Coming Home

many women present, welcomed on special occasions as guests but never as members. The applause of Andy’s acceptance of the handsome silver bowl, as syndicate owner, was quickly overcome by all 200 people singing “Happy Birthday” to him, a fact he thought he’d kept secret. Becky’s sly smile gave her away. Andy was strangely moved by the singing, which threatened to raise the roof of the old castle. He would often recall that moment as among his more gratifying surprises.

Glasses of champagne were served on trays borne by RYS caterers. Grady approached Andy and took him aside for a toast. Andy bristled. He looked his father in the face. “You did it.” told him a few things about his hot girlfriend who had turned out to be Mitchell’s sidekick. Mitchell, the criminal creep he thought was his father for more than 20 years. Mitchell, now locked up for murdering Deedee, his mother. Isha had been living with Mitchell, in fact, playing the money game, part of which was to keep Andy amused, distracted, keep him being an aimless drunk. Andy was convinced she’d had no part in Deedee’s murder. That had been all Mitchell. For Grady, the jury was still out on that. But for sure she was a player, one who didn’t mind a game that got nasty as long as the payoff was good. And she had balls, Grady had to admit, calling him when she knew he had to know at least the highlights of her résumé.

Andy was convinced she’d had no part in Deedee’s murder. That had been all Mitchell.

“What’d I do?” Grady replied, affecting an innocent, slightly shocked look as he maintained eye contact.

* Three weeks earlier, Grady had hung up the phone puzzled and slightly amused. He didn’t know much about this Isha woman who had called asking him to have dinner that evening, but what he knew wasn’t good. When Grady and Andy had first gotten together in Australia after leg IV, Andy had

Martin had mentioned her when he had told Grady about his meeting with RD and the two women at Bicentennial Park in Miami, where Grady had sent him to find out what they were up to. The normally taciturn Martin had been unusually expressive describing Isha’s charms, which had given Grady a chuckle and might have had something to do with his agreeing to meet her. He knew Andy had suspicions about the three of them maybe having an eye on the jewels that had been buried in All American ’s keel bolts. For Grady,