Diana purses her lips. ‘He said it was someone from the university, but then on Friday he withdrew twelve thousand dollars from his savings account. That’s his limit. He doesn’t know I have his password.’ Diana looks up, her blue eyes sparking with rage and something else: determination. ‘Later that day I followed him. He said he was going in to work, but I knew he was lying. He went to a house in Carlton. I couldn’t see very well, but I think a woman answered the door.’ Diana tenses. ‘I think she’s there. I think Nicole is there with my baby.’

AUGUST 2004

AUGUST 2004

Fuck, Alex thinks. Fuck. This is bad, really bad. She stares at the wooden panelling, allows her vision to fall out of focus.

Nicole looks pretty when she cries, not red and blotchy like most people. ‘It was only the one time,’ she says, wiping her eyes. ‘I had to babysit, that’s how we pay rent, it’s what we all do for work. And then I got sick last week and just ran out of time.’ She glances at Alex and Evelyn. ‘We’re all really struggling to get by. Our parents aren’t wealthy, and my dad is paying for some expensive medical treatment so they’ve stopped paying for my textbooks.’ Nicole breathes through a sob. ‘This whole thing is totally my fault—it was my idea, and I guess I just didn’t think it was going to do any real harm. We’re housemates, we study together all the time. It’s not like we’re bad students. Alex was just doing me a favour.’

Alex looks at her friend, wondering if any of this is true. Nicole has never mentioned that her dad is unwell, but you can never be sure with her. She is the human equivalent of an onion, revealing new layers when you least expect it.

The professor folds his arms and reclines back in his chair. He has evenly tanned skin and good teeth, but he needs a haircut. Despite his neat clothes he often conveys a slightly flustered vibe, walking a little more quickly than is required. One of Alex’s foster mothers told her that you should never hurry in public, that it makes you look stupid. Alex can’t even remember the name of that foster mother. She runs through a few options, but nothing seems right. Danielle? Emily?

Unfortunately, the professor doesn’t seem flustered now. He seems completely in control.

The three of them never talked about what would happen if they got caught. Don’t jinx it, she remembers Nicole saying when Evelyn voiced her doubts. If we keep it simple, it will be fine.

Nicole is good at calming people down. She usually isn’t scared of anything, and her conviction is contagious. But right now, even she looks rattled.