Natalie was waiting when Adrian came out of Dr. Bell's office. She couldn't clearly read his expression until he lifted his head and she saw his red-rimmed eyes. When she saw him return his folded handkerchief to his pocket, she laid down her magazine and went to his side as quickly as she could.
"Are you ok?" she whispered, looping her arm through his.
He just nodded as they walked through the front door.
"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked.
He leaned over and kissed her forehead. "Not now…but soon."
Adrian was quiet for the first few minutes of their drive to the cemetery for Antonio Bertinelli's funeral. Natalie silently observed him. He didn't talk, but his features visibly relaxed and he looked more like the Adrian she had become used to seeing. She thought he looked very handsome in his charcoal grey suit, and she couldn't help staring at him, feeling the familiar butterflies return. Would that feeling ever fade? Maybe after they'd been married for a year, or five, or ten? It would probably never go away, and she wasn't sure she wanted it to. At a red light, he turned his head towards her. "What are you looking at?" he asked with a smile.
"I wanted to make sure you were ok, and then…"
"Then what," he asked, his smile widening. He had seen the blush creep into her cheeks.
"I was just checking out my handsome husband," she said with confidence. "Anything wrong with that?"
He was grinning enough for his dimples to show now. "No, not at all." Then he reached over and squeezed her hand. "I've missed this," he said.
"Missed what?" She looked at him through lowered lashes. "Being checked out by your wife?"
"No… well, that is nice, but what I meant was, I've missed having you beside me. I've missed having you with me while I'm working. It just doesn't seem right without you."
"Oh Adrian," she said, putting her hand on his arm. "That's one of the sweetest things you've ever said. I've missed it too."
"I was just reminded today how truly incredible you are, and I wanted to make sure you knew it."
"Oh stop it! Now you're going to make my mascara run before we even get to the funeral."
He glanced at her with a look that always made her a little weak in the knees. "You don't need it anyway. You're beautiful just the way you are."
That did it. Natalie was digging a tissue out of her purse in hopes of stopping the complete meltdown of her makeup, but truthfully, she didn't really care. She was certain she was the luckiest woman in the world.
They arrived at a very familiar San Francisco cemetery a few minutes early. After leaving the car, Adrian turned to Natalie with an unspoken question in his eyes. She nodded and he offered her his arm as they walked down the familiar path. They pulled their coats tighter around themselves to keep out the sharp wind, as dark clouds threatened above with the coming of rain. When they arrived, Natalie stood back as Adrian bent and placed fresh flowers by Trudy's headstone. After a moment, he turned and held out his hand for Natalie to join him. She hesitated and he motioned again. She stepped up beside him and he put his arm around her, pulling her closer. He looked down at her and said, "It's ok. She's happy for us."
Natalie smiled. Adrian had always had an inexplicable connection with his late wife. Maybe some women would be jealous of the connection that still seemed to exist between them, but she wasn't. It was just part of who he was, and one of the things that made her love him. "When did you first tell her how you felt about me, I mean when you realized I was more than a friend?"
"It was the day I took my ring off," Adrian replied. "I stayed awake all night trying to decide whether or not to tell you how I felt. I finally made up my mind to take the chance, but then I realized if I was going to pursue a relationship with you, I needed to quit wearing the wedding ring Trudy had given me, the symbol of my commitment to her. I came here and told her I would always love her, but she was my past. You were my present and I was hoping, my future." He looked appreciatively at the new gold band which now occupied the special place on his left hand.
"And it wasn't long after that you told me you loved me," Natalie said wistfully, remembering the moment. "You know, that was very brave of you, Adrian. Even though I think it was pretty obvious that I loved you too, I know you risked everything to tell me."
He took her left hand and kissed her own gold and diamond rings. "You were worth the risk."
She looked into his chocolate-colored eyes, which warmed her through on the cold, January day. "Thank you, my love. Thank you for taking that risk."
He entwined his fingers with hers and held her gaze, not wanting the moment to end, but knowing it had to. "We should go," he said, quietly.
As they began to walk away, Natalie bent to touch the headstone. "Don't worry Trudy. I'm taking good care of him."
Adrian smiled to himself. How did I get so lucky? he thought.
Minutes later, the couple arrived at the gravesite which would serve as their friend's final resting place. The people who had already gathered were huddled in twos and threes, underneath the tent, staying close together as the grey clouds had begun releasing a steady drizzle. The cold, wet weather only served to intensify the mood of the crowd. Adrian and Natalie nodded to some of the restaurant staff they recognized. Since neither Antonio nor his wife, Gia had any known relatives, those in attendance consisted of restaurant employees, business associates, and neighbors, but by the growing numbers, he was obviously well-loved. His tragic death had sent a shock wave through the lives he had touched.
When it was time, the minister rose. He began. "We are gathered here to praise God and to witness to our faith as we celebrate the life of Antonio Louis Bertinelli. We come together in grief, acknowledging our human loss. May God grant us grace, that in pain we may find comfort, in sorrow hope, in death resurrection."
