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“The day before she disappeared, Janey went into the police station,” Mr.Saunders said, sitting across his kitchen table from me and Mum.

I sucked in a breath. Mum shifted beside me.

She’d seen Mr.Saunders’s car pull up their shared driveway to his house and knew this was our chance to get his reaction to Sarge’s blurted confession.

I felt uneasy being with him in his house.

Anxious, too, that Declan wouldn’t want me doing this.

Mum gave Declan the excuse that Mr.Saunders had found old photos with me in them, but I suspected Declan knew something was up.

Mr.Saunders stirred his coffee with a shaky hand, and I recognized the cup as the one Janey made in second-grade art class. After discovering Janey’s diary last night, I wondered if a man who did such terrible things would keep a memento like that. “She made an allegation about someone,” he said.

“What was the allegation?” I asked.

Distressed, his eyes darted around his kitchen as if trying to escape the question, and I followed his gaze.

Green Formica benches, lace curtains, brown horsehair chairs— the room was eerily frozen in time from the day of his wife’s funeral, two years after Janey’s death.

It even smelled the same, of windows cleaned with vinegar.

He hasn’t wanted to change a thing… but his answer to my question could possibly change the way I viewed this house forever.

Finally, he dropped his head. “One of the worst things you can accuse someone of. Sarge came to our house and told us that it was immediately disproven. Later, Sarge was certain it had no connection to her death.”

I steeled myself. “By the way you’re describing the allegation, it sounds like sexual abuse.”

“I can’t speak further about this.” He turned away.

“But don’t you see?” I was aware that my voice had deepened with frustration, and my eyes flared wide, incredulous. “Everything that happened that day could be relevant. Any fight or disagreement, and this is much more serious—it’s an interaction with the law.”

Mum nodded and hmm ed, supporting me.

“It involved a third person.” Mr.Saunders’s hands kept shaking as he took off his glasses and cleaned them. “I can’t reveal that person, so please don’t ask.”

We tried to persuade him to talk, but he seemed traumatized, pressing his glasses against his nose so hard I thought they would break. I could ask Bevan to request police files that might reveal what this was, but likely they’d be sealed if they involved a minor.

Later, at the door, Mum turned to Mr.Saunders.

“We’d love you to join us for the homecoming dinner tonight,” she said with a smile.

Mr.Saunders looked so excited my heart nearly broke for him. Until I remembered the diary.

Silent, Mum and I paced to our back garden until we were out of earshot .

Mum shuddered. “That was very disturbing. I have so many questions.”

“Me too.” My voice trembled. I took a deep breath and squeezed her warm hand. “Quick thinking on the invitation, Mum. A great addition to our plan. Let’s pray it does the trick.”

“What trick?” Declan asked, appearing from around the corner.

*

Mum chattered our way out of Declan’s question, talking about her new diet for Dad. But Declan seemed preoccupied with something else and asked to talk to me.

“I had a long discussion with my boss,” Declan said. It was still tense between us as we crossed the road to the beach. “I’ve got some good news for you. There will be an official interview, but your mum and dad are in no danger of being charged for loaning the money to Snow.”

“Oh, thank God.” My body flooded with sweet relief. Without thinking, I went to rush at him, to wrap him in a tight hug. But I stopped myself and bound my arms around my chest instead. “A boatload of weight has lifted from my shoulders.”

Whatever had happened between us, I had to keep this professional.

I looked up at him. “And I need to thank you, Declan, because I know some of that is based on your assessment of them.” Despite the distance between us, the sea air smelled light and free.

I could walk away now. Leave behind all these complications and dark corners.

A small part of me was tempted. But there were still financial uncertainties for my parents.

And I needed the story. I didn’t want to have to take on that full-time filing job back in London.

“I want to continue with the investigation. I want to make sure my parents get their money back, but also, I want to help stop this drug trade, and I need this story to get a job. I’m invested. ”

“That’s more good news.” Declan smiled at me. I forced myself to smile back.

Big picture, Isla. Dad’s improving. Make sure he and Mum get their money back. Get this story. Huge changes must happen in London. Stay focused.

*

But that afternoon, prepping for Dad’s return, I had to use all my willpower not to look upset. As well as being consumed by Mr.Saunders’s confession about Janey, I still felt awkward around Declan.

I shoved those awkward feelings aside and fixed my attention on what I had to do.

Declan and I had already agreed this would be the best time to get some sort of confirmation from Rosemary about the bow-tied lawyer.

Declan diverted Mum into the kitchen, and I asked Rosemary to help me rearrange the table on the back deck.

I told Rosemary I wanted to pick her brain about real estate for a possible article.

I buttered her up, praising her expertise in law and realty as an incredible combo.

“I did wonder when you were going to ask.” She plumped her hair. “I can supply my own photo. Shall we sort through them for the one that would most appeal to your readers?”

I said gently that I looked forward to viewing them later.

“I’m writing a story, hopefully for my old newspaper’s property section, about investing in New Zealand.

A real estate agent told me about this British client who’s becoming quite a big presence, and I was thinking about interviewing him about his experiences, predictions, and tips. It’s this guy. ”

I showed her a photo of our bow-tied lawyer. He was the overlapping director of Snow’s business and the London lab run by the synthetic heroin scientists. I’d gotten the photo from another company website that had pics of all its board members.

Her dropped jaw gave me the answer I wanted.

“That’s my client,” she fumed.

“True?” I tried to look shocked. “That is such a coincidence.”

“Bloody hell—who’s this real estate agent you’re talking about? This means my client is using two of us.”

“I can only say the real estate agent is in The Mount. Don’t think she’s trying to muscle in on your deal here in ōhope.”

“Maybe I should persuade my client to give me his business in The Mount as well.”

Oh shit . I hadn’t thought about that. The sound of a car. Snow arriving home with Dad. Early.

“That might look a bit desperate,” I said, trying not to look desperate myself. “I wouldn’t mention it at all. Don’t want to lose the business you have.”

Mum was right about Rosemary—she had all the skills and attention to detail to implement this campground sale, but she hadn’t grasped the overarching insight—that her buyer was a big-time crook.

I was about to ask more when Snow appeared at the back with Dad. Shock flared in me. Dad looked diminished and pale amid the tropical backyard. My chest filled with panic. He seemed too frail to be home. Racing to help, I took one of Dad’s arms, wincing as he grimaced in pain with each step.

While Dad rested on the sofa and Snow made him a cup of tea, I tugged Declan back to the bedroom and quickly told him what Rosemary had said.

“That confirms our deadline is five days away. I’ll alert two teams to be ready to converge on the auction.

” He threw his arms up and shook his head.

I’d never seen him so rattled. “What the fuck am I supposed to tell them? We still don’t know where Snow keeps the heroin, how it comes in, or if someone else besides Snow is involved.

And worse, we don’t know how this campground is connected. ”

Argh .

Guilt crawled up my throat, making it hard to swallow. The last thing he’d want me to do right now was investigate Janey’s disappearance.

Still, I didn’t want to call off a little trap Mum, Kui, and I had concocted. It was happening at Dad’s welcome-home dinner in half an hour.

I prayed Declan didn’t notice.