Not long afterward, Matt came in to get his son, and told us it was time. Adam looked at the baby like he wanted to offer him a cigarette and a blindfold. As Matt and the baby left, I glanced up at Adam. He was looking pretty pale. Rebekah, like many new mothers in this situation, needed some comfort, but she was already surrounded by women. I decided that Adam needed me more than she did. The mohel got the baby ready, laying him down and lifting his gown. I saw a quizzical expression appear on his face.
“Is that a return address label, holding his diaper together?” he asked. Adam and I glanced at each other. The mohel said the blessings and talked about the ancient significance of the ritual. I held Adam’s hand tightly. At the moment of truth, I pulled him down and whispered frantically in his ear.
“Yours came out very nicely. You have the most attractive purple-headed warrior I’ve ever seen.”
“Purple-headed warrior?” he whispered back with a laugh.
The baby gave a little cry, but that was all. It was over. They handed the baby back to Rebekah, who took him off to nurse him. Her tap was full. There were plenty of ‘mazel tovs’ and hugs to go around, including the very long, tight hug that Adam and I gave each other. We had survived.
“So, that wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be,” Adam said when we were in the car headed home. “I almost regret all the effort I’ve put into avoiding these things over the years. Although I would still rather go to a wedding or even a bar mitzvah.”
“Well, now I know I just have to distract you with my romance novel speak.”
“Purple-headed warrior? That’s really bad.” He laughed.
“Maybe later I’ll let you put it in my love grotto.”
“Oh stop! You’re getting me hot, baby.”
“Uh oh. Is your impressive member throbbing?” I teased and reached over to give his crotch a light squeeze.
“I think somebody’s going to get some fominal sexing tonight.”
“Hey, I just remembered. We never checked the purse I had the night of the book signing. I guess I had better do that before I have Gab pounding on the door. In fact, she probably left me a message.”
I took out my cell phone to check and noticed another missed call. Punching in my code, I listened to my messages. When I was done, I put my phone away and turned to Adam with a nervous look.
“What’s the matter?” he asked, glancing over at me.
“The landlord called. There were no maintenance visits to my apartment.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
As soon as we got back to my place, Adam started looking for a locksmith open on Sundays, and I went to find the black bag I had taken to Inferno with me. I had just dug it out of my closet when he came into the bedroom with me.
“Okay, here it is. Let’s see if Gab was right.” He walked over beside me and looked down as I opened it up and found … absolutely nothing. I turned it upside down for good measure. Nothing but a little lint fell out. “I guess she was wrong.”
“Did you say your wallet was in there?” Adam asked.
“Yeah, but I don’t think a flash drive would have fit in that.”
“You might as well check.”
I went to over to my regular purse and pulled out my wallet. I started going through it, and in one of the side panels, something caught my eye. It wasn’t a flash drive, but a slip of paper. I pulled it out and looked at it curiously.
“It’s a note. It says, ‘Go to your fan to get the drive, and give it to the U.S. Attorney’.”
“Which fan? You met, like, thirty of them that night,” Adam pointed out, coming over to look at the note.
“It would have to be someone who might have something to do with Moretti. Like Roxanne! Tony Amato is Moretti’s cousin, and she’s Amato’s girlfriend. She said she was a big fan.”
“It could be, I guess,” he conceded. “Maybe Dan McGuire was there to get it from her, but someone got to him first, or maybe he gave it to her to hold.”
“So, what are we going to do?” I asked, walking out to the living room with Adam following close behind.
“What do you mean, what are we going to do? We’re going to give this note to Sachs and let him worry about it. We’re doing more than our share by throwing a party for his hit man.”
“About that party, I think we should make up some invitations and give them out to the neighbors,” I said, going over to my desk and shoving some paper into my printer.
“Oh, do you now?”
“Yeah, we’ll go deliver them and see if we observe anything.”
“And when did this become a ‘we’ venture?”
“We’re throwing the party together.” I stopped shoving and looked up.
“Lily, don’t you start going all Gabrielle on me. I’m supposed to be protecting you. I’m not even sure this party thing is a good idea. I don’t want you getting any more involved than you have to be.”
“I can help you. We chased a burglar together in Bucks County.”
“I chased a burglar. You ran out after me in your night gown. I stopped chasing the burglar because I was worried about you getting hurt.”
“Well, I ran out after you because I was worried about you getting hurt,” My voice was starting to rise with emotion. He and I were looking at each other like we both knew something was about to go down. If it were a movie, orchestra music would be getting louder right about now.
“If that burglar hadn’t interrupted us that night, what would have happened?” he asked. He was looking at me so intently, that I felt pinned in place by his gaze.
“I guess you would have kissed me,” I answered throatily, feeling my pulse start to climb.
“And then what?” he asked in a husky voice, taking a step in my direction. My muscles tensed in preparation, and my heart slammed against my ribs, just like it had that night.
“Well, I wouldn’t have slapped you,” I answered, hesitantly.
“I’m glad to hear it,” he said with an amused look, taking another step toward me. “Do you have any idea at all how much I wanted you that night? I would have given anything …”
“I wanted you too. It’s better that it took longer, though. You said you weren’t ready and I don’t think I was either.”
