Francine had just gotten home. Michael Winthrope had disappeared from a hospital in London two days before and now apparently Galillee had requested his records yesterday. What was going on? He had been shot twice and apparently got on a plane and flew to DC. Well this guy was definitely related to Lee if he got on a plane with two bullets in him.

It had been a long day. She had just gotten home from the Agency. Billy authorized that she could be the lead investigator on all of this. But she was missing something. She just had a feeling. She needed Amanda's help with this. Except it was her family she was investigating. Amanda was at the very least suspended for doing what she had done. If they did end up getting rid of Amanda. If Francine did get Billy's job which she was in the running for. She was going to do what she could to get Amanda back. The Agency needed her. Billy was leaving and if Amanda left too. Who would she have left that she could really trust? There was always Phillip. She hoped he would stay.

How could Lee have had a relative that none of them had ever heard of? Who was Michael Winthrope? Something was not quite right about all of this. She was still waiting for Interpol to pull his passport. They were having trouble but they had been checking records in London. He used a Canadian passport to enter the country.

He was a British citizen though. He had given up his Canadian citizenship and become a British citizen. She had both sets of his citizenship papers in front of her. But nothing had a photo of him. She just had some old school not very high quality photos of a sad looking red headed boy from the sixties. There was supposedly a mugshot from when Michael Winthrope was fifteen as well but the RCMP had not provided it to her yet. They were having a hard time locating it.

There was a knock on her door. It must be the Chinese food she had ordered. They had come fast. That was good because she had worked through lunch. She grabbed her purse and went to the door and opened it. An exhausted looking Phillip King was standing at her door. Something must be up.

"Hi Phillip. Everything alright?"

Phillip sighed, "Can I come in? I need to talk to you about some stuff before I get scooched in the morning. They called me in on a Sunday morning to meet with Doctor Smyth. I'm screwed."

Doctor Smyth was an idiot if he scooched Phillip. She doubted he would scooch him. She figured he just wanted to scare Phillip a little. He usually didn't hold grudges. Phillip was most likely just suspended. Amanda was the one who broke all the rules. Phillip just defended his mother and Amanda had ended up being right.

"I am sure you aren't getting scooched. If you were, he would make Billy do it. He doesn't like to get his hands dirty. He probably just wants to torture you a little bit as revenge on your mother for making him look bad."

She motioned for Phillip to sit down on the couch. Then there was another knock on her door. It was her food this time.

"You want an eggroll or something?"

Phillip smiled, "My Grandma just fed me but thank you. I'll take a glass of that wine you're drinking though if you don't mind. Can I look at that file you have there?"

Phillip took the wine she poured him and sat down on her couch and started reading the file. Then he looked at the pictures.
"Who is the blonde chick?" Phillip asked.

"That's Irene Hamilton, Lee's step-grandmother."

Phillip's mouth dropped, "How old is she? I thought we were looking for some old chick."

Francine nodded no, "No she's 25 years old. She married Lee's grandfather seven years ago when she was just eighteen. He was 82 then."

Phillip was staring at the picture, "She's hot."

Francine looked at him, "Seriously? I guess if gold digging black widows are what you are into. I know Lee left you a lot of money, but I don't think you're in the league woman like that usually go after."

Phillip looked embarrassed. "Yeah, sorry I just didn't expect her to look like a supermodel."

Francine laughed at him "She is a step up from what was her name Hazel? Your stalker girlfriend that thought you were cheating on her with me of all people."

Phillip nodded, "I know I still owe you for that one. Thanks for playing along with that. Jamie thinks I need to stop picking up women at Goofy Golf."

Francine laughed, "Next embassy party we will go. You can be my wingman and I'll be yours. Deal?"

Phillip smiled at her, "Yeah, deal."

She smiled at him. Phillip was fun to go to parties and events with. it was almost like she had Lee back when she went with him. Except Phillip was more well behaved at parties than Lee ever was when they were young. Francine always wondered if Joe King was actually Phillip's father. Amanda was not the type to have one night stands and the year that Lee was at UVA at the same time as Amanda didn't match up to Phillip's birth year.

