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AFTER
THE DANCE PART III
Story by Iona Yeager
Wtr4Hire@aol.com
And based on the CBS/VIACOM Series
DIAGNOSIS MURDER
Rated PG13 for descriptive violence and adult situations.
All Disclaimers apply.
Synopsis: An antique music box is the link to a string of
murders.
Special thanks to AOL Research and Learn for translations.
Note to readers: I am incorporating some of the elements
from my Tales For Amanda stories in the conclusion of this tale.
-1-
"Convince
me your assessment has nothing to do with that kiss, Steve,"
Mark snapped at his son. The older man stood and pushed
away from the table. Jesse glanced from his mentor to his
best friend, confused and dismayed by their hostility towards one
another. Steve stood also, resting his hands on the table
to steady them.
"Dad, you know me better than that," he said, his voice
cool. "Amanda is lying. She arrived at
the crime scene before the 911 call came in. She somehow
helped Mitchell conceal evidence. Cheryl came to me with
this, Dad, not the other way around. We have the Nash
woman's phone records. She called Amanda this morning
before she was killed. And Amanda-she's a different person
with Ryan. This woman isn't our Amanda. She was
secretive, frightened, and hanging onto Ryan if he were her
personal Superman."
"And no one can rescue Amanda but you, is that it?"
Mark observed wryly. Steve sighed, counting to ten to
control his impatience.
"Dad, maybe we don't know Amanda as well as we thought we
did."
"That's ridiculous Steve. And what kiss? What's a kiss
got to do with this?" Jesse cut in. "Did Amanda
kiss Ryan?" Both men starred at him as if he magically
appeared in their midst. They choose to ignore his
curiosity.
"At least we both agree Ryan is involved." Mark
said to Steve.
"He lied about knowing Jonathan Wilson," Steve pointed
out. "He certainly didn't admit to knowing Amanda--and
I know he's the one responsible for those gifts. Then there's the
blackmail. If he didn't do these murders, then there's a
possibility he's next on the killer's agenda and now that she's
aligned herself with him, so is Amanda."
"I still don't understand how Verna Nash could blackmail
Ryan, Jon, and Amanda." Jesse mused. "What
was she going to do? Expose them as foster children?
Amanda and Jonathan certainly weren't keeping that a
secret."
"We may never know," Steve said. "All the
papers found at Verna Nash's house were confiscated Some
were sealed years ago by the courts and Ryan's attorneys are
seeing that they remain so."
Mark scrubbed at his hair.
"Where is Amanda now?"
"She's with Ryan," Steve informed him. "Dad
I know how you feel about Amanda. She's my friend too. But
I think you should steer clear of her right now, at least until
we figure out what is going on with her and Ryan. Ryan is
rich and powerful in ways we haven't dealt with before. And
if he is this killer, and Amanda is somehow at the crux of these
murders then it's just too dangerous for you to get too close to
her."
Mark's lips parted in a soundless, mocking laugh.
"No way I'm backing off this Steve."
"Dad--"
"I am going to see Amanda," Mark told his son.
"I am going to help her. You want to stop me?
Arrest me."
"Arrest me?" Jesse repeated after Mark drove
off. "What is this about Steve?--and don't hedge.
Amanda is more than a friend to me, and you know how I feel
about your Dad."
Steve waved his hand dismissing his friend's question, then
plopped back down in his chair. He drew his fingers though
his thick auburn hair.
"You know I love Amanda," he told Jesse.
"Yeah. I know," Jesse shrugged. "I
love Amanda. Your father loves Amanda. Of course we
want to help her, or at least your father and I do."
"You think I don't?" Steve snapped "I got
goose-bumps watching Ryan gather her in his arms like Christopher
Lee in some old Dracula movie. I swear Jesse, he had just
that kind of smile on his face. Like a vampire. And
Dad..." Steve starred at his friend. "He's
not going to like me sharing this, but I have to talk to someone.
Someone who knows and understands all of us. I walked in on
Dad and Amanda last night."
