I know nothing, she thinks. I trust no one. Except, perhaps, for Luke. This is why she has asked to see him. It’s either an act of desperation or an act of hope. The hope is that she will be able to air her suspicions, her fears, her bewilderment, her pain without Luke fussing or offering false reassurances. She hopes he won’t pressure her to go to the police or the university authorities or, worse, try to rescue her because, if she knows anything for sure right now, it’s that Luke is as confused and uncertain as she is. And, perhaps, as wounded too. On the other hand, she is desperate enough to think that Luke might be able to help.

And so she waits, counting the water birds to pass the time. Ten o’clock, 10.15. At 10.30 she finally hears a bike rattling down the quayside. Moments later, Luke’s voice calls her name and as she goes up on deck to greet him, her heart is growing lighter, the space inside her clearing as if a fog were lifting.

‘I had to mend a puncture, sorry. Should have texted you but I thought it was probably just quicker to get it done.’ She’d told him in the text that she was staying with her mother. Didn’t say why.

Looking around, Luke gives a low whistle. ‘Nice gaff.’ Directing himself to her, says, ‘Anyway, how are you? Fucking awful about Tash.’

‘You didn’t like her much.’

‘No, but still.’

‘You want to come down into the saloon? I’ve made coffee.’

He takes a packet of cigarettes from his pocket. ‘I need a smoke… if you don’t mind.’

‘I’ll fetch it up here then,’ she says.

When she returns balancing a mug in each hand, he’s most of the way through his first cigarette. Squinting at her through the morning sun, in a concerned voice, he says, ‘Did you see it coming? With Tash I mean.’

‘No. Did you?’

He shrugs and looks away. ‘To be honest, I’m not sure how to answer that question. I only really knew her through Satnam. It always seemed like she was trying a bit too hard to be the cool girl. Plus I used to think she was a troublemaker. I feel bad about that now. I think maybe she was just troubled.’

‘Have you been on campus?’

‘Yeah, I swung by on my way here to pick up some coursework. Why?’

‘Are they going to call a meeting or something?’

Luke blows out his cheeks and shakes his head. ‘Dunno. I guess they’ll send everyone an email if they plan on doing that. Everyone’s talking about it though, obviously. Other students. Wondering who’ll be next. I even heard that some of them were taking bets which is pretty sick, you ask me.’