Phryne sees Mrs Ragnall out and heads to the police station to find out more about Mrs Ragnall. There Hugh tells her that Mrs Ragnall had reported a missing pearl necklace some time back but as they had no reason to believe it was stolen they told her they could not search for it but would take a description report in case it turned up.
Phryne asks about Christina and Hugh tells her she will probably be found amongst the working girls as her mother Ellie is a working girl.
Phryne then heads to South Melbourne and chats to one of the working girls. She offers her a gasper and asks after Christina but the girl tells her she cant help her. She then asks after Ellie and the girls face freezes. The girl tells her Ellie was one of them but she disappeared a few weeks back and a few other girls have also disappeared.
Phyrne then heads to her sisters house to ask about the working girls and Ellie's disappearance. Eliza tells Phryne that Ellie caught pneumonia and was taken to a private hospital run by Dr James. Phryne asks if Ellie had an eight year old daughter and Eliza says it cant be the same Ellie as she is only 20.
Phyrne heads back to South Melbourne and finds a young girl selling matches amongst the working girls. Phryne buys a match and asks the girls name and she says Christina. Phryne then asks if she isn't a little young to be out on the streets on her own and Christina tells her she has Bear to look after her. Phryne asks if she can meet Bear and Christina tells her Bear doesn't want to meet her. Phryne asks if she will be there tomorrow if she needs another match and Christina says yes. Phryne leaves but senses she is being watched.
The next day Phryne goes to the office of births marriages and deaths. She muses that most Teddy bears do not make very good guardians so the likelihood is that Bear is in fact a man and that he could be Christina's father. After some detective work Phryne discovers that Mrs Ragnall gave birth to Ellie at aged 20 (no father listed) and Ellie had Christina at just 12 years old. Christina's surname listed as Forrest but the father unknown. Phryne also finds a death certificate for Christina signed by Dr James listing cause of death as pneumonia. Phryne remembers what the working girl said about more girls going missing and keeps searching. She finds three more death certificates signed by Dr James for young women with pneumonia as the cause of death.
Later that day Phryne returns to South Melbourne where she finds Christina and asks if she can see Bear now. Christina leads her to a the gate of a well kept cottage and tells her to wait there. She is met by a huge man. The man greets her with a southern drawl and asks who she is. Phryne hands over her card and the man invites her in for tea with his wife.
Bear then introduces himself and says he is Christina's adopted father. Phryne tells him that Mrs Ragnall would like her granddaughter back. Bear tells Phryne that Mrs Ragnall is not a good woman. He says he was a tent boxer in America under the name Black Bear and never lost a fight but jumped ship when he got to Melbourne and set up home with his wife Rosie with his winnings. He says Rosie cannot have children as she used to be a working girl which is why the girls look out for Christina.
Phryne asks about Ellie and Bear asks what she knows about Mrs Ragnall. Phryne tells him more than he thinks and asks if Mrs Ragnall had the same planned for Christina. Bear asks if Phryne has met a man called Forrest and Phryne tells him she has not had the dubious pleasure. Phryne asks why Christina is selling matches and he tells her Christina believes everyone should earn a living. He says Rosie has a shop now and he keeps order at certain public houses. Phryne thanks him for his time and tells him she intends to tell Mrs Ragnall Christina cannot be found. Back in the car Phryne muses she will have to make a call to Dr Mac and will have to make two house calls tomorrow one unpleasant and one pleasant.
The next day Phryne calls on Mrs Ragnall where she meets Mr Forrest she tells them that Ellie is dead and Christina has run away to Queensland. Mrs Ragnall is outraged and says Christina is far to young to know whats best for her. Phryne asks her if she does as she took such good care of Ellie. Phryne then tells Mrs Ragnall her fee will be 30 shillings as she had to use considerable resources to discover the truth of the case.
Phryne's next stop is Dr James where she tells him that he is in a lot of trouble but she can help him. She says she knows he has lost 4 working girl patients that month and that he has been "helping them out of their misery" She says she knows Ellie didn't have much of a life as she was sold to a lecher at the age of 12 and she ran away to work on the streets where she caught syphilis. Dr James tells her it was only gonorrhea but he doesn't have enough medicine to cure the girls. Phryne tells him that he is quite mad but that afternoon Dr Mac will arrive to section him and save him from being hanged for the murders. Dr James starts to wail and Phryne slaps him and tells him to "play up and play the game as Grammar expects no less" Dr James asks how he knows about Grammar and she says she has made inquiries.
Phryne's leaves the hospital musing that it was fun but being back at Bear and Rosie's house and handing over Elliot Forrest's 30 shillings will be pure joy.
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