It occurred to him that the trio might have gone up to Mischance Creek to join the search party. Heading across country to Hamel Road, he found Sergeant Brandl and asked her to check the log.

She scanned it, said, ‘Nup, sorry, no Gemma Pitcher, Daryl Cobb or Adam Flann. Why the interest?’

‘The Homicide Squad guys want to talk to Gemma about the man who came into the shop, and I can’t find her anywhere.’

‘Any reason to think this man’s after her?’

‘No idea. All I know is, late yesterday evening she picked up the Cobb boy in her mother’s car and they didn’t come back. Adam’s her boyfriend, and Adam and Daryl are mates, but they’re not at his place.’

‘Daryl Cobb and Adam Flann—persons of interest in the horse mutilation, right? Perhaps it’s a case of Ms Pitcher helping them disappear.’

Hirsch gave her an appreciative nod. ‘It’s a thought, but I’m pretty convinced they had nothing to do with it.’

‘They might not think that. I bet Comyn gave them a hard time.’

‘Yeah.’

‘They might be thinking, okay, the police will stitch me up for something, some time or other, so they asked the girl to help them disappear. What’re the dynamics between them?’

Hirsch considered the question. ‘Gemma seems dull, but she’s capable under stress. She’s a year older than Adam, who is a year older than Daryl, who is easily led. I get the feeling Adam looks to her for some kind of stability. His dad’s in jail, his brother’s never around and his mother’s reluctantly drying out in hospital.’

‘You know what kids are like,’ Brandl said. ‘They huddle around half-baked theories, convince themselves the world’s against them, and run off into the sunset to do something stupid.’

But what kind of stupid? He turned to go. Brandl touched his sleeve. ‘Tell Homicide straight away.’

‘Will do.’

Hirsch returned to the Toyota, leaned against a side panel and made the call. The sun tightened the bands around his skull.

Kellaher, predictably, was ropeable.

‘Sorry, sir.’

‘She at least agreed to talk to us?’

‘I arranged it last night, sir.’

‘No reluctance?’

‘No.’

‘Any ideas?’

‘I think she’s gone off somewhere with a couple of friends in her mother’s car.’

Kellaher said, ‘So she’s being thoughtless? It’s not a disappearance we should be worried about?’

‘Disappearance’ had an ugly meaning now, as in disappeared-believed-dead. Hirsch climbed into the Toyota, ran the air-conditioner and said carefully, ‘I’m hoping the three of them went to a party last night and are still sleeping it off.’

Kellaher said, ‘You’ve circulated the plate number?’

Hirsch swallowed. Should have done that an hour or more ago. ‘Just about to, sir.’

‘Get it done. Any other bright ideas where these kids might have gone—apart from some booze-up?’

‘No, sir. I’ll keep asking around.’