The Eighty-eighth Key Ch. 53

Harry sat in silent appraisal of the moment, Mickey and Didi sitting in the seat just ahead as the train pulled out of the Station in Davos -- headed for Zurich.

And a song intruded on the moment, a song that played in his mind as the train lurched and glided away from the platform: Alone Again, Naturally.

And it hit him then, and hit him hard. He'd never felt so alone. Even watching Mickey and Didi had left him feeling ripped from the womb of human emotion -- until that song hit him in the gut, anyway. When that music found him, he had felt like disappearing from civilization for a while...hiding from his loneliness -- as if that was possible.

And he was scared, too.

It had been more than six years since the Old Man in the Cape had told him that Frank would live to see Elizabeth's seventh birthday, and now that day was fast approaching. Sitting there in the train, he wondered just what the Old Man had meant -- as in, had he pronounced sentence that day, or were things still not written in stone? If not, would Frank leave soon -- pass into the night? The thought had burrowed away into nothingness almost as soon as he'd heard it, yet it had remained just beneath the surface ever since, a pustulant reminder that time was indeed still stalking them all, but Frank most of all.

And he could see Didi and Mickey laughing through the space between their seats. And it bothered him.

Well, he said to himself, this was their time now. He'd had his fair share of moments like this, hadn't he? and he'd seen it happen. Mickey, like he'd been struck by lightning? Didi suddenly receptive -- like the petals of a flower opening to the sunshine.

Then his mind wandered to Iraq. Would the army finally follow through and get him to train replacements? Or...maybe he could send Rooney instead, now that he knew the system...

Because he had to himself admit now, he'd simply lost interest in flying after his time in Iraq. He tried to imagine flying firefighters up into the mountains and his mind closed down like it had been caught in the grips of a tightening vice -- all he could think about was breaking free and disappearing -- again.

By the time their train pulled into Zurich's Hauptbahnhof he was hard-pressed to think of anything he still wanted to do -- except sit at his piano. There was a puzzle to solve, wasn't there? And the puzzle was not something he could turn his back on any longer. He had to find the missing pieces, now, before they were lost forever.

'Should I stay in the reserves?' he wondered. After all, even now when people asked him what he did he usually replied he was a cop. Because he was a cop, most knew, but also because there was something in the identity of being a cop. It wasn't something you could put on or take off like a jacket, it was a state of mind. 'It's my state of mind," he had to admit, and with that said his mind was made up.

They caught the local out to the airport and Didi went with them to the Swissair counter and got them checked in, then they walked with her to the El Al counter and did the same. But Didi was different; she wasn't just another passenger -- she was Mossad -- so she had been flagged for special screening by the omnipresent Israeli airline security personnel.

"I'll have to leave you now," Didi said to Harry and Mickey. "I should be free to come to San Francisco within a week or two."

"I hate this," Mickey replied. "I should go with you, ask him to his face."

"You will have that opportunity, my love," she gently told him before she kissed him for the billionth time. "Now...go! Do not make me cry!"

Harry led Rooney through the small main terminal to the TWA Ambassador's Club lounge and, as they were flying to JFK on Swissair before switching to TWA for the flight to SFO, he decided to take advantage of his membership and use the lounge. Callahan grabbed a glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice, while Rooney asked for a scotch on the rocks.

"Man alive, Harry...what a week this has been!"

"No kidding. So, what's next for you two?"

But Rooney just shrugged the question away. "I think I've got to get back into work, figure that out before anything else."

"And Didi is coming in a couple of weeks? What do you do once she arrives?"

"I don't know, Harry. I've been in the Army almost my whole life, ya know? No wife, no kids...Hell, not even a dog. I haven't got the faintest idea what to do?"

"Okay. Well, if you need someone to talk to about it, let me know."

"Yeah, well, what do you think I need to do?"

"Well, she's moving to a new country and at the same time, she's leaving everything she's known behind. What do you think she needs?"

Rooney shook his head. "Man, I don't know..."

"Well, put yourself in her shoes. How would you feel?"

"I don't know, man. I'd want to go to a few bars, check out..."

"Hold it right there, okay?"

"What?"

"You're thinking like a twelve-year-old, Mickey. In other words, you're thinking about yourself, putting your wants ahead of her needs."

