Lisa Davies - True Colours. Lauren Huxley and her family from Tragedy to Triumph

EMERGING FROM HER fortnightly naturopath appointment on Wednesday, 9 November 2005, Christine Huxley took stock of her day. She had been so busy serving customers at the Commonwealth Bank that she hadnt had a chance to telephone her daughter, Lauren, to see how her TAFE presentation had gone. Lauren, aged 18, had been a bit nervous. The day before they had gone shopping and bought her a new pair of black trousers and decided she would wear her older sister Simones crisp white shirta professional look for the presentation. Lauren had been applying herself very seriously to her marketing course in recent weeks, but that was no surprise. She had always been a good student. She seemed to be enjoying her classes, and had made some new friends to complement her large group of school friends. It was exciting to see her younger daughter grow into a confident young woman. There wasnt really much risk Lauren hadnt done well, Christine thought, and anyway shed be home soon enough and could hear all about it.

As she started to back out of the clinic car park, her naturopath ran out looking a bit panicked, and stopped her.

Your friend Sharon just called, she says its urgent and wants you to call her, she explained.

Oh, Im only five minutes from home, Christine replied dismissively, Ill call her when I get there. It cant be that urgent.

Her thoughts had turned to dinner by the time she turned into Moxhams Road, the peaceful suburban street in Northmead, in Sydneys northwest, where she had lived for more than 20 years.

As she drew closer to the familys modest home, she furrowed her brow. What was up ahead, some kind of roadblock? I wonder whats going on, she thought. There was a public school across the road from their house which meant it could be quite busy around 3 pm, but it was much later than that nowit was almost 5.30 pm.

Then Christines stomach lurched. There were ambulances and fire trucks outside her houseand it was on fire. But what seized her with dread as she flung herself out of the car and sprinted towards her front gate was just one thought: Wheres Lauren?

A FEW SUBURBS away, 21-year-old hairdresser Simone Huxley heard her mobile phone ringing out the back of the salon. She ignored it; she was cutting a young boys hair and focusing on finishing the job. When she checked the phone a few minutes later, she saw shed missed two callsone from a number she didnt recognise, and one from her father.

Simone got calls from strangers a lotclients who had referred friends to her for haircutsso she didnt think much of it. She sent a text message to the unknown number, saying: Sorry I missed your call, who is this?

A text came back immediately. Its Kathy, your next-door neighbour. Call me back, its urgent.

Oh no, Simone thought, maybe someone has broken into the house. What made her think that, she didnt know, except that Kathy was always home and their street was so neighbourly that it was just the sort of thing she would have called her for.

Before she could return the call, her phone rang again and this time it was her father, Patrick Huxley.

Head home, the house is on fire, he said.

What? Simone screamed. Youve got to be kidding me.

Grabbing her bag, she raced out of the salon. Then her father asked: Do you know where Lauren is? Ive tried her mobile, its not answering.

Simone didnt know where her sister was. As she bolted to her car, she tried Laurens number herself. No reply. She tried again; it rang out a second time. In a blur of rising panic, something niggled at the back of her mindLauren should have been at home.

PAT HUXLEY WAS finishing up at a Penrith job site just before 5 pm when his mobile phone rang. He was tired; a carpenter by trade, he had started his day 12 hours earlier and was ready to clock off. He was excited too, because it was his last day at work for two weeks: Pat, Christine and the girls were going to have a little holiday. They were going to head up the coast, as they always did. Pat loved the ritual of packing up the car, leaving the rat race behind for the beach, usually at Forster or Coffs Harbour, nothing to do but swim and relax with his family. Theyd have plenty to chat about on this particular trip, too. Lauren was now contemplating going on to uni after TAFE, Simone was about to start planning for her first overseas trip, and he and Christine needed to talk to the girls further about the idea of moving house. That would be a big decision, and theyd have to make it as a family, but right now, on this sweltering November afternoon, the thought of moving to a bigger place, with a pool

His phone was still ringing and he picked it up distractedly, answering with his usual brief hello. He was surprised to hear one of his neighbours, Joyce, on the other end. Without any preamble, she said: Your house is on fire, Pat.

Good god, he thought, and told Joyce: Call the fire brigade. Ill be home as soon as I can.

He and one of his workmates, George White, had been sharing the driving to Penrith from their homes in adjacent suburbs, so they set off immediately. At that time of the day, the trip would take close to an hour. Trying not to panic or drive too quickly, he called his wifes mobile phone first, but it was switched off. George then dialled Christines work number for him, only to be informed that she had left for the day.

Pat didnt really keep track of what the women in his family got up to after work or study, whether it was the gym, beauty appointments, or catching up with friends. By the time he got home, Lauren and Christine were usually there, or close to it, Simone not far behind them. His daughters were independent young women now and they came and went as they pleased.

Knowing his younger daughter was usually the first home on a weekday afternoon, he tried Laurens mobile phone. It rang out. He tried again and again, but still nothing.

He got through to Simone as he sped towards their home, but she didnt know where Lauren was either.

As he hung up, a cold fear spread through his chest. Something wasnt right.

How on earth had their home caught fire? And what had happened to his little girl?