****Chapter 3***

***Italy***

Jennifer was taken to a police station and escorted into a small room. There was a phone in there, but she wasn't able to dial internationally.

She waited for what seemed like forever, and then finally two cops came in to speak to her.

They didn't speak English fluently, so she spoke to them in Italian and let them know she understood it.

"Sei Jennifer Edwards Hart da Los Angeles, in California, negli Stati Uniti?" (Are you Jennifer Edwards Hart from Los Angeles, California, United States?)

"Sì." (yes)

"Possiedi la galleria Mirabella Arte e antiquariato?" (Are you the owner of Mirabella Art and Antiques?)

"Io e mio marito possiedono, sì." (My husband and I own it together, yes).

"Da quanto tempo la vostra galleria stato il traffico di cocaina?" (How long has the gallery been trafficking cocaine?)

"Non ho la più pallida idea che cosa si sta parlando. Mio marito e io vivo a Los Angeles, che non arrivano alla galleria spesso. Si mantiene in contatto per telefono, ma questa è stata la mia prima visita alla galleria". (I don't have the faintest idea what you are talking about. My husband and I live in Los Angeles, we don't come to the gallery often. He keeps in contact by phone, but this was my first visit to the gallery.)

"Voi siete i galleristi, sicuramente tu e tuo marito sapeva che cosa stava succedendo ... (You are the gallery owners, surely you and your husband had to know what was going on).

"Te lo giuro, non l'ho fatto. E mio marito non avrebbe mai lasciato che continuano, vi assicuro. Chiamatelo al telefono, lui vi dirà la stessa cosa." (I swear to you, I didn't. And my husband would have never let that continue, I assure you. Call him on the phone, he will tell you the same.)

The officer looked at her a long time. He finally picked up the phone and had Jennifer dial the number.

Max answered and informed the officer that Jonathan wasn't home, and he would have to call him back.

The officer looked at Jennifer.

"La signora Hart, You are under arrest."

***Willow Pond***

Jonathan was home, but he wasn't talking to anyone. He had Max screen all of his calls and just take messages.

He hadn't slept in days. Yesterday, he had gone upstairs and just stood in her closet, smelling her clothes. He needed to smell her again, run his fingers through her hair, wrap his arms around her, hold her close. He refused to believe that it would never happen again.

He wanted to go to Italy, but he was afraid to leave. What if he had been the target all along, and Jennifer's plane was blown up by mistake? He would never forgive himself for putting her in danger.

He swore that if that turned out to be the case, he would sell everything and live in a shack with no luxuries ever again.

He wasn't eating, he was barely drinking water. Max had never seen him like this, and didn't know what to do. He wanted to father/son him, but he didn't feel it was appropriate.

The gate buzzed, and Max answered it.

"Hi, it's Stanley from the office, I need to see Mr. Hart".

"Come on up".

He opened the gate and then opened the door.

Jonathan was sitting on the couch, looking at a picture of him and Jennifer from their wedding.

"Hi Mr. Hart. We need to talk. I have some information for you".

***Italy***

They made Jennifer fill out tons of paperwork, and then put her in jail coveralls and in a cell.

She had to figure out a way to get to Jonathan. Or Max. She didn't know anyone in Italy. Tears filled her eyes as she realized that Jonathan wouldn't even know she was in Italy until he read her email.

She was stuck.

***Willow Pond***

"Mr. Hart, who did you speak with at the FAA?"

"A lady, she was high up. I wrote her name down"

He grabbed his legal pad.

"Here it is. Lauren Kessler".

"Just as I suspected. The receptionist that was employed by the gallery, was a lady named Kelcie Woods Romano. She was an American, who went to school at UCLA, did a semester studying abroad in Italy, and never came home, basically. Her sister works at the FAA, and is Lauren Kessler".

"So what are you saying?"

"Well, there's more. So, the investigation turned up that Alexi Moretti and Carlo Fiorelli were trafficking drugs through your gallery. They were hiding them in the vases and the sculptures and taping the bags to the paintings. The Italian authorities think that Carlo knew that Alexi was coming for the drugs, so he took control and tried to get the drugs before Alexi."

