Written:  April 2005 – Sept 2005

SMK Time:  August 1987  -  Agency Bullpen early Friday morning
 

Francine sat at her desk sipping her morning coffee and reading the society page of the newspaper.  Suddenly, she blinked in disbelief and pulled the paper closer for intense scrutiny.  Moments later she gasped. “It couldn’t be!”  She glanced around the bullpen as if looking for someone to confirm what her eyes were seeing.  She pushed away from her desk, holding the newspaper tightly in her hands and marched into Billy’s office.

“Did you read this morning’s paper?” she griped, without as much as a knock on his door interrupting him before he finished his first cup of coffee.

Billy glanced up from his morning report and glared at Francine, an annoyed look on his face.  “Good morning to you, too, Francine,” Billy snapped back testily.  “I’ve scanned the headlines, nothing out of the ordinary.  What seems to be the problem?”

“Did you see whose name came up on the society page?” she questioned irately.

Billy shook his head and sighed.  “No, Francine, I don’t usually have time in my day to see who is marrying whom these days.  What could possibly be so wrong in this town to get your dander up?”

Francine plunked the newspaper down in front of him and pointed to an article.  “You might want to read this, ‘Arlington woman inherits priceless sapphire pendant.’”

Billy glanced at the society column article briefly, with little interest before shrugging his shoulders.  “I really don’t have time for this.  I have a meeting with Dr. Smyth in less than an hour.  Would you please get to the point?”

She grabbed the paper back, cleared her throat and began to read.  “The 40-carat, cornflower blue sapphire pendant has been in the King family for nearly a century.  The stone was mined from the legendary Kashmir region of India and is known for its intense medium-blue, velvety appearance.  The stone is considered priceless.  It was in the possession of Lady Jane King until her recent death in England, Amanda King explained.   She looks forward to acquiring the pendant, which is expected to arrive by special courier today…”

“Hold on a second,” Billy interrupted, holding his hand up.  “Are you insinuating that this is our Amanda?”

“How many Amanda King’s could possibly live in Arlington?” she questioned, but before he could reply, they were interrupted by a knock on the door.

“You can ask her,” Billy suggested as he waved for Amanda to enter.

“Sir, I’m sorry to bother you so early in the morning, but I need your signature on these before they go to accounting,” Amanda started chattering as soon as she entered the room..  “If accounting doesn’t have them by nine AM sharp, I won’t get reimbursed until next month.  I really need the reimbursement this month.  I’ve already made the repairs to the car, but I put it on my credit card.  I’m expecting the bill next week…”

Billy signaled Amanda to give him the paperwork and glanced over at Francine giving her a knowing look.  “No problem, Amanda,” he replied as he scrawled his name on the appropriate line.

“Amanda, did you see the newspaper this morning?” Francine questioned.

“No, I didn’t have a chance.  I needed to get an early start this morning.  The boys are leaving for summer camp this afternoon and I want to see them off.”

“We were just reading about the King Sapphire,” Francine mentioned casually as she held the article for Amanda to read.

“A forty-carat sapphire?  WOW, that sounds beautiful!” Amanda noted as she glimpsed at the newspaper, but made no other comment.

Francine gave Amanda an exasperated look.  “Did you read the name?”

Amanda took the newspaper from Francine’s hand and studied the article a bit closer.  Then she stared at Francine before a smile crept across her face.  “Oh my gosh!  You think that’s me?  Oh, Francine, I’m sorry to disappoint you, but that’s not me.  A forty-carat sapphire – only in my dreams…”

Billy attempted to hold in a chuckle, but the look on Francine’s face was as priceless as the gem.  “I should have known you couldn’t have any blue blood in your veins,” she grumbled before she stormed out of the room.

 *** ***

Friday night

Lee didn’t need to glance at his watch.   It was almost dark and he was over an hour late.  He knew Amanda was going to be upset with him for being so late.  He carried a bouquet of flowers, a peace offering, he hoped as he hurried up the front walk to her house.

It had been a long and busy week, which they’d spent the majority of it working – alone.  Their only intimate moments were the brief kisses they managed to share each morning in the Q Bureau before heading their separate ways.  He was looking forward to a rare weekend alone with his wife.  They wouldn’t have to hide their marriage this weekend; they could spend it together as a couple.  He was planning on more than just a brief kiss tonight.  In fact, he planned on much more.  This week, Philip and Jamie were off to soccer camp, Dotty was visiting her sister and for once they didn’t have a pending case.  He rang the doorbell and waited for her voice to call out to him.  After a few moments of silence he rang the doorbell again, but there was no reply.

Why wasn’t she answering the door?  Was she angry with him, maybe dinner had burned?  He wanted to get past the lecture he knew he was in for and to start their long awaited, intimate weekend.  He should have called, but he hadn’t expected to be so late and the summer traffic had been brutal.  Tired of waiting on the doorstep, he carefully opened the door and stepped into the front entry.

“Amanda, it’s me!” he called out, not wanting to scare her, but there was still no answer.

“Amanda, I’m really sorry I’m late.  I promise to make it up to you,” he pleaded in a debonair voice as he closed the door behind him.

Still no answer.

