“Is that something of Kim’s that Zara’s got on?” Naomi squinted into the light.
Over her dress, Zara was wearing a flowing blue fine-knit cardigan, despite the warmth of the day. She had it wrapped tightly around her, the hem flaring a little as she walked.
“Yeah.” Rita nodded. “Rohan brought up some of Kim’s clothes and books and things for her.”
“I thought I recognized it.” Naomi’s smile faded. “Is Zara finding today hard with Kim not here? I couldn’t see her face in the church.”
“A bit, I think.” Raco nodded. “Kind of a reminder, isn’t it? Knowing Kim would’ve been here along with everyone else.”
“I suppose so, but do you think—？” Rita started, then stopped.
Raco looked over at his wife. “Think what?”
“Do you think Kim would’ve actually come, though?”
“Yeah, of course.” Raco frowned. They had reached the start of the vineyard driveway, and Falk could see guests’ cars parked at the other end. “Why wouldn’t she?”
Rita shrugged. “I mean, I know Rohan’s here, but he’s only in town because of the appeal. And I hadn’t seen Kim socially for a long time. A couple of years, at least. I just feel like she’d moved on from all this. Which is understandable; she’d have had new friends in Adelaide, and work was probably keeping her busy.”
“No, she’d stopped working,” Naomi said suddenly.
Rita looked over in surprise. “When she had Zoe?”
“Earlier. A few months before she was even pregnant, I think.”
“She never told me. Did you know?” Rita asked Raco, who shook his head.
“She didn’t tell me, either,” Naomi said. “I only found out by accident when I was in the city one day, and realized I had a meeting in the same building as that design firm she’d gone to. I stopped by during lunch, but they said she hadn’t worked there for a while.”
Raco frowned. “Seriously? Why wouldn’t she mention it? Had she been fired or something?”
“No, I don’t think so. The others in the office seemed friendly, but it was obviously a bit awkward because I’d shown up and didn’t even know Kim wasn’t there anymore. They said they hadn’t seen her since she left. Asked me to pass on their best when I spoke to her.”
“And did you speak to her?” Raco said. They were weaving their way through the cars parked outside the cottage, and Falk could hear music and laughter floating through the air.
“I tried,” Naomi said. “I know I called her, probably would’ve sent a follow-up text, too. Saying hello, asking if she’d moved on.”
“And what was the response?” Raco was still frowning, and Rita gently touched his arm as they headed around the side of the cottage to the barn where their guests were waiting.
“The usual for Kim,” Naomi said as three different people spotted Rita and Raco and simultaneously set off toward them at a trot. “She didn’t reply.”
26
“Strictly between you and me, it’s any height restrictions for the AFP that worry me, you see. My grandson’s always been a little—well, look, my daughter says I’m not supposed to use the word short in front of him, but I told her, Cheryl, I really don’t know what else you’d call it—”
“Right. I understand.” Falk nodded politely, trying without success to catch Gemma’s eye across the barn. He’d spotted her immediately, looking a little like a conversational hostage herself as she was cornered between tables by an older couple Falk didn’t recognize. He’d started toward her only to be rather impressively hijacked by this woman who’d introduced herself as Raco’s former clarinet teacher and was very keen to discuss the entry requirements her grandson might have to meet to apply for the federal police.
The barn itself had been transformed by the arrival of guests. Music was playing, and bright tablecloths added to the festive feel. The whole back wall had been slid open to let in the view, and Charlie and Shane had fired up the huge barbecue outside, where they were being heavily supervised by a group of men eyeballing the steaks. Most of the guests appeared to have brought something, which was a benefit of living in a food and wine region, Falk supposed, and the long table against the wall heaved with platters and bottles of wine.
“—so I told Cheryl I’d ask you, and she got quite annoyed with me—what a surprise!—and told me I wasn’t to bother you, but I—”
“Excuse us. He’s needed, Rachel, I’m so sorry.” A firm voice cut through the verbal stream, and Falk felt a hand grip his elbow. He looked down to see Naomi smiling up apologetically. “Godparent duties beckon.”
Naomi led Falk away until they were out of the line of sight, then waved a hand before he could say anything. “It’s fine, you’re welcome. She’s lovely, really, but there’s a trick to getting a word in edgewise. I’ll teach you if you end up being around here long enough to need it.” Naomi nodded across the room. “So Gemma’s over there—see her? Stuck with Neil and Carol Milton? Thought you might like to rescue her yourself.”
Falk smiled. “Thanks, Naomi.”
“I like to look after my investments.” She grinned. “Have fun.”
Naomi turned and Falk watched her weave away through the tables. She edged by Zara, who was chatting with a group of teenagers, and Falk saw the girl glance up, tracking Naomi as she passed. Zara lightly rolled her eyes and, catching Falk’s gaze, mouthed I told you so as Naomi headed outside and made a beeline for Charlie.
Naomi joined him at the barbecue, leaning up and kissing him lightly on the cheek. Charlie smiled as she murmured something and gestured toward the party in a way that could only be complimentary.
See? Zara mouthed again, and Falk was about to nod in agreement—he did see, yes—when he stopped himself. Naomi was still chatting, effusive and engaged, but even as Falk watched, her eyes were darting elsewhere. Somewhere beyond Charlie. Falk followed the trajectory, and all of a sudden, he could see exactly where Naomi’s gaze was landing. Ah. Falk smiled to himself. That possibly explained one or two things.
He caught Zara’s attention once more and motioned for her to look again. Not at her father this time—Falk tilted his head—but a little to the left. He saw Zara’s eyes move and then settle in much the same way as Naomi’s had. Arriving squarely on a man who, at an arguably unsafe distance from the sizzling hot grill, was keeping a crowd of blokes utterly spellbound as he reenacted that time he’d won Mark of the Year.
Shane? Zara spun her head back to Falk, the dawning realization morphing into baffled amusement. Seriously?
Falk smiled and shrugged. He didn’t know for sure, but Zara could see the dynamic playing out across the sausages and steaks as well as he could. Smart, self-assured Dr. Naomi Kerr may be engineering excuses to stop by the vineyard, but Falk would bet good money it wasn’t Charlie she was hoping to see. Falk wouldn’t have naturally put Naomi and Shane together, but he could picture it now he thought about it. The heart wanted what it wanted, he supposed. Falk wondered why Naomi hadn’t acted on it, though. She didn’t seem the type to hold back. He watched for another minute. Perhaps, he decided, because the whole time Naomi stood there, in that dress that clung like it was made for her and with a mildly perplexed look on her beautiful face, Shane barely glanced her way.