O’Brien and Campbell’s code word certainly had an effect. Jake was out of his chair, running around to the other side of the table to pick him up seconds after he hit the ground.

The damage was done.

Kelly opened the door and thundered, ‘Out!’

Jake wasn’t certain which of them was more startled by Kelly’s appearance—him, or the prone Liam O’Brien.

*

Ava’s brother had dumped Lilith at St Kilda beach. He had known of and most likely perpetrated the abuse and torture of the girls. He knew where the missing children were. Jake was certain of it.

Kelly didn’t disagree with him, but he annoyingly pointed out the lack of evidence for Jake’s assertions.

‘You’re not giving me anything I can base an application for a warrant on, Hunter. You have to see that. Kidnapping, child abuse, endangerment, abandonment—you’ve got conjecture, you’ve got speculation, and a little circumstantial evidence, but nothing to tie Liam to what you suspect went on at the home.’

‘O’Brien’s at the centre of it. I know it.’

‘The man’s a labourer, and a fairly good one by all accounts. I’ve had no complaints about him over the years. He never seems to go anywhere or do anything. He likes a drink, I’ll grant you that, but that’s no crime.’ Kelly winked at him.

What did Kelly mean by that?

‘The case you’re outlining makes sense, but at this point in time you’re not giving me any evidence to hang the charges on. It’s all circumstantial, full of holes large enough for a defence lawyer to drive a truck through.’

‘There are too many indications to ignore …’

‘We have to be cautious here.’ Kelly said. ‘If we’re going to arrest him we have to be on solid ground. This began as a suspicious death, and suddenly you’re looking at a range of historical offences based primarily on the word of a couple of mixed-up girls.’

‘What of the local girls who were giving birth and leaving their babies at the home? Where are those children?’

‘Do you have any evidence that happened?’

‘A local source.’

‘What local source?’

Jake hesitated to admit who it had been.

‘The woman who runs the local takeaway.’ He rushed on. ‘It does explain where the girls raised in the home came from, given the absence of records from the foster system.’

‘That woman at the chippie is a notorious gossip,’ Kelly said. ‘She’s started more than one neighbourhood grassfire with her rumourmongering.’

‘Do we make a public appeal for women who gave birth there to come forward, promise them anonymity?’

‘I don’t think so,’ Kelly said. ‘Discreet enquiries would be best. Maria could ask around town without ruffling any feathers. That might be best for now.’