‘If you actually have manners, you don’t forget them.’

‘Is that directed at me? Are you saying I’m rude?’

‘I don’t know how else to tell you.’

Keep making calls, Emily advised herself. She rang Lucky to arrange another interview. He answered and it sounded as if he dropped the receiver, then picked it up and placed it under his chin, his voice faint.

‘Let’s meet the day after tomorrow,’ he said. ‘There’s something important I want to show you. It will work beautifully in your story, I guarantee.’

‘Lucky, there’s something else. I have this feeling that you did know my father. I need to know more about him. It’s of real personal importance to me.’

‘My memory is good,’ Lucky said, and stopped there.

‘And?’

‘And I can’t remember him. I don’t believe I ever met the guy. If I could help you, no question about it, I would. I like you. How’s the article going?’

He was clearly lying about her father. How long would he keep this up? However long, she could wait for the lie to be exhausted.

‘George Lee and Joanna Matfield and Sophia don’t want to participate.’

‘Let me talk to Sophia. I should call her anyway. It’s been too long. The others, I can’t help you. Could be, you know, there’s nothing new to say about the shooting.’

2.

Emily left her room to go outside for a cigarette. Her mobile phone buzzed and rang in the back pocket of her jeans as she walked towards the lift quick and busy. She cleared her throat and jabbed at the answer button. Whoever was calling, she thought, even Michael, they were a good kind of interruption, more important than tobacco, which she’d quit almost three years ago. Such a discipline had required enormous effort. It engaged her imagination: in order to stop herself from buying Marlboro Lights on bad days Emily had, at different times, envisaged a doctor giving her a four-month prognosis, then imagined telling her hypothetical child about her terminal illness, and saying last goodbyes to mother and stepfather and Liam and husband. She’d pictured her funeral. Michael’s eulogy was inaccurate on several points.

‘It’s me,’ said Michael. ‘Where are you?’

‘About to smoke a cigarette.’

‘But you quit!’

‘A lot has changed in the past week. I’m starting life from scratch.’

‘I didn’t sleep much last night.’

‘Because you were up late with Therese.’

‘No, I spent the night by myself because I had a terrible day.’

‘Terrible? That is terrible.’

‘And your parents called again, your mum. I didn’t mention, you know, what’s been happening, because that’s for you to explain. It’s not my place. I take it you haven’t told them, since your mother didn’t mention … it.’

‘It?’ Emily snorted. ‘I’ll get in touch with them soon.’