"Walked in," Jesse frowned and shook his head.
"What do you mean 'walked in' You walked in as
in--?" Jesse's eyes widen in shock. "Your Dad and
Amanda? Wow."
"This is between us," Steve warned. "It was
just a kiss, but I felt," Steve gave a short rancid
laugh. "Jesse, I felt betrayed. It's stupid I know.
I always thought Dad secretly wanted Amanda and I to get
together and in the back of my mind I thought that maybe one day
I would ask her--What's that look for?"
"What look, Steve ?" There was an unfamiliar edge
to Jesse's voice. "What were planning to do?
Play the field a couple of more years before you take your
Amanda Doll off the shelf and marry her to please Daddy?"
"No, " Steve replied, startled. "What the
hell's wrong with you?"
"What's wrong with me?" Jesse stood up paced away then
stood in front of Steve. "What the freaking hell is
wrong with YOU. Amanda is in danger, Steve. She's probably
hold up with a serial killer who considers her his prize and
you're letting something as petty as a kiss cloud your judgment
What are you planning to do now? Screw around until
Ryan kills Amanda and she's conveniently out of the picture so
you can be your Dad's only love again."
Steve rose to his feet so swiftly Jesse didn't realize his peril
until the larger man's hands was on his shoulders. Jesse
stepped back but not down. The two men glared at one
another.
"I didn't deserve that Jesse," Steve said quietly,
backing away first.
"Maybe not," Jesse admitted reluctantly "But
Steve, we're talking about Amanda. She wouldn't lie to us
unless something was far more wrong or dangerous than she thinks
she can tell us."
"I know that but she won't talk to me. And maybe it's
not danger, Jesse. Maybe, this time she is guilty.
You didn't see her. She looked like a little
girl who been caught playing Doctor with the boy next door."
"That's it," Jesse speculated, his voice soft. He
pointed with triumph at Steve. "Damn. Damn.
I don't know how we're going to get information like that,
and obviously it's something Amanda doesn't want to share with
us. Especially your dad. God, it never occured to
me"
"What ?'' Steve wanted to know.
"You know when Amanda told me she was a foster child I was
stunned. I mean, I realize some great people are
adopted or foster children. Some foster children have
wonderful experiences. But we rarely hear about the success
stories any more. Only the horror stories make the news and the
talk shows."
Steve nodded, following his friend's logic.
"And you're thinking that Amanda, Jonathan, and Ryan were a
part of one of those horror stories."
"One particular horror story. Did you hear about
Doctor Alan Payton's suicide?"
"Yeah. The sex Doctor. There was some scandal
about him, right? Something about his methods."
"Yeah. They think he might have sexually molested his
patients as well as exploited their cases for profit under the
guise of research," Jesse explained. "I
need your Dad's computer to be sure. Are you in with
me?"
"Yeah. Of course," Steve led Jesse into his
Dad's living room. "Uh, Jesse, I'm sorry--about
earlier."
"It's okay," Jesse grinned. "I have to admit
the thought of Amanda as a potential step-Mom would be a bit
daunting to me also."
"Don't go there, Please."
-2-
Mitchell
placed the tea tray on the stand near Amanda's lounge chair,
admiring her beauty as she slept. It seemed to him she had
changed very little except transform from a chubby, beautiful
baby to a lovely woman. He could see why Sloan and his son
would find her attractive. Mitchell was surprised but
pleased that his affection for Amanda remained as pure and as
brotherly as it had been when they were children.
Cupping his hand on his forehead, he glanced over to the tennis
court. CJ and Dion batted balls at each other,
playing more baseball with a net than tennis. He would
arrange lessons for them once the dust settled on the murders.
He sat back in his chair Everyting was almost the way
it should be. His had his three sisters back in his life
and most of their dragons were slain.
