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“I’m not sure, maybe for a second,” he replied, then rolled on his side and stared at her, his expression inscrutable.
“No condom,” she muttered. “It’s nice to know I’m irresistible.”
“Elizabeth, I—I need to take a quick shower and eat something, and I also have to bring you up to date.”
“Go ahead. I’ll get myself together and see what I can find in the kitchen.”
“Call the local pizza place. Pete has the number,” he said quickly. “Just order what you want and he’ll pick it up.”
“Pizza,” she repeated, “what a good idea.”
“I have them sometimes,” he quipped as he climbed off the bed and headed to the bathroom.
“Pizza or ideas?” she called after him.
“Both!”
As he closed the door behind him, she couldn’t shake the feeling he’d been about to tell her something important and changed his mind. Pushing the thought to the back of her mind, she quickly dressed, then made her way down the stairs, running her fingers through her disheveled hair.
Pete was in the kitchen drinking coffee when she entered. He knew the pizzeria, placed their order, then helped her set the table before leaving to pick it up. Finding a six-pack of Corona beer in the refrigerator, she pulled out three to open when Scott walked in.
“You look better,” she declared. “Do you want a beer?”
“Better than what?”
“Than when I left you bleary-eyed and out of it.”
“Elizabeth, I’m never out of it, but I admit that shower perked me up, and yeah, I’d love a beer,” he declared, ambling across to her. “I take it Pete’s left to get the pizza.”
“He has. Can you tell me the latest?”
“Sure, let’s sit down.”
Settling at the table, Elizabeth listened attentively as he told her about his unexpected invitation to the party, and Danny’s tip on how to identify Conchello’s wild boys by their rings.
“That’s great news,” she exclaimed.
“It’s fantastic. My agents in the catering companies will now be serving them spiked cocktails. The drug will make them slow to respond, and more than two drinks should put them to sleep.”
“It’s a shame we can’t do that in the VIP area, and Danny was right about midnight. Sonny hits a gong and everyone has to leave.”
“I assume that’s when the hell in the Chamber of Conscience commences,” Scott said grimly. “I take it you were never in there.”
“No, thank God.”
“I should probably tell you its main purpose, but it’s ugly. If you don’t want to hear about it…”
“Chairs on wheels and a trap door?” she asked quietly. “It’s not just a rumor?”
“Sadly it’s not just a rumor. Did you hear Rosemary is the one who pulls the lever?”
“No! Oh, my God. It’s so hard to wrap my brain around all this. Sonny was never nasty to me, and Rosemary was always a sweetheart.”
“Now you know there’s nothing sweet about her,” Scott said gravely. “Conchello’s inner monster surfaces when he’s dealing with people he has to terrify into loyalty and silence, though I’m sure it comes out at other times as well.”
“Scott, I have to ask you something, but please don’t be offended.”
“Go ahead.”
