‘Hmm,’ Patti said, looking down as Maddie continued to suck.
‘I can’t even remember her having a nappy rash.’
‘Let’s go and have a chat with Janelle,’ Patti said, taking the empty bottle out of Maddie’s mouth. ‘Do you want to make up another bottle before we do that? I think she’d take it.’
Back in her office, Melinda placed the sleeping baby into the pram. Janelle looked alarmed that both women had come back in, with serious looks on their faces.
‘What’s wrong?’ she asked. ‘Is there something wrong with Maddie? Is she sick?’
‘She’s hungry, Janelle,’ Patti said softly. ‘Very hungry. And because she’s hungry, she’s going to cry and not sleep but, also, she’s losing weight and not growing the way she needs to.’
‘She won’t take a bottle!’
‘I understand that seems to be a big problem. Janelle, we’ve had her feeding in here twice. She guzzles it.’ Patti broke off when Janelle stood up and snatched at the pram as if to walk out the door. ‘She’s a very hungry baby and hungry babies feed.’
Patti subtly blocked the door.
‘You saying I can’t look after my own baby?’ the teenager asked in a loud voice.
‘No, Janelle, that’s not—’
‘You can get fucked. I know what I’m doing.’
‘Janelle,’ Melinda barked, needing to get the situation back in hand. ‘Sit down. We are not saying you can’t look after your own child. We’re here to help you, not make life harder. Okay?’
‘Why don’t you believe me?’ she pleaded. ‘I am looking after my baby! It’s not my fault she won’t drink or take a bottle. It’s not my fault I haven’t got any milk!’
Melinda looked at the young girl, her tears wet on her cheeks, and remembered what she’d been like at seventeen. How could a girl who was little more than a baby herself be expected to raise a child? Especially without support from her family. It was no wonder she was crying out for help.
She squatted down in front of the girl and put her hands on Janelle’s knees. ‘Listen, Janelle, can I tell you what I think is happening here? It’s you who’s crying out for help here. You who needs some attention. Unfortunately, you’re getting us to pay attention to you by hurting your baby, and as Maddie’s nurse I can’t let you do that.’
Janelle stared at her. ‘I’m not hurting my own baby,’ she said angrily. ‘She’s the one who won’t drink. I’m trying to feed her but she won’t…It’s all her fault.’
Patti shook her head. ‘Sweetheart, you’re so young and I know you’re not getting any help at home. In your situation it would be quite normal to need help. But you can’t do it in this way. You’re starving Maddie, while trying to get attention for yourself.’ She spoke in a gentle tone. ‘So, what we’re going to do now is take you both across to the hospital. Maddie needs to be looked at by a doctor and you do too.’
‘I’m not going nowhere,’ Janelle said. ‘You’re both full of it. Got no idea about me or my life. Or Maddie. We’re leaving.’
‘You can’t, Janelle. We’re not going to let you. If you don’t come willingly with us, I’ll have to call social services to come over here and take you to the hospital.’ Melinda didn’t mention that the Department of Community Services would be called anyway. ‘If you let us take you, it’s going to be much better for you and your baby.’
Janelle didn’t say anything, just stared at them with fire in her eyes. Suddenly she sagged and all the fight went out of her. She burst into tears and slumped back into the chair, her sobs breaking Melinda’s heart.
Chapter 26
‘I still haven’t heard from the next of kin,’ Dave said to Spencer when he came back in late on Thursday afternoon. ‘But the coppers from Ballarat have called.’
‘Took a while,’ he said.
‘They’ve done the inform. The mother is elderly and having a bit of trouble dealing with the news. Doesn’t sound like she can get out much or has a lot of friends or support around her.’
‘Tough.’
‘Shannon has finished with the body so he can be sent back to his mother now,’ Dave said.
‘Okay, can you get hold of Shannon and organise it? Let her know that from our end she’s right to release the body. I guess the funeral directors will do the rest.’
‘No problems. Now, Peter from the camping shop has confirmed the items are from his store. He’s also brought in a photocopy of the cheque that Glen used to pay for the goods. That camp was indeed Glen Bartlett’s.’ Dave drew in a breath, held it for a moment, then let it out in a whoosh. ‘And there’s something weird about his bank accounts.’
Spencer looked over at him, his eyes alert. ‘Whose bank accounts?’
‘Glen Bartlett’s. They came on the fax this morning. His bank in Ballarat wasn’t going to let me have any of the information I wanted without a warrant, so I got on to the judge on duty and told him what I needed. It was the fastest warrant I’ve ever got!’
‘Judge Banrock is pretty easy to work with. So tell me, what did you find?’
Dave grabbed a sheaf of shiny fax paper and took it over to Spencer’s desk and pointed to all the highlighted amounts.
‘Looks to me like he was getting money from someone. Every two weeks there’s been three hundred paid in. There’s no reference to where it’s come from other than a manual transfer notation and it’s been happening for the past six months.’
Spencer flicked through the pages. ‘Hmm. Did he have any other accounts? Credit card?’
‘A credit card and another savings account. This one here is his running account. The credit card has a debit of five hundred dollars and the savings account has five grand
