Dog winked, to suggest he knew more than he was letting on. But his wink meant nothing. It was just his face, in the Orwellian sense that at fifty he had the one he deserved. Dog deserved to look like a man who was conning you. Gordon wondered: do I have the face I deserve?

‘Okay,’ Gordon said. ‘Sounds like good news. Collapsing real estate market might save what’s left of Bluebird.’

‘What’s your equity situation in this place?’

‘I don’t know. Sam can tell you.’

‘Sam,’ Dog said, mulling this over. ‘Sam.’

‘What about Sam?’

‘Oh, nothing.’

‘What?’

‘Nothing. Anyway, all I’m saying to you is that when word gets out that there’s actually some serious shit happening in those shoe factories, it’s gunna be the bonfire of the fucking vanities out there; propertyapocalypto. Did I just make that up? Fuck I’m good. Half the bankers in town are going to jail, half are going to lose their jobs, and the other half are bringing down the hatchet on lending.’

‘That’s three halves. I’m glad you’re not a banker.’

‘That would have made me a perfect banker,’ Dog said. ‘Here’s what I’m saying. Whatever you and Sam have been cooking up, or whatever he’s cooking up on your behalf, I’m warning you, you’re rooted. Best-case scenario? The bank will revalue the house and you’ll be up to pussy’s bow in negative equity. No more draw-downs, no more fancy living, no more parties.’

‘That’s the best case?’

‘The worst case is that Sam ends up being represented by me.’

‘Sam?’

‘As soon as the voting share changes hands next week from Leonie to Carl and the title search produces actual documents, Sam’s lending practices will be on the record. It’s a domino effect, buddy. That’s what I’m telling you. You reckon Leonie’s handing The Lodge to Carl just to protect her position in the Hilton? Champ, you know her better than that. There’s always wheels within wheels.’

They paused to watch the circle of kids on the beach shake the sand off their blanket and leave. They were laughing and pushing each other. Innocence: Gordon tried to remember that.

‘I knew you were going to be telling me something,’ Gordon said.

‘Come again?’

‘You said you wanted to ask me something, but I knew you’d be telling me something.’

To Gordon’s surprise, the kids on the beach were heading not up the sand path to the top car park, but southwards along the shoreline, towards the jump rock and the base of the stairs leading to The Lodge.

‘Oh no, I did want to ask you something,’ Dog said.

‘What’s that?’ Gordon’s mind whirred through a sequence of fantasy questions Dog might ask him.