SMK: Too Close to Home - Chapter 1

October, 1987

"Hey guys!" Dressed for work, though his tie still draped around his shoulders, Lee trotted down the last couple of steps into the kitchen and headed directly for the coffee pot on the kitchen island.

Philip's eyes didn't leave the back panel of the cereal box. "Hey." He stuffed his mouth with another large spoonful.

Lee clapped Jamie on the shoulder… "Morning, Jamie." … grabbed a mug, and filled it to the brim.

"Morning." Jamie pushed up his glasses and looked at the time. "You and Mom headed to work a little late today?"

Lee chuckled and leaned against the counter next to the sink. "What was your first clue?"

"Good morning, everybody!" Dotty blew into the room like a whirlwind. "Come on, boys; we're going to be late for school. Get your jackets."

After chugging down the last of his milk, Philip jumped off the stool and took his bowl to the sink. "Hey, how ya likin' your new crib, Grandma?"

Dotty raised an eyebrow. "My new crib?" She looked at Philip and shook her head. "Where do you young people come up with these words? You mean, my new apartment?"

"Crib, apartment, whatever." Philip rolled his eyes at her. "So?"

"It's great." Dotty picked up the milk carton that had been left opened on the counter and looked around for the lid. "And the best thing is…" Spying it near the sink, she grabbed it and put it back on the carton. "…I don't have to put up with this zoo twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week." She put the milk back in the refrigerator and turned toward her new son-in-law. "Good morning, Lee." Reaching up, she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Where's Amanda?"

"Morning, Dotty. Actually…" He took another sip of coffee. "…I haven't seen her yet this morning." He looked at the boys. "You guys seen her?"

"Nope." Philip grabbed his jacket and slung his backpack over his shoulder.

Jamie looked around the kitchen for something. "She was already gone when I came down. Grandma, have you seen my…" He peeked into the dining room. "…never mind, I got it." He disappeared through the door and came back sliding his arms into the straps.

Dotty patted Lee's arm. "Don't worry. She's probably just out for a…"

The front door opened and closed. "Hey, sorry my walk took so long!" Amanda came into the kitchen dressed in a pair of jeans and a flowing pink blouse.

Dotty smiled up at Lee. "…walk." She grabbed her keys off the counter and swiftly gave Amanda a kiss on the cheek. "Good morning, Darling. Sleep well last night?"

"Like a baby, Mother." Amanda glanced over at Lee in time to see his raised eyebrows. They both knew that at five and a half months pregnant, she was starting to have a difficult time staying comfortable at night. Then there were the nightmares. They didn't come as often as they used to, but they still happened. "Philip, did you get your math homework?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Jamie, don't forget your lunch." She grabbed his sack lunch off the counter, handed it to him, and dropped a kiss on the top of his head.

"Alright, boys," Dotty grabbed her purse. "Let's hit the road. Come on."

"Bye, Mom." Philip gave her a kiss on the cheek followed by Jamie.

"See ya later, Mom. Bye Lee." Jamie turned an offered his step-dad a quick wave and a smile.

Lee swallowed the hot coffee and pulled the mug away from his lips. "Have a good day, Jamie!"

The door slammed closed. Quiet descended on the room.

"Phew!" Lee shook his head and smiled. "I'm not really sure what just happened." He set his coffee cup on the counter as Amanda walked toward him. "I just tried to stay out of the way!"

"Wise man." She touched his waist and reached up for a kiss.

"Mmmm." Lee's arms went around her, pulling her as close as her growing baby-bump would allow. "Good morning."

She rested her forearms on his chest and smiled. "Good morning, Sweetheart."

Lee slow-rocked her from side-to-side and gave her a pouty look. "I woke up and you were already gone."

Amanda fiddled with a button on his shirt. "I'm sorry." She looked up at him and smiled. "I woke up a little early, and you were so sound asleep that I didn't want to wake you." She reached up and feathered her fingers through his hair, smoothing it back from his temple. "Thought I'd be back in time to give you a wake-up call."

"A wake-up call, huh?" A little flame ignited in his eyes, and he pulled her closer. "Wake-up calls can be fun." He leaned down to kiss her.

She smiled against his lips. "Not that kind of wake-up call."

"Oh, darn." He winked and gave her another quick kiss.

She patted his chest. "Give me fifteen minutes and I'll be ready to go." Lee released her and looked at his watch.

"Fifteen!" he shouted as she jogged up the stairs. "I'm keeping track!"

"Fifteen, huh?" Lee glanced over at Amanda as they pulled out of the driveway.

"Oh, hush." She continued reading the front page of the newspaper. "I was only ten minutes off."

Lee chuckled as he looked both ways at the stop sign and turned right. "Anything interesting in the news?"

"Naw." She took a swallow of the water in her traveling mug. "Oh, wait a minute…" She reached over and laid her hand on his thigh. Keeping his eyes on the road, he waited for her to continue. "'Raymond Peralta, Famed Cartel Head, Found Hanged in Prison Cell.'"

