Disclaimer: I own nothing. The characters all belong to Amy Sherman Palladino. No copyright infringement is intended and no profit will be made from this story.
Richard fought the urge to take the man's hand and pull it forcefully away of her. He tried to regain his composure and knocked on the half opened door. The inspector turned his head and looked at the tall man standing on the doorstep, didn't move his hand from her shoulder. Emily seemed miles away from the room, her head still buried in her hands.
"Emily" Richard said looking at her, apparently ignoring the man.
She gasped at the sound of his voice. In that moment their eyes met and she stood up and quickly ran towards him. She put her hands around his neck and pulled her body as close as possible to his. He held her tightly, bending down to kiss her forehead softly. She leaned her head on his chest, slowly relaxing at the reassuring sound of his beating heart.
"How are you?" He asked in a low voice.
"I'm so scared Richard. Please tell me they'll find her." She responded still encircled by his strong arms.
He caressed her hair and only in that moment he noticed the bandage on her forehead. He gently put his fingers over the patch and asked her what happened.
"One of them, the kidnappers I mean, hit me and I fell down on the alley. But it's not a big cut. The inspector accompanied me to the hospital. The doctor said I'll recover in a few days. Richard, we have to find her." Emily spoke in a low voice, her eyes fixed on his. Her hands had seized firmly the lapels of his jacket.
"Don't worry Emily. I'm here to find her. I promise you that you'll hug her in a short time." He responded, trying to calm her down.
"I'm glad you're here. I missed you." She stared at him with her reddened eyes.
"I missed you too." He whispered.
It ached his heart to see her in such a big pain. He bent down slowly and kissed her mouth. It was a soft and light kiss, they were not alone, he thought. But Emily needed to feel him, not that that was the proper moment for effusions, but she knew that his physical closeness was the best thing to calm her down. She took his face into her hands and kissed him. He allowed her to part his lips and seek out his tongue. It was quick, but both of them felt the pure love that passed through their mouths. To be in his arms was reassuring. She felt safe and protected only when she was close to him. Never in her life had she felt in this away with any other people, even her parents.
Richard gently pulled away from her, partially twirling her, so he could be able to walk. He went towards the middle aged man, still holding Emily in his left arm.
"Good morning, I'm Richard Gilmore." He introduced himself, shaking his hand.
"Good morning, I'm Giuseppe Lojacono. I'm the inspector of this district." The man responded polite. The hold of Richard hand on his was a bit too strong, but he managed not to show the light pain it provoked.
"So, there is some news about the kidnapping of our daughter?" Richard asked directly.
The inspector invited Richard and Emily to sit down, before responding. He saw the scene of Richard's arriving, and he was a bit annoyed by the way Emily touched her husband. She never let go of him from the moment he showed up at the door. Lojacono could feel a wave of envy towards this man. But he put this thought into a corner of his mind. He was in his office, sat in front of a couple of parent worried because of the kidnapping of their daughter. No matter how beautiful the mother was, he had to be professional.
"We have found the car they probably used yesterday morning at Carini. Usually the kidnappers used more than a car for their moves, so I can rule out that they stopped in that town for more than a couple of hours. They probably changed the car there and then drove to another destination during the night. The zone is almost uninhabited, so it was easy for them to move without being observed." Lojacono explained.
"So, let me get this straight, you find a car, but you're not sure it's the same they used for the kidnapping. You did even look for them in Carini, because they probably ran away from there. Let me say that with "probably" we'll go nowhere. I don't know how it works in Italy, but in Connecticut the police don't think at the probabilities, but look for the facts. Search. I need you give me some certain information, Mr. Lojacono." Richard spoke serious, looking straight at the policeman.
"We are searching Mr. Gilmore. I can assure you that the entire department is involved in your case." Lojacono responded loudly. He had no intentions to let that rich American man insult and disrespect his job.
"My daughter is somewhere most certainly not in his office with two unknown men that took her away from her mother and me. I need to be sure you're doing everything to find her. I came here to bring my daughter home, and I have no intentions to stay for that long. Is that clear?" Richard challenged the man. He hated him from the first moment he saw him. The way he looked at Emily drove him crazy. That man courted his wife under his eyes. He couldn't had tolerate such behavior; otherwise he wouldn't have almost started a fight with him. He was intelligent enough to know that a fight with the inspector could only give a more pain to Emily, and on the other hand he needed his help. He brought George with him from Hartford to have an external help, but he had to know the details and obtain more information to make him able to do his work and find Fiore.
