Her eyes were red and her nose blotchy. She clutched a screwed-up tissue in one hand and wrapped her other hand around her husband’s forearm.

‘We’ve brought in the State Emergency Services to help with the search.’

‘Please take a seat.’ Tara pointed at the huge couches.

Caruso perched on the edge of one and watched Josh Murphy settle himself on the other, position his feet on either side of the daughter in the beanbag, and smooth his hands up and down his chinos. He wore a red-checked shirt and his chin sported a blond goatee. Caruso hated that look; bum fluff they called it at the station.

Suze explained the witness statement process and pressed the button on the audio recorder.

‘I believe you were at the playgroup this morning, Mr Murphy,’ Caruso said to Josh. ‘What were you doing there?’

Tara began to speak but Caruso held up his hand.

‘I … uh … I came to …’ Josh looked towards his wife.

‘Yes?’

‘It’s kind of … um … embarrassing.’

Waiting for Josh to continue, Caruso marvelled at the selfishness of people. A child was missing and this guy with bum fluff on his face was worried about being embarrassed. Or was he concerned about being a suspect? Josh had been sighted shortly before Bella disappeared.

‘I’m sorry that I forgot to tell you before.’ Tara held her hand over her heart. ‘It’s just that when Bella went missing, it slipped right out of my head that Josh had been there earlier.’

‘So, Mr Murphy?’ Caruso prodded him.

‘We’ve got some financial issues.’ Josh exhaled loudly. ‘We’re in debt and we owe money.’

‘Who to?’

‘Um, well, all the usual—banks and stuff—but also my cousin.’

‘Your cousin?’

‘Julia’s husband, Shane,’ Tara answered. She dabbed at her eyes with the tissue. ‘But can you keep this confidential? Please, Sergeant Caruso? It has nothing to do with Bella.’

‘The thing is …’ Josh went on. ‘The thing is I received some money unexpectedly from my grandfather—the one on the other side of the family.’

‘To tell you the truth, it has been pretty fucking stressful—’ Tara shook her head ‘—so Josh rushed over to tell me about the extra money.’

‘I should have just called. But I was so relieved. And I had to go to the bank to sign some papers, so I came to tell Tara in person. Please don’t mention it to Julia and Shane.’ Josh’s cheeks were aflame and he gazed down at the iPad in his daughter’s hands. ‘We need to pay the bank first.’

‘What time were you at the playgroup? Did you see Lexie or Bella?’