Undercover Chapter 17

I dutifully reported to the gym at the appointed time. Dunphy was waiting, as always. "Hi, … um, Dunphy, I don't even know your first name. What is it?"

I felt this was a logical question considering that we were becoming friendlier – he was fetching and toting for me on a daily basis now that I was 5 months along in my pregnancy. He blushed, and stammered, "Well, that's by design. I don't like people knowing my first name. I don't like it and I don't want to have to hear it. I usually get really ticked when I do, so I just don't tell anyone." He didn't know this presented a challenge for someone as curious as I am. He changed the subject, "So, I hear you spoke to your husband last night. Is he okay?"

"Yeah, I think so. He was sort of sleepy when I talked to him. However, I have a few things to say to Gilman next time I see her. Hey, I need to ask you a question. Do you know anything about electricity?"

"What, like how it works or something?" He looked puzzled.

"No, Joe put in one of those motion detector lights in the back yard before he left but it isn't working. I changed the bulb but even with Bob rushing around the back yard every evening, it still won't come on." I wanted to make sure it was okay because of the threat posed by the mystery caller.

"I'll come by and look at it after I'm done here. Need anything else?" He handed me my daily 'fix' - another note from Joe.

"Not that I can think of…Oh, yeah, I got a TV and I need you to carry it upstairs for me, if you don't mind. It's in my car now."

"Sure. How big is it? Do I need help?"

"Nah. It's not that big, just too big for me." I smiled and headed out the door to read my note.

The note read, 'Hug Bob for me. I miss him.'

I decided to clean the baby's room and to try to decide what all we might need to bring Muffin home from the hospital. We'd had a Grandma Bella 'Vision' induced pregnancy scare several years earlier and Joe's Godmother had brought his Christening Gown over at that time. I found it stuffed in the top of the closet in our bedroom and took it out of the box. It was about 4 feet long, and it had layer upon layer of delicate ivory lace. Joe had been thoroughly disgusted that it was a dress. It would be so beautiful on our baby. Joe and I had not been very good about attending church in the recent years. We should probably think about it a little bit since we are starting on the next generation.

The doorbell rang just as I had plopped my fat behind on the floor in the baby's room to start cleaning out dresser drawers. I had to work hard to get up off the floor, making me want to add 'chair for the baby's room' to my list of essentials I was making. The bell rang again as I was on my way downstairs to answer it. "I'm coming – keep your pants on!" It was a delivery guy with a van. He was wearing a green shirt that had a patch sewn on the front that said 'Gus'.

"Mrs. Morelli?" He asked.

"Uh…Yes…" that still seems like it can't be my name, so I have to think about it every time someone says it.

"I have a furniture delivery for you. Where does it need to go?" He was very polite, but I hadn't bought any furniture. Just then, Dunphy pulled up out front, too.

"Um, maybe you have the wrong house. I didn't buy any furniture," I said to Gus.

"Oh, Sorry. I'm supposed to give you this card. I guess it's a gift." I opened the card. It said, 'Congratulations on your new addition, Love, Vito and Cissi Grizolli.' I was thinking to myself, why would the Grizolli's send us furniture? Vito is a notorious mobster that Joe works with and against periodically. Also, they were Terri Gilman's parents. What a weird set of circumstances.

Dunphy approached the front porch and saw the look of horror on my face, I guess. "Omigod, Dunphy, I think this is a mob thing. Why else would the Grizolli's be sending us furniture?" His eyebrows furrowed.

He looked at Gus and asked, "What is it?"

"A whole room full of baby furniture," he answered. "Nice gift. Probably several thousand dollars worth. I sure wish me and my wife had friends like that."

"I don't want it." I tried to close the door, but Dunphy was on the other side.

"Wait, friend. Let's think about this. Isn't there another connection, like besides just Morelli? Wasn't Vito a good friend with his dad or something? Could that be what this is all about?" He paused and looked at me.

"Maybe, I guess." I looked back to the delivery guy. "Give me a minute." I ran inside and called 'Mom' Morelli. She confirmed, that yes, Vito Grizolli and Marc Morelli, (Sr.) had been best friends and yes, the Grizolli's had always sent a very generous gift when each of 'the kids' had their first child. She was happy to know that we got the same treatment, even since things hadn't worked out between Joe and Terri. Any other time, I would have been a little freaked out by the thought that she and the Grizolli's may have wished that things would have worked out between Joe and Terri but now, I was already at the top of my freak-o-meter just from having mob-furniture in my baby's room.

"Okay, put it upstairs, in the first room on the right. It's almost empty now." I pointed Gus to the baby's room and watched as Dunphy checked the back yard light and Gus carried up multiple pieces of furniture. He asked me to come up and tell him how I wanted them arranged in the room.

