Part One
The beach was where they went to play. Renée always led the way, even though she was the younger sister. She would run down the path through the dunes like a wild creature just released from a cage, skinny legs strong and true, dodging sharp spinifex grass underfoot, while Margaux lingered, picking seaside daisies from the dunes until her hands were full. The screech of silver gulls and the sound of crashing waves would greet them as they reached the shore.
They didn’t swim, not when they were alone. The waters of their beach were not to be taken lightly. Instead they sat on the sand and made daisy chains and crowns, and paddled in the shallows and explored the rock pools. They crushed mussels with stones and threw the remains into the water, just to watch the little fish and the crabs swarm. They built sandcastles on the beach and stories in the air and when the hunger came, gnawing at their bellies, they played louder, ran faster, until the sun started to dip low, then lower still, and they had no choice but to retrace their steps, back up through the dunes to the house.
Chapter One
When Judith Lee walked into the interview room early on Monday morning, Alexis Turner was waiting for her. Someone had brought the girl a cup of coffee from the machine in the custody suite, but it didn’t look like she’d touched it.
‘Alexis? I’m Judith.’
Alexis was wearing a grey hoodie that was two sizes too big for her. The hood was up and pulled forward, hiding most of her face. Judith put her own cup of coffee down on the table, pulled out a chair and sat, carefully. The pain in her ribs was a constant dull throb and sudden movements turned the pain into something much sharper.
‘It’s toxic, the coffee down here. We’ll have to do better.’
‘Yeah.’
Judith leaned forward a little, trying to get a better look at the girl. She caught a glimpse of brown eyes, smudged dark eye make-up, and a sharp little chin. Tendrils of dark hair escaped from under the hood. The desk sergeant had said that Alexis had asked for Judith by name, but Judith didn’t recognise her.
‘I’m told you want to report a crime. If you don’t mind, I’d like to record the interview. I’ll press this button here...’ Judith gestured to the control panel installed on the table. ‘That will turn on the sound equipment in the room. Is that okay? If you’d prefer, for now, I can just take notes.’
‘Doesn’t matter. Either way is fine.’
Judith entered her badge number and started the recording. She checked her watch and cleared her throat. ‘This is Detective Sergeant Judith Lee. It’s nine forty-eight a.m. on Monday, eighth of July 2024. I am in interview room three, Melbourne West Police Station. Also present is Ms Alexis Turner. Alexis, do you understand that this interview is being audio recorded?’
‘Yeah.’
‘Can you give me your full name and date of birth for the tape?’
‘Alexis Turner. Tenth of May, two thousand and four.’
‘Thanks. And your address and phone number?’
‘I live at Merrill Hall. Room fourteen, floor two. It’s near to uni. I can walk to lectures.’
‘Okay, great.’ Judith wanted to ask Alexis to pull down her hood because she couldn’t see her clearly with the hood up and eye contact was key to reading someone. She decided to leave it alone. Alexis gave Judith her phone number, then wiped at her nose with the back of her hand and mumbled something.
‘I’m sorry?’ Judith said.
‘I know you heard me.’
‘I’m sorry, Alexis, I really—’
‘It’s just so messed up. He’s the one who... and now I have to sit here in this horrible room. Why does it smell so disgusting?’
‘I don’t think it—’
‘That’s not even the point. The point is, he does what he wants, he’s done it for years, and now I have to come here. I have to be recorded, and I have to go through all of this song and dance while he sits at home in his mansion and what price does he pay for any of it? Answer me that.’
Alexis had small hands. Her nails showed the remains of chipped black polish and were bitten to the quick. She wore chunky silver rings on her fingers.
‘That’s why you’ve come here,’ Judith said. ‘Because you want me to investigate. You want to tell me what he did, so that he can pay the price. Right?’
Someone must have sent this girl. Someone who believed that Judith would do the right thing by her. And Alexis had trusted that person enough to come in, just about.
‘Can we start at the beginning?’ Judith said. ‘Start anywhere that feels right to you.’
There was a moment, a long pause.
