In Limbo

Chapter 66

Lee awoke the next morning in the den, and hearing voices, rose from the foldout bed, and getting dressed quickly, put his watch on, took the sheets off, put the couch back to rights before heading out to the kitchen, where four sets of eyes looked from the table as Lee stated, holding the bed sheets, "Good morning."

Amanda rose from the kitchen table to greet him with a kiss, answering, "Morning, Sweetheart...Would you like some coffee?"

Lee, feeling suddenly scrutinized by the other family members, answered uncomfortably, "Yeah, thanks...Don't forget the cream, okay?"

Amanda gave him a puzzled look, replying carefully as she took the bed sheets from him, "N-No, I won't. And I haven't for the last few years we've known one another...Now, go sit down, while I put these in the laundry room, huh?"

Lee nodded, remarking with a slight smile, "Sure...Thanks."

So, as Lee took Amanda's seat at the table, Phillip asked, "How's your headache? Any better?"

Dotty curiously queried, "You had a headache, Dear? I'm sorry to hear that. Are you all right now?"

Noticing the boys looking at him with smirks, Lee responded with a sigh, "Yes, and Fellas, I want to apologize for my outburst last night. I was a bit off kilter, okay?"

Amanda, overhearing his statement, came back to the table, commenting to Lee, and then the family, "Honey, it's alright...Look, Lee had a day that he was not prepared for with us, so I think we should show some understanding, okay? Anyway, Mother and I are feeling much better today, and we appreciate you helping us out. Now, let me get your coffee put in a thermos since we have to leave soon, huh?"

Lee, looking at his watch, got up quickly, stating, "You're right...Dotty, I'm glad you're feeling better, and we'll see you later-"

But Dotty asked, getting up from the table as well with a gesture, "What about breakfast? I can get scrambled eggs and toast done in a jiffy. Please sit back down-"

Amanda shook her head answering, "M-Mother, stop, please. We have to go and you have to get the boys to school, remember?"

Dotty shrugged, remarking, "You're right, I did forget...Okay, Boys, finish your breakfast, and then we'll head out..."

-SMK-

Lee and Amanda, saying goodbye to the family, went out the front door, and getting to Lee's car, got in and buckled up, with Lee asking Amanda, "Is it always like that?"

Amanda queried, "Like what?"

Lee sighed answering, "Like the breakfast push-"

Amanda shook her head replying, "Oh, c'mon! If you don't want breakfast, you simply tell her "No, thank you.", that's all...Um, so, I don't think you ever told me why you don't like breakfast-"

Lee groaned as he pulled out of Amanda's driveway, and out of the neighborhood, and remarked, "Well, because the Colonel only knew from oatmeal...Every morning! Finally, I said that my school friends had pancakes or waffles, and could we have that for a change?"

Amanda smiled and asked, "What did he say?"

Lee, imitating the Colonel's voice, stated, "What do I look like? A short order cook? If you want different, go see Barney Dorsey in the mess hall!"

Amanda giggled as she reached out to rub Lee's forearm as he drove, and commented, "Oh, I'm so sorry, Sweetheart...So, what did Barney make you?"

Lee sighed as they approached the beltway, and as he carefully merged with other traffic to get on, he stated, "My choices were oatmeal, scrambled eggs and toast...The Colonel needed his men to have protein to keep them humming throughout the day! So, I learned to do without."

Amanda queried, "But once you were out on your own, you were able to try it, right?"

As Lee made his turn off to the Agency and the parking lot and pulled into his spot, he parked, and shutting off the car, answered, "Yeah, first time at a diner, I tried waffles with butter and syrup...Wasn't thrilled. Then I tried pancakes. Same result. It wasn't until after I joined the Agency and was on one of my missions abroad, where I learned how to make frittatas, and loved them!"

Amanda nodded as they both got out of the car, and Lee locked it up, with Amanda saying, "Okay, so you still had your protein but in a different way, huh?"

Lee nodded, answering as they made their way to the garage to see Leatherneck, "Yeah. I even served them to the Colonel on one of his visits here. He liked them as well."

He and Amanda came into the garage, and seeing no one, Lee whistled asking, "Leatherneck? Are you here?"

Leatherneck rolled out from under a car a few feet from them saying, "Hey, Scarecrow, Mrs. King...What's up?"

Amanda asked, "How's my car doing?"