The three stayed in silence for a while. The room was filled with tension. Both Richard and Lojacono stared at Emily, but she had eyes only for her husband. She belonged to him, she wanted him to help her through all of this. She had to be strong for her daughter. The first time she lost her she spent weeks crying, but now she wouldn't allow herself to break down. She had to fight for her, and now that Richard was at her side she knew she could be able to face the situation and to be collaborative. She took his hand in hers and squeezed it gently, a weak smile forming on her face. He nodded, understanding the unspoken statement she made with her eyes. He was glad she tried to be strong. He caressed her hair gently, slipping down to cup her cheek. In that moment the ring of his cell phone broke the silence. He pulled it out of his pocket and looked down at the display. "Number withheld". It took him only a couple of seconds to understand, before a shiver crossed his back.
"Hello" "I want to talk with her. I need to know she's alive" "Ok, I'll wait for your next call." "I promise." Richard tried all the time to sound firm and sure, but when he hung up he breathed heavily, but also in relief. He heard her. She talked to him, she spoke few words, but she was alive and seemed alright.
Emily never moved her eyes from his face during the brief conversation. She scrutinized his expression, but he was unreadable. He closed his eyes and swallowed hardly, then took a deep breath and started to speak.
"They asked for 5.000.000 €. I think I can get the money from the bank this afternoon. They'll call me later, hopefully before tomorrow." He explained calmly to the inspector, and then he turned his head to face Emily.
"I talked to her. It was a brief conversation, but she seemed ok. She said they didn't hit her and she asked me to pay the ransom." He added.
"Did she sound frightened?" Emily asked concerned.
"I had the impression she was fine. She spoke calmly and with a firm voice. She also added that she was sorry, but I don't know why. I really don't understand why she has to be sorry." Richard said caressing Emily cheek.
The inspector was surprised by the man who sat in front of him. He was so cold and sure of himself just a moment ago, talking with the kidnapper, and now he was reassuring and tender with his wife. He never saw a father act in this way in a similar situation. Usually there was fear and desperation in the parents, but this tall man was different. The way he was handling the whole situation was remarkable. He talked with the men that took his daughter with self-confidence, at a certain point he sounded even demanding.
"Mr. Gilmore, I guess you know that is prohibited to pay any kind of ransom in Italy. I have to inform you that your Italian account will be blockade." He said looking straight in the man eyes.
"What? Does it mean you're forbidding me to pay them to free my daughter?" Richard spoke aloud. The tone of his voice was angry and surprised at the same time. He felt the blood boil in his veins.
"So I think it's time we go back to our hotel, Emily." He said taking his wife hands, forcing her out of the chair.
Emily looked at him stunned. Why did he act so rude? She didn't try to contradict him, but simply followed him. They quickly said goodbye to the inspector and went out of the police station. Richard took his cell phone from his pocket and called a taxi. It arrived five minutes later. They got in it and sat close. Emily put her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.
