Chapter 14: The Devil went to Georgia, Megan went to Louisiana

And this little piggy stayed home.

Bill was pretty busy getting ready for the next adventure ... with three beautiful teenagers and a perfection called Mom, there was sure to be one. Mrs. Fox wouldn't let him into the safety deposit box but Mina had arranged for replenishment funds ... up to a point.

Bill's Debit card had a million dollar limit ... but he didn't know that. Megan had slipped one of her Harrahs Debit cards into Bill's wallet ... but he didn't know that either.

The only thing Bill kept orderly was the Dodge and that was pure self preservation. Bouncing down a steep four by four two track is dangerous enough. He didn't want loose junk whacking him in the back of his head.

Bill's wallet looked like his other bedroom in the house. Mina and DD kept Mina's side of the master bedroom spotless and DD harried Bill about the head and shoulders to keep his side 'livable' but Bill was a teenager after all.

He had one of the spares in the wing where he 'Did Stuff." His Do Stuff room looked like prime living quarters ... for a pig ... his wallet looked a lot like that. Someday Megan was going to mention that his wallet needed 'sorting.'

She was pretty sure that wasn't going to happen until it got so full he lost circulation in his butt from sitting on it. Even then, he'd just move it to a front jeans pocket ... until it pinched a ball.

No, someday Bill would call home in the middle of the night and need rescuing and then is when she'd tell him about the million dollar card hidden in his wallet.

Bill was home ... they had an airplane, but Mina had it in New Orleans. All Bill had was a cat...

'Funny? I could have sworn Pyewacket was here a minute ago, ' Bill thought. And Pye was there ... a second ago. Now Pye was twinning around feet on a Coast Guard helicopter. Said helicopter was kicking right along following a diesel fuel leak from "Big Money." Bill didn't know that either.

Bill was lonely ... Carl was gone ... spring was upon them, school was in session and Bill was lonely. Bill headed for the airport and the indispensable secretary at the flight school.

"Bill!"

"Mike!"

"What's the haps, paps?"

"You know."

"I do?"

"School is in session ... the girls are in New Orleans ... Carl is off doing Carl things."

"I got you ... you're bored and lonely."

"Yup ... got an airplane I can play with?"

"You know ... you're a better mechanic than any one of the guys I got working ... but you're not certified. You can go look but you can't touch a wrench."

"That's no fun."

"Yeah, I know ... tell ya what ... I'm flying out to look at an old plane ... estate sale ... wanna go?"

"Sure ... it's better than sitting home."

Bill had no idea.

"We got to take the STOL ... there's a field but it's rough."

"Oh ... cool ... Alaska wheels?"

"Yeah ... taildragger too. You can fly left and get checked out. If ... and I do mean IF ... I buy anything I'll need a chase plane."

"I'm up for it."

"We'll take that."

That was a yellow and black PZL- Wilga ... only the French built an uglier aircraft and that was between the wars.

"Does it fly?" Bill asked.

"Ugly, ain't it?

"It looks like a dragonfly with only one set of wings. Actually ... I'm impressed. You don't buy junk so it must be good ... but my god it's ugly. What do you use it for?"

"Glider tow. It's got one hell of a motor... 400 horsepower and only weighs 472 pounds."

"Where did you get it?"

"Canada ... let's go."

"Before I change my mind?"

"Before I tell you the rest of the story."

Bill at the controls, the little plane fairly leaped in the air.

Bill said, "We didn't even roll 400 feet."

"Nope ... aerobatic too."

"Make a couple of touch and go's"..."Ok ... you're checked out."

"No shit?"

"The rest of the story is you're sitting on the 'chute ... and none of my people will fly this with me."

"Why not?"

"They're ashamed to be seen in it."

"You said buy 'Anything' ... there's more than one plane?"

"All I'm interested in is a Stagger-wing, but there must be a dozen planes ... I don't think there's anything newer than 1950."

"How did you find out about it?"

"The widow called me ... she said, "Come fetch what you want ... I'm burning the rest."

"Whoa? Hated his hobby?"

"With a passion ... took away money for hers."

"What's hers?"

"Race cars ... she's got a pole barn full ... and she wants to turn his runway into a racetrack." He pointed down.

"Holy shit ... that's going to be exciting."

Exciting wasn't the word ... terrifying was more like it. there were cars parked on the grass landing strip ... but it looked to be nearly 3500 feet long. The house was pretty big and there was a huge log cabin.

"Shit, I forgot to call ... fly this damn thing."

Mike got out his cell and punched in the numbers..."Mrs. Pollwaithe? Mike from Coyote."