"I see. So, how do Lauren and Kelcie fit in to all this?"

"Well, Kelcie and Alexi were married when she refused to go back to the US. She has moved on, but there is speculation they are still having an affair. From what they figured out, she tipped of Alexi that Carlo and his accomplice came to the gallery. And then she contacted her sister and told her to cover up what happened with Mrs. Hart's plane. And sir...well, it's just..."

"Spit it out, Stanley".

"The Italian authorities believe that Mrs. Hart was his accomplice and was involved".

***Italy***

Jennifer had been brought from her cell to a conference room.

The detectives were proposing something to her.

She was struggling to keep up, so she asked for a translator.

"Mrs. Hart, they want you to make a phone call to Alexi, and tell him that you are expecting another shipment. When he shows up, they will arrest him."

"Will I be protected?"

"Yes, certainly".

"But I never worked with him, so how am I going to convince him?"

"Mrs. Hart, you know what he did, what he tried to do to you".

"Officer, no I don't".

"He stole the drugs from the pieces that you and Carlo took to the airport, and then blew up the plane. Everyone thinks your dead. You will tell him that you outsmarted Carlo and are looking to get back in the game".

"Officer, was there a news report about my plane blowing up?"

"Yes, I believe there was".

"Well, then first thing, I have to call my husband".

"I'm sorry, I cannot allow that".

"You were willing to let me yesterday!"

"That was before we discovered more about Alexi Moretti and his ties to the gallery and the drugs. I am sorry, it is simply not safe".

Jennifer was heartbroken, thinking of Jonathan thinking she was gone.

She agreed to do whatever, even though she wasn't sold on the idea. She just wanted to get to Jonathan.

"If I do this, will you release me?"

"Yes ma'am, we will".

"Ok, then I will need some clothes and a shower and some makeup and a brush. And as soon as it's over, I want you to let me call my husband, no exceptions".

"You got it".

A female officer took Jennifer to an apartment that the Italian police kept for those who were in protective custody.

They gave her a clothing allowance, and took her to a little boutique where she could shop. She selected a gorgeous lavender silk one shoulder top, and a pair of very expensive Italian jeans that fit her like a glove, and some black wedges.

They took her to the apartment and she showered and was able to do her hair and makeup.

She was wired up, and then they took her to the gallery.

***Willow Pond***

"Jennifer? Involved in drug trafficking? That's insane".

"I know. I argued that with the investigator, but they insisted."

Stanley's phone rang then, and he excused himself to take it.

Jonathan sat on the couch. If there was one thing he would have never accepted about Jennifer, it's that she would have gotten caught up in drug trafficking. Stumbled upon it? Totally plausible. But part of the operation? Not a chance in hell.

He refused to believe that or anything negative about her at all. And God help whomever got in his way if that was ever printed in the press or on TV.

Stanley returned from his phone call.

"Mr. Hart, that was the Italian police returning my call. There is a woman they have in custody, who is claiming to be Mrs. Hart. According to them, this person used her birthday, her address here and her social security number when she was arrested".

"Ok, I am going to Italy. You are coming with me. Go pack, we will pick you up in an hour".

"Got it!".

Stanley left.

Jonathan filled Max in, and then called Jack and Harold at the office. Harold was now in charge.

Jonathan quick packed a bag for himself. At the last minute, he packed one for her too, with her backup makeup and hair supplies, and the perfume he loved. Just in case.

Max agreed to stay with Freeway, and he promised to keep him updated.

He picked up Stanley and in an hour they were at the plane. He had called Lt. Grey and asked for the bomb squad to come check out his plane just to be safe. They did, and they found nothing.

He and Stanley took off as soon as possible, and were due to land in Italy in about 14 hours.

***Italy***

Jennifer was wired up and was about to go to the gallery. The pieces had been returned to the gallery, and try as she might, Annalisa hadn't been able to get a return phone call from Jonathan Hart. Someone named Stanley insisted that he was in charge, but she didn't work for Stanley, she worked for Jonathan.

