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"When were you born, honey?" Castillo asked her.
"Sixteen November 1992, by the Western calendar," Elena said.
Jesus Christ! She is almost exactly as old as Randy. Thirteen.
"And her drinking champagne shocks you?" Pevsner said.
"Do you always think the worst of people, Alek?" Castillo asked, and then he turned to Elena and his mouth went onto autopilot: "What I was thinking, honey, is that you're just about the same age as my son."
Jesus Christ!
I just said "my son" out loud for the first time.
"I didn't know you had a family, Charley," Anna said. "You never said anything."
Castillo was aware of Munz's eyes on him.
"I have a grandmother, a cousin who is more of a brother, and his family. And a son-Randy-who was also born in November of 1992. He lives with his mother and her husband."
"You don't get to see him?" Elena asked, sympathetically.
"I saw him just a few days ago," Castillo said. "I gave him flying lessons as we flew over the Gulf Coast looking at the damage Hurricane Katrina had done."
"Was it as terrible as we saw on television?" Anna asked.
"If anything, worse. Unbelievable."
"Have you got a picture?" Elena asked.
"You're interested?"
She nodded.
"In my son? Or the hurricane damage?"
She giggled and blushed.
"Both," she said.
Castillo reached under his chair and picked up his soft leather briefcase.
"What's that?" Pevsner asked.
"My American Express card. I never leave home without it."
Pevsner exhaled audibly, smiled, and shook his head.
Castillo took out the envelope of photographs that Sergeant Neidermeyer had made for him and handed it to Elena.
"Show these to your father and mother when you're finished," Castillo said.
"He's beautiful, Charley," Pevsner said some moments later. "His eyes are just like yours."
So much for the question "Does Abuela know?"
"Boys are 'handsome,' Alek," Castillo said, then glanced at Elena. "Girls are 'beautiful.'"
She smiled as she flipped to another photo.
