‘We will talk about this, Ashleigh,’ she said as she was walking through the front door. They were the first words she’d said to me since we were in the lab. ‘When this problem is sorted – and it will be sorted – we will be having a full and frank discussion.’

I thought of saying something sharp, but decided silence would serve me better. I watched as the car drove her away.

Just me and Dad.

I looked at him across the kitchen table. He seemed to have aged years in just a few hours. He plucked at his earlobe and there was a twitch under his right eye. He tried to smile at me but that didn’t work.

‘Call the car, Dad,’ I said after five minutes. We had three cars. I have no idea why, since the three hadn’t ever been on the road at the same time.

‘Why? Where are we going, Ash?’

‘To see Aiden,’ I said. That got his full attention. His eyes flicked to one side, where his tablet lay. ‘I can’t stop you ringing Mum,’ I continued, ‘but if you do, you won’t see him and I will never tell you where he is. So you need to make a decision, Dad. For once.’

I think he flinched at that. Our eyes met and neither of us broke contact. I don’t know if it was wishful thinking, but I thought I saw a determination in his eyes – a kind of flintiness – that hadn’t been there before. Then he nodded slowly.

‘Let’s go,’ he said.

I made Dad park the car at the school, which was deserted for the holidays. We were going to walk from there.

He didn’t look comfortable as we headed down an empty street. I wondered when he’d last walked the streets of Sydney. It must have been a long time ago, judging by his nervousness and how he kept spinning around as if expecting to be attacked from every quarter. I was slightly more relaxed. I’d done this twice before, though it was still a bit scary. When we arrived at Victoria Park I pulled out my tablet and called Aiden. He answered immediately.

‘I’m here, Aiden,’ I said. ‘And Dad is with me.’

I could tell Aiden was confused and I could understand why. I’d told him to avoid our parents and now I’d brought one along. This wouldn’t be making any sense to him. But I’d taken a chance with Dad. I’d made him leave his tablet on the kitchen table because I didn’t trust him too much, but I also thought that, away from Mum, he might have his own ideas and opinions. And he couldn’t do much out here. Aiden could outrun most people. He could certainly outrun Dad.