‘Hey, Antigone!’ she said as I entered with Russell.

‘Hi, Ange!’ I nodded over towards the fireplace.

‘Take a seat,’ she said. ‘I’ll be with you in a tick.’

By the fireplace was a cluster of armchairs. Being too early for the lunchtime rush, they were vacant. Russell followed me over and placed his shopping bag down next to one of the overstuffed chairs. He eased himself down and sank into the softness. I followed suit.

Angie came over. Her crisp black apron was smudged in places with what looked like flour. ‘Jeez, you’ve been busy lately,’ she said.

I glanced sideways at Russell. Not a social call.

She got the picture. ‘What’ll it be?’

‘The usual for me,’ I said. My lattes with chocolate on top were well known. Angie didn’t use chocolate powder. Instead, she grated tiny curls of milk chocolate on top of the froth. Her coffees were a masterpiece. ‘Oh, and I need two pastries to go for Wozza.’

Russell ordered a cappuccino, then turned to me. ‘Never would have thought Tippet would behave like that.’

‘What’s he normally like?’

‘He’s a nice bloke. Don’t have much to do with him now that he’s mayor. He pretty much leaves running the office to us. It’s a good business.’

Russell looked nervous. A small part of me felt bad for that. A big part of me didn’t. But I needed to coax him into easy conversation. Crystal was the place to start. The common ground. I smiled the smile I knew made my eyes shine. A gun wasn’t the only weapon I had.

‘I just popped in and saw Crystal,’ I said. ‘She’s taking to work like a duck to water.’

He let out a breath and visibly relaxed. ‘You too, huh?’ he said. ‘I’ve gone past twice to spy on her through the window.’

We both laughed. I wondered if he’d seen Carmel Millard. And if so, I wondered what had passed between the two.

‘She looks like a good kid,’ I said. ‘After we spoke last week, I remembered her dad, Brett. I went to school with him for a while.’ I let that hang in the air and waited. People have an innate desire to fill silence.

Russell looked torn. ‘Look, I liked him, but when a guy murders your sister …’ His voice trailed off.

‘I got the file,’ I said quietly.

Russell’s eyes met mine. His expression was hard to fathom. Loss. And something else.

I pressed on. ‘Can I ask you a question?’

He nodded glumly, knowing he didn’t really have a choice.

‘According to police statements, the gun was found outside.’

Angie arrived with our order and a paper bag with Wozza’s pastries. I used the spoon to scoop up foam and chocolate. Took my time.

‘Do you think Crystal could have dragged it out the screen door? Do you think she would have?’