Undercover Chapter 11

I was disappointed that Bob failed to surface. I was more than disappointed, I was heartbroken. He's been gone for 10 days. I've been trying to keep up with all the new demands on my time, like eating healthy. It takes a lot of time and energy to eat healthy. You buy a head of lettuce and if you don't eat it in like 20 minutes, it gets all yucky. In reality, I guess it was more like a week but come on. Tastykakes keep forever, I think, I've never had a problem getting them eaten before they expire.

I had been to the gym several times since Morelli left. Dunphy had been a good workout buddy. He gave me his iPod to listen to the first time we went and said that if I just kept my mind on the music, I wouldn't think so much about the exercise. He also threw a towel across the little monitor at the front of the treadmill and told me not to peek at how long I'd been walking. It would be over before I knew it. He was right on both counts.

I listened to Dunphy's music the first time I went. I was afraid that he was into classic rock like Joe. I didn't know how long I could do it, but surprisingly, Dunphy had a little of everything on there. I didn't know how to skip songs or anything and I was scared to press any buttons so I just let it play. It wound from Country, to R&B, to hard rock, to Disco. At one point, even a song by NSync came on. What the heck is that doing on here? Dunphy was a 37 year old police officer, not a 14 year old girl. I can't see Dunphy getting into that stuff. However, it was the song where they are talking about getting freaky deaky and into cybersex. I could use a little freaky deaky in my life right now, so I sort of got into it with the complete hope that no one else knew what I was hearing. I went and bought my own iPod after that day so I wouldn't have to listen to anyone else's taste in music.

Every time I finished my workout I was rewarded with little notes from Joe. Sometimes I got one, sometimes more, but always something. They never said much, just things like 'All settled in here', 'Good break on the case today', 'Mom's birthday is next Thursday. She likes anything that smells like lilacs', and 'I miss you'. They were always signed, 'I love you, Joe'. Those slips of paper meant a lot to me and if a little sweat was the price, I'd gladly pay it. It was nice to think that Joe knew me well enough to know that I wouldn't take care of myself unless I had an incentive.

By the time there were 25 little red X's on my calendar, it was time to see the doctor again. He said that everything was looking great. I'd gained 2 pounds and that was fine. He would do a sonogram next month. I talked him into seeing me early so I would have sonogram pictures by October 14.

I still hadn't told Mor…um, Joe about Bob. I had hopes that I would come home one day and he'd be there waiting for me. Animal control had told me several times that they didn't have Bob but they had other nice doggies I could adopt. I didn't want another dog. I wanted Bob. I was still running ads in the newspaper and had gotten a couple of calls, but when I got over to look at the dogs, it wasn't Bob. I always dissolved into a heap of hormones and tears, but I held out faith that our doofy dog was just lost and he'd eventually end up back at home.

I had developed a little list of questions for Joe. Most of them could wait until I saw him, like what body shop he thought I should use to get our cars fixed. I normally didn't have to get cars fixed. I normally had to have them removed from a crime scene.

Another question I had was about a bill Joe got in the mail. It wasn't really a bill, but a notice of a draft. It was from a storage unit rental place. What the heck would Joe have in storage? There was plenty of room in the house for any furniture that he may have and he has always seemed to travel light, so I couldn't fathom what that was all about. It was just $40 a month, but it really had my curiosity up. It wasn't here in Trenton or I'd just drive over there and see. It's in Baltimore, Maryland, for goodness sake. The bill showed the last time Joe had accessed the unit was 2001. Obviously it wasn't something he needed to get to very often.

Also, the pharmacy called and left an automated message on our home answering machine that they had Joe's blood pressure medicine ready to be picked up. I didn't even know Joe took blood pressure medicine. I knew he drank a lot of Maalox. I wonder if I am the cause of his needing blood pressure medicine….I knew I was the cause of the Maalox addiction. I thought this was a question that merited my having Dunphy ask Joe about it. If he needed his medication, I needed to get it to him.

Old habits are hard to break. I had called Joe 'Morelli' for so many years, but several of my friends and family members who didn't know about his undercover operation have mentioned that maybe I am saying 'Morelli' to create distance between us since he ran away with Gilman and all. Therefore, I am trying really, really hard to call him Joe.

Albert and Valerie are starting to pressure me to file for divorce. Albert is an attorney, after all, and says he can handle it for me as painlessly as possible. There is no chance in the world I will do that just to cover up the operation. Even I have my limits. I can't get a divorce while I'm pregnant anyway, so I told them to talk to me about it afterwards. Albert says that if I file now, the divorce can be final the day after the baby is born, but if I wait, I'll have to follow the 90 day waiting period. I finally told him to butt out. It made Valerie mad, but you know I would like to have a little more support from my family.

