The team was in place near dawn sweeping through the Carpenter apartment. A sheet from the laundry, a washcloth from the bathroom, the wine glass from tonight. Some samples would come back belonging to Lauren; the rest would identify Nicolette Parsons, CIA fugitive, as having been a guest. By mid day they had the positive match.
Lauren was in the Rome office when she heard the news. While she was happy to have curried some favor with the higher ups, this news would devastate her brother. He'd be brought in and debriefed. No charges would be filed. He thought her name was Sophia Kane, a quiet girl he'd met in a bar in just outside of the center of Rome.
Her bureau chief found her and seemed to know her thoughts. He pulled a chair from an empty desk and sat with her.
"It might not be a bad idea for your brother to…be away for a few days. While we bring in Nicky Parsons."
"You think it'll go bad?" God, for Ben's sake she hoped not.
He wouldn't say. "Maybe a quick weekend trip."
Without his girlfriend? How the hell could she convince him of that? But she nodded. She'd try. "This weekend." He added.
Shit. It was already Thursday.
Lauren thought fast and got on the internet. After a minute she'd found what she was looking for and picked up the phone. Feigning a perky voice she waited for Ben to answer so she could tell him about this great ski trip she'd been given last minute by a happy client. Private banking did have its privileges.
He watched her work, another face at the rear of the bar. It hadn't been hard to track her but not too easy either. The thought gave him comfort; if he'd had any sort of difficulty then he was sure anyone else would have had more.
Her hair was longer than it was the night she'd gotten on that bus. The night she'd cut it--another sacrifice she made for him. The shade had grown out some, not nearly as dark anymore. The sun had kissed it and made it lighter. He admitted to himself that he liked it. It looked less like Marie's. Was that the reason or was there something else?
She poured and smiled in passing as she gave out drinks and slipped bills into the register. He watched her watch the crowd again and again always turning his head or tying his shoe when his part of the crowd was scanned. Good, he'd thought. Taking inventory of her surroundings was important and he was glad to see her do it. He watched her pour and work as a spotty memory crept forward.
A big clock counting time, cheering voices, she passed by in a steady blur. "Go! Yes! Good pace! That's it!" His voice, yelling. A quick smile to him as she went by and his skin warmed.
Then, heat from a close by fire. Taut skin in his hands, kneading and rubbing. Murmurs of pleasure from her. Nicky's voice. Drinking from a bottle filled with yellow liquor, Her idea, not his but he'd gone along "Tender kisses turning passionate, strong. Feeling her beneath him, surrounding him, loving him.
It had been a vivid memory and his eyes were wet. He pushed it back and watched her some more before claiming a watchful post outside.
A drink came out from the crowd and back to the bar. Out of the corner of her eye she saw it appear back on the counter. Nicky looked around to see who the small glass belonged to but no one seemed to be without. She pulled the glass to her.
Limoncello. She'd loved this drink once. Years before. Without her knowledge the small smile crept across her face as she remembered the night she'd had too much. She'd run a marathon and had finished with a not too shabby time, and she was proud of herself. Jason had been there, happy for her, had helped her train for it. And they'd celebrated. With shots of Limocello in front of the fire in her apartment. They'd shared the bottle while he rubbed her feet, her calves, had kissed and touched and loved the pains away. The hangover the next day had been a well invested payment for the night they'd shared.
Immediately her smile left as she caught herself in the memory, saw her fingertips dancing around the glass. And then the voice spoke to her in Italian.
"Is that for me?" A drunken customer.
"Scusa, no." She shook her head, smiling and tried for English. "Or. Did you order this?" She held up the glass, questioning.
He answered in accented English. "I'd take it if you'd touch me the same way." He seemed harmless but her guard was up. Under the bar she palmed the zester, ready to use it first to graze and take surprise, then to stab and maim. Then she'd run. She always had these plans of attack. Knew which instrument was kept where and what it's best use would be.
She rolled her eyes at him. "I can touch you with this." She added some flirt to her voice as she showed him the zester. He moved on.
"Maria?" She called to the other bartender. "Did you pour this?"
"I don't know," the older woman called back. "It's busy tonight." She finished what she was doing and wiped her hands on her bar apron. "Let me see..." She smelled it. "Limoncello."
"I know, it's just..." She smiled and dismissed the drink, pouring it down the sink. "Never mind."
A few hours later Ben came in.
"Hey!" She greeted him with a bright smile. "No band tonight. What are you doing here?"
"Come take a break." He leaned forward on and over the bar and grabbed her hand, pulling her toward the end. Maria nodded that it was fine.
They walked outside where she huddled her arms around herself in the chill and looked at him expectantly.
"First off…hi." He grinned and bent to kiss her. A loving kiss.
Nicky pulled back first as she always did. "Hi." She grinned back.
"So listen." He told her. "I have news." He filled her in on Lauren's ski trip invitation.
"Davos?" Nicky's brow furrowed "Switzerland?"
Ben nodded, excited. "Come on. It'll be fun!"
"Yeah, it'll be fun for you watching me fall on my ass." She retorted. "I don't ski."
He stepped forward and his arms went around her. "Well, there are other things to do there besides ski," he murmured, kissing her hairline down around her ear to her neck.
"No fair," she told him just before he left her neck and kissed her mouth, a long and lazy kiss.
"Skiing, huh?" She was beginning to give in. Maybe getting out of Italy, if even for a few days, would be a good thing. She'd been here for a while which she was proud of. Had stayed off the grid as much as possible, kept up a decent strength training and endurance program, kept her senses sharp. But a change of scenery might be good.
They stayed outside for a few more minutes and talked about the trip. Nicky didn't like that she'd be going without an invitation. But Ben had whispered that it would be their secret and besides, Lauren had already reserved two rooms. His eyebrows had gone up and down, insinuating the fun they could have covertly, making a ridiculous face.
"It could be fun," she'd conceded. He'd drive with Lauren and she'd take the train. Neither of them paid attention to the few cars that passed by, the bikers, the couples out for an evening walk. But the dark coated figure that had been watching Nicky inside did, and made mental notes while staying hidden in the shadows.