The sunshine bounced off the three lakes and swarms of kids clambered about the playgrounds, or yelled their way between dog walkers and cyclists along the footpaths that circled each stretch of water. Shona always adored a ride in the trucks behind the tiny train or a boat trip up the river past the golf course. Cleo preferred drinking cappuccino and watching the windsurfers skimming and slicing over the dancing water. But today, she had to meet Gav. Drag. She hadn’t heard from him since the day of Justin’s fire, so the phone call yesterday had been a surprise. And an inconvenience. Hardly in the door, Shona tired, famished and screaming for the food she could smell cooking, it hadn’t been the best time for her phone to ring. He’d been abrupt. ‘Can we meet up?’ ‘Or I could ring you later.’ Cleo tried to joggle Shona soothingly. Shona’s rising wails indicated that joggling was not, in fact, all that soothing.