"Back to your girlfriend, Irene Hamilton. She's most likely the mastermind behind shooting Michael Winthrope. She and he control the trust of Matthew Winthrope. Since Matthew Winthrope and Alexander Stetson are the same person. Your brother is a very rich young man. He most likely doesn't have access to his money right now seeing as Irene Hamilton is wanted as a person of interest for shooting Michael Winthrope. Get this, Michael Winthrope disappeared from the hospital in London. He came here to DC. He's at Galilee right now. I'm going to go there first thing in the morning. I was going to go tonight but I've been at the Agency since early this morning."

Phillip took a sip of his wine, "No he's not at Galilee anymore. They released him."

Francine sighed, "Great, I guess I should get a team to figure out where he went."

Phillip looked at her, "You don't need to. I know exactly where he is. He's at my house. Jamie & I drove him there earlier this afternoon."

Francine stared at him, "Are you both crazy? I swear the crazy doesn't fall far from the tree."

Phillip smiled at her. "You know you love us anyway. He's part of why I came over."

Francine sighed, "Damn it. I just wanted to at least have dinner first. So you are telling me that your mother is alright with the man that kept her son away from her for the past five years being at your house."

Phillip sighed, "Yeah, it was her idea. She signed the paperwork so he wouldn't have to go to rehab. Jamie & I just drove him home."

Francine looked at him, "I don't get it."

Phillip nodded, "It's complicated. Michael Winthrope, he is not a bad guy. It's all a big misunderstanding. He thought my mother was dead. He was just trying to keep Matty safe."

Francine looked at him, "Who is Matty?"

Phillip sighed, "Matty is Alex. That's what he likes to be called now. Mike really loves him. He really thought my mom was dead. Matty absolutely adores him. Thinks of Mike like he's his real father."

Francine looked at Phillip, "Well he's not his father. Lee was. How on earth are you all not more upset about this?"

Phillip looked at her, "I was upset with and then I met him."

Francine sighed, "Let me put this Moo Goo Gai Pan away. I'll call Billy and have a team sent to your house."

Phillip looked scared, "No don't do that. Meet him first then decide. Talk to him. You'll see. He's a good guy. He made a mistake. It was all a misunderstanding."

Francine looked at him, "Five years he kept your brother away from you. You're protecting this jerk. Lee would have killed him."

Phillip ran his hand through his hair. "Please just talk to him. My little brother has been through so much. Watch how Matty is with Mike. If you have Mike arrested too it will devastate my brother. Please go easy on him."

This was weird. Why on earth would Phillip be so protective of this guy? She needed to meet him. Judge for herself. They were family to her. Lee had been one of the best friends she ever had if not the best. Francine had been in love with Lee at one time, but they never would have lasted. They were too much alike. She just wished she had been the one that dumped him.

She put the food away. She got in her car and Phillip got in Vetty. She drove over to Amanda's. She would at least get to see what little Alex looked like now. Flashes of making fun of Lee changing diapers went through her brain. He had loved that little boy so much. She had never seen him happier than when he moved in with Amanda and they had their son. She was going to make sure that some strange Canadian uncle didn't take advantage of his family.

They walked in the house. It smelled like spaghetti and garlic bread. She hadn't really gotten to eat her Chinese food. Well depending on how things went. She could ask Amanda for a plate. If not, she saw a big tray of chocolate chip cookies on the counter. She would have to snag some after she found out what was going on.

Phillip was quiet and nervous. Something funny was going on. She saw her little niece as soon as she walked in the room. Leann came and gave her a big hug.

"Aunt Francine! Guess what? I have a new uncle. He's awesome."

Francine looked at her. Was this man the male Mother Theresa? Even little Leann liked him. She was missing something. Something big. She wasn't going to let him put her under his magic spell. Amanda had always been too nice and trusting. It was one of her biggest flaws. It made sense that her kids were just as bad. Francine didn't think of herself as either nice or trusting. She knew all the tricks of charming men. She was not going to let anyone hurt Lee's family again. They had been hurt enough.

