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If Count was nervous, he hid it well "Nothing to be nervous about - other than little Ms Ortolan confusing twisty ties for rubber bands"

Unlike the first tied a parachute, Shannie didn't have to wait until the last pass of the Cessna to witness her handy work; Count was first to exit the plane

"Not bad," Pete critiqued Count "It looked like you wanted to go into a fetal position Then a light bulb went on and you reratulations Good luck in the ar Three days after Count's departure, I helped lower a coffin for the first ti of 1990 - around the tiht before Shannie and I made our first jump, Diane, Shannie and I sat around the Ortolan's kitchen table sipping coffee "I have so to show you," Diane said Shannie and I followed Diane into her bedroom She handed me the cardboard box with an UPS label affixed to its top A chill ran along my spine when I noticed the sender: The Reverend Floyd Meaks, Shepherd of the Hills Non Denominational Church, Pleasanton, California "The box is e the box over in randfather's randfather asked if I could do him a favor," Diane answered

That's why he was in her rooht "You knew him?" I asked

"He introduced hirandfather said if anything happened hold onto h He knohat to do with them I trust hi To keep your us ones"

"I'll be damned," I uttered "But what about the switch? The one Count made"

"That was phony"

"Why didn't you tell ht it happened," Diane said

Diane and Shannie followed me into the kitchen "You didn't need to know about it, but you needed to know that eren't burying his real ashes," Diane said

We could have jumped the previous winter, but we chose to wait until the weather broke "I'hout the class, I foundI noticed I wasn't the only one A forty-sohter - with a square jaw, high forehead, and a horrible coed he was a Philly cop