A Cry in the Dark Page #3

They could have picked somewhere else.

They blame a dumb animal

who can't defend itself.

I can't believe how the dingo can have

taken the baby and it's never been found.

Mrs Chamberlain?

Inspector Gilroy and Sergeant Lincoln.

- I'm sorry, we have to interview you.

- Yes, all right. Come in.

It might help me to talk about it.

I believe you've already given Constable

Morris some items for identification?

- What is it, darling?

- That's the dingo that took bubby.

- Where did the dingo take bubby?

- The dingo took bubby shopping.

He loves shopping.

- It's never happened before.

- Kids have been bitten.

Thinks he's bloody Lassie.

That's ten pounds.

That's what the baby weighed.

Have a go. A dingo couldn't get halfway

up the hill without taking a breather.

- How long could you hold that for?

- That's right. Feel the weight of it.

We've come to shoot the dogs, Nipper.

I'm sorry.

- OK?

- Let 'em get used to the idea.

Huh! Look who's here.

Morning, Mrs Chamberlain.

We don't wanna shoot any dogs

that we don't have to.

No, they're all bitzers. Nothing like it.

I'm not taking another photograph.

We found more blood on Aidan's parka.

No, we have enough blood

with the blanket.

Good. It's the only warm coat he has.

Well, you have a list of the places we'll be.

Fine. You'll be advised

of the date of the coroner's inquest.

- We should search that car.

- They've had it bad enough.

After the mysterious disappearance

of their daughter,

Mount lsa's Seventh Day Adventist pastor

Michael Chamberlain and his wife Lindy

are expected to arrive home late today.

The Chamberlains were on

a camping trip at Ayers Rock...

Oh, Michael.

''Consider yourselves fortunate

when all kinds of trials come your way,

for you know that when your faith

succeeds in facing such trials,

the result is the ability to endure.''

''Make sure that your endurance

carries you all the way without failing

so that you may be perfect and complete,

lacking nothing.''

''But if any of you lacks wisdom,

he should pray to God,

who will give it to him, because God

gives generously and graciously to all.''

''But when you pray...''

Lindy, is this blood?

Mm.

Don't let Michael see it, it'll upset him.

Just put it over there.

They're not locals.

- Yes, can I help you?

- Mrs Chamberlain?

I'm from the Woman's Day. We rang you?

Oh, yes.

Can I just say how sorry I am?

I'm a mother myself.

Please accept the condolences

of everyone at the Woman's Day.

Thank you.

Look, we'd like to tell Azaria's story,

Mrs Chamberlain.

To make sure that this never

happens again, to warn everyone.

We'd put her on the front page and show

the world what a beautiful baby she was.

May we come in?

I'll take these back.

No sense in wasting money.

No, I'll give it to Wendy for her bubby.

Where's my bubby?

Where's my bubby in the big, black dark?

Where's my bubby? Where's my bubby?

Where's my bubby in the big, black dark?

Don't worry.

I'll put it back the way I found it.

Bloodstained clothes

found at Ayers Rock

are believed to be

those of Azaria Chamberlain,

allegedly dragged from

her family tent by a dingo last week.

A tourist found the white jump suit,

singlet, nappy and booties folded...

- Folded?

- ..in a cave, near a dingo lair.

Where's her matinee jacket?

Why weren't we told about this?

However, the baby's father,

Mr Michael Chamberlain,

seems convinced that his daughter

was taken by a dingo.

When we saw the spots of

blood in the tent, we realised that this...

Michael, did you talk to them?

No, they used...

That's when we were at the Rock.

I'm in charge of the

Chamberlain investigation now.

Oh. Darwin. Politics?

Been reading through your reports.

This doctor's rumours from Mount Isa.

Did you check it out?

Yes, I have. They seem groundless.

What about this stuff about

''sacrifice in the wilderness'', the name?

- Azaria?

- It's a pretty weird name, isn't it?

I heard it means

sacrifice in the bloody wilderness.

What, do you reckon they took

the kid up there to sacrifice it?

Yeah, they probably did.

- The kid was always dressed in black.

- So was the mother.

She dressed it in black.

I heard a rumour that the kid was

really cracked and she couldn't handle it.

He'd already fallen out of the trolley jeep.

Now, if something was wrong with him...

- And they're Seventh Day Adventists.

- They don't like abnormal children.

Tell me what really happened to your

little sister. I won't tell anybody else...

Sergeant Charlwood, could you identify

the doctor that made those allegations?

No comment.

These are the slides I forgot to pick up

before we went to the... away.

Mum and Dad! Come and have a look.

Oh, yes. It's a new bike.

That's Reagan.

I didn't realise. I thought...

It must have been at the end of a roll.

I quite like that one.

It's when she still had her hair.

She was so beautiful. I wish you'd...

I wish I'd seen her.

The last time I stood before you was also

at the invitation of the Chamberlain family.

That was a happier day.

We celebrated the birth

of their little daughter.

We welcomed her

into the heart of our church,

dedicating her life to God and asking for

his blessing and guidance in her life,

a life that has suddenly, sadly, ended.

A lot of people watching would ask

why you're prepared to be interviewed.

Hey, darl, come and have a look at this.

Why are you making your grief so public?

Jesus, what a wanker.

We believe that this experience

has been needful for a lot of people,

if they can realise too that...

that there is a chance,

that there is an opportunity

to be at peace, to be at rest,

with the help of the Lord.

Michael's not in jail!

No! He's not!

He's at a church convention in Townsville.

The police?!

They never!

Oh, that's a load of Aussie bulldust.

They're playing games with you.

I don't blame you being worried.

Yeah, righto, Peter. Thanks for calling.

Bye.

- Was that Michael's brother?

- The rumours are in New Zealand already.

A lie goes round the world while truth's

still putting its boots on, sweetheart.

I'm gonna do something about it.

Chamberlain interview, take one.

Tell us about some of

the rumours going around.

Yes. One story is that...

Yes. One story is that

we're part of a bizarre cult,

that's part of the Jones massacre,

South America, that we're part of that.

Another one that's come back is because

we're placing the cairn at Ayers Rock...

Thanks, Mum.

..that this the other half

of a bizarre murder ritual,

taking away the sins of the entire

Seventh Day Adventist church.

This is a photo of Azaria's clothing.

It shows bad blood stains

and a bad tear on the left arm.

It would seem difficult for a dog

to get the baby out of there.

Yes, well, if you've ever seen a dingo eat,

there's no difficulty at all.

lf you've seen them eat the carcass

of a cow, something like that,

they never eat the skin.

They use their feet like hands

and pull back the skin as they go.

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