‘She was.’ He doesn’t add any more as this information hangs in the air.

‘How is my brother?’ I ask. ‘Is he doing okay?’

‘He seems to be holding up alright.’

‘I don’t know anything about—’ I break off. ‘I don’t know where he’s been living or anything really,’ I add, a little more quietly, ashamed for my part in our distance.

‘He’s been living in Scotland,’ the detective tells me as I raise my eyes. ‘Quite a solitary lifestyle. He walked into a police station in Girvan yesterday afternoon.’

I nod though I’ve never heard of the place.

‘He paints and makes sculptures, sells them on his website. He’s a talented man.’

‘He always was,’ I say. ‘Detective, one of the other policemen asked me about my friendship bracelets …?’

‘Yes. We found one near the body.’

‘Oh. I see,’ I say, shuddering.

Iona wasn’t on my list. She had never bought one and I wonder if this means it was Bonnie’s. But Harwood isn’t interested and instead he’s saying, ‘Ms Harvey, your brother has asked to see you.’

‘Really?’

‘If you would be willing—’

‘Yes, God, yes, of course.’

‘Good. Good.’ He nods as he watches me carefully and I wonder if he is truly happy about this scenario or whether he’s still making his mind up about it. ‘We can arrange for you to be taken to the station from here if you like.’

Evergreen Island

18 August 1993

After the incident of Danny falling out of the tree, Maria had been torn between putting some distance between her family and Iona, and having the girl sit around her table just so she could watch her more closely. In the end she had settled on the latter. As it would turn out, Maria soon realised the girl’s motives were not as they’d first seemed. But, as would also be evident by then, it was far too late to do anything about it. Iona’s claws were already firmly hooked into Maria’s family.

Bonnie kept her eye on the garden ten minutes before dinner time. Her stomach bubbled with what was no longer a pleasant sensation. She hoped Iona wouldn’t turn up. She had prayed her mum wouldn’t invite her again and all the muscles in her body felt like they had turned to stone when the invite had been tossed at Iona that morning. Why couldn’t her mum see she didn’t want her any more? Weren’t mums supposed to know when something wasn’t right?

Bonnie had had to go along with it, smiling, pretending that Iona’s words the day before hadn’t knifed into her. If she admitted to anyone, including herself, that they had, she feared her world would blow up.