The familiar sound of her voice stops my every thought. It echoes around my head, uprooting all the memories I have buried there. Faye’s smiles, her hugs, her words of comfort, her words of encouragement. They’re all flooding back now, reminding me of what we had, that special friendship, the secrets we have, the unbreakable connection… that broke.

Tears begin to sting my eyes. I can’t let Faye know that I’m about to cry so I swallow hard and say, ‘Yes.’

‘Did you see the news?’ she asks, straight up. No beating around the bush for Faye.

‘Yes, I was going to ring you but I didn’t know if you’d want that so…’ I let my comment hang in the air between us hoping it reminds her of all the unanswered calls I made to her when she left Huntley. All the attempts to find out why she ended our friendship had been in vain. Faye never answered. She never even sent a text. Night after night I cried myself to sleep trying to make sense of it all but I never could. I wish I had the courage to ask her the question that haunted me for years. Why did you leave me Faye? Why did you walk out on me when my world was falling apart? My heart was broken. My mam had just died. You were my best friend and you disappeared out of my life. But I won’t ask. Not now. That storm has passed. I’m navigating calmer waters now. Well I was until the cops showed up.

‘Have you heard anything? Anything about the body? How long it’s been there?’

I’m a bit disappointed that Faye has gone straight to the point without asking anything about me. I guess she really doesn’t care anymore. I wipe my eyes, feeling foolish for having got upset in the first place. I’m a big girl now. I’ve a big future ahead of me. Fuck the past.

‘Nothing concrete except that the body has been there for a long time.’

‘Anything else?’ she asks eagerly.

‘No… except that it’s female.’ I don’t want to tell her that I think it’s the woman who disappeared a few years ago and was never found, because I don’t know this for sure yet and she might panic.

‘I hope they don’t drag us into this, Tara. I can’t have cops coming in here asking questions. If they find out what we did, my license will be revoked. I’ll never be able to practice again.’

I totally understand where Faye is coming from but I don’t know what she expects me to do about it. I’m about to ask when she says, ‘If for some reason the cops do contact you, I need you to do something for me, Tara.’