He walked towards the back of the house where he expected her to be on the phone or busy pulling something from the oven.  Then he stopped dead in his tracks and swallowed hard.  He dropped the flowers on the back of the couch and he instinctively reached for his gun.  “Amanda, where are you?” he forced out in a desperate whisper.

Still no answer.

Lee’s eyes scanned the room.  The family room had been ransacked.  The knickknacks on the shelf over the mantel had been smashed and ground into the rug.  The lamp was on the floor, shattered into hundreds of pieces.  There was no sign of his wife.

Lee walked into the kitchen, being careful as to where he stepped.  It looked like a hurricane had ripped through.  The knives were scattered across the counter and on the floor.  Plates and glasses were strewn about.  The drawers were opened and had obviously been rifled through.  Among the chaos, two inch-thick steaks sat untended on the counter.  He walked over and touched them – although they were raw, they were both warm to the touch. They obviously had been sitting out for a while.

He noticed a large pot on the floor near the stove.  He bent down, but didn’t pick it up.  His stomach turned.  Was that blood on the pot from the steaks or was it blood from his wife?   Upon closer inspection, Lee noticed splattered dark spots on the lower cabinets as well as tiny reddish brown droplets that led to the back door.  He knew it was blood, but was it Amanda’s?  Whatever happened, whoever had been injured in the struggle that ensued, it was clear that Amanda had put up a fight.

“Amanda?” he shouted, frantic for any response, but there wasn’t a peep to be heard.

He reluctantly dragged himself up once again.  He peered outside the backdoor but couldn’t see anything or anyone in the darkness. Lee knew he had to check the entire house.  Maybe she was upstairs.  His pulse raced as he carefully ascended the stairs and pushed the door to her room open.  His stomach did a flip flop when he looked into the room.  He didn’t bother to shout out her name.  She wasn’t there.  Her normally tidy bedroom had been pilfered as well.  The closet doors were open and the shelves were empty.  Most of her possessions were on the floor in jumbled heaps.  Her dresser drawers had been dumped and their contents strewn about the room.  He cringed at the sight.  His jaw muscle clenched tightly causing his head to throb so hard he couldn’t think straight.

“What were you working on to cause this?” Lee asked out loud as he leaned against the wall in the upstairs hallway feeling very alone.

Lee checked the remaining bedrooms and bathroom.  He’d never seen Amanda’s house in such disarray.  He swallowed hard and fought the urge to scream.  Instead, he whispered quietly. “Where are you, Amanda?  What happened here?”

Lee went back outside to use his car phone.  He needed to call the night duty officer at the Agency.  There was no telling how long Amanda had been gone.  “Damn it!” he cursed himself.  If only he hadn’t been so late…

****

Later, Friday night

Maplewood Drive was deceptively quiet for a late summer evening.   Everything seemed as it should be except for one thing, Amanda King was missing. Lee paced the front walk interminably as the sweat dripped down his back from the high heat and humidity, but he felt strangely cold.  He nervously waited in the darkness for the Agency to send a team to scour her house.  It felt like hours later when two cars finally pulled up and Billy Melrose got out of one of them.

“What do we know?” Billy immediately asked Lee when he arrived.

 “Not much.” Lee watched the team of agents gather their equipment to process Amanda’s house.  It seemed like everyone was moving in slow motion.  He wanted to scream at them to hurry up, that his wife was missing, but he gritted his teeth, jammed his hands into his pants pockets and kept quiet.

“When was the last time you saw Amanda?” Billy probed, his voice surprisingly gentle.

“I saw her early this morning.  She was going to be tying up some loose ends in the Q Bureau and she hoped to leave early enough to drive the boys down to the high school.  They were going to soccer camp and that’s where they were picking up the bus,” Lee explained, his voice cracking with the strain.

“Where were you today?”

“I was scouting locations for that trade meeting in October,” Lee answered as he continued to watch the team organize.

“Is there any chance she decided to take the boys to soccer camp herself instead?” Billy proposed.  “Maybe she got home too late and they missed the bus?”

“She would have called or left a note.  Either way, that doesn’t explain why her house is trashed and whose blood is all over the kitchen.  You know Amanda, even if she’d cut herself she would have cleaned it up before going to the hospital for stitches,” Lee remarked as he led Billy and the team to the house.

Lee watched as Billy scanned the first floor of Amanda’s house.  Although his Section Chief tried to mask the fear in his eyes, Lee knew the look all too well.

“Let’s get a move on it,” Billy encouraged the agents before he turned back to Lee.  “Did you talk to her on the phone since this morning?”

Lee ran a nervous hand through his hair.  “Yeah, actually we did, late morning.  She called me to see if we could meet for lunch.  Unfortunately I was up in Bethesda and still had to check out a place near Baltimore.  So, she invited me over to dinner tonight instead.  If I hadn’t been so damn late…” Lee cursed and thrust his fist into the wall.

“Easy, Scarecrow,” Billy warned, placing a comforting hand on his agent’s shoulder.  “We don’t know what time she disappeared.  Your being late probably wouldn’t have changed a thing.  What time were you supposed to be here?”

“Between six and seven,” he answered.  “I got caught in a major traffic jam coming down I-95.  I should have called her, but my car phone couldn’t get a signal and once I got into town I was already so late it wouldn’t have helped much.”

“What time did you get here?”  Billy inquired.