Francine smiled at her little niece "Hey fly girl. How are you?"

Leann was grinning "I'm great. I have a new brother and uncle. Well, an old brother except he's not actually old like my other brothers. He's just new to me."

Francine laughed. This wasn't going to work. She couldn't be tough like she needed to be on this strange man in front of Leann. "I know I heard. I actually am here because I need to speak to them. To help find the bad men. Amanda, do you think you could take her upstairs?"

Amanda and Phillip exchanged looks and had a conversation with their eyes. This family and their telepathy. "No, I think I'm going to stay down here."

Phillip looked at Amanda now they were having a full on telepathic argument with their eyes. "How about you just take her over to Grandma's loft. Then come right back down, okay? It's work stuff. I have to stay down here. I'm Francine's partner."

Leann looked at him "How come Matty can stay? He's a little kid too."

Francine turned to her. "I have to ask him some questions about the bad men, fly girl. Stuff you might be a little young to hear. Otherwise, he would be going with you to your grandma's."

Amanda seemed to concede to Phillip and took her daughter's hand, and they started to leave,

The man in the bed spoke "Hey Junior, you come back and bother me anytime, okay?"

Leann hugged him "Okay Uncle Mike. I still have to tell you more about the lame guys mom has been dating. I'll tell you later when she's not around."

Amanda shot them both a dirty look and then they left the room. Amanda had just met this man hadn't she? That look she just gave Uncle Mike. Amanda didn't tease new people like that. Then Francine looked at the man on the bed. He looked like Lee. A very hairy dark-haired version of Lee. But his eyes. If there hadn't been a body.

She needed to stay professional. She needed to keep her emotions out of this. She walked over and stuck out her hand for him to shake "Mr. Winthrope my name is Francine Desmond."

He shook her hand. Then she pulled out her badge and handed it to him. Michael looked at it. He seemed a little nervous. He was guilty of something. She could smell it. Actually she got a whiff of the cologne he was wearing. Was he wearing Lee's cologne too? No wonder he put a spell on this family.

Then he spoke and she got goosebumps. "Hello Miss Desmond."

His voice even sounded like Lee's but that was impossible. There was a body and Lee would never leave Amanda. Michael handed her badge back to him. Interviewing him was going to be difficult but she was a professional. She could do this. He wouldn't let him break her as he obviously had the others.

"I've been investigating you Mr. Winthrope. This is what I know. You disappeared at the age of 17. You and your mother were low level drug dealers in the Pelletier crime family. You were arrested a couple of times for selling drugs. But since you were a minor at the time. You served no jail time. Your mother on the other hand had a rap sheet a mile long.

Now from what it looks like in Canada you were using the name Michael Tremblay. Records of you first show up in Toronto in 1979. You worked in a restaurant went to the University of Toronto and got your bachelor's and teaching certification there. There are no signs you were in any type of trouble in your new life. You moved to Vancouver in 1986. You married Melissa Morin in 1988, and Matthew Tremblay was born in 1989. In 1994 according to this which I'm guessing your father forged. Matthew & Melissa were in a horrible car accident. Matthew lost his hearing and Melissa was killed. Does Melissa Morin even exist? Did you actually have a son? Was he killed in the car accident?"

Michael was thinking carefully on how to answer. She could tell. "No, she doesn't exist. I don't have children. The rest of that is true though. But I was never married. My father planted all of that about her. Melissa Morin is not a real person. We made up that identity for Matty."

Francine noticed that Amanda came back in the room and got in the side of the bed next to Matty. It was a king-sized bed so there was a lot of room. She put her arms around Matty and made herself comfortable.

Francine nodded in acknowledgement at Amanda, then very professionally started speaking again. "How did you meet Lee?"

Michael carefully spoke. "I was teaching a class at Vancouver Community College. A man I had never seen before came in about halfway through the class. He sat in the back and waited for the class to be over. He knew who I really was. All about my real father. I had only ever met my real father once. When I was around 10 years old.

