reams of paper. She didnt want him to hear whispers about
her. She didnt want the officers now watching her expressionlessly to smirk,
roll their eyes, look bored or later go bolshie on her because they didnt
think she was up to the job.
Friday, early evening. Theyd all
rather be at home. She glanced out of the window at the darkening night. She
could see flags and streamers curling lazily outside, lit by the streetlights,
advertising the Waterloo Show. A perfect weekend coming up.
The mother and the boyfriend told
you shes run away before? van Alphen asked.
Yes.
Then shes run away again.
Leaving her favourite toy behind?
He shrugged as if the whole thing
was beneath him.
Kees, Ellen said exasperatedly, tell
us what you really think.
He pushed away the ruins of his cup
and looked at her finally. She has a history of running away, right? And shes
a kidkids have short attention spans. She dropped her stupid toy and forgot
about it. As for running away, maybe shes reacting to tensions at home; maybe
shes trying to throw a scare into her mother. Note she didnt leave the bike
behind, a bikes too precious for that. Shell turn up. They always do.
Weve tried all of her friends,
Ellen said, feeling defensive.
Yeah, but have you tried her enemies? Her friends are bound to lie, to protect her.
And her enemies are bound to tell
us the truth? said Ellen, cocking her head at him, even though she knew his
idea was sound: an enemy will lie to hurt, just as a friend will lie to
protect, but an enemy might also reveal those things a friend will want to
concealnot that she thought little girls of that age had confirmed enemies.
Van Alphen shrugged. Its just a
thought, he said, meaning that she hadnt covered all of the bases yet.
Prints on the Tamagotchi? Scobie
asked.
Ellen turned to him with relief. Too
soon. Its being tested.
They watched her, and waited. Ive
had a few hundred flyers printed, she said, her voice sharp. Van, Id like
you to muster up some uniforms and start distributing them tonight and
tomorrow, all around town, especially along her bike route and at the
showgrounds. I want a thorough canvass: flyers in shop windows, on bus shelters
and light poles, etcetera, a saturation doorknock. The main Melbourne
newspapers will run stories tomorrow, and TV and radio this evening. But we do
not make public anything about an abduction or a paedophile ring. Its too
alarmist. Its also too soon.
Senior Sergeant Kellock hadnt said
a word as yet. Hed sat there, a massive, brooding presence, signifying
disapproval, as though shed gone too far. She sighed inwardly. Senior
Sergeant?
He stirred, his huge head lifting
and turning to take in Ellen, the room and the men and women around him. This
is a kid, just remember that, he growled, and Ellen could have embraced him.
Thats what she wanted them all to
remember. This was a kid. A kid was missing. Scobie, you can be incident room
manager. If this gets any bigger well want data inputters, a receiver and an
analyst, so plenty of computers and phones, please.
Okay.
The briefing had taken ninety
minutes. Before Ellen could wrap it up, her mobile phone rang. She took the
call, tried not to show how thoroughly it disturbed her, and crossed to the TV
set in the corner. Behold, she said sourly, the mother and the boyfriend.
Evening Update, Channel 5, five
days a week from 7.30 until 8 pm. As Ellen watched, it occurred to her that
grief, stress and anxiety have many faces: numb, teary, expressionless,
defeated. But sometimesawfullygrief wears a smiling face. The voices coming
from the TV were a little hoarse and broken, but Katies mother and her
boyfriend were smiling for the cameras.
The segment was live, the reporter
in Donnas sitting room. The police fear that little Katies been abducted,
he said. Have you a message for her abductors?
We hope youll return Katie to us
unharmed, said Justin Pedder, showing his teeth. Reptilian teeth, thought Pam.
Ellen Destry
her. She didnt want the officers now watching her expressionlessly to smirk,
roll their eyes, look bored or later go bolshie on her because they didnt
think she was up to the job.
Friday, early evening. Theyd all
rather be at home. She glanced out of the window at the darkening night. She
could see flags and streamers curling lazily outside, lit by the streetlights,
advertising the Waterloo Show. A perfect weekend coming up.
The mother and the boyfriend told
you shes run away before? van Alphen asked.
Yes.
Then shes run away again.
Leaving her favourite toy behind?
He shrugged as if the whole thing
was beneath him.
Kees, Ellen said exasperatedly, tell
us what you really think.
He pushed away the ruins of his cup
and looked at her finally. She has a history of running away, right? And shes
a kidkids have short attention spans. She dropped her stupid toy and forgot
about it. As for running away, maybe shes reacting to tensions at home; maybe
shes trying to throw a scare into her mother. Note she didnt leave the bike
behind, a bikes too precious for that. Shell turn up. They always do.
Weve tried all of her friends,
Ellen said, feeling defensive.
Yeah, but have you tried her enemies? Her friends are bound to lie, to protect her.
And her enemies are bound to tell
us the truth? said Ellen, cocking her head at him, even though she knew his
idea was sound: an enemy will lie to hurt, just as a friend will lie to
protect, but an enemy might also reveal those things a friend will want to
concealnot that she thought little girls of that age had confirmed enemies.
Van Alphen shrugged. Its just a
thought, he said, meaning that she hadnt covered all of the bases yet.
Prints on the Tamagotchi? Scobie
asked.
Ellen turned to him with relief. Too
soon. Its being tested.
They watched her, and waited. Ive
had a few hundred flyers printed, she said, her voice sharp. Van, Id like
you to muster up some uniforms and start distributing them tonight and
tomorrow, all around town, especially along her bike route and at the
showgrounds. I want a thorough canvass: flyers in shop windows, on bus shelters
and light poles, etcetera, a saturation doorknock. The main Melbourne
newspapers will run stories tomorrow, and TV and radio this evening. But we do
not make public anything about an abduction or a paedophile ring. Its too
alarmist. Its also too soon.
Senior Sergeant Kellock hadnt said
a word as yet. Hed sat there, a massive, brooding presence, signifying
disapproval, as though shed gone too far. She sighed inwardly. Senior
Sergeant?
He stirred, his huge head lifting
and turning to take in Ellen, the room and the men and women around him. This
is a kid, just remember that, he growled, and Ellen could have embraced him.
Thats what she wanted them all to
remember. This was a kid. A kid was missing. Scobie, you can be incident room
manager. If this gets any bigger well want data inputters, a receiver and an
analyst, so plenty of computers and phones, please.
Okay.
The briefing had taken ninety
minutes. Before Ellen could wrap it up, her mobile phone rang. She took the
call, tried not to show how thoroughly it disturbed her, and crossed to the TV
set in the corner. Behold, she said sourly, the mother and the boyfriend.
Evening Update, Channel 5, five
days a week from 7.30 until 8 pm. As Ellen watched, it occurred to her that
grief, stress and anxiety have many faces: numb, teary, expressionless,
defeated. But sometimesawfullygrief wears a smiling face. The voices coming
from the TV were a little hoarse and broken, but Katies mother and her
boyfriend were smiling for the cameras.
The segment was live, the reporter
in Donnas sitting room. The police fear that little Katies been abducted,
he said. Have you a message for her abductors?
We hope youll return Katie to us
unharmed, said Justin Pedder, showing his teeth. Reptilian teeth, thought Pam.
Ellen Destry
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