“It was a little after eight.  The sun was just setting.  She didn’t answer the door and, at first, I thought she was angry since I was so late.  The front door was unlocked, but that wasn’t unusual when she was expecting me.”

“I thought you always came in through the back door?” Billy mentioned.

“I haven’t come in the back door for a while now,” Lee answered his voice chock full of emotion.  “Since Amanda introduced me to the family it just didn’t seem necessary.”

One of the field investigators came up to them holding a swab in a vial.  “The blood in the kitchen is human,” he announced.

“Great, that’s just great,” Lee cringed at the news he already knew in his heart.  He glanced around the room, wanting to run, to escape this nightmare, but he didn’t know where to go.  He had to stay.  He needed to be there to help find Amanda.  He wanted to scream at everyone in the room that this wasn’t just another missing person.  This was Amanda King Stetson – his wife.

Billy gave him a moment alone.  He stepped aside and spoke with the investigator for a moment before eventually returning to Lee’s side.

“Lee, what was Amanda working on?” Billy prodded gently.

“Nothing.  Neither of us has anything that would remotely suggest this.  We’ve been busy, but it’s been light stuff.  Like I told you already, she spent the day in the Q Bureau finishing up paperwork, filing.  I tell you there’s nothing on the radar,” he snapped at Billy, as his agitation began to rise again.

“Did you check her car?”

“It’s out back.  I saw it when I pulled up this evening.  The garage is a mess and needs to be cleaned.  That was one of the things we… she was going to work on while the boys were away this week,” Lee explained.

Billy’s cell phone rang. He answered it and walked away from Lee while he conversed with the other agent.  A few minutes later he came back.  “Amanda left the Agency this afternoon at 3:15PM.”

“Sounds about right,”  Lee nodded.  “The boys were due home from school about 3:30 and they had to be at the pick up spot by 4:30.  I went into the boy’s rooms when I checked the house.  Their gear was gone.”

“She obviously came back to the house after taking the boys,” Billy observed.

“Yeah, she must have been getting dinner ready when this happened,” Lee nodded towards the kitchen.  “The steaks were sitting on the counter.  They were raw, but warm to the touch.  So they had been sitting there for a while.”

“So how long does it take a steak to warm to room temperature?” Billy wondered out loud.

“I don’t know,” he shrugged.  “She probably picked them up at the market this afternoon.”

“So the good news is that we’re not far behind whoever grabbed her,” Billy suggested in a hopeful tone.

“Yeah, but the bad news is that we don’t have a clue as to who, where, or why!” Lee growled angrily as he stared into the kitchen.  His eyes were drawn to the drops of blood spattered on the counter and floor.  He swallowed hard and turned away.

Another agent came up, holding something in his hand.  “We found this on the back porch,” the agent explained as he held a broken heart shaped necklace in his hand.  “Is it Mrs. King's?”

Lee nodded.  His stomach turned.  The last time she’d lost that necklace she’d been kidnapped by Addi Birol.  This time it just wasn’t the clasp that was broken, it appeared to have been crushed into the ground.  “Yeah, that’s Amanda’s,” he choked out losing what little control he had over his emotions as he leaned his head against the wall.

“Scarecrow, you need to get out of here and get a hold of yourself.  We’re going to find Amanda, but it would be easier with your help.  You won’t be any help unless you calm down,” Billy warned him.

“That’s a lot easier to say than do.  This isn’t just anyone, it’s my… partner,” Lee snapped back.  A few moments went by before Lee took a deep breath and then shook his head.  “You’re right, I’m sorry.”

“Why don’t you go back to the office and start running through the cases you and Amanda have worked on the last six months or so.”

“You’ll call me if you find anything?” Lee urged.

“You know I will,” Billy nodded.  “Besides, you might be the one calling me.”

End Part One
 
 

The King Sapphire – Part Two
 

Early Saturday morning
 

“There’s not a damn thing in any of these files,” Lee grumbled as he crumpled up yet another piece of paper and threw it at the overflowing garbage can on the floor.  He held his head in his hands with frustration.   A large pot of coffee on Billy’s desk was nearly empty; files were resting in piles all over the desk and sofa.  Both men wore haggard appearances from pulling an all-nighter with little results.

“Maybe we’ll get lucky and one of the prints they lifted from the scene will come back with a match,” Billy remarked, but his tone suggested he was frustrated as well.

Lee glanced at his watch.  “Maybe I should call downstairs and see…”

“They’ll call up here, Scarecrow,” Billy reminded him.  “They know it’s Amanda who’s missing and the blood found at the scene is her blood type.  Everyone down there’s working it as Priority One.  They’re all worried about her too, but these things take time.”

“Amanda might not have time,” Lee protested.  He knew Amanda was well liked by the lab team and they were pulling out all the stops for her, but not one of them had the vested interest he had.  She’d always remembered to bring them cookies or cake during the holidays or for one of their birthdays.  She always reminded Lee that they were the unsung heroes who never got the recognition they deserved.  She was right and he made a mental note to buy them a bottle of champagne.  Hell, he’d buy them a case if they’d help him find his wife.

“Our best bet is matching one of the fingerprints at the scene.  Until that happens, we keep on searching through the files.  Something has to break,” Billy reminded him.

“With our luck it could take days before we get a match,” Lee griped as he kicked the garbage can and the contents flew across the room.  “I know how tedious it is to match fingerprints, Billy.”

