Page 95 of Serenity Falls

‘How’s she settling in so far? Or is it still early days?’

‘Early days – not even a week, and fifteen is a tricky age.’

‘Oh, yeah.’

‘You have children?’

‘Sadly not, but it often feels like I do with all the children I teach and counsel. You know, if Sadie is struggling to settle, I offer introductory sessions for teens at my house. I mean, I’m not suggesting that your daughter needs it—’

‘I’ll run it past her,’ I say, thinking it will be the last thing Sadie wants to do, and what the hell would she make of Miss Hegarty? Sadie was very young when her mum left, but she still has photos. Would she see the resemblance, or is it just me conjuring up ghosts?

Miss Hegarty reaches into the pocket of her jeans. ‘Here.’ She hands me a card. ‘This is me.’

I stare at the card. Lorraine Hegarty. Counsellor and Therapist.

Lorraine, I think. She doesn’t look like a Lorraine.

‘Thanks,’ I say. ‘Nice to meet you, Lorraine.’

‘Oh.’ She waves a hand. ‘Most people call me Lori.’

‘Right.’ And that fits. That really fits.

‘Dan,’ I say.

‘I know.’ Another warm smile, and she walks out of the room, ponytail swinging. Just like Nat. Something twinges in my head. I wince and raise a hand to my nose. When I look down there’s a smear of red on my finger.

27

It’s impossible to miss the cinema (or ‘movie theatre’). Art deco, white and mint green with a large, curved marquee advertising the movies showing inside. Like everything else in Serenity Falls, it’s heavy on the retro pastiche. Even the films are caught in some kind of time warp:

Screen 1: When Harry Met Sally. Screen 2: Back to the Future. Screen 3: The Witch of Willow Hall (a classic Winsom animation) and Screen 4: Buddy in Blue (a Winsom live-action caper about a talking police dog).

Sadie frowns. Maybe it’s eighties and nineties throwback week. There’s a list of showtimes by the doors. She checks her watch. It’s 2.45 p.m. Back to the Future is showing at 3 p.m., so by the time she gets some popcorn and a drink that will be about right. She’s seen the film a load of times, but it doesn’t get tired.

She pushes open the double doors and lets out a sigh of appreciation as the cool air washes over her. She seems to be the only customer in here. To her left, the ticket booth is empty, and she can only spot one figure, with his back to her at the popcorn counter.

She walks up. ‘Err, excuse me. Are you open?’

The figure turns. ‘Yeah, sure … oh, it’s you.’

Dax. His straggly hair is scooped back into a small ponytail, and he wears a baseball cap and green-and-white uniform. Sadie is starting to think there are only about two dozen people in this town and she’s met them all.

‘You work here?’ Sadie asks.

‘Nah, I just dress up like this to get free popcorn.’

‘Okay. Stupid question.’

He shrugs. ‘I do some hours here in the school holidays. Most people want to be outside. Me, I’m happy in the cool.’

‘Me too,’ Sadie agrees fervently.

‘So, what are you here to see?’

‘Back to the Future.’

‘Classic. I got that one put on the bill.’