Alice is at the train station to meet Amanda when she runs into an enemy fifty years in her past, a nasty piece of work named Richard Dankworth. He killed a man Alice (aka Maureen Stratler) loved in 1969, and in revenge, she stole the majority of his fortune. He swore he’d get even with her someday, and in a sunny day in 2020, she fears someday is now.

At the same time, one of Silvermoon’s well-heeled residents, Teresa, complains that valuables are missing from her apartment and blames the young cleaner, Joshua. He explains to Alice and her front-desk friend, Vanessa, why he’s working as a cleaner, but denies burglary. With her friend Tony’s help, she sets up a few video cameras to catch the intruder in action, but the results stun everyone.

As the story switches back and forth between present-day Wellington, NZ and 1969 London and New York City, Alice’s complex past not only fills in like a coloring page, but reveals the forces that have driven her throughout her adult life. Hip Flask and Hanging offers readers the most thorough glimpse into Alice’s life — and what she taught Amanda — and how she’s survived so long.