Screen Captures Courtesy of Swoopes

For personal use and select distribution only © April 2002 by Amber Stockton

Our Man in Tegernsee - tagalogue

Written by Juanita Bartlett (excerpts from the episode belong to her)

 

Amanda and Lee left the Munich police headquarters and began to walk across the street. "What's gonna happen to Harry?"

He sighed. "They're gonna throw the book at him."

"Gee, that's too bad. You know, if when Harry discovered that counterfeiting ring, he had just told the Agency instead of throwing in with them, he could have been a hero and probably could have had any assignment he wanted," she pointed out with a wave of her hand.

Lee glanced at her in mild surprise. "You know, it's funny that you could figure that out and Harry couldn't."

She shrugged her shoulders. "Logical."

"You're a very logical person."

"Yes I am," she agreed. "How did you figure out that Harry was one of the counterfeiters?" They approached the sidewalk, and Amanda hesitated before switching her purse to her left hand as they passed on both sides of a wooden stump. She and Lee hooked pinkies for a brief moment, and she smiled at their little tradition.

"Well, a couple of things. First, his lifestyle. No matter how good the rate of exchange is, he could never afford that chalet."

Amanda turned to face him. "Yeah, you said a couple of things."

"Well, the clincher was that morning at breakfast. I asked him if he remembered our conversation from the night before. He remembered counterfeit twenties. I never mentioned twenty-dollar bills," he said with a smug grin.

She smiled. "Oooh, very clever of you."

"Well, thank you."

"Frau King!"

They both stopped and turned to face Detective Faulkeneur. Amanda spoke out of the corner of her mouth. "I thought the police were finished with us."

Lee clasped his hands behind his back. "Uhh, one question."

"Frau King," Faulkeneur began, his jacket slung carelessly over his shoulder and held with one finger, "I don't wish to detain you any further, but I do have one question."

Amanda glanced at Lee, and he gave her a knowing grin, before she turned back to give Faulkeneur her full attention. "Yes?"

"What are you doing for dinner this evening?" Amanda laughed, a little nervously. "Perhaps a typical Bavarian meal?"

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Lee's surprise at the man's forwardness. Although it would have been fun to accept just to see Lee's reaction, she decided against it. "Thank you very much, but I think I'll be having dinner with my family tonight in Arlington, Virginia...or breakfast, whichever it is. Anyway, I think I'll be eating at home."

Lee turned to face her at the same time that she turned to face him, and they shared a smile. For a fleeting moment, she wondered if his smile was in response to the fact that she turned down the dinner invitation, but then she realized it was most likely because he wanted to get out of Munich as much as she did. That made sense, considering he had been dragged over there unexpectedly.

"Frau King, I do understand." Faulkeneur reached out, and she placed her hand in his, then watched as he raised it to his lips. "It has been a pleasure, and I'm happy that all is well with you and this case." He gave the back of her hand a light kiss.

"Oh, I'm glad, too," she replied with a nervous laugh and withdrew her hand. "It's going to be nice to leave Germany...not that I don't love it here!" she quickly amended. "It's just that when you're kept here against your will, and I know you had your job to do, so I don't fault you in any way, but when you're here and you don't want to be, it kind of changes your outlook on how you look at your visit."

"Yes, well thank you for cooperating with us, Frau King. I do hope that you will return to Munich again, next time under better circumstances."

Amanda smiled. "I hope I can." Faulkeneur turned and left. "Thank you!"

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Lee stood for a moment with his hands still firmly clasped behind his back and rocked a little on his heels. He turned to look at her. "So, did you mean what you said a moment ago?"

She glanced up at him. "About what?"

"About going home as soon as you could and eating with your family?"

"Yes, well, as soon as we can get a flight, that is. Why?"

He shrugged and glanced up at the sky. "Ohh, no reason."

"Lee, why did you want to know?"

It was obvious she knew he was hedging. "Well..." He paused, trying to think about how best to approach it so she would agree with his idea. "I thought maybe we could have one last meal here in Munich. The last time you were here, it was with your family, and I'm sure you didn't really get the chance to taste the true flavor of the Bavarian culture."

"Oh, the boys would never have stood for touring some of the places that Mother and I wanted to see."

"Right. I know of the perfect place, and we are six hours ahead of back home, so we could have dinner here, catch a Concorde back to D.C. and still have you home in time for dinner with your family." He did his best to make it sound appealing, and by her hesitation, he could tell she was beginning to wear down, so he pressed his advantage. "It's been around since the 1500s, and it's about the best representation of Bavarian culture you'll find without actually living in it."

