The blow to Murphy’s solar plexus was so fast he didn’t even see it. He bent over, wheezing, and Badenhorst’s leg swept his own from under him. He fell to his knees with a heavy thump, and then the detective was across his back, pulling his arms up behind him and into the cuffs.

‘You’re not making this easy for yourself, you know that, right?’ said Badenhorst. He wrenched Murphy to his feet. ‘Not that you care, but I’m not having a great day myself.’ He dragged him towards the door.

By the time the handcuffed Murphy was led roughly from the house, red and angry, the crowd on the footpath had grown. Kevin’s friend was still recording the whole thing. So were the journalists.

In minutes, the footage was uploaded to Facebook. And then broadcast on the news. In half an hour, the whole town knew that the body of Georgia Lenah had been found, that she’d had a bag of marijuana in her pocket potentially linked to Murphy’s weed business, an operation he’d basically admitted to on camera, and that after that he’d been arrested by police.

Within an hour, the first death threat arrived in the Murphys’ mailbox. Only Butch was there to receive it.

CHAPTER 14

ELIZA

Eliza sat on the couch as Monica rubbed her back. She kept repeating Detective Pakinga’s phone call in her head: ‘I’m sorry, Eliza, but we have news . . . We’ve found Georgia’s body. It looks like she fell from a cliff . . .’

‘Eliza . . . talk to me . . . How can I help?’ said Monica, her own voice raspy from tears.

‘I have to go back,’ Eliza said woodenly.

‘Where?’ said Monica. ‘The hospital?’

‘I have to find a way to remember.’

I have to tell them about the fight, part of her screamed, but it was a very distant part, almost like someone else’s voice. I have to tell them about Tom and Cierra. This changes everything! She pushed that thought away. She had to do what was best for Wren. I have permission to be strong.

‘Eliza, you can’t go back up there. It’s dangerous. Let the searchers do their job . . .’

‘I need to go to Georgia’s family. I have to explain. I have to . . . I have to apologise.’ Suddenly that was all that mattered, the most vital thing in the world.

‘It’s not your fault!’

‘I left Georgia alone!’ she shouted, turning on Monica. ‘When I went back to search for the others, I left her all alone!’

Monica didn’t flinch. ‘You had to search for the others,’ she said. ‘Stop blaming yourself! Eliza, you can’t save everyone!’

‘Me, my fault, my own fault!’

‘Not if she fell off a cliff —’

‘You really think that’s what happened?’

‘Of course! Wh-what do you think happened?’