She shook her head.
‘We can trace it anyway,’ he said.‘But best not to get your hopes up.’
She sighed and took a sip of her beer.‘Did you get a chance to speak to Frisk yet?’
‘I spoke to him this morning.He gave me the go-ahead, but there was a crash on the Mount Clare Road this afternoon so I didn’t get up there today.Hopefully I’ll have time tomorrow.’
They sat in silence.
After a moment, Jimmy put his hand on Nel’s.‘Do you want me to do anything about Ryan?’he asked.‘I could have a chat to him, tell him to keep his distance so it’s on file if he does anything else.’
‘No.I don’t want him to think I’m scared of him.’She drank the last of her beer.‘Because I’m not,’ she added, striving for a confident tone despite the ache of doubt in her stomach.
She looked back at Harriet, who was behind the bar again.‘Do you think she was in love with Maddie?’Nel wondered aloud, thinking about that night at the bonfire party.For Maddie, the kissing was performative, designed for the male gaze—Ryan’s gaze—but perhaps it meant more for Harriet.‘I wonder …’ She let her thoughts trail off.
Jimmy raised an eyebrow, waiting for Nel to say more.
‘I was just thinking … they were very close in those last few months.Do you think Maddie confided in her about the pregnancy?’
Chapter 31
Sophie pulled up outside the pharmacy and leaned across, reaching under the passenger seat for the paper bag containing the Clairol box.Her fingers brushed against it.She leaned further, grasping for it, grimacing as her cheek pressed against the upholstery.
‘Fuck,’ she muttered, wincing, as she sat back up.She put the bag on the seat then covered her bruised cheek gently with her cold fingers, trying to soothe the ache.When the pain subsided, she adjusted the rear-view mirror to study the spot where her face had hit the coffee table.She’d done her best to cover it with makeup.Turning her head from side to side, she decided that if you didn’t know it was there, you probably wouldn’t notice it.
She’d fallen asleep in Jasmine’s bed after the argument.Eventually.She’d replayed the incident over and over in her mind as she lay beside her daughter, berating herself for letting it happen.She shouldn’t have mentioned money or Nel offering her work.She should have made something up, or played dumb, or thought faster.Each time she felt herself drifting into sleep, she would hear brave Charlie’s little voice—Leave Mum alone.Don’t hurt her—and jolt back to consciousness, only to replay the awful scene once more.
Ryan must have gone to Lachie’s place, but he was back by the time she woke up, her face throbbing.The house smelled of coffee.Ryan didn’t drink coffee anymore, so he’d made it for her.A peace offering.When she went into the kitchen, he’d pulled her into a tender embrace.
‘I hate it when we fight,’ he’d whispered, kissing her gently on her forehead like she was a beloved child.
Feeling tears threaten now, Sophie blinked a few times and looked out the window at Anderson’s Pharmacy.She picked up the paper bag and opened the car door.
Edwin glanced up from behind his computer as she made her way to the counter.There was no sign of Jen, Sophie noted with relief.
‘Morning, Sophie,’ Edwin said.
‘Hello,’ she replied as a blonde head popped out from behind a display stand laden with hair accessories.
‘I’ll help Sophie!’Jen said.
Sophie suppressed a groan, working hard to keep her expression neutral.
‘You keep going with that, Jen,’ Edwin said.‘How can I help you?’
Sophie could feel Jen watching as she took the hair dye from the bag.
‘I bought this the other day, but I’ve had a change of heart,’ she said.
‘What?You don’t like the colour?’Jen said.‘But you’d lookstunningas a brunette.Imagine how your gorgeous eyes would pop!’She put her hands at her temples, flicking her fingers out to resemble tiny explosions.
Sophie smiled politely, wishing Jen would get back to stocking the shelves.
‘I can do an exchange for you,’ Edwin said.‘Just pick out the one you’d like and I’ll fix it up.’
‘Actually … I’ve decided not to dye it after all.Could I get a refund, please?’
Jen shrugged and turned back to the shelves, losing interest now that her styling expertise was no longer required.