The furniture was a beautiful honey oak color. It looked very much like it had been handcrafted. There was a beautiful crib with carved spiral spindles on the sides and a lovely arch pattern on each end, a chest of drawers, with a top that made a changing table, but was removable when the baby outgrew it, a gorgeous dresser with a mirror and a very, very nice matching glider rocking chair with a footstool. The set was completed with a matching twin sized bed that could be used when the baby outgrew the crib, so this furniture could be used for years to come. I decided I loved it before it was even set up. Even if it was from the mob, it was beautiful and I was tearful realizing that Sophia or Joe Jr. would be able to use it for a long time.

I talked Dunphy into helping Gus carry the old dresser downstairs, and they put it, along with the new twin bed in the cellar for storage. I signed for the furniture. Dunphy told me that the reason the light hadn't been working was because I had turned the switch off next to the door. Apparently, the switch has to stay on for the light to work – even if it was motion-triggered. Who'd a thunk it? He put a piece of tape over the switch to keep me from mindlessly turning it off again by accident. While he was carrying the TV upstairs, I called for Pino's pizza I ordered it with double veggies since I'm pregnant and trying to eat better.

Dunphy hung around and ate with me and watched a game on TV with me. He was a nice guy, but I really needed to have Connie run down his first name. I didn't know how things ended up with them, however. "So,…Mister Dunphy, whatever happened with you and Connie?" I asked him, with my eyebrows raised.

"Oh, she's a nice girl. We had a few laughs and a nice time when we got together." Not what I expected to hear, considering that Connie could probably be very naughty when she wanted to be, "She just needs to live up to her….potential…." He winked at me and went back to watching the game. He was waiting to see if she could put on another 100 pounds I guess.

"Is your first name worse than 'Gus'?" I asked. He just looked at me and said nothing.

Dunphy left after the game was over. I was still a little restless. I'd asked him to put in a call to have Joe call me when he could. I wanted to tell him about the furniture and make sure it was okay to keep it and also to check on his wound and see how he was doing now. I knew I shouldn't bother him after just talking to him last night but I just felt an overwhelming desire to talk to him.

I let Bob out for the last time of the evening. I'd been diligent about putting him on his backyard leash since he'd gotten home so that he wouldn't get lost again. The motion detector light faithfully came on when he went out and stayed on for a few minutes after he was back inside.

I had been slowly making my way through the paperwork that had been riffled through during the break-in. I didn't find anything curious or unusual. Like anyone, Joe had a lot of extra papers sort of lying around that were not of relevance anymore. Expired pizza coupons, old insurance offers, and mysteriously acquired business cards all made their way to the trash as I cleaned out. I finished the pile of stuff in the kitchen tonight.

I was starting to yawn when the phone rang. 'Unknown," I sighed and picked it up.

"Hey, Cupcake, you okay?" Joe sounded tired and discouraged.

"Hi, Sweetheart!" I gushed. "I love you and I miss you so much! How are you feeling? I'm so sorry you got hurt!"

He blew out a weary sigh. "I'm tired and sore. You okay? Dunphy said I needed to call…."

"I'm fine. I just wanted hear your voice." I was trying to control my voice. I can't say exactly why, but I had tears running down my cheeks. "I know you can't talk long and I probably shoud-n't h-a-a-ve ca-lle-d." I was losing it and Joe could hear it."

"Really, Honey, are you okay? I hate it when you cry. What's wrong?" He was seriously getting worried.

"I'm okay, really. We got a delivery today of some absolutely gorgeous furniture from the Grizolli's for the baby. It is beau-(sniffle) ti-ful. I checked with your Mom before I accepted it. Is it ok-ay (sniffle) to keep or is it a conflict of interest or something?"

"Yeah, keep it. Vito and my dad were close. I'm sure he feels an obligation to our family. I think he had a lot to do with my dad's early demise, but I've never even cared enough to check into it. We were better off without him." Joe seldom hid his distain for his father's behavior. "Honey, you okay? Dunphy said you looked tired tonight."

"Yeah. I just miss you. A lot. Are you feeling okay? I mean, after your 'accident' last night?" I was hoping it may mean that his assignment was going to be cut short because their cover was blown.

"I'm okay. Tired and sore. Sitting on a damn donut, you know the drill." I could hear the smile in his voice. He was answering my question even before I asked, "All they heard was the shower running and Terri calling me names, then the shot and then me calling her names. Nothing revealing. We tape all the exchanges they hear so we can replay them if we feel we may have compromised our cover." He knew what I was thinking. I sighed. He really does know me.

"What's Dunphy's first name? He won't tell me!"

Joe laughed a big laugh. "Honey, I'm not getting into the middle of that. I knew him for probably 10 years before I knew it and calling him that is the only way I finally provoked him to hit me when we were starting this assignment."

