At the counter she orders two short blacks and hands over her credit card. She glances back at the table. Cara is hunched forward looking at her phone, forehead furrowed. Oli never spoke to her during the initial investigation, but she remembers that Jo did. Back then Cara was twenty-four. She’s only a few years younger than Oli. Jo deemed her a miserable bitch, but that doesn’t mean much—Jo didn’t really like anyone.

‘So, why call me?’ Cara says when Oli returns to the table. ‘I’m hardly the epicentre of this thing.’

‘I found your number in my old notebook,’ Oli replies truthfully. ‘I worked on the story back in 2005 when I was at a different newspaper.’

‘And you figured my parents will be tied up with the police today?’

Oli smiles. ‘The thought did cross my mind.’

The coffees arrive. Cara knocks hers back in three short gulps. Dabs her lips with a napkin and applies some tinted lip balm. ‘My sister did always demand a lot of my parents’ attention.’

‘In what way?’ Oli asks, taking a sip of her drink.

‘In every way. Nicole is the kind of person who takes up a lot of time and energy. A real force of nature, I guess you’d say. My parents doted on her.’

Oli blinks, surprised at the bitterness in Cara’s voice. ‘That must have been hard.’

‘I got used to it. Plus, it wasn’t just them. Everyone loved her. I think …’ Cara pauses. Pivots. ‘So, do the cops have any idea where she is? Is that why you want to talk to me?’

‘I don’t know. The police haven’t released any new information yet, but that doesn’t mean they don’t know where she is. There’s a press conference later today, so they might say more then.’

‘Why did everyone think it was Nicole up at that house yesterday?’ Cara asks. ‘My folks are beside themselves.’

‘Some evidence at the scene led them to assume it was her. It’s awful, but it happens.’

‘Pretty shit for the families,’ mutters Cara.

‘I know this is all very difficult,’ Oli says, ‘but I do think your sister was living in that house. I think that’s why Alex Riboni was there.’

‘I wouldn’t know,’ Cara says churlishly.

‘You never heard from Nicole after she went missing?’

‘Nope.’ Cara scrunches up her serviette. ‘I thought she was dead. Are you sure the dead woman is Alex? Maybe the cops got it wrong again.’

‘They wouldn’t release the name unless they were sure.’

‘Pretty shitty to spend all that time in gaol, then just top yourself.’ Cara speaks like she’s spoiling for a fight.

‘Yes. My paper was actually about to interview Alex. Apparently she wanted to go on the record with some new information.’

‘Bummer,’ Cara says flatly.

Oli chooses to ignore her sarcasm. ‘You didn’t want to be with your parents today?’