Miki liked Toby because, although he looked ferocious, he was kind to his children. He wore T-shirts even in winter so you could see his tattoos. An ink snake wound from one arm to the other across his shoulders; Miki had seen the whole thing one time when he’d come in bare-chested on a hot day. He had a tiger on one bulging thigh, a red devil on the other, and more tattoos filling the spaces between. Now he thumbed through magazines from the rack while his children eyed off the lollies and Kurt glared at them.

Hiding her smile, Miki watched the fish and chips frying, bubbles rising, the soft hiss of boiling oil. She hummed along with the drone of the fume hoods. When the batter was golden, she tipped the order onto paper, dashed on a shower of salt and wrapped it quickly so Kurt wouldn’t see the extra piece of fish. Then she gave the bundle to Kurt, who handed it over to Toby.

Miki found it easy to carry out small deceptions like this. When Kurt was in the shop, he manned the counter, taking orders and handling the money to protect her from exposure to locals. With his back to her most of the time, it wasn’t hard for her to manipulate orders. She did it to make up for the way he treated customers; her little gifts were surely one of the reasons people kept coming back to their shop.

The next customer was blond-headed Mooney with his two little daughters. He had a strong smell that no deodorant could disguise. Miki didn’t understand how someone could look angelic when he clearly wasn’t. It didn’t make sense that this good-looking man with his smooth face, tanned skin and silvery blue eyes could beat his wife, Liz—whereas thug-like Toby was kind and thoughtful. Miki had heard the women talking while waiting for morning coffees after school drop-offs. Mooney’s up to his old tricks again. Have you seen poor Liz? A black eye this time, patched up with makeup. Last time it was bruises round her neck. I saw them under her scarf. Miki never gave Mooney extras, saving them till Liz and their girls came in without him.

She had just lowered Mooney’s order into the fryer when more people crowded in, and the Saturday night rush was on. Customers chatted while they waited, dissecting the footy and the weather. See that screamer Toby took today. Bloody amazing. What about Mooney’s goal just before half-time? The man’s a champion.