"Yeah, that's why I'm asking you, Harry. I'm clueless about anything that doesn't relate to helicopters, ya know?"

"Yeah, Mick. Sorry. Here's the scoop. She's going to feel stressed as hell if she thinks you haven't been doing things to get ready for her. That means finding a place to live that's safe and clean. That means finding out what kind of paperwork she's going to need, also why she needs it, then helping her get it filled out and delivered to the correct office. How is she going to get around, how is she going to know where to shop for food or even a new pair of underwear? See what I mean?"

"Is she still going to be working for you?"

"Yup, but she'll probably start working for Cat, too...but I'm not sure about that yet. But even so, it'll be real easy for her if you two live real close to the Cathouse, like walking distance, at least for the first year or so. Let her figure a lot of the little things out for herself, but help out with the big things, especially when she first gets there."

"Man, Harry...you know, I've been bunking out at the condo, at your old man's place, and I've even stayed at Pattison's when he's rotated up to the mountains..."

"You don't have your own place yet?"

The intercom clicked, then: "Passengers Callahan and Rooney, please report to the front desk."

"Okay," Harry said, "got your carry-on?"

"Yessir!"

"Okay, let's go."

They followed a lounge attendant to their gate and boarded early, then went up to the upper deck on an almost brand new 747-300.

"Geesh, Harry, remind me to fly with you more often...did you see the legs on the stewardess?"

"You know, this might not be the best time to bring this up, but you just asked a girl to marry you. That means forsaking all others, in case the meaning ain't clear..."

"I know, I know..."

"And it would probably be a very good idea to remember that her father is a colonel in the Mossad and that he trains hit teams for a living."

"Fuck."

"Yeah, I kinda think that's the right word for the occasion, Mick. Fuck works real good. And keep in mind she's also my good friend and business manager too, while you're at it."

"Harry, did you see that stew? What a dog!"

"Yeah, well, that's Swissair for you."

_________________________________

DD met them at the gate and walked with them to the baggage claim, and when she saw the look in Harry's eyes she backed off of the idea she might talk to him before he went up to Sea Ranch. He looked positively livid, she thought, and she found the idea somehow incongruous to the time and place.

"Have a nice flight?" she asked Mickey.

"Yeah, man, you wouldn't believe the service on Swissair! They came by with a cart at dinner and carved roast beef right there in the aisle. All the champagne you could ever want, too!"

DD smiled as she looked at Harry, who seemed to have borne Rooney's presence for about as long as he could stand, then -- as they waited for their luggage to get to the carousel, she pulled him out of earshot and asked him what was up.

"Well, we've got a few months of catch-up to get through," he snarled, "and a few things regarding Mickey we'll need to clear up before Didi gets here. Other than that? Hell, what do I need to know right now?"

"Frank is no longer in remission, Harry. He didn't want me to tell you but I think you need to know before you see him."

"How bad does he look?"

"Not too bad -- yet."

"Prognosis? What does the doc think?"

"Two, maybe three months."

Callahan turned and walked away, and she could see the weight of the world on his shoulders just then and she sighed. Rooney had a cart and had already loaded Harry's bag on it, so he was just waiting for his own now.

"What's with Harry?"

"Frank's cancer has come back. It's bad this time."

Rooney turned and looked at Callahan and shook his head. "You know, those two are like night and day but I've never seen two closer friends. Man, this bites the big one."

DD then understood what Harry had been dealing with all day and she nodded. "Yes, I'd have to say I agree."

"He's been acting kind of funny the last couple of days. Like he's preoccupied with something, ya know?"

"Like what?"

"No clue, man."

"So, when is Didi coming?"

"Maybe a couple of weeks."

"Ooh-boy, you are going to need to get ready, you know?"

"Yeah, so Harry told me."

"Well, let me know if I can help."

"Well, I got a whole list here of things Harry gave me. Like a to-do list, ya know?"

"Let me have it," she said, opening her purse and putting the list inside.

"Thanks, man. You're a lifesaver!"

"Yeah," she said under her breath, "that's what they tell me."

They dropped Rooney off at the condo and she drove Harry to the Cathouse. "You going to fly up now or stay here in the city?" she asked.

"Is there a spare Huey around? I wouldn't mind flying up tonight."

"A brand new 412, just out of the paint shop. Could we bum a ride off you?"

"Is the doc here?"

"Should be soon."

