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Chapters (57)
  1. Welcome to the Game
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Dedication
  5. Epigraphs
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. Six months later . . .
  56. Acknowledgments
  57. Back Cover

Spencer returned from the casino restroom to see McGrath talking on the phone. When Spencer realized it was his phone, his heart rate redlined in a nanosecond. He tried to walk fast without looking like he was walking fast.

“He’s right here now. I’ll hand you over,” said McGrath. He handed Spencer the phone.

“Hello?”

“Mister Spencer Burnham?”

“Speaking.”

McGrath tapped Spencer on the shoulder. They were leaving. Spencer fell in behind them as they walked past the one-armed bandits and roulette tables.

“This is Oakland Child Protective Services. Mister Burnham, we need you to come in and see us again—”

“Hang on, my case is closed. I was signed off.”

“Yes, but your case has been reopened.”

“By Lonnie Estevez?”

His question was ignored. The caller was obviously following a crib sheet.

“Could you come in and see us today, please?”

Spencer looked at his newly cleaned watch. They were at the valet station, waiting for their car.

“Today? No, it’s gone four, and I’m in Windsor. Why has my case been reopened?”

“I’m not at liberty to say. I’m going to have to insist that you come in today, please.”

“Did you not hear me say I’m in Canada?”

Their car rolled up.

“OK, Mister Burnham, would you mind holding for a moment?”

“Sure,” said Spencer as they all got in the Subaru.

A few minutes later, as they were rejoining Riverside Drive, the CPS woman came back on the line. “OK, I’ve checked with your case officer and she says tomorrow morning will be fine.”

“Tomorrow morning?”

“That is correct, sir. Eight thirty.”

“Eight thirty?”

Seriously, Lonnie, what the fuck is your problem?

“Yes, sir. Have a nice day.”

Spencer was stunned. Then he remembered where he was.

McGrath was looking at him. “Trouble?”

“I, well, I’m not really sure what it is.”

“Sorry I answered your phone, but it was ringing off the hook ’most as soon as you hit the john.”

Spencer relaxed, remembering how he’d been feeling back in the bar about work, about money, and about McGrath. “Sorry, Dom, these people, they’re really busting my balls over nothing.”

“Who are they?”

“CPS.”

27

27

Max

Max Petrovsky thought he should already know what unconditional love was, seeing as he had two kids. But sitting on the bench in Palmer Park watching his nine-year-old grandson play soccer, laughing, skidding, and rolling in dust kicked up from sun-scorched grass, Max had something like an epiphany. It dawned on him that he loved someone so hard it caused his heart to ache. He wondered why this should be the first time he’d felt love so strongly, so unquestionably, seeing as he was a father nearly sixty-five years of age.