Marty could hear the women moving towards the front door. He slipped into the first room on his left, the shrine, and slid into a sitting position, propped up by the bookcase. He listened to them say goodbye at the front door and heard Lexie’s footsteps coming back down the hallway.

The light flicked on and Lexie stood above him, hands on her hips.

‘How do you know her?’ she demanded.

So, his shock had given him away. He stayed silent, still trying to comprehend how Elissa from the hospital could be Mel from playgroup.

‘I can tell that you’ve met her before, Marty. I’ve just watched another playgroup mum trashing me on national TV and telling the world that I made Bella disappear. So please … just answer me.’

‘She came in to see me with Sammy.’ Marty went with the first lie that popped into his head. ‘He’s got some problems. She didn’t want anyone to find out about it. She wants him to go to a mainstream school.’

‘So you were both lying when you said you’d never met.’

Marty nodded, hoping it would be enough for her. He needed to work out what was going on with Elissa—Mel—before he told his wife. In her fragile state, she’d freak out. Pulling himself up off the floor, he kissed her forehead. Why had Mel ingratiated herself in both his world and Lexie’s?

Another phone call from Victoria. He answered it, walking to the kitchen as he talked. This time, Victoria didn’t ask if she could come down and help with the search.

‘Dad, are you alone? I’ve got to tell you something.’

Was this about Kimmy and the drugs again? Why were teenagers so fucking selfish? Didn’t she realise what was going on here?

‘Yes. Lexie is in the other room.’

‘You have to promise me that we won’t get in trouble. You can’t tell Mum.’

Marty could hear the quiver in her voice.

He sighed. ‘Okay.’ What now?

‘That schoolteacher …’ she took a shaky breath. ‘The one whose house you went to …’

‘Yes?’

‘I think … I think he gave us a lift from Merrigang to the house in Ainslie.’

Marty couldn’t speak.

‘I’m pretty sure it was him,’ Victoria went on. ‘He said his name was Brenno and that he was a snowboarding instructor. He … he was the one we thought was sexy. The one Kimmy has been texting.’

‘Why didn’t you tell me before?’

‘I only just saw the story online with his photo—it says that you bashed him up. Is that true, Dad?’

‘No, he fell over and hit his head. What else do you remember about that night? Did you talk about Bella? Did he know you were her sister?’