Before Billy could attempt to console him, Francine barged into the room without knocking, newspaper in hand.  “I should have known,” she complained.

“Francine, have you ever heard of knocking?” The irritation was clear in Billy’s voice.

“I’m so sorry to bother you,” she snapped haughtily.  “Never mind.”

“What is it, Francine?” Billy asked as he rubbed his tired eyes.

“There’s a correction in this morning society column.  I told you there couldn’t possibly be two Amanda King’s in Arlington, Virginia.  One is certainly enough!”

“Not now, Francine, it’s been a long night,” Billy warned, trying to shoe her out of his office before Lee snapped at her.

“I just thought you might want to know the paper printed a correction.  The Amanda King who inherited the King Sapphire Pendant lives in Old Town, Alexandria.  A much more fitting address wouldn’t you say?”

“Wait a second, Francine.” Lee caught her arm as she began to spin on her heels to leave.  “What the hell are you talking about?”

“It was on the front page of yesterday’s society section.  ‘Arlington woman inherits priceless sapphire pendant.’” Francine quoted from memory.  “It incorrectly implied that the woman, Amanda King, lived in Arlington.  For a moment yesterday, a very brief moment I might add, I thought it was OUR Amanda King.  Then I quickly came to my senses.  I imagine that Amanda King of Old Town Alexandria was probably quite annoyed by the incorrect comparison,” Francine explained with her usual arrogance.

Lee’s tired eyes, barely slits moments ago were now opened as wide as saucers.  He stared over at Billy shaking his head.  “It couldn’t be that simple, could it?”

Billy shrugged.  “We don’t have anything else to go on.”

Francine looked sideways at the two men.  “What are you two talking about?”

“Do you have yesterday’s paper,” Lee asked eagerly.  “The one with the article?”

“Of course, I always save the society section,” she scoffed.

“Get it, now!” Billy ordered.

It was clear that Francine still wasn’t aware of the situation, but she dutifully left Billy’s office to retrieve the article.  Lee paced the room with renewed vigor, waiting anxiously to see in print what Francine had just described as a simple mistake.  When she finally returned to the office with the paper, Lee ripped it from her hands and started reading.

“Billy, if Francine saw this,” Lee concluded as he held the newspaper article in his hand, “and made the assumption that it was our Amanda, who is to say that some money hungry thief didn’t come to the same conclusion?”

“Wait one second!” Francine demanded loudly as she glanced over at Lee, then Billy.  “What exactly is going on? You two look like you’ve been up all night..”

“Amanda’s missing.  As far as we can figure, she’s been missing since late yesterday afternoon.  Her house was ransacked,” Lee answered quickly.

“We’ve spent the entire night going through all of her cases, but haven’t come up with anything – until now…” Billy continued on where Lee left off.

“You think it’s related to the King Pendant?” Francine concluded with a question in her voice.

Lee glanced at her and shrugged.  “We’ve run all of our recent files.  Nobody’s been sprung lately to suggest an Agency related kidnapping – besides, no ransom demands have been made.  We’ve hit one dead end after another.  I’ve had half my contacts up all night, but nobody has heard anything.  It’s got to be the answer.  We’re barking up the wrong tree!”

Francine was nodding her head.  “It’s certainly possible.  Although if it is related to the King Pendant, whoever took Amanda might go after the real Amanda King from Alexandria.”

“You’re right, Francine.  Make the necessary arrangements to keep an eye on the Alexandria, Amanda King,” Billy urged.

“We better find my Amanda fast,” Lee replied as he raked his hand through his hair.

Both Billy and Francine looked at him.  “Your Amanda?” Francine raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, Francine, you know, my partner,” he replied, covering quickly.  “Because once they read the correction in the newspaper, Amanda King from Arlington isn’t going to be any good to them.”

“I’m sorry, Scarecrow,” Francine immediately apologized.  “You know, the correction isn’t on the front page.  It’s on the inside.  They might not see it…at least not right away.”

Lee nodded, but it gave him little confidence.  “Let’s hope so.”

“I’ll get to work on setting up surveillance in Old Town,” Francine advised before she left Billy’s office.

“All right, Scarecrow, we need to change our tactics.  We need to start looking for jewel thieves who might be living or working in the DC area,” Billy suggested.

Lee paced the room yet again.  “Yeah, I’ll give Nick Grant a call.  He owes me a favor and he might just have an idea who would be in the market to deal with such a hot rock.”

“Why don’t you grab a desk down here today?” Billy suggested.

“I’m all right, Billy,” Lee answered as he hurried towards the door.

“I know, but if we get a call…” Billy didn’t get to finish his sentence when his phone rang.  “Melrose, here,” he answered…  “A match?  Really?  Great, I’ll pull it up here.  Thanks!”

“A match for what?” Lee asked, as he turned back towards Billy’s desk.

“One of the fingerprints from Amanda’s bedroom got a hit,” Billy answered as he typed on his computer.

“Come on, come on,” Lee urged, hovering over Billy’s shoulder as they impatiently waited for his computer to pull up the page they wanted.

“Finally!  Looks like a Rick Pattersen.  AKA: Little Ricky.  He’s a habitual offender who lives in Arlington.  Look at his rap sheet.”

