Silverman

The box arrived from Social services.

There’s a photo of her, smiling flat-faced in the flash, with two men. The same photo – two men. One is tall, a small beard on his chin, perhaps to define it from his thick neck. The other, darker, his eyes close set under heavy eyebrows, stares indolently at the camera, his hand draped over her shoulder.

It’s funny that in this box, crisp and white, with its neat label ‘Florey Silverman’ should contain all of this girl.

And Somewhere a man ashes a cigarette into a sardine can.

Her mother smokes constantly, even in the hospital. It seems to define her, each furtive suck a punctuation.

Cause he’s a bastard – drag – that’s why – blow – never cared for her – drag.

Said ‘He wasn’t running a home for strays’ smoke wreathes the room, mingling with grey light.

That’s where she was going that last day – to tell him, to tell Albert what he done was wrong.

Children play on wrecked cars games of sticks and forts. Somewhere a fiddle. Stares from caravan doors.

Albert is stooped into his face, his hair pushed forward into dark-set eyes. His grey jumper stained with grease.

She was a nightmare. Threw her out. I make decisions about what is best for my community.

Where do you think it was then?

I got no idea.

Florey was a handful – she had a knack, I spose – for causing trouble.

Were Sara and Florey friends?

Yeah, I spose, all the kids were.

You better come see this.

Fetus bones? Yes, from site 1.

We have strong evidence she was pregnant. She may not have shown.

I didn’t know. She changed so much. We had another row – I didn’t know. I said ‘I’d had enough of her behaviors’

The spray is police issue.

The righteous father and the grieving son.

I encounter Robbie on the stairs. He sidles past me, I can hear him inhale - cataloguing for some later feast - my dark smells.

Malcolm, were you there? Did you do it?

I know these people, I fought their battles.

Do you know who the father of Florey’s baby was?

Stop it!

I knew he’d done it. That is why I had to act.

Shaun?

It wasn’t him.

The person who attacked him – it wasn’t my dad.

You’re wrong Liam. It was Robbie.

A bent cop doing a favour for a mate. A pregnant teen and a forbidden relationship.

She was dead for three months and no one even noticed she was gone.