She leaves the room. A minute later, the piano stops.

‘Night, Kate!’ Dean calls out.

Her little voice reaches the kitchen. ‘Goodnight.’

‘How’s the world of journalism going, Oli?’ Nathan asks.

‘Good, thanks. Busy.’

Dean tips his head sideways and looks at her with affection. ‘Media is going through the same transformation as education. People want their news in snack format. That’s why the PR game has become such a nightmare—it’s just headlines, no one reads the bloody detail anymore.’

Oli feels defensive. ‘Our numbers are still pretty good.’

Yawning, he circles his shoulders in their sockets. ‘Journalism is no safer from automation than any other industry.’

‘I’m not sure that’s true,’ says Oli, thinking back to her conversation with Cooper.

‘I saw O’Brien got off today,’ Nathan says tentatively, looking between the two of them.

Oli nods. ‘Yeah. Good lawyers, I guess. And lots of practice dodging the truth.’

‘His career is still ruined, though,’ Dean says.

‘I’m sure a generous board position will come his way in the not-too-distant future,’ Oli says.

Nathan nods and takes an awkward sip of beer. ‘That does seem to be the way the cookie crumbles.’

‘Maybe, maybe not,’ Dean says. ‘The court of public conviction is gaining strength, as you know all too well, Nath.’ Dean is in a strange mood, Oli thinks. He makes a half-hearted attempt to clean the spotless bench, then fusses with the dishes drying in the rack before he brings his hands together in a silent clap. ‘Nath, we should knuckle down. We’ve got a fair bit to cover.’

‘Yes, absolutely yes,’ Nathan says, and points to the lounge. ‘Should we set up in there?’

‘Yes, mate, you go ahead. Feel free to commandeer the dining table. Read through the prop I sent you, and I’ll be in shortly.’

Nathan picks up his bag. ‘No worries. Well, goodnight, Oli. Thanks for putting up with this.’

‘Not a problem.’

Now that Kate isn’t playing the piano, the kitchen feels hollow. Oli tunes in to the steady tick of the grandfather clock.

Dean comes around the bench to massage her shoulders. ‘You okay?’

She nods. ‘It was just a long day.’

‘I hope it’s okay that Nath’s here. I meant to text you.’

‘It’s totally fine.’

Dean’s fingers probe her tense muscles, and she starts to relax. ‘Has that Horrowitz girl really been holed up in the sticks the entire time?’

‘We don’t know.’ Oli’s thoughts return to the events of the day. ‘Someone else was definitely living there until a few years ago so I doubt it. But at this point I suppose anything is possible.’

‘It all seems very bizarre.’

‘I know. And we think she was living there with her daughter.’

He looks puzzled. ‘She had a kid?’

‘We’re pretty sure.’

‘Who’s we?’