Marty bit his lip and focused on the dirt track in front of him.

‘She helps out on the paeds ward. She would have needed a Working with Vulnerable People check.’

‘I’m sorry, Dr Parker, her file should be here. I can talk to HR if you like.’

‘Don’t worry, Amala, I’ll speak to Elissa directly.’

Marty ended the call, dropped the phone in his lap and thudded the steering wheel with both hands. Fuck, who was this woman?

A ghost with two identities.

FACEBOOK

Help find Bella Parker Facebook page

Thank you to everyone who helped in the search over the weekend. We still need your support to find Bella. Please don’t believe everything you hear in the media. Bella’s parents love their little girl and they are desperate to find her. Here’s a photo of her at playgroup from a few weeks ago.

COMMENTS (208)

– Bella has obviously been abducted. When will you stop searching?

– Did you read the Times article? The mum said she was at the shops for ‘373 seconds’. Weird! Was she wearing a stopwatch?

– Is the church kidnapping kids now? Why were her things found there?

– Has she been taken by a Yowie? I swear I saw one in Corin Forest last month.

Did you tell Tim the Yowie Man? He collects info on sightings.

Don’t be stupid—the yowie is an Aboriginal myth.

I saw one.

You were hallucinating.

45 LEXIE

45

LEXIE

HIDE-AND-SEEK. LOLLIPOPS. A TREASURE HUNT. ON THE SHORT DRIVE to Tara’s house, I wondered if any of this was helping. Was it bringing me closer to working out if Marty was involved? For a moment, I sat in the car and checked my phone. No message from him. I clicked through to find Marty’s location. He wasn’t even near Merrigang—I had to zoom out on the map to realise that his blue dot was miles away, past the settlements and into the Brindabella Ranges. What was he doing there?

When Tara opened her front door, I had to wipe away the tears again. My first visit to this house should have been for a playdate. I could almost feel Bella at my side, holding my hand, bouncing with excitement at the prospect of playing with Zoe. Does she have a dress-up box?

Tara was still in her pyjamas, with the baby on her hip.

‘I hope I didn’t interrupt feeding,’ I said stiffly. Other people’s lives were going on normally.

‘No, I was about to put her down for a sleep.’

Tara jiggled Daisy and cooed at her. Watching them made my empty arms ache.

‘Could I come in for a quick a chat?’ I asked.

‘Um … okay. You’ll have to excuse the mess.’