The Bomb 3

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(A Couple of Days Prior)

"Good morning!" Amanda greeted Lee with a big smile as she walked in the door of the Q Bureau.

Lee, phone pressed to his ear, glanced up and gave her a slight nod. She could tell he wasn't exactly in the best of moods. "Look, Billy. Can't this wait?" He spoke tersely. "I have several things to do today. I have a meet at eleven and a pick-up at one not to mention… … Yeah, I know. I know. But Billy… … … Billy, I… … … … … Alright, alright… … Yeah, I'll see what I can do." He seethed as he slammed the phone down into its receiver.

"That sounded like Mr. Melrose had something awfully important for you to do." Amanda commented.

"Doesn't he always?" Lee growled. Seeing a small look of hurt cross her face, he sighed and shook his head. "Ah, I'm sorry, Amanda. I didn't mean to snap at you. I'm just in bad mood I guess. Too many things to do and not enough time to do them."

Amanda smiled gently at him and crossed over to his desk, placing a small plate of cookies in front of him. "Can I help?"

Absently taking a cookie, Lee shook his head as he took a bite. "These are really good." He mumbled around the oatmeal raisin in his mouth. Taking a drink of his coffee, he gave her a grateful smile. "I appreciate the offer, Amanda, but no. Besides don't you have a report or something, Billy wanted done?"

"Well, yeah, but I've almost got that finished. I worked on it last night after Mother and the boys went to bed." She told him. "I just have a little bit of typing to do on it and I can have it completed by noon. Are you sure I can't at least do that pick up for you?"

Lee considered it for a second. He had been sent a message from one of his contacts telling him to be at a small house on the east side of town precisely at 1 pm for a handoff of information. The contact, Alton Weight, a small little man with buck teeth and a bad toupee, had promised to be there with some files on one of the cases he'd been working on. There was nothing unusual in the request and nothing about Alton set up alarms in any way. But still….

"Nah, Amanda," he shook his head. "I appreciate it, but it's clear on the other side of town. And anyway, Alton's kind of hard to get along with sometimes when plans are changed on him."

"Well, couldn't you just call him and tell him I'm doing the pick-up in your place?" She asked reasonably. "That way he'd be expecting me and not you."

Lee shook his head negatively again. "It doesn't work that way. Contact with Alton is one way only. He calls me when he has something and sets the place and time."

"Oh," Amanda shrugged. "Well, if you don't think it'd work, then okay. But I'd be glad to do it. It really wouldn't be a problem." She took a step closer, loving the smell of his cologne. In fact she loved everything about him and if picking up one simple little package would make things easier on him, then she was more than willing to do so.

Lee took another cookie and looked down at the planner he had opened on his desk. If he didn't have to make that meeting with Alton, he would have time to not only make his morning meet but also attend the briefing Billy demanded he be at, as well as several other things on his agenda. Thinking it over again, he finally looked back over at her. "You sure, you wouldn't mind?"

"Of course not." Amanda smiled. "Just give me the address and tell me what me what I'm supposed to pick up and I'll take care of it. It'd be no problem."

Lee gave her a grateful smile. There were times he didn't know what he'd do without her and other times he wasn't sure what to do with her, but more and more, he was beginning to realize how fortunate he was to have her. "Thank you, Amanda. I really appreciate it."

Jotting down the information on a piece of paper, he stepped around the desk and handed her the note. For just a second, as their hands met, he had an impulse to pull her into his arms but that moment soon passed as the door opened and Francine came bustling in.

"Lee, I got some intel on the Jurganson case…" She stopped, noticing the look on Lee's face. He almost looked like he was about to kiss his partner and his partner looked like she wanted him to. "Did I interrupt something?" She asked with a smirk.

"No, Francine," Lee answered gruffly as he moved away and grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair. "Amanda, I'll see ya later, okay? When you get those files just leave them on my desk, if I'm not here. Okay?"

"Alright, Lee." Amanda answered cheerfully, avoiding the arched brow and questioning stare of their blond co-worker. "Have a good day, Francine." Amanda smiled as she quickly left the office to escape any questions Francine might come up with. Right then, she wasn't sure she had any answers.

Francine stared after her for a second. "Sometimes I wonder about those two." She muttered as she laid her burden of papers on Lee's desk and left the office, locking the door behind her.

TBC