‘I told you, I didn’t have one. The church paid me to rent them the cottage, and she used it. End of story.’

‘The St John of God group, to be exact?’

‘That sounds right.’

‘So if we look back through your financial records we’ll find regular deposits from them into one of your accounts during the years the girls’ home was in operation?’

‘Of course.’ Campbell looked down at his coffee. ‘Just ask my accountant.’

‘You have an accountant?’ his son asked.

‘Course I do.’

‘He’s not a very good one, then,’ Max said.

‘When you made the agreement with the church, you weren’t concerned about the noise?’ Jake asked.

Campbell looked puzzled ‘What noise?’

‘The sound of lots of little children running around, playing.’

‘No, he … ah … they promised the children would be quiet.’

‘Who?’

‘Look, it was the Christian thing to do. I don’t understand why you’re here. Shouldn’t Kelly be the one to do this?’

‘Who first approached you to rent the cottage?’

‘One of the brothers. Don’t remember his name, so no point in asking.’

Jake’s intuition suggested he may have touched a nerve, but given Mason’s ornery nature it was difficult to say for sure.

‘And did you carry out regular inspections?’

‘Of?’

‘The cottage. Surely you were concerned that a dozen or so children might damage your property?’

‘If they’d done any damage the church would have paid for it. Look, what has any of this got to do with why I’m here?’

‘That’s what I’m trying to determine, Mr Campbell.’

Something occurred to Jake … he pulled his phone out and moved towards the door.

‘See?’ Mason Campbell grumped. ‘Always on the portable phones.’

The door closed behind Jake as he re-entered the corridor.

‘Detective Hunter?’ Charlotte answered her phone.

‘Yes. Hi, Charlotte. Are you visiting Amelia today?’

‘I’m going over later this afternoon.’

‘I thought you might be. I wanted to let you know that Liam O’Brien, Ms O’Brien’s brother, is here at the moment.’

‘You’re there?’

‘Yes. Why?’

‘Amelia said she’d like to talk to you again.’

Jake hadn’t expected that. ‘I’ll see her soon, then. But back to Mr O’Brien …’

‘If he’s there, I should probably offer him my con­dolences? For Ms O’Brien?’

Politeness had won the day. ‘He would probably appre­ciate that,’ he said. ‘He’s visiting Mason Campbell in Ward 6B. And if I’m still here when you arrive, I’d like a word?’

‘Okay?’ she said.

‘Nothing to worry about, I just want to ask you about Ava’s house.’

‘No problem,’ she said.

Pushing the door to Campbell’s room open again, he smiled.

Three pairs of eyes looked at him curiously.