*DISCLAIMER** Scarecrow & Mrs. King is copyrighted to Warner Brothers and Shoot The Moon Production Company. The original portions of this story, however, are
copyrighted to the author. This story is for entertainment purposes only and cannot be redistributed without the permission of the author. If you want to put it on your site, please email me, I would like to thank you for the high compliment. Situations and some dialogue have been used from the episode Lost and Found, written by Eugenie Ross-Leming and Brad Buckner. No infringement of copyright is intended.
‘Lost and Found’ is a very “Lee” episode. In ‘The Long Christmas Eve’ and ‘Remembrance of Things Past’, Lee comes to realize that Amanda truly cares for him as a person. They’re past the “Amanda’s crush” phase and Lee is genuinely surprised at the truce Amanda manages to bring about in the cabin so she can save Lee. And then he is touched at Amanda’s deep grief when he “dies”. [I am a member of the “Lee spies on his own funeral” crowd—though that’s been done very well elsewhere.]
Now, in ‘Lost and Found’ Lee gets several gut shots—with Angelo Spinelli coming to the Agency for relocation—Angelo telling Lee Eva is dead—and then Eva coming back to life. Oh yeah—and also Lee discovering Eva is KGB and was the entire time she knew Lee. He is off-balance the whole time and he even says he’ll ask to be taken off the case in the morning. This episode takes place over three days and two nights. That’s all. That’s a lot for one man to handle in a very short time.
In ‘The ACM Kid’ we learned that Lee’s parents died when he was young. In this one we learn Lee is willing to commit to a relationship and marry. He just didn’t get the opportunity. KGB politics aside, Lee probably realized he was too late and he didn’t force the issue—he gallantly allowed Eva and Angelo their happiness. Angelo certainly figured that out—maybe Eva did—but Lee figured she preferred Angelo to him. So he bailed out. As he said “I almost married her—there’s a subtle difference.”
This story takes place before, during and after the episode ‘Lost and Found’, and builds on the episode itself. There are bits of dialogue from the episode, but mostly I tried to just “fill in the blanks” and left the episode itself alone.
Lost and Found Filler
by Ermintrude
‘When Dorothy died, something inside me died too. Only I didn’t know it until I met Eva. That’s when it came back to life again. God I loved—love—Eva. I loved her so much I wanted to marry her. Only Angelo beat me to it. So I just let her go…’
It was 11:30pm, in the darkened house where Angelo and Eva Spinelli were spending their first night together since he had been arrested and imprisoned by the KGB over two years previously. Lee Stetson lay on the couch in the living room of the house where the Agency had relocated Angelo Spinelli, and tried to make sense of the previous 48 hours.
‘Maybe Billy was right, I shouldn’t be involved on a case with Angelo Spinelli. He’s a good guy—brilliant, honest, good-looking. And his life was certainly more stable than mine was then. Or now. The lifestyle of a government agent doesn’t lend itself to a stable married life. I wasn’t surprised she chose him then—and I guess I’m still not surprised. But I’m still in love with Eva. Not that it will go anywhere. And I wouldn’t do that to Angelo anyhow.’ He sighed deeply. ‘I guess it’s not really over.’
He got up and checked outside, looking through the living room curtains. Things were quiet. He couldn’t see Jenkins, parked around the corner, but he knew Jenkins was there nonetheless.
Lee sat back on the couch and contemplated playing solitaire. ‘It would have been better if Amanda had stayed—we could have played cards and she’d talk about her kids or the PTA or really anything—it doesn’t matter. Just so I don’t have to be here alone and think about them—together—in there.’
He got up and went into the kitchen—he cast around for something to do. He finally settled on making himself a cup of coffee. It didn’t take nearly long enough. While he drank his coffee, he checked the back door and looked into the darkened back yard from the dark kitchen. It was still and empty. But the KGB knew Angelo was in the US—so he had to be ready. They would probably strike during the night—and Lee’s job was to keep Angelo—and Eva—safe. He wondered how he had gotten into this mess. Before this case, his life was much less complicated.
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48 hours earlier Lee had been en route from Sri Lanka to DC. It had been an easy assignment: go in—pick up the information—get out. No trouble—no complications—no Amanda. He even had time to have coffee with Emily Farnsworth at Heathrow Airport between planes.
She bustled up to where Lee sat at a small table by a coffee stand. “Hello Lee! Glad to see you’re back among the living.” They embraced briefly.
“Hi Emily! I’m sorry about that—but it was a case…”
“Isn’t it always? I presume you got your man?”
“Yeah. It was an inside job—which is why I had to die. Then I could investigate without people knowing I was on the case.”
“How did you manage that if you were dead?”
