We went to a brasserie on Grey Street for lunch – Google had suggested it was the most decent option. I ordered a martini to start and it didn’t disappoint. Hannah was delightfully unselfconscious and took photos of everything we ordered, not even attempting to be discreet. I laughed as she posed for selfie after selfie.
‘This day has been epic,’ Hannah said, her eyes bright. ‘You’re totally spoiling me, though. Betsy’s going to be so jealous.’
‘Betsy had quite enough of me last week,’ I laughed.
As I signalled to the waiter for the wine list, something outside caught Hannah’s attention.
‘Is that… Dad?’ She looked over my shoulder, squinting.
I followed her gaze. A man who looked very much like Mike was standing on the opposite side of Grey Street, beside a row of parked cars. The street was wide but even at that distance I could see it was him. He was talking to a woman in a baseball cap.
‘That’s Dad. That’s his car. What’s he doing here?’ She started to stand.
I put my hand on her arm. ‘Just wait a second.’
‘Who is he with?’
We watched and waited. The woman had her back to us but it was obvious that the pair were arguing. Mike was red-faced and jabbing his finger towards her.
‘Do you know who he’s talking to?’ I asked her. My heart was pounding.
‘I don’t know. I can’t tell from here.’ Hannah’s voice was small. I silently willed her to stay in her seat.
‘Isn’t he supposed to be at some work thing today…?’ My voice trailed off.
‘I’m going over there,’ Hannah said, squeezing out of the booth.
‘Please, Hannah, just wait…’
I signalled to the waiter to get the bill, but Hannah was already walking out the door.
‘Dad!’ she shouted, waving.
‘Hannah, wait for me!’ I called, trying to keep the urgency out of my voice.
Two ladies at the table next to us were watching. I looked around for the waiter. What was taking so long?
Hannah was already outside the restaurant, about to cross the road. I didn’t want to let her out of my sight. I could always come back to pay… I picked up my bag and followed her out the door.
‘Hannah, wait!’ I reached out a hand to her shoulder.
A red sightseeing bus rumbled past, hissing with the exertion of climbing the steep hill, blocking our view for a few seconds. When the road cleared, Mike and the woman had gone.
‘He was right there, that was Dad,’ Hannah said, frantically scanning the street, which was busy with Saturday shoppers.
We turned at the same time to see Mike’s car turning left onto Mosely Street, disappearing from view.
‘I’m calling him. That was him. He must have heard me.’ She got out her phone and called, but there was no answer. She tried again. ‘It’s just going to voicemail. I don’t understand.’
She looked at me for an answer I couldn’t give.
We walked up Grey Street in silence, Hannah looking at her feet. Seagulls circled above us, bigger than the birds at the coast. The mood had soured, but I was determined to finish the day on a positive.
I took Hannah to Topshop and headed straight to the counter to collect the item I’d reserved online. The assistant disappeared and returned with a black leather jacket.
Hannah gasped, her eyes wide. ‘Are you serious?’
I urged her to try it on, and we headed to the changing rooms. ‘Every woman needs a black leather jacket. It goes with everything, and if you look after it, you’ll still be wearing this when you’re forty.’
She scoffed. Forty seemed ridiculously far away to her. So far in the future she couldn’t see it.
‘It’s really expensive,’ she said, stroking the butter-soft leather and admiring her reflection. ‘I don’t know…’
‘I’ve already decided for you. Besides, every time you wear it, you’ll think of your Auntie Izzy.’
I smiled at her in the mirror. She smiled back at me, but the sparkle had disappeared from her eyes.
Back in the car, even Henry was quiet.
We were heading to Mum and Auntie Sue’s, as they had invited us all over for dinner, including Rachel. I had already decided that my coping strategy was going to be to not think about the Phil thing when I was with Rachel – which would be a challenge, especially because she liked to talk about Amy so much. I wished she didn’t have to come, but I figured it was good for the kids to be around someone who was so close to their mum. I felt sick when I imagined what would happen if she ever found out what Amy and Phil had done. Or rather, when she found out. Secrets like that never stay buried for long.
Hannah sighed. ‘Maybe he didn’t hear us,’ she said, gazing out the window. ‘Or maybe it wasn’t him?’
Maybe, maybe, maybe, I thought. Maybe Mike was hiding something after all.
‘Listen,’ I said softly. ‘Don’t say anything to your dad, about this afternoon. Not just yet.’
Hannah was about to speak, I could see the question forming on her face, but we were interrupted by my phone ringing.
‘Izzy?’ It was Rachel, and she sounded frantic. ‘Where are you?’
‘I’m in the car with Hannah, we’re on our way back to Mum’s. What’s happened?’
‘It’s Phil,’ Rachel said, the panic rising in her voice. ‘The police came. They’ve arrested him.’
My hands trembled as I put the phone back in my bag.
‘What’s wrong?’ Hannah asked. ‘You’re as white as a sheet.’
I didn’t know where to start. My mouth had gone dry, and I was acutely aware of Henry listening in. My mouth moved but still no words came.
‘What’s wrong! Tell me!’ Hannah was frantic now.
‘Everyone’s OK. That was Rachel. The police have taken Phil in for questioning.’
‘Uncle Phil?’ Hannah’s face knotted into a question. ‘Why?’
I couldn’t see how to shelter her from this. I reached across the console and squeezed her hand.
‘Mum’s… accident. They’re just making sure that it was an accident,
