Chapter 19

Amanda looked at Lee. "What do you mean he's gonna know the truth soon?" she said in a serious tone.

"Amanda, I just meant… well, we're going to start telling people soon, aren't we?" Lee asked.

"Tell them what? That we're engaged, married? Lee, what do you want to tell them?" Amanda had so many questions she wasn't sure she was even asking Lee the right questions.

"Right now, I'm not sure but we have something… or someone… more important to focus on," Lee motioned at Charlie who was just beginning to stir. "I've got to get dressed, then I need to call Billy. This just became a completely different case."

"What do you mean a different case? Lee, what's going on?" Amanda questioned him firmly.

Lee pulled out a pair of jeans and a casual cotton shirt. Pulling his clothes on, Lee tried to decide how to explain what T.P. had just told him. Tucking his shirt in, he motioned toward the tray room service had brought up. "Amanda, you should eat while I explain this," Lee said. She took a plate and he poured coffee for each of them. Amanda sat on the edge of the bed, Lee at the table where he made his notes.

Between bites, Lee began to explain, "T.P. found out Margaret Duncan has been collecting information but not for Harry. Another agent Victor Dunforth. I've only heard his name a few times, and to be honest, he was never associated with something good. He used to use a drug called MR5, nicknamed the Mad Russian."

Amanda joked, "The Mad Russian? Sounds like a bad mixed drink."

Lee laughed nervously, "Yeah… I wish it was… MR5 was used by the Russians as a truth drug. Once ingested or injected you couldn't lie. The only problem were the side effects. Now most drugs work their way out your system with very little issues but MR5 was different. After 8 hours, the subject would start having hallucinations as the drug started to break down the synapses in the brain. After another 4 hours, the blood vessels in the brain would begin to deteriorate and finally within 15 hours, death. The only way to reverse the symptoms was to inject the antidote but it had to be within the first 8 hours."

"Okay, so what does this MR5 have to do with Lauren?" Amanda was confused.

"That's the part that I'm not sure about. Now T.P. also mentioned he thinks Margaret Duncan was collection information in the form of microfiche," Lee continued.

"Little fish… now that makes sense. But what does that blouse and that file have to do with any of this?" Amanda asked.

"I don't think we're going to get any more answers until Harry gets here." Checking his watch, Lee said, "We still have a few hours. What would you like to do, Mrs. Stetson?"

Before Amanda could answer, Lee heard Charlie begin to stir again. He walked over to the portable crib to see Charlie wide awake looking up at him. Reaching down, Lee picked him up carefully. It wasn't until he stood, he could smell the reason Charlie was awake. Holding him an arms length away, he said, "Um, Amanda, I… ah… I'm not qualified for this one."

Amanda simply laughed, placing her now empty plate on the table beside Lee's coffee cup. "Here, I'll do it," she said as she placed a towel on the bed and took a clean diaper and wipes off the table.

Laying Charlie on the towel, Lee motioned toward the door. "I'm going to head down to the front desk to reserve that room for Harry and Christina…" he said.

"Lee, are you afraid of a soiled diaper?" Amanda teased as she unsnapped Charlie's pants.

"I'm not afraid of it… I just don't want to do it," he said as he slipped out of the room.

Amanda shouted at the closing door, "Chicken!" Looking down at the baby, she smiled, remembering when her boys were this small. She managed to change him, wash her hands, wrap the diaper in another bag and put the baby in his carseat in the middle of the bed before Lee returned carrying another set of room keys.

"Good news. I was able to book Harry and Christina in a room down the hall. Now I want to give Billy a call. I need more background on Victor Dunforth. I've been at the Agency since the early 70's and I've never heard his name floating around," Lee explained. Picking up the phone, he dialed Billy's private number.

"Melrose," Billy answered.

"Mind your manners, Billy," Lee said before he hung up the phone. Turning back to Amanda, he said, "Billy should be calling us back in about 10 minutes. How's Charlie?"

"He's fine. Smells a lot better now I'm sure," she joked.

Lee sat on the bed beside the car seat. He rubbed the baby's head gently, looking up at his wife. "Did you decide what you wanted to do while we wait for Harry?"

"Well, you did say there was a stroller in Lauren's car. Why don't we take the baby and go for a walk? It looks like it's a beautiful day outside. Some fresh air would be nice," she said, smiling.

"A walk? With my beautiful wife? Sounds like a perfect way to spend some time together," Lee smiled back at her.

Before Amanda could say anything else, the phone rang, startling Charlie. He immediately began to cry so Amanda picked him up as Lee picked up the phone, "Stetson."

"Scarecrow, its me. What's going on?" Billy asked quickly.

"I need your help," Lee began. Charlie was crying loudly, and even Amanda was having a hard time quieting him.

"Lee? Is that what I think it is?" Billy was surprised. The last conversation they had he thought he had heard a baby but now this completely confirmed it.

"That? That is Charlie. Hang on, Billy. Amanda, here, give him to me. I'll hold him. Can you get me that notepad on the table," Lee put his hands up, taking Charlie from her. The baby almost immediately stopped crying. Amanda raised an eyebrow at Lee as she handed him the notepad as well. Lee sat with the phone on one shoulder, Charlie on the other and the notepad beside him on the bed.