“Amanda helped me—I stayed at her place.”
“Amanda? Is she one of your lady friends?” Emily asked archly.
“Amanda! You’ve got to be kidding!” Lee was shocked anyone would even suggest something like that. “She’s a civilian auxiliary and she helps out from time to time. It was Billy’s idea. He keeps throwing her at me, and she does manage to sometimes come up with useful stuff but mostly she’s an accident-prone amateur.”
“Why would Billy Melrose partner you with an ‘accident-prone amateur’?”
“We aren’t partners, Emily! Not Amanda! Never!” Lee was frustrated that everyone seemed to misunderstand where Amanda fit into his work life.
“How did she get involved with you then?” Emily asked with quiet but frank curiosity.
“Ah, well…” Lee looked sheepish. “She was an emergency—an accident.” At Emily’s questioning look he continued. “Last fall, I was being chased, I couldn’t get to my contact, I gave her the package and told her to get it to my contact. Only there were 25 guys with red hats on that train and it ended up being complicated. That’s the story of my life with Amanda King. She seems to complicate everything. Either that or she’s getting into trouble and I have to bail her out.”
“I had heard some rumor about your being charged with treason because of some civilian. Was that your Amanda?”
“She’s not my Amanda!” Lee ran his hand through his hair. “But yeah—she was kidnapped in my place—the suits wouldn’t trade for her…” Lee became lost in thought.
Emily sized her friend up—obviously there was a lot going on here that he wasn’t talking about. She wondered about the ‘civilian auxiliary’ that Lee had risked treason to save. She determined to meet this “Amanda King” and size her up for herself.
“Anyhow...” Lee continued, “I managed to arrange the trade to get Amanda back and then later, we got the guy I traded for her plus a few more—so it turned out OK and the charges were dropped.”
“I see. By “we” do you mean you and Amanda?”
“Yeah. She was kidnapped so I needed her to help backtrack to the house where she was held. She did pretty well, too. She does have instincts. But she’s a magnet for trouble.” He shook his head. “She is a whiz at the paperwork—she’s great at typing up my reports—makes the job lots easier, that’s for sure.” He smiled brightly.
“I hope you let her know how much you appreciate her help, Lee.”
“Emily, that’s not necessary. Amanda has endless enthusiasm for the work. I can’t keep her away. I tried discouraging her—tried to tell her to get another job—a normal job—this life isn’t right for a divorced housewife with two kids and a live-in mother. But she keeps coming back. Billy has a lot to do with it. And Amanda also keeps volunteering to help out in any way she can. So Billy keeps using her for whatever he can think up. And that often involves me…”
“Is she with you now?” Emily looked around.
“No. Thankfully my overseas assignments are still solo. The way I like it.”
“Thank heaven for small mercies.” Emily said dryly.
Lee totally missed the sarcasm.
They chatted another hour about their jobs and world politics in general. Then Lee’s plane back to DC was announced.
“I’ve gotta go, Emily. But thanks for coming out—it seems we don’t get to see each other as often as I’d like.”
“Yes, we both keep busy. Don’t be a stranger, Lee. A phone call now and again wouldn’t go amiss.” They embraced.
“Take care of yourself, Emily.”
“You too, Lee.”
He boarded his plane to DC.
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After Lee got off the plane in DC he went straight to the Agency. He was anxious to write up his notes and then get away for some R&R. Except he had run right into Angelo Spinelli. Billy had tried to warn him off the case—tried to warn him about Eva—but Lee just barged in and greeted Angelo.
Then Angelo dropped his bombshell. He told Lee Eva was dead. Lee couldn’t believe it, so Angelo explained: “Eva’s visits gave me the courage to continue resisting. That is, I suppose why…” Angelo was lost momentarily. “She was arrested during one of her visits. The day after, they took her into a little room.” He hung his head.
“Angelo, I…” Lee tried to say something…
Angelo gathered his thoughts. “They still never got what they wanted, since I just sort of, um…lost my mind. I was taken to a hospital and it was from there your people helped me to escape.”
Lee was shaking his head, “No. No, I don’t want to believe this…”
Angelo was swift to comfort the other man. “Of course you don’t. I mean, you were after all as … as much in love with my wife as I was.”
Shortly after that, Billy and Amanda entered the room. They talked about the relocation setup for Angelo. Lee wasn’t listening. He excused himself and went to the nearest men’s room. He went into a stall and locked the door after him. He leaned into the wall and tried to breathe deeply.
‘Eva is dead. Killed by the KGB. Over a month ago, it seems. Poor Angelo. Poor Eva.’
