“Can you really learn to fly in a simulator?”

“You can learn to fly the simulator,” Stone said. “It doesn’t handle exactly like an airplane, but the cockpit layout and the avionics are identical, and the view out the windows is cities, fields, and airports, which are pretty realistic. It’s good for testing your judgment and learning to make quick decisions.”

“Better you than me.”

“He’s got less than a week to go, and he’s not in the least discouraged. I was tearing my hair out at that point. And when he finishes there, he’s going to start flying his airplane with a mentor pilot aboard. Pat Frank arranged that for him.”

“How about you? I haven’t seen you with a woman for a while. That’s unlike you.”

Stone laughed. “Sometimes you’re lucky, sometimes you’re not.”

—

LAURENCE HAYWARD FINISHED his last simulator session and went back to the instructor’s office, where he filled out some paperwork.

“You did well,” the man said. “Better than most owner-pilots. Don’t try to do too much in the new airplane, until you’re feeling confident in it, and don’t start feeling confident too soon. And listen to your mentor pilot.”

Laurence glanced at his watch. “He should be waiting downstairs for me. Are we about done?”

“About,” the man said, signing a document and handing it to him. They shook hands, and Laurence went downstairs and found a tall, thin man of at least sixty to be the only person in the waiting room.

“Laurence Hayward?” he asked.

“I am.”

“I’m Don McEvoy,” he said. “Pat Frank sent me to mentor you. Sit down for a minute, and let’s talk.”

Laurence sat down.

“Where do you envision flying the next couple of weeks?”

“To Teterboro this afternoon, overnight there, pick up my girlfriend, then to San Francisco tomorrow morning. After that we’ll improvise.”

“Okay.”

Laurence’s iPhone went off. “Excuse me. Hello?”

“Laurence, it’s Mom.” She sounded funny.

“Mom, are you all right?”

“Not really. Derek had a heart attack this morning—it was too early your time to call you—and he’s having an emergency triple bypass as we speak. His doctors are very optimistic about the outcome.”

Laurence knew that bypass surgery was routine these days, but he was immediately worried about his mother. “I’m so sorry. What can I do to help? Do you need anything?”

“I need you,” she said. “Can you fly over tomorrow?”

“Hold on a moment, please.” He turned to Don. “Change of plans. I’d like to fly to London tomorrow. My stepfather has had a heart attack and surgery.”

McEvoy shrugged. “We can do that. I’ll set up flight handling with Pat Frank. We’ll just go east instead of west, via Newfoundland.”

“Mom? I’ll be there tomorrow night. Are you at the London house?”

“Yes. I’ll have Wanda get your room ready.”