took off for school things when I was younger it was always a sick day, not vacation. I can't believe what I'm hearing.
"He asked you to go to Las Vegas with him?"
"I mentioned I was overly stressed and I needed a vacation. He suggested it. I've never been. I decided I'd like to see it, and he'll make good company."
"Mom, you've only known this guy for a couple of days."
She drops the shirt she's folding and stares me down.
"Why can't I have some fun with a man? I'm not a robot, you know. I devoted my whole adult life to the museum and to raising you. I don't think I'm hurting anything by taking a break. The world will go on without me. You certainly don't seem to need my input on anything."
"Mom, it's not like that."
"I'm leaving in the morning," she says, with a finality that proclaims the conversation over.
I need two bowls of ice cream.
Chapter 7: Apollo
"You're going where?"
"Las Vegas," Dad sighs, as he folds a Hawaiian shirt I had no idea he owned. "I saw an opportunity and took it."
It's funny. We've never been to Las Vegas. Of all the places for a thief to work, you'd think Sin City would be at the top of our list, but we'd always stayed away. Now he's going with somebody else. I suddenly feel incredibly childish thinking about this. He stands up and looks at me.
"Here's the play. The museum opens a new wing in three weeks, and they'll move the painting out of the vault. That's when we make our move. We need the codes and we need to scout the buildings. I'll work on the codes. You do the scouting while I'm gone. Start working on the daughter."
"Working on the daughter?"
His expression hardens. "Do I need to spell it out?"
"I don't think her mother-"
"I don't care what her mother thinks," he snaps. "We need this done as soon as possible. I'm under a lot of pressure, here."
He must be. I have never known my father to be an impatient man, and yet he's constantly moving up the timetable on this. Yesterday it was stay away from her, now he wants me to seduce her, not that it will be such a chore. The thought of getting my hands on her soft skin brings a dull smile to my face, before I force it away and shake my head to clear my thoughts. God, what am I thinking?
"I'm having second thoughts about this."
He freezes, and slowly turns to focus on me.
"Second thoughts about what?"
"This job. I'm not sure… I'm not sure I want to hurt these people."
"Apollo, you've known this girl for two days . I don't think you understand what's at stake here."
"Of course I do. Look, I know you want to retire, but there will be other jobs-"
" Not if I botch this one!" he roars, balling his hands into fists. Red-faced, he turns away and smooths his hands through his hair, looks up at the ceiling and takes a deep breath, forcing himself to composure. He turns back to me. "Apollo, this is not a regular job. We do not get to walk away if things look too difficult. I need to pull this off."
"Why? What aren't you telling me?"
He sits on the bed and shakes his head. "I don't know how it ever came to this."
I drop into a side chair, facing him. "Came to what?" The tremble in my voice is genuine. "Dad, what's going on?"
"Look, the best thing we can do for us, and for these women, is do this job and move on. I know that may be hard to understand, but sometimes in life we want things we can't have. I'm not stupid, son. I know you've taken a liking to the girl. I'm relieved to see you take an interest in somebody your own age, for once." He sighs, hard. "This is my fault. Taking you with me is the biggest mistake I've ever made. You don't deserve this."
We sit there in silence until he breaks it. "I need to finish what I'm doing here. I leave early to pick up Carol and head to the airport. I'll leave you a flight itinerary. It's just a vacation. We'll be fine."
I don't want to ask this. I"m worried about his reaction.
"Do you like her?"
"Who?"
"Carol."
He freezes.
"It's a job. I've got my head in the game. That's
"He asked you to go to Las Vegas with him?"
"I mentioned I was overly stressed and I needed a vacation. He suggested it. I've never been. I decided I'd like to see it, and he'll make good company."
"Mom, you've only known this guy for a couple of days."
She drops the shirt she's folding and stares me down.
"Why can't I have some fun with a man? I'm not a robot, you know. I devoted my whole adult life to the museum and to raising you. I don't think I'm hurting anything by taking a break. The world will go on without me. You certainly don't seem to need my input on anything."
"Mom, it's not like that."
"I'm leaving in the morning," she says, with a finality that proclaims the conversation over.
I need two bowls of ice cream.
Chapter 7: Apollo
"You're going where?"
"Las Vegas," Dad sighs, as he folds a Hawaiian shirt I had no idea he owned. "I saw an opportunity and took it."
It's funny. We've never been to Las Vegas. Of all the places for a thief to work, you'd think Sin City would be at the top of our list, but we'd always stayed away. Now he's going with somebody else. I suddenly feel incredibly childish thinking about this. He stands up and looks at me.
"Here's the play. The museum opens a new wing in three weeks, and they'll move the painting out of the vault. That's when we make our move. We need the codes and we need to scout the buildings. I'll work on the codes. You do the scouting while I'm gone. Start working on the daughter."
"Working on the daughter?"
His expression hardens. "Do I need to spell it out?"
"I don't think her mother-"
"I don't care what her mother thinks," he snaps. "We need this done as soon as possible. I'm under a lot of pressure, here."
He must be. I have never known my father to be an impatient man, and yet he's constantly moving up the timetable on this. Yesterday it was stay away from her, now he wants me to seduce her, not that it will be such a chore. The thought of getting my hands on her soft skin brings a dull smile to my face, before I force it away and shake my head to clear my thoughts. God, what am I thinking?
"I'm having second thoughts about this."
He freezes, and slowly turns to focus on me.
"Second thoughts about what?"
"This job. I'm not sure… I'm not sure I want to hurt these people."
"Apollo, you've known this girl for two days . I don't think you understand what's at stake here."
"Of course I do. Look, I know you want to retire, but there will be other jobs-"
" Not if I botch this one!" he roars, balling his hands into fists. Red-faced, he turns away and smooths his hands through his hair, looks up at the ceiling and takes a deep breath, forcing himself to composure. He turns back to me. "Apollo, this is not a regular job. We do not get to walk away if things look too difficult. I need to pull this off."
"Why? What aren't you telling me?"
He sits on the bed and shakes his head. "I don't know how it ever came to this."
I drop into a side chair, facing him. "Came to what?" The tremble in my voice is genuine. "Dad, what's going on?"
"Look, the best thing we can do for us, and for these women, is do this job and move on. I know that may be hard to understand, but sometimes in life we want things we can't have. I'm not stupid, son. I know you've taken a liking to the girl. I'm relieved to see you take an interest in somebody your own age, for once." He sighs, hard. "This is my fault. Taking you with me is the biggest mistake I've ever made. You don't deserve this."
We sit there in silence until he breaks it. "I need to finish what I'm doing here. I leave early to pick up Carol and head to the airport. I'll leave you a flight itinerary. It's just a vacation. We'll be fine."
I don't want to ask this. I"m worried about his reaction.
"Do you like her?"
"Who?"
"Carol."
He freezes.
"It's a job. I've got my head in the game. That's
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