THEY PULLED UP OUTSIDE Cole Blancard’s house, the wipers clearing the snow from the windshield, and the woman peered out.

“This is it?” she asked. “You’re sure?”

Austin nodded quickly.

She looked at him, dead in the eye. “If you’re lying to us, we’re going to be very upset with you.”

“I’m not lying,” said Austin. “They said a kid with a birthmark stole the key. Cole Blancard is the only kid in town with a birthmark on his face. And he steals things. He’s always stealing.”

“He a friend of yours?” the man asked from the front seat.

“No, sir. He hates me.”

“Why’s that?”

“I don’t know. He always picks on me.”

“A bully,” the woman said. “We’ve never liked bullies, have we, Bill?”

“Not unless we’re doing the bullying.”

The woman chuckled. “This is true. This is very true. So, Austin, how about this for a deal? We all go up there, we knock on the door, you get us inside, and then we’ll kill this bully for you. What do you say?”

Austin stared at her. “I don’t … I don’t want him killed …”

“Why the hell not?” asked Bill. “He’s making your life a misery, isn’t he? The little shit deserves it.”

“Language,” said the woman.

Bill shrugged, and got out of the van, treating Austin to a blast of cold air.

The woman – what did she say her name was? Betty? – gave Austin another smile. “I understand. You’re reluctant to agree to someone being killed. That’s natural. But it’s also weak. Don’t take this the wrong way, Austin, I don’t mean to insult you – it’s just that over the years my husband and I have realised how a little killing now and then makes life easier. This boy, what’s his name?”

“Cole Blancard.”

“This boy Cole, he’s an obstacle in your way. He’s stopping you from having a happy life – or at the very least he’s one of the obstacles. There’s nothing wrong in wanting to remove an obstacle, Austin.”

Bill opened the side door. “The little voice that’s saying no right now, that’s your conscience. A conscience is very important for a lot of things, but equally important is to know when not to listen to it. Because your own conscience can work against you.”

“It really can,” Betty said, sounding terribly sad about it. Austin got out of the van, and she came after. The snow was coming down heavier now. “When you think about it, your conscience is really about other people. It cares what they think and how they feel and all sorts of stuff that isn’t about you.”

They started walking up to Cole’s house, Bill and Betty on either side of Austin.