She had put the pieces back on their original displays, in their original places.

Until she got a phone call from Mr. Hart, it was business as usual.

Jennifer was in a car outside, and the police were telling her when to go in. She was to go in and ask for Annalisa, and then just inquire about how business was going, and mention that she would be returning to the US, and see if there was anything. Their hope was that kelcie would call Alexi as soon as the convo ended. Jennifer was going to place a very camoflauged listening device, disguised as a pen on the desk, so that they could hear every word.

"Ok, Mrs. Hart. Go".

She took a deep breath and got out and went inside.

"Hello, Kelcie. May I see Annalisa please?"

Kelcie was pale and started to sweat.

"Right away, Mrs. Hart".

She paged Annalisa to come to the front.

Jennifer took a look around and then pulled out the pen from her purse, and made a few notes with it. She put it on the desk, and then Annalisa appeared.

"Oh my goodness! Mrs. Hart, are you ok? I saw the news..."

"I'm fine. That was a misunderstanding. I wasn't on the plane, obviously".

"Glad to hear it".

"Listen, I am returning to the US tomorrow, and I was wondering if you needed anything before I go."

"I do. Let's go talk in my office".

She nodded.

They went back to her office and shut the door.

"Annalisa, I'm sorry for the confusion the other day."

"No, no need to apologize. I called the police when you left, but they didn't believe me".

Jennifer indicated that she was wearing a wire, so they whispered and wrote notes.

"They think Kelcie is in on it".

Annalisa nodded, knowingly.

She wrote a note.
"I caught her going through each piece when it came in, very suspiciously".

"Do you know someone named Alexi Moretti?"

Annalisa nodded, and then wrote "her boyfriend".

Jennifer wrote "He was working with Carlo. Carlo double crossed him, took the pieces to take the drugs and then I was knocked out and put in a room and tied up".

Annalisa wrote- "Kelcie said she saw you at the airport when she and Alexi took a goodbye gift, so maybe there was an impostor?"

Jennifer nodded.

She wrote "And maybe the gift blew the plane up".

It all made sense.

They shared a hug, and then left her office. She had put the notes in her purse so that she could show them to the officers.

She told Annalisa bye, and gave her the phone number to the apartment where she was staying, and then told Kelcie bye, and then left and went back to the car.

As soon as she shut the door, she turned to the officer.

"Did she do it?"

"Loud and clear".

They took her back to the apartment.

"Now what?"

"Now, we wait and see if he takes the bait. If not, then we will wait for the next shipment of pieces".

She was nervous, but hopeful. They removed the wire from her, and then let her go shopping and to eat, to give the appearance of normalcy.

As soon as she got back to the apartment, her phone was ringing.

It was kelcie.

"Mrs. Hart, is there anyway you can come by the gallery tonight, after it closes? We need to get your opinion on moving some displays and we need you to sign a purchase order for more pieces. Does 7 work for you?"

"Yes, I will be there".

She hung up and then called the police and filled them in.

They sent another officer to come wire her again, and picked her up around 6.

***Jonathan***

Jonathan and Stanley landed and hired a car service. Jonathan wore dark sunglasses and a hat, as he didn't want people to know it was him.

The first place they wanted to go was to the gallery.

Jonathan and Stanley walked in and started browsing. Stanley asked for Annalisa and then he and Jonathan were taken to a private room.

As they walked past the receptionist desk, they heard Kelcie make a phone call.

As soon as Jonathan heard the words 'Mrs. Hart', he stopped to listen. He motioned for Stanley to keep going.

He heard every word Kelcie said.

7 p.m. she would be there. He could only hope that she was going to be there and not an impostor.

He joined Stanley and Annalisa in the room.

He didn't say a word, he just took off his glasses and his hat and Annalisa recognized him.

"Mr. Hart! I am so glad to see you!

They sat down and she filled them in.

He was more convinced that Jennifer was still alive.

He got out a calendar. It had been almost a month since he had seen her. Spoken to her. Heard her laugh. Too long.

