Wozza’s forehead creased in thought. ‘Can’t say I have. Barratt’s about a decade older than Lachie, too, which means they wouldn’t have gone to school together.’

‘I’d love to know what’s drawn them together.’

Our next stop was Jack’s place. His car was outside, but there was no answer when we knocked on the door. Wozza did the fist-knocking thing and the ‘Open up! Police’ thing until an older woman from the unit next door came out and scowled at him.

Wozza looked abashed. ‘Sorry about that. You seen him?’ He nodded at Jack’s door.

The woman shook her head. ‘Not since he came home from work yesterday,’ she said. ‘It’s strange, because his car is in the carport. That normally means he’s home, but when I called over with some scones I made yesterday afternoon, there was no answer. I tried again today. Nothing.’

With Jack on the prowl, I called the station and issued a keep-a-lookout alert for him, and made sure patrols around pubs were stepped up. While we searched for who was responsible for the sexual assaults, I was determined to put as many obstacles as I could in the perpetrator’s way.

RECORD OF INTERVIEW

RECORD OF INTERVIEW

Record of Conversation between Detective Senior Constable Antigone Pollard and Detective Senior Constable Warren Harvey and James Tuffin—aka ‘Jimbo’—conducted at the Deception Bay Primary School Holiday Program, Deception Bay, Tuesday, 23 September, 4.20 pm

Warren Harvey: Just turning on the recorder, Jimbo.

James Tuffin: What’s this about, Wozza?

WH: The Australia Day barbecue.

JT: What? I’ve already been interviewed about this, Wozza. Nothing happened!

WH: Not according to one young woman we’ve spoken to.

JT: We didn’t do anything wrong. They were up for it.

WH: Who else was involved?

JT: Involved in what?

AP: Who else had sex with the two women that night?

JT: I don’t know. I was drunk. Hard to remember.

Antigone Pollard: Where did the sexual encounter take place?

JT: Wait, what?

WH: Was it in the house where the party was? Like in a bedroom?

JT: Um …

WH: Or did you take them somewhere?

JT: Look, I gotta get back to the kids. Leave ’em alone too long and one of them might get hurt.

AP: Just a couple of quick questions. Have you ever introduced yourself at the pub as ‘Jack’? We have a witness who saw you do that last Thursday night at the Royal.

JT: Might have. No law against giving chicks a false name … er, is there?

WH: Just the law of manners, mate.

AP: Do you recall buying drinks for Meg Mulligan and her friends at the Royal that night?

JT: No. Never heard of them. I really gotta go.

[ … ]

AP: What do you think?

WH: He was squirming like he had a weasel up his butt.

AP: Did you turn off the recording?

WH: Yep. Er, nup. [Click]