Wozza looked at her. ‘If God had wanted me to wait around for the techies, he wouldn’t have invented constables.’

Jane laughed nervously as she headed to the warmth of the police car, and we headed next door to talk to the neighbour who’d made the report.

Unlike Merv’s neglected cottage, the house next door was pristine. Neat rosebushes clipped for the winter, lush green lawn. Two huge magnolia trees, bereft of leaves but covered in spring buds, stood sentinel on either side of the path to the door. The rain had stopped but the whole garden glistened in the damp. Wozza lifted the small brass door knocker and tapped. The door opened immediately.

It was Carmel Millard.

Wozza held out his police identification, but I was momentarily startled, coming face to face with Brett’s mother again. The glimpse of her at the CWA meeting hadn’t allowed me time to take in the deep lines on her face and the furrows that creased her brow into permanent worry lines.

‘Mrs Millard,’ I said, stepping forward. ‘I’m Antigone Pollard. We met this morning, but I remember you from when I was little.’

Carmel peered closely at me, and a look of recognition crossed her features. ‘I didn’t think you’d remember me. Antigone Pollard,’ she said in wonder, as her eyes seemed to search my face for signs of the child I had been. ‘You were just a little girl.’

‘It was a long time ago,’ I said. ‘May we come in?’

Carmel opened the door wider, and we followed her into the first room off the hallway. A lounge room. She gestured at two overstuffed chairs, and Wozza and I sat. She sat on a couch opposite.

‘Is Merv … ?’ Carmel let the question ask itself.

‘I’m afraid the news is not good,’ I said. ‘Were you two … close?’ As I said it, I couldn’t picture the neat woman in front of me with the big ugly drunk I’d seen at the pub.

Carmel shook her head. ‘You know how it is with neighbours. We stop to pass the time of day, but that’s about it. He’s not really …’ Her voice trailed off.

I understood. Merv wasn’t really Carmel’s kind of person.

‘You had a key to his house?’