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anywhere in the world you want, start a charter business if you want, or
just sell it and live comfortably for the rest of your life.
Tuck shook his head. Of all the weirdness that had gone on so far, this
seemed like the weirdest, if only because the doctor seemed so earnest. It
might have had something to do with the fact that it was one of those things
that a guy hopes all his life he is going to hear, but convinces himself that
it s never going to happen. These people were going to give him his own
Learjet.
He didn t want to do it, he fought not to do it, he strained, but neverthe-
less, Tuck couldn t stop himself from asking. Why?
Because we can t do it without you, and this is something that you can t
get any other way. And because we d rather keep you than have to find
another pilot and lose the time.
What if I say no?
Then, you understand, we d have to ask you to leave and you would
keep the money that you ve already earned.
And I can just go?
Of course. As you know, you are not our first pilot. He decided to move
on. But then again, we didn t make him this offer.
What was your first pilot s name?
The doctor shot a look at his wife. She said, Giordano, he was Italian.
Why?
The aviation community is pretty small. I thought I might know him.
Do you? she said and there was too much sincerity in the question for
Tuck to believe that she didn t know the answer.
Island of the Sequined Love Nun / 207
No.
Sebastian Curtis cleared his throat and forced a smile. So what do you
think? How would you like to own your own Learjet, Mr. Case?
Tuck sat staring at the open wine bottle, measuring what he could say,
what answer they not only wanted to hear, but had to hear if he was going
to leave the island alive. He extended his hand for the doctor to shake. I
think you ve got yourself a pilot. Let s drink to the deal.
An electronic bell trilled from the bedroom and the doctor and his wife
exchanged glances. I ll take care of it, Beth Curtis said. She stood and
put her napkin on the table.
Excuse me, Mr. Case, but we have a patient in the clinic who requires
my attention. Then the whiplash mood swing from officious to acid. She
presses that buzzer so much you d think it was attached to her clit.
Sebastian Curtis looked at Tuck and shrugged apologetically.
44
Revealed: The Perfect Couple
Back at his bungalow, an argument went on in the still-sober brain of
Tucker Case.
I am scum. I should have told them to shove it.
But they might have killed you.
Yeah, but I would have at least had my integrity.
Your what? Get real.
But I m scum.
Big deal. You ve been scum before. You ve never owned a Learjet before.
You actually think they ll give me the jet?
It could happen. Stranger things have happened.
But I should do something about this.
Why? You ve never done anything before.
Well, maybe it s time.
No way. Take the jet.
I m scum.
Well, yes, you are. But you re rich scum.
I can live with that.
The dog tags and Jefferson Pardee s notebook lay on the coffee table,
threatening to set off another fusillade of doubt and condemnation. Tuck
lay back on the rattan couch and turned on the television to escape the
noise in his mind. Skinny Asian guys were beating the snot out of each
other in a kickboxing match from the Philippines. The Malaysian channel
was showing how to fillet a schnauzer. The cooking show reminded him
of surgery, and surgery reminded him that there was a beautiful island
girl lying in the clinic, recovering from an unnecessary major surgery that
he could have prevented. Definitely kickboxing.
Island of the Sequined Love Nun / 209
He was just getting into the rhythm of the violence when the bat came
through the window and made an awkward swinging landing on one of
the bungalow s open rafters. Tuck lost his breath for a minute, thinking
there might just be a wild animal in his house. Then he saw the sunglasses.
Roberto steadied himself into a slightly swinging upside-down hang.
Tuck sighed. Please just be a bat in sunglasses tonight. Please.
Thankfully, the bat said nothing. The sunglasses were sliding off his
nose.
How do you fly in those things? Tuck said, thinking out loud.
They re aviators.
Of course, Tuck said. The bat had indeed changed from rhinestone
glasses to aviators, but once you accept a talking bat, the leap to a talking
bat with an eyewear wardrobe is a short one.
Roberto dropped from the rafter and took wing just before he hit the
floor. Two beats of his wings and he was on the coffee table, as awkward
in his spiderlike crawl as he was graceful in the air. With his wing claw,
he raked at Jefferson Pardee s notebook until it was open to the middle,
then he launched himself and flew out the window.
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