Lee studied the computer monitor and remarked.  “He’s done time for stealing cars, electronics, jewelry and fencing stolen property.  Sounds like our guy.  What’s his address?  I’d like to pay him a visit this morning – before he has time to read the paper.”

“The good news is he’s never been convicted of anything violent,” Billy advised as he jotted down the address on a piece of paper.

“Good, let’s hope he doesn’t change his MO,” Lee stated as he and Billy rushed out of the office door…

***

The morning traffic was heavy, but Billy negotiated the streets of Arlington like the old pro he was.  Neither of them said a word; both anxious and knowing that time was of the essence. He cut every corner and challenged every amber light as he raced to their destination.  Still it seemed like an eternity before they reached the address of Rick Pattersen.

Lee jumped from the car before it came to a stop, leaving his door wide open.  Billy followed moments later, silently closing his door.  They didn’t want anyone inside the residence to know they were coming.  It was an older neighborhood; most of the houses were carbon copies of the next.  Their appearances varied only in the color they were painted and the care each homeowner had bestowed upon them.  The Pattersen house needed some attention.  Its paint was faded and chipping.  The lawn was overgrown with weeds and the sidewalk was cracking.

The two agents skulked towards the old wooden house, guns drawn, carefully monitoring any movement or noise in the neighborhood.  Billy signaled to Lee as he nodded towards the newspaper still on the front walk.  Lee’s eyes met Billy’s, a small smile of relief on both of their faces before they nodded and continued to the house.

Lee couldn’t breathe a sigh of relief just yet.  There was hope that she was still alive, but he’d allow himself that luxury when he could hold her warm body safely in his arms.  A few moments later, he reached the dilapidated garden that bordered the front of the house.  There were no flowers in the garden, only a withering cedar that had seen better days, old leaves and plenty of weeds.   He used the cedar for cover, leaned his back to the front wall next to the picture window and waited for Billy to get into position.

“Take a peek.  Anyone inside?” Billy whispered.

Lee strained to stay as flat as possible against the wall so as not to give away their position.   He glanced in through the front window.  First he put up one finger, then two fingers and finally three fingers to signal how many people he could see.

“Amanda?” Billy whispered softly.

Lee’s face wore a grim look as he shook his head and then waved for Billy to come over to the window to take a look inside.  A few seconds later his supervisor stood beside him. “Take a look, Billy, I don’t see Amanda, but they appear to have tied one on last night.  The coffee table and floor are littered with empty cans of beer.”

Billy glanced into the window and nodded.  “It looks like they’re all sleeping, or maybe passed out.  We might be out numbered, but I think we can handle them.  Check the door.”

Lee nodded and reached through the ripped screen door.  He tugged slightly at the storm door before turning and smiling at Billy.  “It’s unlocked.”

“All right, on the count of three we go in,” Billy ordered.

Once again, Lee held up his fingers signaling to Billy.  When he held up his third finger, Lee opened the screen door.  He pushed the storm door gently and it swayed open.  Billy filed in right behind Lee.  Their guns trained on the three drunken men, Lee announced themselves.  “Federal agents – put your hands up!”

The men, in various states of consciousness slowly began to move.  The one man rolled off the sofa, hitting his head on the end table before falling onto the floor.  The younger guy rubbed his eyes, yawned and stretched, the other shifted in his sleep, and continued to snore loudly.  None of the men complied with their order.

Billy barked at the men loudly, “Get your hands in the air – now!”

“What the hell… Holy shit…Oh, crap, Ricky, look what you’ve done now…” the men grumbled as they squinted through blood shot eyes at Lee and Billy.

“Hands up,” Lee ordered once more and, as they slowly began to comply he began to snap handcuffs on the suspects without even the slightest protest on their part.  “Where’s Mrs. King?” he demanded angrily.

One of the younger men nodded towards the short hallway.

“Check it out, Scarecrow.  I’ll keep an eye on these three.  I don’t think they’ll be giving us any trouble,” Billy urged his agent.

Lee hurried into the hall and shouted out to her.  “Amanda?”  He opened a door, it was a bedroom.  A quick glance of the messy room showed no signs of his wife.  He yelled once again, this time in a demanding tone. “Amanda!”

He heard a muffled response.  He quickly turned to his left and tried another door.   There she sat, tied to an old wooden chair in the corner of the room.  Her mouth was covered with duct tape, her eyes were covered by an old bandana, and her arms and legs tied with rope to the chair.  Other than a small cut on her forehead, she appeared to be unharmed.

“Amanda!” Lee yelled in relief.  “I found her, Billy.  She’s alive!”

“Thank God,” Billy called out.  “I’ll call for back up.”

Lee hurried into the room and removed the blindfold.  Amanda squinted her eyes as the light from the room overwhelmed her.  In a few moments her eyes adjusted and Lee could tell she was relieved as her dark brown eyes glanced up at him.  He caressed her face and whispered to her.  “I’ve been so worried about you.”

Unable to answer him, she blinked and sighed.

He tried to gently peel the tape from her mouth, but finally shook his head. “I’m afraid this is going to hurt.”

She nodded and closed her eyes with anticipation.  Moments later Lee yanked the tape off her mouth.  “OUCH!” she cried.  “Oh my gosh, that really did sting!”

