‘Coffee’s fine, thanks Sandra,’ Falk said. ‘Smells good.’
She gave him a tight smile and Whitlam shrugged and closed the fridge. She poured them each a cup and padded around the kitchen in silence, placing various cheese and cracker combinations on a plate. Falk sipped his coffee and glanced down at a framed family photo propped up near his elbow. It showed the couple with a small sandy-haired girl.
‘Your daughter?’ he said to fill the quiet.
‘Danielle.’ Whitlam picked up the frame. ‘She’ll be around here somewhere.’ He glanced at his wife, who had paused mid-action at the sink when she’d heard the little girl’s name.
‘She’s watching TV in the back room,’ Sandra said.
‘She OK?’
Sandra just shrugged and Whitlam turned back to Falk.
‘Danielle’s quite confused, to be honest,’ he said. ‘I told you she was friends with Billy Hadler. But she doesn’t really understand what’s happened.’
‘Thank goodness,’ Sandra said, folding the tea towel in her hands into a tight, angry square. ‘I hope she never has to understand something as horrific as that. Every time I think about it, it makes me feel sick. What that bastard did to his own wife and child. Hell’s too good for him.’
She reached over to the counter and cut a thin slice of cheese, forcing the knife hard through the block until it struck the board below with a sharp knock.
Whitlam cleared his throat lightly. ‘Aaron used to live here in town. He was friends with Luke Hadler when they were younger.’
‘Well. Maybe he was different back then.’ Sandra was unabashed. She raised her eyebrows at Falk. ‘So you grew up here in Kiewarra? That must have felt like a long few years.’
‘It had its moments. You’re not enjoying it then?’
Sandra gave a tight laugh. ‘It hasn’t exactly been the fresh start we were expecting,’ she said, her voice clipped. ‘For Danielle. Or any of us.’
‘No. Well, I’m not the best person to defend this place to you,’ Falk said. ‘But you know what happened to the Hadlers was a once-in-a-lifetime incident. If that.’
‘That may be so,’ Sandra said, ‘but it’s the attitude around here that I can’t understand. I hear some people almostsympathisingwith Luke Hadler. Saying how hard he must have been finding things, and I want to shake them. I mean, how stupid can you be? Never mind what Luke was going through. Whocares? Can you imagine what Billy’s and Karen’s last moments were like? But there’s this – I don’t know – parochialpityfor him. And –’ She pointed a manicured finger at Falk. ‘I don’t care if he took his own life as well. Killing your wife and child is the ultimate domestic abuse. Nothing more, nothing less.’
For a long moment the only sound in the kitchen was the coffee maker steaming away on the pristine counter.
‘It’s OK, love. You’re not the only person who feels that way,’ Whitlam said. He reached across the kitchen counter and put his hand over his wife’s. She was blinking rapidly, her mascara smudging around the edges. She left her hand there for a moment before slipping it away to reach for a tissue.
Whitlam turned to Falk. ‘It’s been terrible for all of us. Losing a student. Danielle losing her little buddy. Sandra feels for Karen, obviously.’
Sandra made a small noise in her throat.
‘You said Billy was supposed to come over to play the afternoon he died,’ Falk said, remembering the conversation at the school.
‘Yes.’ Sandra blew her nose, and busied herself pouring more coffee while she almost visibly pulled herself together. ‘We used to have him over quite a lot. And vice versa, Danielle wouldgo to their place as well. They got on like a house on fire, it wasquite sweet really. She really misses him. She can’t understand that he’s not coming back.’
‘So this was a regular arrangement?’ Falk asked.
‘Not regular, but certainly not unusual,’ Sandra said. ‘I hadn’t organised anything with Karen for that week, but then Danielle found this junior badminton set we got her for her last birthday. She and Billy were terrible at it, but they used to love messing about with it. She hadn’t used it for a while but suddenly got completely fixated on it – you know how children are – and wanted Billy to come over as soon as possible to play with it.’
‘So when did you speak to Karen to set something up?’ Falk asked.
‘I think it was the day before, wasn’t it?’ Sandra looked at her husband, who shrugged. ‘Well, I think it was. Because, remember, Danielle was pestering you to put the badminton net up in the garden? Anyway, I called Karen that night and asked if Billy wanted to come home with Danielle the next day. She said, “Yes, OK”, and that was it.’
‘How did she sound?’
Sandra frowned as though taking a test. ‘Fine, I thought,’ she said. ‘It’s difficult to remember. Maybe a bit . . . distracted. It was only a short conversation, though. And it was late-ish so we didn’t chat. I offered, she accepted and that was that.’
‘Until?’
‘Until I got a call from her the next day. Just after lunchtime.’
