Pat felt nauseous again thinking about the market. Bourbon on top of scotch isn’t helping either. “Yeah, we went to withdraw a ninety-day CD at Vernon and Anne practically had to sit in for it.”

“Good for you, Annie. That guy at Vernon is in hock so deep we can’t even count it.” Jack turned to Dan, who was sipping ginger ale. “Danny boy, neither a borrower nor a lender be. Right, buddy?”

Another barking laugh. Anne put out more potato chips, along with a wine-stained cheese spread and Wheatsworth crackers. Pat studied the miniature machete that came with the cheese plate. Fucking hors d’oeuvres as the economy goes belly-up.

“Anne girl, what do you say? Still teaching?”

“Trying to. A little at Dan’s old grade school. How’s my sister?”

“She’s good. Getting a bit of that arthritis your mother had. Pat, I noticed you’re limping around. What happened to you?”

The Malones shared quick glances, and Pat took the lead. “Sore from jogging. I think this knee is going on me.”

Dan took his father’s lie for granted. It was understood that they didn’t tell people he was sick. Nobody’s business, his father declared, not even family. His father had told him about the MS, but that was about all Dan knew. If he’s not that sick, Dan mulled, why does he hide it from people? Why does he hide it from me?

“Getting old, folks.” Jack shook his head as he took another big gulp of his Manhattan. “Age is supposed to bring wisdom, but I think in my case it came alone. How’s everything at American, Pat?”

“We survived the day.”

“Crazy business, airlines.” Jack Hurley had lots of opinions based on what no one else knew. “I told you when you came out of Fordham to go the government route.”

“You did.” Pat was getting annoyed again. Five more years—AMR might not last five more weeks.

“I’m going to just grill these inside,” Anne called out from the kitchen. “By the time we get the hibachi going outside, it’ll be too dark. What did they say at work about the market?”

Pat guzzled the last of his Manhattan. Keep it civilized.

“I was out at Love Field all day. When I called in, people were panicked about pensions. It looks like aviation didn’t get the worst of it.”

Jack ran his fat fingers across his scalp. “My buddies over at Treasury knew this was coming six months ago. Told me to get out, which I did, thank you, Jesus.”

“It’ll bounce back.” Pat looked over at Dan, who registered no concern, other than about which Ruffles chip to eat next.