“I’m sorry.  Are you all right?” he asked as he gently stroked her face.

She nodded.  “Yeah, but my arms are stiff.   I’ve been trying to work on the knot for hours, but my hands are so numb.  Can you get them off me?”

“Yeah, give me a minute.” He knelt down beside her and dutifully worked at the knot that bound her hands behind her back.

“You look like you pulled an all-nighter.  How did you find me?” she asked in a hoarse voice.

“Francine brought in the newspaper with the correction from the society column early this morning.  It turns out the woman who inherited the King Sapphire lives in Alexandria, not Arlington.  We’d exhausted every other lead we had so we put two and two together,” he explained as he worked the last knot out and freed her arms.  “How’s that?  Better?”

She shrugged her stiffened shoulders and neck while Lee massaged her arms.  “Much better, thanks,” she answered as she tried to get up and almost fell.  Her ankles were still tied to the chair.

“Hang on a second.  Let me get those off you.” He caught her before she fell down and went straight to work on the remaining rope.  “Damn, I wish I had a knife.  They sure tied you up pretty tight.”

“I think they were afraid I’d get away.  When I heard the kitchen door click open yesterday – I thought it was you coming in the back way for old time sakes.”

“Yeah, when I got to your place and saw your house, I was scared to death,” Lee remarked as he continued working feverishly on the knots around her ankles.  “It looked like you put up a hell of a fight.”

“I turned expecting to see you, but instead there were two masked men.  I screamed, but the one man covered my mouth with his hand.  I bit him and I reached for the knives on the counter.  I almost had one of them, but he pulled and twisted me out of their reach.  Then they went flying across the counter.”  She paused for a moment and shuddered at the memory.

Lee pulled on the rope one last time and it dropped to the floor, finally extricating his wife.  He lifted her out of the chair and embraced her in his arms.  He held her tightly, reassured after so many hours of worry that she was again safe.  Finally he loosened his hold, allowing her feet to once again touch the floor.  Letting out a long sigh of relief he pulled away from her slightly, brushed her bangs from her head and examined the cut and bruise on her forehead.  “That’s a rather nasty bruise.  Did they knock you out?”

“Yeah, for a few minutes, I think.  I actually shook free of the guy who first grabbed me, but only for a moment.  The other guy yanked me by my shoulder.  The pain shot through me like a bolt of lightning and I lost my momentum.  I saw the pot coming at me, but it was too late.  I don’t actually remember it hitting me…”

“What do you remember after that?” Lee asked with concern.

“I remember being tied up in the back of a smelly van.  Then they dragged me into his place and tied me to this rickety thing.”  She rested her head on his shoulder.  “I’m just glad it’s over.”

“That makes two of us,” Lee answered giving his wife a quick kiss as he heard sirens coming towards the house, the backup Billy promised.  “Come on, let’s get out of here and get you checked out…”

"And just who is going to check me out?" Amanda croaked out with a raised eyebrow..

Lee wrapped his arm around her.  "You let me take care of that, Mrs. Stetson," he whispered with a wink and a smile as led her out of the room...
 

End Part Two
 
 
 

The King Sapphire – Part Three
 

The following week…

Lee sat at his desk and admired the stone in the velvet jeweler’s box.  He was so mesmerized as the light from the window sparkled off the jewel that he didn’t hear the door open.

“Scarecrow, you’re in before Amanda!” Billy commented with surprise as he entered the Q Bureau.  “What’s that you have there?”

Lee Stetson glanced up at his boss nervously, quickly closing the box, but clearly it was too late to hide the jewelry box he was holding in his hands.  “Um, this?”

“Is that what I think it is?” Billy inquired as he closed the door to the Q Bureau and walked over to Lee’s desk.

“It’s a gift for Amanda,” Lee answered in a whisper.

“An engagement ring, perhaps?” Billy hinted as a bright smile washed across his face.

Lee’s eyes widened and his mouth opened but he remained speechless.

“Come on, Lee.  I know better than the rumor mill.  Amanda King is not a passing fancy of yours.  She’s special.  I think I’ve known that longer than you have.”

Lee’s face reddened slightly.  He glanced down at the small box in his hand, then glanced back at his supervisor.  In a quiet voice he responded.  “She is very special.”

“So is that what I think it is?” Billy asked one more time.

“It’s not a diamond ring.  Actually it’s a sapphire necklace,” Lee replied with a shrug.

Billy’s face clearly showed he was disappointed.  “Not the King Sapphire I hope?

“Hardly,” Lee chuckled.

“May I see it?” his supervisor asked with a resigned shrug.

Lee nodded and then opened the box to anxiously exhibit a heart shaped pendant with a large blue sapphire in the center surrounded by diamond chips on a white gold chain.  “What do you think?”

Billy whistled his approval.  “I think it’s stunning!  That color is so vivid.  I also think I’d better double check your expense account.”

Lee couldn’t hide his pleased grin.  “Her old necklace, the one that the boys gave to her was destroyed Friday night.  She was rather upset about it.  It might not be the King Pendant, but after what happened…”

“It’s a beautiful stone, really it is, but I wonder if she won’t be a little disappointed that it’s not an engagement ring.  Lee, I know you and Amanda care deeply for each other, but even she won’t wait for you forever,” Billy hinted one more time.