"Joe, I miss you and I love you." I coo'd into the telephone.

"I miss you and I love you, too, Cupcake," He responded. "29 days. I'm counting. See you on December 18th."

He disconnected. I was reminded that I adored this man. And he adored me, too. How would I survive another 29 days before seeing him? I would cling to this lumpy tummy that would roil and flip and twist and toss and remind me of my relationship with Joe. This was definitely Joe's child. I would try to relax and he would wake me up. He would tease me and tell me it was time to play, and then he would fall asleep. He would wake me early in the morning and keep me up when I wanted to sleep and then he would snuggle in with me for a solid nap in the afternoon. I missed his Daddy and I couldn't wait to see him. I couldn't wait to meet Muffin. We'd become good friends now and I knew it was going to be really cool being a mom. Joe would make such a great Dad. Just thinking about it made me miss him more. He would be the first Daddy at ballet practice every week and the last Daddy to load up his car and head home after the football game.

I was sitting in the living room just thinking about Joe and the upcoming holidays. Thanksgiving is this coming Thursday. I was expected at both my family's meal and Joe's family's meal. Good thing they are only two blocks apart. My mother decided she would serve at noon and Joe's mom was going for 6pm. That would be fine, but I was usually comatose after my family's thanksgiving meal. It will be a freaking miracle if I can make it through two family meals that day. It was my first Thanksgiving as a Morelli. I missed Joe less on the days I spent with his family. I could secretly look at Tony and even Marc from the back and think Joe was here.

Bob came over and burped in my face. That broke my dream-like state.

It was late, but the baby was playing like crazy. I couldn't have gone to sleep if I tried. I went upstairs to the home office and started going through stuff in the bottom drawer of the desk. I felt like I was snooping through Joe's stuff. I didn't exactly come with a lot of paperwork. He kept things pretty simple, too. He had warranty information in a file – everything he ever bought with a warranty was documented – right down to the toaster. Wow. Mr. Organization isn't he? There was also a file folder for personal data – life insurance policies, Joe's birth certificate, his passport, his paperwork from the Navy, awww…a copy of our marriage license….he's so thoughtful.

Just then, I noticed something change out of the corner of my eye. The window in the office overlooks the back yard. The motion detector light had come on in the yard. I jumped up and looked out just in time to see a man running out of the yard. He was balding, had sort of grayish hair and he seemed short, but from this angle, I couldn't really tell much else about him.

I started shaking. Do I call Dunphy? 911? Should I just get my gun? I decided to get my gun from the kitchen. Since I was there anyway, I also got an ice cream bar. There's calcium in ice cream, and I'd bought the expensive ones that were coated in real milk chocolate, so that has milk in it, too.

I went back upstairs and set to work on the drawer again. The next file folder was empty, as were the 10 after that. In the back of the drawer was a shoebox with no lid. It appeared to be Joe's repository of old business cards. Upon looking through it, I found several sets of old cards for Joe, like when the department would change logos, he got a new phone number, he got a cell phone, he got a promotion, etc. It was like a history of Joe Morelli at the Trenton PD.

Also in the box, he had tossed a bundle of miscellaneous business cards that was about 3 inches thick. 'Smiley's Dog Grooming' caught my eye. I knew he'd dated a girl named Smiley at one point. After looking through the cards in the stack, I noticed that they were all from women. Every freaking one of them was from a woman. Maybe this was Joe's little black book. As testament to Joe, it was apparent he hadn't accessed them for a while because the rubber band that was holding them together had crumbled and fallen apart when I picked up the bundle of cards. Another tell-tale sign of the age of the bundle of cards was the one from 'G-fource Auto Repair, Business Manager, Terri Grizolli'. I couldn't remember how long her name had been Gilman, but it had been a while now.

I put a new rubber band around Joe's little stack of mementos, and put the stack back in the drawer. Muffin seemed ready for bed, finally, so we toddled across the hall to our room and crawled into the bed. Just as Bob, Muffin and I had gotten comfortable, I remembered I'd left the gun in the office, so I hauled myself back up and went to get it. I wasn't taking any chances.

As I laid there in bed, something was bugging me about the business card I'd found for Terri. I had to get up again and go look at it. The business had been on Clark – right near the Duncan Donuts that Joe had been asking about. It turned out that Sara Genieve's family had owned an auto importer, and Grizolli worked practically right next door at an auto repair shop. That is interesting. Didn't Joe say there had been a connection between the two crime families once? I was unable to remember exactly what he had said. I usually remember things like that. My sister told me that pregnancy kills brain cells. Why couldn't it kill the brain cells that held the image of Dickie and Joyce boinking on my dining room table? Why kill the brain cells I still need?