I think Mary Lou finally figured it out. She was really clingy and careful at first, but when she realized that I wasn't mad at Joe, she said, "Okay, there's more here than meets the eye. You know I love you. I'll be here to support you and I expect you to call me if you need me." We've gone looking at maternity clothes but I haven't had to buy anything yet. I probably will buy a couple of little outfits before I go see Joe next month.

I'm surprised that no one has put the Detroit connection together yet. I haven't heard anyone say a word about it. I learned that the business Joe had been looking for – the one that previously occupied the current Duncan Donuts location, had been the Genieve Used Car Dealership. They had specialized in European vehicles. I knew immediately that I'd heard that name before. Joe had said that Tommy Takata's common law wife's name was named Genieve. I'm sure Joe had this info as well, but it certainly peaked my interest. I wondered what this had to do with Jeri Stephenson's murder.

My Mom and Dad have started buying little things for their newest grandchild. They already have 3 from Valerie, but they are making sure that I know they are very excited about Muffin. As happy as I am, I can't imagine how great my life would be right now if Joe was here, too. Mary Lou (since she knows something but she doesn't know what she knows) has started helping me remember things that I love about him. When we were shopping, she said, "What do you miss the most about Joe?"

I responded quickly, "His smell in the morning."

"Eew. Lenny smells gross in the morning. I don't know anyone who smells particularly good in the morning." She laughed.

"Joe does. He smells like love and really excellent sex in the morning." I sighed. She sighed, too.

The next time she asked, "If you could have had Joe here with you for one thing that happened this week, what would it have been?" I wanted to say 'the all night sex fest we'd be having tonight' but MaryLou would have choked.

"The doctor. He was so happy to be there last month. He's going to be a great

Daddy." If she didn't know something was up beforehand, she would have after I'd said that.

As for Joe's family, we're doing the Sunday dinner thing. There have been no more advances from Tony so I really think I was just tired and reading way too much into it that evening. Of course, I'm still not giving him any chances. I've started sticking to his wife like glue as soon as they come in. I haven't asked her to go to the bathroom with me yet, but I've thought about it.

Marc is still furious and he fumes and editorializes about what a jerk Joe is every time I see him. He is going to get a piece of my mind by the time this is over. I guarantee it. Mary and Kathy are just ignoring the situation. They just act like Joe's in the other room. That tells me that they know that something's up as well. Mike and Stewart, their husbands, are still just as scared of Mrs. Morelli as I am and they just sort of keep their mouths shut most of the time. They told me that they can't call her 'Mom' either. I think they just don't call her anything.

Mrs. Morelli is trying to be supportive, and she is, indeed, driving me crazy. She really wants to teach me to make manicotti. Now that sights and smells aren't bothering me so much, I need to take her up on her offer. Joe would love for me to be able to make his mom's manicotti.

When I met Dunphy at the gym after the Doctor appointment, I said, "I have two things for Morelli. First, tell him that the Doctor says Muffin is fine." This news got a big smile out of Dunphy. "Secondly, ask him if he needs his blood pressure medicine. I didn't even know he took blood pressure medicine, did you?"

"Yeah. I have to take cholesterol medicine and Joe takes blood pressure meds. We went on them about the same time. So, he started taking it, oh, a couple of years ago maybe."

I replied, "So, do you think I'm the reason he has to take it?" I was sort of embarrassed to ask.

He changed the subject, "Are those new shoes?" He laughed, too. I think I got my answer.

After I worked out today, I said, "Hey, Dunphy, how does Joe get these notes to you? I thought he couldn't have contact with anyone."

He chuckled. "That's a trade secret, friend. I'll let Morelli tell you how it works when you see him."

I saw Dunphy's eyes lock onto a target over my shoulder. I turned to see what was up. It was Connie Risolli. "Hi, Connie. How are you? I didn't know you came to this gym," I said.

Connie swallowed, looked away from Dunphy for the first time and said, "I didn't think you went to any gym."

I introduced my two friends to each other. There were instant pheromones penetrating the air and I was starting to feel like a third wheel, so I asked for my payoff from Dunphy and was ready to leave. He said he had to go to the locker room to get the note and he'd be right back. Connie immediately pounced, "Omigod. Who is that? He's amazing. I hope he's not too smart, I like them big, sweaty and dumb."

"Well, I think he's probably sort of smart, but he is definitely big and sweaty. Maybe he can 'dumb down' for you. His name is Dunphy and he's Morelli's best friend. He's a cop," I knew that probably disqualified him in Connie's mind. Her family frequents the wrong side of the law.

