Apples Never Fall

She’d yelled, “Hey! You! Put it down! That’s my bag! That’s my banana!”

Brooke had never been a yeller. She was more of a sulker. It had been almost exciting to know she had the ability to yell as loudly as that, with righteous fury. The little girl looked up. Hair pulled back so tightly off her forehead her eyes were pulled into cat’s eyes. Elfin ears. Resentful face. She’d dropped the banana. Run away.

That’s why Brooke had recognized that little girl’s face in the article. She’d met Savannah as a child. It was no coincidence that she’d turned up at her family home: she’d been there before.

Chapter 37

NOW

“So the bananas sparked this memory,” said Ines Lang to her mother as they waited at the menswear counter to buy her dad a new tie for his birthday. “It was just after she and Grant—sweet Jesus, speak of the actual devil.” Ines couldn’t believe it. “Don’t turn around.” She dropped her gaze, but it was too late. He was heading toward them, threading his way past the racks of clothes.

“Ines! I thought it was you.” Brooke’s ex-husband, Grant Willis, was an ordinary-looking guy with a receding hairline and large ears, yet he carried himself as if he were a sex symbol, and he almost became as good-looking as he believed himself to be. Women awarded extra points for self-confidence. Men weren’t as generous with their marking.

“Hi, Grant,” said Ines. Not rude, but frosty. “Mum, this is Brooke’s ex-husband.”

“Hold your horses, we’re not divorced yet,” said Grant.

“But you will be,” said Ines. She said to her mother, “They will be.”

“We’re not focusing on that right now,” said Grant. “With Brooke’s mother missing.” He looked momentarily uncertain. “I’m really fond of Joy. We were close.”

“Aren’t you living in Melbourne now, Grant?” asked Ines. Brooke had told her that he’d accepted an interstate secondment early in the year. Ines and Brooke had agreed this was good news. It was preferable ex-husbands left the state if not the country or the planet. So why was he lurking around Sydney?

“Here for work,” said Grant. He took a step closer toward her. “Brooke hasn’t been returning my calls.”

“She’s got a lot on her mind.”

“I know that! It’s just … I thought the police might have contacted me by now.”

“Why would they contact you?” asked Ines.

“I was part of that family for a long time.”

“Sure … but that was a while ago now.”

“Not that long!” said Grant. “I have information.”

“Oh, please.” Ines dropped all politeness in a fit of irritability. “If you’ve really got information, Grant, that might help the police find Joy, call them with it!”

“I should probably do that,” said Grant. “I just feel like I have a responsibility to make sure someone has told the police that Joy once…” He licked his lips. “Had an indiscretion.”

Ines met her mother’s widened eyes. “An indiscretion?”

“That’s right. It was many years ago, but obviously if Stan somehow discovered it, well, that might go to motive.”

Go to motive. The man was a geologist, not a lawyer.

“I’m sure the family have passed on all the information the police need,” began Ines.

“Brooke is the only one in that family who knows about this particular incident, and she’s always been a daddy’s girl. I’m guessing she won’t be telling the police.”

“Right,” said Ines. She felt sick. How dare he?

“I mean, Brooke has her dad’s back and I get that,” said Grant. “But I’m Team Joy, and if Stan hurt her, then I’m going to help put him behind bars.”

Chapter 38

LAST OCTOBER