Hannah looked towards reception. ‘Can we check?’

‘I could get fired for that.’297

Hannah gave him big eyes. ‘I won’t tell anyone.’

He stared at her for a time then tapped the till screen. ‘I can access it from here, the system’s integrated.’

He punched info on the touch screen, waited, pressed the screen some more, frowning, then again until finally he smiled and turned the screen to face her. He looked over her shoulder, checking no one was around.

Hannah scanned the names that the rooms were booked under. There were about thirty and she didn’t see any she recognised. She scanned again, looking for Cheng, Longhorn, Xander’s surname Shaw, anything that might pop out.

‘Can we print this off?’

Rakim looked around again. ‘Should be able to, but it’ll come out in the office, I’ll need to go get it.’

‘Please.’

He turned the screen back, pressed it some more. ‘I can’t believe I’m doing this.’

‘You’ve been a massive help.’

‘Don’t go anywhere,’ Rakim said, walking through the back.

Hannah swivelled the screen and looked at the list again. In the other columns alongside booking name were the type of room, breakfast options and payment details. She clicked all the information open and began again through the list, running her finger down the screen to keep her right. She only looked at double rooms, compared payment details with booking name. She was down past the first dozen entries, then the next handful, when her finger stopped and she suddenly felt like she was drowning.

There was a double room booked under McLaren but the credit-card payment was a different name, McNamara. First initial C.

It was just a coincidence, it had to be. There was no way.

Rakim came through from the back. Hannah’s hand shook as she took her finger from the screen. He offered her the printout but she went into her phone again, pulled up a picture of herself 298with her dad, one that was taken a year ago when they were out for a meal, a selfie where they were both grinning like idiots. She showed the phone to Rakim.

‘Is this the guy who was with Mel?’

He didn’t hesitate.

‘Yeah, that’s him. So you know him?’

299

58

JENNY

‘Nightcap?’ She felt like a kid again and enjoyed it, this familiar feeling between them. She was wired from booze and pictured herself under him, feeling him inside her, the skin of their bellies touching, that connection they always had, reading each other’s thoughts and being each other’s best friend.

Craig looked up at the house, windows dark. ‘Are you sure? I don’t know if Dorothy would like me to come inside.’

Jenny thought about her mum, pictured her standing in the grave last night.

‘Mum will be fast asleep,’ she said.