In Limbo

Chapter 25

Amanda had just fallen asleep when Dotty had come into Amanda's bedroom and had shaken her shoulder to awaken her, stating firmly, "Amanda? Amanda! Wake up, please! It's important!"

Amanda, rolling over, had murmured, "Wha-Mother? Wh-What's the matter?"

Dotty, pulling Amanda to a sitting position, answered quickly, "Your friend, Lee just arrived, and is downstairs right now, and says it's urgent...He needs to talk to you-"

Amanda yawning, asked, "Wh-Why?"

Dotty sighed shrugging as she answered, "Who knows? Maybe he won the lottery. Does he gamble?"

Amanda shook her head confusedly, querying, "What?"

Dotty, reaching for Amanda's robe, pulled her out of bed, and putting it on her, commented quickly as she opened the bedroom door to lead her out, "N-Never mind! Just go talk to him so we can get back to bed-"

Just then, the boys came out of their rooms, and Phillip asked, "What's wrong?"

Dotty shook her head and gestured replying, "Nothing, Darling...You and Jamie can go back to bed...Go on...March..."

The boys grumbled, and as they headed back to their rooms, Jamie commented, "All this noise, and we can't even find out what's going on...Boy, are we gonna be tired going to school in a few hours..."

Amanda headed downstairs as the other family members went back to bed, and seeing Lee, she yawned, asking, "What's wrong? I tried to call you earlier, but your line was busy-"

Pulling Amanda to him, he hugged her, stating, "Nothing's wrong if my hunch is right though...Can I use your phone?"

Amanda replied tiredly, "Sure, but I don't know what you're so keyed up about...Want some coffee?"

Lee, picking up her phone and dialing a number, commented, "I've never felt more awake...You go ahead though, Honey..."

-SMK-

While Amanda went to make her coffee, the number Lee dialed rang once, then a second time, and finally, Mark Jenkins picked up groggily, answering, "Wh-What? Who is this?"

Lee queried urgently, "Mark? It's Chuck... Chuck Castle...Listen, I'm sorry about the time, but it's important... Did anyone call making inquiries about me?"

Mark, confused, sighed remarking, "Alright, if the cops are after you, just tell me...I dealt with Pete's issue, I can handle this one, too-"

Lee answered quickly with a made up excuse, "N-No! It's nothing like that, I swear! S-Some friends from college I think were trying to track me down, but they hung up before I could get any more out of them...So no one asked about me, huh?"

Mark asked, " No, but I need to ask you something now...Are you drunk or high by any chance?"

Lee responded, "No, I am not...Look, I know I'm not making much sense at the moment, but I thank you for giving me the extra personal time off..."

Mark stated with a deep sigh, "Okay, take all the time you need...You really sound out of it, Pal, but don't worry...I'll have Sandy cover the advice column until you get back...Take care, Chuck."

Lee answered, "You too, Mark..."

-SMK-

Lee hung up the phone as Amanda came out of the kitchen, carrying a tray with coffee and two cups, and seeing her with the tray queried, "What's all that?"

Amanda, putting the tray down on the coffee table, commented, "Well, you sound all keyed up like you do when we'd work on a cas-"

Stopping herself, she swallowed and asked softly, "L-Lee? Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

Lee nodded, responding, "I just played my hunch, and I was right! They don't want me to go home to Chicago...They want me back in D.C.!"

Amanda was surprised as Lee pulled her to him for a hug, and she queried, "But who called you to begin with when your line was busy earlier?"

Lee, kissing her forehead, stepped back slightly replying, "It was Leatherneck, believe it or not-"

Amanda shook her head, and putting up a hand, asked, "Okay, why him, and what did he say to make you think that?"

Lee, clearing his throat, commented, "I asked how he found me, and the line "We have our ways" was used, and then I asked what was going on, and he said, "Why don't you come on home and find out?"

Amanda nodded, answering, "Ahh, so that's why you needed the phone. To call him-"

But Lee shaking his head replied, "No...To call my boss in Chicago, to ask if anyone had been looking for me..."

Amanda giggled, asking, "He must have thought you were a little out there, huh?"

Lee nodded with a chuckle, answered, "The words, "drunk" or "high" were used, yes...Now, I need to ask you to go pack a bag for a couple of days, and meet me in the driveway-"

Amanda groaned, remembering their case at the Cumberland years ago , "Oh, c'mon! You gotta stop doing this to me...Where are we going, and what do I bring, and do we dress for dinner? Can you at least tell me that?"

Pulling her to him once more, he stated, kissing her, "D.C. as I just mentioned, Anything you want- except your family-for now, that is, and if you'd like, Yes, we will dress for dinner...Now, go, go, go!"

-SMK-

Amanda nodded as Lee went out the front door, and she hurriedly brought the coffee tray back to the kitchen, setting it on the counter, and ran upstairs to her room, and Dotty, hearing her, came in to ask, "What's going on?"

Amanda answered, getting dressed quickly, and then pulling her suitcase out of the closet, and throwing clothes and toiletries together, putting them in the suitcase commented hurriedly, "I'm heading out of town with Lee for a couple of days, Mother...I need you to look after the boys, and I'll call you if anything changes, alright?"

Dotty, watching her daughter fly around the room in a tailspin, quipped, "Are you eloping, Dear? Is that what's going on? Not that I mind such a bold move these days, but I do think it would've been nice if he at least gave us some warning, and-"

Amanda, finishing her packing, clicked the suitcase closed, and picking it up off her bed, hugged her mother, and kissing her cheek, answered, "No, I promise, I'm not eloping...I love you, and wouldn't do that to my family, alright? I'll call you later, huh? I have to go..."

Dotty, then following Amanda downstairs, queried, "Just-Just tell me if we're in trouble again?"

Opening the front door, Amanda shook her head remarking, "No, we're not, I promise...Don't worry, okay?"

But as Dotty watched Amanda put her suitcase in Lee's trunk, and get into the passenger side of the car, and they pulled out quickly, Dotty shook her head stating softly, "I'm afraid that's all I can do now, My Darling Girl..."

TBC