‘I got there and he just stopped breathing.’

‘He just stopped breathing?’

‘He just stopped.’

‘He’s dead?’ Audrey asked. There was hope in her voice, but whether it was that he was dead or alive, I couldn’t be sure.

‘Yes.’

‘You’re sure?’

‘Yes.’

‘How?’

‘He just stopped breathing. Let’s go home.’

EPILOGUE

The For Sale sign was staked into the ground with the lopsided laziness that comes from a sure commission. Juliette had come to help pack up the last of my things. Erin and I had decided that the best way forward, if we were trying to move ahead with a clean slate, was to sell the place and leave all memories and actions behind us. I’d met Juliette at the house, having just come from breakfast, which had been fantastically uneventful.

Juliette unlocked the door. The house was stripped, ghosts of furniture leaving dark shadows across the otherwise sun-paled wood floors. The last of my boxes were in the attic. She pulled the ladder down and climbed up; my position below was trash-catcher. She passed me a few boxes and then a small suitcase, one with wheels on it, good for airports but bad for snow resorts. When I’d finally gotten home – after police stations, hospitals and media galore – I hadn’t had the heart to unpack it.

Of course, I’d taken the sports bag out of the top. The McAuleys wouldn’t take it back. They’d accepted the photos were gone forever, but had still sent divers into the lake to retrieve the coffin. I hoped they’d had the funeral for their daughter they’d always wanted. I’d told everyone about the money, and we’d agreed what to do with it together, as a family. We’d given half to Lucy’s parents, brothers and sisters, and we’d also paid for her funeral. Then we’d agreed to split the rest. I’d forfeited my share, figuring that I’d already spent it.

Michael’s funeral was short, cold and depressing. It wasn’t his fault; the weather did him no favours. I checked the coffin before it went in the ground. Lucy’s funeral was organised by her family. It was tragic, sad and beautiful. The church was packed, and it took me a while to figure out why, but the mystery solved itself: I’ve never been pitched so many business opportunities at a wake. Even though Lucy’s not with us anymore, I’m pretty sure last week she got promoted to Associate Vice President, Oceania.

Andy and Katherine have never been more affectionate, and Katherine never more relaxed. It’s a bit much. Andy is still the type of guy whose shoulder you look over in a bar to find someone more interesting, but now I’ve seen him knock the jaw off someone, I’m open to enduring at least fifteen minutes of mundane conversation.