"That's too bad. Of course, I'm not really looking to marry the guy. I just want some sweaty sex. It's been toooo long." She offered, giving him a slow look up and down and licking her lips.

"I'm pretty sure he would be game for that, too." I said. What single guy isn't?

Dunphy reached my side and handed me my note, never breaking his open mouthed stare at Connie's chest. I made myself scarce. The last time I saw them, Connie was feigning stupidity on how to start the treadmill. It's not like there isn't a huge green button that says, "Start" or anything. Oh, well, no one said that pickups have to be done intelligently. The first time I was with Joe he just bought a cannoli from me and look where we are all these years later.

I waited until I got to the car before opening my note. It said, "If it makes you feel any better, Terri is acting like a total bitch." The note was all scrunched up like they had fought over it or something. I was really hoping it wasn't foreplay of some kind. Joe gets turned on by the strangest things. Of course, if she was like a sister to him, maybe they were having a sibling spat. He'd still signed it, 'I love you, Joe.' Surprisingly, it did make me feel better.

The newspaper had finally given up on me. I guess by now it was old news. I was still seeing people in the grocery store that would avert their eyes because they felt so bad that Morelli had abandoned that poor stupid little wife of his in her time of need. It was pissing me off.

However, my skips were being very cooperative and I hadn't been in any dangerous situations lately. Maybe I should have gotten pregnant and abandoned years ago. Other than missing Joe and Bob, my life was pretty excellent. Rex, Muffin and I were doing fine. I had made a substantial dent in paying down my debts this month. If I kept it up for just another couple of months, I would owe less than $5000. That's better than my debt load had been when I got out of college. Yea for me!

Dunphy called me and told me that Joe said he had plenty of blood pressure pills and that I should pick up the prescription and bring it next month when I saw him. I wanted to ask him about Connie, but I thought I'd ask her next time I went into the office instead. He looked awfully happy, so I had a good idea that they'd hit it off. Or maybe they'd gotten off, or something.

For whatever reason, I had run into a number of pregnant woman with military husbands lately. They were in the same place I was. They each loved a man with a dangerous job who couldn't be here with them. I was lucky enough to know that Joe would move heaven and earth to be here for the baby's birth and I had confidence he would. Several of them indicated that they really didn't know how old their children would be before their daddy got to meet them. It made me so sad for them. I realized that this had been going on as long as the world existed. As long as there were bad guys, the good guys would need to leave their wives and families to protect them.

Today's my 34th birthday. I read an article that said that women giving birth after age 35 are considered advanced age birth mothers. That seems silly. I'm still not ready for it. How could 35 be advanced age? I went to the gym early today hoping that there would be a special note from Joe since it was my birthday. Unfortunately, Dunphy hadn't received a note for me today.

I spent the majority of the day feeling sorry for myself. My mother wanted me to come to dinner. I refused. I wanted it to just be me, Rex and Muffin. I sat and watched a game on TV with both hands on my tummy – on Muffin. I explained the rules of the game to him. He was going to come out of the womb an athlete just like Joe, even if he's a girl. My friend Eddie and my cousin Shirley dropped by to say 'hi' and see if I was doing okay. They brought me birthday cake. We visited for a while and had cake. It was nice to see them. Shirley said that if I needed a birthing coach, I should call Eddie because they had 4 children and he was such a good guy. It was nice to see them in love and still flirting after all those years. Eddie could be a real guy sometimes but I think he's pretty crazy about Shirley, even if she's a whiner.

At 9:20, my telephone rang. The number was listed as 'unknown' and I hardly ever answered those. However, I just knew I should get this one. "Happy Birthday, Cupcake!" It was the first time I'd heard Joe's voice in person in over 5 weeks.

"Joe! Hi! Thank you for calling me! I miss you so much!" Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't cry.

"Oh, Honey, I miss you, too. Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah, I'm great." This was the truth. "Did you hear about the Doctor's appointment? Everything is perfect."

"I heard. Baby, I can't talk long. I just wanted to hear your voice and make sure you know that it's killing me to miss your birthday. I promise I'll make it up to you." God, his voice is sexy. I wanted to crawl through the telephone and take advantage of him. "I adore you." He said. "Do you need anything at all? Is everything okay?"

"I just need you, Joe. Everything is okay."

"I love you so much, Stephanie."

"I love you, Joe."

I grinned like a stupid idiot the rest of the night.

Before bed, I thought I saw movement outside the same kitchen window that I had a few weeks earlier. Bob's not here to blame it on tonight. I didn't sleep all that great that night.