Peter spread his hands and beamed. “Hey, you come out, we’ll get a red car to drive around. How about that?”

Toby made a face like his father was speaking Venusian. “You’ll buy a car because I’m there?”

“Sure. You’re my son. We’ll buy a fuckin’ helicopter, you want.”

Toby sort of giggled, maybe for the helicopter, but more likely because Peter had used the F word.

Peter said, “Dani, go get the thing.”

Dani grinned and went out to the limo and came back with a couple of good-sized boxes. Peter said, “Open’m up, champ.” Champ. Just like Ward Cleaver talking to the Beave.

Toby opened them. The boxes contained a top-of-the-line JVC professional videotape camera, a turbo-charged videotape player and electronic editor, some blank tapes, and copies of all of Peter Alan Nelsen’s movies. I figured the setup would retail out at about thirteen grand, excluding the movies. Toby said, “Wow.”

Peter patted him on the leg. “Now you can make your own movies. Just like your old man.”

“Will you show me how?”

“Bet your ass.” Peter leaned forward and ruffled his hair. “You’re Peter Alan Nelsen’s kid, and things are going to be different from now on. Your life is going to undergo enormous improvement.”

What a thing to say to a twelve-year-old.

Peter said, “Whatever you want, it’s yours. Anything you wanna do, we’ll do it. I’m thinking about buying a couple of motorcycles so we can go riding together. Would you like that?”

“Yeah!”

When Karen came out of the kitchen, Toby said, “Look at what Peter gave me.”

Karen didn’t like it much. “It looks expensive.”

Toby said, “We’re gonna get motorcycles. We’re gonna go riding together.”

Karen didn’t like that at all. “Motorcycles are dangerous, Peter. Toby is too young.”

Peter said, “I’ll get’m a trail bike. We won’t ride on the street. We’ll ride in the woods.”

Karen’s jaw clenched and her eyes went hard. “That’s not the point. Toby lives here. Toby lives a certain way and too many expensive gifts will distort his values.”

I said, “Tobe. Peter and your mom have to talk. Why don’t you go outside for a little bit.”

Peter said, “The boy and I were just getting to know one another.”

Karen said, “I know, but this is important. You can get to know each other after.”

Toby went out the front door and pretty soon there was the thump thump thump of the ball on the drive. Karen looked at Dani. “Could we have some privacy?”

Dani flushed and said that she’d keep Toby company and went out.

Peter said, “What?”