were wounds that never fully healed.
“And the tea party is Charlie’s,” she said, realizing what the rest of the clue meant. Charlie’s speakeasy, Blue’s in the Night, like many others, served its swill in teacups in case of a raid. It was a weak ruse, but Prohibition drove people to do all sorts of things to get by.
“Yes,” Simon agreed with a frown and then pointed to the bottom of the slip of paper. “And the moon is waxing gibbous this time. That doesn’t make sense; we’ve skipped the first quarter. And the old crescent is several phases beyond that.”
“They’re all out of order.”
Simon pursed his lips in thought. “The numbers and phases aren’t being given to us in sequence. Perhaps one is the key to the other?”
“But what do the numbers mean? 13, and now 99?”
With a sigh, Simon pushed himself up off the sofa and walked back over to the window.
Elizabeth tried to see a pattern in them. “Maybe they’re part of a combination for a lock or something?”
Simon looked out into the darkness.
“Could be a bible verse?” Elizabeth offered, but her heart agreed with Simon’s dismissive look. Teddy wasn’t exactly religious.
She stood and walked over to join him at the window. “Maybe it’s a phone number and we call it and Teddy answers?” She pretended to talk on the phone. “Hello, Teddy? It’s Elizabeth. What the hell?”
Simon snorted and pulled Elizabeth into his arms. “I have a few things to add to that.”
Elizabeth sighed. “I guess it’s no use trying to see the final picture with so few pieces. A hand could be a bagel.”
Simon arched an eyebrow.
“Didn’t you ever do jigsaw puzzles?”
“Never.”
“You poor, mad fool,” she said.
He laughed and pulled her more securely into his arms. “As loath as I am to do it, I’m afraid all we can do is wait and see.”
Elizabeth tipped her head up. “And go to New York apparently.”
Simon’s chest heaved once heavily. “Yes.”
“I should see if we can get a reservation,” Elizabeth said as she tried to step away, but Simon pulled her back.
“That can wait.”
She looked up at him questioningly.
He looked down at her, his eyes still dark, but now for a different reason. “Have I told you how much I love you lately?”
His long fingers brushed a strand of hair away from her face. “How much I adore you?”
Elizabeth smiled at the warmth in her belly.
“Because, Mrs. Cross,” he said as he leaned down until she could feel his breath against her cheek, “I am hopelessly in love with you.”
He kissed her jaw and her knees wobbled a little.
“Truly,” he whispered between kisses. “Madly.”
“I’m thirsty.”
Simon sighed.
Elizabeth couldn’t contain her giggle at the interruption and slid out of Simon’s arms as she turned to Charlotte.
“What?” Charlotte asked as she stood in the doorway to the bedroom.
“You have impeccable timing, Charlotte,” Simon said.
“I do?”
Elizabeth laughed and crossed to her daughter. “Ignore him.”
Putting her arm over her shoulder, she started to turn her back toward the bedroom. “You should be in bed. We’ve got a big day tomorrow. Going to New York.”
Charlotte stopped like she’d hit a brick wall. “New York?” she asked, wiggling out of Elizabeth’s grasp and turning to look at her, then Simon and then back. Her excitement was palpable. “Really?”
“Yes,” Simon said.
She beamed. “Does that mean more cannoli?”
Simon shook his head and Charlotte pouted, this time letting Elizabeth guide her back through the door.
Elizabeth leaned down and whispered, “Maybe just one.”
~~~
Jack felt a little guilty about sneaking out of the hotel without Tess again. She seemed all right. More than all right really, but he was still used to doing things on his own, and anyway, what she didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her.
He flagged down a taxi a few blocks from the hotel and handed the driver the address.
“And the tea party is Charlie’s,” she said, realizing what the rest of the clue meant. Charlie’s speakeasy, Blue’s in the Night, like many others, served its swill in teacups in case of a raid. It was a weak ruse, but Prohibition drove people to do all sorts of things to get by.
“Yes,” Simon agreed with a frown and then pointed to the bottom of the slip of paper. “And the moon is waxing gibbous this time. That doesn’t make sense; we’ve skipped the first quarter. And the old crescent is several phases beyond that.”
“They’re all out of order.”
Simon pursed his lips in thought. “The numbers and phases aren’t being given to us in sequence. Perhaps one is the key to the other?”
“But what do the numbers mean? 13, and now 99?”
With a sigh, Simon pushed himself up off the sofa and walked back over to the window.
Elizabeth tried to see a pattern in them. “Maybe they’re part of a combination for a lock or something?”
Simon looked out into the darkness.
“Could be a bible verse?” Elizabeth offered, but her heart agreed with Simon’s dismissive look. Teddy wasn’t exactly religious.
She stood and walked over to join him at the window. “Maybe it’s a phone number and we call it and Teddy answers?” She pretended to talk on the phone. “Hello, Teddy? It’s Elizabeth. What the hell?”
Simon snorted and pulled Elizabeth into his arms. “I have a few things to add to that.”
Elizabeth sighed. “I guess it’s no use trying to see the final picture with so few pieces. A hand could be a bagel.”
Simon arched an eyebrow.
“Didn’t you ever do jigsaw puzzles?”
“Never.”
“You poor, mad fool,” she said.
He laughed and pulled her more securely into his arms. “As loath as I am to do it, I’m afraid all we can do is wait and see.”
Elizabeth tipped her head up. “And go to New York apparently.”
Simon’s chest heaved once heavily. “Yes.”
“I should see if we can get a reservation,” Elizabeth said as she tried to step away, but Simon pulled her back.
“That can wait.”
She looked up at him questioningly.
He looked down at her, his eyes still dark, but now for a different reason. “Have I told you how much I love you lately?”
His long fingers brushed a strand of hair away from her face. “How much I adore you?”
Elizabeth smiled at the warmth in her belly.
“Because, Mrs. Cross,” he said as he leaned down until she could feel his breath against her cheek, “I am hopelessly in love with you.”
He kissed her jaw and her knees wobbled a little.
“Truly,” he whispered between kisses. “Madly.”
“I’m thirsty.”
Simon sighed.
Elizabeth couldn’t contain her giggle at the interruption and slid out of Simon’s arms as she turned to Charlotte.
“What?” Charlotte asked as she stood in the doorway to the bedroom.
“You have impeccable timing, Charlotte,” Simon said.
“I do?”
Elizabeth laughed and crossed to her daughter. “Ignore him.”
Putting her arm over her shoulder, she started to turn her back toward the bedroom. “You should be in bed. We’ve got a big day tomorrow. Going to New York.”
Charlotte stopped like she’d hit a brick wall. “New York?” she asked, wiggling out of Elizabeth’s grasp and turning to look at her, then Simon and then back. Her excitement was palpable. “Really?”
“Yes,” Simon said.
She beamed. “Does that mean more cannoli?”
Simon shook his head and Charlotte pouted, this time letting Elizabeth guide her back through the door.
Elizabeth leaned down and whispered, “Maybe just one.”
~~~
Jack felt a little guilty about sneaking out of the hotel without Tess again. She seemed all right. More than all right really, but he was still used to doing things on his own, and anyway, what she didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her.
He flagged down a taxi a few blocks from the hotel and handed the driver the address.
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