Chapter 13

"Thanks, Amanda. Francine and I'll be gone for a few hours anyway. I made a call over to the federal prison and arranged for a meeting with Brody. I had to call in a favor with the warden but it'll be worth it if we can get something out of him... I'll let Francine know. I'll call you later." Lee dropped the car phone into the receiver mounted between the seats. "Amanda said the prints were all pretty clear so Marcus thinks he might have a good chance of matching them up. He said it's not too often you get almost a complete set. This guy was pretty sloppy if you ask me."

Francine continued to stare out the window, lost in thought.

Lee placed his hand over hers to get her attention. "Hey, if you need some time, we don't have to do this today."

Francine looked back at him, sheepishly. "You know what the worst part of this whole thing is?" Lee shook his head. "The worst part is I can't even yell at him for being stupid. I can't tell him he should have come to me and maybe I could've helped him, you know? I can't tell him anything."

Lee patted her hand as they sped down the highway. "I know how you feel. This job… we lose too many good people without closure. But I think… I think we're the lucky ones."

"Lucky ones? Where did that come from?" Francine scoffed.

Lee focused on the road ahead of them as he explained, "With everything we've been through, we've still managed to build friendships and relationships stronger than anything else. We know someone's always got our backs."

Francine twisted slightly in her seat. "Lee, you really are becoming soft, aren't you? Life in the suburbs has finally taken its toll."

"I mean it. Think of how many times we've gone to bat for each other during the last few years. How many times we've stepped up, beyond what's been expected, and helped each other out? For crying out loud, you even offered to take my place and hold a bomb for me when Amanda went into labor… and when I insisted you go, you didn't hesitate, knowing full well you were going to end up in the delivery room with her." Lee paused for a moment as he focused on the road. "We're not just co-workers, agents, partners any more. We're more like family."

Francine laughed loudly. "Well, you and Amanda are definitely family or did you forget that little gathering you had at the Cumberland last year?"

Lee flashed a toothy grin in her direction as he teased, "I remember the honeymoon more."

"You're still disgusting," Francine grumbled, although she still had a smile on her face.

Lee drummed his hands on the steering wheel as he drove. "Hey, not that I want to change the subject here, but we should probably discuss what we're going to say to Brody. I mean, we can't just show up and accuse him of murdering Jonathan when we know he's behind bars."

"Doesn't mean he couldn't have ordered it. Had someone else pull off his handy work for him." Francine pursed her lips tightly.

Lee bobbed his head several times. "True, but what does he have to gain from this? Brody's MO is all about what he gets, what the bottom line is."

"Well, we know Brody used him before to get to me because he knew I could get him to Dr. Dunlevy. Maybe it was a simple case of retaliation against Jonathan. After all, it was his testimony that eventually put Brody behind bars," Francine surmised.

"I might buy that. So let's talk through Jonathan's letter. If Brody is the cat he's referring to, maybe the warden is his keeper?" Lee suggested.

Francine reached into her purse and pulled out a folded piece of paper. Lee tipped his head as she stated, "It's only a copy. Don't worry. I figured if I made a copy I could make notes on it then transfer them into the file."

Lee chuckled softly as he shook his head. "More and more like Amanda every day, Francine. Watch out."

"You bite your tongue, Lee Stetson. I actually appreciate working with you and your wife. I may even go as far as to say I enjoy your company," Francine began.

"Especially when Lily and DJ are involved now," Lee quipped.

"Okay, I'll admit, before Amanda came along and helped me realize children are not quite as nasty as I thought they were, I would never willingly spend time with anyone who didn't have their own bank account… preferably with six figures or more… But…" Francine stopped and sharply raised her finger, "and you listen good to this one… I am not, nor will I ever be compared to Amanda when it comes to work. She has her ways of doing things as do I. I may have learned a few ideas, tricks, whatever you want to call them from her in the last year, but my skills as an agent–"

Lee held one hand up. "Hey! No one ever questioned your skills. I was just commenting that making a copy of the letter to write notes on is something Amanda would and has done. I just wish I had thought of things like that myself over the years, that's all."

"Since we have a long ride ahead of us, let's get started and see what we come up with," Francine stated firmly. She skimmed the letter and decided, "The first part about all of his failures feels like the only honest part of the whole thing. We haven't even started to delve into what his business standings look like. He could be completely in debt for all we know."

Lee nodded affirmatively. "That sounds like a good project for Amanda to work on. What's the next part?"

"Lies find their way back to haunt you, like an old enemy. Truth hurts more than any drug. Don't we know that. Do you think he's talking about Brody as the old enemy?" Francine questioned.

Lee knit his brow as he watched a car in the rearview mirror. "Um, yeah… I think we might have a tail."

Francine dropped the sun visor and pretended to check her makeup as she studied the traffic behind them. "The blue sedan?"

"Yeah. I noticed it a few miles back but didn't pay much attention to it until I moved over a lane and they followed. Whoever it is definitely doesn't know how to stay inconspicuous." Lee checked the car beside him before stating, "Let's make sure."

Without waiting for a reply from Francine, he sped up and cut in front of the car to his left. The blue sedan also sped up, opting to move to the right to avoid a slower-moving vehicle.

Lee pushed his speed faster as he expertly wove between cars, the sedan following as close as it dared. Lee made a quick decision and cut across two lanes of traffic to the nearest off-ramp, the back tires of the Corvette skidding on loose gravel, causing the back of his car to fishtail. As he regained control, he scoured the area for a safe place to pull over. The road he found himself on was lined with houses. He cringed when he noticed a few families outside; the children playing as adults watched his seemingly reckless driving.

The blue sedan inched closer. Lee forced himself to slow down as he neared one larger group on the side of the road. In his rearview mirror, the blue sedan loomed closer.

"Lee, watch out!" Francine shouted beside him.

Lee focused back on the road before him. A soccer ball rolled out into the street. Lee slammed on his brakes, forcing the 'Vette into a sideways skid. As he came to a jolting stop, the blue sedan sped around him, giving them a wide berth.

"Who the hell was that?" Lee uttered. His heart was pounding in his chest as a young boy jogged into the street to collect his ball.

Francine was clinging to the seatbelt, her eyes wide. "I barely got a look at the license plate. All I saw was the last two letters, XT."

Lee exhaled slowly as he said, "I think we need to postpone our visit to Brody." He slowly climbed out of the car, flashed his badge at the families standing on the sidewalk staring at him, and announced, "I apologize, folks. I'm a federal agent."