Seven Up - By Janet Evanovich Page 0,42

a chance."

"We heard she put the eye on Carmine Scallari, and he couldn't, uh, perform after that," Ziggy said.

"The story goes he even tried that new medicine but nothing helped," Benny said.

Benny and Ziggy both gave an involuntary shiver. They didn't want to be in the same predicament as Carmine Scallari.

I looked past Benny and Ziggy into the lobby and spotted Morelli. He was standing to one side, against the wall, surveying the crowd. He was wearing jeans and black crosstrainers and a black T-shirt under a tweed sportcoat. He looked lean and predatory. Men approached him to talk sports and then move on. Women watched from a distance, wondering if Morelli was as dangerous as he looked, if he was as bad as his reputation.

He caught my eye from across the room and crooked his finger at me, doing the universal come here gesture. He draped a proprietary arm around me when I reached him and kissed me on my neck, just below my ear. "Where's Mooner?"

"Watching television with Valerie's kids. Are you here because you're hoping to catch Eddie?"

"No. I'm here hoping to catch you. I think you should let Mooner overnight with your parents, and you should come home with me."

"Tempting, but I'm with Grandma and Valerie."

"I just got here," Morelli said. "Did Grandma manage to get the lid up?"

"Stiva intercepted her."

Morelli ran his finger along the lace edging on the shirt. "I like the lace."

"What about the skirt?"

"The skirt looks like a shower curtain. Sort of erotic. Makes me wonder if you're wearing underwear."

Omigod! "That's the same thing Ronald DeChooch said to me."

Morelli looked around. "I didn't see him when I came in. I didn't know Ronald and Loretta Ricci moved in the same circles."

"Maybe Ronald is here for the same reason Ziggy and Benny and Tom Bell are here."

Mrs. Dugan came over to us, all smiles. "Congratulations," she said. "I heard about the wedding. I'm so thrilled for you. And you are so lucky to have gotten the PNA Hall for your reception. Your grandmother must have pulled some strings on that one."

PNA Hall? I looked up at Morelli and rolled my eyes and Morelli gave me the silent head-shake.

"Excuse me," I said to Mrs. Dugan, "I have to find Grandma Mazur."

I put my head down and plowed through the crowd to Grandma. "Mrs. Dugan just told me we have the PNA Hall rented for my reception," I stage-whispered to her. "Is that true?"

"Lucille Stiller had it reserved for her parents' fiftieth wedding anniversary and her mother died just last night. As soon as we heard we snapped the hall right up. Things like this don't happen every day!"

"I don't want a reception in the PNA Hall."

"Everyone wants a reception in the PNA," Grandma said. "It's the best place in the Burg."

"I don't want a big reception. I want to have the reception in the backyard." Or not at all. I'm not even sure if I'm having a wedding!

"What if it rains? Where will we put all the people?"

"I don't want a lot of people."

"There's gotta be a hundred people in Joe's family alone," Grandma said.

Joe was standing behind me. "I'm having a panic attack," I said to him. "I can't breathe. My tongue is swelling. I'm going to choke."

"Choking might be the best thing," Joe said.

I looked at my watch. The viewing wasn't over for an hour and a half. My luck, I'd leave and Eddie would waltz in. "I need some air," I said. "I'm going outside for a couple minutes."

"There's people I haven't talked to yet," Grandma said. "I'll meet up with you later."

Joe followed me out and we stood on the porch, breathing in street air, happy to get away from the carnations, enjoying the car fumes. Lights were on and there was a steady stream of traffic on the street. The funeral home sounded festive behind us. No rock music, but plenty of talking and laughing. We sat on a step and watched the traffic in companionable silence. We were sitting there relaxing when the white Cadillac rolled by.

"Was that Eddie DeChooch?" I asked Joe.

"Looked like him to me," Joe said.

Neither of us moved. Not much we could do about DeChooch driving by. Our cars were parked two blocks away.

"We should do something to apprehend him," I said to Joe.

"What do you have in mind?"

"Well, it's too late now, but you should have shot out a tire."

"I'll have to remember that for next time."

Five minutes later we were still sitting