"Annalisa, did she seem ok? Physically, I mean?"

"Not a scratch on her that I could see".

"Good."

He filled her in on the conversation he just overheard.

"I want to be here at 7 when they get here".

"Ok, I can hide you in here. Nobody will know you are here".

"Great, thank you. And as soon as we get back to the US, I am finding you a shipper and a buyer, and we are going to stop this".

***Jennifer***

Jennifer arrived at 6:50, and waited in the car. She was given the go ahead to go in around 6:55

Kelcie had her sign the purchase order. Right there at the top was Alexi's name.

She signed it and then they went to the storeroom.

As soon as she started looking at the pieces, Alexi appeared with a gun.

"Mrs. Hart, you really shouldn't stick your nose in where it doesn't belong. Carlo and I had this all covered, and everything was going well, till you showed up".

"I didn't show up, he hijacked my plane. The plan was all his".

"Well, now there's no trace of him, and there won't be any trace of you either".

"So you knocked me out at the warehouse? And tied me up in that room at the house?"

He nodded.

"And I hired the impostor and blew up your plane, because I wanted everyone to think you were dead. And I also lured your husband to Mexico on a fake deal to get him out of the way".

"You are diabolical, and you aren't getting away with this".

"We'll see. Now, get over here".

She hesitated and then threw a box at him.

Annalisa heard the crash and started to go, but Jonathan went instead.

Just then, the police rushed in and nabbed him. There was a small struggle between the cops and Alexi, but they got control.

The investigators came over to her, and took her wire off her.

"Good job, Mrs. Hart. Thank you".

"Now, about that phone call you promised me"

"Not happening".

She was livid.

"What do you mean it's not happening?!"

They turned her around. There was Jonathan in the doorway.

She crumpled into a pool of tears and ran to him. He took her into his arms and held her as she cried.

"I was so scared... I tried to call the house but I couldn't. I sent you an email, and then they knocked me out.. and then... and then... " She was completely consumed with her sobs by this point.

"Shhh. It's ok, baby. It's ok. I will fill you in from beginning to end".

He kept rubbing her back as he held her and kissing her head.

"I thought i was never going to see you again".

"I thought the same thing".

"I want to get out of this country soon, and I don't want to leave your side for a week".

"Not a problem, darling".

She was starting to calm down, slightly. He kissed her a few times, and kept holding her.

"I love you so much... I am so glad you are here with me".

She kissed him.

"How soon can we fly out?"

"Probably not till morning".

"Did you book a hotel?"

"Not yet. But I will".

The police took Alexi and kelcie to jail, and formally charged with them drug trafficking, assault, making a hazardous device, unlawful imprisonment, kidnapping, conspiracy, and murder. They were facing life sentences before they ever go to the station.

They officially released Jennifer and apologized to her as well.

Jonathan and Jennifer thanked Annalisa and told her goodbye and then they headed to get a cab. Stanley accompanied them, but he was trying to give them space.

Jonathan and Jennifer booked 3 rooms at Hotel Artemide- one for them, one for Stanley and one for Jack.

Jack said they could fly out at noon tomorrow, and that would put them back in LA shortly before midnight.

"Whatever you guys want to do in the hotel, charge it to your room and I'll pay the bill. I can't thank you two enough for helping me out with this".

"Yes, thank you both".

They all went to their rooms.

Jennifer wanted a hot shower and to lay down, and food.

She grabbed a hot shower and then realized that she had no clothes to wear. She came out and wrapped the towel around her and then grabbed the complimentary robe. Jonathan had gone to get them some food.

When she came out to the bedroom part, she saw that Jonathan had brought her a bag of her clothes and her toiletries.

He was so thoughtful.

She got dressed and he came back as soon as she was ready.

"Oh good, I'm starving".

She devoured her lasagna, and then laid down while he finished.

"Darling...how did we get here? I just don't understand it".

"Well, I have been researching".

"And?"

