AT WORK THE NEXT DAY NICK CAN BARELY CONCENTRATE. Between phone calls and meetings, he searches online, looking for information on Izzy, typing in Isabel Wells drowning 2000 and finding himself down a rabbit hole, reading articles with a greed and masochism that shock him.

Is Taisie justified in saying he owes her? More than she thinks. He could have ignored Izzy’s furious outburst and stayed with her. It’s the biggest regret of his life that he didn’t. Maybe he should give Taisie the money to get rid of her. It’s worth some thought, but he doubts it would stop there. He has to try again.

His mobile rings and he glances at the display. He doesn’t recognize the number. The voice on the other end is unfamiliar and over-friendly.

‘It’s Alex. Alex Wells.’

‘Alex,’ Nick says, pushing himself away from his desk and standing up. After being confronted by Taisie last night, he’s not as surprised as he might have been. ‘How are you?’

What else do you say after almost eighteen years? He hasn’t seen Alex since Izzy’s funeral. He must be, what, twenty-nine now. If this is a coincidence, it’s a massive one. Maybe Taisie phoned her brother. Maybe they are both in on it. Alex had been firmly under her thumb as a child.

‘I found you through LinkedIn.’

‘Oh. OK.’

He waits for more, wandering over to the window and looking down into the narrow street where two office workers are smoking, their smoke reaching the windows above them before finally dissipating.

‘Is it a bad time?’ Alex says.

‘No. No, I’m just surprised to hear from you. What’re you up to nowadays?’

‘Nothing very exciting. I played it safe and got a law degree. No, the reason I’m calling … This is going to sound a bit random, but I’ve been thinking about that summer a lot recently.’ His voice thrums with embarrassment. ‘To tell you the truth, I’ve had some difficulties and I’ve been seeing a psychiatrist. This is about Izzy.’

Nick’s voice is icy. ‘I thought it might be. I suppose you’ve been talking to Taisie.’

‘No.’ Alex sounds genuinely baffled. ‘I haven’t seen her in years.’

‘You want me to believe that it’s a coincidence that you’ve got in touch the day after she did?’

‘Did she? Wow. No, sorry, Nick. I had no idea. I hope she calls me. Did she give you a number?’

‘No.’ Nick sighs. ‘All right. What do you want?’

‘To talk about my little sister. You two were like partners in crime that summer. Great big Nick and shrimpy little Izzy. She idolized you, you know. Followed you around like a puppy.’

‘I don’t know about that,’ he says.

‘The thing is, Nick, I think, if you want to move on, it’s important to face up to your own mistakes.’