Gay said, “You gonna tell me what it’s like being hypnotized? Did that shrink fill in any of the blanks for you?”

Olivia felt a surge of guilt. She wanted to tell him she’d remembered what Hashem had said, but Dillon had asked her to keep it to herself because both Hashem and the mission had been betrayed and they didn’t know who on the food chain was responsible. She said, “I couldn’t really imagine going under, I mean, he had this swinging gold watch, and how silly was that? But I did. There was nothing to it really. I just sort of faded out of the picture.” She paused a second, then asked, “I heard your daughter is having a baby. Congratulations.”

So it was need-to-know and he wasn’t in the loop. Gay said, “Yeah, thanks, wife’s so excited she’s already bought out one of those baby stores. She’s over with Delia right now, the two of them are wondering what color to paint the frigging nursery. I told her to flip a coin.”

Olivia laughed. “At least she didn’t shoot you, so that’s good.”

Helmut knew that word and barked, waved his tail nonstop, like a metronome.

“About the lasagna, I was planning on making my mother’s recipe, but I forgot the fresh tomatoes. Helmut, yes, yes, I know you’re starving. I’ve got your dinner.” She poured his food into his bowl, petted his head, and watched him dig in like it was his last meal.

“He’s a great dog, Olivia. How old is he?”

“Two years. When I’m out of the country, Linda in Eastern Affairs or my friend Julia takes him in.”

Gay said, “You know, we can’t eat lasagna without tomatoes, so how about we have pizza instead? I’ll go for pepperoni and artichoke.” He looked at her like a kid on Christmas morning.

Olivia’s stomach growled. “Okay, sounds good to me, but no artichokes for me, I’m pepperoni with onion and black olive.”

Gay paused a moment. “Like Mike.”

When he called in their order to Pizza Nirvana, double pepperoni and artichokes for him, he sounded positively buoyant. He punched off his cell. “Thirty minutes, then I’ll go pick it up, won’t have it delivered for obvious reasons.”

“Obvious?”

“You already forget the bad guys came to your house Monday night?”

“Of course not, but we’re in a safe house, for goodness’ sake. No one knows we’re here, unless you and Helmut sold me out.”

He shook his head. “When I get back, I’ll tell you a story about a hoagie delivery boy with a Beretta under his hoodie, happened about five years ago.”

She snorted. “You’re making it up. Come on, Gay, you called it in, I’ll do the pickup.”

“Nope, forget it. You’re going to stay behind locked doors.”