and moved to the rest of the team after that part of his plan failed. I mean, from what I read in that report, you had nothing to do with Gina's death or Sorenson's actual arrest," Francine declared.
Lee dropped the report on the counter and leaned onto his hands, "I was in Germany when everything went down, but, yeah, I did put my time in on that case. I interviewed Gina, his family, heck, I even interviewed Gina's neighbors."
"And now, he's on the warpath. Billy told you what happened yesterday?" Francine asked.
"Yeah," Lee nodded, "Williams was a damn good agent and didn't deserve to go down at the hands of Sorenson."
Francine agreed, "Robicheau's still holding his own. Third-degree burns over half his body. He's lucky to even be alive. From what I heard, Sorenson was there. They caught him on a surveillance camera at the shop across the street from Robicheau's house. He stood there and laughed before he disappeared."
Lee took a healthy sip of his coffee before he angrily spat, "Before this is over, I'm gonna nail him, Francine."
"No, you're not getting anywhere near him," Francine insisted.
"That's right," Amanda commanded from the doorway. "Lee isn't getting anywhere near Sorenson. He's staying right here, aren't you, Lee?" Amanda raised an eyebrow to challenge him.
"I thought you were asleep..." Lee stammered.
Amanda stepped further into the room and stated, "I was." She gave Francine a half-hearted smile. "Hello, Francine."
"How are you feeling?" Francine asked sweetly.
Amanda sat down in one of the kitchen chairs, placed the small baby monitor onto the table in front of her, and declared, "I'd feel a lot better if I knew my husband wasn't planning to go after a notorious bomber." She looked over at Lee and added, "You made coffee."
Without being asked, Lee poured her a mug and brought it to her. "I didn't say I was going after him. There are plenty of ways I can help find him. You should know that better than anyone, Amanda. How many times have you helped out by doing research on the computer… or watching surveillance tapes?" Lee appealed to her.
"Lee, you hate the computer. And you hate being cooped up in a room staring at a screen," Amanda reminded him.
Lee glanced over at her as a slight grin threatened. "Okay, so you're right. But I'm not going to go rushing out to scour the streets of DC either," Lee assured her.
Francine watched the exchange and silently bet money Amanda was going to win this argument. She decided to hedge her imaginary bet as she interjected, "Billy's setting up another team this afternoon for anyone available. The meeting is at one."
Lee cleared his throat as he pursed his lips. He folded his arms across his chest and leaned back against the kitchen counter. "Well, I'm not going. If Billy can find me something to do from here, then fine. I'll do what I can. Otherwise, I am off duty and on vacation. I'm not due back until the last week of July."
Damn. Francine nodded in agreement, "Well, if you think that's the best decision, who am I to say you're wrong." She glanced over the lip of her coffee mug at Amanda and silently counted to ten. She barely reached six when she heard Amanda speak.
"That's right; you are off duty. Your daughters need you here, in one piece." As if on cue, the small baby monitor crackled to life with the sounds of a small, crying voice.
"I'll go," Lee declared before he disappeared into the foyer and up the stairs.
"Just so you know, I wasn't going to let him go either," Francine assured Amanda.
Amanda gave her a subtle nod, "I didn't think so, but sometimes… well, you know how Lee can be."
"Uh-huh, overprotective, macho caveman-ish?" Francine joked. Amanda simply laughed in return, the tension of the previous moments broken.
On the small monitor, they could hear Lee talking to one of the babies. "Hey, hey, hey. It's okay. You're okay." Within seconds a second small cry was heard. "You, too? Hang on." A long, crackly pause was heard before Lee's voice drifted through again, "Francine? Can you come help me?"
Francine's eyes widened, "Me? What could he possibly need me for?"
Amanda lifted her shoulders and stated, "He can't carry both of them yet. Sitting, yes. Walking down the stairs, not quite. And he knows it will take longer for me to go, so if you wouldn't mind…"
"I can't believe I'm agreeing to this," Francine muttered before she followed the path Lee took minutes before. Amanda sat at the kitchen table, enjoying her coffee as she listened to Lee and Francine discuss how to hold and carry the babies down the stairs. Amanda couldn't help chuckle when she heard Francine ask, "She's not going to do that thing again with her eyes, is she?" and Lee's reply, "Don't watch her eyes. Keep your eye on the steps."
A few minutes later, Lee and Francine made their way into the kitchen slowly. "Francine, you know you can walk normally when you carry her," Amanda instructed.
"I am walking normally," Francine defended. "Maybe a little slower than usual, but I have my higher heels on, and I want to be extra careful," she added. She looked from Lee to Amanda and asked, "What do I do now?"
Lee gently placed one swaddled infant in Amanda's arms, "Well, if you don't mind holding her for another minute or two, I can get their bottles ready."
"Oh," Francine exhaled. She looked around the room, nervously, "Should I just stay here?"
Amanda carefully pushed herself to a standing position as she held the infant against her, "We can go sit in the family room. It's a little more comfortable in there."
"The family room. A good place to sit… with the family… got it," Francine nodded. Slowly the two women left the room, and before long, they were settled onto the couch.
They heard a car door bang outside. A minute later, the garage door swung inward, bouncing off the door stop loudly and Jamie's voice shouting, "Happy Father's Day, Lee!" He stomped down the hall, Philip's heavy footsteps following. "Yeah, happy Father's Day!" Philip echoed. Both babies, startled by the unexpected noise, began to cry again.
In the kitchen, Lee happily replied, just as loud, "Thanks, fellas! I'm glad you're home."
Amanda shook her head and called out, "Fellas! Can you keep it down a bit?"
Francine, overwhelmed by the sudden chaos, looked at Amanda and stated, "Happy Father's Day it is."