She’d made him say it rather than have the words pass her own lips. Now the idea was out in the open she couldn’t decide whether it sounded ridiculous or not. She was accusing her husband of murder. That’s why he paid Rebecca Lawrence, out of guilt.

‘It’s crazy,’ Archie said.

‘Is it?’

Schrödinger stretched a paw and a notebook slipped to the floor with a thud, making Dorothy jump.

‘Christ,’ she said, leaning down to pick it up. She imagined a confession note slipping from between the pages, a neat explanation for everything that didn’t make sense. But the notebook had no loose pages, just lists of supplies and costs, incomings and outgoings, the stuff of every business.

She focused on Archie, who was finishing his drink.

‘If anyone knows how to get rid of a body, it’s an undertaker.’207

Archie was wide-eyed at that. ‘You know that’s not true. There are strict rules, traceability, it’s not like a horror movie or something.’

Dorothy pursed her lips and picked up a page at random from the table. An invoice from nine years ago for a simple cremation at Warriston. Mari Gibson. Paid within the month, nothing untoward. The smell of the barbecue outside was stronger now and there were more voices, guys full of bluster, women gossiping and laughing, the clink of beer bottles and wine glasses, the energy and carelessness of youth. Dorothy felt the wood of her seat biting into her back, a dull ache that all the yoga in the world couldn’t shift now that she was on the way to the grave herself.

She looked at Archie. ‘Will you help me?’

Schrödinger leaned into her and she stroked his back, feeling his purr in her fingers. Archie watched her with the cat then spoke.

‘OK,’ he said. ‘But it’s a waste of time.’

Dorothy smiled and finished her drink. ‘We’ll see.’

208

39

JENNY

She still hadn’t worked out what to do by the time she put the key in the lock. Darcy was obviously a honeytrap set by Orla, so what the hell? Hire a private investigator to follow your husband, pay someone to pick him up, providing evidence of adultery to get everything in the divorce? Poor Liam. She thought about kissing Craig yesterday. Craig had cheated on Fiona in that moment, but it was more complex than that, given Jenny’s history with him. But that was a bullshit excuse, she snogged a married man, end of story. It didn’t matter that he was her ex-husband. In fact it was worse.