Payton was the easiest. It was strange how no one
associated the television mogul Mitchell Ryan with the
"unnamed Juvenile" in the foster home sex scandal of
thirty years before. Payton actually welcomed Ryan,
thinking that the billionaire's secret unannounced visit was a
mere business ploy. He was still confused as to Mitchell's
identity when the man calmly stood next to him and put a bullet
in his brain.
The vain pervert kept not only audio but filmed records, Mitchell
discovered to his delight. Amazed he found reels labeled
Baby Girl "A" showing two year old Amanda vindicating
him and Jon during role play sessions. Mitchell had the visuals
of Amanda role playing with dolls converted to video. He
could find no visual evidence that Payton molested the Amanda as
he did Jonathan, his sisters, and Mitchell himself, however some
of the audio tapes were very disturbing. Ryan hoped he would not
have to use these tapes, but if Amanda showed in signs of wanting
to return to the Sloans, he needed the upper hand to keep her
safe.
Like a cue in a French Farce, the maid announced that Mark Sloan
wanted to see Doctor Bentley.
"Amanda's resting," Mitchell explained to Mark Sloan,
indicating a chair in his office. "She had a long
night and a tough morning."
Mark sat down, openly admiring the richly furnished room
"Yes, my son told me of the bizarre incident at that social
worker's apartment," He said politely. "I
understand that you are Amanda's former foster brother, Mr.
Ryan."
"Former?" Mitchell raised a brow at the term.
"Do you have brothers or sisters Doctor Sloan?"
"One of each," Mark told him.
"At what point did they become former siblings?"
Mark smiled.
"Point taken," Mark apologized. "I meant no
offense. How old were you when Amanda came to live
you?"
"I always considered her my fifteenth birthday
present," Mitchell laughed. "Mrs. Nash dumped her on us
at my birthday party. Said something about the former
foster parents being Castro sympathizers or something. Did
you know her name's not really Amanda?"
"Are you saying the Bentley's changed her name?"
"No. That anal bunch down at social services
'translated' her name. They decided that Amelita was too
exotic for a little colored girl, but I think it more to do with
Mandy Belle being Cuban and the political climate at the time.
Bay of Pigs all that stuff. I'm still investigating.
I plan to share everything with her as soon I can. "
Mark became very still. His face went white.
"How old was Amanda then?"
"About ten months old," Mitchell recalled.
"She was the sweetest thing I'd ever seen. She
exuded joy and music. She was affectionate and cuddly.
Instead of walking, she used to follow my sister around the
house trying to dance. She was so beautiful, then and
now." Mitchell reached out his hand. Mark turned
to see Amanda at the door.
She smiled shyly, then blushed not meeting Mark eyes.
"Mark, I didn't expect to see you", she said softly.
She accepted his kiss of greeting but moved away quickly,
going to Mitchell's side and instantly taking the tall, gaunt but
handsome man's proffered hand. Mitchell drew her to her
side. Like Steve, Mark shook off the image of Christopher Lee as
the Dark Prince puling in another of his harem.
"You were in trouble and you didn't expect to see me?"
Mark repeated, his tone tenderly mocking. "You
should know that no matter what, honey, I'll always be there for
you."
It seemed Amanda leaned toward him, for just a second. Ryan
tighten his hold on her fingers. She glanced at her foster
brother confused but obedient.
"I've come to help, if you two need me," Mark said
"The evidence they have linking you two to Mrs. Nash and
Jonathan is pretty overwhelming." Mark met Ryan's
raised eyebrow. "As Amanda will tell you, I
solved more complicated cases than this. All with her help
of course."
Mitchell laughed, allowing Mark see for the first time, the full
effect of his charm. At one time, Mark thought, this was a good,
loving decent person. However, Mark was more certain than
ever, that this once good man was now a ruthless, and cold
blooded murderer, one who do anything to keep what he thought was
his. And it was more than evident he believed Amanda
belonged with him.
"Your reputation is well know Doctor Sloan," Mitchell
was saying. "If my horde of attorney's can't get past your
Son's blood hounds, we will call you, rest assured."
