‘That’s stalking,’ I said. ‘He can’t do that.’

‘Yes, he can.’ She clutched my arm with a cold, bony hand. ‘He’s seen us together. You’d better be careful,’ she hissed, then hurried off to her own car.

I wondered what the hell I had got myself into. Stalking might be the least of it.

2019

2019

‘THE FRONT DOOR was unlocked. They must have come in that way and left through the back.’ I stared at the puddle of tea leaves and prawn tails soaking into my bed. ‘They were quick. Really quick. I ran straight outside and no one was there.’

I thought about that moment. I’d been shaking with rage. Incandescent. But I’d seen nothing from the back steps—just the distant bush, the abandoned goat yard and the old outdoor dunny. I’d even checked under the house, which was raised on low brick piers.

Nothing.

‘I’m sorry. This is unacceptable.’ Shaun stood beside me, gazing down at my defiled bedlinen. I’d never seen him looking so grim. ‘It’s a break-and-enter offence. You could call the police.’

‘The police? God, no.’ I tried to avoid the police. ‘Can’t you handle it? I’d prefer that.’

‘You would?’ A look of relief flitted across his face. I realised that if the police were called, and people found out… well, let’s just say that not all publicity is good publicity. The bad kind could sink a business like Vetnet. ‘We’ll buy you a new mattress,’ he promised. ‘Are there any replacements you could use in the meantime?’

I thought for a moment. The stench of two-day-old garbage was making it hard to concentrate. ‘There’s a double bed in the matron’s quarters.’

‘Then we’ll bring that mattress over. The kids can do it.’

‘No. I don’t want them in here.’ It was bad enough having Shaun in my bedroom, peering at my unmade bed and the framed photograph of my father.

‘Of course. Sorry. My men will carry the mattress.’ It was strange to hear Shaun sound flustered. He put out a hand as I stripped the doona off the bed. ‘We’ll sort this, Robyn. You fix the plumbing.’

‘But my sheets need a wash—’

‘We’ll wash them. Please.’ He obviously wasn’t going to take no for an answer. ‘I feel responsible. This was our fault. We weren’t watching the boys.’

I took a deep breath, then coughed as the smell of bad food caught in my throat. ‘Some of them were missing. When we went to check the leak.’

‘I know.’

‘Aaron wasn’t there.’

‘Aaron?’ He frowned.

‘Darren.’ Aaron was always the first kid I looked for. Wherever I went, whatever I did, I kept my eyes peeled for Aaron. ‘I didn’t see him this morning.’

‘Didn’t you? Okay.’