‘I wanted to see how you’re doing,’ Pam whispered. ‘This whole business with your playgroup is terrible. We rode the horses around the back of the ridge this morning hoping to find Bella.’

Tara didn’t have a chance to respond before Zoe barrelled out from the lounge room and threw herself into Pam’s arms.

‘Gramma, Gramma.’

‘Hello, darling, have you had lunch yet? Shall we go and make some sandwiches? I’ve brought fresh bread and your favourite cheese.’

Pam pulled off her riding boots and strode through to the kitchen.

Tara surveyed the toys strewn across the carpet in the lounge room and quickly shoved them into a pile next to the couch.

Over lunch, Pam asked how they were all holding up.

‘It’s so awful,’ Tara told her. ‘I feel sick to the stomach all the time. I can’t eat. Imagine if it were …’

She couldn’t finish the sentence as tears rolled down her cheeks.

‘I know, I know.’ Pam nodded. ‘Everyone was so quiet when we were on the horses. Josh texted me last night about the search. That’s what inspired me. The community spirit is beautiful. Everyone wants to find Bella.’

‘Bella?’ Zoe looked up from her food. ‘Where Bella?’

‘Oh, darling, Bella’s safe wherever she is,’ Pam said, snuggling the little girl onto her lap. ‘Now, Zoe, Mummy has had a rough night. Why don’t we let her go back to sleep and we can play a game until Daisy wakes up from her nap.’

Tara was sure that she’d be asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. But she could hear Pam singing and chatting to Zoe. Nice for Pam to have time to play with her. So unfair. All I have time for is fucking domestic jobs. Next time, Pam can vacuum the house while I play games with the kids.

As her eyelids closed, she had a thought. Lexie could easily have snuck Bella out when she was going to or from the shop. But why would Lexie do that? Maybe her life wasn’t so perfect after all.

19 CARUSO

19

CARUSO

CARUSO STOOD AT THE EDGE OF THE MELEE AND WATCHED AS THE cameras zoomed in on Mrs Parker’s tear-stained face. With her husband’s arm around her shoulders, the woman had only uttered a few words: ‘Please help. Help find Bella.’ The reporters yelled questions at the poor couple—‘Has Bella ever wandered away before? Do you think she’s scared? Could someone you know have taken her?’—but Milson wrapped it up with his repeated appeal to ‘check all areas around your home where a child might hide’.