He was laid back on the couch. William Kelly walked down the hallway and there came the sound of a tap being turned on. He returned with a wet face washer from the bathroom. ‘Here. Get at your face a bit.’

‘Where do I need to clean?’

‘All of it.’

The warm water soothed a small amount of the pain. Vernon could feel, as he gently dabbed at his face, some of the pain renew. Droplets of fresh blood on the cloth. William sat beside him, looking at his face.

‘There’s a huge cut on this side.’

‘Yeah.’

‘She hit you?’

‘What does it look like?’

‘Ugh,’ William said, wincing like he’d eaten something foul. ‘It’s all purple, up to your forehead.’

‘It feels numb,’ Vernon said. He dabbed at his face again and then looked at William. ‘Where did you get to?’

‘Ah, mate. I fought to stay but she tossed me out. Forced me out. I kept coming back through the night to check on you, see if I could get in. Just saw her again this morning and she said she’d dropped you here. And she said I’d better look in on you.’ He shook his head and sniffed, wiped his hand across his nose.

‘You crying?’

‘Shut up.’

‘Big bloody girl.’

This made Kelly grin, laugh a little. ‘Least I wasn’t beaten by one.’

‘She gave as good as any bloke. She’s working for Cahill.’

‘Yeah,’ Kelly said. ‘I know.’

‘You knew?’

‘Of course she is. It wouldn’t surprise me if they all were.’

‘Bloody hell.’

‘Yeah. Yeah.’ Kelly put his head in his hands a moment. ‘You want me to call Doc Wilkie?’

‘I suppose you better.’

He didn’t move, though. ‘What do you aim to do?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘Are you going to go back out there?’

He nodded. Kelly held both his eyes. Vernon said, ‘I got nothing, mate. Nothing. They hold all the cards. The one thing I did have was that car and I didn’t even want it. I just want my boy left alone. They said they’d lay off him, but there’s no certainty to it. A promise from a thief’s as good as a fart in a windstorm.’

‘You still haven’t answered the question.’

‘What do I aim to do?’

Bill nodded.

‘I don’t know.’

‘Can I get you something?’

‘Can you go and call the doctor?’

‘Oh, right.’ His friend stood, went to the kitchen, picked up the receiver. Vernon looked at the empty television set and was struck by how normal his life had seemed just a week ago. A useless thought best left alone.

‘He’s coming now,’ Bill said when he came back.

‘What time is it?’

‘It’s about eight.’

‘He’s at it early.’

‘I have his home number.’ His friend grinned. ‘You know it’s Good Friday?’

‘Is it?’

‘Can I tell you what I think?’

‘Sure.’

‘I think you need to forgive the Cahills for what they did.’

Vernon winced. ‘I’m supposed to forgive them? For what they did to Caleb? For this?’ His hands swept up and down his body, pointed at his temple.