The Ties That Bind: A Scarecrow and Mrs. King Continuing Story Book 1

Chapter 8

Billy's Office: Day 2

"...and in your hazel eyes I see the echoes of eternity." Amanda finished reading the strange poem June had left in the corridor outside their office.

"Just because someone is keen on you doesn't make them guilty of whatever evil plot our perp is working, Lee." Francine's dismissal wasn't meant to sting; she was just stating a fact. Lots of women were attracted to her long-time friend – even herself.

Billy took the paper from Amanda to examined it. He looked over at Lee. "Didn't you tell me that she'd acted a little strange with you a couple years back?"

"Yeah, I did. Remember Sylvia Sampson?"

"Of course I remember Sylvia. How could anyone forget?"

"Yeah." Lee nodded his head. "Well, I'm pretty sure those Shadow Files and Active Personnel Files got mixed up when June dropped them because she was staring at me."

"Are you implying she's been stalking you? For three years?" Francine asked incredulously. "Come on, Lee. You're cute; you're not that cute." She was just joking, of course – deflecting, really, because she had yet to come to grips with the fact that he was permanently beyond her reach. She glanced over at Amanda. What was it about her that captured Lee's attention so...completely?

"Really, Francine," Amanda sounded a bit annoyed. "Cuteness rarely has anything to do with whether or not someone is stalked."

Lee tossed Amanda a wounded look. "What? You don't think I'm cute?"

"Well, of course I think you're cute," Amanda gave the purposefully back-handed compliment almost under her breath. Lee winked at her and smiled.

Francine had watched them do this kind of thing for nearly four years now. They had this weird way of having on-the-side conversations right in the middle of other conversations.

Over the years she'd tried to banter like that with Lee, but once Amanda came on the scene, it never connected in quite the same way. She was still jealous over that. After all, she'd known Lee years longer than Amanda had; they'd shared the same kind of job, the same kind of priorities, and the same disdain for civilians. But then Amanda showed up, and everything changed - including Lee. She hated to admit it was for the better.

Of course, these days it was difficult to not like Amanda; she found herself having to work at it. Still, the way Amanda had just waltzed into the Agency and latched on to Lee was infuriating. Francine glanced at Billy; it was partly his fault. He'd been pushing Amanda into Lee's path right from the start.

"What's the matter with you, Francine? Why are you scowling at me?"

Francine startled. "What? Oh, uh, I was just thinking..." She glanced self-consciously at the others in the room. "It, well, it is rather strange that June's file is incomplete, especially when you consider the kinds of forms and reports that are missing."

"Yeah," Amanda concurred. "It doesn't seem random."

"Agreed," Lee nodded toward the paper in Billy's hand. "And when you add that to this creepy little poem..."

Amanda turned to Billy. "...and you can add to that the letter Lee got in an inner-agency envelope which she delivered in our stack of in-coming mail." Amanda opened it again and read it out loud. "Either you get rid of her, or I will."

Billy handed the poem back to Amanda. "Then either these two pieces of paper are separate issues, or they're related."

"In which case the poem she hid may be a distraction to throw suspicion off her for putting the other note in my in-box."