Leatherneck got up, and wiping his hands, stated, "Good as new...I'll return it to your spot as soon as I get these loaners fixed...Oh, and Billy wants to see you, Scarecrow...Something about one of your contacts messing up a milk run Jefferys did last night?"

Lee and Amanda looked at one another and knowing who, groaned together, saying, "Augie Swann."

-SMK-

As Lee and Amanda got of the elevator at the Bullpen Floor, Jefferys approached Lee, commenting tersely, "You owe me big, Scarecrow! If that clown hadn't-"

Lee threw up his hands, stating firmly, "I-I know! I heard, and I'm sorry-"

Billy then came out of his office, remarking, "Scarecrow! My office!"

Lee sighed as he and Amanda went in, and sitting down with Lee, Amanda answered, "Good morning, Sir."

Billy growled, "It was, until I heard about Jefferys run last night!"

He then asked Lee, "What the hell was one of your contacts doing down near the docks?!"

Lee shrugged, commenting as he reached in his jacket pocket for his notebook, "You got me, Billy...I'll try reaching him now and find out what's going on..."

Getting on Billy's desk phone, he dialed the number, and waited.

A few minutes later, Lee hung up in disgust, stating, "Great!"

Amanda asked, "No answer?"

Lee rose from the chair and looking at Amanda answered,"The number's out of service...I'm gonna head to his new place to have a little chat, since I don't have the new number yet...Wanna come?"

Amanda made a face and asked, "A new mud wrestling place?"

Lee shook his head responding, "No, the one he had shut down. He was behind on rent payments...Let's go."

As Amanda got up and Lee took her arm to guide her out, Billy remarked, "Lee, straighten him out, or get a new contact."

Lee nodded stating, "You got it.", as he left with Amanda...

-SMK-

As they drove further downtown, Amanda asked, "Where does he work now?"

Lee chuckled, answering, "Where every other down and out contact works...Either a Chinese restaurant, or a pawn shop."

Amanda giggled, responding, "He doesn't seem the type to cook at all, so-"

Lee shook his head, answering, "God no!", as they parked across from the pawn shop, and got out.

Locking the car as Amanda came around, Lee took her hand, and they walked across the street.

Coming into the shop a minute later, they scanned the shop, and Lee called out for Augie, and Amanda then answered, "Lee!", as she smelled something burning, and looking at each other, Lee and Amanda raced to the back, where they found Augie with a toaster oven that was on fire!

Amanda quickly grabbed the nearby fire extinguisher, and pushing Augie out of the way in Lee's direction, put out the flames immediately!

Lee, with a sigh, answered to Amanda, "Thanks, Honey..."

Then looking at Augie, he queried with a gesture, "What was that supposed to be?"

Augie shrugged stating, "Either yesterday's tuna melt, or today's burger. I'm not sure."

Amanda, with a strange look at Augie, asked while checking her watch, "Isn't it too early for lunch?"

Augie shrugged commenting, "I didn't have eggs, so I decided an early lunch...But then, dinner's gonna be pushed way back, so-"

Lee growled, "Augie! Never mind! We're here to find out what the hell happened last night when you got in Jeffrey's way at the dock!"

Augie, looking at Amanda, replied, "Jeez! It's too early for him being grouchy! What's his problem, anyway?"

Lee, clearing his throat, answered cooly, "I'm sorry, but we don't have time for this...Now, can you please tell me why you were down at the docks?"

Augie nodded, remarking carefully with a gesture, "Sure...Follow me..."

Making their way to his office, he pulled out an envelope from his desk drawer, and handing it to Lee, said, "I was supposed to give this to you last night, but that other guy was there, and when I tried to ask where you were, that's when shots rang out, so I high tailed it out of there...I mean, you wouldn't want anything happening to me, would ya?"

When there was silence, Lee waved it away to Amanda, saying, "I'm thinking, I'm thinking..."

Augie made a face, stating, "After all I've done for you...Nice, Pal-"

Lee opened the envelope and reading the contents, said quickly, "Thanks, Augie... Luckily, the other guy is okay, but thanks for asking...We'll be going now..."

As Lee and Amanda quickly left and got back into the car, Amanda asked, "Lee? What did the note say?"

Lee, ignoring her question, and starting up the car, responded, "No one messes with my family and gets away with it!"

They headed back to the Agency, where they met with Billy, who after reading the note, asked Lee, "What do you want to do?"

TBC