‘There was an intruder, upstairs in the house.’ She slipped her backpack off her shoulder, dumped it on the floor and unzipped her jacket.

‘Are you okay?’ He hurried over to the table near the lounge and switched on the small lamp. It lit up that side of the room but left his set-up mostly in shadow.

‘Well, I was okay.’ Sterling shrugged off her jacket and dropped it on top of the backpack. ‘But I figured Ida Stevenson wouldn’t want to stick around while someone knocked off the place.’

‘That’s true. Sit down.’ He waved a hand towards the lounge and sat in one of the armchairs opposite. Any minute now she was going to look around and notice the set-up on the desk and wonder what on earth he was doing.

She sat down, crossed her legs, and looked at him. ‘I’m sorry for turning up at this ungodly hour.’

‘No problem. As long as you’re all good.’

She nodded, glancing at him uncertainly as though she sensed something different about him. Flowers swallowed, his mouth dry.

‘I was going to stay in a motel in Jindabyne,’ she said. ‘Ryder gave me the key to a room he has booked there; in case I needed a bolthole. It’s a great idea and I’m glad I have it, but as I was driving past, you and the others were so close, and I’ve been isolated for so long . . .’

Flowers moved to sit beside her on the lounge. ‘Hey,’ he said, putting an arm around her shoulders and giving her a comforting squeeze. ‘It’s okay.’

She sighed. ‘I know I shouldn’t have come here. I needed to see a friendly face and I gave in to the temptation.’

He nodded. ‘You’ve been undercover for a while now, and someone breaking into the place is a real worry.’

She leaned into him a little. He patted her shoulder, careful to keep the embrace impersonal, like he would with anyone in need of comfort. After that one night together she’d made it clear he shouldn’t hope for more between them, and he’d taken her at her word. Flowers steeled himself. It wasn’t easy, but if she could play Ida Stevenson for all that time, he could play ‘good friend only’ when she needed him to.

Sterling slowly straightened up, and he took his arm away. Any minute now she was going to look around.

But instead she looked at him and said, ‘I’m sorry if I’m giving you mixed messages.’

Flowers frowned. ‘You’ve always been straight up with me.’ Unlike me with you. ‘I know how hard you worked to make Ryder’s squad, and I understand that you want to stay there.’

She nodded. ‘It’s usually the woman who gets thrown under the bus when there’s any kind of work conflict.’

‘Things need to change then.’

‘They do.’