"And it's a long story-but the receptionist was working with Alexi, who was working with Carlo, who wanted to make the profit himself so he double crossed Alexi, ruining his perfect plan, which was to lure me to Mexico to keep me from saving you, and then Carlo was hijacking your plane to get me to pay big money for you, but decided to hire an impostor to get me to pay double."

"And Alexi foiled that by showing up early and taking the drugs himself".

"Yep."

She was quiet. He knew that meant she was thinking things out.

He came over and wrapped his arms around and they snuggled on the bed.

"So, where were you when you heard that I had died?"

"I was in Mexico. The hotel I was in didn't have phone service unless you were calling the front desk. No wifi. I fell asleep watching TV and when I woke up, it was on the news. I tried to get a signal, but there was still no Wifi. So, I didn't get your email till 2 days later. And I tried to call you like 5 times, but couldn't. So, I flew home, and we were in the air when I got Wifi, and that's when I read your email and my heart sank".

She squeezed him a little tighter.

"I tried everything I could think of on the plane to get him to go somewhere else, but he was determined. I just hate that Brad died because of it".

"Yeah, he was a good pilot".

"So what did you do when you got here?"

"Well, we went to the gallery, and I had to tell them to clean out the gallery and that we were going to restock. So, then we had everything placed in a truck and then we went back to the airport. But he insisted on stopping at a warehouse first, and I got him to let me go to the bathroom. As I was coming out of the bathroom and back to the car, I was knocked out from behind by Alexi. And when I woke up, I was in a room, tied to a chair and gagged. And I crept my way to the downstairs and tried to escape but I was locked in with a glass security door. So, I used a trick from you, and used my ring to cut the glass and then escaped. I flagged down a policeman, and then he took me to the station to call you, but you didn't answer. And then, they started questioning me, because they thought I was involved and had planned it. It was only when they wanted to flesh out Alexi that they let me out. I made a deal with them that if they got Alexi, I got to call you and the charges against me would be dropped".

"This has been a nightmare all the way around".

"I agree."

She teared up.

"I kept seeing you sitting on the couch, looking at our photos, thinking you would never see me again".

"That's exactly what I was doing".

"I was so scared I would never see you again".

He smoothed her hair.

"Me too. I was so frustrated, I couldn't get the FAA to tell me anything. Stanley figured out that the lead investigator was Kelcie's sister".

"Really? That's not fair".

"I agree. I think when we fly out tomorrow, we might make an unplanned stop".

"Where?"

"Washington. We are going to the FAA office and reporting her, since the Italian police cannot".

"I think that's a good idea".

"And, we might make a stop for another night as well".

"Really? You mean it?"

He nodded.

"I love you so much..."

She kissed him.

"You think your father will be as happy to see you as I was?"
"Probably. I just hope he hasn't heard on the news that I blew up in the plane crash".

"I didn't have the heart to call him, because, I didn't have the heart to believe that you were gone".

"You never gave up hope?"

"Nope. I couldn't. I went into your closet and smelled your clothes every day, and I held pictures of us and talked to you some, but I never believed that you were gone. I didn't file your death certificate and i didn't plan a memorial. Max, god love him, he tried to get me to, but I just wouldn't".

She hated seeing what this did to him...

"I should have called you and told Carlo I was calling to schedule the plane's landing or something."

"I didn't have a phone, darling. You wouldn't have gotten me".

"I could have done something..."

"You did exactly the right things, I promise. Sweetheart, you and I are back in each others arms, and if either of us had done anything differently, we might not be".

She nodded.

"I promise you, I tried to stop it".

"Darling, shhh. Not your fault, you know that".

"I know. But I did try".

He pulled her into a hug and just held her.

"So, we have to buy another plane, huh?"

He shook his head.

"From now on, if you can't fly with me, or I can't fly with you, I think we should fly commercial".

"I agree".

They snuggled for the rest of the night, and made love several times, and fell asleep in each other's arms.

He got up around 1 to go to the bathroom, and came back to bed right after.

She was stirring.

"Darling, are you there?"

"I'm right here. Come here, scoot over".

"Don't let go..."

"I'm never letting go again".