There was a pause on the other end of the line. “Adam?”
“Mr. McCormick, I have something I think you should see. Jason said I could trust you.”
* * *
Moriarity and Holmes shared a look. Holmes took off his earbud out and reached for his cell phone. “Kristoff, we have a problem.”
* * *
Sally was astonished.
Her eyes were wide, her jaw hung open, not believing what she’d just heard. But the look on Mac’s face told her otherwise, “You’re not joking, are you?”
Mac shook his head, “Not about this, Sal.”
“You’re really going to get $12,300,000 for your share of the Grand Brew? I heard that right, twelve point three million dollars?”
Mac just nodded.
“Oh my God,” Sally said putting both hands to her mouth. She sat back and away from him just shaking her head struggling for the words. “That’s … that’s …”
“I know, right?” Mac answered with his own smiling look of disbelief. “I wasn’t sure what to say either when I got the call from the guys. I knew I was going to receive a pile of money when they sold, but I had no idea it would be …” he struggled for the right words and blurted, “Like this. This is crazy.”
“They gave you no indication how much the offer was for? How much you’d get?”
Mac shook his head, “No, they said I would be happy but … those two really just sandbagged the hell out of me. I think they really enjoyed it.”
“What are you going to do with it all?” Sally asked with the disbelief still evident on her face.
“I have no idea.”
“Buy a Porsche,” Sally blurted.
Mac snorted, “A rich cop with a Porsche? Kind of cliché, don’t you think?”
Sally shrugged. Didn’t seem like such a terrible idea to her.
“I did call my financial guy to let him know we needed to meet. I suppose that’s where I’ll start. Dad left Mom okay, but I can certainly use this to make sure she’s truly set up once and for all. She and Dad set up the college account I used to buy my interest to begin with, so there’s a certain symmetry to that, I guess.” Mac sat back and stared off into space.
They sat in silence for a moment until Sally spoke up, “Man, now I know why you said we were toasting to life-altering events.”
Mac just nodded, looking down, quiet. Sally picked up on it and reached for his hand. “Hey?”
Mac looked up.
“You don’t look as ecstatic about this as one would expect.”
He just shrugged his shoulders.
“Why? Tell me what you’re thinking.”
Mac sat back and looked up to the ceiling, “I’m happy, don’t get me wrong. I’m glad this has happened, I really am. I mean, this sets me up for life.”
“But what?” Sally asked. “Something’s bugging you.”
He nodded. “I feel like a lottery winner, Sal. I’m thinking I didn’t really earn the money.”
“That business wouldn’t have started without your investment,” Sally replied matter of factly.
“I know that,” Mac replied nodding. “But seriously, this is just so out of … proportion.”
“Mac, it is the American dream to buy low and sell high. That’s what you did. You took a risk with a lot of money when you didn’t have much to your name. You showed real faith in your friends and now you’ve been richly and deservedly rewarded.”
“But I had very little to do with turning it into what it is.”
“Maybe not,” Sally agreed, nodding. “But let me tell you what you did do. You gave up a very lucrative career as a lawyer at the best law firm in town to join the family business. You’re out being a cop and putting murderers away and getting paid a small fraction of what you’d be making as a lawyer.”
“It isn’t all that bad,” Mac answered with a little smile. “I did find you.”
His compliment drew him a soft kiss from Sally who then pulled away. She took his hands and pulled them to her heart and looked him in the eyes and said softly, “Michael MacKenzie McRyan, I love you. I love what you stand for, for what you do, your conviction to doing it and doing it right. I simply can’t think of someone who would deserve this great fortune more. And I know you. You’ll do the right thing with it.”
Mac pulled her back to him, embraced her and kissed her deeply. “I’ve missed you.”
Sally put her right hand to his cheek, “Right back at you.”
* * *
Kristoff and Foche cruised in a