‘I probably won’t come into the office this afternoon,’ I said to Tasso. ‘That’s alright. Good luck.’ Chris answered the door. ‘She’s quite a bit better,’ she said. I found Melody in a small living area at the back of the house. She was lying on a couch, dressed in a simple shirt and a pair of trousers that were a little old-fashioned and no doubt belonged to Chris. Her hair was tied back and almost all her exposed skin was coloured by bruising. She was reading a book. ‘Hi.’ She looked up sharply, then smiled. It looked like a sore smile. ‘Hi.’ ‘What are you reading?’ ‘It’s just something Chris gave me.’ She showed me the cover. ‘It’s a novel about an abusive relationship. Chris thought I should read it.’ ‘How do you like it?’ ‘It’s hard going. It’s good. It’s based on a true story here in Adelaide. I almost could have written it.’ ‘Let me know how it ends.’ ‘I will.’ She closed the book and put it on the floor.