“I am now,” he said quietly, taking another step and stopping about five feet away. We stood there and stared at each other silently for a moment. Finally, I worked up my courage, took a deep breath, and steadied my nerves as best I could, forcing the words out before I could change my mind.
“Is that a return address label, holding his diaper together?” he asked. Adam and I glanced at each other. The mohel said the blessings and talked about the ancient significance of the ritual. I held Adam’s hand tightly. At the moment of truth, I pulled him down and whispered frantically in his ear.
“Yours came out very nicely. You have the most attractive purple-headed warrior I’ve ever seen.”
“Purple-headed warrior?” he whispered back with a laugh.
The baby gave a little cry, but that was all. It was over. They handed the baby back to Rebekah, who took him off to nurse him. Her tap was full. There were plenty of ‘mazel tovs’ and hugs to go around, including the very long, tight hug that Adam and I gave each other. We had survived.
“So, that wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be,” Adam said when we were in the car headed home. “I almost regret all the effort I’ve put into avoiding these things over the years. Although I would still rather go to a wedding or even a bar mitzvah.”
“Well, now I know I just have to distract you with my romance novel speak.”
“Purple-headed warrior? That’s really bad.” He laughed.
“Maybe later I’ll let you put it in my love grotto.”
“Oh stop! You’re getting me hot, baby.”
“Uh oh. Is your impressive member throbbing?” I teased and reached over to give his crotch a light squeeze.
“I think somebody’s going to get some fominal sexing tonight.”
“Hey, I just remembered. We never checked the purse I had the night of the book signing. I guess I had better do that before I have Gab pounding on the door. In fact, she probably left me a message.”
I took out my cell phone to check and noticed another missed call. Punching in my code, I listened to my messages. When I was done, I put my phone away and turned to Adam with a nervous look.
“What’s the matter?” he asked, glancing over at me.
“The landlord called. There were no maintenance visits to my apartment.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
As soon as we got back to my place, Adam started looking for a locksmith open on Sundays, and I went to find the black bag I had taken to Inferno with me. I had just dug it out of my closet when he came into the bedroom with me.
“Okay, here it is. Let’s see if Gab was right.” He walked over beside me and looked down as I opened it up and found … absolutely nothing. I turned it upside down for good measure. Nothing but a little lint fell out. “I guess she was wrong.”
“Did you say your wallet was in there?” Adam asked.
“Yeah, but I don’t think a flash drive would have fit in that.”
“You might as well check.”
I went to over to my regular purse and pulled out my wallet. I started going through it, and in one of the side panels, something caught my eye. It wasn’t a flash drive, but a slip of paper. I pulled it out and looked at it curiously.
“It’s a note. It says, ‘Go to your fan to get the drive, and give it to the U.S. Attorney’.”
“Which fan? You met, like, thirty of them that night,” Adam pointed out, coming over to look at the note.
“It would have to be someone who might have something to do with Moretti. Like Roxanne! Tony Amato is Moretti’s cousin, and she’s Amato’s girlfriend. She said she was a big fan.”
“It could be, I guess,” he conceded. “Maybe Dan McGuire was there to get it from her, but someone got to him first, or maybe he gave it to her to hold.”
“So, what are we going to do?” I asked, walking out to the living room with Adam following close behind.
“What do you mean, what are we going to do? We’re going to give this note to Sachs and let him worry about it. We’re doing more than our share by throwing a party for his hit man.”
“About that party, I think we should make up some invitations and give them out to the neighbors,” I said, going over to my desk and shoving some paper into my printer.
“Oh, do you now?”
“Yeah, we’ll go deliver them and see if we observe anything.”
“And when did this become a ‘we’ venture?”
“We’re throwing the party together.” I stopped shoving and looked up.
“Lily, don’t you start going all Gabrielle on me. I’m supposed to be protecting you. I’m not even sure this party thing is a good idea. I don’t want you getting any more involved than you have to be.”
“I can help you. We chased a burglar together in Bucks County.”
“I chased a burglar. You ran out after me in your night gown. I stopped chasing the burglar because I was worried about you getting hurt.”
“Well, I ran out after you because I was worried about you getting hurt,” My voice was starting to rise with emotion. He and I were looking at each other like we both knew something was about to go down. If it were a movie, orchestra music would be getting louder right about now.
“If that burglar hadn’t interrupted us that night, what would have happened?” he asked. He was looking at me so intently, that I felt pinned in place by his gaze.
“I guess you would have kissed me,” I answered throatily, feeling my pulse start to climb.
“And then what?” he asked in a husky voice, taking a step in my direction. My muscles tensed in preparation, and my heart slammed against my ribs, just like it had that night.
“Well, I wouldn’t have slapped you,” I answered, hesitantly.
“I’m glad to hear it,” he said with an amused look, taking another step toward me. “Do you have any idea at all how much I wanted you that night? I would have given anything …”
“I wanted you too. It’s better that it took longer, though. You said you weren’t ready and I don’t think I was either.”
“I am now,” he said quietly, taking another step and stopping about five feet away. We stood there and stared at each other silently for a moment. Finally, I worked up my courage, took a deep breath, and steadied my nerves as best I could, forcing the words out before I could change my mind.
