Jason paused, though he didn’t look at all put out by her angry response. Dani guessed he was more used than anyone else was to the new, more horrible her. Yet in a way she wished he would pull her up on it. Because she really wasn’t sure she liked the new her at all.

‘If I need your advice I’ll ask for it,’ she said.

‘Right you are. I thought maybe you wanted some company.’ He put his glass down on the counter and looked over at her. ‘Well, do you or not?’

‘You’re not a kid, you can make your own mind up.’

‘I guess that’s a no then. I’ll see you tomorrow.’

Dani said nothing and didn’t move, as Jason passed her and made for the exit. She heard him open the door, then a long sigh. When she heard the door close shut a few seconds after, she turned around and headed into the hall, a large part of her wanting to see him standing there in the hallway having had a change of heart.

The hallway was empty and she slumped.

‘Why do you push everyone away, you stupid…’

She headed back to the kitchen and stared at the vodka bottle on the side. For minutes she barely moved, her mind consumed with thoughts not just of the young man who’d lost his life out on that road, but of the two murders she was investigating and how all the events were connected. Also sloshing around was her visit to Ben which now all seemed so trivial. Scholz had told her she was in denial. Damn right she was. Not just about Ben, but about so many aspects of her life. How much longer would she continue to internalise all of the shit that had happened to her before she finally erupted?

She snapped out of her thoughts and reached for the bottle. Unscrewing the cap, she moved over to the sink. She hesitated for a second before she turned the bottle up and the spirit glugged out. She grabbed Jason’s glass and threw the vodka and ice into the sink.

‘No more hiding,’ she told herself.

From here, she’d face her demons head on.

Chapter Thirty-Six

Grant had a much better night’s sleep than the previous evening, not waking until he was roused by Mary getting up from the bed. He looked over at her and she gave him a friendly smile.

‘Good morning.’ She looked and sounded fresh and bright.

‘Morning,’ he said. ‘What time is it?’

He checked the bedside clock. His eyes sprang open.

‘Shit!’ He jumped up from the bed. ‘I was supposed to be in for nine!’