“Billy, I admit we have a very… close relationship, but marriage…” Lee replied, hoping his face appeared more convincing than his voice did.

“Lee, what is it that you’re waiting for?” Billy asked point blank.  “You both love each other.  You can’t hide that, not from me, anyway.”

Lee ran his hand through his hair.  “You of all people know it’s not that simple, Billy.”

Billy leaned against Lee’s desk and nodded his head.  “Yeah, this is a rough business for a family man, but despite your best effort, you still ended up falling in love.  Some people go through their whole lives looking for that special person, but yours sits across the room from you every day.  Don’t waste time, Lee, you almost found out the hard way the other night.  Life is too precious to wait,” his section chief lectured.

“So I should just marry Amanda, let Smyth split up our partnership and expose Amanda’s family to all the risks?”

“First off, I don’t think Dr. Smyth is foolish enough to split you two up, married or not.  He wants the best for this Agency – it makes his walks down to Pennsylvania Avenue more agreeable.  You and Amanda are the best team we have and he knows it.  Secondly, whether or not you marry Amanda, she works for the Agency so she’s brought the risk to her front door.  Not to mention that if you lived together, you could provide added protection to her family,” Billy Melrose reminded him sternly.

Lee sat motionless for a few moments pondering what his supervisor had said.  He knew the arguments Billy mentioned were true in many ways.  His heart wasn’t into coming up with anymore excuses.  He wanted his marriage to Amanda to be out in the open more than he was ready to admit, even to his wife. In a hoarse voice he answered.  “Maybe you’re right.”

“I know I’m right,” Billy answered with urgency.  “Jeannie and the girls make my world sane.  I’d hate to see you miss the opportunity of being happily married and a family man.  The Agency takes care of our own.  When have we ever let Amanda’s family down?  Anytime there’s been a possible breach of security, we’re all over her neighborhood in an instant.”

“You’d let us remain partners – in the field?” Lee quizzed.

Billy nodded.  “I’d walk down Pennsylvania Avenue myself, if need be, to keep you two together.”

Lee smiled at the conviction in his supervisor’s voice.  They were both so engrossed in their conversation they didn’t hear Amanda until she opened the door to the Q Bureau.  Lee quickly slid the box into his suit pocket.

“Good morning, sir, Lee,” Amanda greeted as she walked in, and noticed an uncomfortable silence.  “Am I interrupting something?”

“Good morning, Amanda.  No, I was just checking with Lee if you were going to be in today,” Billy covered.  “I thought you might need to take the day off.  How are you feeling?”

“I’m feeling much better, thank you,” she smiled politely as she gently touched the bruise on her forehead.

“I’m glad to hear that.  I better get downstairs.  Think about what I said, Scarecrow,” Billy replied as he glanced at his watch.  “I’ll see you both at the staff meeting.”

Amanda closed the door after Billy left and glanced at Lee, raising a concerned eyebrow.  “What exactly are you supposed to think about?”

Lee stood up and crossed the room, locked the door and gave his wife a kiss.  “We had a rather interesting discussion.”

“About what?” she inquired with an arched brow.

“Marriage.”

Amanda cocked her head and swallowed hard.  “He knows we’re married?”

Lee shook his head.  “No, but he thinks I should pop the question.  He was explaining to me how wonderful marriage is.”

“I wonder what brought that subject up?” Amanda pondered aloud.

“It probably has something to do with him seeing this.”  Lee reached into his suit pocket and brought out the velvet box opening it to reveal the sapphire necklace.

“Oh, Lee, it’s gorgeous!” Amanda gasped as her dark eyes sparkled at the colorful blue gem.

Lee beamed at his wife’s delighted face.  He carefully removed it from the box and held it out for her to look at as the morning sun glistened off the sapphire and diamonds.

“Lee, you shouldn’t have.  This must have cost you a small fortune,” she exclaimed as she admired it.

“It’s not the King Sapphire, but I hoped you’d like it,” he answered in a husky voice.  “Besides, seeing the smile on your face right now I’d have to say it was a bargain.  May I?” he asked signaling her to turn around so he could put it on.

She nodded and Lee lifted her dark hair then gently fastened the necklace around her neck.  “Thank you, so much, Lee, it's stunning,” she replied, turning to face him, and then marveling at the necklace once again.

“It looks lovely on you,” Lee smiled his approval, before tenderly kissing his wife.

“So much for not being the main topic at the water cooler,” she laughed softly.  “You know Francine will spot this in a heartbeat.”

Lee sat on the edge of her desk and grinned happily at his wife.  “Maybe we should take Billy’s suggestion to heart.”

“And announce that we’re engaged?” she questioned incredulously.

“Eventually, it would quiet the storm at the water cooler,” he shrugged innocuously.

“I wonder how long eventually would be,” Amanda responded pensively and sighed.  “It would be nice to have a real marriage…”

“You and I have talked about it.  Maybe we should stop stalling and just do it,” Lee suggested with a longing look in his eyes.

“I don’t know, Lee.  Dr. Smyth would split us up in an instant and I don’t want you working alone anymore than you want me to work with someone else.  And that’s just one of the many reasons…”

“Billy said he’d go down to Pennsylvania Avenue if need be, to keep us working together,” Lee interrupted.

Amanda stared at her husband for a few seconds before answering.  “Seriously?  What else did Billy say?”

