Free Big Maria by Shaw Johnny Page A

shop.”
    “There’s a gift shop?”
    Frank laughed, sneaking a peek at one of the
Playboys
. The girl was completely shaved down there. He didn’t like that. Why would anyone want to see a woman’s cooch? Those things were scary. He needed a thatch to keep the lady stuff from scaring his willy.
    “How’s it going?” Harry asked. “I mean all this cancer stuff. You dying or what?”
    Frank slid the magazine back into the bag. “Still wake up in the morning. And until the day I don’t, I ain’t going to complain.”
    “Need anything?”
    Frank shook his head and then gave Harry’s face a long read. “You’re talking around something. What’s on your mind?”
    “Straight to it. Okay. I have a question for you. An opportunity. A question and an opportunity.”
    Frank smirked. “I don’t get many of those no more. Opportunities, that is. I get plenty of questions. Most of them from some nurse asking if the medical doohickey that’s up my ass is uncomfortable. I am yet to answer no.”
    “Who knows? Maybe you’ll get to like it.” Harry smiled. “I’m getting a boat and I’m going to dive down into Picacho. I’m going to dig up that map, those papers your grandfather buried. I’m going to find the Big Maria Mine.”
    Frank had never laughed harder in his life. Not even when he had been a kid and that mean nun had slipped in cowshit and landed ass-down on a cactus bed. Harder than the time Stink Gillies found out his date to the Harvest Dance had a lady chassis and male plumbing. Frank laughed so hard that he choked on his own spit, bringing a nurse over to him. He dug in the bag and held up the joke book, waving her away. Catching his breath, he looked back at Harry’s hurt face and erupted in laughter all over again.
    “It’s not that funny,” Harry said.
    After a couple false starts, Frank got it under control. He took a deep breath and wiped the tears from his eyes. He was pretty sure he had shit himself a little. Completely worth it. Harry started to talk, but Frank held out his hand.
    “Give me a minute. A full minute. If not, first word you say, I’m going to get going again.”
    Harry listened to the hospital sounds while Frank took a drink of water. Beeps and typing and gurgling and groans.
    Frank spat on the floor. “Okay. Take it slow.”
    Harry cleared his throat. “I’ve been researching. A ton of research. The mine exists. Your grandfather’s story is mostly true. From old maps, I know the location of the town and have narrowed down Abraham Constance’s house to a few possibilities. I can take those coordinates and enter them into a GPS unit. Recreational boats and diving are allowed on the reservoir, so it’s just a matter of renting a boat and stuff. It’s all legal. No undertow, no sharks, no danger. It either pans out or not, but it only takes a day, maybe two, to find out for sure what’s down there. As stupid as it sounds, it’s not crazy. We can look where no one ever thought of looking.”
    Frank stared at him for a moment. “Hell, you say it that way, it’s not funny. Almost makes it sound possible. Like it’d work.”
    “I’m dead serious, Frank. From the go, I ain’t treated this like nothing but a job. More serious than any job I’ve had. The moment I heard about the gold, I knew this was my shot.”
    “So what do you need from me? Ain’t exactly in scuba shape. And I ain’t got money to invest, if that’s what you’re angling at.”
    “Don’t need money. It was your grandfather. His story. You deserve to be in on it. This ain’t a one-man job, and I don’t know too many people I trust. Thought maybe you might. We could put some kind of team together.”
    “I got two grandsons that are hard workers and know how to play dumb.”
    “I haven’t figured out hard numbers. Way I see it, you get a percentage, but anyone else gets a flat rate.”
    “What about Ricky?”
    “Yeah, I thought about the kid. I don’t know. Arm’s all weird. But more,