Chapter 6

"No…" she drew out her enjoyment of her father's confusion as long as she could. "I'm saying that in the story he made up on the spot, I could only guess that we were supposed to have been lovers."

"Some complete stranger was making up stories of the two of you being involved?!" AJ was now becoming concerned.

"Well, I wouldn't call Mr. Webb a complete stranger. We did meet that one time, but things certainly never went as far as he was implying today!"

"WEBB?!"

"It was him although that wasn't the name he was going by. He referred to himself as Tony. Oh, and he called me by mother's name. Do you think he was trying to say that I'm looking old?!" she wondered.

"Of course you don't look old, although I wouldn't let your mother know that's how you think she looks. However, if Webb was going to all that trouble to not use real names he must be here undercover. I don't suppose he gave you any indication of what it was all about?"

"Not a word, Papa. Do you think it could be something serious?"

"There's only one way to find out! I have his number and will call him," AJ stated as he got up from the table and pulled out his cell phone.

"Oh Papa! Couldn't that wait until after dinner?! I made all your favorites and they will get cold if we don't eat now."

Looking at his daughter's expectant face he knew he couldn't disappoint her. There had been so many years when he hadn't been there for her that there was nothing he wouldn't do to make it up to her now. "Yes, it can wait," he told her, snapping the phone closed and returning to the table.

The dinner was as special as he had expected. Francesca was a wonderful cook, something she hadn't gotten from her mother. The cake was just as good as he remembered from his younger days. He even had a second piece promising himself that he would add an extra run to his schedule to make up for it.

As he placed the last bite in his mouth Francesca smiled at him indulgently and said, "Why don't you make your call now while I clean up the dishes?"

"Are you sure you don't mind?" he inquired even as he was reaching for his phone.

Knowing that whatever he found out would most likely put an end to her plans for the play, she still replied, "Not at all Papa, just tell 'Tony' that 'Marcella' was only at the shop to buy you a birthday cake."

"I'll make sure he knows," AJ told her with a roll of his eyes.

Webb had just learned everything the Agency had on Kirill Tarasov and closed his laptop when his cell phone rang. Answering it, he wasn't all that surprised to hear Admiral Chegwidden's voice on the line. After seeing Francesca Paretti in the bakery today he had expected that she would call her father about the meeting.

"Hello, AJ. What can I do for you this evening?" Clay asked with a sardonic twist in his tone.

"You don't sound surprised to hear from me, Webb. Could that have something to do with my daughter?"

"I figured she would call you, after our run in today."

"She didn't have to call me. I'm here in Italy."

Clay tried to suppress his instinctive response to that news. Even though Chegwidden was older than he was, his hearing was still excellent. So the 'shit' he'd tried to keep under his breath was heard on the other end of the line. Clay knew from past experience how Chegwidden managed to involve himself in things. Rubbing the nose that the elder man had broken in Russia, he was aware that it wasn't always to his benefit. However, as today, when he'd had to choose which man to follow, it proved that it was sometimes good to have a second person you could rely on.

Trying to throw AJ's focus off, Clay said, "If you called to find out how involved your daughter and I are, I have to wonder why she wouldn't tell you."

To be continued…