Things We Cannot See

by Dianne Maguire

  She led her into a kitchen-cum-family area where Maddi and Andrew sat at a glass table, their expressions equally morose, their hands wrapped around steaming mugs. Maddi wore a pink towelling robe over patterned pyjamas, her pale skin contrasted by a mass of tawny hair, only partially caught within a fluff of ponytail.

  ‘Would you like tea, coffee?’ Jayne said once she had carried out introductions.

  ‘A coffee would be brilliant,’ Laura said. ‘How are you?’ she said to Maddi above the grinding of the coffee machine, ignoring the dark circles beneath the girl’s vivid green eyes.

  Maddi shrugged. ‘I’m okay now . . . thanks.’

  ‘I hear you had a sleepover at Alex’s house Saturday night.’

  ‘Yes, she did,’ Jayne chimed from the other side of the breakfast bar.

  ‘Darling, I think Laura wants Maddi to answer the questions,’ Andrew said, running his finger along the collar of his white shirt.

  ‘Of course. Sorry,’ Jayne said, placing a mug of coffee and a plate of almond bread in front of Laura.

  ‘Tell me what happened, Maddi,’ Laura said.

  As Maddi related what she had seen, Andrew and Jayne’s faces gradually hardened, fading to the colour of stone. Sometimes they stole glimpses at each other, other times they gazed down at the table’s glass surface, obviously confronted by what their daughter was recounting. Laura was in awe of Maddi’s smooth recall, her maturity in relating such vivid and hideous detail. But most of all there was Maddi’s puzzled concern on behalf of her friend, her anguished disbelief at what she had witnessed.

  An hour later Jayne walked with Laura along the length of glass, the sun now glistening off the pool. And as Laura made her way down the sylvan pathway towards her car, she wondered if at least one of them would be staying home with their daughter today.

  She drove to the office pondering the Sterling family’s stunned expressions. Nothing shocked Laura anymore – or surprised her. Not how bad some human beings could be towards others. Or how astoundingly good, generous and caring others could be, even towards strangers. In hellish times it was they who restored her faith in human nature.

  Sipping her second coffee, Laura studied the phone on her desk, flinching when it suddenly rang.

  ‘Hello, Laura. This is Sheryl Buchanan from Child Welfare. I’m ringing about your notification regarding Alex Holt.’

  ‘I was just about to ring your department, Sheryl. I’ve spoken with the witness, Maddi Sterling, and I’m about to visit Alex.’

  ‘Oh,’ Sheryl said, taken aback. ‘Has there been a strategy discussion with our department already?’

  ‘No. I visited Maddi on my way in this morning because I know of her and her family through my work with the victim, Alex.’ Laura turned to her reflection in the window and immediately relaxed her frown. ‘I’m Alex’s police support officer. She’s the victim of a masked attack that occurred in Marchant Gardens a few weeks ago.’

  ‘Oh yes, I do know the case. I saw over the weekend that you’ve caught the guy,’ Sheryl said.

  ‘Yes.’ Laura shook her head at the irony.

  ‘The only difficulty that comes from us not being present when you talk with Alex this morning, is that we will need to assess whether she is safe to remain in her home.’ Sheryl paused, clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth. ‘Look . . . why don’t we visit Alex together? Are you available now?’

  As they shook hands in the car park of the school, Laura was impressed by Sheryl Buchanan’s energetic demeanour, her silver spiked hair and glossed lips, her solid build sheathed in black under a lime green polka dot jacket. They exchanged small talk as they made their way along the path to the admin building.

  ‘The principal has arranged for us to meet Alex in the private library,’ Laura told Sheryl. ‘Alex has no idea why we’re speaking with her, but she nominated her science teacher, Clive Fuller, as her support person.’ Laura made a face, knowing Sheryl was aware of their concerns about Mr Fuller. ‘Of course she was talked out of it.’

  Sheryl smiled. ‘I’m sure we are both perfectly capable of protecting Alex’s best interests,’ she said. ‘I suspect Mr Fuller could not say the same.’

  Minutes later, Laura and Sheryl faced Alex in leather armchairs arranged around a coffee table. Alex sat with her hands resting on the arms of her chair, her feet flat on the floor, the relaxed manner she and Laura had built between them now noticeably absent.