"All right, you've convinced me." She smiled. "How far away is it?"

"Just a few minutes. We'll take a cab." He returned her smile, then held out his left arm and gestured with his right for her to walk towards the corner. His hand at the small of her back, he hailed a taxi and helped her in once it stopped. "The Hofbraühaus," he told the driver, then leaned back against the seat and sighed.

"You know, I had a feeling that Harry wasn't all he claimed to be."

Lee glanced over at her through half-closed eyes. "Oh? And what tipped you off?"

"Well, remember earlier this afternoon when you two were talking in the street about your leads?"

"Yeah."

"There was something about his eyes, or maybe his mannerisms, that said he was hiding something. I think it was when you mentioned getting in touch with Billy. He seemed in an awful hurry to get you to that old farmhouse without really telling anyone else where you were going. That seemed really strange to me."

"Using that logical mind of yours again?" he teased.

"Yes, is there a problem?"

"Not at all. In fact, you're right. He was acting really strange. Good thing I had the place staked out before we got there, or I could have been in a lot of trouble!"

The cab pulled up to the curb and stopped. Lee thanked the cab driver, paid him, then exited and held out his hand to help Amanda. She looked up at the place where they would eat, and he could tell by the look on her face that she was impressed.

"Oh, Lee! We can't possibly eat here. It must be expensive!"

"No, actually it's only ten deutchmarks, so don't worry about it. Besides, it's my treat, and I wanted to take you here. So, no arguments?"

She nodded. "No arguments."

"Good!" He smiled and extended his left arm again. "Shall we?"

Together, they entered the impressive restaurant and were immediately met by a guide who led them down to the banquet hall where they would dine. Lee knew by Amanda's gasp as soon as they entered how she felt, and even though he'd been here before, he had to admit it was quite spectacular. The fact that the history of the room had been preserved over the years only added to the rich culture that was present, and the feel of the hall offered an impressive backdrop to the overall ambiance that was so carefully maintained.

Lee glanced down at his watch and smiled in satisfaction as the waiter led them to their table. "Perfect."

"What?"

He walked around to pull out Amanda's chair for her, then waited until she was seated before walking around to his. "We're just in time for the show!"

She reached for the menu. "Show?"

"Yeah, every evening at seven o'clock, there's Bavarian Dance and Folklore Evening which usually features the HB Festival Orchestra. They've got alpenhorns, yodelers, and glockenspiel players, not to mention the “Schuhplattler” dancers and “Goaßlschnalzern."

Amanda chuckled. "Gazundheit!"

He laughed at her response to his recitation of German terminology and names. "I'm sure you know enough about the alpenhorns, yodelers and glockenspiel players that I don't have to explain those."

"Yes, but what about that 'skootplatter' and the 'goblezern'?"

"Schuhplattler dancers and Goaßlschnalzern," he corrected with a grin as he shook his head. He had to hand it to her, though. She was trying to pronounce them, even if she was butchering the names. "Schuhplattler means 'shoe-tapping' and Goaßlschnalzern are snapping whip performers." He smiled at the look of concern on her face when he said the word whip. "Don't worry, they keep their whips very contained, and it's all part of the show."

"If you say so." She opened her menu. After only a second or two, she spoke. "Um, Lee?"

His attention was on his own menu. "Hmh?"

"There's nothing in English," she whispered.

"So?" he immediately replied, then paused and looked up at her perplexed expression. "Oh, Amanda, I'm sorry. Look, why don't I order for both of us? I promise you'll like it."

She nodded. "Considering the time it would take for you to translate this menu, I think that's best."

Lee closed his menu and the waiter appeared at their table. "Zwei Salatteller von frischen, Schweinsbraten mit Kruste, Hausgemachter Apfelstrudel mit Vanillesauce." The waiter nodded then took their menus and left.

"All right, would you care to translate that? Or am I going to have to guess what it is I'm eating when the food arrives?"

He smiled. "Small leaf salad, roast pork, and apple strudle for dessert. I told you it wouldn't be anything out of the ordinary."

"Well, while we wait for our salads, why don't you fill me in on what you know of this place." She glanced around the room, then returned her eyes to him. "It obviously has a fascinating history!"

"I don't know a whole lot, but Wilhelm V., called the Pious, Duke in Bavaria from 1579-1597, spent so much money on St. Michael's Church, that he had trouble being able to satisfy the thirsts of the royal household. So, he asked his advisors to come up with a way to make it all work, and they suggested he build a brewery adjacent to the court.

