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quite high in the cloudless sky. They’d just experienced a great weekend at a health retreat in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland. Both felt tired, but at the same time rejuvenated.
    Once inside the home Stacey called out to her daughter, “Amanda? We’re back!”
    There was no reply.
    “She’s probably still at work, Babe,” her husband said casually.
    A look of confusion crossed Stacey’s features. “She normally has Monday off.” Having a thought then, Stacey opened a door on the opposite wall to the kitchen. “Her car’s here,” she reported, staring into the gloomy double garage.
    Sean replied, “Then she’s probably gone visiting friends.”
    “Without her car?”
    He shrugged. “Maybe a friend came by and picked her up?” Sean took a beer from the fridge and cracked it open, taking a long swallow of the amber fluid. “Ahh!” he said with satisfaction. “Those health retreats don’t understand the positive benefits of a good , cold beer.”
    Stacey went down back to Amanda’s room. A moment later she returned to the kitchen, looking and feeling even more confused.
    “The quilt’s gone from her bed, and the bed’s all messed up,” she said in a strained voice.
    “What are you so worried about?” Sean wanted to know. “She’s  a big girl now and she can take care of herself. She probably had a sleepover at one of her friend’s places.”
    Stacey shook her head. “I’m not so sure.” She looked into her husband’s eyes. “Sean? I have a bad feeling about this.”
     
     

Four
     
     
    After returning home for a sleep, the consecutive late nights having drained him, Ryan did as promised and emailed Julia Davis copies of all the photographs he had taken. He pulled the money from the envelope she had given him, counted it, then stuffed the bills into his wallet. He’d made a much-needed couple of grand from the gig. Some bills would be getting paid.
    He tugged on his ear a few times, then sat back in his chair at the computer desk and gazed out the full-length glass windows of his large bedroom, where he took in the late afternoon view of Surfers Paradise and the placid blue of the ocean beyond.
    Ryan lived in a two bedroom, two bathroom highrise apartment in the centre of Surfers. It was an older style apartment, which meant it was quite spacious and roomy, unlike many of the modern places. The rent was also surprisingly cheap, and had virtually stayed the same for the four years he’d lived there. He used to share the place with a mate and they halved all expenses, but that all changed a year ago.
    On the desk he saw a business card for a real estate agent up on the Sunshine Coast. He picked up the card and dialed the number on his mobile. It was answered on the third ring.
    “Hi, Tessa. It’s Ryan Fox here. Just wondering if you’ve had any interest in the house?”
    The estate agent spoke so loudly , he was always forced to hold the phone away from his ear so he didn’t risk perforating an ear drum.
    “Hi, Ryan!” she bellowed. “No, no luck so far.”
    “Is anyone interested? Anyone put any offers in?”
    “Not yet, but I had quite a successful open home on Saturday morning, so I’m expecting some offers to flood in from that.”
    “Really?” He was more than a little surprised. “That does sound promising.” He took a deep breath and said, “Look, I know times are tough and the market is way down, but I really need to get that house sold. I’m willing to look at any reasonable offer.”
    “Well, I did stress that you should have taken the last offer we had. I realize it was well under the asking price, but in the current economic climate-”
    “I know,” Ryan cut in, “but I wasn’t as desperate to sell three months ago.”
    “I understand. I’ll do my best.”
    “Thanks, Tessa. Keep me informed. I’ll talk to you soon.”
    “Will do. Bye, Ryan.”
    Ryan placed the phone down on the desk and glanced around the room. Basically there was just a queen-sized bed