‘Calm down, Carl,’ said Eliza. ‘They’re the police.’

‘I know who they are. I want them out of her room.’

‘I’m sorry, I know this is hard,’ said Gabriella. ‘But a diary is important, it could help us build a picture of what might have happened.’

‘Get out,’ Carl snarled. He lunged for the diary.

‘Don’t hurt him,’ shouted Coops, as Gabriella deftly caught the boy’s wrist and pulled it back on itself. Carl let out a howl and Gabriella let him go, but kept her eye on him.

Carl balled his fists. ‘Give it back or I’ll kill you.’

‘I’m really sorry. Carl, is it?’ said Coops. ‘It’s important for us to use everything we can to try to find out what happened to your sister, to bring back the other girls.’

‘Like you give a fuck about my sister, pig.’

‘Carl, please,’ said Eliza. ‘Mum needs you right now.’ Carl glared at Eliza for a moment. They could still hear Rosie’s anguish at the other end of the house. ‘She really, really needs you . . .’

He stalked out of the room.

Gabriella looked back down at Georgia’s diary. ‘Good job, Eliza.’

Suddenly one of Rosie’s relatives rushed into the room. A red mark was across her cheek. ‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry, he’s going to your car!’

Cursing, Gabriella ran out the door.

Coops approached the woman slowly. ‘Your cheek – are you alright?’

‘It’s fine. I hit myself on the door.’ Tears welled and spilled over. ‘He’s not himself right now.’

A moment later his radio crackled. ‘I’ve got him, Coops,’ said Gabriella. ‘He started scratching a lovely message into the car. K-U-N . . .’

Coops sighed through his nose, ruffling his moustache. ‘Can’t even spell . . .’ Eliza followed him outside.

There was now a small crowd of Rosie’s family in the driveway – more had arrived – and they were clustered around the police car, getting drenched in the rain. Eliza and Coops pushed through the people to find Gabriella, nursing her forearm and a red bite mark, swearing profusely. Carl was nowhere to be seen.

‘He bit me,’ said Gabriella. ‘The little feral.’

Her words invoked a reaction from the crowd, who began buzzing dangerously. Coops immediately put his radio to his mouth. ‘This is Detective Coops, requesting back-up. Young male on the run; needed for questioning and assault of a police officer. Carl Lenah. He’s just taken off on a dirtbike – brown helmet, orange bike.’

‘No!’ screamed Rosie, leaning against another man for support. ‘Please, not again! Don’t take him back to the station!’

‘Please, sir, have a heart –’ said someone. ‘Mate, he didn’t mean it,’ said someone else.

‘I’m sorry, Mrs Lenah, but he has assaulted an officer,’ said Stuart. ‘We should have explained to him how important Georgia’s diary could be.’

The crowd of people muttered angrily.

‘Don’t say her name!’ hissed Gabriella.