"He agreed and hired the master brewer of the Geisenfeld Monastery, Heimeran Pongraz, as planner, developer and first master brewer of the Hofbräuhaus. It was a big success, and Pongraz managed the Hofbräuhaus for over twenty years, satisfying the royal court."

He paused as the waiter appeared with their salads and leaned back in his chair a little to allow him the room to place the plates on the table. After making certain their wine glasses were full, the waiter left the bottle and walked away. Lee stretched his long legs out to the side, placed his napkin in his lap and picked up his fork, then continued. "Throughout the generations, the enjoyment of the brewery and traditions of the dance and entertainment at court remained. When the practice of the court assembly faded out, the Hofbräuhaus became what it is today."

"Very fascinating!"

"Yeah, a little like you." He gave her a lopsided grin. "Actually, I believe 'interesting' was the word the detective used," he teased, enjoying the way her head dipped in embarrassment and the way she moved her fork through her salad, mixing it far more than was necessary.

"Yes, but Harry complimented me by asking if I was just a civilian. So, he obviously found my intelligence beneficial."

"Or hindering to his work, however you want to look at it," he pointed out. "Actually, it really was good that you used your logical mind on this case. It wasn't easy coming up with a decent explanation after Harry shot that milkman, and I'm usually good at those kind of things. You also thought quick on your feet in spotting that boat in the lake and managing to get away from Harry back at that folk festival earlier this afternoon."

"It wasn't much. I just didn't like the circumstances which kept me here and knew you didn't want to be here, either. You made that clear enough when you first arrived and found me in jail, so I wanted to help get us both out of here as fast as I could ... even if it was more your doing than mine."

"Amanda, you did good work. I know I don't say it often enough, but it's true." He lifted a forkful of salad then gestured towards hers. "Now, eat your salad. Our main entrees will be here soon enough, and they're getting ready to start the show."

She gave him a saucy grin. "Yes, sir!"

He shook his head and took a bite of his salad. She turned her attention to her own, and he took that opportunity to just watch her eat. The words he spoke to Harry just a few hours ago came unbidden back to his mind. Harry had tried to apologize by saying it wasn't personal, and he had immediately told him it was.

Despite what his mind wanted to tell him, he forced himself to believe that the reason it was personal had nothing to do with Amanda. It was because he and Harry went back many years in their friendship, and the fact that Harry would betray him for money really cut deep. Yes, Amanda was involved, but it had nothing to do with their relationship. He had taken her to Harry for help and had trusted the man who used to be his friend, but Harry had failed them both.

So, in a way, it was personal concerning Amanda. He felt he had failed her by relying on someone who turned out to be a traitor. She would never tell him that, but that didn't mean he didn't feel it. None of that mattered now, anyway. The case was closed, Amanda was cleared of all charges against her, and after their dinner, they'd be flying home to continue on with their lives. A small part of him wished they could stay a little longer, but the implications of that desire held far too much weight for him to even give it more than a passing thought.

Instead, he speared another forkful of his salad, then glanced back at Amanda to find her watching him. She gave him a half-grin, finished chewing and took a sip of wine. He waited for her to say what was on her mind and hoped there was nothing in his face that betrayed the direction of his thoughts.

"Thank you, Lee, for bringing me here. You're right. It is absolutely wonderful, and a memory I'll treasure. I only wish Mother was here to see it all."

"Well, we can get some postcards for you to take back, and knowing you," he grinned, "you'll provide all of the details of this place, so she'll feel like she was here."

"You know, you tease me a lot about how much I talk, but it really does come in handy sometimes."

"Oh, I'm not saying it doesn't! One thing it does accomplish, though. You talk enough, and you eventually either confuse everyone around you, or you end up solving the case!"

She smiled. "Anything I can do to help the cause!"

Lee put down his fork and raised his wine glass. "I'll drink to that!"

She clinked her glass with his, then they both took a sip. Their gazes locked across the table and held for several moments. Lee managed to swallow, but he felt the heat creep up his neck and knew his skin was flushed. The lights dimmed, and he released the breath he was holding in relief that his reaction to Amanda was hidden.

When they set down their glasses, all focus went to the floor as the show began. Amanda's sharp intake of breath showed she was fully focused on what was about to take place. As she watched, Lee smiled and took note of the way the dimmed lights gave her a softer appearance. For a few seconds, he forgot about where they were and why they were there, but when she turned her head and caught him staring, he immediately straightened. He sent her a nervous smile, then relaxed when her attention went back to the floor show.

Yes, he was glad he had persuaded her to come tonight. This was one moment they could share alone. Although everything within him told him he shouldn't think anything of it, he knew this was an evening he would remember for a long time.

(THE END)

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