The restaurant manager gave a touching eulogy and several others added their thoughts as well. After a beautiful rendition of Amazing Grace, the minister rose again and opened his Bible. "Matthew 5:4 says, 'Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.' Just like there is a healing and recovery process that involves time when our body is wounded or injured, so there is a period of time when we suffer loss. This is why the writer of Ecclesiastes said: 'To everything, there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven, a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.'"
Adrian wrapped his arm tightly around Natalie. They had both experienced their times of mourning after the loss of their first spouses, but they came together after the grieving was over, and yes there had been laughing and even dancing. He briefly closed his eyes as he remembered the dancing at their wedding. He remembered every detail of how she looked in her wedding dress, and how she felt in his arms.
The minister continued. "While we take the time to grieve the loss of our dear friend, let us remember that there is hope beyond this mortal earth. John 14:19 tells us, 'Because I live, you shall live also.' Because of Christ's resurrection, we can hope in heaven, a place of no more suffering and no more tears. Place your trust in him today and have that hope."
The minister gave a closing benediction and many of the attendees rose to place flowers on the coffin. Adrian and Natalie rose as well, and Adrian placed his hand on Natalie's back, guiding her away from the crowd, but then he stopped and touched her shoulder.
"What is it?" she asked.
"Look," he said, pointing to the eastern sky. There, on the horizon hung a huge rainbow. The sun had cut through the afternoon rain just as the funeral ended. Natalie hugged him and he smiled down at her. She remembered a time not that long ago when she had pointed out a rainbow to him, but he couldn't appreciate it. He was still grieving. Now, he understood and could appreciate its beauty.
"That man," Adrian said, pointing to a lone figure about fifty feet away, on a hill overlooking the tent they were in. He was dressed in a dark suit with a black overcoat. He was wearing sunglasses and was holding a black umbrella. "I saw him here when we first arrived. I thought he was here for the service, but he never came and sat down. He stayed there the whole time."
"That's odd," said Natalie.
Just then, the man took off his sunglasses and wiped his eyes with a handkerchief. Natalie gasped just as Adrian gripped her shoulder tighter. The man looked so much like Antonio, he could have been his twin. "The letters," Adrian said. "I need to talk to him!" He started walking up the hill towards the man with Natalie not far behind. "Sir," Adrian said, once he was close enough for the man to hear him. "Can I talk to you?"
The man lowered the handkerchief from his face and squinted at the couple moving quickly towards him. He didn't wait to find out what they wanted, instead choosing to turn and run.
"Oh come on," muttered Adrian as he took off after him, but it didn't take long for him to overtake the older man. Grabbing his arm and catching his breath, he said, "My name is Adrian Monk. I'd like to talk to you about Antonio Bertinelli."
"I have nothing to tell you," the man said, breathing hard and trying to pull his arm away. "Let me go."
"He was your brother, wasn't he?" asked Adrian, releasing his arm.
The man dropped his head and looked at the ground.
Natalie caught up as quickly as her slim-cut dress and heels would allow. "I'm so sorry," she said, slightly out of breath. "He was our friend."
The man slowly nodded, then with a thick Italian accent, he answered. "Yes, Antonio was my brother. He was my twin brother."
Monk and Natalie took Antonio's brother to a café across the street for a cup of coffee and a sandwich. With the unpleasant weather that day, it was practically empty, so they easily found a private table. After taking their seats, Vince Rossi took off his overcoat and loosened his tie, looking much more at ease.
"So Monk," he said. "Adrian Monk, the detective?"
"Yes, that's me," responded Monk.
"My brother told me about you. He was very proud to have you frequent his restaurant. And this is your lovely wife?"
"Yes, this is my wife, Natalie. Your brother's restaurant was a special place for us." He paused and took a sip of his coffee. "Mr. Rossi, I'd like to ask you some questions about your brother if you don't mind."
Rossi leaned forward in his chair, placing his elbows on the table. "First of all, please call me Vince, and if you're trying to figure out who killed my brother, I can save you a lot of trouble. I know who did it."
"Who did it, Vince?" asked Adrian, also leaning forward.
Vince Rossi looked back and forth between Adrian and Natalie, then he took a deep breath. "It was Caprioli, Luigi Caprioli Jr."
Adrian looked at Natalie and she nodded, proud that his hunch was right. "How do you know this?" he asked.
Vince took another sip of coffee just as the waitress brought their sandwiches. "It was revenge, plain and simple, revenge of his father's death in prison."
"Was your brother involved with the Mafia?" asked Monk.
