Title: Amanda's Secret Passion - Part One
Author: Iona Yeager
E-mail: Wtr4Hire@aol.com
Rated: PG-13 for intense situations and some violence.
Challenge: Steve falls in love again and a main character
dies--maybe.
Summary: Emotions and relationships crumble when, two weeks after
she and Steve announce their engagement, Amanda is targeted by a
serial killer.
Warnings: none
Disclaimer: (The author of this fiction recognizes that Diagnosis
Murder and it's principal characters are the property of CBS. The
author received no fee or profits from submitting this story. It
is presented purely for the fun and enjoyment of fellow Diagnosis
Murder fans, and cannot be sold or distributed for profit except
by the express permission of CBS.
AMAMDA'S SECRET PASSION PART ONE
STORY BY Iona Yeager
Inspired by the CBS series, Diagnosis Murder
-1-
Did I cause this?
Amanda slung her duffle bag over her shoulder, and ventured a
last look at her cousin, sister, and best friend Druscilla Wellor
standing with her first love, Peter Cheung. Amanda felt happier
than she had in years and wanted to share that joy with her
nearest and dearest. Yet, because of the source of her joy, the
two people who had known her as long as her parents treated her
like the girl in back of class whose name and face no one could
remember. Amanda abandoned her feeling of loss and pushed through
the double doors of the dance studio. The Community College hall
was empty, save for the music of Mr. Wesley's independent studies
class: A jazz quartet. At five forty-five, transitional time
between the day students and the working night students, only
janitors, a few strays working on papers, and the occasional
campus police roamed the halls. Usually Peter, Druscilla, and
Amanda took the elevator to the parking garage together, then
drove in separate BMWs to their favorite coffee house to talk
like college kids about art, politics, and their shared passion,
dance. Today they barely noticed her departure.
Druscilla and Peter excelled at dance, made it their life. Both
famous now, as actors and choreographers, the two decided to
return some of their good fortune to the community, by sponsoring
a ballet class for Foster children. They drafted Amanda as a
co-instructor, rekindling her pre-med dream to dance on stage.
Nine months ago everything changed.
Hearing about Carter Sweeny's nearly successful attempt to kill
Amanda and Mark, Peter and Druscilla rushed to the hospital to be
by Amanda's side and were met by a polite "only family"
from Doctor Jesse Travis. Seeing Steve Sloan walk unhindered into
Amanda room, Druscilla lost her legendary temper.
"Only family? Well, who the hell is he? "
Jesse, startled by her vehemence, looked closely at the fuming
dark haired beauty confronting him. Druscilla's resemblance to
her first cousin was more than evident.
After some embarrassment, Peter and Druscilla introduced
themselves to Steve, Mark, and Jesse.
Sitting next to the weak and vulnerable Amanda, Peter asked
softly:
"Okay, which of us is the skeleton in the closet?"
-2-
Peter refused to lend his dance company to the annual recital
unless Amanda agreed to dance with him.
"You always dance with Dru," Amanda whined. "You
know my stage fright."
"Time to grow up, Mandy," Peter said, and she knew he
did not mean her pre-performance butterflies.
As Peter suspected, Amanda forgot to send Mark, Steve, and Jesse
tickets, so he provided them with excellent seats. Druscilla
designed a piece for the three of them using a contemporary art
song. The audience was entranced. Flushed with excitement, Amanda
almost did not recognize Jesse and the Sloans until Peter,
wrapping a proprietary arm about her waist, said:
"Doctor Sloan, I'm glad you could make it. What did you
think of my prima ballerina?"
Amanda's smile faded as she saw Marks face. He was smiling, but
his eyes as he took her hand in his were sad and confused.
"You are beautiful," he said and kissed her hand.
"Why didn't you tell me? You know how I love to dance."
"Mandy's danced since she was five," Peter explained.
There was something merciless in his tone. He looked not at Mark,
but directly at Steve. "I was surprised when she left her
first love for medicine."
"So dance was your first love, Mandy?"
"I am Mandy's first love. Dance came later. "
Had Amanda paid attention, she would have noticed as Jesse and
Druscilla did, the cold challenge between Steve and Peter. Both
Jesse and Druscilla glanced at Amanda with mild resentment, but
Amanda only had eyes for Mark. She sensed that her secrecy had
hurt him and and the knowledge devastated her. Mark would not
look at Amanda, but gave his best urban gentleman smile to
Druscilla.
"You know, I've seen you on television. I was always struck
by your resemblance to Amanda. I understand you are a major
supporter of the Foster Care Program. How did that come
about?"
"Mandy didn't tell you about me? Amanda, I'm not ashamed of
my past."
"I never thought you were. That's not the reason--- ",
she protested looking up at Mark. He had never looked at her with
disapproval.
"No big deal, Cus." Druscilla smiled at Mark. "My
life's a modern soap opera. Amanda's uncle, my father had a
romance with a fellow music student. in the late sixties. Because
she was white she knew her parents wouldn't approve of the
relationship. To make a long, dreary story short, I ended up in a
number of Foster homes. Luckily social services found a home for
me with the Wellors. My Foster mother saw that I loved dance and
enrolled me in a ballet class. I met Peter there. Three years
into the class this adorable and lively five year old girl named
Amanda Bentley joined our class. Someone thought we were sisters,
so Amanda's mother researched my background. There was a little
public nastiness, because Amanda's, I mean my birth father's
family thought I should be with them or at least an
African-American family, but things worked out for the best. I
remembered the financial sacrifice my foster mother made so I
could have dance lessons, so I thought I would help other
children like me realize some of their dreams in art and
performance."
"Amanda," Steve was saying. "Did you drive? Do you
need a ride home?"
"No. The boys and I rode in with my cousin."