  Laura introduced Sheryl before saying, ‘Do you know why we’re here, Alex?’

  She shook her head. ‘All Ms Hosking said was that you and Child Welfare wanted to talk to me.’

  ‘We need to check out some information we’ve received.’

  Alex’s expression softened a little. ‘OK. What information?’

  ‘We’ve been notified that your stepfather has sexually abused you,’ Laura said.

  Alex’s immediate shock slid into defensiveness. ‘Well your information is wrong.’

  ‘Alex, we wouldn’t be here if our information wasn’t reliable,’ Laura said.

  ‘Your information is totally wrong,’ she repeated turning to the view outside the window. ‘Sure Greg can be a grump sometimes but he would never do anything like that.’ She blew out the side of her mouth with a dismissive shake of her head. ‘Who told you that anyway? It was Maddi wasn’t it?’

  ‘We’re not permitted to disclose the identity of our notifiers,’ Sheryl interjected.

  ‘It doesn’t matter. I know it was Maddi,’ Alex said, sneering. ‘She’s a lying bitch. She’s supposed to be my friend.’ She crossed one leg over the other her foot bouncing as she defiantly eyed Laura, then Sheryl.

  ‘What he is doing is wrong and he won’t stop until you speak out,’ Laura said.

  ‘You don’t get it. He has done nothing wrong. There is nothing to speak out about.’

  Laura studied Alex’s downcast eyes, her sombre expression. Knew her well enough to see that despite her bravado, she was aching inside . . . the hollow confused ache of a little girl in a woman’s body. ‘You don’t owe Greg anything. You know that don’t you, Alex?’ she said.

  Alex studied Laura’s face for a moment before turning again to the window.

  ‘What Greg is doing to you is not only illegal – it’s ethically and morally wrong as well.’

  ‘I told you, He’s not doing anything to me,’ Alex pleaded. ‘He really cares about me.’

  ‘I know it’s confusing. You may even enjoy it. That’s nothing to feel ashamed about. But Greg is an intelligent adult. He knows he is taking advantage of you. He also knows he’s breaking the law. He’s the one in trouble, Alex – not you.’

  ‘No one’s in trouble. Greg is doing nothing. How many times do I have to say it?’

  The three sat in silence as Laura considered options. ‘When are you due to see Dr O’Leary?’

  ‘Tomorrow.’ Alex said, the tension in her face easing.

  Laura and Sheryl exchanged knowing looks before rising from their seats. ‘We’ll let you get back to your lessons now, Alex,’ Laura said.

  ‘Is that it?’ Alex slowly came to her feet.

  ‘What do you think?’ Laura asked Sheryl as they made their way back to their cars.

  ‘I don’t believe her. I think he has groomed her to perfection. She knows exactly how to protect him,’ Sheryl said. “Let’s hope Declan O’Leary can work his usual magic with her, but I suspect it won’t be easy.’

  Laura watched through pinpricks of rain on her rear window as Sheryl pulled into the kerb behind her. Without speaking, they walked from their cars along the gravel drive and onto the verandah of the white stucco house, Bruno’s deep barks audible from inside as they approached.

  ‘Hello, Laura.’ Cynthia smiled in the doorway, as she pulled on Bruno’s collar in a futile effort to dampen his welcome. ‘Come in.’

  ‘Cynthia, this is Sheryl Buchanan from Child Welfare,’ Laura said, once inside the door
. ‘We’ve come to ask you a few questions about Alex.’

  The smile immediately slid from Cynthia’s face. ‘Sure. Let’s go in the kitchen,’ she said, leading the way.

  ‘Is Greg home?’ Laura asked as she took a seat.

  ‘No. He’s at work,’ Cynthia said, concerned.

  ‘Cynthia, I am required to tell you that we interviewed Alex at school today because we have received information that Greg has been sexually abusing her,’ Sheryl said, once they were all seated.

  Cynthia frowned down at the table’s surface, slowly shaking her head. ‘No. That can’t be right,’ she said. She looked up at them. ‘I know he can be a prick sometimes. But he would never . . . What did Alex say?’ she said suddenly hopeful.

  ‘Alex said Greg would never do such a thing,’

  ‘Well there’s your answer then.’

  ‘We can’t accept that. We think Alex is protecting him.’

