"So... Amanda mentioned you are building a firepit AND a fort for the boys this weekend. Aren't you just the picture of domestic manliness? Next, you'll be cutting coupons and bargain shopping," Francine teased as she and Lee stepped off the elevator.
Lee rolled his eyes as he held the door to the bullpen open for her. "Actually, the firepit and fort were my ideas," he informed her, knowing she was just trying to get under his skin.
"Scarecrow, Desmond, in my office now," Billy bellowed from his open door.
"Uh oh, what's gotten into Billy this morning? Don't tell me the bakery ran out of donuts," Lee asked with a nervous chuckle.
"Don't think I didn't hear that!" Billy shouted before slamming his door closed.
Francine whistled low, "That sounds like you might be in trouble, Scarecrow. I'd watch what you say for the next few minutes or else Billy is liable to-"
"To do what? I didn't do anything, Francine," Lee cut her off. He knocked once on Billy's door before pushing it open. "You wanted to see us?" Lee asked, hoping to lighten Billy's mood.
"Close the door!" Billy commanded. Francine leaned against the window's ledge and Lee placed his hands on the chair across from Billy's desk. "Since you both seemed to take your sweet old time getting in this morning, would you like to update me on what you've found so far? Dr. Smyth is breathing down my neck for an update and our friends on Capitol Hill are getting very nervous."
Lee nodded and stated, "Amanda and I made a trip to Milton-Guild College yesterday and found out the professor that developed it was let go after the Senate vetoed a bill to continue funding the college. What if…" Lee paused for a moment as he began to pace then continued, "What if this guy was just mad enough to go after anyone that voted against it?"
Billy pressed his lips together tightly and gave his head a sharp nod, "Makes sense he might be unhappy about it, but why?"
"Well, he lost his job because of it and from what Amanda and I were told yesterday he's more or less dropped out of sight. His old colleague hasn't heard from him in over a month; he's not even sure how to find him. He said he tried to help him get a job at another college, but because of a few accidents with TM9 it's been hard," Lee explained as he continued to pace, every few steps his fingers twitched.
Francine furrowed her brow as she pondered Lee's explanation. "So, if what you're saying is correct, it sounds like he has a pretty big grudge against anyone that voted against the funding. There are a hundred senators, so that means at least fifty-one voted against it. Five have been poisoned over the last few weeks, does that mean we have to keep tabs on," Francine paused to calculate the remaining senators, "another forty-six of them? Billy that's nearly impossible. It's like finding a needle in a haystack!" she exclaimed loudly, tossing her hands in the air.
"Calm down, Francine. Scarecrow, did you and Amanda discover anything else?" Billy snapped.
Lee shook his head, "No, but I'd like to give Senator Cooper's apartment a once over. He did say he had a repairman there to check the heat so maybe, I don't know, maybe that's the connection. Senators Harrison and Montgomery also said they had work done in the days before they were poisoned."
"Well, I'm not sure what you're looking for but I say go for it. It can't hurt," Billy resigned.
Lee nodded, "I'm not sure either but it's just a hunch. Amanda and I will head over there this afternoon."
"Where is Amanda?" Billy finally noticed her absence.
"Jamie's photography project is going to be on display at the Arlington Arts Center so she brought some of the pictures to be framed," Lee answered, a smile spreading across his face.
Francine chuckled, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were proud of the kid."
Lee shot her a stern look as he replied, "I am proud of him. After all, photography is what finally broke the ice with him and I'm glad to see him excelling in something he accomplished himself. I just showed him how the camera worked, but he took it to another level."
"Well, it doesn't surprise me. From what I know of Jamie, he's a smart boy. If he takes after Amanda, I'm sure he's done some great work," Billy interjected. "I'll give Dr. Smyth an update to pass on. Hopefully, we won't have any other sick Senators."
Lee held the door to Billy's office open for Francine. As she passed by him she couldn't help tease him once more. "Scarecrow, any news on the repairs on your car?" she asked innocently. Lee bit the inside of his cheek which began to twitch rapidly. He glared at Francine as she smirked and said, "I'll take that as a no." She sauntered off in the direction of her desk as Lee crossed the bullpen and headed toward the elevator.
He punched the call buttons angrily. "Come on, come on," he muttered. The doors slid apart silently a few seconds later, and as Lee stepped inside, he snapped the jackets to the side. He took a deep breath as the elevator descended three floors. When the doors opened again, Lee was calmer. He stepped out and turned right, heading to the shooting range. He found Leatherneck sitting at the desk, his feet up, reading a newspaper. "Hey, Leatherneck!" Lee called cheerfully.
"Hey, Ace. What brings you down here?" Leatherneck smiled at Lee as he folded the newspaper up.
Lee sat on the edge of the desk and folded his arms. "You do, as a matter of fact. Do you have any plans this weekend?" he asked.
Leatherneck pulled out a small pocket planner and flipped the dog-eared pages until he found the one he was looking for. "This weekend? I got nothing until Sunday night. I pulled the short straw and I'm on the Duty Roster that night babysitting a few of the new recruits on surveillance detail. What's up?"
Lee sighed then asked, "Do you know how to build a firepit?"
"A what?" Leatherneck wasn't sure he heard Lee correctly.
"A firepit. You know, rocks, bricks, a place to make s'mores," Lee tried to explain. He gestured his hands in a circular motion, hoping it would make more sense.
Leatherneck chuckled, "That's what I thought you said, Ace. Yeah, I've built a few here and there. Not a nice fancy one, mostly for functional purposes. Why do you ask?"
Lee pressed his lips together and explained, "Well, I sort of told the boys they could have some friends over for Halloween and I thought it would be fun for them to have a firepit to make s'mores after they go out. You know, something fun but safe for them to do. I just don't need them burning the backyard down after just moving in." He sighed one more time then added, "Can you help me?"
"Well then, that depends," Leatherneck moved his feet off the desk and sat up.
"On what?" Lee asked nervously.
Leatherneck smiled and replied, "On what you plan on making for dinner."
"Tell you what, if you can help me build a small raised fort, I'll throw in lunch both days too!" Lee offered with a relieved grin. "Oh, and a case of beer, to keep us hydrated."
Leatherneck stuck out his hand and when Lee shook it, he stated, "You've got a deal."
"I don't know how long this is going to take so how about meeting at the house around nine tomorrow morning? We can work as long as we have light and the boys offered to help too," Lee suggested.
"I'll bring the pastries. How about that little bakery down the street, the one with the blonde girl that works the counter?" Leatherneck bobbed his head up and down in excitement.
Lee stood and looked at him, "Hey, I thought you and Francine had something going on."
Leatherneck shrugged his shoulders and propped his feet up once more, "I'm not sure what it is just yet. We've hung out a bit, had a few drinks, nothing serious though."
"Uh huh, well, just don't hurt her. She'll kick your-" Lee began but Leatherneck cut him off with a raised hand.
"No warning needed, Scarecrow. I know what she can do with a gun, never mind hand to hand combat. I've been around long enough to know that's one woman I don't ever want to tangle with in a bad way," Leatherneck nodded.
Lee laughed loudly as he turned to leave. "Thanks, man. I'll see you Saturday morning." He left the shooting range, happier than when he first descended. "Now, let's see if Amanda and I can make any headway on this case," he stated to the empty hallway.