The Survivors(57)

Mia breathed out. ‘We were arguing about you.’

‘Me?’ So Kieran could still be surprised, he was interested to find.

‘I had this stupid –’ Mia rolled her eyes. ‘God, I don’t know. Schoolgirl crush. On you. It was ridiculous. You didn’t even notice I was alive back –’

‘Mia, I did –’

‘No.’ She held up a hand to cut him off. ‘You didn’t. And that’s exactly how it should’ve been. I was fourteen, you were eighteen. So it’s fine. But all the girls in our year knew you – you and Ash anyway – and I’d told Gabby that I had this thing for you. Then on the day of the storm, in the library –’

Mia fiddled with the partially chopped vegetables in front of her.

‘Gabby said she’d found out you and Olivia were sneaking around together. And I was so jealous, which was so stupid, because it’s not like I was even on your radar.’ She sighed. ‘But it was partly the way Gabby told me as well. We were supposed to be best friends but she was so gleeful. Like she knew it would hurt me but she couldn’t wait to tell me anyway.’

Mia began chopping again.

‘Anyway, I told her I didn’t believe her, even though I kind of did really. She got upset, I got upset. I wanted to go home. She followed me. It was obvious I was annoyed and she spent half the time trying to convince me she was telling the truth and the other half apologising. And after all that, she was right. You told me yourself, you really were meeting up with Olivia.’

Kieran had stood up and gone over to her. ‘I’m sorry.’

Mia had wiped her eyes with the back of her wrist. ‘No, it’s not your fault. And it wasn’t Gabby’s fault. I’m just sad that that was the last time I ever saw her. I wish it had been different.’

‘Why didn’t you tell the police this when they asked?’

‘Because I was fourteen. And both my parents were in the room with me the whole time I was being interviewed, and I was too embarrassed. And I knew if I’d told the truth my mum would have been worried because, you know –’ Mia shrugged. ‘None of the mums in Evelyn Bay were the biggest fans of you and Ash back then.’

Kieran had pictured Mia’s mum. Regal, softly spoken, very kind. ‘I thought Nina liked me?’

‘She does,’ Mia said. ‘Now.’

Kieran thought about this as he looked at Mia standing in front of Fisherman’s Cottage. The cellophane around the flowers rustled. The house looked lifeless once more.

‘But the police spoke to heaps of people in those days when we were all searching for Gabby,’ Sean was saying. ‘I mean, how many times was your dad called in, Kieran?’

‘A couple, I think,’ Kieran said quickly, not wanting to get into that again. ‘Liv said her mum had had a bit of trouble coming to terms with things. Maybe that’s all Trish really meant.’

‘Okay, but Jesus –’ Sean’s face darkened. ‘I know she’s been through a lot, but join the bloody club. We’ve all had to come to terms with stuff we didn’t want to.’ He took a breath. ‘Sorry. I’m sorry. That sounded really harsh.’ He shook his head as though to clear it and looked at Kieran. ‘Are you guys going home? I was actually on my way to your place.’

‘Oh really?’ Kieran said. They started walking.

‘Your mum called me. Said she’s clearing stuff out and has a couple of life jackets she’s getting rid of.’

Kieran pictured the cupboards still filled with all the trash and treasure that no-one had yet begun to tackle. ‘Yeah, not long left now until the move.’

Sean didn’t answer. He was distracted, staring hard at the road in front of them as they walked. Finally he took a breath.

‘Listen, mate, I’m sorry to ask, but did Renn say anything else at all about this camera thing back there? Or Liam?’

Kieran hesitated. ‘They asked us about Liam. Earlier at the station. Renn and Pendlebury.’

Sean looked up. And? The unspoken question hung in the air.

‘I said I thought it could have been his car we saw on Saturday night.’ Kieran could feel Mia’s eyes on him. ‘Driving towards town, like he said.’

‘And that was it? That’s all they asked about?’

Kieran didn’t look over. ‘Pretty much.’

‘Okay. Thanks mate,’ Sean said quietly. It seemed like he wanted to add something more, but stopped as they reached Kieran’s parents’ house.

Verity was on her knees in front of a kitchen cupboard when they arrived, sweeping things into boxes.

‘Oh good, I’ll get those life jackets,’ she said when she saw Sean. She disappeared outside and returned holding them over her arm.

‘Thanks,’ Sean said. ‘I’ve got a few on their last legs after the summer, so this is great.’

‘It’s good you’ve been busy,’ Verity said. ‘It must be nearly time to open the wreck, isn’t it?’

‘Yeah, getting close,’ Sean said. ‘Got the first clients in a couple of weeks.’

‘God, I used to love it down there when I was younger,’ Verity said. ‘Brian as well. That’s kind of how we met.’

‘Really?’ Sean said and Mia also looked over in interest. Kieran just waited. He and Finn had heard the stories plenty of times over the years.