"Well, yeah, of course. Let me go to the dispatch desk and get the paperwork."

"Harry? Frank's there, okay? He won't quit. Says he can't let you down."

"Did you stock up the fridge at the house?"

"Yes, of course. Steaks and veggies are ready to go."

He went and gave her a hug. "You know, you are the glue that holds all of us together."

She hugged him back, then wiped away a tear as he walked off to Frank's cubby.

_________________________________

His pre-flight complete, Callahan started the new helicopter and watched the engine instruments wind-up and settle into the groove, then he reached over and yanked on Franks harness, making sure he'd strapped himself in correctly. He turned and DD gave him the 'thumb's up,' and he nodded then turned to the radio and checked-in with ATC; a minute later they were airborne and westbound out the Golden Gate. Instead of the torturous three-hour drive up the Coast Highway, they were at his house on the cliffs less than forty minutes later, and he saw that Cathy and Elizabeth were waiting for them in the street, waving at them as the helicopter approached.

After the main rotors spooled down, Callahan signaled DD that they could get out, then he leaned over and helped Frank out of his harness. "I'll come around and help you down," he added, and Frank just nodded.

Callahan had wanted to cry when he saw his friend at the Cathouse; the changes were that significant, and that obvious. And Frank had seemed aware of Callahan's reaction, though he had simply grinned that grin of his and gotten on with the paperwork. Now, Harry opened the left front door and helped Frank down to the grass, then he walked with him over to Elizabeth -- who flew into Frank's outstretched arms.

The doc helped him secure the rotors and slip the intake covers into place, then they all walked down to Harry's house. When he found the fridge stocked with everything needed for a banquet he smiled inside, and it hit him then: this is my family now. These friends are my family, and I can't imagine life without them. By this point, everyone knew where everything was, from glasses to silverware to where Harry kept the booze, and the rule here was simple: mi casa es su casa...my house is your house, so come in and make yourself at home.

The doc got the fire going while DD prepped her salads, Frank sat by the patio fireplace with Elizabeth on his lap while she told him what she'd done at school that day, and Harry stood in the living room looking over the scene, realizing there wasn't one soul down there he didn't love.

"How could anyone be luckier?" he asked his reflection in the glass.

Then Cathy came in and walked over to him, put an arm around his waist, and snuggled in.

"Was it bad over there?" she asked.

"Could've been worse. All in all, it was odd, like a bunch of cops called in to deal with a schoolyard bully. We were, how do I put this politely, overkill. Like maybe we could've just let the Saudis handle it, but nothing over there is ever as simple as it seems."

"Well, you're home and safe now. Hopefully, they'll leave you alone, too."

"Oh, I may have to lend them a hand on a few projects, but I doubt I'll ever see combat again. Now, tell me about Frank?"

"What can I say? It's back with a vengeance now, like one of those fires burning out of control."

"How's Elizabeth dealing with it?"

"She's aware of the changes but what little girl her age understands death?"

"Cathy, I'm not sure I understand death." He sighed, then looked down through the glass at Frank and Elizabeth. "And I'm not sure I ever want to."

"I'd like him to stay home now, but Harry? He just won't do it..."

"So I've heard. Well, that's simple enough to deal with. I'll just spend more time out here with him, only go in when I absolutely need to."

"Could you? I really think he might stay out here if that happened."

"Then we'll make it happen. I've been wanting to spend some time at the piano, so that will be a good excuse."

"Speaking of, is Elizabeth too old to start taking lessons?"

"No, of course not. Have you found a teacher in the area?"

"One of the guys who works at Rosenthal. He's been teaching the doc, and he thinks he can start with her, too -- depending on his work visa and how long he can stay here."

"Nils, isn't it? He seems like a good kid."

"Yes, and Elizabeth likes him too."

"Well then, we'll just have to make that happen."

Cathy sighed, looked away: "Frank is still working homicide, Harry. He won't quit that, either. Every weekend -- off he goes. Only now I'm really afraid he's going to get hurt."

"So, when he goes in, I go with him. We keep our hours current, and he gets to keep that part of his pride intact."

"You can't get him to stop?"

"I'll have to see how he does out there. When's his next 'on-call' weekend?"

"Ten days from now."

"Okay, so I get on the same rotation and I talk to whoever is in charge now and we work as a pair. If he can't carry his own weight I'll have to talk with him about it."

