his grandfather said gently.
Mike nodded. “No one deserves to be murdered and have it written off as accidental.” He squeezed lemon on the salmon, the drops of juice sputtering on the heated pan as the citrusy scent filled the air.
As the fish cooked, Mike chopped lettuce and tomatoes for a salad while his grandfather finished making the tartar sauce. From the other room, Maggie snored softly, sacked out on her doggie bed.
“Beer?” Archie asked.
“Sounds good.”
He pivoted his walker to the fridge, retrieved a couple of brews and handed one to Mike. Two bottle caps popped in succession.
Archie took a swig, swallowed. “My birthday’s in a few weeks.”
“Mom said she’s planning a family dinner.”
“God bless her, yes she is. Think she’ll be too upset if I’m not there?”
Mike took a long pull on his beer, wondering where this conversation was headed.
“You know,” Archie continued, “I’ve always wanted to celebrate a birthday in Sin City. Let’s face it…” He got a wistful, faraway look in his eyes. “When a man turns eighty-five, that birthday just might be his last.”
“You’re gonna outlive all of us. Anyway, I never said I’m going to Vegas.”
“Didn’t have to.”
Mike drizzled olive oil on the tomatoes. Despite the risks, he knew he was going to Vegas before he even left Harley’s office. As long as he played it smart, ATF would never know. His plans didn’t include taking his grandfather along, though.
“This isn’t a fun vacation,” Mike said. “It’s a working vacation.”
“All the more reason to take me along. I’m your cover. People might question why a young, good looking guy like you is alone in Vegas. But a guy taking his elderly grandfather to Vegas for his birthday? Twenty-four carat alibi.”
Archie played the elderly card when it worked in his favor, otherwise he hated the label because it carried the stigma of being “a feeble-minded old coot.” Mike respected that, but age was an issue nevertheless, although he wouldn’t say so directly.
“I’ll be gone a lot,” he said. “Don’t like leaving you alone.”
Archie gave him an is-that-so? look. “Need I remind you I’m alone here every day while you’re at work? And maybe I’m not as physically tough as I once was, but I’m mentally tough. That goes a long way in life.”
Archie was awarded the Purple Heart in the Korean War for a daring one-man raid to pinpoint enemy positions, hurling grenades while exposing himself to enemy fire. Mike knew a lot of gutsy ATF agents, but none came close to his grandfather’s heroic act.
“When you’re working,” Archie continued, “I’ll keep Maggie company and take her outside when she needs to do her business.”
Mike couldn’t take Maggie everywhere, such as into courthouses when he needed to look up records, so it would be good to have Archie looking after her. Taking his granddad to Vegas was an excellent cover, too. But he still wasn’t sold on the idea.
“We’ve already made arrangements for Tony to stay with you,” Mike said. Tony was the nineteen-year-old grandson of one of Archie’s friends.
“Let’s let him stay here anyway. He can pick up the mail and deal with Catarina if she drops by.”
“Can’t tell him we’re going to Vegas.”
“Course not. We’re driving up the coast.”
“And no parties.”
“Parties? Mike, he’s a computer nerd with acne. If you dropped him off at the Playboy Mansion, he’d think he was there to fix a router.” He paused. “What you’re really worried about is failing...and your grandfather won’t let that happen.”
Mike almost laughed, but the look on the old man’s face, fierce with love and courage, tore him up more than a dozen Vince Gill songs. Not trusting himself to speak, he gave a small salute of thanks.
Archie clicked his bottle against Mike’s. “Let’s go move that mountain, kid.”
----
J oanne reached into the packing box and lifted a bubble-wrapped
Mike nodded. “No one deserves to be murdered and have it written off as accidental.” He squeezed lemon on the salmon, the drops of juice sputtering on the heated pan as the citrusy scent filled the air.
As the fish cooked, Mike chopped lettuce and tomatoes for a salad while his grandfather finished making the tartar sauce. From the other room, Maggie snored softly, sacked out on her doggie bed.
“Beer?” Archie asked.
“Sounds good.”
He pivoted his walker to the fridge, retrieved a couple of brews and handed one to Mike. Two bottle caps popped in succession.
Archie took a swig, swallowed. “My birthday’s in a few weeks.”
“Mom said she’s planning a family dinner.”
“God bless her, yes she is. Think she’ll be too upset if I’m not there?”
Mike took a long pull on his beer, wondering where this conversation was headed.
“You know,” Archie continued, “I’ve always wanted to celebrate a birthday in Sin City. Let’s face it…” He got a wistful, faraway look in his eyes. “When a man turns eighty-five, that birthday just might be his last.”
“You’re gonna outlive all of us. Anyway, I never said I’m going to Vegas.”
“Didn’t have to.”
Mike drizzled olive oil on the tomatoes. Despite the risks, he knew he was going to Vegas before he even left Harley’s office. As long as he played it smart, ATF would never know. His plans didn’t include taking his grandfather along, though.
“This isn’t a fun vacation,” Mike said. “It’s a working vacation.”
“All the more reason to take me along. I’m your cover. People might question why a young, good looking guy like you is alone in Vegas. But a guy taking his elderly grandfather to Vegas for his birthday? Twenty-four carat alibi.”
Archie played the elderly card when it worked in his favor, otherwise he hated the label because it carried the stigma of being “a feeble-minded old coot.” Mike respected that, but age was an issue nevertheless, although he wouldn’t say so directly.
“I’ll be gone a lot,” he said. “Don’t like leaving you alone.”
Archie gave him an is-that-so? look. “Need I remind you I’m alone here every day while you’re at work? And maybe I’m not as physically tough as I once was, but I’m mentally tough. That goes a long way in life.”
Archie was awarded the Purple Heart in the Korean War for a daring one-man raid to pinpoint enemy positions, hurling grenades while exposing himself to enemy fire. Mike knew a lot of gutsy ATF agents, but none came close to his grandfather’s heroic act.
“When you’re working,” Archie continued, “I’ll keep Maggie company and take her outside when she needs to do her business.”
Mike couldn’t take Maggie everywhere, such as into courthouses when he needed to look up records, so it would be good to have Archie looking after her. Taking his granddad to Vegas was an excellent cover, too. But he still wasn’t sold on the idea.
“We’ve already made arrangements for Tony to stay with you,” Mike said. Tony was the nineteen-year-old grandson of one of Archie’s friends.
“Let’s let him stay here anyway. He can pick up the mail and deal with Catarina if she drops by.”
“Can’t tell him we’re going to Vegas.”
“Course not. We’re driving up the coast.”
“And no parties.”
“Parties? Mike, he’s a computer nerd with acne. If you dropped him off at the Playboy Mansion, he’d think he was there to fix a router.” He paused. “What you’re really worried about is failing...and your grandfather won’t let that happen.”
Mike almost laughed, but the look on the old man’s face, fierce with love and courage, tore him up more than a dozen Vince Gill songs. Not trusting himself to speak, he gave a small salute of thanks.
Archie clicked his bottle against Mike’s. “Let’s go move that mountain, kid.”
----
J oanne reached into the packing box and lifted a bubble-wrapped
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