Ambush (Michael Bennett 11)

“I have ten great-grandchildren at the school. That’s reason enough right there.”

This was not going to be as easy as I thought.

“Am I missing something? Do you have a personal issue with Sister Agnes?”

“I gave up personal issues when I entered the priesthood. I have never once faltered on the vows I made to the Church.”

I caught the somber tone and edge of outrage. I said, “Not that kind of personal issue. I mean some issue you have with her at the school.”

He looked down at his desk for a moment, then said, “Okay. She might have nixed my suggestion that I teach a class on Irish history.”

“I can’t imagine why a reasonable school administrator would turn down a chance to have a class taught by someone with no background in history or teaching.”

“Don’t be a smart aleck. It doesn’t become you. I learned oral history growing up in the old country. But she wasn’t interested in any of that. She said there weren’t many kids with an Irish heritage at the school. She said even my own great-grandchildren weren’t technically Irish. At least most of them.”

I had dealt with Sister Agnes for years, and I knew she wouldn’t have used the tone that Seamus was using now. But I saw her point. The kids here came from varied and interesting backgrounds. They probably wouldn’t fully appreciate fables told by an elderly priest who still had an Irish accent.

I waited for him to calm down a little, then said, “I’m sorry she shot down your idea. But you have to recognize there’s great opportunities coming for Eddie and Trent. And I don’t want you to cause any heartburn about it. Understood?”

He bowed his head and mumbled, “Understood.”

I joked with my grandfather quite a bit. We traded jabs on a regular basis. But I never liked to see him disappointed. And that’s how he looked right now. As usual, though, in a couple of minutes he was past it. He looked across at me as I sat at the other desk and thought about my day.

My grandfather said, “What’s wrong, Michael? I know that look.”

“Just general stress. Someone trying to kill you tends to do that.”

Seamus chuckled. “They tried to kill Alonzo, too. Unless I’m mistaken, he’s tickled pink by it. Something about missing the action from his old life.”

“That makes him insane.”

“He may be insane, but he has reenergized the school and brought out a whole untapped population of students who never had an interest in sports before. It’s not just soccer. He understands basketball as well. I think his real genius is in motivation.”

“I won’t soon forget how he helped me when those men tried to shoot me the other day. I’m glad he’s a good coach, but I’m even happier he was a tough cop.”

Seamus put down his coffee and straightened some papers on his desk. “What have you got planned for today?”

“I’m going by to visit Juliana in Brooklyn at the TV show set.” I saw him perk up immediately.

“Let me come with you.”

He sounded like a kid pleading to go with his parents.

I said, “I’m just going to say hello, then get back to work.”

“You won’t deny an old man the chance to see his great-granddaughter, will you? I’d love to see what the set looks like.”

“Give me a break. ‘Old man’—that’s laughable. You get around the city better than I do.”

Then Seamus said the one thing that always got him his way.

“Please.”

I let out a heavy sigh and said, “Okay, but dress in civilian clothes. We don’t want to freak out the movie types. Or maybe they’ll think you’re an extra from another set who wandered over. Either way, don’t wear the collar.”

He sprang from his seat and called out, “C’mon, Alonzo. Michael is taking us to Brooklyn.”

I mumbled, “What the hell—the more the merrier.”