He was gasping for breath. He couldn’t get oxygen into his lungs. He felt like he had been punched in the gut. ‘It shouldn’t be like this. She chose Angelo. I left Italy over two years ago. It’s over. I’ve had lots of girlfriends since Eva. So why does it hurt so much?’ He relaxed, used his training, and got his breath under control.
‘I owe it to Eva to see Angelo’s settled and safe. She’s dead—they’re all dead—Eric, Dorothy, now Eva. Everyone around me dies—and I still go on.’ He took a few more cleansing breaths. The he shook his head and unlocked the stall. He washed his hands and splashed water on his face. ‘Gotta go on. Just keep going on. Everyone else is dead, and I keep going on. Story of my life.’
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Later, at the hamburger stand where they had stopped for lunch, Lee and Amanda talked privately.
“Gee, you know, it’s funny, in all the conversations we’ve had you never mentioned Eva,” Amanda started in a somewhat coy manner.
“Amanda, do you have any idea how many things I have never mentioned to you?”
“A couple million,” she replied quickly.
Lee shook his head, “No.”
“Close, though,” she retorted.
“Yeah,” he reluctantly agreed.
“Yeah, I just thought that maybe, you know, in one conversation or another, you would mention her. I mean—she did almost marry you.”
Lee looked a bit chagrined, “Or I almost married her. There’s probably a subtle difference.”
Amanda was surprised. “She turned you down?”
“We never really got that far,” he admitted looking somewhat insecure. “I wanted to talk to her about it, she came running into the café all excited—and she told me she was marrying Angelo. She’d been his research assistant. That’s how I met her. And anyway I told her I was happy for her and…”
“And you never told her how you really felt?” Amanda was incredulous.
“She’d already made her decision,” Lee replied dismissively.
“I’m sorry,” Amanda apologized. “Its…its really none of my business.”
Lee was quick to reassure her. “Oh, no, no, no, we … it probably wouldn’t have worked out for both of us anyway.”
Then Lee’s burger came and they rejoined Angelo at their table. As they ate, Amanda and Angelo chatted while Lee brooded. ‘It probably wouldn’t have worked out—keep telling yourself that, Stetson. Makes it easier to justify letting her go. But be real. What woman would want me for the long haul? I’m lousy marriage material—three black books—a short attention span when it comes to romance—I’d never know what to do if there were kids in the picture. No way. So it’s just better for all concerned that I stay a bachelor.’ He finished his burger and crumpled the wrapper. ‘Except Eva was … different. It was different with her.’ He paused a moment to remember. ‘But she’s dead so I’ll never know now. So I’ve just gotta go on … do the job … keep my head in the job—keep Angelo—and Amanda—safe. Keep them safe—that’s my job.’
Somehow it was easier to concentrate on the job with Amanda around. Suddenly he was glad she was helping out on this one. ‘Setting up housekeeping—that’s Amanda’s strong suit. So she’ll just do her thing and I’ll guard her—and Angelo.’
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They spent the day making the house comfortable and stocking it for Angelo. Amanda took charge and Lee and Angelo just followed her directions. They went grocery shopping and Lee was amazed how Amanda was able to draw Angelo out—get him to tell her what he liked to eat—if he cooked—what he read—what he liked to do in his leisure time. ‘She could befriend a rock and get it to talk.’ Lee mused. ‘She’s no agent, but for this stuff Billy’s right—she’s perfect. All I have to do is worry about the security and watch out for hostiles. Amanda’s taking care of everything else.’
They went to a nearby department store to get things the Agency had not provided, like extra sheets and towels, clothes for Angelo, shoes, and toiletries. All the little things that help make a house a home. Amanda helped Angelo in ways that made him feel comfortable.
Once all the purchases were put away, and the house was in order, Amanda cooked dinner for Lee and Angelo, and then left for her own home. She promised to be back early the next morning. Lee and Angelo spent a quiet evening. Angelo went to bed early. Lee slept on the couch in the living room.
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The next morning Angelo was up early—and Lee was up too. After breakfast, Angelo was too keyed up to sit and wait for Amanda, so he went outside in the back yard to do some yard work.
After some sleep, Lee was coming to terms with Eva’s death. It was sad—but life went on and he had a job to do. It helped that he liked Angelo—even if he found the academic painfully naïve and idealistic. Still, they both mourned Eva, which was something that allowed them to bond a bit. At least each man understood if the other lapsed into a preoccupied silence.
And Amanda helped too—primarily in that she and Angelo got along and she was managing the housekeeping part of the assignment. But she was also there to help fill in the silences—keep Lee’s attention on whatever it was she rambled on about so he didn’t have a chance to brood about Eva. And for some reason, she wasn’t nearly as annoying as she could be. Maybe it was because most of her rambling wasn’t directed at him, but at Angelo. Or could he actually be finding her rambling comforting? In that case, he must be in worse shape than he realized.