  ‘But why? Why would she do that?’

  ‘To avoid getting him into trouble . . . To protect you . . . To keep the family together. There are a myriad of reasons why victims protect their abusers.’ Laura said.

  ‘I can’t believe we are having this conversation,’ Cynthia said her head slowly shaking from side to side again, her frown intense.

  ‘We realise this is terribly difficult for you to take on board, particularly given what you and Alex have been through already. But our information is very reliable.’

  ‘What information? Who told you this?’ Cynthia said, her eyes blazing.

  ‘We are not permitted to say. You have to trust us.’

  She stared defiantly at Laura before her eyes filled with tears. ‘What if they are being malicious?’

  Laura and Sheryl shook their heads in unison. ‘We don’t believe that is the case,’ Laura said.

  ‘I can’t bear the thought,’ Cynthia sobbed. She swiped her face with the back of her hand and rose from her seat for a tissue. ‘I don’t know what to do,’ she said blowing her nose.

  ‘Have you ever noticed anything to make you wonder?’ Laura asked.

  ‘No of course not,’ Cynthia snapped.

  ‘The police will soon be questioning Greg,’ Laura said. ‘In the meantime we need your assurance that you will not say anything about this to him, and you will not allow Alex to be alone with him. If you don’t think you can do that we will find a safe place for you and Alex to stay tonight.’

  ‘This is real. This is actually happening,’ she said sobbing into her hands. ‘That bastard. Oh my God. . . . Alex. I am soooo sorry I’ve let you down.’

  Laura glanced at her watch and Sheryl signalled above Cynthia’s bent head that she should get moving. ‘Cynthia. It’s vital I talk to Noah Tamblyn as soon as possible. Sheryl will stay and help with anything you need.’

  Cynthia’s lips clenched as she nodded with a shuddering breath. Laura thumped along the passage and let herself out.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  On her way back to the office Laura discovered Noah was out on another job and left a message for him to ring her the moment he was free. She drove through the city traffic, reflecting on the way Alex had stoically defended Greg, concluding that beneath her confidence and self-assurance she was a seething mass of anguish and confusion. She knew it would take someone with abilities beyond her own, someone very special and very skilled to chip through that. Her relief was immense when Alex had said she and Cynthia would be seeing Declan tomorrow.

  Within the hour Laura faced Noah in a closed interview room at the station and brought him up to date.

  ‘First Fuller, then Malone and now Shepherd,’ Noah said. ‘Alex has that profound vulnerability predators seem to detect with that slimy sixth sense of theirs.’ He stretched his arms behind his head and pinned Laura with a cogitative gaze. ‘Even though you say Maddi is a reliable witness it’s not enough. It’s basically her word against Alex’s. I don’t want to barge in prematurely on this and lose the whole case. I’m going to do a bit more research.’ He leapt from his chair. ‘I’ll keep you posted.’ He flung the door open and was gone.

  ‘Cynthia was calmer by the time I left her,’ Sheryl told Laura over the phone later. ‘She’s accepted what we have told her and I believe her when she says she can keep it to herself and protect Alex from further abuse, at least for the immediate future. So I’m satisfied Alex is safe at home for now. We discussed emergency strategies and I have a safe-house on stand-by just in case.’

  ‘Noah doesn’t feel he has enough to guarantee an arrest so he’s trawling for more information,’ Laura said rubbing and stretching her neck. ‘I hope it doesn’t take too long. One of us should phone Cynthia later this evening, just as a precaution.’

  ‘Yep. I’ve got it covered,’ Sheryl said.

  ‘Greg Shepherd’s arrogance made him bloody easy to track down,’ Noah said dropping into the seat beside her desk. ‘He’s a person of interest in a Victorian case of a single mother named Virginia Moonie, and her daughter Eve.’

  ‘Why am I not surprised?’ Laura said facing him.

  ‘Five years ago Greg Shepherd befriended Moonie via a dating website. Weeks later, voila, she had moved into his home in the leafy eastern suburbs, along with her teenage daughter,’ he said. ‘A year later a diligent GP notified the Victorian Child Welfare Department that both mother and daughter had STDs – luckily the treatable type, but still of major concern to the doctor, nonetheless. The Victorian Department investigated but in the face of Shepherd’s and Eve’s continued denials and Moonie’s persistent stance that Shepherd could do no wrong, they eventually dropped the case due to lack of evidence. There is no further record of Eve or her mother, or Shepherd for that matter either.’

