‘Between you and me,’ Sarah added, flipping through the file, ‘I wasn’t that surprised when I heard he was dead. Derek was always a bit wild. He used to rip off clients, beat them up and take their money. That was his scam. Of course, I doubt many of his victims ever reported it to the police. If they did, they probably made something up.’
Nodding, I wondered whether Derek Jardine’s murder might have been connected to Dallas Boyd’s and the others in St Kilda. It seemed unlikely, given the time difference, the varying circumstances and the distance between locations. But there was one thing it might explain: Dallas Boyd’s motive. First his friend was bashed to death in a hotel room, possibly by a paedophile client, then his little sister was infected with chlamydia by the stepfather. It just might’ve been enough to make him turn against them. Like a blind man with a cane, I could sense the path ahead even though I couldn’t see it. I packed up the file, thanked her and asked if I could hold on to it.
‘Sure, just don’t burn me on this.’
‘You have my word, I won’t. Thank you.’
Walking with her to the door, I asked for an update on Rachel Boyd.
‘See, now you’re asking about an active case,’ she said. ‘A live one, which I can’t go into.’
‘Have you seen the place they live in?’ I replied, following her outside. ‘It’s a disgrace. They shouldn’t even be allowed to keep her there.’
‘You’re entitled to your opinion, but like I said, I can’t talk about it.’
‘Well, if you want my opinion, she needs to be removed from there. Her stepfather’s a genuine scumbag. Surely you know about the chlamydia?’
She stopped and stared at the traffic whizzing by on Royal Parade, unsure how far to commit.
‘Come on,’ I said. ‘We’re both on the same side, right?’
‘Of course we are, but it’s complicated. Leaving kids in an abusive environment isn’t right, but shunting them in and out of foster care doesn’t help either. Children need security and routine as much as they need safety.’
I shook my head, unconvinced.
‘All I can tell you is that wheels are in motion and a decision on Rachel’s welfare will be made soon,’ she said.
‘Better not wait too long or she’ll end up in this file too,’ I said.
‘Look, I know what you think, that we should just march in there and take her away, but removing a child from their legal guardian isn’t always the best solution.’
‘What is the best solution? Waiting until they’re hooked on drugs or infected with HIV? Jesus, you should read the coroner’s report on Dallas Boyd, count how many broken bones he suffered at the hands of his so-called guardian. Seriously, at what point do we say enough is enough?’
Sarah let out a long sigh, as though she was tired of having the debate.
‘It depends what research you accept,’ she said. ‘If you accept the research that the government accepts, then you take the view that children are best off remaining with their family unless they’re in immediate physical danger. Removing a child from the family home, however dysfunctional the household might be, causes undue stress on all members of the family, including the child, and should be the absolute last resort.’
‘Sounds like some rehearsed bureau-speak straight out of a manual,’ I said.
‘It is,’ she said, deadpan.
‘And you believe that shit?’
‘Detective, I’ve been doing this for over ten years now. Quite frankly, I don’t know what to believe any more.’
We stopped at a government sedan parked outside the hospital. Two crates were on the back seat, full of files just like the one I was carrying.
‘I’m sorry, I know it’s not your call,’ I said. ‘Just keep me in the loop as much as you can.’
‘I will,’ she said, opening the door and getting in the car. ‘I’ll call you as soon as I can let you know what the plan is. That’s the best I can do.’
I spent the next hour in Ella’s cubicle reading the file cover to cover. Between the three boys I counted over ninety separate reports from police, Juvenile Justice, Child Protection, hospitals, drug and alcohol workers and psychologists. Each was a depress-ingly dismal story of neglect, rebellion and child abuse. Parents like Dallas Boyd’s were the norm and I again wondered why it took so long before the system intervened. Why did a child’s life have to be in immediate physical danger before somebody stepped in?