He’d heard these words a thousand times. He knew when sorry was just something to say in the face of all the suffering.

‘You’re going to shoehorn a segment about a mass murder into a Wheel of Fortune episode. Is that in good taste?’

‘Look, it might not run if you don’t make it through to the bonus round.’

‘Did you speak to the victims’ families?’

‘Couldn’t get them. Couldn’t get the survivor either, Sophia. They all said they weren’t available and that’s understandable. It was a long time ago. People want to move on. Anyway, we don’t need a tonne of voices. We’ve got you.’

‘I understand why Sophia and the families knocked you back. You’re a gameshow.’

‘The news is entertainment. It’s the leading form of entertainment. And entertainment shows can offer us news. Prime example is right here. The Third of April is a big deal, a proper trauma in this city. We can’t avoid it.’

‘On Wheel of Fortune you can avoid it.’

‘The shooting is part of the Lucky’s story. I’ve been doing this a long time, mate. Viewers pay attention to serious news presented in a soft format. We’re respectful of people’s pain. That’s what you need to keep in mind. Can we do this?’

Lucky turned around and put his hands in his pockets and muttered and the crew started filming. Marjorie, blinking politely, assured him it wouldn’t take long, and she kept on assuring him until his face moved from indignation to something more neutral, until his eyes stopped moving between her and the cameraman to her left.

Marjorie: ‘Henry was a regular at your cafe in the months before his rampage. Did you suspect anything?’

‘If we’d thought he was dangerous, we would have barred him from the restaurant.’

‘Even for people like myself, who have the fondest childhood memories of Lucky’s cafes, the first thing that comes to mind when we hear that name is—well, a terrible, senseless crime. How does that make you feel? I know that ownership of the franchise had changed hands, but you founded the company, and that last restaurant belonged to you, and it was your name up on those signs. It must weigh on you.’

‘It’s difficult to feel proud of the franchise after everything. I feel like I failed.’

Marjorie smiled: it was the quote she wanted.

‘It’s Day of Fortune: what will it mean if you win this money and open a restaurant with the only survivor of the shooting?’

‘I’ve already answered this in gameplay.’

‘Let’s try again. You’re half an hour away from potentially winning three hundred thousand dollars. What does the jackpot mean to you?’

‘It means I’ll be able to do a good thing.’

‘Oh, Lucky, you must have helped many people.’

‘Not the people I loved the most.’