"Steve's just doing his job," Amanda interjected,
speaking with the first spark of her old steel Mark had seen
since she walked into the room. Mitchell watched her with
an odd smile.
"Of course he is, Mandy Belle, but Steve Sloan is a police
officer. I'm your big brother," he reminded her with a
kiss to her nose. "Now, why don't you go rescue my
tennis balls from my rowdy nephews and I'll take you three out to
a nice French restaurant."
Amanda obeyed, giving Mark a small wave as she left. He and
Mitchell Ryan regarded each other, both pair of eyes cool and
assessing. Mark spoke first.
"Steve loves Amanda. He would never hurt her."
"Would he cover for her?" Ryan wanted to know.
"Don't answer that. Your son's stellar record is well
known to my attorneys. However, as you say, he does love
Mandy Bell, jealously I think. You know what they say about
loved scorned. Do you think your son will go after Amanda
just because she rejected him?"
"Rejected him?" Mark wrinkled his forehead.
"Amanda never rejected Steve. How did you come
by that conclusion?"
"Mandy Belle mentioned something about your son being upset
with her because of her interest in another man."
"Really? Amanda told you all of that?" Mark
lowered his lashes, hiding his sharp blue eyes. "I'll
have to talk with Steve and see what's going on," Mark told
the man. "I noticed that you call Amanda, Mandy
Belle. That was name on the music box."
Mitchell spread his hands.
"You got me. It was my gift. When Nash revealed
that Amanda Bentley was
my own long lost sister, I wanted very much to meet her. I
sent her some gifts to break the ice. I told Jon, Mrs. Nash
was crazy to think Amanda would do anything to hurt us."
"You know, Mister Ryan, you had opportunity and knowledge
that points to you as a prime suspects for both killings."
Ryan looked genuinely confused.
"Verna Nash was a venal, greedy viper who ruin many lives,
Doctor Sloan. I'm not sad she's gone. But why would I
kill Jon? We were brothers, and he loved Mandy as much as I
did. We both wanted to protect her."
"How far would you go to protect Amanda, Mr. Ryan?"
"How far would you go to protect Amanda,
Doctor Sloan?"
THE BEACH HOUSE...
"All right, Son," Mark conceded to Steve Sloan some
time later. He, Steve and Jesse sat in the dining room over
remnants of a huge BBQ chicken dinner. "You're right about
Mitchell Ryan. He is more dangerous than I believed him to
be and he has Amanda completely in his influence."
"I'm sorry Dad, I know you didn't want to hear it,
after--well after last night," Steve rubbed his head,
grinning ruefully. "I kinda of told Jesse about
us."
"That's okay," Mark dismissed. "I wonder
what secret Ryan is holding over Amanda's head."
"Try child sexual abuse," Jesse slammed a thick wad of
files on the table. "Since Jon is dead his records are
opened. I went through them, compared them to Doctor
Payton's file."
"Alan Payton, the sex doctor?"
"Please. Alan Payton is the single reason sex
therapist and psychologist's credibility is challenged everyday.
Payton was just a freak with a license to practice
medicine," Jesse proclaimed with disgust. "But he
kept good records. Jon was the subject of the book, "Child
of the Night."
"The story about the child prostitute? They made a
movie from that, didn't they?"
"Yeah, it was supposed to be a case study, but it was pure
exploitation. It seems that Mrs. Nash and Doctor Payton
were also main players in another sensational sex scandal
involving Jon, this one involving a very overworked but decent
couple who ran a foster home. The couple's last name was
Ryan. They had a teenage son who was suspected of molesting
the toddler who lived with them. The little girl is
describes as: 'Black perhaps Hispanic, two years old,
intelligent. Likes dance and Music.' This little girl
would be the same age as Amanda is now."
Mark sighed and covered his hands with his face.
"God bless her. That's why she's clinging to
him." Mark looked at Jesse. "Were the allegations
true?"
"It goes on to say 'No evidence of sexual or any abuse
found. Subjects have a normal, healthy relationship, though
they appear unusually close for foster siblings.'"
