Ironman Read Free

remind myself how far I’ve come and how far you haven’t.”
    Lion nods. “Sensitive leadership. That’s why I followed you to the boonies.”
    â€œYou followed me to the boonies because I was the only educator in four northwestern states who knew you and still wanted to hire you. I assume you’re here because of Bo.”
    Lion nods. “That kid’s a variation on my mother’s curse.”
    â€œHow so?”
    â€œWhen I was little, before the accident, my mom used to hope I’d live long enough to have kids just like me. I figured I’d outsmarted her with my lifestyle, but now here’s Brewster. He ain’t my kid, but he might aswell be.”
    â€œThe universe works in strange and mysterious ways,” Dr. Stevens says, smiling, “that we, in our earthly ignorance—”
    â€œâ€”get pickaxed by every time,” Lion says.
    â€œThe gospel according to Serbousek.”
    â€œSo what do I have to do to get him back in class?”
    â€œYou mean, what does he have to do to get back in class.”
    â€œWhatever.”
    Dr. Stevens shakes her head. “I sure wish he’d stop calling Mr. Redmond an asshole.”
    â€œWhen it’s a less apt description, maybe he will. I used to ask you this all the time when I was being sent home, but how come teachers never get in trouble? How come it’s always the kid who eats it?”
    â€œThe kid doesn’t have a union.”
    â€œMan, if I ran this school—”
    â€œDon’t get it into your head that I do,” Dr. Stevens says. “I’m the principal here, not the owner. Remember, the same flexibility that allows a Lionel Serbousek allows a Keith Redmond.”
    â€œNow that’s scary.”
    â€œNo scarier for you than for Keith.” Dr. Stevens stands and walks to the coffeepot, and Lionel noticesyet again what a stunning woman she is. Tall and very dark, lean in an athletic way—the first black female vice-principal in the Spokane school district before she moved to Clark Fork to take a principal’s job she believed would never be offered in the city. Lion would have crawled to the northern slope in his swimming trunks in mid-January to teach in her school, given how she stood behind his fierce sense of justice back at Robert Frost High in Spokane through the mid-eighties.
    â€œSo what should I tell Bo?”
    â€œTell him he needs to contact me. Mr. Redmond and he and I will have a meeting as soon as Bo requests it.”
    â€œWhat’s the bottom line?”
    Dr. Stevens grimaces. “You’re going to love this. Keith says he won’t allow Bo back into his class until he’s enrolled in Mr. Nakatani’s anger management group.”
    â€œThat’s two hours two mornings a week. The kid’s in training and he works. That’s too much, Gail. Not to mention, that’s a pretty rough group.”
    â€œIt’s not that bad,” Dr. Stevens says. “Mr. Nak’s good, really good. And even though Bo denies an anger problem, he told me himself he fantasizes Keith buried to the neck in a red anthill at high noon in Death Valley in mid-July.”
    â€œHell,” Lion says, “that’s a healthy fantasy. I haveit all the time, except I pour honey on his eyeballs.”
    â€œUnfortunately, I can’t order you into Mr. Nak’s anger management group.”
    â€œWhat if Bo refuses?”
    â€œThis is his third time out. I’d have to give him home tutoring.”
    â€œConroy?”
    Dr. Stevens smiles. “Conroy.”

CHAPTER 2
    STILL OCTOBER 10
    Dear Larry,
    The Clark Fork University athletic complex hummed with college kids changing classes shortly after noon when I dropped my fake student ID card onto the equipment room counter where the student attendant passes out locker keys and racquetball rackets and such. I dug my shorts and a sleeveless sweatshirt out of the small workout bag