Steve reached out his hand. Amanda placed hers in his without
thinking. Peter smiled, conceding the contest to Steve.
"I'll take you home. Jesse, why don't you take Dad and the
boys in your car?"
Mark hesitated. He was truly confused and hurt by Amanda's
secrecy, but Steve was furious. Mark could feel it. Jesse could
feel it to, and was about to protest. Mark shook his head in a
silent signal to the younger Doctor. Steve was going to confront
Amanda sooner or later. Might as well get it over with. He
dropped his arms around the boys shoulders.
"Who's up for popcorn and monster flicks?"
Amanda's boys, cultured out for the night, cheered. Druscilla and
Peter watched the group leave.
"Maybe we should have her deprogrammed. They're like some
cult," Druscilla commented. "You okay?"
"Yeah." Peter nodded. "You know I think in her own
strange way, Mandy was trying to protect us."
"Protect us? From what?"
"I did a little research on the Sloans. Let me catch you
up."
-3-
"I think Mark's angry with me," Amanda sighed. She felt
suddenly frightened, not of Steve, but some empty, specter of her
future.
"Dad could never be angry with you, Amanda."
Steve pulled the car into his drive, but instead of joining the
others in the house he pulled Amanda out toward the dark and
empty beach.
"It's cold."
Steve took off his coat and wrapped it around her shoulders. The
tender gesture robbed him of his burning anger. He took Amanda's
face in his hands and leaned his forehead against hers.
"Why did you keep this from us?"
Amanda pulled away. Folding her arms about her waist she backed
away.
"Okay, I didn't tell you about my dancing and about my
friends, but you have friends I don't know about?"
"Name two."
"Okay. But what about your metal sculptures and your
paintings? You keep that secret."
"How can it be a secret, Amanda, if you know about it?"
Amanda opened her mouth, but Steve held up his hand. "Don't.
One question. Are you in love with Peter Cheung?"
"What? No? Why would you ask something like that?"
"Because, I am tired Amanda. I am tired of choosing the
wrong women and being hurt, and hurting people because in my
heart I know the only woman I want is my life is you. Dad knew
this. The first day he met you he called me said he had met the
woman of my dreams. I tried to avoid meeting you, but, you know
Dad. He stood there with his large hands on your tiny shoulders,
smiling over your head at me saying: This is Amanda, son. I'm
surprised he did show up with a minister."
Amanda covered her mouth as if she could stop Steve's words from
echoing in her own voice. Steve went on.
"Then you and I started this little game of being just
friends. You want to count the number of bodies in our
path?" Steve laughed with realization. "That's why you
kept them from us. You didn't want your cousin, your friend, and
your students caught up in our adventures."
"Maybe." Amanda said. "But are you calling my
marriage part of our little game?"
"I'm sorry your husband is gone, Amanda. I liked him, what
little I knew of him. But you divorced him before he died. So you
tell me."
"You make me sound like some callous, heartless bi--"
This time Steve put his fingers to her lips.
"Don't use those words for the sweet and sensitive woman I
love, " he warned her. "And if you're callous and
heartless, what does that make me? The world's biggest cad? At
least you put some space between boyfriends."
"Gee. Thanks. I feel so much worthier."
He smiled and took her hand.
"So. Do you remember when, oh about eight or nine years ago,
we stood at this spot and I drew a line in the sand and said I
would never cross it unless you wanted me to."
"I remember."
"Well, consider that line erased." He kissed her.
-4-
Amanda caressed Kathryn Sloan's necklace as she waited for the
elevator. Steve welded the clasp after he placed the lovely piece
of silver and pewter around her neck in lieu of an engagement
ring. She smiled recalling how he gently kissed the back of her
neck after the hot metal lightly burned her skin.
"Amanda." Amanda turned to see her cousin waving at her
and smiling.
"Why don't you wait a few minutes and we can go to
Varter's."
Amanda hesitated. She wanted to go, wanted to see if she could
get back some of the magic of the old days. She shook her head.
"Steve has the boys. He's taking us night fishing. I'll see
you next week, okay?"
"Okay. Well, at least wait and we'll walk you to the parking
garage."
"I'll be okay." Amanda held up her key chain. "I
got my pepper spray."
The elevator open and Amanda stepped in. As the door closed on
her cousin's smiling face, Druscilla felt a moment of pure dread.
She ran inside to rush Peter with his meeting.
-5-
"Steve's going blow a cork," Amanda though as her head
hit the cement floor.
"Don't ever walk in a parking garage alone or at least carry
pepper spray and a remote to unlock the door. And be sure to
check the back seat of the car.
Goodness, Steve. She had laughed. I'm not some character in
Scream 4.
Amanda did not know how he circumvented her car alarm, but the
man-monster thing attacked her from underneath her car. His hand
snaked around her ankles like the some subterranean creature from
one of Mark's horror flicks. Her fall took the wind out her
screams and the light from her eyes. The man-monster thing hit
her with fist that pierced her skin like horrendous needles in
her chest and belly. She got the strength to push him off and
fight back, scooting on her hands and rear away, but he was
relentless as a cat at a mouse hole. She kicked him and but he
grabbed her ankles swearing, and grunting with lust as he struck
at her again. For a moment her vision cleared and she could see
the blood on her hands and arms.
He's stabbing me, she realized. Sheer terror galvanized her
remaining strength in one last powerful kick. He fell back and
she heard thunder and shouting. She tried to sit up to see but
she fell back against the floor again. She rested against the
floor. It felt warm.
I'm going into shock.
She saw her cousin standing over her, her face a masked of
horror. Behind her, Peter stood holding a gun and shouting. She
couldn't hear them, but she knew they were frightened by the
sight of her. She tried to speak a word of comfort to them, but
the world went gray.
End of Part One.
Go
To Part Two
