The Survivors, стр. 47

Kieran followed him along the hall and through the glass doors. Once outside, Renn leaned against the brickwork. He rubbed a hand over his head.

‘You don’t owe anyone anything, you know.’

Kieran looked over in surprise. Renn wasn’t looking back, instead gazing out at the service station next door. A blue car had pulled up at one of the pumps.

Kieran wasn’t sure what to say, so he said nothing.

‘Whatever pressure Liam might be putting on you,’ Renn went on. ‘Or your good mate Sean, for that matter, you’ve got no obligation to them –’

‘I know that. They’re not.’

‘Right.’

Renn fell quiet, and unexpectedly Kieran found himself picturing the funeral. Not remembering Liam this time, for once, or even Finn or Toby. Instead, he could see Renn – young, newly minted Constable Renn – staring at the coffins. His uniform had been perfectly pressed, but there was now something about him that seemed weather-beaten and storm-damaged, like everything else in Evelyn Bay. From what Kieran remembered, Constable Renn had barely said a word all day. But then, Kieran didn’t remember much from that day at all.

‘When I first started here, under Sergeant Mallott –’ Renn was still looking past Kieran. ‘Well. Geoff had his own way of doing things, as you know. So I suppose all I’m saying –’

He broke off again. Across the service station forecourt, the woman with the blue car had finished filling her tank and had gone inside to pay.

Renn’s eyes followed her. ‘I’m saying I know what it’s like to want to do the right thing. And I know sometimes it can be hard to know exactly what that is. Especially if you’re being asked to support someone you trust, like your boss –’ Renn looked at Kieran. ‘Or your mate, for example.’

Kieran shrugged. ‘You asked me about the car, I’ve told you what I thought.’

‘Yep. All right, then. Just –’

He stopped as the glass doors of the police station opened and Mia came out, followed by Sue Pendlebury. Mia was cleaned up, mostly, while Audrey looked disgruntled by the fuss.

‘Okay?’ Kieran said, and she nodded. He looked at the officers. ‘Are we right to go, then?’

‘You are. Are you heading home?’ Renn’s tone was once again all business. ‘I’m walking that way –’

‘Mia?’

They all stopped and turned at the sound of the voice. The call had come from the service station, and Kieran could see the woman with the blue car was standing by the driver’s door, keys in one hand. She was shielding her eyes with the other.

‘Mia?’ she called again. She started walking over. ‘It is you.’

Mia placed her before Kieran did. ‘Trish. Hello. How nice to see you.’

Kieran had not seen Patricia Birch up close since before Gabby’s disappearance. She had never looked that much like either of her daughters and Kieran guessed Olivia and Gabby took after their father.

Trish Birch had aged in the past twelve years, not surprisingly. But to Kieran she seemed older in a way that was hard to define. Her hair was still a neat shoulder-length bob, shiny and maybe a little lighter in colour than he remembered. She had put on a bit of weight and had the faraway look of a woman who Kieran could believe relied on sleeping pills. There was something different around the eyes too. Kieran hadn’t known Trish well before the storm, but he was willing to bet the heaviness he saw there now hadn’t been there then. It looked to him a lot like grief, specifically old grief. The kind that left a permanent mark, like rings in a tree trunk. Brian and Verity had it as well.

‘How are you, Mia?’ Trish said. There was a slight pause. ‘And I heard about your baby. Congratulations.’

‘Thank you.’ Mia twisted her body to show Audrey in her arms. Trish glanced down, but her gaze bounced straight back up.

She stared at Mia, who had once been the same age as Gabby. Who had shared homework notes, slept over at their house, eaten at their table. Mia, who had got to grow up and have a child of her own. Live her life. Kieran could almost see the what ifs swirling in the air around Trish. She turned suddenly to Pendlebury.

‘You haven’t worked out what happened to Bronte yet?’

‘No.’ Pendlebury shook her head. ‘But we will.’

Scepticism flickered on Trish’s face. ‘You sound sure.’

‘I’m sure we’ll do everything we possibly can.’

Trish’s gaze slid to Sergeant Renn. He tried his best to maintain eye contact, Kieran noticed, but seemed to be struggling. Kieran didn’t blame him. He found it quite hard to look into those eyes himself.

‘Because it’s the same beach, isn’t it.’ Trish’s voice was steady. An observation, not a question. Gabby’s name hovered unspoken.

‘Mrs Birch.’ Pendlebury’s tone was careful. ‘Patricia. If you’re worried there may be some connection between what happened on Saturday and what happened to your daughter, I’ve said I’m very happy for you to –’

Trish was already shaking her head. She gave a small, tired laugh.

‘You don’t need me to tell you what the connections are. Everyone knows. It’s the same beach. Same time of year. The same responding officer even. So I’m sure the sergeant here can tell you all about those days. What was and wasn’t done.’ She looked squarely at Renn. ‘He would know.’

Pendlebury’s eyes also flicked, swiftly and just once, in Renn’s direction. Audrey, sensing the tension, screwed up her face and began to cry. Trish reached out and stroked the baby’s head.

‘Mrs Birch,’ Pendlebury said. ‘If you want to come inside and –’

‘No. I’ve got an appointment to get to.’ Trish dropped her hand. ‘But it’s good to see you, Mia. Take care of yourself.’

She turned, then paused in front of the two officers. Her mouth was pressed tight but in the end she couldn’t stop herself. ‘Just take it seriously this time. Please.’