"Steve, this may get worst. Do you remember Ana
Amelita?"
Steve flushed. He nodded.
"How could I forget her?" He asked with a bitter laugh.
"I faced federal charges after the stunt I
pulled."
"Who is Ana Amelita?"
"Ana Amelita was my first and only venture into foster
parenting," Mark explained, patting his son's arm.
"This is a little before your time, Jesse, but do you
know about the Cuban Missile crisis, the Bay of Pigs?"
"Yeah sure."
"Well, Castro seems almost harmless now in comparison to his
image back then.
According to many people who opposed him, he was not above using
their children for leverage. After the Bay of Pigs, there
were a lot of Cuban families on Castro's hit list. Many
parents sent their children to the United States for refuge.
In 1962 we took in a young pregnant Doctor, the wife of
insurrectionist. I delivered her little girl. She
stayed with us about five months before the government moved
them."
Jesse pointed at Steve.
"You aid something about facing Federal charges. What
happened?"
"Ana was my little sister, as much as Carol was. I was
twelve years old, very idealistic. I overheard the Feds say
they were going take the baby from us, so I split and took her
with me. We lived in this surfer commune a couple of days before
my uncle found me." Steve chuckled. "Dad
and Mom were furious with me, but I thought I did the right
thing. What does this have to do with Amanda and Mitchell
Ryan, Dad?"
"Mitchell knows about Ana Amelita. And he's hinting
that Amanda is your little foster sister."
"Well," Jesse said a hesitant smile on his face.
"If that's true, that's a good thing, right? If Amanda
is bonded to Mitchell because of their past, then you two have
the past and presnt to bond you."
Steve shook his head. He starred at his father.
"There's a lot more to this Jesse," Steve told his
friend. "Dad, I know at the time your gesture to Ana
Amelita and her mother seemed the best thing to do, but if
Mitchell finds the original birth certificate and shows it to
Amanda before you have a chance to explain--"Steve began.
The phone rang cutting off his words. Jesse touched Mark's
arm.
"What is it?"
Mark held up his hand.
"Are you sure?" Steve barked into the phone.
"When? No idea of the itinerary? I know, I
know. Without an arrest there's nothing we can do.
Thanks Cheryl."
"What?" Mark said, dreading the expression on his son's
face.
"Ryan's gone. Took Amanda and the boys somewhere in his
private jet. We had no way of stopping them, and we have no
idea where they're going."
Mark chuckled.
"A French Resturant. I should have guessed."
He muttered. "Va-t-il comment votre Français? " Mark asked Steve.
"Atroce,"
Steve answered automatically. He grinned at his father.
"Que savez-vous que je pas?"
"Hey,
if you guys want to keep a secret, it's best to use a language I
don't understand," Jesse cut in. He turned to Mark.
" Vous pensez Mitchell sauvé en France avec Amanda et ses
fils? "
"What?" Both Sloans starred bewildered at Jesse.
"That's what I thought. If you're following Mitchell
to France, you better take me. Vos pronounations sont
horribles. "
On the Plane to Paris:
"Steve, we need to talk," Mark
interrupted Steve as his son chatted with Cheryl and the copilot.
Cheryl, excited that Mark and Steve included her in on
their adventure to France, revealed that she flew helicopters
during Desert Storm. Mark pulled a few strings, persuading an old
friend to lend them use of their company jet to fly to France.
Steve excused himself and followed his father to the
galley.
"Don't tell me," Steve groaned. "We're
having fish and there's a problem with the engine."
Mark shook his head but smiled.
"Wrong movie," he said. "Steve, this is
about other night. About what you saw between Amanda and
I."
Steve sighed.
"I thought you didn't want to talk to me about that."
"That's when this was just between Amanda and I. Now
things are different." Mark sat down. "I know I
unfairly accused you of turning against Amanda because you didn't
approve of-well what you saw, but it never occurred to me that
you might be..." Mark took a deep breath.
"Son, are you in love with Amanda?"
