The Lisa Govan case has all the ingredients of a gripping true crime series — bikies, love triangles, and murder.
But take those things away, and all that remains is a family unable to grieve and a young woman waiting to be put to rest.
Lisa should have been sipping on champagne, dancing, and laughing with loved ones to celebrate her 50th birthday on Saturday.
She should have been rolling her eyes at her dad’s terrible jokes, beaming with pride over how much her niece and nephew had grown, and trying without success to get her mother out of the kitchen to enjoy the party.
Lisa might have had children of her own.
Instead, the Govan family received flowers, balloons and good wishes on her behalf, as they have done for the past two decades.
They are hard workers, and it is their efforts which have kept Lisa’s memory alive in the community 21 years after she disappeared following her final night out in Kalgoorlie-Boulder.
The Govan’s have spent countless hours around the table discussing theories, evidence and leads.
They have scoured bushland with their own hands; they have appealed to the public for information; they have worked with police, the media and anyone else who has taken an interest in Lisa’s case.
They have been missing her for almost as long as Lisa was alive, and their hearts ache for answers.
We will never know who Lisa could have been, what she would go on to achieve, and where her life would take her.
But we might be able to answer the question of what happened to her.
Happy birthday, Lisa, and may your 50th birthday year see you finally return home.