Lee was finally starting to feel somewhat normal when the doorbell rang. Jenkins was at the door with a visitor. Lee opened the door and saw Jenkins with another person—a woman—Eva.
“Eva. Here. Alive. Eva. Alive. Here.’ Lee was stunned.
“May I come in?” Eva smiled at him.
“Sure, yeah.” Lee was in shock. First Eva married Angelo. Then Eva was dead. Now she is alive?!? What had happened, was this real? Briefly he wondered if he had been drugged and was being softened up with nightmare scenarios. Then Eva was in his arms in an embrace. And he remembered—she chose Angelo over him. “Your, uh, husband’s out there.” He gestured to the back yard where Angelo was raking.
As Eva left to greet Angelo—her husband—and it all hit Lee hard. Eva was not dead—she was alive—alive!! But she was still married to Angelo. They were in love. He saw the evidence of that before his eyes—they embraced—they kissed—Angelo was so happy—Eva seemed happy too. Lee realized he should be happy—but he was too off balance to feel much of anything. He talked to Jenkins but the words didn’t register. He took the envelope with Eva’s papers.
Then Amanda was there and she came back with—dry cleaning?!? ‘What does that woman think about?’ Jenkins just took it with a bemused look, and left.
“Amanda, what was all that about?” Lee asked in an exasperated tone.
“Well, the dry cleaning man was here—so I wanted to make sure Angelo’s dry cleaning got done,” she replied in a matter-of-fact tone.
Lee just shook his head—this was too much.
“Lee, what’s wrong? Is Angelo OK?” She looked around to find him.
“Uh, Amanda—there’s been a … uh … development … in … the case…” He was having trouble coming up with the words.
She stopped and looked closely at Lee. “What is it?” she asked quietly. She was focused totally on him.
“Ah,” he took a deep breath, “Eva’s alive. And here.”
“What?”
He gestured to the doors, “She’s out there—with Angelo.”
Amanda turned to where he indicated and saw the two of them sitting at the table—holding hands—embracing—kissing—talking. She turned back and looked at Lee, who was watching them with a sad wistful look on his face. ‘Poor Lee. First he loses her to Angelo, then he thinks she’s dead, and now she’s alive—but she’s still with Angelo. It’s pretty obvious he’s still in love with her, even after all this time.’ She wanted to hold him and give him comfort, but he wouldn’t accept that from her. So she went on to practical matters.
“How is it possible that she’s alive?” Amanda asked.
Lee realized he was holding the envelope. “All her papers are in here—the documents—the explanation…” He stared at the envelope in his hand.
Amanda took the envelope, and she guided Lee to sit beside her on the couch. She opened the envelope and took out the papers. Lee sat quietly beside her—his attention on Amanda as she pulled out the papers inside and arranged them on the coffee table. She laid Eva’s passport aside. She sorted through the papers until she found the Agency account of Eva’s faked death and escape from prison. She realized Lee was reading over her shoulder, so she angled the paper so he could see it better.
They read through all the documents—and Amanda looked again at Eva’s account of how her death was faked and how she had escaped.
“Well, it all seems to fit.” She said finally.
After a pause, Lee replied, “Yeah.”
Amanda regarded the man beside her. ‘Lee is in shock. I’ve never seen him like this. He’s so decisive—he’s a man of action—he always has a plan—he always knows what to do. Now he’s so … lost. Like a lost little boy.’ Her heart went out to him. ‘All I can do is be here and help him in any way I can. I’ll be here if he wants to talk—but for now I think he just needs to come to terms with Eva’s return. And for Lee that means keep going on with the assignment. Work is probably the best thing for him right now. So we’ll work. I’m sure glad I’m here with him—he needs someone watching out for him. And I guess for today that’s me. Good thing I’m here—I’ll keep an eye on Lee—as well as Angelo—and now Eva, too. That’s so weird—faked death—imprisoned and yet able to escape. The documents explain it all—but something just doesn’t add up here…’ Amanda gathered herself and determined to go on with the assignment. She turned, looked toward Lee and spoke decisively: “So what do we do now?”
He seemed to gather his thoughts. “We continue with the assignment. Only now we have two people to relocate and debrief.”
“OK.” Amanda looked at Lee, “Does she have anything she brought with her?”
“Huh? Yeah—there’s luggage by the door.”
“OK, I’ll just bring it into their bedroom. I’ll let Eva decide if she wants to unpack it herself or not.”
Thus began a very long day for Lee Stetson.
After they had talked for over an hour, Angelo and Eva came back into the house. Amanda was introduced to Eva and the two women went to help Eva get settled.