“He reminded me that whenever there’s been a possible security breach, the Agency has always been there to protect your family.  You know, when I suggested this mystery marriage I did it out of fear.  Most decisions made out of fear are the wrong ones.  I was afraid that what happened to Khai’s son could happen to Philip or Jamie.  If we were living together we could provide a united front to protect the boys and your mother.  When you think about it, they’re at more of a risk now because we’re not together,” Lee explained further, sensing that his wife was receptive to the idea.

“I have to admit there’s definitely some validity to that point. We always have worked better as a team and I know there are many nights that I wish you were by my side.  Some nights I feel so… alone,” Amanda admitted swallowing hard, her voice getting quieter as she finished the sentence.  She took a deep breath before adding.  “What about telling my family about the Agency?”

Lee ran his hand through his hair.  “The boys are older now.  It would make sense to explain things to them and your mother.  Although I’m not sure how well they’ll react when they realize we’ve lied to them for so long about what we do.”

“But how much longer can we go on lying to them?  It’s been getting harder and harder to come up with plausible excuses.  I know mother doesn’t believe most of them.  Sometimes I wonder if she thinks I’m doing something illegal,” Amanda remarked.  “I think we should tell them the truth before something happens that forces the issue.”

Lee nodded.  He understood.  “I’ve been worried about the same thing.  I know how hard it’s been for you to lie to them these past few years.  They might be hurt or upset at first by the news, but in the long run, I think it would be better than continuing with the lies and living separate lives.”

“They might not like ‘Need to Know’ but it would be easier than all this deceit.”

“I could install a security system in the house.  I know Leatherneck would be happy to help me,” Lee continued eagerly, his hand gently brushing her face.  “I could teach the boys basic self-defense and, if they knew what we really do for a living they might not balk at some of the rules we lay down.  Amanda, I really don’t want to continue this charade.”

“Phillip would love to learn self defense and it might even help Jamie’s confidence as well,” Amanda observed as she gently played with the sapphire necklace that now rested on her chest.  She glanced up at her husband with a confident smile.  “Maybe now is the right time?  I really hate sleeping alone.”

“It's not the sleeping part that bothers me the most,” Lee teased with a knowing grin.  Lee reached out for her hand and took it in his.  He played with her left hand, which was, as usual, missing her diamond engagement ring and the matching gold wedding band.  “So you’ll marry me again?”

Tears welled up in her eyes and she nodded as she glanced up meeting his steady gaze.  “Yes, of course, I’ll marry you again.”

Lee smiled brightly at his wife, before he leaned down, capturing her lips with his and kissing her dreamily.  He reluctantly pulled away, sighing heavily.  “How soon can we make the announcement, Mrs. Stetson?”

Amanda chuckled huskily as her fingers traced the heart shaped necklace.  “Mother will be home this afternoon.  We can tell her this evening, but the boys will have to wait until Friday.  We could tell Billy after the staff meeting this morning.  Is that soon enough for you, Mr. Stetson?”

“I guess that’ll do,” he smiled.  “As long as we have a very short engagement.”

“I’ll second that,” she laughed.

Lee nodded his approval and reached out his hand for his wife.  “Well, no time is better than the present to get things stirred up at the water cooler!  Shall we?” he asked as the two of them walked out of the Q Bureau hand in hand heading to the staff meeting…

End Part Three

***

The King Sapphire  - Conclusion
 

Amanda and Lee sat in the staff meeting, although neither was paying close attention to the agenda.  When it finally concluded and the other agents had filed out, Lee nodded to Amanda to follow Billy to his office so they could share their good news.  Unfortunately, before they made it out of the conference room door Francine nearly pounced on Amanda.

“Why, Amanda!  Not quite the King Pendant, but still a lovely necklace.  I’m impressed by your improving taste in gemstones.  That must be at least a carat, maybe two, but it had to have set your cookie budget back a few months,” Francine remarked, obviously impressed by the sapphire.

“Actually, Francine, I didn’t buy it for myself.  It was a gift from Lee,” Amanda commented evenly as she reached out for Lee’s hand and afforded him a bright smile.

Francine glanced momentarily from the sapphire over to Lee who looked as pleased as a school boy on the first day of summer vacation.  “You know, Lee, an expensive gift like this and you’ll be the hottest topic at the water cooler.  People are going to think you and Amanda are more than just partners…”

Lee nodded his head, obviously delighted by Francine’s comment.  “I’m glad to hear that, Francine, I was a little worried when I purchased the ‘Stetson Sapphire’ instead of a diamond ring that people might get the wrong idea.”

“The Stetson Sapphire?  Come on, Lee, what are you trying to say?” Francine huffed.

“It’s really simple, Francine, I didn’t want to pick out a diamond ring without Amanda, but I did want to give her something special when I asked her to marry me.  So what could be more appropriate than purchasing a necklace to replace the one that was broken over the weekend?” Lee explained, with a casual shrug.

“Diamond ring?  Engaged?  You’re getting married?” Francine gulped out, staring with her mouth now hanging open.

“Wonderful news, isn’t it, Francine?  Look for your invitation in the mail… soon!” Lee promised as he ushered Amanda out of the conference room and left a stunned Francine staring at them as they knocked on Billy’s door…

The end
 

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