Mel jogged along the beach, past the surfers and the girls in bikinis, and the families who were busy building sand sculptures. She’d done the same with Eden, years ago before their relationship had become complicated.

This morning she’d been sipping her coffee in the kitchen when she’d heard sounds from upstairs. She’d known it wasn’t Greg, because he’d left earlier to investigate reports of a noisy party at one of the rental properties at the far end of Silver Point. Which meant Eden was awake early.

Her stomach had knotted and she’d felt a rush of sudden dread because any moment now her daughter would appear. Mel hadn’t slept well and she didn’t want to start her day in combat mode. She missed those simple days when Eden was little and had bounced across the room to greet her with a hug.

When had she last heard the words I love you, Mom?

It had been a long time.

Mel had tipped her coffee away, scribbled a note saying, Gone to work, have a good day and quietly let herself out of the house. Then she’d felt like the worst mother in the world so she’d tiptoed back in and added Love you to the note. It was true, she did love Eden, although right now she didn’t like her very much. Would her anxiety and attention have been diluted had she had more than one child? Was that how it worked?

Either way, it was a sad state of affairs when going into work early was more appealing than staying home. When running was less about fitness and more about reducing stress. But Eden wasn’t entirely responsible for the tight feeling in her stomach and the tension in her muscles. She’d been stressed ever since Mary-Lou had told her about the accident. She knew Joanna hadn’t been in the car. She knew Joanna hadn’t died. But the thought of it had shaken her up and made her think.

What if she had died? What if it had been Joanna’s body they’d dragged from the wreckage? How would Mel have felt? What would she have felt?

Regret, for not having tried harder to make contact. For giving up so easily. Mel had been offended, deeply hurt, more than a little angry. And her damn temper had put a flaming barrier between her and rational thought.

She stopped running, bent over and tried to catch her breath.

She couldn’t stop thinking that it could have been Joanna in that car.