even uncover those boxes."
" Right." I frowned. "But Eckhoff said there were several boxes open. Like the guy or guys had been looking for something specific in one of the boxes. So they must have known what they were looking for, but they didn't know exactly where it was."
"But they had a pretty good idea. There were a lot of boxes in there, and they must have narrowed it down pretty quickly."
"Yeah. Which makes me think that they were concentrating on the ones that came from Miss Lucille’s attic. Which brings us back to either the old lady's family, or someone that Jennifer told."
"Yeah. But how could Jennifer have told anyone about anything as specific as an illuminated manuscript, if she'd never opened the boxes?"
I shook my head. "She couldn't."
"So Belardo and Eckhoff are probably concentrating on the old lady's family or estate."
"Yep. She died about five years ago, according to Jennifer. Do you suppose the executor of the estate would have done an inventory before they released the boxes?"
"I have no idea." Pete rolled back over and put the notebook and pen on his nightstand, then rolled back to face me. " So we're right back where we started."
"Right. And that's exactly nowhere."
That night, I dreamed that when we opened Jennifer’s apartment door, the place was full of monks, bent over desks, producing illuminated manuscripts.
The next day I had lunch with Liz and told her about my conversation with Pete about the townhouse. “I’ve got to make a decision about giving up the lease on the apartment.”
Liz looked surprised. “I thought you’d already decided to stay with Pete.”
“Not officially. I mean, of course I’m leaning in that direction, but I haven’t told Kevin to go ahead and get a new apartment.”
Liz leaned back and crossed her arms, frowning at me. “Have you heard the old saying, ‘The one who has the power in any relationship is the one who cares the least?’”
I looked up at Liz with a start. "No. What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about you. You think you're the one who's taking all the risk, by giving up your apartment, but you're not. Pete's the one taking the risk. You can always get another apartment. You're the one who's free to go if you decide to, just pack up your stuff and leave."
"I wouldn't do that."
"Do you think Pete knows that?"
"Yeah, I think he does." I glared at Liz. "Are you trying to piss me off for some reason?"
"No. I'm trying to get you to see that you can hurt Pete a lot more than he can hurt you."
"I don't see where you get that. I'd say we're pretty even in that department."
"No, you're not. Pete has given you everything he has, he's laid himself open to you. What have you done for him? And sex doesn't count."
"I can't believe we're having this conversation."
"And I can't believe you're trying to keep from answering my question."
I shook my head. "I do lots of things for him."
"Like what?"
"I...I do most of the cleaning. I do all the laundry. I live with him, for fuck's sake."
Liz looked at me unwaveringly. "Have you told him you love him?"
"Yes! Every day!"
"Do you tell him spontaneously, or is it just 'Love you too' when he says it first?"
I tried to remember. "I know I've said it first before."
"Yeah, but you can't remember when. You can't remember the last time you said, 'Pete, I love you,' for no other reason than you love him." She looked disgusted. "That's just great, Jamie."
"I'm not..." I was speechless. "I can't believe this."
"Believe it." She stood up and took her trash to the receptacle, then came back and sat down. "This is about the time in a relationship where you get that look on your face. Like a scared animal, wondering where the traps are." She leaned forward. "There are no traps this time. You're the one with the shotgun this time."
"Liz. When we broke up before, it was Pete that pulled the trigger."
"I know that. And it's taken him this long to get you back." Her face softened. "You should see
" Right." I frowned. "But Eckhoff said there were several boxes open. Like the guy or guys had been looking for something specific in one of the boxes. So they must have known what they were looking for, but they didn't know exactly where it was."
"But they had a pretty good idea. There were a lot of boxes in there, and they must have narrowed it down pretty quickly."
"Yeah. Which makes me think that they were concentrating on the ones that came from Miss Lucille’s attic. Which brings us back to either the old lady's family, or someone that Jennifer told."
"Yeah. But how could Jennifer have told anyone about anything as specific as an illuminated manuscript, if she'd never opened the boxes?"
I shook my head. "She couldn't."
"So Belardo and Eckhoff are probably concentrating on the old lady's family or estate."
"Yep. She died about five years ago, according to Jennifer. Do you suppose the executor of the estate would have done an inventory before they released the boxes?"
"I have no idea." Pete rolled back over and put the notebook and pen on his nightstand, then rolled back to face me. " So we're right back where we started."
"Right. And that's exactly nowhere."
That night, I dreamed that when we opened Jennifer’s apartment door, the place was full of monks, bent over desks, producing illuminated manuscripts.
The next day I had lunch with Liz and told her about my conversation with Pete about the townhouse. “I’ve got to make a decision about giving up the lease on the apartment.”
Liz looked surprised. “I thought you’d already decided to stay with Pete.”
“Not officially. I mean, of course I’m leaning in that direction, but I haven’t told Kevin to go ahead and get a new apartment.”
Liz leaned back and crossed her arms, frowning at me. “Have you heard the old saying, ‘The one who has the power in any relationship is the one who cares the least?’”
I looked up at Liz with a start. "No. What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about you. You think you're the one who's taking all the risk, by giving up your apartment, but you're not. Pete's the one taking the risk. You can always get another apartment. You're the one who's free to go if you decide to, just pack up your stuff and leave."
"I wouldn't do that."
"Do you think Pete knows that?"
"Yeah, I think he does." I glared at Liz. "Are you trying to piss me off for some reason?"
"No. I'm trying to get you to see that you can hurt Pete a lot more than he can hurt you."
"I don't see where you get that. I'd say we're pretty even in that department."
"No, you're not. Pete has given you everything he has, he's laid himself open to you. What have you done for him? And sex doesn't count."
"I can't believe we're having this conversation."
"And I can't believe you're trying to keep from answering my question."
I shook my head. "I do lots of things for him."
"Like what?"
"I...I do most of the cleaning. I do all the laundry. I live with him, for fuck's sake."
Liz looked at me unwaveringly. "Have you told him you love him?"
"Yes! Every day!"
"Do you tell him spontaneously, or is it just 'Love you too' when he says it first?"
I tried to remember. "I know I've said it first before."
"Yeah, but you can't remember when. You can't remember the last time you said, 'Pete, I love you,' for no other reason than you love him." She looked disgusted. "That's just great, Jamie."
"I'm not..." I was speechless. "I can't believe this."
"Believe it." She stood up and took her trash to the receptacle, then came back and sat down. "This is about the time in a relationship where you get that look on your face. Like a scared animal, wondering where the traps are." She leaned forward. "There are no traps this time. You're the one with the shotgun this time."
"Liz. When we broke up before, it was Pete that pulled the trigger."
"I know that. And it's taken him this long to get you back." Her face softened. "You should see
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