on the search. A million things.’
‘We’re interviewing Danny Holsinger again.’
‘I’m more interested in finding Larrayne than who killed Clara Macris.’
‘Bear with me. I can tie him to the backpack.’
‘A backpack. Like I said, there must be dozens of them around.’
‘He stole this particular one. The label had been removed, either by him or before he stole it, I’ve yet to discover.’
She closed her eyes. ‘I pray to God this is it.’
‘Danny, did you remove the label after you stole the backpack, or had it already been removed?’
‘I didn’t steal it, Mr Challis. Sergeant Destry here knows I didn’t.’
‘I know no such thing, Danny.’
‘You believed me when you and that Pam Murphy had me in here.’
‘I don’t believe you now.’
‘I bought it fair and square at one of them seconds shops.’
‘Prove it. Show us the receipt.’
‘Paperwork. I don’t generally hang on to stuff like that.’
Challis leaned forward. ‘Danny, I’m not interested in your bullshit. I’ll let you in on a secret, shall I? That backpack? It belonged to Kymbly Abbott.’
‘Who?’
He seemed to be genuinely puzzled. ‘She was raped and murdered a couple of weeks before Christmas,’ Challis said. ‘Don’t you read the papers, watch the news?’
‘I don’t know their names,’ Danny muttered.
‘That sounds about right,’ Ellen said. ‘They’re just meat to you, right? You rape them, kill them, dump their bodies. Who cares what their names are?’
His voice cracked, failing on the high notes. ‘I didn’t kill nobody.’
‘We have to solve this case, Danny,’ Challis said. ‘You’re the best lead we’ve got.’
‘I can prove I didn’t kill them’
‘Got an alibi, have you? Boyd Jolic? Who’s going to believe him? Megan? She was at the front desk just now, making a statement. It starts, “Daniel Holsinger is a liar and a thief and likes to watch illegal porn,” and goes downhill from there.’
Danny looked stricken. ‘She never.’
‘You’ve got no friends, Danny. No-one’s going to alibi you. No-one’s going to shed any tears when we shut you away. Three life terms, you’re going to get.’
Ellen leaned forward and Challis saw how hard it was for her to say: ‘Four life terms. You see, Danny, my daughter’s gone missing, and right now I’m as inclined to throw the book at you as at anyone else. Never hurt a copper, Danny, didn’t any of your scumbag mates ever teach you that?’
He shot back in his chair. ‘I never touched your kid. I swear.’
Challis said softly, ‘The backpack, Danny.’
He slumped in his chair. ‘It’s like you said, I took it. This house up near Frankston.’
Challis stopped him. ‘Danny, you’re officially still under caution. I’m going to tape this, okay? Do you want a lawyer present?’
‘No.’
‘For the benefit of the tape, Mr Holsinger has admitted stealing a black leather backpack from a house near Frankston. Danny, to continue, did you cut the label out?’
‘It was already cut out, like you see in seconds shops sometimes.’
‘Did you steal anything else from this house?’
‘Might of. I forget. Cash and that.’
‘Where did you find the backpack?’
Danny smirked. ‘Get this-behind them panel things around the bath. I was in this other house once? Accidentally kicked the bath? The side falls off and there’s a couple of rifles in there. Now when I do over a house, that’s the first place I look.’
‘We might need the address of that particular house, Danny,’ said Challis dryly. But he felt the old familiar tingle of the hunt. This had to be Kymbly Abbott’s backpack. It was a souvenir, but not one that could be kept in plain sight.
Ellen got to her feet. ‘You’re going to show us where, Danny, now.’
Challis held up a hand. ‘Just one more minute. Danny, you’ve been questioned about an aggravated burglary on a house near the racecourse, the subsequent theft and arson of a Mitsubishi Pajero, and the arson murder of Clara Macris in Quarterhorse Lane. You denied all knowledge of these crimes. Would you care to reconsider your position?’
Danny dropped his head. ‘The ag burg was me.’
‘And the other man involved?’
‘Boyd Jolic’
‘What about Mr Oliver?’
‘Hal, come on,’ Ellen said. She was frantic, stepping from foot to foot.
Challis held up his hand. ‘Danny?’
‘Craig come and pick us up after Joll burnt the Pajero.’
‘You admit to stealing it after the aggravated burglary?’
‘Me and Joll. It was all Joll’s idea.’
‘And the pornographic video?’
‘I didn’t know what was on it.’
‘Danny, I’m only interested in where you got it.’
‘It was in the Pajero. There was this cardboard box in the back, half a dozen videos, so I pinched one.’
‘Good. Now, were you also involved in a traffic incident with a white Mercedes sedan driven by a woman driver that same afternoon? On Coolart Road? Whilst in the Pajero?’
‘Yes.’
‘Explain what happened.’
‘This bird cuts Joll off, gives him the finger. So he follows her home. He was that mad, said he was going to come back and sort her out.’
‘What did you take him to mean by that?’
‘I don’t know. He’s a mad bugger. He tried to get me to go with him.’
‘To do what?’
‘Sort her out.’
‘Kill her? Burn her house down?’
‘He didn’t say. But I wasn’t surprised when I heard about the fire. Look, he’s bad news. Scares the shit out of me. You got to put him away.’
In the corridor, Ellen spat, ‘Precious seconds, Hal, precious seconds.’
‘Exactly,’ Challis said.
Twenty-Six
Danny took them to a tract of housing that backed on to bushland between Frankston and Baxter. Challis and Ellen were in the lead car with Danny, Challis driving. Scobie Sutton and three uniformed officers were in the second car.
‘Okay, Danny, show us the house.’