Vince swallowed a bite of his sandwich and wiped his mouth with his napkin. "Yes, he was involved, heavily involved, but not in the way you think. My brother and I grew up in Chicago, the sons of first-generation Italians. Our family owned a restaurant there. My father was a fabulous cook, and my mother could bake like no one else. As soon as we were old enough to be in that kitchen, our parents had us there. I loved to bake, like our mother, but Antonio learned to cook, like our father, and he was good at it, really good. By the time he was eighteen, he was the head chef at our restaurant, but his dreams were bigger than our small restaurant. He and his wife, Gia, who he married when he was 21, spent their honeymoon in Las Vegas, and he was seduced by the glamour and the lights. They moved there soon after and he began to work in different restaurants, each one bigger and better than the one before. In 1977, his work caught the attention of Luigi Caprioli Sr., one of the biggest mob bosses of Las Vegas at the time. He was in the process of building a new casino and he offered my brother a job, head chef of the casino restaurant. It would be more glamorous and more money than he had ever dreamed of. My parents warned him not to get involved with the Mafia. They had seen it destroy their hometown in Italy and had suffered its influence in their Chicago neighborhood, but Antonio accepted the position. He said he would only do it for a little while. Then, after he'd saved enough money, he would open his own restaurant."
Monk put his finger to his temple. "You said Antonio married Gia when he was 21, but his marriage license says they were married in 1990."
"Of course," replied Vince. "That was one of the many things the U.S. Marshals changed about my brother's history, to throw off anyone who would be looking for him."
"Did they have any children?" asked Natalie. "He never told us about any."
"No," said Vince. "He and Gia weren't able to have children."
"Did you go with him to Las Vegas?" asked Monk.
Vince drained the last of his coffee cup and set it down. "Not at first, but after The Desert Queen, the new casino opened, and my brother began working there, he convinced me to come work for him. I couldn't say no. Twins have a very special bond, you know. We couldn't stay apart for long."
"So, that is how he got involved with Caprioli?" asked Monk.
"Yes, in a way. Caprioli liked my brother. Everyone did. He had a way with people, and people trusted him, so he became Caprioli's personal chef as well as the head chef of the restaurant. He would often bring him meals to his private suite or meetings at the casino. He overheard many, many things. By the time he realized what kind of man his boss was, he had become very afraid of him. He was even afraid to leave his employment, in fear that Caprioli might become suspicious of my brother's reasons for doing so. He stayed even though he disliked the man. Then, in 1988, my brother was approached by an FBI agent who told him they would like for him to testify against Caprioli. They were ready to take him down, but they needed testimony, and they were willing to offer Antonio immunity for it. Naturally, my brother was scared, but in the end, he decided to enter the Witness Protection Program in exchange for his testimony. He and three other men testified against Caprioli in a highly publicized trial. It was essentially the chink in the Vegas mob's armor. That was the end of their rule, at least until now."
"I found letters in your brother's home. I am guessing those letters were from you."
"That is correct," said Vince.
"How did you stay in touch with him? I thought that when someone entered WITSEC, they had to cut off all ties from their past."
"They are supposed to, but as I said, you can't keep twins apart, so Antonio contacted me as soon as he got settled in California. He had a P.O. Box and I had a P.O. Box, so we thought it would be safe. I moved to San Francisco soon after so I could be as close as possible. We rarely saw each other, and when we did, it would be late at night in a public place, both of us heavily disguised, or I would go to his restaurant and eat, and he would come to my table, just as he did with his other customers. It wasn't ideal. We missed each other terribly, but it was better than nothing." He paused and wiped his hand across his face. "You…you don't think that's how they found him, do you, Mr. Monk?"
"No, I don't think so. We're not sure how he could have been found. The U.S. Marshals have never lost anyone under the program before. I think there must have been a mole."
"Someone who informed Caprioli?" asked Vince.
"Yes, I believe so," said Monk, taking the last sip of his own coffee. "Vince, you said there were three other men who testified against Caprioli. Can you give me their names?"
"I can, but they also went into the program, so their names were changed."
"True," said Monk, "but those in the program often keep their first or middle names, such as your brother. It would be a tremendous help to us if you could give them to me."
Monk could see the same fear cross his face as he had seen when Vince first ran from him. "We will protect you, Vince. You have my word."
Vince lifted the napkin off his lap and laid it on his plate. "I will give you their names, Mr. Monk, but then I'm leaving."
"Leaving the city?" asked Natalie.
"No," he smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I'm leaving the country. I think it's a good time to visit my cousins."
Monk and Natalie said their goodbyes to Vince Rossi, then walked back across the street to the cemetery. "I need to get back to the station to talk to Leland," Adrian said as they approached his car, but before he opened his door, his cell phone rang.
"Yes Captain," he said, answering it. "Yes, the funeral is over, and I have a rather interesting lead on our case…what? The FBI? They want what? Ok, we'll meet you down there."
"What was that all about?" asked Natalie as she buckled her seatbelt.
"That was Leland. It looks like the feds are now investigating Antonio's murder, too. They want us down at the FBI building on Golden Gate Avenue."
"I don't know if I like this," said Natalie. "I always get nervous when the feds get involved."
Adrian rubbed his forehead. "I don't like it either, but if this case is as big as it's beginning to look, they will have to be involved."