When they arrived at the hotel Richard gently guided her in their room and suggested to rest for a while. Emily was evidently tired, and he was worried for her health. He was sure she minimized the whole hit matter as to not frighten him. On the other hand he needed some time alone to handle the situation in his way. He didn't want Emily to know about this side of him. He never told her about George and his kind of job. He never told her that he knew people that were connected with the CIA and not high society. Honestly he never met in person criminal people, but he knew how to obtain his information when it was necessary. In order to leave Emily out of it, he needed someone to stay with her. He went to the balcony and sat down on a white iron chair looking at the sea in the distance. Who could comfort Emily while he was busy in his personal investigations? He thought about Lorelai first, but she was pregnant and one daughter in danger was enough, he told himself. Rory? No, she was too young to deal with such a painful situation, and maybe she would be in danger as well. It was a hard thing to resolve, but suddenly his mind went to Hope. Emily was so close to her little sister that surely she would be feeling better if she had talk to her. He took his cell phone, called his sister-in-law and told her quickly about the kidnapping and Emily. Hope agreed to come and took the first flight from Paris to Palermo. Richard closed his eyes for a while, inhaling the breeze coming from the sea, and then he stood up and went back to the room. He looked at his Emily on the edge of the bed. She was suffering as well in her sleep. The bandage covered the left side of her forehead, a lock of hair partially slipped over it. Her hands were near to the pillow, while her legs were drawn close to her stomach. Usually she lay in that fetal position only when she felt hopeless and hurt. He swallowed hardly at the thought that in the last years he saw her in that position many times, too many times, and partially because of him. She was so hurt when two years ago his mother said her that she was not a good wife! It had been a Friday night dinner and Lorelai was sat near to Emily, while Rory was opposite of her. Emily was speaking about the Christmas party she was organizing for the DAR, when out of the blue Trix attacked her. She insulted her in front of the girls, saying that a good wife was more obliging than her, that a Gilmore's wife never contradicted her husband. She arranged the final hit saying that a good Gilmore's wife always gave to her husband a male heir. So she called Emily not a good wife. He could perfectly remember how her body stiffened, her facial muscles contracted and how her eyes looked down at her lap for the rest of the evening. She barely spoke until the girls went back to Stars Hollow, and then she excused herself and went upstairs. He followed her half an hour later and found her exactly in the same position she was now. She silently cried until she fell asleep that night.
Richard felt a wave of pain cross his entire body at the memory. He had had to stand up in front of his mother that night, but he was too respectful towards Trix to criticize her behavior. He hated himself to have put his Emily in that condition.
He walked towards her side of the bed and sat near her back. He bent down and kissed her cheek softly.
"I love you Emily. I promise I'll do everything to bring Fiore back to you. And I promise I'll do everything to make you happy." He whispered to her ear.
"I love you too." She mumbled half asleep and then she turned to the other side.
Richard asked for the room service at lunch. They ate in silence, and he had to force her to eat at least the salad. An hour later they sat on the edge of the bed when somebody knocked to their door. Richard stood up to open it. It was surprised to see the inspector, but he allowed him in the room.
"I'm sorry to disturb you, but I have something to discuss with you Mr. Gilmore." Lojacono followed Richard in the little living room of the suite and took a place in the pink armchair. Emily walked in it and looked at him hopefully. He was unable to take his eyes off of her. He felt so stupid for this, he was acting like a teenager experiencing his first love. She looked a bit more relaxed than the last time he saw her, and she seemed still more beautiful. He was brought back from his thoughts by her voice.
"Mr. Lojacono, please tell us why you are here. Something happened? Did you have some news about Fiore?" She asked concerned.
"I'm here to inform you that you have a couple of days before the judge prepares the block of the goods. So Mr. Gilmore if you…." The inspector stopped before to finish the phrase. It was not exactly legal what he was doing, but at the moment it was better to have the money available.
"I can say that the kidnapping of your daughter is not connected with the local mafia. There are no elements to join it to the local heads of gangsters, so I think that the agents will be connected with somebody that knows your family well." Lojacono spoke looking always at Richard, avoiding Emily gaze.
Emily looked intently at Richard, trying to overcome the shock provoked by the inspector words.
"The only people that know about our daughter are my mother, my daughter Lorelai, my granddaughter and my sister-in-law. I can rule out the fact that they are involved in the kidnapping." Richard reasoned.
"And John and Pennilynn." Emily added.
"Pennilynn?" Richard asked confused. He never mentioned Fiore to her during their last encounter in his house the week before.
"Your mother told her." She responded annoyed.
"Who are those two people?" Lojacono asked trying to understand.
"John Smith is Fiore fiancé, and Pennilynn Lott is….she is a friend." Richard said slowly.
"Friend?" Emily remarked.
"Well, she is my old fiancé." Richard added looking down at his feet.
"Is possible that your old fiancé holds some grudge towards you?" Lojacono asked suspiciously.
"I can rule that out. Emily and I have been married from over thirty nine years, and the relationship with Pennilynn was always merely friendly." Richard spoke avoiding Emily's look. She did even forgive him for his encounters with his old fiancé.
The three talked for half an hour about the topic, until Richard excused himself to go to the bank. The idea of Emily alone with the inspector made him crazy, but he needed to get the money as soon as possible, and Emily was not fine enough to follow him or for to stay alone. He gave a challenging look at the man before he kissed Emily on her lips and go out of the room.
