“Go to the door? Why?”
“For once, would you do what I ask without an argument? Go open your door.”
When she did, she found him standing there with a big grin on his face. She shrieked and jumped into his arms. Finally, they released each other but she kept hold of his arm as he walked into the house.
“You’re early.”
“My flight into Chicago was way early, and a flight attendant who thought it was sweet I was on my way to see my girlfriend got me on an earlier flight. I had to run like hell from one gate to another but I made it.”
He took her in his arms and kissed her again. Had there been someone there to try, a piece of paper couldn’t have been slipped anywhere between their bodies.
When they broke from their embrace, she asked if he wanted something to eat or drink. He replied, “Not right now. I hear you have something for me from Jeff.”
“Oh, yeah, I forgot about that.” She dug the envelope out of her messenger bag and gave it to him. “What is it, do you know?”
“You didn’t open it?”
“It’s addressed to you. Opening another person’s mail is a federal offense.”
“That wasn’t mailed. And you have my permission to open it.”
“Well, then.” She tore into the envelope and pulled out the folded paper. It was from the chief of police and simply said it was confirming that Detective Anthony S. Alessandro, currently with the Philadelphia Police Department, would, as of October fifteenth of this year, join the Portland Police Bureau. After a course at the Police Academy and upon passing an exam, he would be at the rank of detective.
“I don’t understand. How … ? Was it Jeff? Is that why he had this? He did this?”
“Yeah, he did. He’s been afraid he’d lose you so he called in some political favors to get me into the Police Bureau ahead of everyone else. He asked me to keep it quiet until he was sure it would work out.”
“He never said a word. But you have to retake the detective exam? That doesn’t seem fair.”
“I’ll take any exam they want. I’ll go back in uniform if I have to. Jeff got me a slot in the Portland Police Bureau and I’m grateful. I have to play basketball every Saturday during the season on the team Jeff and the chief play for, but … ”
“I should have known that’s how he pulled this particular rabbit out of the hat.” She picked up his suitcase. “Oh, there’s also a package here from The Fairchild Gallery addressed to you. It’s not big enough to contain Liz or I would have punched air holes in it so she … ”
“You can open that, too, sugar. It’s an early birthday present for you.”
Inside the carefully packaged container was the piece of Amanda St. Claire’s glass that Margo had admired the first night Tony had been in town.
She was sure her eyes were suspiciously shiny and she had a huge lump in her throat that made it hard to speak. “Thank you. You shouldn’t have … it’s so expensive … you’re wonderful.”
“I figured as long as there might be a chance I’d be living here with you, I’d be able to enjoy it, too.”