She nodded. "I know how much it means to him, Harry, but even so..."

"Yes, even so. Holding on to something like that for as long as he can might help more than it hurts him, Cathy. Let's just see what happens, okay? You and me? -- we're on the same page here."

"We'd better join the crowd now Harry -- before people start to talk!"

"Yeah, we can't let that happen, can we?"

_______________________________

His hands felt swollen and stiff from too much wine, but after dinner -- and after everyone had left -- Callahan went to his Bösendorfer and pulled out the bench and sat. Moments later -- as expected -- the Old Man winked into existence by his side.

"You wear the weight of the world on your shoulders tonight, Harry. What's bothering you?"

"Frank is bothering me."

"He hasn't long, you know? Are you ready for his passing?"

Callahan shook his head. "No," he just managed to say.

"You've been a good friend, Harald. No one can ask for more."

"I don't know what to do."

"About what, my friend?"

"I've never..."

"What? Been with someone as they pass?"

Callahan nodded. "I can't imagine that moment."

"Because that moment is beyond our understanding, Harald. What lies beyond? That has always been the question, hasn't it?"

"I don't know. I really don't."

"Gershwin's lullaby. Play it for me, would you?"

"Lullaby?"

"The Second Prelude."

"Why did you call it a lullaby?"

"Because that's what George called it, Harald! Now play, but go inside the music this time and tell me what you find there..."

He tried but found his way to Alone Again, Naturally -- as he had on his way to home. He began a slow walk down that road, coming to an end hours later only to find the Old Man had gone, yet even so he felt weak, and suddenly very tired. He made his way through the living room, his footsteps echoing off the slate floor only increasing his sense of isolation, and he sat on the sofa, slipped off his shoes, and lay down...

Then DD was pushing her way in.

He opened his eyes and shielded them from the early morning sun.

"Harry? You'd better shower and get ready..."

"What?"

"We're all out here without our cars. You need to fly us in..."

He sat up, nodding simple understanding then, pushing the last fragments of sleep from his mind, he made his way to the shower. 'Now...where did I leave the Rover?' he wondered. 'At the Cathouse?'

"Oh well, I'll ask DD...she'll know..."

The doc was waiting outside the new 412, though everyone else was already on board and seated. They removed the covers and untethered the main rotors, and the doc boarded while Harry woke up the bird. He looked at battery levels and grimaced. "DD," he said on intercom 1, "remind me to get a battery cart up here for days like this. We barely have enough power for a cold start."

"Right."

He watched the engine start carefully, watched the power levels dive as the turbines caught and began spooling up, knowing that he'd just stressed the hell out of these brand new batteries, then he dialed in ATC and began monitoring San Francisco Approach Control. He took off and ran south just above the beach, and, as they closed on the Golden Gate he went lower still -- just as he'd done so many times in Iraq -- soon flying with the skids almost touching the wave tops.

"You okay, Harry?" Frank asked.

"Yeah, I'm tactical."

"Tactical?"

"Ready to rock and roll, Frank."

"Okay, you say so."

Harry climbed just a little as the Huey approached the Presidio, then he kicked the rudder over and came down in a reverse flare, landing in the middle of the H and killing the engine in one smooth motion.

"Jesus, Harry, what's gotten into you this morning?" the doc asked after he'd climbed out of his harness.

"I don't know, Doc. Just wanted to see what this thing could really do, I guess."

"Yeah? Well, better check those skids for fish guts..."

Harry went around and helped Frank down, then he looked around the parking lot. "Anyone know where my car is?"

"Inside hanger three," Frank said. "I have chemo at 11:30. Could you run me over there?"

"Of course. Where's there, by the way?"

"Stanford."

Harry nodded as he started for the hanger.

"Where are you going?" DD asked.

"Over to Rosenthal. I'll be back in an hour or so."

"But..."

"I'll be back, okay?"

She knew better than to argue with him, and she looked on as Frank followed Harry to the hanger -- utterly amazed how tight the bond was between them.

"What is it with those two," the doc asked. "They're like brothers, ya know?"

"That's exactly what they are, only they bleed blue" Pattison said as he came out of the Cathouse. "By the way. He called in last night and told the dispatcher to take him off the flight rotation schedule. And get this...that he won't be flying in the future."