"I'm sorry you have to stay here to keep me company, Mr. Lojacono. But my husband is a bit apprehensive in the last time. I hope it's not a big inconvenience for you, I'm sure you have a lot of things to do in your office." Emily said looking at him.
He could feel the same sensation building in his stomach he had felt the day before carrying her up the stairs.
"It's not a problem Mrs. Gilmore, I have some calls to make and I think I'll be able to make them from here." He responded.
"Oh, well. In this case I leave you alone. I'll go back to the bedroom, if you need something please call me." She stood up and walked towards the bed. She sat on the edge and let her head fall on the pillow.
Lojacono walked back and forth along the little living room for a while, his left hand carrying the cell phone and the other in the pocket of his casual jacket. He spoke with his informants and ordered his detectives to do research about Fiore adoptive family. He was sure that the solution of the case was in her family. When he finally put his cell phone back in the pocket he leaned out to the bedroom door and saw Emily sleep. She probably had fallen asleep by accident, she still half sat on the edge of the bed and her head was supported on the pillow. He swallowed hardly, she was like a vision for him. Just a moment ago he was his usual ultra professional self, efficient and demanding with the men of his district, and now he was so stunned by the woman in front of him. He had never gotten married because of his job. He was convinced that a policeman had to devote his life to his job, to defend the others. He remembered the time when he was part of the team of Judge Paolo Borsellino. He spent so many months at strict contact with the regretted of mafia. He saw some of his colleagues killed by the mafia, and their families devastated by that. So he understood that he couldn't have a family, that he didn't want people he loved to suffer because of him. But now he was changing his mind. If he had met a woman like Emily before, he surely had asked her to marry him and perhaps he would have chosen her over his job.
Richard went to the bank and organized the money he needed for the morning after, then went to the little hotel on the coast where George was waiting for him. When the man told him the results of his investigations Richard was speechless. How was this possible? The inspector was right, only a member of his family could know….
He came back to the hotel two hours later, and he was absolutely tired and stunned. He had to find a way to inform the inspector about his discovery without letting him understand how he could know this. He climbed the stairs and walked towards the room door. He knocked twice and waited for Emily to open. His face frozen at the sight of the inspector.
"Where is my wife?" He asked suddenly. Maybe leaving her alone with that man was not the best idea, he thought.
"She's out on the balcony, she took a nap and then she needed some fresh air." Lojacono explained quickly.
He noticed the look on Richard eyes, and honestly he couldn't blame him for being jealous. He followed him through the bedroom towards the balcony.
"I have to go now. Please let me know if you need something Emily. I need you to come to the district this evening to sign some documents for the judge. Good bye." He said looking at her.
"Thank you Giuseppe. See you later." She responded with a weak smile.
"See you later." Richard added before the man could say anything more. He already said enough for his taste.
When Richard saw the door closed he turned towards Emily and gave her an angry look.
"Why on hell did he call you Emily?" He said sitting near to her.
"Because it's my name." She responded astounded. Why he was so upset about such thing?
"I know that. You understand very well what I meant." He continued.
"He told me to call him Giuseppe, I thought that maybe he could call me Emily. It's all. But why are you angry at me now?" She asked concerned.
"I'm sorry. I'm not angry at you, it's only that I don't like much that man." He responded caressing her cheek.
He motioned her to sit on his lap and she agreed silently. They were in their embrace for a very long time. He finally lifted her chin and looked in her eyes, then bent down and kissed her lightly on her lips. She responded willing at his attentions and let him deepen the kiss. He stood up and lifted her in his arms, constantly kissing her, down her neck and walked inside. He gently laid her on the bed and lay atop of her. They were not in the mood to make love, but both of them needed that closeness. They kissed for a long time, their hands caressed their dressed bodies while their lips pulled away every now and then only to breathe.
In the late afternoon they left the hotel and went to the police station. When Lojacono saw them approach to his office he stood up and walked around his desk.
"I think that we have to talk Mr. Gilmore." He said.
TO BE CONTINUED
In the next chapter Richard in action. What about George discovery? And what about Emily's admirer?
Thanks to all for reading!! Thanks to Barbara!! Please leave reviews!! I appreciate a lot to know your opinions about this story!!
To Emily&Richard4ever: Thanks for your reviews!!