My mother had gotten into heavier drugs then. She had gone to my father for money. He gave her some money and pretty much told her and I, that he never wanted to see us again. That I was the product of a drunken mistake.
I never wanted anything to do with him. My old life. So, when Lee came to see me. I denied it at first. But Lee basically just wanted to meet me. He had such little family. We went for a drink. We liked each other. His life had not been all that great either. And my father had been just as horrible to him.

My father was probably worse to Lee than me because he didn't even really acknowledge I existed. But apparently, his nickname for Lee was "Jenny's bastard" and he started calling Lee that when he was five years old at his parent's funeral. Who calls a five-year-old a bastard? I was actually the bastard. Anyway, Lee and I became friendly. I had asked him not to tell anyone who I really was. My mother is still alive somewhere and the Pelletier crime family still exists. I stole some money from them to start my new life. He added me to his Barnstorm network. I would do favors for Lee occasionally.

About a week before the warehouse raid. Lee called me. Asked me if I would come to DC. He wanted someone from Barnstorm that nobody not even his wife knew about. Lee wanted me to take Alex to his great grandfather if there was trouble. And there was trouble. I was just the emergency backup plan.

I was just on the outskirts of the perimeter of the warehouse. I saw it blow. I saw Lee & Alex running out of the warehouse. Then another man came out. Lee and he started fighting. Lee yelled for me to grab Alex while he was fighting with the other man. I watched and the other man got the upper hand, and I saw Lee get shot in the head.

I grabbed Alex and I ran. I got to a parking lot, and I hot-wired a car. We drove all night. I just kept driving. We ended up driving all the way to Boston. We flew out of Logan to Heathrow on the next available flight. Lee had fake passports for himself, his wife, and Alex stashed in an airport locker. Lee & I look a little alike, so I just used his fake passport. Nobody questioned it."

Francine was only half listening to his story. Something about that the resemblance was bothering Francine. Lee's uncle was on his mother's side. She had seen pictures of Lee's parents. She was pretty sure that Lee had looked more like his father. Why did Michael Winthrope look like Lee's father? Unless she was remembering wrong. There was a file on Lee's parents. She would have to pull it tomorrow morning when she got back to the agency. There were pictures of them in there.

Francine went back to pretending to listen to his story. "We got to London the next day and I rented a car and drove to the Hamilton Estate. My father was nicer than I expected. Lee's death had affected him, and he realized that Alex and I were literally the only living family he had left in the world. He helped us. Wanted us to live in the guest house on the estate. Gave us both a new life. Now I know what you are thinking right know why I didn't contact Alex's family. I thought both his parents were dead. That he was an orphan. I was alone. I didn't have any family except for Alex and my father. My mother was a junkie. Originally, I just planned to keep him a month or two. But the longer I kept him. The harder it was for me to give him back. He started to feel like he was my son. I love him like he's mine."

Francine was staring at him. His eyes were so familiar. Why would Lee trust a strange man with his son? Why had he never mentioned this Uncle? He really looked like Lee. He sounded like Lee too. Then she saw him tap something on the boy with his finger.

Michael Winthrope was Lee. He had to be. Lee and Eric used to do that. That's why Amanda was looking at him like that. Why the whole family was being so protective of him. Why on earth wouldn't they just tell her? She needed to talk to Amanda before she slapped Lee for making her think he was dead. God everything made so much more sense if he was Lee. He must have faked his death.

Francine needed to not break and keep her cool. She needed to talk to Amanda alone. "That is some story Mr. Winthrope. You were a witness to Lee's death. You obviously can't come to the Agency right now. But I will come back and show you some pictures. See if you can identify the man that killed Lee. But for right now I am more interested in who shot you?

The London Police and Interpol have been investigating, and they have a suspect named Irene Hamilton. They have one of the men that shot you in custody. His name is Dominik Kovacs. He is Irene Hamilton's brother. They believe she hired her brothers Viktor and Dominik to murder you and Matthew."

Lee looked angry. Oh yeah, this was Lee. She knew that look. "That's crap! It is not true. Irene has no part of this. She would never do that. I know she looks awful on paper but she's a sweet kid."