  Laura clucked lightly, aware of the sad irony that the more victims Shepherd accumulated, the greater the probability of him being prosecuted. It was simply a matter of time.

  ‘He seems to move from one state, one prime neighbourhood to another. He must be rolling in cash,’ Noah said.

  ‘He works for a pharmaceutical company. He would be making a fortune,’ Laura said.

  Noah studied the floor and repeatedly stroked his top lip. ‘The Victorian guys want to be kept informed about what happens this end, but other than that I still don’t think we have enough evidence.’ He glanced up at Laura’s concerned frown. ‘I know there’s a ticking clock with Cynthia and Alex still being in the house, but we have to be strategic.’ He slapped his thigh. ‘I’m going to talk to Public Prosecutions. If they think we have enough I’ll immediately pay Shepherd a visit.’

  Knowing there was nothing more to be done for the time being, Laura turned her mind to another case that had been demanding her attention for days. It seemed only minutes had passed, but it must have been hours when she glanced up to see headlights and street lamps glowing in the encroaching darkness outside. Immediately alarmed that she had heard nothing from either Noah or Sheryl she was about to pick up the phone when it rang.

  ‘Laura, it’s Cynthia. I don’t know what to do. Alex came home from school late . . . I was beside myself . . . but anyway, when she finally got home she refused to speak. She’s closed the door to her room and every time I step in to try and speak to her she has a screaming fit and slams the door closed again. I don’t know how to handle this,’ she said finally breaking into tears.

  ‘Where’s Greg?’ Laura asked.

  ‘That’s the good news. He came home this afternoon saying he’d been called to Darwin for an emergency meeting, packed a bag and left for the airport. He’d probably be there by now . . . I suppose I should have phoned Noah to save him a trip, but I’ve been so wrapped up in dealing with Alex.’

  ‘Does Greg often go to Darwin?’ Laura said, alarm bells clanging.

  ‘Occasionally.’

  ‘Keep calm with Alex, Cynthia. It’s OK if she doesn’t talk tonight. She may open up with Declan tomorrow. She’s safe for now. Just keep an eye on her,’ Lau
ra said in a voice that belied the anger she felt building.

  I think Greg has done a bloody runner she called as she stepped into Noah’s workspace. She dropped down into a seat and repeated the conversation she’d just had with Cynthia.

  ‘Don’t panic Laura. There is every likelihood that Greg has been called away for a few days just as he says, which gives us some badly needed time to compile our case. Cynthia and Alex are safe. It’s all good.’

  Pleased to finally be leaving the office, Laura crossed the dimly lit car park, dreading the thought of facing Simon tonight. She pulled the car door closed and dialled Tara’s number.

  ‘Hey, I don’t suppose you visited Simon today?’ she said hopefully.

  ‘Yes, we did, as a matter of fact. I left work early. Seth and I wanted to tell him about Anthony. So you’re off the hook,’ Tara joked prophetically.

  ‘How was he?’ she said.

  ‘He’s up and sort of walking – they’ve started him on rehab already. He didn’t say much about you – which I found very interesting – other than asking why you were looking after Flynn’s dog.’

  ‘What did he think of the news about Anthony?’ Laura said.

  ‘I’m not sure. He smiled and said all the right things, but there was an underlying something I couldn’t quite fathom.’ She paused for a moment before chuckling. ‘Seth is so funny. He told Simon, “My dad is smart and a bit old, like you”.’ Tara laughed out loud at the memory.

  ‘What did Simon say?’ Laura had in mind the image of Seth’s genuine expression in stating what he thought to be the bleeding obvious.

  ‘He seemed a bit taken aback. He asked Seth, is he smart like me, or old like me? And Seth immediately came back with “He’s old like you. But not the same because he still has lots of hair. You’re smart too, Pops, just not as smart as my dad. He’s a Queen”.’

  Laura laughed. ‘One day you’ll have to explain the difference between a Queen and a Queen’s Counsel. Anyway, seeing as you have been in to see him, I’m going straight home for a hot bath.

  The car idled at the car park exit, when Laura’s phone rang from where it sat on the passenger seat.