They ate lunch and then they all went shopping—again. Amanda helped Eva get clothes and personal items, just as she had for Angelo the day before. Back at the house, everything was put away and Amanda cooked them all dinner.
After dinner Lee and Amanda had cleaned—everything. But shortly before 11pm, Amanda left for home. And Lee went to lie on the couch—pretending to sleep.
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So that was how Lee ended up where he was now—standing in a dark kitchen staring out into a dark yard, thinking about the past—and present. Things he had done—and not done. ‘Now what? Just keep going on. Just keep doing the job. She may not be dead—and that’s good—but she’s still married to Angelo. So all I can do is keep doing the job. And right now that means go back to the couch and sleep.’ Lee set his coffee mug in the sink and went back into the darkened living room. He lay back down on the couch. Eva was alive—here—with Angelo. Her story checked out. Maybe he could call Billy in the morning and get another agent on the case. Of course that would mean Amanda would be working without him. And the KGB was aware Angelo was in the country. He drifted off to sleep wondering if Amanda needed his protection on this one or not.
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Lee was awake—on the couch on the dark. Something had awakened him. He pulled his weapon and noiselessly moved through the house. He heard a muffled voice in the guest room—he slowly opened the door and saw it was Eva on the phone.
They moved back into the living room—continuing their conversation. Then she dropped the bombshell.
“I have thought of you so often in the last two years.” Eva looked sadly at Lee.
“Oh?” Lee was still off balance.
“Not without guilt. Angelo was in prison most of that time.”
“Eva…” He didn’t like where this was leading.
“No, no.” She forged ahead. “The truth is Lee, I have made a mistake. I admire Angelo, I respect Angelo and in that sense I do love him. But if I am to stay with him it would only be out of…”
Lee interrupted her, “If you were to stay with him?”
She temporized, “Well, I would never leave him until I saw him safe and happy. I may never leave him. But I want you to know, in case it is never to be said, that I have loved you for all of those two years since I last saw you.”
Lee was feeling desperate, “Billy’s right. I shouldn’t be involved in this. I just shouldn’t.”
She was hoping for some other reply. “Is that all you have to say?” She sounded anguished.
“I’ll have myself taken off the case tomorrow.”
She was begging now, “Lee please! We may never see each other again. Did you ever love me? If you had told me then, things might be so different now. How do you feel?”
Lee couldn’t say the words. So instead he pulled her close and kissed her—long and deeply. Soon hands roamed and things looked to be getting out of control. But some small voice in the back of Lee’s head was warning him. ‘She’s married—her husband is your friend—he’s right here in the house—Amanda’s not sure about her…’
He gently stepped back and looked Eva in the eyes. “Eva, this isn’t right.”
“But Lee, we were lovers before—nothing has changed.” She moved toward him—but he held her at a distance.
“Yes it has changed. You’re married. To Angelo.”
“But—Lee—Angelo is sweet and kind but—I don’t love him like I love you.” She moved closer to Lee, trying to draw his lips to hers again.
He stepped back and let her go. “Eva, it just isn’t right. You made your choice over two years ago. And until you and Angelo are finished…”
She interrupted him, “When that happens…”
He interrupted her, “If that happens—then maybe we can go back to being together.” He paused and looked away from her desperate eyes. “But for now—no.” He shook his head, “I can’t do that to Angelo, to you.”
She sounded hurt, “Have my looks changed that much since I was in prison?”
He looked back at her. “Eva, you know you look great. You’ve always looked great.”
She was pleading, “Well then, please Lee—I need to feel your arms around me. I need you.”
He gently shook his head. He moved to guide her to sit at one end of the couch. He released her, and moved to sit at the opposite end. “Eva, you know this is for the best. Eventually you’ll see it too, and thank me in the end.”
Her eyes filled with tears. “I see—this is for my own good?”
His voice was gentle, “It’s best for everyone. This way we can both look Angelo in the eye without guilt or remorse.”
She turned away, “Perhaps you can—it was because of my urging that he eventually ended up in prison. If I hadn’t persuaded him to take the offer from Moscow…”
“Hey, don’t beat yourself up over that. You couldn’t know. You just did what you thought best at the time.”
She looked unconvinced, “Perhaps. But I had another reason for choosing Moscow over the other offers.”
“What was that?”
She looked guilty, “I knew it would be a clean break—a new life without the people around us—without you.” She could not meet his eye.
He was incredulous, “Without me?”
