‘Yeah, thanks, but what are you going to do?’ I demanded.

‘We’re going to sort him out.’ Shaun fixed me with a level gaze. ‘There’s a process. It’s pretty effective.’

‘The Steamroller?’ I asked.

‘That. And other things.’ If Shaun was about to elaborate, he didn’t get a chance. Because Joe suddenly stuck his head into the room.

‘Hey,’ he said. ‘Hi, Robyn. Sorry about this—’

‘What?’ Shaun sounded impatient. ‘Has someone wet the bed?’

Joe grimaced. ‘Sort of. Nathan’s been jerking off.’

Warren rolled his eyes.

‘He’s not exactly been discreet about it,’ Joe continued. ‘It’s freaking them out a bit.’

Shaun straightened up. ‘Duty calls,’ he said. ‘Sorry about this.’ Next thing I knew he was gone. Joe was gone too; only Warren remained, still sucking down tea.

‘You don’t have to worry,’ he said at last. ‘We won’t take our eyes off Jake. He’ll be under guard twenty-four seven.’

I sipped my own tea. ‘The police referred him, didn’t they?’

‘Yeah. He’s in the program.’

‘And they’ll see a full report when he’s finished?’

‘Yup. It’ll all be in there. Good and bad.’

I nodded.

‘What do you reckon, Rob? Is this the worst group of kids we’ve ever had?’

I considered the question. ‘Probably.’

‘We’re victims of our own success.’

‘Mmm.’ But however successful the veterans might get, it wouldn’t benefit me. My salary wouldn’t go up. My employer wouldn’t listen if I complained.

Warren set his empty mug down in the sink. ‘Would you feel safer if I stayed here tonight? Bunked down on the couch?’

I blinked.

‘Or not,’ he said. ‘It’s up to you.’

‘Oh, no. I’m fine. Thanks, though.’ I was stunned. As I closed the door behind him, I considered his offer. Was this part of the Vetnet program? Was he ticking off some kind of staff-support box? Or was he actually making a pass?

He was divorced. I knew that. Shaun and Joe were married. Rhys had just broken up with his girlfriend. The veterans barely talked about their personal lives, so it was difficult to judge Warren’s motives. He didn’t seem like the sort of bloke who would flirt on the job.

I won’t say the possibility of a date made my gorge rise, but I already had enough to worry about. The last thing I needed was someone else breathing down my neck, however fit and clean and useful he happened to be.

Anyway, I thought, he doesn’t really know who I am. I might have looked exotic, living alone in the middle of Moreton Bay, but I was a sad case really.

Familiarity would breed contempt.