Mack had an unshakeable bond with Nikki. They were more like sisters than cousins and had been brought up as such. “I love you, Nikki, and I’d do anything for you.”

“I know that.”

Mack turned when she heard Dexter bark. She laughed when she saw Lee playing with Dexter around the stage area.

“He’s made a friend,” Nikki said.

Mack’s mysterious new neighbour popped into her mind. She needed to find a way of showing Flora that she didn’t need to be scared of her.

“Nik, do you remember when we met at the casino before going to deal with Drury?”

“Uh-huh. It’s etched on my memory.”

“Before we left, I saw a woman being attacked, and I ran down with some of the boys to help her.”

Nikki tapped her fingernails on the stem of her wine glass. “Vaguely. My mind was clouded with anger that night.”

“I helped her, and the boys gave the men a doing, but the woman ran away.”

“Yes, I remember you telling me that. Why?”

Mack’s stomach twisted as she thought about that incident. She felt it any time she thought about the woman, who she now knew as Flora.

“My new neighbour, at the shop? It’s her.”

Nikki furrowed her eyebrows and said, “What? Really?”

“Absolutely. The sweet shop next door. It’s her. Dexter ran out of my shop door, and when I chased after him, he’d gone next door and was up in Flora’s arms.”

“Flora? Nice old-fashioned girl’s name. What did she say?”

“Nothing. She handed me Dexter and ran through to the back of the shop. She looked terrified,” Mack said.

“Does she know who you are? Maybe she saw your face in the media at the time of the trial.”

Mack shook her head. “I don’t think it’s that. Her co-worker didn’t know who I was and said that Flora was extremely shy. But there’s shy and shy—she was terrified. I don’t want a woman scared of me, especially when she went through such a traumatic event.”

“Maybe that’s what’s wrong. You suddenly turning up in her life triggers the panic and pain she experienced that night,” Nikki said.

“That’s brilliant. You could be right.”

Nikki lifted her glass to Mack and said, “I’m learning a lot about the effects of trauma with Isy. Believe me.”

Mack’s mind was racing. That made perfect sense. Now she just needed to fix the problem.

“What do I do to change that, so she won’t be frightened of the memory of me that night? You’re an expert with women.”

“Not this kind. The women I meet are generally impressed that I’m a Sharkey. But if you can’t tell her in person that you aren’t a threat, write her a note.”

“A note? What kind thing would I say?”