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Attorney General fussed over the papers on his desk. “Yes, well, I can’t imagine what he and Ellie are going through. I mean, their daughter seems to have vanished into thin air. One minute she was there and the next, she was gone.”
    Lane kept his heart rate even. “You’ve spoken to Brittany.”
    Dowton nodded. “Yes, briefly. She’s still quite shaken. I’m sure you understand.”
    “Of course,” Lane agreed. “You’d better start from the beginning.”
    The Attorney General folded his hands on the desk in front of him and sighed. “Ellie called last night to invite Brittany to go to the mall with her and Olivia. It’s something the girls have done at least three or four times over the holidays. They usually go to a movie. Ellie collected Brittany about eight-thirty this morning.”
    “Where were they going?”
    “To Chatswood Chase. As far as I know, they were shopping in Myer when Olivia disappeared.”
    “I’ve already spoken with Ellie. She’s verified your information.” Lane cleared his throat, wanting to cut to the chase. “When you called Detective Superintendent Collins, you said you thought Brittany might have been the target. I agree that the girls look alike. Are you saying you think it’s a case of mistaken identity?”
    Dowton averted his gaze. After a slight hesitation, he nodded.
    “What makes you think that? I assume Brittany’s okay?”
    “Yes, thank God!” The Attorney General’s relief was palpable. “Apart from a graze on her forehead. She was given the okay by the doctors. I brought her home and then called your superior.”
    “Where is she now?”
    “Resting upstairs. I asked Zara to sit with her.” He pushed his hair back off his forehead and sighed. “Allison is visiting her sister interstate. I called her to let her know what’s happened. She’s anxiously waiting to catch the next flight home. Unfortunately, there’s only one flight in and one flight out a day, but she’ll be here as soon as she can.”
    “I’ll have to interview Brittany.”
    “Of course. I understand. I’ll send word up to Zara.” He picked up the phone near his elbow and spoke quietly to the person on the other end.
    Lane tugged a notebook out of his pocket and jotted down some notes. When the Attorney General had finished on the phone, Lane spoke again.
    “You still haven’t explained why you think your daughter was the target.”
    “I’m sure you’ve read it in the papers, or heard it on the news. I’m pushing for tougher controls on outlaw motorcycle gangs. They’ve had a free run in this State for far too long. It’s time we clawed back whatever power we can.”
    “You won’t get any argument from me. All of us are right behind you. The sooner the better.”
    “Yes, well unfortunately, not everyone feels that way. I’m ashamed to admit that if I’d had the slightest inkling my actions could cause so much angst, I’d have been a little more cautious.”
    Foreboding trickled through Lane’s veins, followed by a surge of impatience. He wanted to shout at the man, to shake the words out of him. Olivia Munro was missing. Every second counted.
    “I’m still at a loss to connect this with the disappearance of Olivia Munro. With all due respect, Attorney General—David—you need to get to the point. A little girl is missing. Her parents are sick with worry.”
    “Of course. I’m sorry. I’m not doing a very good job of explaining myself.” He drew in a breath and scrubbed at his face with his hands.
    “Last night, I-I took a call from an unidentified male. It was late. I was trying to catch up on paperwork. He warned me about continuing with my quest for the proposed law reforms. He told me there would be consequences. He implied my family was at risk.”
    Lane frowned. “Did you recognize the caller? Did you report the call?”
    “No. The voice wasn’t familiar. I couldn’t place it. But the threat sounded legitimate. It shook me up. I couldn’t sleep for