‘I’m arranging for Frankie to stay in town and have daily sessions with him. We need Forest on an even keel – he needs to start answering our questions. This can’t go on forever. Of course, I’ll breathe easier now that the CIBs are gone, but . . .’ She sucked at her lip. ‘How much does Shelby know about Davey?’

‘She’s suspicious. She found some of his guns yesterday.’

‘I figured as much. Before you arrived she was . . . questing. You didn’t tell her anything?’ Her eyes narrowed.

‘Of course not.’

‘Don’t take that tone with me.’

‘I’m not – I didn’t —’

‘Good. Because, heaven help me, you’re the last person I can still trust,’ said Ivy. She watched the sea through the trees, the breeze causing her curls to dance. ‘What a mess.’

Mackerel’s eyes bulged – did she just say she could trust him?

‘With Davey gone, the crew will need another leader. Can you do it?’

‘Do what?’

She opened her mouth angrily, then calmed herself with visible effort. Her nostrils flared as she breathed deep. ‘Dear, I made myself quite clear. This is going to be a long conversation if you can’t follow simple logic. Can you lead the Business, yes or no? I know that’s what you want. At least you’ve proven that you’re not completely useless at the work.’

‘I . . . I don’t think . . . No, I’m not . . .’

‘Stop stammering. They didn’t put you in prison because you were bad at what you do, they put you in there because you were good at what you do.’

That was almost a compliment. Mackerel felt like his eyes were going dark, his hearing becoming muffled. For some reason his memory was returning to one of the many beatings he received from Jesse, as though that would help him make sense of his mother, for the first time, complimenting him . . .

‘Do you think I wasn’t paying attention? I read every article, followed the case notes. I can’t fault the work you did up there – you won clients over, stayed ahead of the police, built up your business. You didn’t do anything wrong. Dogs are just an occupational hazard.’ She spat that word. People who spoke to the police, anyone who snitched, were known as dogs in the criminal world. In the Dempsey family, any dog-like tendencies were quickly bred out of you. ‘I imagine you trusted people too easily. You always were gormless and gullible.’

‘You’d trust me with Dempsey Abalone?’ said Mackerel.

‘Until Forest comes of age, yes. Without Davey, the crew is adrift. That hussy, Chips, couldn’t turn a profit selling bananas to Queenslanders. And . . . there’s rumours of another player come to join in our game.’

‘Blackbeard.’

‘You’ve heard?’ There was real surprise in her voice. She paused for several breaths. ‘Well, I’d sooner you take over than Chips,’ she said. ‘And it keeps Forest safe.’