Unfinished Business, Unresolved Feelings chapter 10
Amanda made the drive from Arlington back to Georgetown in even less time than it had taken Francine earlier in the day. She knew that she should be very concerned about Lee's well being, it wasn't like Billy to worry for no reason, but all her instincts were telling her that Lee was okay. She parked her car behind Lee's Corvette and rushed to the door of his apartment building where she was greeted by the doorman.
"Hello, Mrs. King. Mr. Stetson is certainly having a lot of visitors today", remarked the doorman.
"Hello, Walter. Did you recognize any of his visitors", Amanda asked as she began to question whether or not Billy had overreacted.
"Mr. Stetson's boss was here this morning. I let him go upstairs because I recognized him from previous visits and he said he was worried about Mr. Stetson. He came back this evening to have dinner with Mr. Stetson so I let him go up again. He phoned me at my post in the lobby a few minutes later to say that they would be expecting two more guests", Walter concluded.
"Have the other guests arrived yet?"
"No, they haven't. Mrs. King I'm beginning to think that I should have insisted on speaking to Mr. Stetson directly. I didn't want to bother Mr. Stetson unnecessarily because he'd been looking so worn out the past few days."
"Don't worry about it. You recognized our boss so it isn't as if you allowed a stranger into the building. Please excuse me, I have to go upstairs, they're expecting me." Amanda smiled reassuringly at Walter and continued to the elevator. As Amanda rode up in the elevator she couldn't help thinking about the fact that in the past few days she and Billy had both gotten into Lee's apartment by picking the lock. What if Mr. Melrose is right? What if something has happened to Lee? No, I always sense when Lee is in trouble and I just don't have that feeling now. Well I can't say that to Mr. Melrose. I have to go in there and behave like an agent. I'm a logical person; I'll just have to use logic to convince Mr. Melrose that I'm right. Amanda rang the doorbell and Billy opened the door almost immediately. The moment Amanda entered the apartment she was confronted by a bigger mess than she had ever seen in any of the apartments Lee had lived in.
"Oh my gosh", Amanda exclaimed while she began to slowly walk around the apartment. The photo of his parents that Lee kept on the end table was lying picture side down. Amanda picked it up, gazed for a moment at the images of the couple that she'd recently learned so much about, and placed it down in its usual place. As Amanda continued around the room she saw Lee's father's pipe lying on the carpet by the leg of the coffee table. She bent over, picked it up, and gently placed it on top of the photos that Billy had found on the floor and placed on the table when he had visited Lee that morning. Billy watched as Amanda walked around the living room as if it were her second home.
"I told you that something must have happened here after I left this morning. I've sent for a forensics team to go over the place. They should be here any minute", Billy stated as he watched Amanda continue to slowly walk from room to room. I really should stop her from touching anything else. What am I worrying about; her fingerprints are probably all over this apartment already.
"Sir, are you sure that's a good idea? Lee doesn't like people going through his things."
"If something has happened to him we need to act quickly; take advantage of whatever leads we can find. When we find Lee we can worry about his desire to keep his private life private. He's the one who just dragged the Agency into his vendetta against Blackthorne", Billy said as his patience with Amanda's concern about Lee's feelings was running out.
"Sir, have you taken a really hard look around this apartment", Amanda asked rhetorically. Drawers were left open with their contents spilling out. Cabinets that Lee usually had carefully organized were a shambles.
"That's all I've been doing since I got here. What are you getting at?"
"I've always prided myself on being a very logical thinker; even as a child I-"
"Amanda, it's been a tough few days for all us and I don't mean to be unkind but could you please get to your point", Billy asked as he pulled a roll of antacids from his suit pocket.
"Yes sir, sorry sir. There are no signs of a struggle; nothing is broken. It looks as though someone was frantically searching for something and as they became frustrated they stopped putting things away. I'd like to take a closer look around; maybe I can tell if something is missing."
"Wouldn't that violate Lee's privacy", Billy asked as he began to consider the points Amanda had made.
"Lee has gotten used to having me violate his privacy. I'd just like to take a quick look around his bedroom; I know what I'm looking for", Amanda answered as she walked towards the bedroom without waiting for Billy's response. Billy remained in the living room and popped another antacid. This day is getting stranger and stranger. I'm not sure I even want to know what she's looking for. I'd like to believe that she's right about this; she does have good instincts.
"I think Lee has gone off on his own. His extra gym bag that he keeps packed with a couple of changes of clothes and a toiletry kit is gone."
"Amanda, I'd like to agree with you but the bag could be in his locker at the gym or in his car", Billy reasoned.
"Sir, there's more. His lucky comb is gone. It's an old comb with bent teeth; nobody but Lee would take that. He must have gone off somewhere to work through his feelings on his own."
"That sounds reasonable but why would his car still be parked downstairs", Billy challenged.
"I think Lee wanted to get away from here and from all of us. If he took his car it would be too easy for us to track him down", Amanda concluded sadly. His mother's journal is gone too. Oh Lee, I thought you'd finally learned to come to me when you're hurting. Where have you run off to?