Billy held the phone away from his ear for a minute, looking at it. "Scarecrow? Did I just hear you right? Are you… holding… a baby?"

"Billy, listen, I need some information on Victor Dunforth," Lee ignored his question.

"Dunforth? What does Dunforth have to do with Lauren Proctor?" Billy asked, completely confused.

Lee looked surprised, "That's what I need to know. Who is he?"

Billy took a deep breath, "Victor Dunforth was Harry's second in command back in the 50s until the late 60s. He was in charge of Russian Intelligence during the Cold War. He had some…. unscrupulous ways of getting information…"

"You mean MR5," Lee stated.

"MR5? What? How did you find out about MR5? That's been out of circulation for 25 years. Even the Russians stopped using it," Billy was surprised.

"I'm not sure what it has to do with Lauren just yet but Harry's on his way here now. Hopefully he'll have more answers for me. Thanks Billy. I'll get back to you when I know something else." Lee hung up the phone and looked down at Charlie. "Hey bud, what's wrong? You don't want Amanda holding you today?"

"I guess he likes you better today. My boys had days like that. One day they would only want me, the next, Joe," Amanda looked down sadly as she commented.

Lee looked at her, "Amanda." Lee sighed. He stood up and walked over to her, carrying Charlie.

He handed the baby back over to her and sat down beside her. "Do you miss that?"

"What? My boys being this little? Sometimes. The problems Joe and I had? No, I don't miss those," Amanda hugged the baby gently, rubbing her cheek on his head.

"Do you… do you think…" Lee stopped, not sure if this was the right time to ask.

"Think what?" Amanda looked up at him, eyebrows raised, waiting.

Sighing, Lee said, "Do you think we should take that walk? Before it gets too late and Harry gets here. We're going to have a lot to do when they do. We have to try to find Lauren."

"Why don't you get the stroller and I'll meet you downstairs with Charlie. I just want to call Mother, make sure the boys are okay with Joe. You know, his plans didn't change suddenly," Amanda shrugged her shoulders.

"You really think he'd do that to them again?" Lee asked, on the verge of getting angry with Joe.

Shaking her head, Amanda admitted, "It wouldn't be the first time, but let me call Mother and check on them and we'll go for that walk."

Lee kissed her gently, rubbed Charlie's head, grabbed Lauren's keys to get the carriage out of the car and headed down the hall toward the elevators.

Amanda stood up, placed Charlie back in the car seat and picked up the phone. Dialing her home number, she smiled at Charlie waiting for her mother to pick up. "Mother, hi," Amanda said as soon as she heard her mother's voice.

"Amanda! Darling, how is Virginia Beach?" Dotty said suggestively.

"Virginia Beach is fine, Mother. Listen, did Joe get the boys yesterday? No problems I should know about?" Amanda tried to brush off her mother's question.

"Joe picked up the boys from school without a problem, although I think Phillip left his history book here. I hope he didn't have homework," Dotty said.

Amanda thought for a minute, "No, no I don't think he did. And I don't think he had History class on Thursday so that's probably why he left it."

"Well, that makes perfect sense. So, Amanda, how's Lee?" Dotty tried again.

"Lee's fine, Mother," she said smiling, knowing where her mother was trying to take the conversation.

"Fine? Just fine? Did you find any use for…." Dotty was trying to get more information out of her daughter.

"Ok, Mother, he's more than just… fine…" she sighed knowing she had to give her an inch or else she was going to keep badgering her.

"I knew it! I KNEW it! Oh, Amanda…. Is he… as wonderful as he looks?" Dotty was beaming.

Amanda was blushing, "Oh Mother, I can't… I can't tell you that. That's private. I don't ask you how Captain Curt is, do I?"

Dotty couldn't help herself, "I mean if you asked me, I would tell you. But you have to tell me, are you really working or did you just use that as an excuse to get away, alone?"

"No, Mother, we are really working. I promise," Amanda started but Charlie began crying again.

"Amanda? Is that a baby crying? Why do I hear a baby crying?" Dotty was confused.

"Yeah, that's Charlie. One of the girls that works with us, her babysitter got sick at the last minute so she brought him with her. I wasn't busy so I told her I would keep an eye on him for a little bit." The lie slid off her lips so easily.

"Oh, how old is he? He sounds little," Dotty answered.

"He is little, Mother, only about 4 months. Listen I should go. He sounds like he needs something so I'm going to try to find his mom. I love you," Amanda decided that wasn't a lie so it made things easier. She wasn't feeling as guilty as she was a minute ago. She hung up the phone and turned back to Charlie, "Hey, hey, hey. What's that matter, huh? What's wrong? We're gonna find your mom real soon. As soon as your Grandpa gets here, Lee and I are going to go find her and bring her back to you." Amanda lifted him again, bouncing him gently. She checked the clock and realized what time it was. She picked up his blanket, and headed to the lobby to meet Lee for their walk.