Dorothy eased out of her chair and walked to the board, whisky glass held lazily in her hand like it was too heavy. Amber liquid sloshed to the rim then settled as she lifted it and sipped. Jenny had never seen her mum drink like this, it wasn’t a good sign.

Dorothy squinted at the whiteboard then took the pictures from Hannah. She flicked through them, stopping at the shower one the longest, then handed them back.

‘I’ll speak to Thomas,’ she said.

Hannah raised her eyebrows. ‘I want to talk to him, it’s my case.’

Her case, thought Jenny, this is who they were now.139

Dorothy nodded like it was the most normal thing in the world. ‘I’ll set it up.’

Jenny felt the burn as she sipped her whisky. ‘You think this lecturer knows where Mel is?’

Hannah waved the pictures. ‘He knows more than he’s telling, that’s for sure, it’s too big of a coincidence.’

Jenny blinked, felt the heaviness of her eyelids. ‘And she never said anything to you about seeing him?’

‘Nothing,’ Hannah said, shaking her head.

‘What about the others?’

Hannah turned to the board, pointed at Bradley. ‘We know this guy’s a perv.’ She tapped Xander. ‘And this guy’s kind of sleazy.’ Then she waved the Polaroids again. ‘But this is something else.’

Jenny looked out of the window. It was dark, just the trail of footpath lights stretching across the park. A couple were walking close, hugging each other, two lads coming the other way passing a beer can back and forth. An old man shuffled along with a Labrador beside him.

‘Mel has some lovely men around her,’ she said.

Dorothy turned and wavered. She seemed drunk. ‘Don’t we all.’

Jenny stared at her.

‘What does that mean?’ Hannah said.

Dorothy waved her drink around. ‘Your grandpa was lying to me for years.’

Jenny stared at the table as Dorothy explained to Hannah about the money, Rebecca and her daughter, Simon missing for years.

Silence as Jenny dug her fingernail into the grain of the wood.

‘So Grandpa was sleeping with her?’

Dorothy gave an exaggerated shrug. ‘It certainly puts one’s grief into perspective.’

Jenny stretched her neck. ‘We don’t know anything for sure.’

‘We know he lied.’ Dorothy fixed her eyes on Jenny. ‘It’s hard for you, he’s your dad, and he was my husband. But we can’t be blind to these things.’140

‘Don’t you think you’ve had enough to drink?’ Jenny said.

Dorothy swallowed hard. ‘I’m your mother.’

‘I’m just saying.’

‘The number of times I had to pick you up off the floor as a teenager, off your head.’

‘That’s a long time ago, Mum.’

‘I never understood your constant need to fuck yourself up,’ Dorothy said.

‘Gran,’ Hannah said.

Silence in the room.