Chapter 19

“Your dad would have been proud of you, George.” With that, he opened the door and left.

The captain and my late father had been best friends as far back as I could remember. I sat in a daze for a long minute but finally snapped out of it long enough to make a call. “Don’t start dinner,” I said when Mike answered. “I’m taking you out.”

“Where?” he said. “And for that matter, why?”

“Bistro Aix, and do I need a reason?”

“Babe, a little while ago you were agonizing over borrowing a shitload of money. Now you’re planning to go to a very expensive restaurant.”

“I’ll be home in a few.”

“Okay.”

I hurried home and jumped in the shower. Then I dressed quickly and went in search of Mike, who was in the den, working with a spreadsheet on the computer. Thor was curled up on the floor under the desk. “Hi, handsome,” I said. “You too, Mike.”

“Compliments will get you laid,” he said, “even left-handed ones like that.”

“Shut that computer down and come here.”