Page 68 of A Murder is Going Down

‘Who do you think Haruto saw? Could it have been someone else from the party who slipped out when everyone was watching Elena? Do you think Haruto told the police? Shouldwetell the police? Who do you think itwas? I’m shaking, look at my hand. Should we go back out to Felix and Elena’s place and do a proper search under the window? In books, they always leave behind like a cigarettebutt, but I’m pretty sure that’s bullshit. We have to go left up here, I think. What’s the deal with Jade and Haruto’s marriage, by the way? Does he know that she knows? No, we go lefthere. Why aren’t you saying anything?’

When I stop talking Lilia is smiling, while Patrick’s lips go the opposite way. ‘Heidi, I think you need to calm down before you run out of oxygen,’ he says.

‘Why aren’t you more excited? Isn’t this proof?’ I say.

‘That Haruto is batting way out of his league? Yes,’ Patrick says.

‘You’re making sports references? I’m so proud,’ I say.

‘I’m serious.’

‘This is proof that someone else might have been out there that night with Felix. How are younotexcited about this?

‘It might have been a cat.’

‘Come on. This ishuge, Patrick.’ I look to Lilia for help – have I really got that desperate? – but she’s staying out of it.

‘Haruto said he wasn’t even sure it was human,’ Patrick says.

‘Sure, but what does—’

‘What do you think the police would say if Haruto did tell them? It might have been a wallaby,’ Patrick says.

‘Awallaby? Sorry, you think there are wallabies hopping around Mosman Park?’ I’m distracted by the absurdity, which may or may not have been Patrick’s intention.

‘I don’t know,’ he mumbles, going a bit pink in the face. ‘That’s not the point.’

‘You’re Australian, Patrick. You do realise we don’t ride kangaroos to school, too, right? Not even here in the West.’

‘Shut up.’

‘What if it was Aunty Sam?’ I say, partly because it’s an idea and partly to get Patrick to engage. ‘We know she was at the house that night.’

‘If it was her that Adam saw.’

‘She did deny it,’ I admit.

‘You didn’t tell me that,’ Patrick says.

‘You thought she sounded defensive, though, right?’ Lilia says, apparently having found her voice.

Patrick stops walking, right in the middle of Murray Street Mall, and a woman texting and walking clips him with her bag and gives him a death stare. ‘I’m not trying to be a dick, but how are you even involved?’ he asks Lilia.

‘Heidi told me about it,’ she says.

I should probably be angry with her for bringing it up now, but I’m already furious with Patrick’s sudden lack of interest in Felix’s death and there’s really only so much rage to go around.

Patrick doesn’t say anything, but he looks genuinely hurt. He starts walking again, at least.

‘You told me you wanted to drop the whole case,’I remind him, but my voice has dropped to a mumble. ‘That’s why I told Lilia.’

‘Even if Adam did see Aunty Sam that night, she was driving away from the house,’ Patrick says.

‘She could have driven the car around the corner and walked back,’ Lilia says. Adding, when she sees Patrick’s face: ‘Just speaking theoretically.’

Patrick ignores her. ‘Heidi, do you really think Aunty Sam pushed Felix to his death?’ he asks.

I think about it, but not for long. It’s not the first time Patrick has asked me this question. Aunty Sam has her faults (she’s scatty, never remembers to buy milk and deliberately mispronounces the wordtrait), but she took Felix and me in without hesitation when Mum and Dad died. ‘No,’ I say. ‘Not really. Still, it’s weird that she was there and lied about it.’