"No way," Lee spared a glance toward her. "What's it say?"

"'Raymond Peralta, who was slated to inherit the largest Drug syndicate in the US after the death of Donald Jordan in an automobile explosion earlier this year, was found hanging from a rope in his prison cell late yesterday evening. So far, prison authorities have not released any statement.'" She looked over at Lee. "Wow."

He glanced at his side mirror as he merged onto the highway. "I wonder if T.P. has seen that yet."

"Think maybe you should go talk to him?"

"Yeah." He glanced back at her. "It'd be better for him to hear it from me than read it in the paper."

Amanda turned her head to study his profile. "You want me to come with you?"

He reached over and squeezed her hand. "No. As much as I like having you with me, I think I'd better do this one alone."

"You sure?"

He looked at her and held her gaze for just a moment; the eyes that looked back at him radiated compassion. He squeezed her hand again and focused back on the road. "Yeah. Thanks for the offer, but I think it'll be better if it's just T.P. and me." Lee moved into the exit lane and slowed down. "I'll drop you off at the Agency and go talk to Billy. Think you can start looking into this and get back with me?"

"Sure, Sweetheart. However I can help. T.P.'s a good friend."

Lee nodded his head. "One of the best."

Lee knocked on Billy's door and poked his head inside. "Hey, Billy. You got a minute?"

"For you? I can spare five." Billy smiled, looked down at his watch, and frowned. "Are you just getting here?"

Lee came in and settled himself in his usual chair across from Billy's desk. He leaned back, crossed one ankle over the other knee, and brushed a small piece of lint off his suit coat. "Yeah. Sorry about that. Amanda's been having a hard time sleeping the last week or so."

"What is she – five months along now?"

"Five and a half, yeah."

"Sounds about right." Billy leaned back in his chair. "I remember when Jeannie was pregnant with our kids. You'd think knowing that sleep will be a thing of the past once the baby is born, God would have made it so you can get more sleep before the baby comes instead of making you start things off already exhausted."

"Gee, Billy. Thanks for the encouragement."

"Just stating it like it is." Billy grinned.

Lee ran a hand over his hair. "Put that with the nightmares she's still having over the David Benson/Fred Fielder/June Phelps thing…"

"You two have dealt with a lot this past year. How's she doing with all that?"

Worried, Lee sighed. "She finally agreed to go see Dr. Pfaf. He actually diagnosed her with something called PTSD – Post-traumatic-stress disorder."

"PTSD," Billy took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. "I've heard of that. It used to be considered something only soldiers would get. Like the World War Two diagnosis of Combat Fatigue."

"Yeah, that's right. As if soldiers were merely tired of war." Lee shook his head and huffed out a cynical laugh. "After Vietnam they called it Post-Vietnam Syndrome." He sighed again. "I knew my fair share of soldiers with the condition; some still suffer from it even twelve years later." He looked up at the ceiling. "Only now, they realize it's not just soldiers. It can be anyone who experienced a severe trauma." He looked down and plucked at his suit pants. "Dr. Pfaf said that it's not emotionally based – there's actually new research that points to it being physical. It has something to do stress hormones and how this latest situation on top of all the other stuff in the last year or so have all…" He flicked his wrist, trying to come up with the right phrase. "…sort of piled up on top of each other."

"She'll be okay, Lee," Billy spoke softly.

Lee looked up at him. "Yeah, I know. It's slowly getting better."

"I'm glad to hear that. Now, you needed something?"

Thankful for the change in topic, Lee took a deep breath and told his mind to shift into work mode. "Uh, yeah. You see the paper this morning?"

"You mean the article about Raymond Peralta?" Lee nodded, and Billy sighed. "Yeah, I saw it. Are you thinking you want to go talk to T.P.?"

Lee nodded his head again. "Yeah. You know what this means, Billy."

Billy leaned back in his chair and laced his fingers together on his stomach. "Yes. There's a new player in the game who felt ready to make his move to the top."

"Exactly. And whoever it is, he's totally an unknown." Lee stood. "Amanda's doing some research for me up in the Q-Bureau." He tapped the back of the chair. "I'm going to head over to T.P.'s place and see if I can catch him there."

"Alright, Scarecrow." Billy stood and came around the desk. "Let me know if you need anything."

"Thanks, Billy." Lee headed for the door.

"By the way," Lee turned with his eyebrows raised. "How are the new living arrangements going?"

Lee looked up at the corner of the ceiling, thinking about how to answer that question. "Uh…good…" Hedging a bit, he looked back at Billy and nodded his head. "Yeah, I'd say it's good. Look, I'd love to talk with you about it, but I really need to get over to T.P.'s."

"Hang in there, Scarecrow," Billy leaned back onto his desk. "It just takes time."

Lee nodded again. "Yeah. See ya later, Billy."