Shrouded In Silence

40





Michelle watched her husband sleeping soundly. With the sun beginning to shine in the old window facing the street, he held his arm defensively to shield his eyes from the increasing brightness. His usual early morning cherubic countenance always carried a solemn smile. No question that atrophy had diminished the size of his arms where the break occurred, but he was alive and back to his old self again. The realization of what might have happened swept over her, and Michelle recognized that she could have ended up in bed by herself forever but for the grace of God. She watched him for a moment as tears welled up in her eyes. Jack had become more precious than life itself. She rolled over in bed and kissed him softly on the cheek. Jack stirred. Michelle kissed him again, but this time more forcefully.

"W-what?" Jack blinked.

"I just thought you'd like a little personal wake-up call this morning."

Jack pushed himself up and looked around. "I was dreaming about being in the hospital . . . seemed like . . . I was there . . . forever. More of a nightmare I guess. Am I ever glad to be home and out of the plaster cast." He pumped his arm back and forth several times. "Flexibility is coming back. A little more exercise and I'll be ready to lift weights again."

Michelle kissed him again. "By the way did I tell you lately that I love you? Love you more than you love those alla giudia artichokes at the Dar Poeta café?

Jack laughed. "Hey, this relationship could develop into a full-blown hanky-panky thing. You up for such a kooky possibility?"

"On your life." Michelle kissed him fervently.

Jack's cell phone rang. "Hang on," he said and picked it up. "Hallo."

"Jack," Guido Valentino said. "You awake?"

"Yeah. I had to get up to answer the phone."

"Ha. Ha," Guido said. "Don't be a comedian. I'm concerned about our trip today. We've got the problem of the paparazzi and the sidewalk observers to consider. Do you think it might be safer for me to pick you up in the alley behind your apartment?"

"Sure. Let me know the exact time you'll be here and Michelle and I will come dashing out the back door."

"I'll be there at 9:00 and we'll be on our way," Guido said.

"You're on!" Jack said and hung up.

"Our man is ready to roll," Jack told Michelle. "Looks like our dreams are about to come true." He stared out the window. "Amazing, isn't it? We've been chasing this prize for a long time and then it abruptly falls at our feet because Jonas De Lateran walked into our lives. I would have never expected this turn of events."

Michelle leaned against the headboard. "Do you have any idea where we are going?"

"There are so many nooks and crannies in Rome that have sprouted endless options that it could be anywhere. To make matters worse, the fabulists run around creating new myths all the time. Anywhere is a possibility. The Palazzo Massimo alle Terme is a museum with collections that span the centuries. A fragment of a document could be tucked away in there and no one would find it. San Clemente is out there in the valley between Esquiline and Oppio Hills. Down there in the basement are the remains of an ancient Temple of Mithra. Now there's an ancient site covering two thousand years of history. Wouldn't that be an unsuspected zone for hiding a document?"

"You're right. Rome is packed with the unsuspected, and we haven't picked up any significant clues from our research so far. I guess we're completely in Jonas's or, as he wants us to call him, Guido's hands."

"I think we'd better hit the shower and get ready for a big day," Jack said. "The clock is ticking."

Michelle put her hands on his shoulders and pulled him closer. "We must never let the clock shape our relationship. When it's all said and done, we've only got each other."

Jack kissed her gently. "Even before it's all said and done, we're all we've got."