Steve looked down at his hands, grinned.
"I love her. Always have. Maybe I sensed that
she was Ana Amelita."
"We don't know that for sure, in fact, I'm pretty positive
that she is not."
"Why?
"I can't tell you that, I'm sorry. What were you
saying?"
"Amanda is so lovely, so sweet, kind, but strong and
smart," Steve mused. "I didn't want Ron
with her, I resented her husband, but it was the same way I
resented Carol's husband. One day, prompted by Jack, I made
myself look at Amanda, you know, not as a friend, not as
colleague, but as a woman. And I thought, Wow, she is one hell of
a sexy lady. But it didn't feel right, it didn't feel like
romantic love or passion. The desire just wasn't
there." Steve rueful smile turned impish.
"Of course I don't know if I can make the adjustment
of thinking of Amanda as my baby sister to my step-Mom."
"Watch it." Marks warned him playfully.
"Look it may not come to that. I don't know
where these feelings for Amanda came from, but I'm not
going to risk losing her, not for romance that may or may not
work."
Steve considered his father for a minute.
"You know, Dad, when I truly think of you and Amanda
together, it seems almost natural. I hope when this is
over, you will give each other a chance to explore your
feelings."
"Where did all this understanding and empathy come
from?"
"Jesse. He knows a little more about relationships
than French." Steve said the last with a raised
eyebrow.
"Ooh, Son. That was-" Mark laughed. "A
good one. Really."
Meanwhile on The French Riviera....
"Uncle Mitch, this place is sooooo cool," Dion gushed.
He shifted his surf board and indicated the huge
beach with it's wealthy, some not so modest patrons.
"Uncle Steve and Uncle Jesse would love this
place," he added to his mother then ran to join his brother
on the water. Ryan's lips tightened.
"Steve has been very good to the boys," Amanda soothed
her brother. "Mark is CJ's God father. Steve is
like his father, he's been with us from day one. Jesse delivered
CJ."
"I know you all are close, Mandy Belle," Ryan said.
"I just don't want you or the boys to dwell on
life in LA. We night not be able to return for a
while."
"Mitch, as much as I love Southern France, I don't want to
live as a fugitive," Amanda declared. "Maybe we
should give Mark the opportunity to help us."
Mitch sighed, then sat up and pulled out his laptop.
"I thought you said no business at the beach," she
scolded him.
"That was for you. Madame Medical Examiner," Mitchell
returned. "I couldn't believe you pilfered those autopsy
reports from Community General." He grunted with
satisfaction as the screen on his computer flashed a record.
"I found your birth certificate, Amanda. The
original."
"You can't have. I was a foundling,"
"No, my dear. You were in the earliest incarnation of the
CIA's Witness Protection Program. Take a look."
Amanda, intrigued obeyed. She shook her head after a
moment.
"This-this isn't right. This is a lie, a trick,"
She starred at Mitchell. "I trusted you. Why would you
do this to me?"
"Mandy, I know this is hard to face, but this is the truth.
They changed your name. When you came to live with us they
told my parents some dangerous people were after your Mom adn
they had to hide you. But this is the birth certificate
found in Nash's records."
"Well, it's the wrong one," Amanda insisted.
"Amanda, I know what you feeling and why, but give the man
his due. Mark Sloan had no idea who you were until I told him.
What are you doing?" He asked as Amanda reached
for his cellular phone.
"I'm calling Mark, what do you think?" Amanda
punched in the numbers.
Mitchell took the phone.
"You don't have to. My sources tell me Doctor Sloan
and his son are on the way here, at least to Paris."
"Mark's coming to France. Why?"
"Look at that, Amanda. Why do you think he's coming?"
Amanda starred at the certificate again.
Her birth date, and for the first time her mother's name: Amelda
Ruiz. Profession: Physician; Mother's birthplace: Havana
Cuba, Father--
Amanda shook her head.
"It's not true," she said again.
Father: Mark Sloan. Profession: Physician.
End of Part Three