The Survivors(51)

‘Nothing right now.’ She fished out a tissue and wiped Audrey’s nose. ‘Stay-at-home mum.’

‘And before that?’

A pause. ‘I worked in immunology research for a biotech company in Sydney.’

‘Impressive.’

Mia shrugged. She didn’t talk about it much, mainly because she missed it but felt bad admitting it, Kieran knew. He couldn’t blame her. The ink had barely been dry on her employment contract when the anniversary of the storm had rolled around and, both feeling sorry for themselves, they’d taken each other out for a few too many Mia’s Mayhems. Whether Mia’s vomiting the next day had diluted the effects of Mia’s Pill or not they were never sure, but either way, nine months later they had Audrey. And they were happy, Kieran could say that without hesitation. They had sat down and considered their options and made a conscious decision. They loved Audrey, but it was possible to be both welcome and a surprise. With an eight-year age gap between himself and Finn, Kieran had long suspected that might in fact have been his own situation.

‘And what about you?’ Pendlebury turned to Kieran.

‘Sports physio.’

‘Also impressive,’ she said, but he could tell she didn’t mean it as much. She straightened. ‘All right. I think we’re finished here for now.’ She flashed a glance at Renn, who pushed his chair away from the desk in confirmation.

Mia stood up as well, a little too fast, prompting Audrey to regurgitate down both of their fronts. ‘Shit.’

‘I’ll show you to the toilets,’ Pendlebury said. ‘They’re on the way out.’

‘I know where they are.’ Mia’s tone was brisk. ‘I’ve been in here before.’

‘Of course,’ Pendlebury said mildly. ‘Still. I’ll take you anyway. There are boxes and all sorts of things lying around. I don’t want you to trip.’

Kieran watched them go, then turned back to Renn, who was shutting down his computer.

‘Let’s wait outside. Get some fresh air.’ Renn checked his phone. ‘I’ve got to head over to Fisherman’s Cottage anyway.’

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.