going to make them.”
“Yes, sir.”
“The first thing is, you must never, ever drink alcohol in any form until after you’re legal, at twenty-one, and that means twenty-three for you.”
“I’ve done some reading on the Internet about that, and I know that alcohol can have a bad effect on young brains, and that the brain isn’t really mature and fully formed until around the mid-twenties.”
“That’s true,” Stone said, “and I’m glad you understand the reasons for the rule. It applies to marijuana, too, and that has the additional problem of being illegal. No matter how you feel about whether it should be legal or not, it remains illegal, and the next rule is, you must not allow yourself to commit illegal acts. If you so much as walk into one of the downtown clubs Ben is fond of, you will have committed an illegal act, even if you don’t drink. Those places are watched by the police and sometimes raided, and believe me, a night in jail is something you don’t want to experience. I was a policeman for fourteen years, and I saw young people make mistakes all the time that had a bad effect on their future. You must make every effort to get through your youth with a clean record, and again, that sometimes means just walking away from situations. If you were living in rural Virginia, this might be a lot easier to handle, but not in New York. You’ll have to watch yourself all the time. For the time being, you must not be outside this house after eight in the evening without permission, and that means I must know where you’re going and with whom. You are to carry your cell phone at all times, and you are to answer it when I or your mother call.”
“I understand, Dad, and I’ll try my best.”
“I know that your best is very, very good, Peter. There’s something else. I think, especially with Ben as a friend, you’re going to meet a lot of girls who are older and more experienced than you. Am I correct in assuming that you are acquainted with the rudiments of sex?”
“Oh, yes. I’ve read a lot about it, and, of course, we had a class at school. I haven’t done it yet, though.”
“You’re going to have to decide for yourself when to start having sex, Peter, because I can’t be there with you all the time. But I urge you to act with restraint. You can’t get into trouble restraining yourself, but you can get into one hell of a lot of trouble by just plunging into that life. When you think this might happen to you, you must always wear a condom. You are too young to be a father, but nature has made you very fertile. Disease is a problem, too, as you no doubt learned in school.
“Another thing is, now that you are legally eighteen, you must be careful with girls younger than you. Do you know what statutory rape is?”
“Sex with somebody under eighteen, right?”
“Right, and that means even if it’s consensual. A girl of fifteen or sixteen can’t waive the law on that subject, and girls’ fathers can become very angry at young men who violate it. It’s a dangerous situation, and you should avoid it at all costs.”
“I understand.”
“Finally, you’ll find it much easier to deal with problems if you’re willing to come to me and talk about them. I know you won’t always take my advice, but I give advice for a living, and I’m good at it. Take advantage of that.”
Peter smiled. “I have no problem talking with you, Dad.”
“Good. Now that we’ve made you into the perfect son, you get on with your day, and I’ll work on becoming the perfect father.”
Peter ran back to his room, and Stone heaved a huge sigh of relief.
“I heard all that,” Joan said from the door.
“Eavesdropper!” Stone said.
“You should take your advice,” she said.
16
S tone pressed the button for Joan’s extension. “Joan, please find a Timothy Rutledge at the University of Virginia and get him on the phone for me. If he’s not there, see if information has a number for him.”
“Hang on, boss,” Joan said. Thirty seconds later she buzzed him. “Line one.”
Stone picked up the phone. “Mr. Rutledge?”
“It’s Dr. Rutledge, thank you. Who is this?”
“My name is Stone Barrington. I think you know who I am.”
“Not necessarily,” Rutledge replied.
“Arrington Calder is visiting me in New York. Does that ring a bell?”
“Maybe.”
“All you need to know is that I am an attorney and that I represent Mrs. Calder.”
“What do you want?”
“Mrs. Calder has asked me to request of you that you do not attempt to see her or speak to her, except for business purposes-that is, on matters pertaining to the completion of her house in Virginia.”
“Why doesn’t she say that to me herself?”
“Mrs. Calder informs me that she has already done so, and in no uncertain terms.”
“What is this about?”
“I will be happy to put it in writing for you and include a restraining order against you, requiring you not to see or communicate with her, except under the circumstances I have already outlined. I’m told that you are acquainted with restraining orders.”
There was a long silence.
“Is there anything you don’t understand about Mrs. Calder’s request?” Stone asked.
“Yes, I don’t understand why.”
“She no longer wishes to hear from you, except on business. That is all you need to know. It is also all a judge needs to know. You should be aware that a restraining order is a public document and therefore can be seen by anyone who takes the trouble, and there are media people who take the trouble every day. Do you understand that?”
“Go fuck yourself,” Rutledge said.
“Did I mention that this conversation is being recorded?” Stone asked.
Rutledge hung up.
Stone looked up to see Arrington standing in the doorway.
“That was very good,” she said. “Very professional. Were you really recording him?”
“Yes,” Stone said.
“Was he angry?”
“Yes. He kept saying he didn’t understand why you wouldn’t see him.”
She nodded. “It figures. He was a perfectly nice person, until he heard your name.”
“From whom did he hear it?”
“From me. I told him that Peter and I were spending Christmas with you. He demanded to know who you were, and I told him you are an old friend. That didn’t help. He started asking questions about you, and I cut him off.”
“How long had you been seeing him?” Stone asked.
“Since shortly after construction started on the house. It was foolish of me, I guess, to become involved with someone who worked for me, but you weren’t around, and I was lonely.”
“Does Peter know him?”
“They’ve met once. I’ve kept him away from Tim.”
“Well, let’s let sleeping dogs lie,” Stone said. “He’s been warned.”
