Sara, if you’re up there – I need you now . . . bring Jasmine back and I promise, I’ll never smoke weed again, I’ll never . . .

He thought carefully of the things Sara didn’t approve of.

I’ll never smoke weed again, I’ll stop swearing. I’ll . . . make this right, God. Whoever I need to speak to. I will make my life right, I swear it . . . Jesus, bring her back safely and I’ll take her to church every bloody Sunday, I swear it . . .

CHAPTER 25

CON

Con and Eliza sat across from each other in a waiting room at Launceston General Hospital. Gabriella lay on the carpet, her jacket bundled up into a pillow, fast asleep. Early morning sunlight shone through the skylight, revealing a blue sky.

Once Jack was safely in the ambulance chopper, Gabriella and Eliza had driven straight to the hospital, but Con had stopped past the hotel to make sure he took his meds. But despite that, the lack of sleep was dragging at his edges. He could feel himself getting jittery, the anger bubbling inside of him.

Madison Mason.

If Jack was telling the truth, then Madison had planned it all. Well, almost – certainly the disappearances. What about Georgia’s death? Surely not.

Con stood and paced the room. A girl who would put her own sister in harm’s way for popularity. Still, before he could speak to her . . .

His phone buzzed. The commander.

He’d left her a message when he got to the hotel, but it had been the middle of the night. It seemed she was awake now.

‘I just have to make a phone call, Eliza. I’ll be back soon.’

Eliza nodded, the leopard-print bow around her head slipping a little. She looked bone tired.

He headed into an adjacent room to take the call.

‘Cornelius.’ The commander’s voice was cool as chipped ice. ‘Are you okay?’

‘I’m at the hospital,’ replied Con. ‘I’m waiting for Jack to wake up.’

Her voice turned hard. ‘And you honestly believe him?’

‘I . . . I did. I do.’

‘He’s trying to cover himself. He was just caught at the scene – shot at the scene. We’ll have to deal with Eliza’s part in that before long, but finding the girls has to be our priority. Jack claiming they arranged their own disappearance is awfully convenient.’

‘To him, it was a deathbed confession,’ said Con. ‘He had no reason to lie.’

‘You know this leaves us in a difficult situation.’

‘How so?’ Con was growing agitated with the way she danced around the point.

‘Madison Mason anticipated this. She said in her video that the police would target first Murphy, then Michaels, and then her. With Gabriella’s outburst —’

‘Which turned out to be right!’