She spoke slowly, as if she was reluctant to tell him. “Even then I must have had doubts—or maybe I just wanted to have a chance to devote myself totally to Angelo. If you were around, I would always be reminded of what might have been…”
“Eva, you just did what you thought was best at the time.” Then he spoke more sternly. “Besides, it’s done. You can’t change the past. So don’t dwell on it. ‘What if’ isn’t a particularly useful line of thought. It just gets you bogged down in guilt and recrimination.” He spoke the last as if to himself.
“You must have hated me. I married your rival after all.”
“I didn’t think of Angelo as a rival. I’ll admit I was surprised when you told me you were engaged. I didn’t know you two were that serious…”
“You each knew I was seeing the other.” She paused in thought. “I didn’t know he was that serious until he proposed. I was surprised—and flattered. He is a very important man in his field—well-respected. His work is highly regarded all over the world.” She smiled to herself, “And he is handsome and very romantic…”
Lee saw her feelings clearly, “You do love him.”
She nodded shyly, “Yes, in my own way.” She then amended her confession, “But after two years in Russia—the prison—the visits—then getting arrested—being imprisoned myself—that’s a big test of any marriage. Maybe I didn’t love him enough in the first place. Or maybe I loved you more and I just didn’t realize it until things got bad and I had too much time to think about my past and the choices I made and the chances I lost…”
He shook his head, “Eva, stop!”
Her eyes filled with tears again, “I’m sorry, Lee. It’s all a bit overwhelming. I got here a little over two days ago. Since then I’ve been questioned—politely to be sure—but questioned nonetheless. And now I’m here … with Angelo … and you. I never expected to see you again. And now here we are, sitting together in the middle of the night—talking…” She moved toward him again.
He backed up until he was sitting on the arm of the couch. She stopped and moved back.
“Yeah,” He ran his hand through his hair, “talking…” She shivered. He was instantly concerned, “Hey, are you cold?”
“Yes, a little. May I borrow your sweater?” She reached over and caressed the garment.
“Sure, here.” He handed over his sweater, and she put it on, and drew it closely around her. He was reminded of how she felt when he wrapped his arms around her. ‘It’s just a sweater. She’s just cold. Don’t make anything more of it than it is.’
She took note of him and turned thoughtful, “What have the last two years been like for you, Lee?”
He resumed his seat at his end of the couch. He looked down. So many memories—so much had happened. Eric—first as a partner—then dead—way too early—killed in his place. He shook his head to clear the bad memories. “Oh, just working,” he said too lightly, “just doing the job.”
“Is that all you have to say for the last two years? Just working? Is there anyone special in your life? Are you seeing anyone?”
He was embarrassed, “Ah—I get around—but nobody special.”
Eva looked amused, “Not Amanda? She seems to care for you.”
He was shocked—he thought swiftly, ‘Amanda, care for me? She was really upset at my funeral, but she got over that pretty quickly when I returned from the dead.’ He remembered how awful he felt when he realized just how affected she had been at his faked death. But Amanda was an emotional person, she felt everything deeply. ‘Except she’s always watching out for me, making sure I’m OK, and trying to get me to eat and rest…’ He shook his head, ‘Keep your mind on the job, just don’t get distracted, you have to deal with Eva at the moment, you don’t have time to think about Amanda…’ He shook his head again and replied, “Amanda? She’s a … colleague. We work together from time to time—but we don’t date. She has a boyfriend—some weather guy. Dan or Don or something…”
Eva nodded. “I see.” She took another tack, “So—have you traveled—been anywhere interesting?”
He was dismissive, “Here and there. Nowhere special.”
She was frustrated, “Lee, it’s me. We used to talk about so much. You told me how your parents died and how you grew up all over the world on air bases with your uncle. You even told me what you did for a living. Why won’t you talk to me now?”
His thoughts whirled, ‘Amanda doesn’t trust her—she thinks something’s not right here…’ His natural reticence won out, “Eva, I’m not used to talking about myself.”
“What do you talk about on your dates then?” she inquired.
He smiled, “Mostly I let my dates do the talking.”
“Is that all they do?” Eva asked coyly.
He smiled broadly, “I get no complaints.” He stated proudly. Then he realized who he was talking to, and ducked his head.
Eva nodded. “I see. So you “date” many women but are close to none.”
Lee was suddenly defensive, “I like things that way—it’s my life.” Then he backed down. “Yeah well—that’s how things have worked out for me. But you! You and Angelo have a whole new life ahead of you. Once you’re debriefed, you can move wherever you want. Have you thought about that? Where would you like to live?”
She seemed to shift mental gears before she replied. “Oh well, I like the mountains—and your country has so many different mountains.”
“Yeah, the Appalachians are great—but the Rockies are spectacular. Each has its charms, I guess.”
