House of Windows by Alexia Casale

kitchen without comment. ‘Now,’ she said, as she seated herself at the table, ‘I require you to explain why it was the police and not you who called me.’
    Nick turned away to fiddle with the kettle. ‘I couldn’t get hold of my dad. I’ll keep trying.’ He took out his phone and demonstrated his efforts, setting it on the counter when he’d dialled all three numbers to no effect. ‘I even tried Bill.’
    A flicker passed over Professor Gosswin’s face. ‘But he was also not available? That is a pity. Should there be a further occurrence of this or a related sort, you will call me first, except in the unlikely instance of your father being home.’
    Nick shook his head. ‘I’m sorry the police bothered you. I tried to tell them it wasn’t your problem—’
    ‘Mr Derran, you are frequently problematic, but this is not one of those occasions.’
    Nick turned away to fetch the milk, absently tracing patterns into the condensation on the bottle. ‘It’s not your job to take care of stuff like this.’
    ‘It is my job as Tutor to see to the needs of my tutees. I have dealt with far more unusual problems than being called to stand as responsible adult in the case of a burglary.’ She caught Nick’s interested look and her gaze darkened. ‘Thatwas not an invitation to ask impertinent questions so you can gossip about confidential matters. Now, when might we expect your father to grace us with his presence if he does not check his messages until the end of his work day?’
    Nick fixed his eyes on the floor. There was a scuff in the paintwork of the skirting board that looked almost like a face. It was sneering at him.
    ‘From this dismal silence, I take it that perhaps we are not to expect your father at all.’
    Nick met Professor Gosswin’s eyes. He shrugged.
    ‘And how often do Michael’s peregrinations see him away from home not just during the day but throughout the night?’
    Nick shrugged again and looked back at the disdainful face in the skirting board.
    ‘I take it no one else is aware of this situation? Neither you nor your irresponsible parent has thought to make an arrangement with a relative or family friend – Mr Morrison, for example?’
    ‘Yeah, Bill’s always had a driving ambition to babysit a teenager six nights a week. I don’t have a bunch of aunts and uncles and cousins and grandparents to keep me company, but I’m fifteen, not five. I don’t need anyone to tuck me in at night.’
    Professor Gosswin raised an eyebrow. ‘It is irrelevant whether or not you have a large network of people related to you by blood. The issue is that the family you do have is not here , in the home you should be sharing.’
    ‘It’s not always like this: it just goes in fits and starts.Induction week, Dad was home almost every night: a few days he was even in time for a late dinner. That’s how it’s always been with him. No one worried when I was ten, so I don’t know why it’s a problem now.’
    ‘When you were living together in London, your father was not only in the same city – a relatively short distance away – but likely to turn up at some point during the night,’ Professor Gosswin said. ‘You have to know that this situation is not equivalent – or remotely acceptable. You cannot live almost entirely alone aged fifteen.’
    ‘I don’t mind—’
    ‘I was not talking about it being acceptable to you. It is not only illegal, it is unacceptable to me , and that is a problem of a different order because I, Mr Derran, am not irresponsible or derelict in my duty. Nor shall you persuade me to be,’ she said loudly over Nick’s attempt to interrupt, ‘since it would be unkind to dismiss legitimate concern from someone who has a care for your happiness and well-being.’
    Nick darted a glance at her, then away, flushing.
    ‘Now, we don’t want to start getting sentimental, so let us move on to the practical step we shall take to resolve this situation. Since you already know