Chapter 44

"Come on you two, I have somewhere I have to go before five. Jimmy, throw your moped in the back of my unit."

He picked it up like it weighed ten pounds and sat it on top of the gun box in back. He grabbed what Sandra called his lunch box, but to me it looked like a small satchel packed too full. Jimmy got in the back and buckled up then Sandra did the same in the front. We went down the drive, and Sandra remarked to Jimmy that this was better than him carrying his moped, her, and his lunch box. I had to laugh at this one, and they both gave me dirty looks. We went down the road as fast as I dared with all the traffic coming from town to the gulch. Maybe Charlie had decided to evacuate more people after Preacher got a look at the explosives. I waved at Bruce as we went by his post and he waved back at me. I pulled up in front of the courthouse and with Jimmy and Sandra in tow. I went to the Judge's office and asked for him. His secretary said he was in court but she had the papers for me to sign. I signed on the lines she said to, and she told me to wait, she would be right back. We waited for about five minutes and she came back in and handed me a folder saying it was recorded and the rest was up to me. I walked out to my unit with Sandra and Jimmy still following me in silence. When we got in, I handed her the folder. She opened it and read for about five minutes and let out a whoop that scared ten years off me. I got a big hug and kiss and she turned to Jimmy saying the words that would sear themselves into my mind until the day I died.

"Big brother, I am now legal, and my grandpa loves me because he filed for custody of me."

I looked at her and at Jimmy in the rear view mirror, they both had tears in their eyes. Now I was stumped as to why this would be so important to him, so I decided I would gently ask him.

"Jimmy, why are you crying?"

"I am happy because my little sister will be staying here with the only person that means anything to her."

Out of the mouths of babes. Boy did I feel about three inches tall. I hadn't in my grownupness realized my filing the papers for custody was so important to her.

I called Doris and when she answered, I asked if she wanted to ride into Reno with us. Being Doris, I had to give her a good reason why she should go with us. I didn't have one but when I said Jimmy was going with us, she decided to go too. We dropped his moped off when we picked up Doris, and of course Sandra got into the back with Jimmy, throwing a wide hint for Doris to ride up front with me. They were whispering and laughing before we even left the city. I called dispatch and told them where I would be and that I would be on my cell if I were needed. I was told that the explosives would be removed by midnight tonight, and that the motor pool could reopen tomorrow. I thanked them for the information and signed off.

"Harry, maybe you better take me back to the house so I can call everyone and tell them the news."

"Aunt Doris, if you do that then I won't speak to you for a week. Sis and I want you to go too. We are going to pick out a violin for her. Did you know she learned to play it from a famous violinist? He taught at Berkley until he retired. He taught Sis all his classical music and she is gonna teach me."

"Ok, I know when I'm beat, Jimmy. I will ride along if Harry can put up with me for that long."

They both laughed and then looked at me as if I had the deciding vote.

"I can stand her for that long, I guess. But one thing I will make clear to her and to both of you and that is that I decide where we eat supper."

They all looked at me like I had snot running out of my nose or something. I was thinking about looking in the mirror when Doris had to get the final word in as usual.

"You can do that, Harry, but if you pick a fast food restaurant then we will all catch a bus back."

The kids thought that was hilarious and were quick to agree with her. I hadn't realized I was grumbling and talking to myself, until Sandra asked me what I was saying and again Doris pounced on me.

"Don't mind him, kids, when you get his age you start talking to yourself because nobody else will listen to you."

"Very funny, you overaged hippie."

I thought I had won that one from the dirty look I got, but as usual I was sadly mistaken. I heard the kids laughing in the back seat and out of the corner of my eye I saw Doris was sticking her tongue out at me. The kids were laughing like crazy at her antics. I looked at her, and realized she had her eyes crossed too while doing the tongue thing. Man, she was worse than both of the kids. I didn't say anything, not wanting to encourage her to act more stupid than she already was. We came into the outskirts of Reno with the kids still laughing, and Doris gave me directions on how to get to the music store. When we pulled up in the front, the kids and Doris beat me out of the unit. I climbed out and followed them into the store. Jimmy and Sandra immediately took off and I tried to follow them, but they were picking guitars by the time I found them. I was standing to one side listening to them, when a clerk came up and grabbed the guitar out of Sandra's hands. I grabbed him and he was on the floor with my cuffs on him before he could react.

"I don't know who you think you are but I will put you in jail so quick for assault you will think you were born there."

An older man came running over and asked what happened. When I told him, he asked if I would let him go and that he would apologize for his actions. I took the cuffs off and he stood up and did apologize to Sandra and Jimmy for his actions.

"I have warned you about your attitude before so, this time, you're fired. Get your final pay from my wife and don't show your face in here again."

He must have seen the puzzled look on my face because he explained what was going on.

"He is on a work scholarship type of thing. He is a music major but he has been warned before. His professor talked me out of firing him the last time but he is a hard headed young man. He thinks because he is a violin soloist he is better than everyone that comes in here. I am sorry he grabbed you, young lady. You are welcome to play the instruments anytime. After all, that's what they're here for, to play."

Sandra and Jimmy both smiled at him and picked up the guitars again. While they were tuning them I asked the manager about violins and the price range of a good one for my granddaughter. He handed the kids a pick each and said to follow him. I left the kids with Doris and followed the owner to the violin area. There were hundreds there and he was showing me the cheaper ones. He said beginners didn't need a real expensive one because they were too hard on them until they learned to play. I just smiled and didn't say a word to him letting him go on with his spiel.

"Those in the cases are the better ones, or are they just for show?"

"Sir, I doubt if you want one of those for your daughter. They are one of a kind instruments and they are several hundred years old. I have a pair that belonged to so and so and he had them made out of a special wood because of the sound the wood creates. When he died I bought them from his estate."

Ok guys, laugh, but I couldn't pronounce his name if my life depended on it, let alone use the Italian inflections the owner did. Me, I just nodded my head like I knew what he was talking about. When he said the price for both of them, it got my attention real quick. Hell the pair of them cost more than I had paid for my house, when I had first moved to Florida. I knew a little about bartering though so I set to work doing what I was good at. We went back and forth for about thirty minutes before he finally agreed to my offer. I told him I wanted the authentication papers and everything else I needed for insurance purposes. He looked at me in surprise and smiled when I handed him my credit card.