if you want to see it, but if you say one more word
about my mother I'll break your ugly face."
The
man's mouth curved. "Relax, kid. It's a good story, but I'm still curious
about the motives here."
Suddenly Cal understood. It was the money after all. They didn't trust his mother because of
the money Darwin had left them. "If you're worried about the twenty thousand Darwin left my mother,
most of it is intended for me. He wanted her to leave here and get me started
in a college somewhere."
"I'm
sure," Nolan responded. "By the time you graduate from high school
that money will be long gone, kid."
It was Cal 's turn to smile.
"I graduated last year, mister. And don't ask, because you don't want to
know my I.Q. I can get a scholarship anywhere I want. But we've got to get out
of here first."
The man
was staring at him. "You're shitting me. An honest-to-God child
genius?"
Cal 's spine stiffened. "I'm not a child. I'm—"
"Yeah,
yeah, you're thirteen. I heard you the first time. Dang. A genius."
"Don't
call me that. And I didn't make anything up so it's not a story. I don't care
if you believe me anyway. Mom will tell Mr. Kimmler what's been going on and
he'll believe her. We haven't done anything wrong."
"Maybe
you haven't," Nolan said. He picked up the end of his T-shirt and wiped
his face with it. "But I'm reserving judgment on your dear old Mom."
"She's
a lot younger than you are," Cal said.
Nolan
snorted. "I doubt it."
"Wanna
bet?"
"Yeah,
I'll bet. What's the deal?"
"A
radiator for the Mustang."
"Christ,"
Nolan said. "You don't mess around, do you? No deal, kid. I'm not exactly
a rich man. And besides that, I didn't get a close enough look at her."
"Bull.
You got right in her face. You wanna bet or not?"
"Being
in her face and looking at her is two different things. I didn't look
look."
"Chicken.
You must be worried now," Cal said.
The man
laughed. "You are a smart little bastard. But like I said, I'm not a rich
man."
"You're
probably richer than us. Mom is almost broke. We have to wait until the C.D.
matures in August before we can touch the money. She was planning on getting
the car fixed then, but we're both ready to get out of here. They can mail us
the money."
The man
was nodding. "Uh-huh. I see. And just where were you planning on
going?"
"We're
not sure," Cal said. "It depends on where I decide to go to
college."
"You
haven't decided yet?"
"No.
I'd like to go some place Mom can get a job, Los
Angeles , maybe."
"What
does your mom do when she isn't stealing horses? Rob banks?"
"You're
a real jerk, you know that? She used to be a commercial artist."
"And
I used to be a hell of a ballplayer. In other words, used to be doesn’t count,
kid. If you're so smart, why don't you want to go to Harvard or Yale and be one
of the big boys?"
Cal smirked. "When I decide what I want to do, I'll do
it. Until then, Mom's doing the best she can for both of us."
The man
shook his head and muttered something under his breath about mothers. Cal shook the beaded
sweat from his face again. "What?"
"Nothing.
Damn, that sun's hot. Where is this Mustang anyway? What year is it?"
"It's
a 'sixty-eight. We pushed it into the barn." Cal watched the man's
eyes light up in interest.
"No
way does she have a ‘sixty-eight. Let's go have a look. Hardtop?"
"Yeah.
Hey, we never settled the bet."
"We
don't have to. The only place you're likely to find a radiator will be in a
salvage yard somewhere; otherwise, it's going to cost more than I can handle.
But just out of curiosity, how old is she?"
"You
first," Cal said.
"Jesus,
kid. All right. I'm thirty-five."
Cal grinned at him. "Mom'll be thirty-three the first of
August.
"I
thought you said she was a lot younger."
"Come
on," Cal said in disgust. "I should've known you were a sore loser
from the way you backed out on the candy bar deal with the little girl."
The man
laughed again and held up his bandaged hands. "I haven't backed out yet. I
just used it to get her
about my mother I'll break your ugly face."
The
man's mouth curved. "Relax, kid. It's a good story, but I'm still curious
about the motives here."
Suddenly Cal understood. It was the money after all. They didn't trust his mother because of
the money Darwin had left them. "If you're worried about the twenty thousand Darwin left my mother,
most of it is intended for me. He wanted her to leave here and get me started
in a college somewhere."
"I'm
sure," Nolan responded. "By the time you graduate from high school
that money will be long gone, kid."
It was Cal 's turn to smile.
"I graduated last year, mister. And don't ask, because you don't want to
know my I.Q. I can get a scholarship anywhere I want. But we've got to get out
of here first."
The man
was staring at him. "You're shitting me. An honest-to-God child
genius?"
Cal 's spine stiffened. "I'm not a child. I'm—"
"Yeah,
yeah, you're thirteen. I heard you the first time. Dang. A genius."
"Don't
call me that. And I didn't make anything up so it's not a story. I don't care
if you believe me anyway. Mom will tell Mr. Kimmler what's been going on and
he'll believe her. We haven't done anything wrong."
"Maybe
you haven't," Nolan said. He picked up the end of his T-shirt and wiped
his face with it. "But I'm reserving judgment on your dear old Mom."
"She's
a lot younger than you are," Cal said.
Nolan
snorted. "I doubt it."
"Wanna
bet?"
"Yeah,
I'll bet. What's the deal?"
"A
radiator for the Mustang."
"Christ,"
Nolan said. "You don't mess around, do you? No deal, kid. I'm not exactly
a rich man. And besides that, I didn't get a close enough look at her."
"Bull.
You got right in her face. You wanna bet or not?"
"Being
in her face and looking at her is two different things. I didn't look
look."
"Chicken.
You must be worried now," Cal said.
The man
laughed. "You are a smart little bastard. But like I said, I'm not a rich
man."
"You're
probably richer than us. Mom is almost broke. We have to wait until the C.D.
matures in August before we can touch the money. She was planning on getting
the car fixed then, but we're both ready to get out of here. They can mail us
the money."
The man
was nodding. "Uh-huh. I see. And just where were you planning on
going?"
"We're
not sure," Cal said. "It depends on where I decide to go to
college."
"You
haven't decided yet?"
"No.
I'd like to go some place Mom can get a job, Los
Angeles , maybe."
"What
does your mom do when she isn't stealing horses? Rob banks?"
"You're
a real jerk, you know that? She used to be a commercial artist."
"And
I used to be a hell of a ballplayer. In other words, used to be doesn’t count,
kid. If you're so smart, why don't you want to go to Harvard or Yale and be one
of the big boys?"
Cal smirked. "When I decide what I want to do, I'll do
it. Until then, Mom's doing the best she can for both of us."
The man
shook his head and muttered something under his breath about mothers. Cal shook the beaded
sweat from his face again. "What?"
"Nothing.
Damn, that sun's hot. Where is this Mustang anyway? What year is it?"
"It's
a 'sixty-eight. We pushed it into the barn." Cal watched the man's
eyes light up in interest.
"No
way does she have a ‘sixty-eight. Let's go have a look. Hardtop?"
"Yeah.
Hey, we never settled the bet."
"We
don't have to. The only place you're likely to find a radiator will be in a
salvage yard somewhere; otherwise, it's going to cost more than I can handle.
But just out of curiosity, how old is she?"
"You
first," Cal said.
"Jesus,
kid. All right. I'm thirty-five."
Cal grinned at him. "Mom'll be thirty-three the first of
August.
"I
thought you said she was a lot younger."
"Come
on," Cal said in disgust. "I should've known you were a sore loser
from the way you backed out on the candy bar deal with the little girl."
The man
laughed again and held up his bandaged hands. "I haven't backed out yet. I
just used it to get her
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