6Chapter 5 was re-written. If you're reading as being posted go ahead and re-read. Thank you clagjanet for pointing out that pulling in Jim Saarian and making him too similar to yours wasn't a good idea so I got a better idea that fits with this story instead... So thanks, and it's rewritten and revised without having to completely remove the character of Jim Saarian and i needed someone that Amanda would make up going on a date with, but whose name her mother wouldn't recognize (why I'd gone that direction before), but this is better... So thanks clagjanet! Anyways,
Well, for some reason, I guess because of Uncle Izzy Jim Saarian, Lee couldn't look me in the eye for a whole week after that. I mean I know he read the book. It is strange but it's so funny. So we didn't talk about the whole reason why we were in this strange situation and I was busy getting ready for the boys camping trip. Lee didn't come in often as he'd been assigned to help with trying to figure out the reason for two agents getting killed with only a woman described as average as a clue. Well, he must not have been paying attention, as you were all working around the clock to solve it, when we left. For after pulling an all nighter chasing empty leads he'd called me, forgetting I was out camping with the boys to swear he heard my voice and asked me to come in. He even offered to pick me up he said as he needed to swing by his apartment and get a change of clothes. Only to find my house a mess with ash trays, alcohol bottles, the sink full, and my bed slept in. Not only that a shot gun was rigged to go off as soon as he opened the front door. And anyways, I never asked him to use the front door, I mean before Mother and the boys knew him of course he had to use the back, but even now he just used the back as it was so much more handy to reach the basement stairs. He'd been suspicious but really Francine, in my home! A neighbor mentioned seeing me when he asked, which was even more strange. She'd seen me leave with Mother and the boys and an hour later return on foot with a bag of groceries.
Well, we'd put extra security onto Lee's apartment, and it hadn't been triggered, but when I came home because Jamie fell in the poison ivy. My poor boy. None of the other boys wanted to go near him so we had to come home early. I kept having to lecture Philip about giving him a hard time about it. Well, we got suspicious and very worried when we found the house and then heard Lee claim I'd called him. Which I hadn't. He insisted that Mother and the boys go and stay in a hotel for the night while he helped me go through everything and find what might have been stolen. When he claimed he'd protect me… Oh Mother, why Francine, it was awful and I was quite glad to get her out of the house with her hints towards Lee and I. I mean really? Well, I didn't sleep safe, and so I'd slept in Lee's bed in his apartment that night, while he slept on his couch. And the next day we went over what it might mean. Well, we had a clue, someone named Gordon whom Lee with the other two agents seven years before had put behind bars after killing his accomplice, brother.
Well, that morning while Lee was on his morning jog and I was cleaning the house from the slob who had invaded the house, the postman brought me a package. I was wondering about it and opened it. A gas burst out. Next thing I knew Lee was waking me up. He said it held nerve gas to knock me out with a poisonous snake ready to bite me. I still shake at the memory. Oh my gosh Francine, if Lee hadn't been renting the basement. I would have died! Oh I did let my fogged mind wander when he held me, I mean technically he was my husband after all. Well, he insisted on getting me checked out at the hospital. The doctor and Lee, they were insufferable. They were speaking as if I wasn't even there. It made all the perks of my weird marriage I'd been cataloging that day be wiped away. I felt great, it was just a little nerve glass. But then they wanted to keep me under surveillance for twenty four hours! Francine, I was really wishing it was you who'd found me. Or Mr. Melrose, neither of you would have insisted on that. You would have had a head on your shoulders. But I think it was Lee realizing that I was his responsibility…
Well, I did agree for some time, but Sunday morning I wasn't missing church. I wanted answers after all with that flyer and maybe if I asked Rev. Thomas I'd get an idea of what to expect with these crazies at the conference. Maybe I thought, I should find and crack open my bible again too. So I got him to agree to make sure Mother and the boys were good and come back after checking on them. He agreed to run over after he dealt with the snake at the agency. Everyone was working overtime with the scare of Gordon. So he was certain he could get it taken care of in an hour.
So there I was updating Mother, letting her know that Lee was going to run by to check on them since he insisted i go to the hospital when nothing was wrong. Just a prank. We thought it was someone who didn't like one of the films at IFF. Well, the shock of my life when my double walked in and held me hostage and I was knocked out and woke up to that man Gordon holding me hostage and telling me how he paid a woman to take over my life to kill Lee!
Well Lee told me later he'd gone to the hospital got the doctors to let my look alike go and in the parking lot she put a gun to him. Yes, that's when he realized it wasn't me. She'd brought him at gun point to the construction site we were at. When they were busy revealing to Lee their evil plan of revenge I'd managed to get free. Lee and I fought the crazy bad couple until next thing you knew both my look alike and I were dangling and loosing our grips.
She'd tried to convince him she was me. Even my mother might have been fooled. "Oh my Gosh!" I felt my hands slipping as I cried out. Lee would have to come public with the marriage to protect my family. My mind was whirling as I felt Lee take my arms and pull me up. He pulled me right into his arms. That look a like clearly shook us both.
Well we got home just as Mother and the boys did. I sent Mother upstairs to review homework, while I started dinner. To which I insisted Lee stay. I was making pot roast and baking a cake. I just needed to get some baking done. Yes, yes, I know Francine after nearly being killed by your double you would have gone shopping with Lee's credit card. But I needed to escape with being busy taking care of the people I love. Not that I'd admit, no I would admit back then that I loved Lee, Francine. But it was more in the way one loves the puppy one has. You know constantly getting into mischief and trying to chase all the girls.
So we settled into a routine with that, he'd be out on dates, or stakeouts, or working late most of the week, but every Sunday night he was at my kitchen table with me and the boys. Funny how it always seemed to be Sunday nights Mother would have a date. I swear she was trying to drop hints at us. So that night we played games for an hour after dinner then as the boys got ready for bed while Mother was in the tub soaking with her favorite latest book I sat drinking coffee with Lee,
"Lee," I finally broached. "I mean, today really hit home, with this weekend and all, and that look a like, I think Gordon said her name was Karen. I mean, we really need to be ready. Uncle Bud did hint things would get more dangerous when he reached Carl, and well, I think we need to be ready incase of another look-a-like…"
"Amanda…" He laid his hand on mine. "I don't think anyone can pull off Amanda West King Stetson."
I gulped. "Yeah… I mean I guess the code could be just asking my name. That's top secret."
"Or," he laughed. "Who did Jim Saarian base Marsha on, you never told me."
I laughed, "Oh my gosh, Marsha from that first book? Who did I base her on? Well, my best friend as a girl…" I then went into a long story that had Lee staring at me about the adventures of me and my best friend as a child. "Although I also based her on myself I guess, oh and my cousin Paula…"
He stood up then taking his cup to the sink. "Maybe, we should look at some more security for the house, like we put in downstairs. And not even I have gotten anything or heard any rumors from your mother about this supposed Apple Time…"
I rolled my eyes. "I swear it was made up by Mother and Uncle Bud to drive me crazy." I sat my own mug into the sink before turning to him. "Likely it just was sitting around a campfire under an apple tree roasting apples freshly plucked on the family farm. Except, they had no apple trees…"
Lee just shook his head. "Who ever gets it out of your mother…" He started to grin, "Looser pays for a day at the spa for them."
I grabbed his hand to shake it. "It's a deal, Lee Stetson. Looking forward to the day at the spa."
