‘I don’t know, though,’ she says. ‘I looked out the window when they were leaving and I didn’t see them call at any other house. And they didn’t ask to see me, either. Doesn’t seem right if they were calling house to house.’

Danny is going to go crazy at me, blame me for dragging these people into his life. But I need to talk to him, find out why they were looking for him, what they wanted to know.

‘I asked him what it was all about,’ Joanna says, ‘but he told me not to worry, it was nothing. And then he left.’

‘Where did he go?’

‘Work, I guess.’

Bert struggles to get into the hearse. I’m really not in the mood for going to the graveyard but I will have to, because Bert will notice if I’m not there. When the crowd disperses, Joanna heads home, asking me to let her know if I get any info out of Danny.

I say I will, but I know I won’t.

The sky is dull with grey clouds as the cortège moves out of the churchyard and on to the cemetery. I should be sad, thinking of Edith, but my mind is consumed with worrying about what the cops were doing at Danny’s. Were they asking him about me? Does he know I might be a suspect in the case? Or were they questioning Danny about his whereabouts on that Saturday night? I wonder what they took away in the bag.

In the car, the old lady I offered a lift to is wiping tears from her eyes. I put my hand on her shoulder and tell her Edith is in a better place, that she’s gone past her pain now. But these words mean nothing. I know that. Loss is loss, grief is grief. Knowing someone is in a better place does not stop you wanting them back.

Bert walks over when the ceremony ends, dark rings circling his eyes.

‘Thanks for coming, Becca. I know you’re busy, so it’s nice you took the time. Edith is grateful.’

‘I couldn’t have missed it, Bert. How are you?’

‘Okay, I guess. I’ll be better when this gang go home and leave me alone.’ Bert nods in the direction of Edith’s family, making me laugh. ‘I have to suffer them a while longer, they’re all coming back to the house.’

‘It’ll be all over soon, Bert. I’m sure they won’t stay long.’

‘I hope not,’ he says, turning to accept an old man’s condolences.