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morning. The police think it was the truck that was stolen from the supermarket compound late last night. They’re out looking for it now.” He shook his head. “Probably kids out joyriding… bloody idiots!”
    Brad frowned. “What was the Governor doing up there in the early hours?”
    Before David could answer, a loud female voice rang out. “For Chrissakes! We’re not eating out here all night with these mozzies, are we?”
    Jess turned to see a petite woman with shoulder-length auburn hair standing at the entrance. Her short black dress and plunging cleavage were eye-popping.
    The woman walked over to Jess and held out her hand. “Good to meet you, Jess.” She had a cut-glass accent. “I’m Sally, the Governor’s PA.”
    “Hello.” Jess shook her hand.
    “It’ll be great to have another woman from home in the office,” Sally said. Then she spotted Brad at the bar, and went straight over. She squashed him in her cleavage as she reached up to kiss him on both cheeks.
    David rolled his eyes.
    “ Shit! ” Sally slapped her arm in a dramatic gesture. “I’m going in to get some mozzie spray before I’m bitten to death.” And with that she teetered into the house, high heels clattering on the flagstones.
    “Now you’ve met Sally,” David said, flatly.
    Jess smiled, as more footsteps by the entrance made them all turn again.
    “Hi Carrie.” David came out quickly from behind the bar and walked over to a tall, young woman wearing black culottes and a halter neck top. With her blonde hair tied back in a ponytail and tanned skin, she looked the stereotypical all-American girl. David kissed her on both cheeks and gave her a warm smile which, Jess noticed, Carrie returned. He beckoned to Jess. “Let me introduce you two.”
    But Carrie didn’t need his help. She walked over to Jess and shook her hand warmly. “Lovely to meet you, Jess, even if it is in such awful circumstances.” She turned back to David. “How’s the Governor?”
    “Still in an induced coma, while they assess the full extent of his injuries.”
    “Terrible,” Carrie said, quietly. “Has he been able to talk about the accident?”
    David shook his head.
    “So sad. We took the children to church this afternoon to say prayers for him.”
    Jess remembered that Carrie ran the local kindergarten.
    At that moment, Sally came back out of the house. She didn’t give Carrie the warm welcome she’d given Brad. She just nodded at her, and thrust a can of repellent at Jess. “They’ll love your new blood.”
    “Thanks.” Jess took the can. “I’d better go and change my top.”
    “We can go inside if that’s what everyone wants to do,” David said.
    “Don’t worry on my account.” Jess excused herself. “I’ll just be five minutes.”
    *
    Upstairs in her bedroom, Jess put on a long-sleeved blouse and sprayed on the mozzie repellent. She walked over to the window and looked down to the courtyard where David was chatting to Carrie. She also noticed Sally link arms with Brad, in a proprietary way.
    So engrossed were the four of them in each other, they hadn’t noticed another couple arrive. From David’s earlier description – an older man with a younger woman – Jess knew they were the Chief Justice, Dominic Canning, and his wife Rebekah.
    As soon as he spotted them, David went over, kissed Rebekah on both cheeks, and shook Dominic’s hand.
    From her vantage point, Jess found herself watching Rebekah, who stood rigidly next to her husband. When he put a hand on her back to usher her in, Rebekah shrugged it off and walked away. They’ve had a row, Jess thought.
    The Chief Justice immediately took David aside for a private chat, but Jess’s attention went back to Rebekah, who stood aloof from everyone. She was a beautiful woman, tall and slim, with flowing dark hair. Jess could see what had attracted the Chief Justice to Rebekah, but what was in it for her? Money? Status? Jess knew she was being cynical, but that was the