Eight-year-old Fox Hensley had been located, helping out her Uncle Ray in a vast clandestine drug lab on the South Coast. So far, police had seized almost half a tonne of MDMA, drug boilers, pill-pressing machines and tablets. The multi-agency operation had charged nineteen people across three states and territories.

Over the past year, Fox’s library bag hadn’t been used for reading but to supply ecstasy tablets to Parrish and his network. The teacher had been caught up in one of Australia’s biggest drug busts.

Clearly Dr Parker had seen the guilt written across Parrish’s face but he’d misread it. Parrish had been trying to hide his own illegal activities: his interactions with Victoria and other youths. The teacher’s approach was to offer a free sample and get them hooked at a young age. High-school kids, university students, rugby players, snowboarders, skaters. His side income wasn’t really photography but drug-dealing. And it had nothing to do with Bella.

As Bella was handed into the chopper, she waved back to Caruso. Grinning, he returned the wave, brushed a single tear from his cheek and pulled out his radio. All he wanted to do was call his sister and share the news. But first he had to speak to the superintendent, then the road response group, get back to Suze and charge the women. Merrigang and the whole Canberra community would sleep well tonight.

THE CANBERRA TIMES ONLINE EDITION

FRIDAY, 27 SEPTEMBER, 6 PM

Bella’s birthday party at home!

The Canberra community celebrated today as Bella Parker turned four years old. Police and SES officers, local volunteers from the school and the playgroup, and journalists joined the birthday party. ACT Policing Superintendent John Milson presented Bella with a collectible bear, the Constable Kenny Koala mascot.

‘We were going to have a small family party,’ explained Bella’s mother, Lexie Parker. ‘But we wanted to thank everyone for their help in finding our daughter. We’re very grateful to live in such a fantastic community.’

54 LEXIE

54

LEXIE

THE PARTY WAS A TRUE CELEBRATION OF BELLA’S HOMECOMING. WE opened our house to friends, neighbours, police, hospital staff and strangers. Detective Sergeant Caruso brought his sister and her four kids who appointed themselves Bella’s best friends and bodyguards. Mr Whitlaw promised that Bella could choose a pup when Napoleon’s mother had her litter next month.

Marty was still healing and on bed rest. He blamed himself for bringing Mel into our lives, but apparently she’d been pretty determined. Not long after we’d moved here, Deirdre had been at the hospital for her annual check-up when she’d recognised Marty and passed the news on to Mel. Just two weeks later, Mel had packed up her life in Byron Bay and arrived in Canberra. And while Mel had been the one tracking down Marty, I had to take responsibility for the moment that had set off her terrifying plan—Bella’s broken wrist.