Page 56 of Hell Bent

“You have one day off a week. You told me.”

“Yeah, I do. Tuesdays.”

“Then I think,” she said, “that you’re going to have to take him up there on Tuesdays, at least some of them.”

I said, “You don’t get it. I can’t fly up the night before or whatever you’re thinking. My days can be long. The playoffs are no joke.”

“It’s Vancouver, right?”

“Right.”

“There are flights,” she said. “Direct ones. Say you take him up there in the morning and bring him back in the late afternoon, give him a few hours with his mom. I get that it’ll be exhausting for you. I get that it’s not fair. If it’s going to interfere with your performance, maybe I could—” She broke off. “Or maybe you’d rather I not.”

“Not what?” I asked.

“I could take him once or twice,” she said. “On a Sunday.”

“Onyourone day off. That’s a no.”

She said, “I’m not trying to butt in on your life. But that boy …”

“Yeah. I know. That wasn’t good last night. I screwed up. I just don’t see what else I could’ve done. Asked Kristiansen if Ben could stay over there? I’ve met his wifeonce.Paid Francine to check in on him again, maybe? Except that I think I’m straining her goodwill even with the dog-walking.”

“Aren’t you paying her for that?” I asked.

“Well, yeah. Actually, I’m paying Callie for that, though I guess Ben can do it now. Francine doesn’t need the money, and she doesn’t have the time.”

“Just like you,” I said.

“Yeah. And Ben’s supposed to start doing school again once the winter break’s over. Francine’s sure not going to supervise that. All day alone in the apartment—it’s not going to work.”

“OK,” Alix said. “We’re getting ahead of ourselves here. Let’s back off and do the easier thing first.”

“What’s the easier thing? I’d love to hear it.”

“You get a tutor for him, of course.”

“Oh.” Why hadn’t I thought of that?

“It doesn’t have to be all day,” she said. “Call it four or five hours. If he’s bright, the tutor doesn’t need to be sitting there for eight hours, not if the teaching is customized to Ben, going at his pace, answering his questions on the spot, and if he’s doing the work on his own. On that note—checking his homework will be an important one. And lots of quizzes. Accountability. And you need to get a list of his textbooks and lesson plans from his teachers. Or have him tutored in the subjects he’ll be taking here, even better.”

“Right,” I said. “An ad, I guess. Some teacher who’s had a baby or something, isn’t up to being back in the classroom yet. A high-school teacher who doesn’t put up with any crap.”

“Excellent,” Alix said. “See how good you are at this problem-solving deal?”

I said, “I’m not twelve, you realize.” Which made her laugh and say, “No, you’re not. You are a full-grown man. And I admire you so much.”

This was more like it. “You do? Why?”

“Sebastian. Because youtookhim. Because you care. Is that enough buttering up to talk about the visiting idea?”

“Yeah.” I rested my head against the wall again, feeling tired. I didn’t normally get tired, but this whole thing …

“Is that something you could do?” she asked. “Take him?”

“It’s going to have to be,” I admitted. “Because you’re right. Not being able to see her again, to say goodbye … I can see it won’t work. Also, he only brought a few clothes. Refused to pack, I guess.”

“Because he didn’t want to go,” she said. “That poor kid. I’m telling myself not to jump in, but I have to ask again. What about me taking him on a Sunday or two? On your dime, of course.”