Page 30 of Above ’N’ Beyond

Bella uttered a high-pitched shriek and nearly dropped the other trays. Her eyes rounded until she recognized him. “Don’t do that.”

Gnocchi stood on his hind legs, trying to crawl up Jamie’s leg.

“Sorry. My bad.” Before the rest of the trays hit the asphalt, he took them from her arms. Tantalizing smells of marinara and meat came to his nose. Lou’s lasagna. Had to be. “Stealing food from your own restaurant?”

“It’s for the Hudson Food Pantry. Once a month, I contribute to their Sunday dinner. I won’t have time to do this tomorrow, so I want to make sure they get it tonight.” She lifted the hatch door, then groaned. The inside of the Mini Cooper was crammed with large cardboard boxes and three smaller white boxes with images of puppies and tiny video cameras on the outside. “Shoot. I totally forgot about all this. They’re new table linens.”

“Are these puppy cams to keep an eye on Gnocchi?” he asked.

“Actually, those are for the Bistro. After what happened the other day when that customer harassed Sierra, I’ve been thinking of putting all of them in the dining room.”

“Not a bad idea.”

“Yeah, if I only had the time.” She began reorganizing the boxes, which didn’t do much to make more space. “I have to download an app on my phone, then sync up the cameras. I’m not particularly tech-savvy.” She sighed, then shook her head. “There’s just no room. I’ll have to unload these boxes first.”

“We could take my Tahoe. Besides, it’s late, and food banks tend not to be located in the best of neighborhoods. I could help.” The idea that she’d be doing this alone and in the dark didn’t sit well with him. “I can also help you out with the cameras.” More do-gooder stuff. He was on a roll and couldn’t stop himself. Not around her, anyway.

Again, her eyes rounded, although this time in obvious surprise. “Sure. Thanks.”

Balancing the trays in one arm, he dug his keys from his pocket and headed for the Tahoe. “Mind if we pick up Jax along the way?” He opened the back of the SUV and set the trays inside. “I don’t think my landlord would appreciate it if he whizzes all over the floor.”

“I’m sure she wouldn’t.” For only the second time in the two days or so he’d known her, Bella laughed. She even laughed pretty, the sound like a twinkling bell, and damned if it didn’t make the hair on his scalp tingle.

“But we’ll have to take Gnocchi, too. This will only be his second night at the house, and I’m not ready to leave him alone. He’d probably scream his little head off, then the neighbors will sic doggie welfare services on me.”

“Not a problem. It’s time for him to meet Jax and start learning the ropes.” He shut the rear door, then opened the passenger door and waited for Bella to pick up the puppy and climb in. As he rounded the hood, something on the other side of the nearest intersection caught his eye. A shadowed figure quickly ducked away around a corner of another building, but not before he’d caught a glimpse of red hair beneath that hoodie.

Over a decade of cop instincts kicked into high gear, and he tightened his fingers around the keys. There’d been something furtive there. Male, judging by the breadth of shoulders. Five-ten, one-seventy, thin but not skinny. And the guy had been watching. Watching him…or Bella?

Given the fact he was an undercover cop sitting smack dab in the middle of mob central, he’d go with him. But he was also experienced enough to know anything was possible.

Minutes later, they’d picked up Jax, let him do his business, then begun the drive to the food pantry. As predicted, Jax had instantly taken over as Gnocchi’s father figure. Both dogs lay on the bench seat behind them, Gnocchi’s head nestled between Jax’s front paws.

“You trust your staff to close up for you?” He took the onramp for the New York State Thruway and headed north, as Bella had instructed him.

“I trust Sierra and Lou. They’re the closest thing to family I have.”

In the dashboard glow, he caught her wistful expression. According to FBI records, her closest remaining blood relatives since her parents had been killed while attending a wedding—a mob wedding—were Tony and Paola. Yet apparently she was tighter with Sierra and Lou.

“How long have you owned the Bistro?” he asked.

“Eight years.” She looked over her shoulder. “You were right about Jax. Gnocchi adores him.”

“Told ya.” Now to get back to his subtle probing. “You’re partners with Paola, right?”

“Yeahhh.” There was no missing the bitterness there. “When the property came up for sale, I wanted it but didn’t have enough money to buy it. Paola did.”

“You don’t seem happy about that.”

She turned to face him. “Why do you care?”

“Just trying to make conversation.” And log valuable intel for his first report back to Jenkins.

“Sorry.” She sighed. “Now that I finally have the money, I’m trying to buy her out, but she won’t sell. Take the next exit.” Bella pointed to the sign for the Palisades Parkway.

Jamie flipped on the turn signal. “Why won’t she sell?” He already knew the answer to his question but wondered how Bella would answer it.

“The Bistro is…useful to her.”