‘It’s to no one’s advantage if we start shooting each other. Edmund should have been investigated and brought to justice,’ Cardilini said.

‘He was investigated, wasn’t he? No one could believe he did it. I didn’t until Mrs Lockheed contacted me. What an idiot I’ve been. I think he got justice. What do you think?’ Sheppard’s eyes fixed on Cardilini.

‘Mr Sheppard, I’m not going to argue with you.’

‘Good. Haven’t much time for arguments.’ Sheppard lit his cigarette. ‘And, if you’re not a bloody fool get on with your career. And let your boy get on with his.’

Cardilini stood confused. ‘What do you know about my son?’ Sheppard stood too and squared up to Cardilini. The dog crossed between them and barked, its eyes rolling towards Cardilini. Neither man flinched. The dog kept barking.

‘Shut that dog up,’ came from inside the house.

Sheppard turned his eyes from Cardilini. ‘Sit down, Paddy. We aren’t going to do anything. Just facing off like a couple of old man roos.’

‘I don’t know what your game is, I feel for your loss but you don’t scare me, Sheppard,’ Cardilini said.

‘That’s funny, I scare myself, and I don’t scare easily. Still it’s good to know you have some backbone.’

‘I didn’t know everything I was doing was such common knowledge.’

‘Now you know. Maybe I’ve been a bit too direct. Kind of lost balance. Maybe said too much. Wouldn’t surprise me.’

‘Do you know who shot Edmund?’ Cardilini asked surprised at his own question.

‘Yes . . . is what I want to say. But if I did, I wouldn’t be telling you.’

‘But you know who did?’

‘Accident, wasn’t it?’ Sheppard said with a half-smile. ‘Someone took a .303 to a roo cull, I think you’ll find.’

On Sheppard’s instruction Cardilini didn’t say goodbye to Dot.

Kilkenny Road

3.30 p.m. Tuesday, 3rd November 1965

Cardilini arrived back in Perth mid-afternoon. He rang Spry at East Perth to ask him to find out which Melbourne school Edmund had been at before taking up his position at St Nicholas. Also, the current posting of the constable who wrote the Wongan Hills car crash report. Spry complained but Cardilini knew he’d do it. Then he started to clean the house. He started with the sleep-out where he now slept. He hadn’t spent a night in the main bedroom since Betty’s death. It was Betty’s room.

When the phone rang it was Spry. Cardilini noted the details and decided he would make the calls in the morning.

*

Paul arrived home to find Cardilini standing in the doorway of Betty’s room.

‘What’re you doing?’

‘I was thinking of vacuuming.’

Paul stood beside him. ‘Smells like Mum,’ he said.

‘Might just leave it.’ Cardilini suggested.

‘Yeah. I think that’s best.’