It was so hard keeping her cool. She just wanted to slap him and then hug him. "Mr. Winthrope she married your grandfather 6 years ago. She was 18 when she married him. He was 82 when they married."

Lee was upset "It wasn't romantic between them. Her family is connected to the Armenian mafia. My grandfather did her father a favor. So, he gave him his daughter. My grandfather only married her to protect her. He treated her more like his assistant than his wife. She was just so grateful to my grandfather for getting her away from her family. She does not talk to her family. She is not behind this."

Francine needed to end this interview. She was going to break. This was so hard staying professional. She looked over at Amanda. Amanda was looking at her funny. Francine could tell Amanda had figured out that she knew he was Lee. She nodded no and pointed to the door. Francine couldn't react to her.

Michael continued "God she even made sure that my grandfather did not put her in the will because of her family. He was going to leave everything to Irene and me. We both talked and decided that neither of us wanted it. That's when we decided it was better to just leave everything to Matty. We would run the trust until he was 25. She had access to all the money already. She did not need to kill us. Plus, Matty loves her. Right kid?"

Matty nodded yes and tapped on Lee. "Matty just said that he would have let her have whatever she needed. Believe me I know she looks horrible on paper. But Irene has nothing to do with it. "

Francine spoke "Well, she has disappeared. she was on vacation in Wales, and someone must have tipped her off because she just took off in the middle of the night."

Matty noticed that Phillip had been taking notes. Then Francine looked at Phillip "You got all that Prince? Amanda, can I see you alone in the office across the hall alone for a few minutes?"

They went in the office and Amanda closed the door. Francine looked at her, "Amanda, that's Lee in there under all that hair. That's why you are all protecting him."

Amanda looked at her, "Yes. Look you can't know that. You are up for Billy's job when he retires in a couple of months. If you help us cover this up. You will be an accessory."

Francine looked at her, "You still don't trust me after all this time. First with Matty, now this. Lee was my friend long before he even met you. That tapping thing he is doing with your son. He used to do that with Eric. That's what clinched it for me. Tell him not to do that around Billy or Leatherneck. That will blow his cover for them too."

Amanda looked at her, "Do you want me to get Matty and Phillip out of the room? So you can talk to him alone. Just he's injured. Don't slap him too hard."

Francine laughed, "Oh I'm going to pretend like I don't know. At least for now anyway. When the job is mine. I'll slap him then. God, we are stupid. That makes so much more sense than Lee actually trusting some strange uncle none of us have ever heard of. I have a picture of Michael Winthrope as a teenager. He was a red head. There aren't a lot of pictures of him but I may have to accidentally lose that one. I'll do what I can to help him agency wise."

Amanda smiled at her, "Thank you. Look and I'm sorry about not trusting you and Billy the other day. I just knew you would take him back to the Agency. That I wouldn't be able to stay with him. The Agency hurt him. I just wanted him home.."

Francine smiled, "It's alright, Amanda. I understand. I want you to know that I'm with Philip on the whole family is more important than the Agency stance. Lee made me your children's honorary Aunt. So that makes you family."

Amanda smiled at her, "Well I couldn't ask for a better aunt for my children. Thanks Francine. I won't tell Lee that you know."

Francine nodded, "Good. Just if you marry him again. Don't take his fake name."

Amanda rolled her eyes, "I'm not marrying him again. Lee and I are just going to be friends. Well more than friends since we share children. But we aren't going to be together anymore."

Francine laughed, "Please I give it two weeks before your back together. I've seen a couple of your dates, Amanda. Even with all that hair, he is 100 times better than your parade of accountants."

Amanda just ignored her and opened the door to the room and they both walked into the hallway. They heard Phillip's voice.

"I read all the stuff on Francine compiled on you and Matty. What your coworkers and coach said about you two. That you were an amazing teacher. Your students loved you. Matty's soccer stuff is impressive. Nobody had a bad word to say about either one of you. Also, Irene Hamilton. I was expecting some old chick not a hot young blonde chick."

She heard Lee's voice "A hot young blonde chick?"

Phillip answered. "Yeah, your grandma's hot, dude."