They talked about the U.S. and other safe topics for several more hours. Lee felt a nagging something as they talked—all he could fix on was that Amanda didn’t feel right about Eva…
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The morning after Angelo’s disappearance and the KGB breakin, Lee was feeling definitely out of his depth, which was unfamiliar territory for him. ‘Angelo left—before the KGB showed up—why? What happened before that to spook him? Could he have come out and seen me with Eva? Did he hear us talking? Did he see what we did? If he heard her talking about how she didn’t love him anymore… She said she thought he was going into a depression. If he found out Eva didn’t love him—could he be suicidal? He said he ‘lost his mind’ when they told him Eva was dead. He is still quite fragile… Dammit! Billy was right! I know I should have asked off this assignment. Now I’m probably responsible for Angelo’s disappearance. How could I be so stupid? Letting her carry on like that. At least nothing physical happened, we just kissed—that might’ve really sent him over the edge.’
Amanda noticed Lee was preoccupied—and she figured it had something to do with Eva. She noticed Eva wearing Lee’s sweater, and it rankled. The woman was acting like she owned Lee. Something definitely wasn’t right here. Amanda had watched Eva and Angelo the night before. Angelo was definitely delighted to see his wife. His eyes followed her everywhere she went. Even when she was out of the room, he looked expectantly for her. Angelo was definitely in love.
Eva was not. Oh, she did and said all the right things—in a general way—but there was no magic—her eyes followed Lee as much as they followed Angelo. Granted, Eva only watched Lee when he was not watching her—but watch Lee she did. Even sometimes when Angelo was in the room with her. Maybe she still had a thing for Lee—but she was married to Angelo. It wasn’t right. And it would hurt Angelo terribly if she left him. Or was Eva just trying to have a fling with Lee before resettling with Angelo? Whatever it was—it just didn’t add up.
Amanda tried to share her apprehensions with Lee—she mentioned the lipstick and bath oil beads—she knew better than to talk about eyes and potential infidelity. Lee was so in love with Eva he probably wouldn’t hear any of that. But Eva interrupted and convinced Lee to trust her. Amanda was not happy about that—but until she had more concrete proof—there was little more she could say or do.
So instead Amanda set her mind to finding Angelo—where could he have gone? She thought she knew why—something Eva said or did made him not trust her anymore. He must really be hurting. She had to find him and help him. And protect Lee. She was glad she had removed the bullets from Eva’s gun the day before. Guns in the house were just too dangerous. Amanda knew she felt safer knowing the only loaded gun in the house belonged to Lee. She trusted Lee. She definitely did not trust Eva.
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As Lee drove around DC with Eva, he thought about Amanda’s comments about Eva’s cosmetics in prison. And Billy’s questioning Eva’s 3am phone call to Milan. Something didn’t add up here. But then he spotted the tail—and his mind became preoccupied with that problem. As long as they followed him, he figured they hadn’t found Angelo. Which was good. But then he had to be careful he didn’t lead them to Angelo, either.
When Eva returned after talking to Amanda, Lee definitely knew something was wrong. In all that rambling Amanda hadn’t once offered an idea about where Angelo might be or asked what was going on with Lee. Eva hadn’t even mentioned if Amanda was worried about Angelo—which Lee definitely knew she was. Just a listing of what she was doing with the house. And now their tail had left. Something definitely was wrong here. He had to call Amanda—talk to her himself. Find out what was really going on.
As he listened to Amanda’s message, it clicked. Eva had heard this, too. But she hadn’t told him. And right after that, their tail was gone. So Eva had passed the information on to the KGB. But why? Maybe they promised them safety if she and Angelo returned to the Soviet Union—maybe they had Eva’s family—though she had never mentioned family in all the time he had known her. She was under some sort of pressure—that had to be the reason she was helping them. But right now, Amanda and Angelo were at Liberty Larry’s with the KGB about to arrive any minute. He had to get there—fast. He wouldn’t let on to Eva he had figured out her part in the plan—not yet. Get Amanda and Angelo safe first—then ask Eva about it.
As Lee drove up and saw the cars—the one that had been tailing them and Amanda’s station wagon—he knew Eva was keeping something from him—but he would do all he could to help her—and Angelo. He owed it to them
Then Eva pulled her gun on him—the gun Amanda had found while straightening up—the gun he just let Eva convince him was for protection against the KGB. How could he have been so stupid—again?
“I don’t choose my lovers particularly well,” he told her. ‘That about sums it all up.’ He thought. ‘And I wanted to marry her—that’s a bullet I’m glad I dodged. I loved her—I loved her—in the past—no more.’ He felt an enormous relief, then realization hit. ‘Last night—she was trying to play me—get me into bed—use sex as leverage. Two can play at that game.’ He stepped forward, “I don’t think you could kill someone that loved you.”
