‘Right. Wow. Perfect fatherhood material. Because he got bail—’

Rohan jumped in, defensive. ‘We tried to have his bail revoked. Several times.’

‘I know. I’m not blaming you guys. But because Santino’s been out on bail, he was free to spray it around and get that poor bloody woman pregnant.’

Rohan nodded, grim. ‘Lot of chat in the DPP about the pregnancy being a clever tactic.’

‘Reckon. Brooke Lester sitting in court with that huge belly is the best defence he’s got going for him. But Jesus, that poor woman. She’s so young.’

‘Twenty-three,’ Rohan confirmed.

‘So now she’s having a baby with an abusive, weapons-grade arsehole.’

‘Well, that arsehole is going to jail.’

‘Is he?’ Anita asked. ‘I mean, Burke ruled out the priors and the previous girlfriend stuff.’

Rohan puffed out a breath slowly. ‘That was annoying. Really fucking annoying. But don’t worry. We’ve still got a strong case against this guy.’

‘Good. And the prosecutor, Irene Pileris—she’s excellent value. Not a show pony, but effective.’

‘Yeah, glad we got Irene.’

There was a brief pause, enough of a pause to allow the other stuff in Anita’s mind to whoosh forward and tumble out of her mouth.

‘Listen, Rohan, I’m sorry about my cryptic texts. Awkward and confusing and—I mean, I’m supposed to be a skilled communicator but—oh …’

‘Well, yeah, you are a professional wordsmith,’ he said, deadpan.

‘Supposedly. But a wordsmith who doesn’t know how to use words clearly to another human being. Sorry.’

‘No need to apologise. My texts were clunky too.’

Anita took a breath, keen to blurt this all out in one go. ‘It’s just—look, Rohan, I like you very much and I think you’re almost certainly a really good man and I very much enjoyed the other night, but it doesn’t feel right, under the circumstances, because of the way we properly got to know each other and I think—Look, maybe when this is all over …’

‘You mean, when the coronial inquest into your friend is over?’ he asked.

They both knew that was so long off—many months, possibly years—she was effectively saying there was no chance of them pursuing anything.

Anita shrugged. She wasn’t sure about any of it.

‘Okay. I understand,’ Rohan said quietly. ‘I respect that.’

She was disappointed he didn’t argue back. But then if he had argued back, had not respected her position, she would’ve thought less of him. It was impossible.

But even as they seemed to talk themselves into a dead-end, the words didn’t entirely match the body language. Their hands had edged closer on the stone wall, close enough for the side of her finger to be leaning against his hand, and neither of them had shifted away.

‘Time for you to go,’ said Rohan.

‘Sorry?’ Anita wondered if he was sending her away.