That’s why Kevin had come. He wanted to borrow money, and after the special meal because of his visit, which he scoffed, but also praised, he asked Pearly for a loan of $70,000. ‘I can get the rest easily enough from the bank,’ he said, ‘but time is of the essence. I reckon it’s too good a chance to let pass. It’s going to be auctioned, and I might not get it anyway. It would be a really short-term thing because I’d sail it north and sell it on.’

‘What’s your limit?’

‘I’m going to look it over tomorrow afternoon, and if it’s as sound as the website says, I reckon it’s worth close to two hundred, maybe a bit more. It’s almost a forced sale because of the marriage split. It’s nearly new.’ His voice had a casual enthusiasm as if he were doing his parents a favour by suggesting they lend him money.

It was typical of Kevin. Pearly, as a salesman himself, knew that his son had deliberately not given them warning of the request and hoped for a spontaneously favourable response within the warmth of family reunion. He’d lent money to Kevin before, but what better use of resources than to assist a son or daughter? If only Kevin showed gratitude for that support or gave evidence of affection.

‘We’ll have a look online later,’ Pearly said. ‘Your mother and I’ll talk it over. It’s not inconsiderable money.’

‘Okay,’ said Kevin lightly as if the outcome was of no significance, and he let the matter drop. When Pearly asked him why he hadn’t enrolled for the reunion, Kevin said he was too busy. ‘What’s it matter how old a school is? It’s what it’s doing now that’s important,’ he said. ‘And you need to move on from your school days, for Christ’s sake.’ In his case that was true. School had made little impression on him, and he had made no impression on the school. He was so casually ordinary there as to be almost invisible. He’d won no prizes or glowing testimonials, made no significant teams. He was only found tightly packed with his fellows in the yearly class photos, once absent even there because he had chicken pox on the day they were taken. Pearly had been disappointed that his son left so small a mark on the school after five years’ attendance, but Leanne’s scholastic success at her own college had been compensation.

Pearly did go online and scrutinise the images of the motorsailer, read the accompanying descriptions and claims, but he knew little about boats. Had Kevin given them more time he could have contacted knowledgeable people at the Harbour Board office. ‘What do you think?’ he asked Helen when they were in bed and Kevin still in the living room watching a programme on Mongolian cuisine.

‘We could sell shares.’