He and Big Mane settled down in the lounge room, the Xbox powering on and a carton of cans on the floor in front of them, Big Mane’s tunes already pumping from the speaker.

Still Mackerel thought of Shelby. She wasn’t just some trophy wife, she was smart – he knew she’d gone to university and studied chemistry, she could’ve gone far with it if she’d chosen to – she loved her husband, spoiled Kane, helped run junior footy, gave back to the school community.

Davey, like all the Dempseys, was an excellent liar. Sometimes that’s all it came down to.

‘Whatever it is, stop thinking about it,’ said Big Mane, pouring them each a generous glass of the pinot. ‘You said you were getting blind tonight.’

What was it De Corrado had said?

Sometimes you can get so good at lying, you lie even to yourself.

CHAPTER 13

MACKEREL

‘Mack . . . wake up.’

Mackerel was hungover – blinking against the light, he had an instant headache.

Big Mane crouched beside him, shaking his shoulder.

‘Mane . . . I don’t think I can work today,’ said Mack.

‘I’m sorry, bro,’ said Big Mane. ‘I’ve . . . I’ve got news.’

‘Wha—’

‘They . . . they found your brother . . .’ Big Mane caught himself. ‘Bro, I’m so sorry. They found him floating in Devils Kitchen. He’s . . . he’s gone, bro.’

Mack lurched upright, the nausea fighting the headache for his attention.

‘Who? Jesse?’

‘No . . . no, they’ve found Davey.’

‘Are they helping him?’

‘Mate, it’s not . . . they can’t . . .’

‘Who’s running the rescue?’

‘Mack, the Black Wind – there’s no way boats can get down there, never mind a chopper. It’s no good, bro.’

‘I’m going,’ said Mackerel.

Mackerel forced himself to the front of the crowd at the viewing platform. He looked down, down, down at the swirl of dangerous water at the bottom of the cliff, whipped into a nightmare by the Black Wind, and felt his hangover nausea roll. Waves the size of boats sloshed against the rocks, shooting up spray, followed by a monstrous sucking sound as whirlpools formed in their wake.

He noticed who stood beside him. It was Chips, twisting her baseball cap in her hand, tears rolling down her cheeks.

He couldn’t understand why she was crying. Davey wasn’t dead yet. He had his scuba gear. He would be fine.

Big Mane, moving in Mackerel’s wake, took a pair of binoculars off a nearby teenage girl. ‘It’s his brother down there,’ he said, and she immediately drew back. A bubble of space opened around Mackerel, Chips and Big Mane. Even the locals made space.

Why were they all being nice to him all of a sudden?

‘I really thought he’d live forever,’ said Chips.