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‘It’s not that bad,’ Ryan said. ‘I think this is Carl and I think we can talk to him about it. I’m happy to do that, if you want.’

‘I don’t know,’ Mary said. ‘If we do that he’s hardly going to admit it.’

‘We have to do something,’ Ryan said.

Mary closed her eyes. ‘I’ll let Gray know.’

Ryan nodded. ‘You want something to eat? I can make some dinner.’

‘I don’t think I can stomach food,’ Mary said. ‘But I’d take a drink.’

‘A glass of wine?’

Mary shook her head. ‘Something stronger.’

Ryan got up and walked over to the fridge. He put some ice in a glass, splashed in some tonic and then went to the liquor cabinet and added a large measure of gin.

Mary drank about a third of it. It was strong and she felt the effect of the alcohol immediately.

‘I think I’ll have one myself,’ Ryan said. ‘I’m going to make something for the kids. Why don’t you relax and take it easy?’

Mary closed her eyes and rested her head on the back of the couch. The dizziness was fading, although she felt like she was being dragged deeper and deeper into a whirlpool. It had no end, no bottom.

She found it hard to imagine how it could get worse.

Her phone buzzed with a text message. It was Rona. Mary puffed out her cheeks. This was the last thing she wanted. She did not need more drama from Rona; she did not want to know that Rona felt bad about their conversation and she wanted to talk it through, wanted Mary to know that she was just trying to do what was best for everyone, Otis included. Mary did not want to hear it, not now.

She pushed her phone away. She would deal with this later.

Her phone buzzed again. Rona, again. She knew how this went: incessant messages until she replied. She picked it up and swiped on her screen.

It was not what she expected.

Not at all.

Sorry to bother you, it read. I know we had an awkward conversation today, but I need to check something with you. Have you seen it?

Friends of Barrow

Mary typed a reply.

Seen what?

Dots scrolled on the screen as Rona typed.

The photo?

What photo?

This time the reply was longer. It took a while to arrive.

There’s a photo on the Friends of Barrow Facebook page. It’s a photo of you. Here’s a link. I’m really sorry about this.

Sorry about what? The Friends of Barrow Facebook page was a forum for people who lived in the town to share their thoughts about the goings-on in Barrow. It covered things like a new sidewalk downtown, or a mural at the school, or a new business that was opening. There were rules – no political statements, no personal attacks – but they were not closely followed. In reality, anybody could post anything, and they did.

So why would Rona be sorry about something posted on it?

Mary clicked the link.