What secrets went up in smoke with Jim’s body? She thought about DNA, just molecules bound together, yet they hold so much information, so much that connects us. Or doesn’t, in the case of Jim, Rebecca and Natalie. But just because Natalie wasn’t related to Jim, didn’t mean Jim and Rebecca weren’t lovers.

And she thought about Jacob Glassman alone in his big house, if there were secrets hidden in the camera footage, if he would ever have an answer.

The priest stopped talking and Ursula was lowered into the ground. Gianluca Bonetti threw a handful of damp dirt onto the white wood, followed by others, each standing for a moment then moving on. Archie watched them reverently, hands together in front of him. He had secrets, secrets that weren’t buried forever or burned. More earth went on top of Ursula’s body as Archie looked at Dorothy then turned back to the grave.

Staring at the grave, something occurred to Dorothy and the obvious nature of it made her cheeks flush. She’d always assumed Simon Lawrence walked away from his family responsibilities. But what if he didn’t have a choice, what if someone got rid of him? It was hard to get rid of a person, to get rid of their body. Unless.

She stared at Archie by the open grave for a long time, then realised what she had to do next.

184

36

JENNY

The hangover was lifting but the sense of shame lingered. Jenny had spent the last hour wandering around the funeral home like a ghost. Hannah had gone home, and Mum and Archie were on a funeral, there was just Indy on reception as Jenny pitched up there like a shipwreck victim on shore.

‘How are you holding up?’ Jenny said.

Indy smiled. ‘I could ask you the same thing.’

Jenny nodded. ‘Mine is self-inflicted. No sympathy.’

The silence was awkward before Jenny spoke again. ‘I still can’t really believe it, about Mel.’

Indy swallowed hard, then her head went down and she started crying.

‘Oh, hey,’ Jenny said. She went round behind the desk and put her hand on Indy’s arm. Indy stood up and moved into a hug, wrapping her arms around her and holding tight. Jenny rubbed at her back, feeling the shudders of Indy’s breath against her chest.

‘It’s OK,’ she said. She knew it wasn’t OK, but what else could you say? She had a flash of memory, holding Hannah as a toddler with a scraped knee, inconsolable at the pain and indignant at the way the world had conspired to hurt her. Then again, years later, when she had to break the news that Craig was leaving them, that mix of hurt and anger, so easy to understand.