Chapter One
Dan drew up in his hire car outside Lucy’s apartment and cut the engine. He slumped back in the seat, eyes still fixed straight ahead — though he was not looking at the road. Even the beauty of the evening light on the blue Tasman Sea, part of the great Southern Pacific Ocean, did nothing to penetrate the strange fog that refused to leave his brain. It had settled in Washington, DC, four months earlier and had never left.
A short, humourless laugh escaped him. Refused to leave? The truth was, he refused to let it leave. Because he didn’t want to think about what had happened, and what a stupid, trusting fool he’d been. It was a clear lesson. And he’d learnt it well. There wouldn’t be a repeat.
He heaved a deep sigh, and glanced up at the wrought iron railings outside Lucy’s apartment. He’d received a summons from Lucy. He could have ignored it, but then it had to come sooner or later. He knew what she wanted… what all his family wanted. They wanted to know what had happened to make him leave his dream job and dream life in the US and not want to return.
Even though he wasn’t sure he was ready to divulge to his family the reasons for his sudden departure from the life he’d loved, he could no more resist Lucy’s call than breathe. His youngest sibling had always managed to twist him around her little finger.
He got out of the car and glanced around. The village hadn’t changed at all since he was a kid. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that. Part of him liked the familiarity — it was strangely reassuring — but another part of him found it faintly depressing. Over ten years on and it felt as though he’d made no progress at all.
He pressed the buzzer and Lucy answered. ‘Come on up!’ She popped the door open and he stepped inside the stairwell which led to her apartment.
‘Dan!’ said Lucy, opening the door wide.
‘You sound surprised to see me.’ He stepped past her into her living room. ‘You summoned me, and so here I am.’
‘Yeah, but I didn’t expect to see you at this hour.’
‘What’s so special about the hour?’ he asked, heading straight for the kitchen and opening the fridge.
‘It’s after six on a weekday. The time most people are at home, eating, watching the news, wrangling kids — that kind of thing.’
‘I don’t have kids,’ he said, pulling out an open bottle of wine and reaching for a glass.
‘Clearly. And neither do I.’
He took the first glass he could find and frowned at its fineness. He held it up to the light. Old crystal. Typical Lucy.
‘So…’ continued Lucy, ‘how are you?’
The interrogation had begun. ‘Yeah, great thanks, Luce.’ He gave her a quick hug because he knew she’d expect it. He never seemed to be in a hugging mood these days. He suspected she noticed by the narrowing of her eyes.
‘What’ve you been up to?’
He shot her a sideways look, trying to assess how serious this interrogation was going to get. Perhaps he should have stayed in Wellington. But he was here now, so he might as well get it over with. ‘Nothing much. So, this is why you want to see me? To give me the third-degree?’
She ignored the question. ‘Everything OK?’
He sighed. ‘Who’s asking? You or Mum? Or Jen, come to that?’
She sighed back. ‘What gave me away?’
‘You. You’d be a hopeless spy. You always say what you think, and you’re so easy to read.’
She scowled, clearly not liking to think she was so transparent.
‘Plus, you asked three questions in a row. You usually stick to one.’
‘Maybe I have no choice but to ask more than one. Because if I’m an open book, you’re so damned secretive no one knows what the hell is going on in your life.’
‘And that, dear sister, is exactly how I like it.’ Which was ironic considering it was secrets which had driven him home in the first place.
‘I don’t believe you.’
He ignored her and poured himself some wine before angling the bottle towards her glass.
‘No thanks,’ said Lucy. ‘I need a clear head.’