He was taking a chance. He thought furiously, ‘I’ve got to get to Amanda and Angelo. She won’t shoot me—or if she does—maybe it’s for the best—no, she won’t shoot—will she?’ He continued, “Can you forget Venice, Eva? Just like that?” He thought again, ‘Now or never, time is running out,’ and he took another step.
Click. The sound was nearly deafening to him. ‘She did it. She pulled the trigger.’ His guts felt like lead. Then realization hit. ‘And I wasn’t shot?!?’
“You knew it wasn’t loaded,” she said bitterly.
“No I didn’t.” As he bundled Eva into the car trunk he thought, ‘but I’m sure glad it wasn’t. Amanda had to have unloaded it. That’s another one I owe her for,’ he was grateful once again that she had been with him on this assignment.
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Once Lee stopped the crusher, Amanda and Angelo squeezed out of the car. Amanda called the Agency for backup while Lee restrained the KGB agents with Angelo’s help. Eva was left in the trunk of the car.
Amanda retuned and talked to Lee, “Liberty Larry is out cold in his office.”
“The cleanup team will take care of him,” Lee replied.
Amanda hung her head, “They followed me, didn’t they?”
Lee nodded, “One did. The other two were following me and Eva.”
Amanda looked surprised, “How did you know to come here?” she asked.
Lee smiled at her, “Your message.”
Amanda looked around, “Where is Eva? She’s … um … she probably shouldn’t be left alone.” She looked uncomfortable, as if she knew something Lee wouldn’t like.
“I locked her in the trunk of the car.” Lee stated with a dark angry look.
Amanda was shocked, “What? How did you know? When did you know?”
“When she tried to shoot me,” he stated flatly. Amanda looked surprised. He asked her, “When did you know?”
“Angelo heard her on the phone talking to her KGB superiors. That’s why he left. He told me when I found him here.”
Lee figured Amanda had some inkling before that, but was being her usual modest self. Then the relief hit him. ‘So that’s why he took off. He probably was long gone before Eva and I made it to the living room.’ Lee nodded.
Amanda looked pleased, “So that’s another one you’ve wrapped up, Scarecrow.”
“Yeah, with your help,” he acknowledged gratefully. Amanda smiled at him, and he continued, “Thank you, you were a real help on this one. I’m glad you were around.”
“You’re welcome, Lee,” she placed her hand gently on his arm. Her quiet reply showed him she understood just how difficult it had been for him.
Just then, the Agency cars drove up and the cleanup team took over.
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Much later, at home, Lee was sitting in his living room, nursing a scotch. ‘The last three days have been hell. Angelo—Eva dead—Eva alive—Eva still loves me—Eva was KGB all the time—from the very start. And I fell for it like a ton of bricks. It never entered my head that Eva could be KGB. We knew there were other KGB agents in Angelo’s courses—but we never spotted Eva. Never.’ He shook his head sorrowfully.
‘Amanda spotted her right off. She said from the start something wasn’t right about Eva. And I didn’t listen to her. I was still in love with Eva. Well, it’s over now. I’m not in love with her anymore. Something about pulling a gun and trying to shoot me—plus being KGB—sort of killed it dead.’ He let his thoughts drift to the past. ‘But this time it isn’t the same. Dorothy’s dead—she died in my arms. And the Eva I loved was an illusion. But illusions don’t die—they fade away or are dispelled.’
He took another mouthful of scotch and savored the strong liquor. ‘In the end, I’m better off. Dorothy and Eric are still dead—but Eva… She might as well be dead to me. Except I would still care about her, and I don’t. So where does that leave me with her? KGB. Angelo was just another assignment. Just goes to show its best to never get involved—keep it light—just physical—casual. Don’t trust anyone too much. It always turns out badly.’ He wasn’t surprised at the bitterness of his thoughts. He let his mind drift again, and took another drink of his scotch.
‘And Amanda. She saved my butt—again. It’s getting to be a habit with her. Or I end up saving her butt. At least I know Amanda King isn’t KGB. But then, I’m not in love with her either, thank God. What does she see in that weather guy anyway? Isn’t it about time she dumped him? She could do so much better…’
He finished his drink, and moved to find his black books. “Maybe I’ll look up Eliza Danton. We could go away for a quiet weekend somewhere. She’ll be just what I need. And when I get back, there’s that new redhead in crypto—she was flirting with me before I left for Sri Lanka. I should pursue that possibility. Yeah.’ His face took on a lazy self-satisfied grin. ‘Face it, Stetson, the world is full of charming sexy women, and you can take your pick of them. Just keep it light, and life will be just fine.’ He happily contemplated the possibilities before him. Life was looking up.
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