She had shoulder-length brown hair that flicked out at the ends, and Norma noticed a couple of swirls of leather tied at her wrist. She took the proffered hand and approved of the handshake too, firm but not crushing. She liked the young woman’s warm brown eyes and welcoming expression. ‘Norma O’Mealley,’ she said, glancing over her shoulder to the seated gentleman. ‘I wonder if I might have a quick word. In private.’

‘Sure. Follow me.’ Detective Pollard swiped a small square of white plastic over a small square of black mirror and the door clicked. She opened it and held it wide for Norma.

Lovely manners, Norma thought as she scooped up the cake and stepped into a dim corridor. She followed the detective past a couple of empty offices until they came to one with the light on. It was a large space with four big desks in it. The detective gestured to a chair on the visitor side of one of the desks, then wheeled her chair around so she was on the same side as Norma. It was a nice touch.

Norma held out the cake. ‘I baked it for you,’ she said.

Detective Pollard looked delighted. ‘How lovely!’ she said, then put the cake carefully on her desk and turned back to Norma. ‘What can I do for you, Mrs O’Mealley?’

‘Oh, please, call me Norma!’ she said. ‘We don’t stand on ceremony here. And of course, I feel like I know you, Antigone, because I know your grandmother. You’d be there when I came to visit the farm. I remember you were a little wild child.’ Norma laughed.

The detective’s eyes widened. ‘Of course! I thought you looked familiar!’

‘How is your grandmother?’ Norma set her small handbag on her lap and crossed her ankles.

‘She seems settled. Of course, she misses the farm. I try to take her out there as often as I can.’

Norma nodded. ‘And I try to get out there as much as I can to visit. Your grandmother has been a great friend over the years.’ Norma paused and took a deep breath. ‘I’m here as the president of the local CWA. We heard about what you did in the Commercial Hotel car park.’ She stopped, looking for a reaction from the detective. There was none. Her face was open and friendly, but nothing else. There was no triumph in her expression. Norma pushed on. ‘We were wondering if you could come and do a talk at the CWA. You know, give the ladies some’—she searched for the word—‘tips.’

‘Tips?’ Antigone’s forehead creased. She really was awfully pretty.

Norma wasn’t one to tell tales out of school so she chose her words carefully. ‘Let’s put it this way: what you did the other night—there are women in our group who would … benefit from your advice.’