Misspent Youth

46. OPPOSITES

JEFF DID GO BACK THE NEXT DAY, and the day after, and the day after that. He sat with Tim on the patio. Wondering how in hell to keep the conversation going was exhausting, emotionally draining work. But trying to regain the boy’s trust after such a monstrous violation was never going to be quick and easy. Jeff knew that, but was determined to put in the time. Decades, if necessary.

“Ten out of ten for effort,” Sue said dryly during one of her calls.

“Has he said anything to you?”

“Just that you keep visiting. I’m impressed.”

“This isn’t a game,” he told her crossly. “He’s my son.”

“Yes, really yours; I know that better than anyone else on this planet. You know this is so ironic.”

“How?”

“Before the treatment, you were the one he loved the most. I was just an ogre. Now, Tim and I are a lot closer. While you two…”

“Yeah, it’s a real hoot.”

“When are you coming down to London?”

“Day after tomorrow. Don’t worry, we’re staying at the conference center. We don’t need the flat.”

“I think I’ve found a house. I should be out of here in a couple of weeks.”

“That’s good. Somewhere nice?”

“Just off Holland Park.”

His expression grew phlegmatic. “Sounds expensive.”

“When was I ever anything else?”

“Do you want to meet up for lunch while I’m in town? Just the two of us.” He knew there was no way she would ever sit at the same table as Annabelle without spending the whole time sniping.

“Sure.” A troubled frown touched her forehead for an instant. “Jeff, you will be careful while you’re down here, won’t you?”

“I wasn’t planning on anything too wild. Why?”

“There are a lot of protestors here to picket your summit. My taxi driver had to take a big detour to avoid a march yesterday, and the silly thing doesn’t even start for a couple of days.”

“Don’t worry. Our hotel is part of the center itself. We’re inside the security zone. Krober was quite insistent about that. It’ll be perfectly safe.”

ON SATURDAY MORNING at breakfast Jeff called Alison’s house as usual to check that she and Tim were up before he went over. It was Alison who answered. “Looks like you’ve got the weekend off,” she told him.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean he was out of here first thing this morning. For someone who’s been moping about all thanks to you, he made a remarkable recovery yesterday afternoon once you’d left.”

“Where’s he gone?”

“Nottingham, apparently. Some friend lives in a village just outside.”

“What friend?”

“Someone called Vanessa. You know her?”

“Tim’s gone to stay with Vanessa?”

Across the kitchen table, Annabelle shot him a surprised look. Her lips parted in a sunlight smile, and she gave him a thumbs-up.

“Yes,” Alison drawled. “He said it was just for the weekend.”

“I don’t care if it’s only for an hour. That’s fantastic news, Alison.”

“Happy to oblige. Now, you two relax for a couple of days before the summit.”

“Will do.”

Annabelle’s smile had become impish. “Well, when did that start?”

“I’ve no idea.” Jeff shivered as he rubbed his hands against his upper arms, feeling the goose bumps under his fingers. “Can we turn the air conditioning down? It’s freezing in here.”

“Sure.” She thumbed the remote. “I suppose they’ll go down to London together.”

He gave her a perplexed glance. It was as though he’d missed a chunk of conversation somewhere. “Why are they going down to London?”

“To join the antitechnocrat Million Citizen Voices. We all agreed to do it months ago.”

“You’re kidding! You mean Tim is going to be outside the summit protesting with all the other hippies while I’m inside presenting a paper?”

Annabelle examined her toast. “Yes.”

“Well, thanks, everyone, for telling me. Jesus wept!”

“I thought you knew.”

“No. I did not bloody know. Goddamn it, how is this going to help? We’re going to be right back on opposite sides again. All that bloody effort I’ve made…”

“No.” She reached out and put a reassuring hand on his arm. “Children always have different politics from their parents.”

“Hardly.”

“Mostly. And anyway, Tim’s known you’ve been going to the summit ever since Lucy Duke fixed it up. That was weeks ago. If he was resentful about that, he would have said. I don’t think it’s an issue, I really don’t.”

Jeff could feel a headache starting behind his temples. He rubbed his palm irritably along his forehead. “Maybe. I don’t know. I ought to check with Alison, see if he said anything to her.” He picked up his PCglasses. Annabelle held his wrist.

“No,” she said. “Let it happen. Don’t make an issue out of this.”

He hesitated for a long moment. “Okay. All right. But if there’s any trouble down there, I want him safe back here in Rutland.”