The shop had a closed sign hanging on the door but people came and went from the back of the building in a steady flow from mid-morning right up until after dark. Police detectives were the most frequent visitors, as they had been since the morning when Pete discovered Lucy's body. The detectives were usually tall, blocky men in crumpled suits, with an air of purpose about them. There were also relatives who visited, and neighbours. The minister who had taken the funeral dropped by several times during that week, as did the undertaker. Almost without fail, the visitors would pause with one hand on the latch of the side gate, as though giving themselves a moment to rehearse what they were going to say before they went inside. And then they would push the gate open and go through. Apart from the police and the undertaker, most people arrived with a basket or a plate of food. There was so much food carried inside that we reckoned the Ashers could've lived on muffins and pikelets for a month.
