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Aleksey changed whatever he’d been doing, which was his business, to licking a finger. ‘So, a letter used to make it sleep. Seven letters.’
‘Oh, God! I don’t know. Leave me alone. What does that even mean?’
Aleksey made a careful line under some of the clue, as if he knew any better than Ben, and then grinned inwardly and neatly pennedopioidsonce more into the little boxes. It was amazing how the universe sent you signs when you were the sort of person who believed in them.
‘Is prepared to supply cash in hand. Five.’
‘Shut up! I’m actually trying to study here.’
It didn’t matter. He’d just worked out something that would fit that one too:drugs.
* * *
‘I need to go to London to sign off the sale papers. Will you drive me?’
Ben squinted up from his bench presses. Aleksey thought he could see the bar bending from the weight on each end, but told himself it was merely an optical illusion. Ben re-racked and sat up, wiping his face on a towel. ‘Will that be that then? Will it be ours?’
Aleksey nodded. Then he went swiftly over and kissed Ben, running his fingers through the sweaty hair and murmured, ‘Our island.’
As they were making their way up the A38 towards Exeter and the M5, Ben turned off the radio programme Aleksey had been listening to and announced abruptly, ‘I’ve been thinking about Molly.’
‘Good.’ He was tempted to addthat makes a change, but wasn’t that mean anymore. ‘That makes a change.’ Ack, if he didn’t do it, who else would?
‘Yeah, that’s what I was thinking. She keeps asking why she can’t come up to the big house and live with us.’
Aleksey glanced over. ‘She hasn’t mentioned this to me.’
Ben only gave him a silentduhwith an eye-roll, but Aleksey knew exactly what he meant. He wouldn’t ask himself anything either if he wanted a sensible reply. ‘What did you tell her?’
‘That Babushka would miss her.’
‘Hah. Even I could have done better than that. I can predict what her reply was.’
‘Yeah.Then why can’t Babushka live with us too…’
‘And then it only got worse? Sarah next andwhy can’t Sarah live with us too? Enid maybe?’
‘How come she’s my daughter, but she takes after you? That’s what I can’t work out. It’s likeyou, you know…with Kate.’
‘Well, there’s a thought I shall dwell on pleasantly while—uncalled for violence is the sign of a weak mind, Benjamin. I am not sure if I want my pilot—ow. So, where have you left it with the baby tyrant?’
‘Well, I actually thought about what she said, and I couldn’t work out why not either. But, what do you think…maybe take one of the suites, make it nice for her, and she comes up one night a week for…well, a—’
‘Sleepover?’
‘Yes. I knew you’d get it. She could get used to being away from Sarah and Babushka, used to different routines, but one night a week won’t affect us too much. What do you think?’
Aleksey had merely been finishing Ben’s thought, he hadn’t actually been agreeing to anything, but now he thought about it, he couldn’t see any real downside to this either. ‘Will she not want to stay every night once she’s made an…what is that expression? Inroad. She might refuse to return home.’
‘She’s three. She can’t refuse to do anything at three!’
Aleksey chuckled quietly. ‘No resemblance to me at all then.’
Ben then related all the plans he’d made for Molly’s room as they continued through the traffic towards the capital. He had obviously given it some considerable thought. Aleksey glanced at his profile every so often, thinking how much they had both changed in the short time of this child’s life. It did not seem all that long ago to him that Ben had virtually refused to admit he had a daughter, had not wanted her when that recognition became necessary, and had found it hard to connect with her when forced to interact. Now here he was. He thought back to the scene the previous night, the small gig race in his swim lane, Ben and his little look-alike united in glee over their toys. He ruffled Ben’s hair, just because, and turned his interesting programme about digital currency investments back on.
* * *
Peyton Garic had recently returned from a holiday in Louisiana, his home State. He reported to Aleksey that it was worse than he’d left it, but didn’t elaborate on this dismal assessment. Peyton and Aleksey had always gotten along famously, which had surprised everyone who knew them, but now he valued his computer expert for more than just his keyboard-warrior skills. Peyton raided his stash and produced a vast collection of sweets, which he termed candy, and they shared it happily together while updates and strategies were discussed.
