I made some inquiries re: a claim the deceased alleged he had against Deception Bay Premium Insurances for damages to his vehicle. No such policy had in fact been issued and the deceased had no claim on the company.

I stopped reading and looked at Jess, then Wozza. ‘It’s like Wheels is suggesting that a couple of overdue bills are proof of a murder-suicide. And how the hell is Deception Bay Premium Insurances involved in this? That’s where Russell Mowbray works. The company is owned by Richard Tippet. Why would Brett claim to have a policy with them if he didn’t? Not the kind of thing you’d mistake.’

I told Jess and Wozza what Nan had said about Norma visiting the Millard farm for Shayna’s cooking lesson and how she left when there was no response to her knock on the door, thinking that the family must be out because Brett’s car wasn’t there; how instead it had been towed away after an accident.

As I spoke, Jess picked through the pile of statements.

‘Here’s one from Richard Tippet,’ she said, sliding it across the table.

I scanned it. Two pages total. He denied ever selling an insurance policy to Brett and denied any responsibility for the $20,000 required to replace Brett’s wrecked car. Said he knew nothing about anything.

We all read and re-read statements till late into the evening and discussed different scenarios. At one point, Jess dragged a kids’ blackboard out of the playroom and started a timeline in pastel-coloured chalk. Jess drank red wine. Wozza went through several cans of beer, all wedged into a stubby holder with a Wonder Woman logo on it. I drank tea. Jess reminisced about Shayna Millard. She’d known Shayna as a little girl; had even babysat her a couple of times. At one point, her eyes filled with tears as a memory came to mind. She gave a laugh that came out with a hiccough.

‘I was about thirteen at the time. I was babysitting her one summer’s night and she was restless after dinner. She must’ve been three or four. I took her out in the yard and filled up her little inflatable pool. She had a play and when she got out, I wrapped her in a towel and gave her a coin. “Throw it into the water,” I said, “and make a wish!” And do you know what she did?’

Wozza and I shook our heads.

‘She threw the coin in the pool and wished for water.’ Jess plucked a tissue out of her sleeve and wiped her eyes. ‘Voila! Wish granted.’