It wasn’t that she didn’t love Lucy. She did; she loved Lucy more than she had ever loved anyone, but with the loving of her daughter came concern and self-doubt. In Marnie’s eyes, Lucy was the most wonderful, precious child ever born, and because Marnie knew she was far from the most perfect parent, she had a persistent, nagging fear that she wasn’t giving Lucy the upbringing she deserved. She could not help but worry, all the time, that some harm might come to Lucy as it had come to her mother and to Alice. Even when they were alone together, at home, or with the animals, Marnie wondered if Lucy was wishing her mother was someone different, someone better, someone capable of giving her more.

With the dogs, it was easy. There was no need for second-guessing. They loved being with Marnie and they loved to work, and for fleeting moments Marnie could give herself up to instinct and connection and be happy.

It was this happiness that she conveyed to her students and that they wanted to learn. It went far beyond the training of dogs.

Jenna arrived in good time that morning and they ran through the lessons, and after that the clients came. Their talk was all of the bones found at the holiday park and of the girl who had disappeared. Two of the six hadn’t even been born when Alice went missing. They didn’t know the story and were curious and worried. Marnie listened while they gossiped, and was relieved that she could not join in, that she did not have to declare her own interest, or that she had known Alice. Jenna kept shooting glances towards Marnie, worried about the effect the conversation might be having on her. After a few minutes Jenna put an end to the chat by clapping her hands together and saying it was time they started the class.

Marnie wasn’t good with people like she was good with animals, but she could cope with teaching, partly because Jenna was there but mainly because she knew what she was doing. She’d practised the day’s lessons already, she’d printed fact sheets. She knew exactly how long each exercise would take, and how difficult her students would find it. She knew who worked well with their dogs, who lacked confidence, who thought they were better than they actually were. She watched the dogs and the dogs told her everything she needed to know, and Jenna watched Marnie and they made a great team.

Marnie set the students up with an exercise and Jenna joined in. While they were working Marnie’s mind drifted.

She was kneeling on the banquette in Alice’s caravan, and Alice was telling Marnie to hold up her hair so she could fasten the clasp of the necklace at the back of Marnie’s neck.