The sound of his own voice filled the void.

‘You know what he was like. Nothing was good enough for him. He should never have left the island and then he’d have had no one to blame but himself. All that stuff about coming to the city to give me the best chance and that I was throwing it back at him. I never asked him to leave here. This notion he had that being a lawyer was so important. They’re the biggest crooks of all! He was a policeman, he should have known that. Y’know, he used to say to me that I made my money by cheating people, that I produced or provided nothing.’

In the quiet of the room, his monologue seemed confessional.

‘Even you, his own sister. What did you ever do to him? The way he spoke to you sometimes just wasn’t right. But he was my dad and I wish we’d been pals.’

Cal’s phone rang, its electronic tones at odds with the setting. He pulled it from his pocket and flipped it open in one fluid, practiced movement.

‘Hello?’

‘Hi, it’s Lisa.’

‘Hi. Have you got news for me?’ Cal’s tone was immediately businesslike. He sat forward intently.

‘Well first of all, don’t you think you owe me an explanation? Running off like that this morning. You made me feel like a tart. What do you think I am?’

‘Look I’m sorry. I told you. It’s difficult.’

Cal stood up and walked quickly out of the bedroom, the phone clamped to his ear.

‘Why didn’t you phone me?’

‘I’m really sorry.’ Cal tried to keep the irritation from his voice. ‘I told you my aunt was ill. I’ll be back as soon as I can.’ Her disbelief almost poured through the phone. ‘I’m not lying,’ he added.

‘So where are you?’

‘I’m at her house.’

‘Where’s that?’

‘What does it matter?’

‘Look, I’m taking a big risk for you. Don’t start getting smart with me, or you can forget it.’

‘Okay, okay, I know what you’re doing for me. But my aunt is dying and she asked to see me.’

There was silence at the end of the phone.

‘You’re consistent, I’ll give you that. That’s the story you came up with this morning.’

‘It’s not a story, it’s true. I’m in the islands.’

‘The islands! They’re miles away.’

‘Yeah. That’s why I had to leave so early.’

‘That screws everything up.’

‘How?’

‘That house. It’s like I thought, they want it off their hands. They’re here tomorrow just for the one day and I’ve arranged to meet them. If you get there and I phone to cancel, I’m sure you could persuade them. The usual suspects are sniffing around and you know what’ll happen if it goes onto the market.’

‘When did you arrange to meet them?’

‘9.30.’

Cal sighed audibly.

‘I’ll never make it for then, even if I got the early ferry. And anyway, I can’t leave while she’s still alive.’

There was silence at the other end of the line.