‘Did I? I’m so sorry.’

‘Don’t be,’ she said, ‘We’re all liars in this family. Did they tell you how long he was left in the river?’

James nodded. It was the perfect moment to mention what he knew, but his cousin kept on.

‘I don’t know what I’m going to say to Doris about all that,’ she said, shaking.

‘Well, perhaps don’t call your mum that,’ James said, trying to make her laugh. His cousin threw him a rueful look. ‘Actually, who am I to talk?’ he added. ‘Call her whatever you want.’

A car pulled up on the main road. ‘We’ll go around when I’ve finished this,’ she said.

She stood like a tortured tree, hips pushed forward beneath the navy satin twin-set, cigarette arm out with the palm up, every angle a bitter one.

He was going to have to tread carefully. ‘I never hear any family news,’ he said. ‘I didn’t know Tony and Leanne had split up.’

‘They parted company years ago. The divorce was last year because Leanne met someone else. Tony only got back in touch with me after that.’

‘So, how come nobody knew he was missing?’ he asked.

She jerked her head to look him sternly in the eye. ‘Because I assumed he was busy chasing after another bird.’

Not okay about awkward questions, then. James let her process another two drags before he spoke. ‘Your mum told me about Tony’s will.’

‘Yeah? He told me he was making a new one. Didn’t want Leanne getting any of the family assets,’ she said, laughing. ‘If I’d known he was planning to top himself so soon afterwards, I might have put in a case for him leaving it all to the girls.’

‘He’s left everything to me, actually.’

His cousin let her cigarette burn, expelled a few sarcastic huffs, shook her head and met his gaze. ‘You’re joking?’ she said.

He shook his head.

‘Well done you,’ she said softly.

‘Listen, I had nothing to do with it. I only found out yesterday.’

‘Don’t worry, it’s probably Tony’s way of paying me back for moving away. He had this little caretaker act going on with Doris and Father, keeping the fridge full and making sure the bills were paid. He wasn’t doing any farming.’

‘What did he do at the supermarket?’

‘How’d you know about that, if you never heard any news?’ she said, aiming smoke at his face.

‘I’m a journalist,’ he said. ‘I have ways of finding things out.’

‘Shelf stacking,’ she said. ‘Night work. All the time in the world. No kids. He should have just waited until our parents were gone and he could have done whatever he wanted.’

James nodded and shrugged. ‘Whatever that was?’

Yvonne suddenly launched herself away from the vehicle. Awkward question.