I closed my eyes a minute, as if that could make the world disappear. But the sooner I started my tale, the sooner I could get it over. “I broke into Diamond Head. To do that I had to take a flying leap through a window a good ten feet off the ground. Then I hung around on a spool of copper dangling from a crane, crawled down the gantry supports so I wouldn’t be crushed into the wall, and dove into the San to avoid being run over by a car. I know you’re a hell of a guy—you’re certainly wonderful to me—but if I’d told you my plans you would have insisted on coming along. And you’re just not up to the action. I’m sorry, but you’re not.”

His eyes flooded unexpectedly. He turned his head so I couldn’t watch him dashing the tears away. Great. Now everyone I knew was crying in unison. Including me.

“Ah, you don’t understand, doll. I care about you—ah, what the heck, you know I love you. I know I got Ruthie and my grandsons, but they ain’t part of my everyday life like you are.” He spoke with his head turned from me; I had to strain to catch the words.

“I grew up in a different time than you. I know you like to look after yourself, but it hurts me to know I can’t take care of you, go along jumping through windows with you. Twenty years ago—oh, what’s the use of complaining, though. It’ll happen to you someday, too, and you’ll know what I mean. Least, it will if you don’t let someone knock you off first.”

I shepherded him gently into the living room and sat him on the mustard-covered armchair. I knelt next to him, keeping a hand on his shoulder. Peppy, sensing his distress, briefly left her nurslings to come sniff at his knees. He stroked her absently. After a few quiet minutes he smiled with a heart-wrenching gallantry.

“So, you was swinging from the gantry, huh? Wish I could’ve seen it. Who was there? What made you do it?”

I gave him a thumbnail sketch of my evening. “Why would they be shipping so much copper out? Finchley says ‘normal business,’ but I can’t figure it; they’re not running a graveyard shift. And what they ought to be unloading are beautiful little motors, not big spools of copper.”