Lee laughed. "Well actually she would probably like you. If you ended up with her. You could be my new grandpa."

Her and Amanda waited a second and came back in the room. Francine looked at Lee. A flash of emotion went through her but she pushed it down as far as she good. She needed to play her cover. Amanda had given her permission to slap him later.

Francine decided to focus on the boy. She walked over and put her hand on his shoulder. "Alex, I mean Matty. I was going to ask you some questions too. But well the both of you look exhausted. I will just have Phillip ask you the questions later."

Francine went over and touched the side of Matty's face gently. "I am very sorry about the way you were treated at the Agency. The next time you go. I promise you. The experience will be much better. Your Mom and Dad still have a lot of friends at the Agency. I am one of them. I always will be." She glanced over at Lee for just a second when she said that.

Amanda spoke, "Well Matty is never setting foot in the Agency again as long as I can help it."

Francine turned to Amanda. "Oh, please Amanda. I think Matty is going to be the future of the Agency with those martial arts skills of his. Plus, he has a photographic memory and can lip read. We've had deaf agents before. I wouldn't even be surprised if they made an exception for his hearing and made him a full agent one day."
Amanda looked annoyed. "Stop it. He is only 10 years old. You are not recruiting another one of my children. It's bad enough that you recruited Phillip and almost got Jamie to join up."

Francine winked at Amanda. "Okay. Okay. I'll stop at least until he turns 16. Then all bets are off. I'm still going to get Jamie to come back full time one day too."

Amanda shot Francine a dirty look. Focusing on the others in the room was easier but she needed to get out of there. Francine was going to break if she stayed near Lee much longer.

Then Francine pulled herself together again and turned her attention to Lee. "Well Mr. Winthrope. Thank you for all the information today. I will pass it along to the detectives handling your case. I will also send Phillip home tomorrow with some pictures of known Karbala operatives that are at large. We can see if you can help identify who killed Lee."

Lee nodded. "Thank you, Ms. Desmond."
Francine shook his Lee's hand. "Thank you Mr Winthrope. Meeting you has been very enlightening."

Francine needed to get out of this house as quickly as possible. Phillip followed her out to her car.

Phillip looked at her. "Are you alright? You look pale. Oh, you didn't get to eat anything. You want me to heat up a plate of spaghetti for you?"

Francine needed to leave. She couldn't stay there anymore. She was going to break and she wasn't about to in front of Phillip. She looked at Phillip. "I'm really tired, Phillip. You were right him. I won't send a team to arrest him. But I'm just going to go home and eat my Chinese food."

Phillip nodded, "Alright. Thanks Francine. Wish me luck tomorrow morning."

Francine smiled at him. "You'll be just fine. Like I said if he wanted to scooch you. He would make Billy do it. You are just going to have to listen to one of his silly lectures. It will be alright. I've got your back but don't think I've forgotten about you putting your earpiece down the garbage disposal. Alright?"

Phillip smiled at her, "Oh I know you'll get me back for that. Thanks for everything."

Francine got her in her car and drove to the park. She parked her car and she broke down. She was so mad at Lee but happy he was alive. She wished Lee had just sent Matty to her. It would have gone a lot smoother. Why was she so upset right now? She should be happy. Lee was alive. Amanda had her son back and her husband. She was happy for her friend. Francine pulled herself together.

As soon as Billy retired and she became section chief. She was going to let Lee know that she knew. In the meantime, she was going to help him. There would be questions also going to lose those pictures of the real Michael Winthrope. She would help him with any holes she found in his cover.

Billy was going to be a problem. Maybe she would let Billy in on the secret. No, she would wait until he retired. It was better that way. If he started getting too suspicious as to why they were protecting him so much. She would let Amanda know. Leave it up to Amanda to decide if she wanted to let him in on the secret or not Francine started up her car again and headed back to her apartment.

Notes:

The private conversation between Amanda and Francine. I wanted to put that in the original version of Prodigal Son I but I couldn't figure out how to get Matty to witness it plausibly.

Next Chapter: Irene Hamilton makes a plan to come to the United States.